Looking for the best boba in Boston?

What is bubble tea?

Boba, aka bubble tea is a cold drink with a milk or fruit tea base with tapioca pearls / boba at the bottom, originally from Taiwan. It is mixed either by hand with a cocktail shaker or put into an automated machine, then sealed on top. You drink it through an extra-wide straw, and chew on the deliciously soft boba. Variations include hot bubble tea, smoothies / slushies, and the rare alcoholic bubble tea.

What are toppings?

Toppings are the fun things you can put in your drink: boba / tapioca / pearls (all the same thing), jelly (coconut, lychee, mango, nata, coffee, grass), popping boba, pudding, etc. Some tea houses include one topping in their prices, others charge $0.50-$1.00 per topping.

Where is it from?

It was created in Taiwan in 1988 and became popular in Southeast Asia in the 90’s. It hopped over to the United States in the 2000’s, and has exploded since 2010.

How much does it cost?

Expect to pay $4.50 – $8.50 for a drink with toppings.

Where can I find it?

Some restaurants serve bubble tea, but often the boba can be undercooked and tea flavors not the best – stick to the professionals and spend your money at a tea house where they only serve bubble tea. If you search “boba” or “bubble tea” in Google, it will pull up the closest places!

How do I order it?

State your size (usually two sizes, regular or large) – iced/hot – flavor – with/without boba and toppings, and they usually ask for sugar and ice preference – just say normal ice and sugar, or if you don’t have a big sweet tooth, you can ask for 50 or 75% sugar, same with ice. “Hi! May I have a large honeydew milk tea with boba please? Normal ice and sugar.” – what the Tea Do baristas hear three times a week.

Can I make it at home?

YES! Here’s how to make it at home! (But real talk, it’s not AS good)

Boba 101

• It takes about an hour for boba to finish cooking – so if a tea house opens at 11am, boba will most likely not be available until around 12pm.

• Boba + jelly is always a great combo for fruit teas. Boba + aloe is great for milk teas!

• Many tea houses have custom plastic bags to fit your bubble tea perfectly so your hand doesn’t get cold carrying it around.

• Bubble tea is totally sealed at the top, so you can put it in your bag, hold it upside own, etc without leaks. However, I recommend standing it upright and making sure nothing can squeeze it, or it WILL explode (lesson learned: tea does not belong in the empty laptop compartment of a backpack).

• Bubble tea will NOT last overnight. On average, bubble tea is freshest within 1-4 hours. Tea Do lasts the longest at 6 hours, and Kung Fu will start to go bad after just 2 hours. The liquid part is fine, but the boba will break down then get hard (like cooked pasta sitting in water). It’s best to drink it fresh!

Enjoy your new tea addiction!!!

Now that you know what bubble tea is, it’s time to name the best tea houses in Boston and beyond.

BOSTON

Tea Do

Pronounced “tea dough” – this tea house is locally owned and operated with 3 stores in Boston, Philly, and Maryland. Has the softest, chewiest boba and the largest variety of flavors. Come here in the afternoon after they switch from smaller boba to their signature larger boba. They’re the least expensive option in Boston, along with Sweet Boba, even with a recent $0.50 price increase across the board. Expect to pay $4-5.50 for a drink. They have a custom drink menu full of amazing flavor mixes as well, so don’t be afraid to try something new. They also serve takoyaki, onigiri, and other snacks and have Jenga, Connect Four, and Uno cards to play with friends.

Favorites: Honeydew milk tea, coconut milk tea, lychee black tea w/ lychee jelly & boba, peach black tea, Thai milk tea, Zen’s Awakening

Sweet Boba

Sweet Boba is a local tea house in East Boston that I am OBSESSED with! The balls are huge like Tea Do’s, and they have so many amazing flavors. It’s owned by a sweet husband and wife duo and everyone who works there is incredible. You can expect to pay $3.50-5.50 for a drink with toppings. They also have egg puff waffles, smoothies, shaved ice, and macarons available!

Favorites: Honeydew milk tea with boba, brown sugar milk tea with boba, Honey lemon fruit tea with boba and lychee jelly

Chatime

Massive chain – 1,000 stores worldwide. In Boston, you can find two in Chinatown, one on Huntington Ave by Northeastern, and one in Allston off Harvard Ave. They have fresh, chewy boba, a little smaller than Tea Do’s. They have a solid menu of smoothies, milk teas, and fruit teas. Expect to pay $4-6.50 for a drink. They have a loyalty program via LevelUp, and often offer discount vouchers on Groupon.

Favorites: Lychee black tea w/ boba & lychee jelly, oolong latte, Thai milk tea, mango coconut smoothie

Kung Fu Tea

Huge international chain. Their boba is soaked in brown sugar, so it has the most flavor out of these teahouses. However, it usually lasts the least amount of time in the fridge before drinking – max 2 hours (Tea Do is good for 4-6+ hours, Chatime 3-5 hours). They have a great rewards program on their mobile app. Visit them in Boston at Symphony, Chinatown, Allston, or in Cambridge or Malden.

