Having a good English tea is always one of our aims, and the Gryphon satisfied it nicely. I really wanted one of the tables located in the window enclosure,
but that section was closed when we wandered in. That was disappointing, but it really was the only disappointment we suffered at this warm and friendly place.
I didn’t realize when we first stopped here that they had an English tea menu. I thought I would just order a cup of tea and a sweet and that would be it. However, when I saw that they had real tea, there was no contest.
It came with the usual three tiers to temp your taste buds. I began with the most delicious amaretto scone; it was light and flaky, with a wonderful almond flavor. It was served with butter, jelly, and whipped cream. The second tier was the petite, crustless sandwiches. You had a choice of ham with butter or cucumber with cream cheese. There were enough to make a very satisfying meal.
Last but not least were the sweets. Every set up has four sweets, and Joe and I both had a different selection. They just pick four at random. What we got were cherry tart, brownie, shortbread, apple turnover, lemon tart, rugulah, napoleon, and mini éclair. Every piece was delicious. Add to that pots of tea, and at least two of us had a big smile on their faces.
Al wasn’t in the mood for tea sandwiches. He opted for a tomato and mozzarella salad.
The menu at the Gryphon offers many other choices besides tea. There are sandwiches, triple-decker clubs, and for the vegetarians, a roasted vegetable sandwich. They also offer deli sandwiches with a choice of meat, cheese, topping, and bread. They are open for breakfast and offer eggs to order, three-egg omelets, and plenty of breakfast pastries. They close at 6pm, so if you want to grab a bite for dinner, you need it do it early.
The building that houses the Gryphon is the Scottish Rite Building. Designed by architect Hyman Wallace Witcover, construction began in 1913. For nearly 70 years, it housed the A.A. Solomon Pharmacy. In 1982, it was leased by SCAD. It now houses not only Gryphon’s but SCAD administrative offices, and on upper floors, the Savannah Scottish Rite Masonic Center, who retain ownership of the building. The tearoom opened in 1998 and has been going strong ever since.