Columbia Kate's

Too much vinegar on the cucumbers in the sandwiches. The vinegar over powered the taste of the sandwich. I had the tea sampler and thought it included the tea, but I was charged $3 for the tea (which made the price of my meal $25!). Other than that, it was a nice place with good food and I would go there again. My husand liked it also.

This place is like a retreat from the world. The atmosphere is relaxed, but it gives off a feeling of elegance at the same time. It made me want to put on gloves and an antique hat. The food was incredible! Before Columbia Kate's I hated cucumber sandwiches, in fact I'm not a big fan of cucumbers, but trust me... they are SO good here! Truly delightful. I was completely satisfied and charmed by this place. There were several pages of tea to choose from. Black, white and green in various flavors (I don't know much about tea, but the menu is on their website). The service was prompt and the staff and owner so kind. My favorites out of the sampler plate I shared with my friend were: the green tea scone, the pistachio scone (with cream... yum!), the cucumber sandwiches and the laven... (more)der lemonade.
There are tons of cute odds and ends for sale as well. They offer indoor seating and an enclosed patio. My party of 6 sat indoors and had the place to ourselves until the very end of our visit. Delightful! I can't wait to go back!

I FOUND THIS NICE REVIEW ON YELP.COM & thought it should be shared (link from the Columbia State Historic Park reviews on yelp is http://www.yelp.com/biz/columbia-state-historic-park-columbia )

4/28/2010 Where else could you find a twister dog and a tornado potato? Why just outside Columbia State Park, that's where!

Gold was discovered in Columbia in 1850. Thousands of miners poured into Columbia to 'make their fortune'. Could they have imagined more than 150 years later folks would still be panning for gold there?

Horse drawn stage coach rides take you through the streets of another era. Little House On The Prairie did some of their filming on Main Street as did the movie High Noon with their famous shoot out.

My favorite book store captures my inter... (more)est with each visit. Mi Wuk and Fox Indians artifacts are on display. Some are for sale. So many items of interest and books for varied topics. Brought two more home to my library today.

Watching families walk along the wooden sidewalks and quiet street reminded me of Main Street in Disneyland. It's a great place to people watch.

Columbia Kate's Teahouse was my destination. After an amazing lunch made in the their tiny efficient kitchen, I could see why they won two first place ribbon's in Sonora's bake contest again this year. Thought I was too full for dessert until I saw the bread pudding with rum sauce. Sat back, watched the people enjoying their day as I took my time memorizing each delightful bite of the dessert.

Drove home enjoying the lush green hillsides with oak trees leafed out in their brightest spring green. The four deer grazing in a brilliant raspberry sunset brought this relaxing day to an end.

This is my favorite place to go eat! I drive over an hour to meet my girlfriends there and enjoy the delicious food, the wonderful and kind service and the unique items for sale. DELICIOUS bread pudding. The best I've ever tasted, and I've tasted a LOT. I recommend Columbia Kate's to anyone!

Mother and I stopped by today on a whim and could not stop talking about are wounderful experiance on the hour long drive home! Are server was great and so helpful, all of her sugestions were perfect. The food fresh and delicious and the tea brewed to perfection. We both had ice tea and so enjoyed it. My new favorite tea house!! Thanks for the great afternoon!! Ps you ast. manager deserves a raise!

My two friends were visiting from England when we came to your tea room in April. Your food was wonderful, our waitress was wonderful and the owner very friendly, we loved your place. I am the owner of the tearoom in Manteca and I thought Columbia Kates was outstanding!! It is nice to know I can go to a nice tearoom to relax, that is not my own place.

Columbia Kates has amazing tea and EXCELLENT food! Their chicken pot pie is amazing. As is ALL of their salads. The peanut butter and jelly is made on homemade bread. The desserts are always great too. The teas are delightful. I love their cute little spoons and the tea cups hanging on each table. My fiance said it's too cluttered, which may be true but somehow it seems fitting of the eclectic little house. Our waitress was nice enough. I wish they stayed open later though!

Columbia Kate's is one of the Mother Lodes best kept secrets. The food and desserts are fresh and flavorfully old fashion and handmade with love and great care, bringing back memories of flavors I haven't tasted since my childhood. The tea flavors are multi-dimensional and unlike any I have ever tasted and the presentation is wonderful. The quality of service is superb and the atmosphere is quaint, reminds me of Grandma's House. Kate's is not just any teahouse, it is an experience!!

We LOVE going to Columbia Kate's Teahouse!!! The teas(The Peach is Yummy!) are Amazing & the food is homemade and Exquisite, it is always presented beautifully. Then there's the desserts, ...they're to DIE for-Bread Pudding my fav...
This is a wonderful place & Clare and her staff are Wonderful!!
This is a must when visiting Columbia...

For a relaxing and charmed tea experience, I can't imagine anything better than Columbia Kate's. Every time we go there is something new to try. The staff is wonderful and the food beyond description. It's like a mini-vacation!

My husband and I stopped in to Columbia Kate's just to have some desert.Although we did not have a full-blown tea or lunch, we were still given a great deal of attention and service. The desserts were absolutely fabulous.

