A ‘Steep’ Back in Time: South Jersey Tea Room

A South Jersey Tea Room

My mom and I love a good cup of tea. It’s something we’ve shared since before I can remember. To this day, she starts her morning with a cup of tea with honey and milk. And I’ve been raised on the undeniable fact that tea makes everything better.

As such tea-devotees, we also love a good afternoon tea at a tea room. You know, like the old-fashioned kind where you use a real teacup and saucer, pour tea from a porcelain teapot and enjoy finger sandwiches and scones?

It’s sort of a quirky idea if you think about it. Stop your day for a few hours to languish over a pot of tea and fancy finger foods. But if you’re quirky like us, it’s just so much fun!

That’s why we were super excited to try Lady Magpie’s Tea & Curiosities in Tuckerton, New Jersey. It’s a ‘steep’ back in time (see what I did there!) and an afternoon filled with delightful treats.

A short history of Tuckerton, New Jersey

If you’re not from South Jersey, you may have never heard of Tuckerton. It’s a really small fishing village that nestled near the Jersey Shore. It’s not your typical Jersey Shore destination, though. 

I grew up going to Tuckerton as my family had a small house there on a lagoon. I cherish so many memories as a kid, crabbing off the dock, walking to the bay and heading “downtown” with my parents to check out the local shops.

It truly has a small town feel. The idea of “shopping local” is pretty intuitive here. You have to drive several miles to find bigger box stores like Wal-Mart or anything like that. If you want a quiet, humble town, it’s probably right up your alley.

It’s a small borough in Ocean County that is surrounded by Little Egg Harbor Township. According to the Tuckerton Historical Society, Tuckerton is a port of entry in the United States, named for its founder Ebenezer Tucker.

The Tuckerton Seaport is sort of the hub of the borough. Nestled in the downtown area, the Seaport hosts events year round, as well as houses plenty of attractions and activities.

You can tour the Seaport and maritime museum. This is super cool for history buffs and nautical nerds as you can learn all about what it was like to be in a fishing village. There is also the Union Market and Gallery, a coffee shop that serves breakfast and lunch and also features local artisans’ products for sale. And of course, Lady Magpie’s Tea & Curiosities!

A review of Lady Magpie’s Tea & Curiosities

Now for the fun part of telling you all about our experience. Mom and I have been wanting to go there since it opened in the fall of 2018. So, we were super excited when we finally found an afternoon that worked for both of us. (Have I mentioned that adulting is so tough when you just want to have fun!)

Lady Magpie’s is located in the Captain’s House at the Tuckerton Seaport. The Captain’s House was originally built in 1855. According to their website, Lady Magpie’s embraces a steampunk aesthetic and preservation of local history. 

You will see when you walk in the antique decor and nod to steampunk. If you’re unfamiliar to steampunk, like I was, it’s an imagined future that we are powered by steam instead of electricity. This tea room definitely captures the vibe of the Victorian-era.

Their menu gives a few options for having tea. We tried the full afternoon tea which comes with an assortment of finger sandwiches, scones, assorted desserts and a pot of tea. I wasn’t sure if this would be sufficient for lunch, but I was really full by the time we left and we took some desserts to go!

The actual menu items change daily, so you’ll have to ask your server what’s on the menu for the day. The tea is served on a variety of retro tea ware, so each place setting is unique. This made it fun for us because we love old things (hence my blog title with the nod to milk glass). 

The day we went, we had turkey, roast beef, egg salad and cucumber sandwiches, a choice of butterscotch or plain scones and mini brownies, cookies and tarts for dessert. You also got to choose your tea flavor, but we stuck with the traditional English Breakfast.

Mom and I had such a fun time enjoying our afternoon tea and spending time together. We picked a quiet afternoon when the tearoom wasn’t full and felt incredibly content with our meal. The service was friendly and the owner even came out to see how we liked it! 

Overall, it was such a wonderful experience and we can’t wait to go back.

Final Thoughts

If you are a tea-drinker, history buff, vintage lover or just want a unique experience, I highly recommend checking out Lady Magpie’s Tea & Curiosities. We had such a blast stepping back in time at the old Captain’s House and enjoying our Victorian-esque tea lunch. 

This is a great opportunity to disconnect from reality with your mom or other loved ones and just enjoy an afternoon together. Take a step back from social media, email, work and other current stressors and learn to enjoy life like they did in the olden days.

For those of you who don’t live in South Jersey, I would also recommend searching for a local tea room and checking it out. It’s a great way to have a fun afternoon while also supporting local business. A simple google search can help you discover a new attraction you may not know existed.

And if you like to be a hostess, having an at-home tea party is also really fun! You can pick up some second-hand china teacups and saucers at the local thrift store, make some finger sandwiches and/or bite-size desserts and invite your girlfriends over for the afternoon. It’s an easy way to host a get together and a fun experience for all.

Have you ever visited a tea room? What are your thoughts in partaking in this Victorian-era tradition? Let me know in the comments below!