Cumberland Dispatch

Mad Hatter Boba Emporium at 48 North Centre Street in downtown Cumberland can warm both your spirits and your belly if you duck into the newly renovated, circa-1840s storefront. With its cool vibe, tasty hot food, and signature bubble teas, the establishment should definitely be on the to-do list of any foodie-adventurers passing through Cumberland, Maryland.

The cafe’s founder, Aaron, is a friendly city acquaintance, and Mad Hatter was a welcome safe harbor from the cold when I stopped by the first Friday of December. Aaron’s journey with Mad Hatter’s development was a bit epic, but the eatery is definitely hitting stride after the beginning of November opening.

The cafe’s decor is Alice-in-Wonderland themed with whimsical touches, comfy customer couches to crash on, and art of local artists for sale adorning the walls. There are tables, and a bar, and Mad Hatter even serves alcohol-infused teas if a patron needs to warm up a little quicker.

I bellied up to the bar and ordered a bowl of their clam chowder. It definitely gets an A for Awesome! It was a warm, robust, one-off rendition of New England clam chowder that had exceptional fullness of flavor. Ingredients included generous portions of garlic, celery and onion as well as potato.

I was told these single-batch soups are the handiwork of the restaurant’s Chef Tom. His creative instinct showed good synergy, not only with the chowder, but with what followed–a hot and mysterious pork loin sandwich, which had both teriyaki sauce and sriracha. It popped, and was a delight, but I didn’t find it quite reached the heights of the simple, fortifying chowder I had just had.

I followed it up with a peach boba tea for dessert, which came in a generous portion, which you can’t beat for $6. It wasn’t the sweetest bubble tea I’ve had, but finding a bubble tea cafe in far western Maryland is worth the trip. There’s something about the timeless discovery of the pearls at the bottom of the cup that always makes an order a fun adventure.

Mad Hatter is a cafe where you’ll want to stop in and linger. It’s just a relaxed, upbeat atmosphere, and Chef Tom’s recipes are enough reason to stop in on their own. To top it off the prices are fair. The non-alcoholic teas run at $6, the ample bowl of chowder was $8, and the unique pork loin sandwich was $14. They also offer a veterans, military and first responders discount as well as a customer loyalty program.

You won’t be mad if you check out Mad Hatter, you’ll just be enjoying some hot food, and soaking in the cool vibe. 

Report Card: A