Unitea

I’m sad to report that Unitea appears to be closed. The interior is being gutted, and all the equipment and decorations have been removed. It’s a sad day for tea lovers.

I really wanted to like Unitea – it seems so adorable… Unfortunately, when I went there for the first time a few weeks ago, the person working there (I assume this is the same person that previous reviewers Jessica S. and Heavenly O. were talking about) spoke such little English that it was extremely difficult to order. I am usually very reluctant to complain about people’s English skills, because most restaurant workers I’ve come across with limited English skills are fine if the conversation is kept basic, but seriously, if you are a barista, you need to know the names of different kinds of milk.
Here was our exchange:
Me: Hi, could I have a small latte made with skim milk, please?
Him: With milk?
Me: Skim milk.
Him: Milk, yes?
Me: Yes, skim milk, nonfat milk.
Him: No milk?
Me: I… would. like… skim… milk… please.
Him: Okay, yes, milk.
What I got was a scalding hot latte made with… whole milk. If I remember correctly, I think it was also the wrong size, meaning that I had to pay extra for excess coffee that I didn’t want or plan to drink, with whole milk, which I don’t like.
I might go there again if there’s a different person working, but the couple of times I’ve peeked in, it’s been the same guy, so I haven’t been back.

Dear Unitea Owner,
I haven’t seen you in the shop for several months now. It seems that you have an older man working for you who does not speak English (at all). He does not know the difference between the various teas and, as such, made the entirely wrong tea for me when I visited your establishment this past Saturday morning. He also made my boyfriend a large cup of watery coffee. He then charged me $ 4.00 for the incorrect tea and coffee because he did not know how to use the cash register (the correct price would have been somewhere around $ 3.50 but I guess since he said «it’s okay» that meant I was supposed to eat the $ .50 and be okay with it).
I’m not sure why I stayed long enough to even get the [wrong] tea because at 9:30am on a sunny Saturday morning the shop did not have any bagels and I couldn’t get much studying done with the TV on. When I went to go sweeten my tea I realized that the sugar/​creamer station (that incidentally sits atop of the garbage can) was empty (save for dust and spilled sugar granules). I asked for sugar and he graciously scooped a tablespoon into my tea. The same scenario for milk.
We left, and threw out our respective beverages on our way to Greenline.
Please do better. Come back to the shop.
Fondly,
Jessica

I want to like this place (I drink tea, not coffee), and have been here several times, but there’s just something off. There drinks are very good, but I think that the place itself is somewhat uninviting. In addition, as other reviewers have noted, the hours are somewhat odd and then the last time I went in the person behind the counter couldn’t understand what I was saying so I had to leave and get my drink at The Green Line. With several other local options that are just a bit better I think that this place is going to have a hard time succeeding.
Update — now closed.

I don’t write too many reviews but my disappointment with this place coupled with some of the other opinions on here are compelling me to chime in. I am a tea person and was excited for this place! It always looked so cute from the outside.
I decided to finally try it, but I was by myself so I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay and sit or take my tea to go. Well, as soon as I walked in, one of the guys sitting at a table jumped up to help me. I didn’t want to keep him waiting, so I asked if they make a chai tea latte. He had no idea what I was talking about, just pointed to the menu and said they have «black» tea and «green» tea. Okay. I settled on an English breakfast, but I had to point at it on the menu for the guy to understand.
While I waited for my tea to brew, I looked around and decided NOT to stay. There wasn’t a horrible vibe in there, but the TV was kind of a turn-​off. Finally, when my drink was ready, the barista asked if I wanted sugar and «inside or outside?» I didn’t know what he was talking about. Definitely a major language barrier going on. Also, as far as I could tell, there was only powdered creamer at the milk/​sugar station. I brought my drink home and added milk there.
The tea was perfectly fine. But the customer service will not get me back there.

Chai? Yes, please.
I was a skeptic at first about this place, as tea places tend to disappoint me.
However, once I had one sip of that chai, I was hooked. It was perfected seasoned, brewed, and didn’t feel like my mouth was sticking together.
On top of that, my tea was reasonably priced. Am I coming back? Yes, and I did for a bubble tea!
The tapioca was soft but not slimy, the tea again was not overly sweet, and once again, the price point was just right.
I love this place.

