Mad Monk Tea

I’ve recently started drinking lots of tea and I’m very interested in learning all about it, so talking to Taylor and having him share his knowledge with me was fantastic! We sat for at least an hour and talked about tea (he’s passionate about his tea), while I sampled two of their black teas. Both were lovely and unique — not something you find in regular stores. Although slightly expensive (I ended up buying a 5oz. $ 50 bag of tea), I really liked it and hope it will last me a long time!

5 stars for the experience doesn’t even cover it. Truly, and literally, a hidden gem of San Diego. Having tea with Taylor and new friends, and hearing each one’s stories make you realize just how small the world is. It’s amazing and extremely pleasant. Come discover the tea, experience, and people for yourself!

Can’t help feeling that the vibe of this place has changed recently. It appears that the owners no longer find it worthwhile to chat with and educate customers, unless you’re willing to pay a premium for their time. Their tea’s more expensive, but I bought it supporting their story and for the intentional environment that they created for customers to unwind and really interact, person-​to-​person. Just another commercialized venue now?

Tiny amazing find! At first I thought this place was a café, but it is strictly a tea shop. My friends and I were invited to a tea tasting, which probably lasted an hour. Lots of amazing pu erh teas. We tried the mulberry leaf tea, which is grassy. My husband ended up buying some of their chamomile tea.
Anything you buy there is very high quality, made of whole tea leaves that are seasonally sourced.

This place is legit. Extremely knowledgeable staff and amazing products. Can’t wait to go back.

Taylor is knowledgeable and sources amazing teas. He runs a tea shop to perfection; great atmosphere, educational experience and love of tea.

I’ve been here a few times and I absolutely love this place! The selection that they have are very tasty and the guys there are always such a delight to talk to. Being active duty, I always stop by when I’m going out to sea for a long time. The only thing I don’t like is the parking! UGH… But it doesn’t stop me! I’ll be making another trip soon.

Taylor is my go-​to Tea Expert. He travels the world and hand selects only the finest teas around. I love just stopping by for a little medi-​tea-​tion, or to just chat. Loose leaf is my favorite way to drink tea now that I know Mad Monk. The shop is not intimidating and Taylor is very easy to chat with. Transitioning to loose leaf can be intimidating at first because you have so much to choose from, but as I said, Taylor is the Man!

I can’t tell you what a good time I had with Taylor et al at this wonderful tea room. He’s super knowledgable, just opinionated enough to be interesting without being pretentious, and a generous and warm host to boot. Coulda gladly spent some more hours there. Can’t return as often as I’d like due to living some 1500 miles away, but I’ll certainly be patronizing this establishment through the electronic Aethyr as soon as the crate of tea I came away with starts to dwindle. Can’t imagine a better tea house by the beach.

Mad Monk is a hidden-​gem of a tea shop I’ve been coming to for a while. The owner is very knowledgeable about tea and is very welcoming. I came in looking for some white mulberry tea to help with my blood sugar and was surprised to find they carried it! The gen mai cha (green tea with toasted rice) is very good. I’ve also had the chai and it is the best I’ve ever had!
You can’t get this level of service, quality and knowledge at your run-​of-​the-​mill Teavana. Support your local businesses! I recommend this place to all!

Been coming here for a while, can’t recommend it enough!
Vibe is very laid back, just come in to drink some tea and have good conversation.

Mad Monk offers only exclusive quality teas and a couple of herbals, so if you seek true Tea and not tea blends with added ingredients and gmos then this is most certainly the place for you. If you expect a large selection in herbals or rooibos blends or tisanes, try Teavana and every other tearoom/​house in SD. I mean this because what sets Mad Monk apart from all the others is the tea itself. I appreciate and support the owner for having traveled Asia and work/​study with family owned and operated tea farms to share today what I enjoy drinking everyday. The tearoom probably seats about 4 – 5 guests and is very intimate as I like, but I visit over and over to buy tea. The room is minimal and organized and tastefully decorated, and you will always find Taylor or Nico. To the tea drinker: You will not be disappointed!

I had the pleasure of sitting in and sipping some high quality tea with Taylor and Niko of Mad Monk Tea. They were so inviting and the atmosphere was zen. It felt as though I was just relaxing at a friends house.
As I sampled a few of the teas I was able to learn a bit about them as well (these guys really know their tea). Had it not been for a time crunch I’m sure I would have stayed for hours lol.
I can’t wait to go back and grab more!!! This was truly my first «real tea» experience and it was well worth it. :)

This place is great! It’s not a tea house where you can go and have a cup of tea though. They have loose leaf teas, but they let you try them if you have an extra 10 – 15 minutes and no one else is in the store. The kid running the place is knowledgeable, and suggested some good teas to me. Definitely will continue to get my tea here.