Our afternoon tea at Columbia Kate's was delightful! Upon entering the charming historic building, we were warmly greeted. We had Kate's Tea. The cranberry/white chocolate scones were wonderful. I chose Thai Chai which was perfectly brewed & delicious. The coconut cheesecake was divine! The terrific staff were so gracious & provided extraordinary service. Clare has created a very special tea room.

Had afternoon tea there today. The tea was the best blend I've ever tasted - as a Brit abroad I'm pretty fussy - and the apricot scones were to die for. If anybody is visiting the Yosemite area, then take a small detour. It really is worth the effort!

My mother & I just returned from a lovely day trip which included stopping in Columbia to show her the wonderful state park that she didn't even know existed. While there, we became a little hungry and extremely thirsty for some iced tea. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this lil' red shop that had a sign out in front saying they sold a variety of teas. They were quite busy but none the less, each of the lovely ladies attending to each customer had bright, cheerful smiles adorned and greeted us to let us know that though they were busy, they knew we were there & would attend to us asap. We sat in the only table available near the front of the store/restaurant and our waitperson was without a doubt one of THE most sweetest girls I have had the pleasure of meeting. She was very busy but d... (more)id not in any way rush us to order and was brilliant with answering our questions pertaining to their extensive menu of teas and simple but elegant choices for lunch. My mom ended up ordering their sandwich trio (2 cucumber & 1 chicken salad) and I had 1 of their baby greens salads. Each choice was masterfully blended with just the right amount hints of spice. The tea I order (Angel's Dream) was absolutely AMAZING!!!! I don't tend to carry on about 'tea' as I have over the last 2 days since having this heavenly pallet pleas-er, but this was my idea of candy in liquid form!!! Forgive me, but I can't remember our waitperson's name but again she came through with telling me how she brewed, steeped (timing) and then double iced the tea so that when I took my LARGE order of loose tea home... I could be transported right back into Columbia Kate's hussling and bussling little shop where we felt welcome in every sense of the word. Thank you ladies, for an amazing afternoon with my mom.

During the holidays, my family and I, for the second year in a row, made the trip to Columbia to enjoy this quaint tea house! It is by far the best tea house I have ever been to. It's just like you would imagine - a cozy little old place filled with warmth, love, and hot tea! Oh, and great food! Thank you, Columbia Kate's for making people happy!

I went to Columbia Kate's yesterday and had a delicious lunch of Maria's Favorite sandwich, fresh fruit and sweet potato tea...YUM! The pear blueberry pecan pie topped it all off. The staff at Kate's is so friendly and efficient. The service is excellent. I had such a delicious lunch that I decided to g back today with two other friends. Again, the lunch is so yummy...Creamy Artichoke soup with hazelnuts, homemade bread and Almond Orange tea to top it all off. the ambiance can't be beat. Thanks you staff of Columbia Kate's for two delicious lunches.

We go to Columbia Kate's Teahouse any chance we get. The teas are many, the food is homemade and so very tasty, plus beautifully presented. The desserts, well...they're to die for. Clare, the owner, is very gracious, as is the rest of her staff. Go to Columbia Kate's for a real treat.

I had been to Kate's Tea House with some girls from work and knew I needed to take my mom here. My sister and I surprised her with lunch at Kate's on 11/29/09. We had delicious warm scones with lemon like butter,fabulous chicken pot pie and wonderful hot tea. They had a raspberry and I had the white tea tropical ambrosia! It was a wonderful day and my mom will return again, as will I.

My husband and I were on our way to Oakland and decided to take a side trip to visit Columbia. What a fun time we had! Our favorite part of the day was a chance stop at Columbia Kate's. Besides the noramal offerings of several teas, the a la carte menu was great. Instead of having to order a 'tea', my husband savored every bite of a Thanksgiving Pot Pie (which he is still talking about), while I let a heavenly scone simply melt in my mouth, as I sipped delicious hot tea. We enjoyed chatting with two ladies at a nearby table in the quaint dining room. I even purchased a couple of unique teacup nightlights for Christmas gifts. Can't wait to return to Columbia Kate's!

What a fun place! Buttons and tea knickknacks everywhere! There was a wonderful variety of teas to choose from, and the food was excellent. Our group all tried the Kate's tea. We had a choice of scones (most places just have 'the scone-of-the-day), and this tea has a small salad (again, a choice of several--try the strawberry spinach salad-delicious!) in addition to the sandwiches. No sweets are included in that particular tea, but really, you don't need any, what with the delicious fruit scone to start. Also, by the time you've finished your scone, salad, and tea sanwiches, there's no room for any more! Our hostess Claire was wonderful (turns out she knows a fried of ours). We would definitely return! It makes for a nice stop when you're spending the day in Columbia.

We are a group of 6 ladies who travel around the Bay Area and No. CA visiting tea rooms. This is one of our favorites. Like Debra, we loved the unique way the tea cups are presented. The selection of teas is extensive. The scones are delicious as are the tea sandwiches and lovely salads. The presentation and service is outstanding. Claire, the 'Button lady,' and her staff are great. The gift shop has a variety of delightful and fun items. Columbia Kate's Teahouse is located in historic Columbia State Park/old town which is a delight to walk around and enjoy. We even went on a stage coach ride in the park after tea!