Spice Island Tea House

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253 Atwood St
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

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(412) 687-8821
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Reviews
( 12 )
( 8 )
( 2 )
( 1 )
( 5 )

Best

Visiting Pittsburgh from NYC and came to this ""hole in the wall"", but don't let the shabby exterior fool you. Inside, it's dimly lit and romantic in a shabby chic sort of way, ...

Worst

I love the food at Spice Island, but I just had the worst experience. I told my server that my friend was going to be 15 minutes late, but she was very nice and agreed to seat me...

Editorial review from Citysearch 11/9/2012

MSG alert! My girlfriend and I BOTH got sick after eating here. Stomach ache, headache, and I woke up twice with my hands numb! more
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Terrible 5/25/2011

I ordered the Malaysian beef curry and young lemon grass soup were so bad making me think again and again coming back there. The beef curry was so salty I couldn't eat it even with the white rice. The soup was so plain that was no comparison to Tom Yum soup of Thais. Not sure want to go back there. Larry T. more
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disappointed fan 6/2/2009

I love the food at Spice Island, but I just had the worst experience. I told my server that my friend was going to be 15 minutes late, but she was very nice and agreed to seat me right before the busy lunch hour began. I ordered a drink and planned on tipping well. Then 15 minutes later the owner/manager stopped by and berated me for taking up a table during the busy lunch hour (when there were still quite a few tables open), and my friend showed up 30 seconds later, as I had warned the server. I don't think I'll go back now because the manager was so ungracious. Pros: food Cons: service more
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Extensive Menu and Side effects 3/28/2009

I feel terrible about this because the waitstaff were so nice, but both my partner and I experienced a severe stomach illness after eating a the Spice Island Tea house. We ordered different meals entirely but they both contained seafood. I don't want people to stay away from this establishment... just maybe the seafood... Pros: Extensive Menu, Amiable Waitstaff Cons: Stomach Illness more
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I'd recommend ordering take out. 1/16/2009

The food needs no defense -it's amazing. The environment is pretty dang filthy, but hey, it's Oakland!! Pros: food Cons: environment more
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Great Southeast Asian Food and Fun champagne cocktails! 3/12/2008

Visiting Pittsburgh from NYC and came to this ""hole in the wall"", but don't let the shabby exterior fool you. Inside, it's dimly lit and romantic in a shabby chic sort of way, with different chairs and funky looking tables. The food is very good, we tried some Burmese cuisine because we love the Burmese place at home, and we thought this was actually better. The service was casual but friendly and prompt. They have a small but interesting wine and beer list, and the champagne cocktails were great with appetizers. The main courses were very substantial, although it could've been a tad bit spicier (accomodating the clientele, more perhaps?) In any case, the place was great and we will definitely revisit when in da 'burgh again. Pros: Cool vibe, great food, fun champagne cocktails Cons: Noisy, crowded, no reservations more
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THEY HAVE A LIQUOR LICENSE! 9/19/2007

I was on Citysearch looking for restaurants that were BYOB and I found this place. But when I got there, it turns out they already have a liquor license, and they now charge this huge corkage fee when you bring your own! Pros: Good food, cool vibe Cons: No BYOB more
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Not bad for a hole in the wall 7/12/2007

When I lived in Oakland during my college days (last year, haha), I frequented this place on a number of... more
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Not bad for a hole in the wall 7/12/2007

Rob Provided by Partner
When I lived in Oakland during my college days (last year, haha), I frequented this place on a number of occasions. It is a nice little dimly lit ... more
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Great pan-asian food, cheap, large portions. I've had alm... 6/27/2007

Great pan-asian food, cheap, large portions. I've had almost everything on the menu and loved all of it! more
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Great pan-asian food, cheap, large portions. I've had alm... 6/27/2007

jaimelane18 Provided by Partner
Great pan-asian food, cheap, large portions. I've had almost everything on the menu and loved all of it! more
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Best Myanmar Restaurant 2/23/2007

It is the best Myanmar (Burmese) authentic restaurant that I ever have in this country. Atmoshpher is unique. The servers are friendly. The Giner Salad and Rainbow Salad are awesome! Beef Curry is yummy. Daily Chief special soup is wonderful. `Chin Paung Kyaw` is one of the best menu. more
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Great Food at Decent Prices 1/15/2007

