Tea Pavilion

Reviews

• Helen C.

  star star star star star_border 6 July 2026

  Why is this place only rated at 3.5 stars? The food was tasty and they have great iced tea. I got the Sakura cherry green tea and it was very pleasant on a hot day, with nice and clean floral flavor. Fine, it's not going to be the best Japanese food you've ever had but it's still tasty and a nice dining option at a tourist attraction.
  I got the potato salad, which I liked more than at other places because it's not overly acidic, and they topped it with what seemed like tonkatsu sauce. The chicken curry could have used a few more pieces of carrots and potatoes, and I don't like chicken breast so I want thrilled about the meat. The sauce was nonetheless tasty, and I liked the pickles they sprinkled on top. Speaking of pickles, I got their pickle tray and that was delicious as well.
  All in all, a good lunch option at a tourist attraction, and if you're just looking for a place to enjoy a beverage, it's nice for that too, especially if there's seating on the outdoor patio.

• Sarah C.

  star star star star_border star_border 23 June 2026

  A nice hidden gem in Balboa park where you can get affordable food at a tourist park. I like that they have food that I would actually want to eat but quick and easy with good prices.
  
  We got a chicken curry sandwich, and large ice tea, and a seaweed salad to share. The chicken curry sandwich is pretty big and it comes with a scoop of mash potatoes. The ice tea was really refreshing. It was a good simple meal that lasted us until dinner.
  
  They also offer soup noodles.

• Maya D.

  star star star star_border star_border 22 June 2026

  Solid lunch option in Balboa Park if you can't get a reservation at the main Mexican restaurant. The line was pretty long, but we seemed to order and get our food at a pretty reasonable rate. We were also able to find a spot to sit at one of the tables with an umbrella. The chicken teriyaki bowl was a nice portion size. The sauce was a tad too salty for my taste, but it got the job done. My family was fueled up again to continue exploring the park :)

• Jeanne W.

  star star star star star 18 June 2026

  Lunch today at the Tea Pavilion was wonderful! My husband had the vegetable sandwich and I had the noodle salad; both were delicious! And don't forget the tea...it also hit the spot with lots of choices.
  I highly recommend this lunch spot!

• Yonnie C.

  star star star star_border star_border 15 June 2026

  We came here for a quick snack before heading over to the Comic Con on 7/20/2019. Seating available outside, but it was very busy and we were lucky to find a table after waiting about 5 minutes. We got 1 box of pocky sticks, 2 red bean mochi, and 1 green tea ice cream. The total was $11 for everything which is quite pricey, but that's what happens when you want to snack in the middle of Balboa Park!