What is Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea is a large umbrella term because you don't necessarily have to get boba or tea. It can be a smoothie or any kind of beverage that you want and there is also a variety of toppings besides tapioca pearls.

Bubble tea is getting more popular these days and many places have opened up around the Boston area to cater bubble tea lovers.

If you haven't been, check out some of these spots below (in no specific order). If you have, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Teado

This is possibly the most popular bubble tea place in Boston. It is always buzzing with people, especially on the weekends. It is located right in the heart of Chinatown on Tyler Street. It is the hang out spot for people of all age (I've seen elderly people in there) and they have a variety of teas and smoothies. They also have small snacks such as onigiri and takoyaki. Their teas are consistent and their avocado smoothies are to die for. Their boba is chewy and they offer other toppings such as lychee jelly.

My go to for this place is a large thai tea with boba and an eel onigiri.

Kung Fu Tea

Kung Fu Tea is a chain and you can find a couple of stores around Allston-Boston area. People come to Kung Fu Tea primarily for their milk teas. Their tapioca pearls are consistently sweet and chewy because they soak them in logan honey. They also sell macaroons and other sweet snacks. Like teado, the Allston branch is usually packed with people on the weekends.

My go to for this place is a large kung fu milk tea with boba.

Chatime

There are a lot of Chatime locations in the Boston area and though its not one of my favorites, many people love it. I am not a fan of their thai tea, but their smoothies are pretty good. They also offer mousse which is essentially a milk cap above your tea. It is pretty bomb.

Lollicup

This is essentially the OG bubble tea place because it was the go to place before all the other bubble tea stores opened up. The Allston branch is located within the food cafe in the Super 88 while the Quincy one is within the Kam Man supermarket. Considering that it is still opening, it means its still recognized as one of the best and most consistent places in the Boston area. They always try to revamp their menu by adding new drinks that look cute and taste great.

My go to for this place is a regular milk tea with boba, but their slushies are pretty good.

Vietnamese Restaurants (Dong Khanh Restuarant, 163 Vietnamese Sandwich, etc)

Now, these are the places you would go if you are craving either Taro, Avocado, or Red Bean smoothies. Like Lollicup, these were the stores you would go to before any of the other bubble tea places opened up and there will always be lines out the door during the summer time just for the smoothies. They also sell great Vietnamese food so it makes sense that places that sell great food, sell great drinks.

My go to drinks are Pina Colada and Avocado smoothies.

Limoo Tea Bar

This place is is like an adult version of teado because they are the only ones that serve alcoholic bubble teas. It is located right on Commonwealth Avenue near the Boston University campus and also serves delicious Mediterranean Asian fusion foods.

When the time comes, I'll be able to tell you my go to drink there.

Boston Tea Stop

I always use to come here with my friends after class because my school was close by. Boston Tea Stop is a cute little shop right in Harvard Square and offers a wide range of teas, slushies, snows, etc. I didn't even know there was that much of a difference between drinks before coming here. It is a small store that only has a couple of tables so it is more of a grab and go kind of a place and unlike other places, they provide a vegan option. It is well loved in the Harvard area!

My go to for this place is a Mango slushie with Boba.

Dado Tea

This place is just as popular as everywhere else, but the customers are not as loud. It is a nice study spot and place to grab lunch as well. They provide a lot of healthy options so you won't feel bad. They keep everything pretty simple and for drinks, they mainly sell tea.

My go to for this place is an earl grey tea with boba.

Tealuxe

The smell of tea hits you pretty hard when you first enter this place. The decor is pretty dark with a couple of dim lights so it can be pretty intimidating at first, but it is actually pretty cozy. Besides bubble tea, they also offer a huge selection of high-quality teas you can purchase. Their tea is sometimes too strong for my taste, but I have found some that I love. The people who work there love their job and they take the time to make your visit as welcoming as possible.

My go to for this place is their oolong tea with boba.

There are also other bubble tea places outside of the Boston area, but thats for another time. Here is a list of some of the other ones.

Quincy, MA - ViVi Bubble Tea Cafe, Yocha, Oh My Tea, Eighty Six Degree Tea

Malden, MA - Monkey King Tea