What’s more satisfying than sweet iced tea served alongside a heaping plate of ’cue? Parker’s Barbecue has been perfecting this pairing since 1946. Tables can order sweet tea by the pitcher, and many customers do. They know that this is a delicious place to settle in, fill up, and take a long sip. — E.B.
2514 U.S. Highway 301
South Wilson, NC 27893
(888) 237-3002
parkersbbqwilson.com
The home of Edenton Tea Party protester Penelope Barker (bottom right) was moved to its present location overlooking Albemarle Sound in 1952. Nearby, a bronze teapot commemorates the protest. photograph by Emily Chaplin & Chris Council, John Mauser, Cupola House Association, Inc./Louise Artman
On October 25, 1774, Penelope Barker and 50 other women signed the Edenton Resolves, a letter vowing to boycott British tea and textiles in protest of the Tea Act of 1773. This is considered one of the first known acts of protest organized by women in the colonies. In the resolution, the women wrote that they felt a sense of duty to adhere to the boycott of taxed British goods, which was originally established by North Carolina’s Provincial Congress. Edenton has commemorated these women through a bronze teapot that sits atop a Revolutionary War-era cannon. At Edenton Tea Company, visitors can purchase replicas of the circa-1905 teapot, as well as loose-leaf teas, teaware, and gifts — reminders of the centuries of history that have brewed in this waterfront town. — E.B.
The Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham — (from left) Rieko Lamb, Kyoko Spear, Chizuko Sueyoshi, and Ayako Newton — serve guests green tea matcha. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
Each month, a centuries-old Japanese ritual is practiced in the teahouse at Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Here, the Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham, led by Chizuko Sueyoshi, guide guests in chanoyu, the traditional Japanese way of tea. Chanoyu is just as much about the ritual — the specific process that hosts use to purify their utensils and minds as they prepare and serve matcha, a powdered tea made from ground green tea leaves — as it is about the tea being served.
Guests enter through the teahouse’s crawl-through door (right). Inside, the host, Chizuko Sueyoshi, ladles hot water into a bowl for the tea. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
The atmosphere created by the teahouse and surrounding garden provides a distinct experience for tasting matcha, Sueyoshi says. For her, being in the teahouse feels like being in Japan. As a teenager, Sueyoshi learned chanoyu from her aunt, and she’s been practicing it at Duke Gardens since 2009, two years after the teahouse was built. She took over the program from founder Nancy Hamilton in 2013. Even with years of experience, “the way of tea,” Sueyoshi says, “is a lifelong study.” — E.B.
420 Anderson Street
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 684-3698
gardens.duke.edu
Chad Morris (left) and Brand Manager Thomas Lees sell a curated selection of matcha and chai blends, iced teas, and more at their downtown Winston-Salem teahouse. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
For Chad Morris, the community that tea fosters is as compelling as the tea itself. Inspired by neighborhood gatherings spent sharing chai, Morris began experimenting with Indian spices. After 13 years of selling tea without a brick-and-mortar store, he opened Chad’s Chai in 2023. The teahouse is known for its interesting flavors, including lavender basil and the seasonal Moroccan mojito. — C.H.
617 North Liberty Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
chadschai.com
Toast to the unexpected at Fayetteville’s Winterbloom Tea, where colorful, spirit-forward tea cocktails have gained a following. Owner Josh Choi’s crafted recipes include the Aegis, a combination of berry immunity-boost tea, fruit juices, and spirit whiskey; and Kong’s Cup, made with matcha, banana rum cream, Frangelico, and espresso, among many cheerful others. — C.H.
238 Hay Street
Fayetteville, NC 28301
(910) 491-3536
facebook.com/winterbloomtea
Order a mango sweet tea float to sip on Uptown Tea Shop’s porch, where an inviting rocking chair awaits. photograph by Jamey Price
When the weather warms, customers flock to Uptown Tea Shop’s front porch for a different kind of treat — a float featuring unsweetened tea topped with a choice of flavored sorbet from Waxhaw Creamery. Owner Dani Noto founded Uptown Tea Shop in 2017, and the floats followed soon after. Light, sweet, and refreshing, they’re Noto’s spin on a Southern tradition. — E.B.
310 East South Main Street
Waxhaw, NC 28173
(734) 777-4870
uptownteashop.com
Sweetened with fruits and microbrewed in small batches, Romanz Tea’s classic sun teas — plus slushies, lemonade, and more — are served fresh at The Sweet Tea Café. photograph by Charles Harris
Roman Gabriel, owner of The Sweet Tea Café in Durham, takes the phrase “made with love” to heart. When he was young, his grandmother taught him how to harness sunlight to brew sun tea. Today, he makes his own specialty blend under the brand Romanz Tea. He describes the teas, which also include the essence of peaches, lemons, mandarin oranges, spearmint, and organic cane sugar, as “liquid sunshine.” They certainly look like it — when the sun hits just right, the glass bottles glow. — E.B.
