Mary Margaret’s Tea and Biscuit
After several hours of antique and ghost hunting you might fi nd yourself in desperate need
of some old-fashioned tearoom fare. If you like that type of thing, combined with a nice blast
of air conditioning, you will want to try Mary Margaret’s Tea and Biscuit for lunch.
What’s a good tearoom without fancy hats? Servers frequently sport lovely old-fashioned hats,
there is even a hat rack in the lobby in case you want to join the fun.
Surrounded by beautiful paintings,
stained glass and wall-to-wall antiques
and tapestries, Mary Margaret’s Tea
and Biscuit is a delightful end to
your shopping experience. With red
velvet tablecloths and silver platters of
scrumptious food, it’s a nice place to
take a breath and partake in the fi ner
things. Try the cucumber sandwiches,
available on rye bread or a croissant,
seafood bisque, and splurged on toffee
pudding for dessert.
If Mary Margaret’s is fi lled, then head
over to The Magnolia Street Seafood
and Grill, where the fresh fi sh reminds
diners they aren’t that far from the Gulf
of Mexico. The hush puppies are as
good as you’ll eat anywhere, and if you
come during Florida’s spring blueberry
season you might be lucky enough to
order their famous coconut blueberry
bread pudding.
68 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • September/October • 2021
Mary Margaret’s
Tea and Biscuit
boasts an
antique pump
organ in the
front parlor.
Although Arcadia might be somewhat hidden
since it’s off Florida’s busiest thoroughfares it’s
close to many cities, which makes it attractive as a
day trip. Arcadia sits where state roads 70 and 17
meet, less than 60 miles from Fort Myers, Sarasota,
and Venice. Port Charlotte is a mere 30 miles to the
west. St. Petersburg and Tampa are a bit farther at
about 75 miles away, and even Port St. Lucie and
Fort Pierce on the state’s east coast are within a
day-drive distance at about 100 miles.
No matter which road you choose, Florida’s
smaller roads are a trip back to a simpler time.
Sometimes it’s more about the journey than the
destination.
The Arcadia Antiques Fair is held on and
around Oak Street on the fourth Saturday of every
month. For a complete list of Arcadia shops go to
arcadiafl antiques.com.
Stained glass and tapestry covered walls
surround Mary Margaret’s Tea and Biscuit.
/antiques.com