I'm new to Pittsburgh coming from New Jersey, and I love this restaurant. I especially love the Sambal Goreng Udang, an Indonesian shrimp dish, and the Mohinga, a Burmese style noodle soup with flavorful fish broth. I've had this dish in a Burmese restaurant in Philadelphia, and the one at Spice Island is much better. The place has a pretty cool vibe, different chairs and tables, kind of coffee house feel. There's a nice wine and beer list also. Pros: great menu, cool atmosphere Cons: parking, loud more
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ok 1/4/2007

This place has decent food. Good location to Pitt. Small, quant feel. Very responsive owner. Thanks. Pros: ok food more
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Great food, Hip Wine and Beer List, Funky Atmosphere 11/14/2006

You have to go here. The food is tasty, the portions are generous, but best of all, the wine list is unusual and way off the beaten path. I can see whoever picks the wines actually thought about the menu,unlike so many places where all you get the typical shiraz, cabernet, and chardonnay. And you don't see any Budweisers or Coors in this place either. It's all about taste, not about what's the most popular. Whoever run this place really did their homework, and yeah, you can bring in your own for a pricey corkage fee, but I'd rather try something different for a change - a short well thought out menu and wine and beer list to go with it. Pros: Tasty food, great beer and wine list, hip atmosphere, prompt service Cons: crowded, popular, no reservation policy more
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Great Pacific Rim food 11/10/2006

Spice Island is one of my favorite lunch time Oakland restaurants. Wonderful tea menu (Thai tea is wonderful). Very good thai, indonesian, and Burmese food. Very quick and freindly service. Pros: very good inexpensive food Cons: can be crowded, but the seem to handle it well more
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Decent food, very poor service 8/6/2006

I was in town over the weekend for a visit, and ate at this restaurant at the advice of a friend. While the food was decent and inexpensive (nothing out of the ordinary for a pan-asian restaraunt), the service was lacking. It took our waitress almost ten minutes to get to us, and one of our orders was not at all as described on the menu. The check was slow to arrive, and while the ambiance was comfortable, it is not somewhere I would choose to return or recommend to a friend. Pros: decent food, nice but casual ambiance Cons: very poor service more
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very poor service 7/25/2006

i have eaten at spice island many, many, many times. the food had always been delicious even though the staff's attitude varied. Pros: location, smells good Cons: terrible service, not vegetarian friendly more
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best pan-asian on a budget 7/5/2006

just came from Spice Island, my favorite pan-asian restaurant in Pgh, and again, it didn't disappoint... the Tea Leaf Salad is a must, tangy and garlicky with just a hint of the bitter tea leaves not offset by the sweetness of the dressing... I get it every time! Tonight's entree was the Mango Chicken (again... I think I've tried everything at this point) and it was yummy as usual. I will never go back to Chinese food again. And at these prices, it's affordable for a weekly culinary outing! Best time to go is when Univ. of Pitt. is NOT in session, which makes this small cozy restaurant less hectic, meaning a lesser wait time for seating and food delivery... During the school year it can be quite busy due to it's popularity. Go! Now! What are you waiting for??!! Just don't tell too many people, I don't want too long of a wait next week when I go again! Pros: delicious food, inexpensive, friendly wait staff Cons: parking: but park a few blocks away anyway, you'll need to walk off your dinner! more
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A Cut Above the Rest 4/4/2006

This place is great. I'm visiting from NYC and friends of mine told me that I should go to this quarky little place. I was really impressed. The food, the hip, down-market atmosphere, a nice wine list, limited but well thought out. Overall, it's very different from a lot of restaurants in this area. The vibe just screams bohemian. Very cool. Pros: Atmosphere, Interesting Wines, Quarky Cons: Hidden, Crowded more
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Menu for Spice Island Tea House


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Editorial

  • In Short
    Filled with students during the day and a hip and ex-hippie older crowd at dinner, the Tea House maintains a colorful vibe, thanks to exposed vent tubes and unmatched chairs and...

  • 9/8/2004 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon. - Thu. 11:30am - 9pm;Fri. - Sat. 11:30am - 10pm;Sun. CLOSED
  • Payments: Master Card, American Express, Discover, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Central Oakland
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