Tag - Pearland

Four Friends Tea Room

3816 E Broadway St.
Pearland, TX 77581
PH: (281) 485-6484
WEBSITE

Once upon a time (about 20 years ago), four friends started a tea room in a charming bungalow in the heart of Pearland’s historic downtown site. Fast forward to 2013, when homemaker Sherrill Kirby and her family went to the tea room to get some pumpkin bread (A.K.A. the “best pumpkin bread in Houston). Learning that the tearoom was up for sale, she realized that running the little tea room would be an outlet for her to help with paying for her children’s college, weddings and cars. This October (2015) will mark her two year anniversary at Four Friends. She kept everything, including the name (as it’s herself, her two sisters and her niece) and the pumpkin bread the same.

Nowadays, the tea room is open Monday thru Saturday from 11-3pm. Their signature dishes include: the spice tea, white chocolate bread pudding (“folks say it’s the best they’ve tasted in 50 years” and it’s featured at least once or twice a week), the tomato basil soup (they’ve had 50-100 people tell them it’s the best they’ve ever tasted. Plus it’s vegetarian and gluten-free) and the cranberry chicken salad. They present each meal on an eclectic mix of china that they’ve collected throughout the years. They scour antique stores, garage sales, thrift shops, estate sales and Craigslist in search of unique pieces. One sister once drove two hours to secure one of their best china sets. Sherrill also has relatives in Michigan that sends tableware in suitcases to her. She credits some of their teapots, which are worth $150-200; along with the ambiance, great service and being in a unique old house as being the top reasons that sets them apart from other tea rooms in the area.

I recently had the chance to visit the cute little tea room, for both a High Tea and a regular lunch. I got there right when they opened at 11am and entered at their main entrance in the back of the house. When you first walk in, you see the gift shop, complete with china sets, miscellaneous gifts and Downton Abbey teas. Then you get whisked away to a seat in one of the three dining rooms. Each room seems to have it’s own distinguishing characteristics; such as wall color, table settings and wall decor. When I was served the High Tea, it was served on their exclusive Royal Albert bone china tableware with the “Old Country Roses” pattern. I was given a choice of soup (broccoli cheese), pasta salad, egg and cucumber finger sandwiches, a scone with clotted cream and homemade jam and a sampling of a few desserts. As for the regular lunch, I had the “tea room sampler”- which included soup (tomato basil), pasta salad, three egg and cucumber finger sandwiches and a piece of pumpkin bread. All that for $10. Every meal includes a complimentary sample of the spice hot tea, which is without a doubt- pretty darn good. I also enjoyed a pot of the Sweet Texas Dreams tea for both meals. Everything is fresh and homemade, so obviously nothing disappointed!

Be sure to check out their Facebook page for featured desserts and soups, as well as other events (such as their Mother-Daughter Tea or Princess Parties). The tea room can also be booked for evening parties, weekday meetings or other events.