I’m a big fan of bubble tea. So, I was anticipating to come to Unitea after reading all the great reviews on Unilocal.
Maybe I came here on an off-​day (the Tuesday after Labor Day). I ordered the blended Sweet Black Tea with tapioca. It took a while for it to be made, but I can’t rush if I want something to be done right, especially if it’s being freshly brewed.
The drink wasn’t horrible, but it was just too milky for my taste. It lacked the essence of black tea and consisted of watered-​down milk and sugar. The tapioca were probably stored over the holiday weekend because it tasted old and wasn’t soft and chewy.
I’m willing to give this place another try, but most likely, I’ll get something else.

This review is solely based on my tasting their bubble tea.
I’ve been here twice now for bubble tea — and it was delicious the first time. The second time, it was way too milkshakey. Both times, the tapioca was delicious. The first time, I had the chai, the second time I had the mango. I don’t recommend the mango. It was more like a mango milkshake. The chai tea was delicious! Definitely get that.

I’m new to Pennsylvania and have been searching for a good tea place. This one isn’t as fancy as some, but I thought the prices were reasonable, the owner is *extremely* helpful and the tea is fantastic. I hate tea bags — fresh brewing loose leaf makes all the difference.
Here the owner made my tea perfectly brewed (I didn’t have to worry about over steeping) and helped me decide on one. I had the Island Coconut — a black tea with a hint of coconut that goes very nicely.
Atmosphere is quiet and calm — at least from 11am-​12pm on a Tuesday. The chairs and benches are bright and cheerful and there were fresh carnations on the tables. Looks like they’re trying to put up art on the walls and could use a bit of help with that, but I care more about a place where I can work and have good tea.
I also had an omelet ($ 5 with any number of fillings + piece of toast + pad of hashbrowns + salsa). It was very peppery but I liked it. And for that price I’m not going to complain.
I think the place could benefit from having some actual dishes. My tea was served in a paper cup and I prefer tea in a ceramic mug but guess I’ll just have to bring my own mug next time. [That’s why the 4 stars instead of 5 — atmosphere and paper cups could use a little lift, but I’d still come back!!!]
I’m thrilled that this place is near a locale where I need to do off-​site work on occasion because it’ll give me the opportunity to stop by and try some of the other teas. A very informed owner who knows his teas. Finally!

I had the bubble tea here today and was very disappointed. I did not see any tea get put into the cup. It tasted more like a smoothie, and a bad smoothie at the best. I got the peach flavored and it was just powder added for the flavor. My friend got the mango one and it was a bit better.

So I read the review on Unilocal and gave this place a shot for lunch during the week.
I had the Dragon Tears tea w/​bubbles and it was excellent. Authentic bubble tea and can be sweetened or unsweetened to your taste. It isn’t the sugary bubble tea from Sansom street. Flavors are somewhat limited but excellent quality. Bubbles tasted good (Although they were a creepy brown color).
Food wise, the selection is very limited but I tried the fresh tomato basil and mozz panini. Waste of money. The tomato was mushy, basil was a brown spread from a jar, mozzarella was okay, but bread was hard as a rock and was painful to eat.
Overall, recommend the tea and stay away from the food.

I love Unitea! I’ve never been a huge tea fan, but this place has converted me. They have a wide variety of all-​looseleaf teas, with many that you can’t find any where else! And the quality is superb – WAY better than places like Bubble House. I’ve had hot teas and cold teas, with and without pearls (tapioca), and they’ve all been great.
On top of all that, it’s pretty cheap too! Way cheaper than getting Earl Grey at Starbucks, and tons better.
The Mocha Rocha is unbelievable, I’ve never tasted tea like it before in my life. Try it cold!
The owner also has some great baked goods and sandwiches. Ask to try his muffin tops, they’re great with a cup of hot tea.

Big fan of Unitea. Been there 2 days in a row for iced tea. Had the Jasmin Dragon Tears (green) and the Island Coconut (black). Loved both of them.
They have this cool espresso type machine that brews the tea at 212 degrees, which supposedly is the perfect temp to brew the tea in order to release maximum flavor. Thought this was a very cool change from the normal loose leaf tea shops that use bags. (it’s really hard to review a tea shop without saying teabag).
The owners a super cool, extra star for them.

