The first thing to note is that boba bubble tea can be VERY sweet and also caffeinated. So make sure you specify if you want full, half, 50%, or even 30% sugar and also if you want “less” ice so that you don’t freeze that enamel off (and also maybe get a teeny bit more drink while you’re at it.) Let’s have Bubble Tea Boston!
Abide (Central Square, Cambridge) *TEMPORARILY CLOSED*
This place has Boston bubble tea elevated to the next level with hand-crafted colorful mocktails made from fresh fruit, a variety of fine teas, and even punches mixed with seltzer. Some of them are extra sweet, so make sure to tell them how you like it. We love visiting Abide on our Central Square Food and Mural Arts Tour! During coronavirus, you can purchase DIY bubble tea from them and reusable bubble tea straws here.
Bubble Nation (456A Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA)
For the decaf lovers out there, try Bubble Nation in Arlington as they have sparkling soda water flavors that don’t involve actual tea. My favorite thing here is the addition of little red heart-shaped jellies that are absolutely delightful in addition to bubbles!
Kung Fu Tea (Various locations including Davis Square, Somerville)
These guys have perfected the operations. They have a really creative menu including lactose-free options and everything is well annotated. Definitely get half or even 30% sugar if you don’t want it to feel like dessert. Our favorites include: mango, lychee, strawberry lemon.
Mogee Tee (Allston, MA or Quincy, MA)
Have you tried the unique food of Allston, MA? Click here to read more about our hidden gems in Allston, from hot chicken to corndogs. This is one of our favorite boba shops around town. Their tapioca pearls are made to perfection, perfectly soft and chewy. Our favorite is their original milk tea or if you have a sweet tooth, their matcha crème brulee is absolutely amazing.
TBaar (1038 Beacon Street, Brookline)
Okay so the novelty of split cups with two different beverages is still not wearing off on us! They’re friendly here and they even do half frozen drinks if that’s your jam. Plus you can stop in here on your way to watch the Boston Marathon, or Bird here and back. What more could you want?
Dado Tea (955 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge)
If you’re not feeling like something indulgent, Dado Tea is a great place to go to not feel guilty about your choices. They’re really into the healthy way of life, which we appreciate, and their bubble tea selection includes delicious herbal and healthy teas including jasmine, green, matcha, and rooibos. And if you don’t do milk, they’ll happily sub in an alternative.
Tsaocaa Boston in Boston’s Chinatown (10A Tyler Street, Boston) or Malden
This spot is a cute boba shop with good fruit teas and milk teas. They have a cafe in Chinatown where you can hang out with friends after dinner. Some of our favorites include their Mango tea and their colorful fruits ruby tea.
Tiger Sugar (Allston, MA and Chinatown, Boston)
Of course, Tiger Sugar needs to make this list. This boba shop originated in Taichung, Taiwan, and its success brought it to open shops world wide. Their bobas are made with unique ‘tiger stripes’ that are infused into their drinks with hand-poured syrups. If you’re in for a sweet boba drink that is not only tasty but also very aesthetic, definitely check out Tiger Sugar!
Vivi’s Boba (Boston, MA)
ALthough we like their bubble tea, the star of the show is not their boba, it is their popcorn fried chicken. Small crispy bites with juicy insides, mmm so good! Add a pairing of Vivi’s salt and pepper popcorn chicken and boba to your next movie night.
OneZo (Brighton, MA or Quincy, MA or Coolidge Corner, Brookline MA)
Have you tried the different types of tapioca pearls at Onezo? Traditionally, Boba shops only served the honey black Boba pearls. OneZo started experimenting and serving different types of boba flavors and now they serve fresh and different flavors of their bobas at their stores!
Coco Bubble Tea (Lexington, MA or Quincy, MA)
Coco Bubble Tea is good classic boba place! They have many stores across New York, and now we have our very own in Massachusetts as well. Bubble Gaga is one of our favorite drinks – it is a passion fruit drink with boba and coconut jelly. Highly recommended for a refreshing drink!
Sweet Thyme (Lexington, MA)
Another sweet spot in Lexington. Their specialty is homemade cakes, but you can also grab boba while you are there! They make many classic cakes with Asian inspired flavors. We love their Green tea chocolate cake. Next time you need a cake and crave boba, swing by Sweet Thyme bakery.
So that’s our round-up of our favorite Bubble Tea spots in Boston. What did we miss?
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