4826 Mt. Moriah Road
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 619-0550
romanztea.com
Andrew Kiley (bottom right) wild-harvests the native yaupon holly to make a healthful, earthy tea. photograph by Matt Ray Photography
Chances are you’ve walked past a yaupon holly shrub without realizing it — in fact, Andrew Kiley, cofounder of Yaupon Tea Co., literally stumbled upon one while doing field work at UNC Wilmington. Yaupon, which is native to the Southeast, is a caffeinated plant whose leaves have been used by Indigenous peoples for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Since 2021, Yaupon Tea Co. has worked with local farmers and landowners to wild-harvest tea leaves, emphasizing sustainable, regenerative practices. Hot or cold, the resulting tea is earthy and floral — a true taste of NC. — E.B.
(828) 606-5207
yaupon.store/about-us
O. Henry’s Jessica Dinh serves afternoon tea to the Lester family: Jasmine (left), Kenya, and their mother, Patricia. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
Join the Greensboro tradition of afternoon tea at the sophisticated O. Henry Hotel. The rich, wood-paneled Social Lobby is the setting for special packages pairing 15 tea options with treats like vanilla scones, cucumber-dill cream cheese sandwiches, and chicken salad phyllo tarts. Tea can also be enjoyed with Devonshire clotted cream and French champagne.
624 Green Valley Road
Greensboro, NC 27408
(336) 854-2000
ohenryhotel.com/o-henry-tea
At Fearrington House, whether you take your tea indoors or al fresco, the view of the 1927 homestead’s garden is idyllic. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
In the dining room or on the manicured lawn of the Fearrington House Restaurant, indulge in an elegant afternoon of classic tea, pastries, and sandwiches. Served Thursday to Sunday, Fearrington House’s menu of Harney & Sons teas and sweet and savory bites changes daily, but the hospitality of this luxurious Chatham County retreat endures.
230 Market Street
Pittsboro, NC 27312
(919) 542-2121
fearrington.com/afternoon-tea
The Lochner family proudly sources from Asheville Tea Company for elegant garden gatherings at Lazy Fox Lavender Farm. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
The dream for Lazy Fox Lavender Farm began not in the countryside of Moore County, where the sprawling farm sits now, but rather in the lavender fields of southern France, where the Lochner family first learned the European tradition of distilling flowers into products like tea and butter. While the Lochners came up with the name of their farm well before buying their property, they wished to pay homage to the tradition of foxhunting in the area. “We wanted it to be fun and whimsical, too,” Lindsey Lochner says of the name. “If you know anything about lavender or foxes, a fox is anything but lazy — except when it’s in a lavender field, because lavender relaxes you.” Visitors enjoy unwinding, too, when the farm opens in the spring for its season of events.
Left: Lindsey Lochner serves tea to Averi Harris and her father, Tyler. Lazy Fox is a working farm, so visitors should check hours before traveling. Right: Loren, Lindsey, Clem, Jacqueline (back row), Nathaniel and Anna (front row). photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
Clem and Lindsey Lochner, along with their four children, returned home to the United States when Clem retired from the Army, establishing the farm in Cameron in 2022. The fields hold 12 different varieties of lavender and surround a restored 1910 farmhouse with a side veranda that hosts early morning tea parties served on antique fine china. This May 10, you can try lavender-infused tea, pastries, and lemonade at the Mother’s Day High Tea. Beyond teatime, guests can also explore the farm, peruse the Parlor Store, and discover an ice cream truck that serves lavender-lemon ice cream.
272 Edgewood Road
Cameron, NC 28326
(910) 705-2317
lazyfoxlavenderfarm.com
Reserve teatime with lace tablecloths, fine sips, and delicious bites at this charming mountain tearoom and boutique.
1529 Greenville Highway
Hendersonville, NC 28739
(844) 596-7832
asoutherncup.com
For a traditional Victorian-style tea, enter the Calabash Garden Tea Room, where sandwiches come on tiers embellished with fresh flowers.
10152 Beach Drive
Calabash, NC 28467
(910) 579-9500
calabashgardentearoomnc.com
Find flower-pressed cookies and seasonal treats, along with teas ranging from Victorian Earl Grey to Scottish Breakfast, at the British-inspired Flour Box. — C.H.
806 Highway 66 South, Suite J
Kernersville, NC 27284
(743) 207-6502
theflourboxtearoom.com
This story was published on Apr 25, 2025
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