RESTAURANT REVIEW- The Little Tea Shop

The Little Tea Shop is a famous, little place in Downtown Memphis that has been on the Food Network and has a lot of popularity. It has been open for many, many years, and so I figured it was about time I tried it out.
First of all, it is not a tea shop. There is no tea other than regular old iced tea, and though they boast healthy, "vegetable" plates, I found nothing healthy, dainty, or little about The Little Tea Shop. It is a greasy spoon lunch place that does service like it was 1952. All of the vegetables are cooked to a sopping mess, and the daily specials and "salads" are full of more calories than most hamburgers.
The service was atrocious and incompetent. Our server seemed to be bothered that we were eating lunch there. The place was packed which made me wonder if Downtown workers need more places to eat, or do they enjoy the heavy loads of commercial grade, canned vegetables that are opened, heated and slathered with butter for a midday meal.
I ordered the hamburger steak and my dining partner ordered the salmon croquettes. Of the choices of vegetables, there was macaroni and cheese (which is not a vegetable) and french fries (which I do not consider a vegetable). The food came out quickly because I am sure it is sitting in a huge pan or pot waiting to be doled out. My vegetables were steamed cabbage, which was actually good, and turnip greens (straight from a can). My hamburger steak was a foodservice product, something a cafeteria would serve, smothered in a brown gravy. It was disgusting, unbearable to eat. My guest's salmon croquettes were laughable, pre-made nuggets. I could not find a single trace of salmon, which makes me wonder, what part of the fish they were using. Her french fries were frozen product (nothing special), and her casserole was too disgusting to eat more than one bite of.
The meal costs us $27.00 after tip which is harder to swallow than the food. It seems as though The Little Tea Shop survives on past successes, or provides starved Downtown employees with a much need alternative. It makes me want to open a restaurant down there because I cannot believe people would choose to eat there daily. And if any of the diners think that the healthy "vegetable" options will help them lose weight, I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
After eating there, I searched for reviews of The Little Tea Shop online and found many, many positive reviews. It makes me wonder if Memphians know good food. A place like The Little Tea Shop would not last 5 days in another metropolitan area. The food is the lowest quality food you can purchase, prepared in the simplest way, served in the worst fashion, with the most expensive price tag. Me and my guest could've dined at a dozen fine dining restaurants in town for the same price.
The Little Tea Shop is a dinosaur that is being resuscitated by the weak palates of diners who have no concept of value. I would not suggest the place to anyone, unless they are looking for a colon cleanse.