Great little authentic Taiwan-​style tea shop. As far as I can tell this is the only place in SD county where they do tea kung fu style. I bought some GABA oolong, which seemed to have the claimed effects. I also bought a few tuo of pu-​er which I found to be as good, if not better, than the more expensive stuff Peet’s sells.
Having said that, there is certainly room for improvement on their selection. Most of their teas seem to be loose leaf pu-​er blended (polluted, in my book) with flowers and whatnot. Maybe that is what sells, but of course you can get that nonsense at Teavana. I suspect that it is also possible to obtain other jive types of tea nearby, but I can’t confirm.

great vibe, owner is super stoked to be there and treats everyone with a smile and a share. He’s very knowledgeable about much of his product line, which is nice and comforting.
I’ve made two separate purchases here. The flavors of the teas have been good, but no cheap — for example, the kava is more expensive than at People’s.
Overall, I totally recommend his place.

This was our first stop of a much needed couples weekend getaway, and what a find indeed! We sat down with Taylor (the owner) for almost an hour and was introduced to a whole new wonderful world of loose leaf tea. He was very natural in sharing his knowledge with us as we sampled several offerings. Although I was raised on Japanese matcha and was throughly enjoying my chain store loose leaf teas, after visiting the Monk, I find myself amazed at what I was missing out on.
After tasting about three varieties (and learning so much more) we purchased some GABA Oolong. It was so good! I must this was the first time experiencing a tea buzz! I also purchased their last glass tumbler and enjoyed the rest of the weekend re-​steeping the same leaves as sun tea.
We returned the next day and was greeted by his apprentice Niko. The next hour flew by as we repeated the process with a couple other teas. This time we purchased some organic dragon well. I feel like I have been lost, but now find myself in a new wonderful world of amazing tea. «Where have you been all my life!?» I’m trying hard to control myself, but after visiting the Mad Monk, I believe I have become a tea fanatic! I will never be able to look at another tea bag the same.

A wonderful shop with extremely knowledgeable people who know so much about tea, the farmers who grow the tea and that have a wide variety of products for you to choose from.
If you are into tea, this is a gem of a find.

I came into Mad Monk in hopes of finding a new love and hit the jackpot with Minghai Pu Er… pure bliss. An earthy, ultra smooth flavor that makes my insides smile. I can drink this tea all day. It’s purchased in a disk and then sold in pieces, so a quarter sized peice yeilds 3+ cups of goodness.
My husband and I enjoy the Gaba at the end of the day which supposedly has a boat load of benefits to include but not limited to lowering blood pressure, reducing stress and anxiety, increases libido, hangover cure… what’s not to love about this fun to say tea? Gaba, gaba!
An added plus is that all the teas are organic and sustainable and that Taylor has visited most of the tea plantations he buys from. Super friendly and very knowledgable. I am already looking forward to my next visit in hopes that he has the Rose Pu Er in stock and to sample other hidden treasures. I am happy to support this little gem!

Bricks. Ounces. Getting lit. Scales. Tasting sessions. Sealed baggies. Etc… These are all topics that clients can expect to discuss during an everyday visit to Mad Monk Tea.
I was brought here by a friend that wanted to refill his personal tea stash at home, and help introduce me to the art of enjoying high grade tea. As a newcomer to the Mad Monk, I was a bit intimidated.
Then we met up with Taylor, one third of the Mad Monks, and I was quickly put at ease. We explained our visit, and he responded by offering us a cup of tea. He was drinking a nice «Pu-​er» tea that came from an imported tea brick. Cool, I’m down to try whatever.
First, came the ceremony. All the vessels for tea preparation were laid in front of us, and then an ancient style of serving tea began. You almost begin to feel like you are in a temple somewhere far away from Ocean Beach, California.
Then we were served a hot cup of tea. This was unlike any other tea I have ever tasted in my life. I wanted another cup. Without even asking, we were offered our 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th cups of tea. Then we moved on to another pot of tea that was very interesting. The GABA Oolong.
After enjoying another ceremony to serve the GABA, we drank 6 or 7 pots of tea. Taylor put on a «tea clinic’ for beginners, and he did so without bring pretentious. He was knowledgeable enough to speak with authority, yet humble enough to keep his clients at ease. He seemed happy with the idea that we just stopped by to drink some tea with him.
If you decide to take some tea home, you will get the best advice on storage, preparation, and excellent recommendations. No pressure to buy here or slimy attempts to get your personal e-​mail. If you want that kind of experience, take yourself to Fashion Valley (see my review), and check out their lame tea store.
Mad Monk Tea has direct relationships with tea farmers and a genuine love for sharing the art of drinking tea. Nothing more, nothing less. I would say that Mad Monk Tea is a must stop if you are in the OB area and are a fan of high grade tea.