I just stopped in this place that is right around the corner from me. I was really excited to see this place open up, especially next to Tampopo. What is better than donburi rice bowls paired with iced green tea? Nothing, that’s what. I just got the sweetened iced green tea; the flavor was Jasmine Dragon Tears. Sounds exciting, right? It was really refreshing for the hot day. The drink was also pretty affordable: $ 2.50! Bubble Tea house is definitely more spendy. I look forward to trying the crepes.
This place just opened and is definitely going through that phase. I hope people stop by more and help it out because I would like to see this place get through the growing pains and become a W. Phila staple. The owners are very nice, and their son is adorable!

A four for now, but I can easily see it becoming a five once they get past some of those newly open jitters, and they get in some of the items and tea varieties that I was oh so excited to hear them talking about!
It’s no secret on Unilocal that I tend to find myself flocking towards newly opened coffeehouses with instant anticipation. But fact of the matter is, it’s even more so with tea houses. So when I first saw this new found gem of a discovery while on my way to dinner with a friend, I literally tried to pull him away from our destination and go right inside. But I opted to take the high road and wait until after. Even before my friend entered he noticed something about the artwork in the décor that made him realize that he knew the owners, and it really showed how much thought they put into their establishment. regardless the décor was solid and filled with roomy booths, cool artwork and inspirational quotes on the walls, and a big screen TV. It had enough to make it the type of place that I’d like to bring Book Club to once they get over the West Philly stigma.
As for menu it’s nothing short of incredible! Unitea (how in the blue hell did I not mention how much I love the name yet!) is packed to the brim with several loose leaf tea varieties. But unlike most of the other tea houses in Philly, it manages to go nonexclusive and fulfill or your coffee drink needs too. their main menu offers up a plethora of sandwiches that are both in the meat and vegetarian variety (veggie turkey or ham anyone?). there’s also plenty of deserts, and the owner was even talking about adding on even more with different cakes and other tantalizing treats.
Really in the long run there’s just two easily remedied factors that prevented the perfect score. When I was reading through the list of green teas I couldn’t help but read one variety (which I could in no way attempt to spell out for its sheer diversity in name) that I knew that I simply just had to have. So much so that I might have even gone LOTR and dubbed it the one green tea to rule them all at the time, even though I haven’t had it! But a colossal disappointment ended up falling upon me when I heard the owner say that the shipment wasn’t in yet. I did settle for a Jasmine Pearl blend though, which managed to rock my socks as always. The only other flaw came when I couldn’t find any cream by the sugars and honey, but I’m sure it could also be a simple oversight on my part.
regardless of the few minor flaws that are probably taken care of already. overall Unitea had enough to bring me together, and feel a perfect unity sip after sip!

their iced tea was amazing. I’ve been dying for a place that serves really great loose leaf tea (sorry greenline, you dont count) so I’m definitely a fan. Their turkey sandwich on wheat was really good too — they have that same delicious sauce that Marrakesh Express on 44^th and Chestnut has. I definitely recommend them.

Unitea just opened up this week. It’s still a little rough, but I think it’s going to be delightful. The important thing: the tea is superb, and it is served boiling hot.
They carry 25 kinds of tea, espresso, sandwiches, and some breakfast stuff. On weekends they have crêpes. The crêpes were okay, but got cold quickly. The egg and bacon sandwich was okay too, but they need to get better bread. The bacon is beef bacon; Unitea does not serve pork. They do have pastrami and corned beef on the menu, which I am looking forward to trying. Sandwiches are on special for the time being, for $ 5.50 each.
All the food and drink would be nicer with real plates and cups, but right now everything is served on paper.
The sign in the window claims Wi-​Fi. I haven’t tried it.
I will continue to come back for the tea. I have had a green tea chai and an Irish Breakfast with steamed milk. Both delicious. It is so hard to get a good cup of tea! Most restaurants hand you a cup of lukewarm water and a teabag. Tea at Unitea is well-​prepared and hot. They carry something like 25 different teas.
They also serve fresh carrot juice.
Service was very friendly and cheerful. I enjoyed my visits.
Addendum 2010-​04-​14: The Wi-​Fi worked flawlessly. But beware: their cake is from the notoriously mediocre Swiss Haus, at least today.