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I was thrilled to stumble upon this tearoom in Billings,
Montana. The first thing I noticed in the parking lot was the convenient drive-through window. And, in
fact, a pretty busy one at that. Really genius idea.
 Inside, it was much quieter.
In keeping with its name, the décor played on the shop's name and incorporated all
things marine related: ropes and ships and buoys and such. The wall space that
wasn't covered by marine related items was covered by teapots. It wasn't a frilly
tea room by any means -- comfortable enough for both genders to enjoy while they sip. And, in fact, the owner told me that she has many male
customers who come daily.
Surprisingly, Boston Harbor has a small seating area and
three -- yes three -- rooms entirely dedicated to showcasing their loose
teas. The first room was for medicinal tisanes, the second was fruit and flavored teas, and the third showcased international
teas. Many were from Serendipitea, and others were blended by the
owner, Kathie Boston.
We came on a quiet afternoon, and were, in fact, the only
customers in her seating area. We were given two sheets listing dozens of teas:
white, green, black, black flavored, rooibos, and tisanes. Everything a tea lover could ask for and more.
Kathie brought us over several teas to smell, and her enthusiasm
for tea was infectious. The food menu consists of a few desserts and cakes. No sandwiches and
no afternoon tea selections. I had the Keemun and a lemon bar. My friend had a
peach blended decaffeinated tea and a chocolate chip cookie.
 While our tea was being
made, Kathie brought us out small samples of the teas we didn't choose. I had a
really yummy berry tea. Another sample of jet tea came out later. It was the first
time I had heard of jet tea and was the second time I had come across it
in Billings: a fruit-flavored frozen green tea drink (ours was blackberry). So good.
The
drawback to Boston Harbor: Kathie's drive-through and take-out business is very,
very busy. On the day we went, she was the only person working the whole operation. When our tea was delivered, it came in large paper cups, and the tea was in, I
believe, silk bags. My tea was a bit over-steeped. This was somewhat
disappointing to me as I always enjoy my tea in a proper cup, but I decided to go with the flow.
After awhile, the bitterness of my tea seemed to go away and it
was downright delicious. My friend's peach blend tea was delicious from the first sip. As a
thanks, Kathie brought us out a piece of lemon cake that she's thinking of adding to
the menu. My friend and I dug in and we practically licked the plate.
 After we
finished our tea, it was time to shop. Next to the dining area were several
teapots and accessories -- many beautiful Yixing pots and Chatsford types. As I
debated a teacup charm for my cell phone, I walked through the three rooms in the
back. Kathie was free and came to give us the grand tour. Wow. Hundreds of teas
were available for the picking. It was a tough, tough choice, but I ended up with
an India black tea (from Serendipitea), and also the same peach blended tea my friend
had. Plus three colorful tea tins and a cute, squiggly honey spoon.
I would have
bought so much more, but I didn't have enough space in my suitcase. I would
definitely go back again. Kathie mentioned that she was planning to hire someone
and I think that would solve the oversteeping/paper cup issue. If you really want
to find someone who is passionate about tea and has great teas for sale,
you must visit this tearoom!
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