Favorites: Kung Fu milk tea, pomelo tea w/ boba, wintermelon milk green tea, peach oolong tea w/ boba & nata jelly, grapefruit yogurt tea w/ boba

OneZo

OneZo has HOMEMADE BOBA! It’s like homemade pasta vs dried – boba is the same. Fresh boba is SO chewy and delicious, and you will notice the texture difference. I don’t think their milk teas are very good, BUT – the Plum with Natural Melon tea makes up for it. It’s a sweet, salty, tangy plum drink (the flavor profile similar to a margarita) and it’s life changing. Get it with crystal boba! They have locations in Allston and Chinatown.

Favorites: Plum with Natural Melon with crystal boba and coconut jelly, grapefruit green tea with black boba

LimeRed Tea House

LimeRed is a local MA tea house (with locations on Comm Ave on the Boston / Allston line and Amherst, MA too) that uses fresh local milk, no powders or syrups, and no artificial ingredients. They serve egg puff waffles, boba tea, and ice cream and have a case of pastries and macarons as well.

Favorites: Coconut milk tea w/ boba, lychee or peach fruit tea w/ boba, coconut macarons

Ten One Tea House

Ten One Tea House, like LimeRed, does not use artificial flavors or ingredients. All tea is brewed fresh, and Ten One specializes in artisanal, non-traditional flavors, like lavender, butterfly pea, osmanthus honey tea, rose alpine oolong, and charcoal lattes.

They have locations on Newbury Street and Fenway!

Favorites: Tiegyanyin latte with boba, grapefruit green tea with butterfly pearls

Beyond Boston

New York City

Bar Pa Tea

Bar Pa Tea is an Instagram-ready, ultra modern tea house serving boba tea and soft serve ice cream (with boba pearls on both!). They have a small menu of curated drinks with no additives or corn syrup, and even mini boba! This is a must when you’re in NYC

Favorites: Brown sugar oolong tea w/ boba, grapefruit yakult w/ boba, oolong soft serve w/ boba

Vivi

When in NYC, don’t forget the tea. Vivi boasts a unique experience in their stores, with bubblegum pink walls and princess skulls painted everywhere. Usually paired with a frozen yogurt station, Vivi offers solid drinks in over a dozen locations, joining Chatime and Kung Fu Tea in NYC, Brooklyn, and Chicago (NO Boston location, just Quincy). They have dairy-free “Moo Milk”, so that’s a plus to any vegans or lactose intolerants.

Favorites: Honeydew milk tea, taro milk tea

Grace Street

Located in the heart of Koreatown NYC, Grace Street Coffee & Desserts has delicious boba as well as a giant dessert menu. The Ho-Dduk (Korean donuts) are life changing, and the rose petal milk tea is fragrant, refreshing, and delicious.

LOS ANGELES

Mr. Boba

If you’re ever on the West Coast, don’t forget to stop into Mr. Boba. These chewy, oversized balls and great flavor combos are sure to have you staying for hours. Get the lychee and honeydew!

It’s Boba Time

It’s Boba Time could be my favorite tea house in LA. With dozens of locations across California, they have soft boba and a huge menu of flavors. They have snacks like popcorn chicken, fries, and the BEST shaved ice with fruit and ice cream on top. 

Boba Lab

Bring Boba Lab to the beach in Santa Monica! This cozy spot boasts delicious tea and all kinds of food – shaved ice, waffles, chicken, and more!

Volcano Tea

Volcano Tea has the biggest menu I’ve seen in LA. The tea was delicious and the boba chewy and sweet – and the chicken wings are even better! This hidden gem is in a strip mall near Santa Monica, but make sure to do some shopping and eating in this amazing neighborhood!

PARIS

Bubbolitas

This tiny, adorable tea house by the Pompadou has delicious boba and amazing flavors. Oh, and luckily they speak a little English, too 😉 Remember to say merci!!!

O Bubble

This is great tea for walking around Montmarte!

The Alley

The Alley is right by the Louvre area, so grab a tea before picnicking in the gardens!

TeaYammi

Also by the Louvre, a higher end tea shop with a gorgeous interior, great for working on your laptop or stopping for a rest.

MIAMI

Miu’s Tea

There’s no powders or syrups used here – just fresh brewed tea! Miu’s specialty is their Thai iced tea, but their lychee green tea packs a punch, too. This adorable shop is filled with plants and greenery, and makes great cold drinks to cool you off after a swim on Miami Beach!

Questions? Comments? Need an enthusiastic spokesperson or photography for your tea house? lena@lenamirisolaphoto.com

Note: this is an abridged list of tea houses. If I don’t love a certain brand or store, it isn’t on this list. There are lots of other places out there though, and these are my personal favorites.

Snag my amazing boba tea iPhone case and art print HERE

XO, LENA