The first time I drove out to La Vista to visit the Nebraska Brewing Company, I wanted a beer so bad. And when I got there, they were closed. The sign on the door informed me that they were closed as they were participating in Blackout Tuesday to show solidarity with their community. Gestures like this go a long way with me, so this cemented my decision to return.

The second time I drove out to La Vista to visit the Nebraska Brewing Company, I still wanted that beer. I ordered the Apricot Saison and all I can say is YES! Woohoo! It was so good.

We didn’t stay long. Just shared our beer and left, but it was a fun environment and it would be fun to return with friends sometime in the future. We appreciated that they were very careful to have tables spaced widely apart and sanitized the tables after every use. The only drawback is that they no longer serve food and we were pretty hungry. However, they are cool about letting people bring food in from other places and even let you have food delivered there if you’d like.

Overall, this is a nice place to just unwind and enjoy some good quality beer. I highly recommend you drop by!

Tucked away in Blair, Nebraska is the most adorable little tea room. I had never heard of this establishment before, but after enjoying tea and scones with our wonderful hostess, we already have our return visit booked.

When they coined the phrase “the hostess with the mostest,” they must have had Jean, the owner of SpecialTea, in mind. She was genuinely thrilled to see us. She greeted us immediately, provided hand sanitizer, and began explaining the changes in the tea room due to COVID-19. Not only were we struck by the beauty of the tea room, but we also appreciated Jean’s attention to safety standards. She apologized profusely for the use of plastic silverware, as it is not the proper way to dress a table for tea, but again, this spoke to her attempts to provide her customers with a safe and enjoyable visit.

Jean had an incredible variety of teas to choose from. I selected Snickerdoodle and was not disappointed. She served my tea in a beautiful antique teapot and then brought me the best raspberry scone I have ever tasted. I know my way around a kitchen pretty well and can whip up some pretty tasty treats, so it is a true compliment for me to say this was better than any scones I have ever made. Ever. Absolutely delicious.

In the back of the tea room is a cute little gift shop where Jean has stocked tea, coffee, jewelry, tea pots and more. I bought some blueberry cobbler coffee that has since become pretty popular around my house.

The decor, the tea, and the food were enough to ensure I would return, but the icing on the cake was definitely Jean herself. She took the time to tell me the history of her tea room, including where she acquired much of her beautiful china and tableware. I don’t want to spoil it for her, so I won’t share any of her stories here. However, when you visit, please ask her to tell you about the Seven Sisters. And then watch her face light up. Her deep love for her family and their traditions is evident in every story she tells. My husband and I greatly enjoyed listening to her share her memories with us.

I can’t recommend this place highly enough. I hope you enjoy yourself as much as we did!