Mckenna’s Tea Cottage - Seal Beach

McKenna 's was recommended by a friend for our Annual Ladies Day Out. First, the good: the venue is quaint and cozy. It reminds me of a ladies ' parlor in days gone by. Each person gets a tea cup and matching saucer, and each one is different. Tea is served in tea pots, and again, none of them match. This is rather quaint and we all enjoyed admiring the various china patterns. The selection of teas was mind boggling, but the server was great about answering questions and making recommendations. The tea I selected (Christmas blend) was delicious. Other members of my group chose other teas and no one was disappointed. We all had the Queen Mum 's tea, which consisted of either soup or salad, scones, finger sandwiches, dessert bars, and of course, tea. The soup was broccoli cheese, which was very good. The salad was rather basic, but the ingredients were fresh and it was tasty. The tea sandwiches (4 or 5 different kinds) were small, but each one was very good. The dessert bars were delicious. There were 3 different kinds. They were small, but after all of the other food, we all ended up taking ours home. Now for the bad: We had made a reservation way in advance. We arrived on time, and although they were not full, we waited at least 20 minutes to be seated. There is no waiting area; parties wait in the candy store , where there is no seating. Next, the scones. I have traveled in Europe and had authentic scones, which I would describe as somewhere between an American biscuit and a muffin. What we were served was not what I expected; it was, in my opinion, a biscuit, not a scone. They were served at room temperature, with clotted cream and jam. The portion of jam was very small. That was very disappointing. I think they were probably understaffed, even though they weren 't full, so perhaps our experience was not the norm. I would give them another try, probably not so close to Christmas.

We decided to have a last-minute business lunch after reading the online reviews, and we were not let down. Starting with the provolone (I believe that's the name) and stuffed prawn appetizers, to the tasty fillet and the spread for the rolls, our meal was fantastic. The owner was working behind the bar and was very accommodating. I will definitely return on my next trip to the area.

The steak was amazing. One of the best I've ever had. Service was a little slow, but it was worth the wait. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. It was a pleasure

Great for Father's Day as the portions are large and strong. Airy high ceilings. Music of the type 'Frank Sinatra'. Very pleasant.

Anniversary dinner with our two children, 8 and 10. We decided to sit out on the porch on a fairly humid June evening and the ceiling fans made for a nice breeze. We find most of the restaurants are overly air-conditioned, but Metro 8 didn't seem like a fridge even when we came in - that's a big plus for me! Our waitress was very nice and attentive without interfering. She commented that it was nice to see children with books (and math in our conversation) instead of iPads. The steaks my husband and I ordered were as stated and delicious. So were the pages. Our girls loved their grilled chicken. Cocktails were good and just the right strength. Highly recommended.