I've made the statement that is is hard to get a good meal in Black Mountain.
I'm sticking by that, and if Dobra Tea Room moves into more of a meal, it might be possible this could be the place to change my mind.
Dobra is basically a tea house, with some light fare, treats and a lot of tea, and seasonal drinks.
The drinks and treats are way above average,
the wifi is good,
and the service is variable.
Could be what I consider poor service others consider laid back.
I have had several delightful tea times with friends at Dobra, sometime with very good attentive service and sometimes not.
This most recent afternoon, Dobra was basically empty and myself and two friends sat at our table for a good 10 minutes before our server appeared with the book and the bell.
She said ring when you are ready and disappeared.
Orderding here has a learning curve!
Other servers have asked if we had been there before and offered some instruction.
I don't think you should need instruction to order.
The "menu' is a thick book with everything you never knew you wanted to know about tea, which is fine, and a short menu sheet might be nice for those of use who prefer to remain in ignorance until after we have our tea.
When you are ready to order, you ring the bell.
I was excited to find French Broad Chocolate Lounge Drinking Chocolate on the menu, with a variety of "milks" available: cow, soy and sunflower.
The best chocolate in my own home town and no waiting in line!
I asked the server what sweets were available and she said they had everything on the menu, and the first choice I asked for, she said, oh we're out of that.
I ordered my chocolate with sunflower milk, and she said, oh, we are out of that.
So, I got up and went to look at the bar where the sweets are displayed( would be helpful if the server suggested this) and picked out a
Pistachio Rose Cookie
a seriously wise choice!
All the baked goods are gluten free- some do have butter.
We ordered two chocolates and a cider(see above) and I was a bit concerned that she didn't know which was the cow and which was the soy.
It was delicious and I was very glad to see it came in a decent sized cups.
I enjoy the tea here, and not the tiny cups.
All gone!
When I called to find out the name of the cookie, I was reminded that they have Poetry on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, 6-8 pm
Till then please visit
and link and comment.
Lots of new Quietfire Design stamps coming this week too, so check back soon.
Comments and Questions always welcomed!
21 comments:
That place sounds very laid back with the staff quite lackadaisical in their service. I hope the cookie and chocolate were worth the wait and a return visit; they looked tasty enough :o)
The chocolate certainly looks yummy and that cookie looks pretty good too :) The service would have driven me NUTTIER :)
There were, and it is a lovely place to sit and talk with friends- digital or virtual!
I have had better service there- just not on this visit.
Hello and Happy T Day! Everything sounds so good and looks good too. Wish the service had been better for you though. I can't imagine ringing a bell when your ready to order, how fun that would be. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day.
I have never been asked to ring a bell for service! The cookie sounds good, glad you enjoyed that.
Happy T day :)
Dubious service..lol!
Good that those cookies were delicious leastwise!
Ah, well, at least you got served eventually. It all looks nice, though
I blame part of the server's attitude on management. Good training would have eliminated the hit and miss service. I can't believe the drinks weren't marked in some way, though. I would have sent both back and request they make sure they were remade and marked correctly. After all, there are people who are allergic to cow's milk. Other than that, the cookie and drinks looked decent. I love hot chocolate, so I would have loved big mugs, too.
Thanks for sharing these drinks (and cookie) with us for T this Tuesday.
Big mugs are definitely a draw :) and the cookie looks good, too. I hope you get better service next time.
Dobra sounds like quite an interesting place to have tea or a drink of your choice. I'm not sure I could manage to do all they want you to do to get a cup of tea though.
Darla
If one has lots of time to spend waiting, this sounds like a decent place, but I think I would quickly tire of the wait and having to look through a book just to make a selection! The big mugs are a plus, though!
That chocolate looks SO good! I have to laugh about the bell because often I ring a bell to let hubby know dinner is ready-I've learned it's much easier than trying to find him when he could be in the basement, or upstairs, or in the yard or working in the shed. I've chased up and down stairs and outdoors too many times. When my neighbor sometimes hears my bell she asks what's for dinner:):) Happy T day!
All your drinks look delicious.
I would have concluded "poor service" as to "laid back" there is a difference, and some of the younger servers should know the difference. Guess I'm of the generation that expects good service for the prices that are paid in specialty places, such as this tea shop. But I'm glad you and your friends had a good time. That cookie really sounds interesting.
Happy T-day
When we got to visit Asheville a few years ago French Broad Chocolate Lounge was a spot we visited more than once...yum!
Wishing you a Happy T Day Robyn...
oxo
WEll that server let you down didn't she? I would have been disappointed in her service too AND i probably would have let management know one way or another. So funny then cups look so large in your top photo . I wouldn't have thought them small. But the DO look yummy! Hugs! deb
Well the chocolate beverages look delightful in the photo, but your description of the service would certainly have me thinking twice about returning! I suppose you are right about 'laid back.' If the main interest of the customer is to sit and use the wifi for an hour, maybe they don't care about how long they have to wait to be served...sheesh. happy T day to you!
This looks such a nice table setting, pity about the service! Glad your cookie was a good choice! Happy T day, Chrisx
Such a cute little place to have tea and enjoy your time with friends! Thank you for sharing Robyn
Susan
Ah,Hmm, I must be getting old. See, that sort of 'laid back' just presses my buttons and spoils my experience! a although, I have to say that the chocolate looks good and the sound of the Rose and pistachio cookie really is good!
Despite the poor service, the food sounded good, at least.
Happy T-Day!! :)
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