10% of Boston population is Asian, and that brings about a splendid Asian food scene in the Northeastern metropolitan. While you wonder in the many bookshops and museums across cultures that the city has to offer, why not accompany your journey with some boba, a milk/tea drink originating from Taiwan with chewy toppings. Here is a comprehensive review of Boston boba shops from my three-month residence there, with prices, locations, and drink recommendations, in both Mandarin and English.
- Tea One Tea House⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Newbury/Fenway
Love their very authentic black sugar boba tea. However, there is a lack of choice in other kinds of boba (e.g. milk tea boba without black sugar, taro boba). They also have a wide selection of juice and fruit tea at a higher price (above $6.50). Their desserts look very delicious and offer tasting.
黑糖奶茶非常正宗，其他奶茶选择不多，果茶没试过，但感觉看起来更像果汁而不是果茶，有很多甜品看起来不错
2. TBarr⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Brookline
TBarr is one of the most top-rated boba shops by Chinese people in Boston. They offer the widest selection of all kinds of boba similar to what you can actually find in Taiwan, including traditional milk tea boba, fruit tea boba, smoothies, Taiwainese snacks, etc. Their shop also looks very cute, with boba jellycats and wooden decors. Prices are a bit high, usually at $7.00 and above.
奶茶种类非常多，还有跟国内一模一样的百香果双响炮！也不甜，就是稍微有点贵
3. Vivi Bubble Tea⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Chinatown/Tremont
Located in the center of Chinatown, this inexpensive boba shop revives the milk-powder-taste of boba often found in China. It might not be the healthiest choice, but definitely tasty and brings you back to your childhood boba in little corner shops. Their selection is mostly concentrated in cake boba, oreo boba, and cheese foam boba. So if you are craving for a heavy-tasting boba and looking for inexpensive boba (below $6.50), make sure to check it out here!
很有那种人工奶精味，跟国内蜜雪冰城味道比较像，厚重的蛋糕、奥利奥、奶盖奶茶比较多，总体还是很不错的
4. WANTEA⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Somerville/Cambridge
This is the best boba I’ve had in Boston. Just order the most original one, Vivi bubble tea, preferably with an extra topping of pudding, and you will get everything you want. The tea is smooth and has a moderate level of sweetness, and the boba is chewy (in a good way). The location might be hard to find, since it is half underground, and the service might not be as welcoming as most American services are. In addition, you might want to plan for a bigger budget, since boba there is mostly above $8 after tax.
喝到最好的奶茶！甜度适中，波霸有嚼劲，种类齐全。服务态度可能不是很好，地方也比较难找（在地下），而且比较贵（珍珠奶茶要8美金+），但是真的很好喝！
5. OneZo⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Brookline
This boba shop is in fact more specialized in taro desserts as those from MeetFresh. However, they do have a decent selection of boba with a specialty in all kinds of toppings: boba, popping boba, grass jelly, pudding, taro bubble, etc. And all these toppings are cheaper than those at MeetFresh! (a taro & boba dessert for $9 as opposed to above $10 at MeetFresh)
奶茶一般，中规中矩，但是甜品真的是鲜芋仙的平替！推荐奶茶芋圆，特别好吃
6. Teaholic⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Broadway,Harvard
This is said to be the newest, fanciest boba shop in Boston. I agree. Their blue-toned inner design with big floor-to-ceiling windows let in full sunshine for a good boba date. I highly recommend their oreo and cake series with so many layers of flavors but don’t taste cloying. The only offer large cups, and I think the prices are fair (around $7.50).
据说是波士顿最新的奶茶店，有很多fancy奶茶，奥利奥教堂和抹茶草莓最好喝！略贵，但是味道真的很值，杯子也很大
7. ZERO& ⭐️⭐️
📍Newbury
Another boba shop with high-end decor: the popular, simplistic, “Instagram-styled” inner design. However, as a boba lover, I didn’t particularly enjoy their menu, which is mostly consisted of smoothies and fancy fruit teas (could be cool if you enjoy these!) This shop does pride themselves on having zero additives in their drinks and making drinks with real fruit, so it is definitely worth a try for healthy lifestyle. The prices don’t seem intimidating themselves, but their drinks don’t come with boba, so you need to pay extra for toppings, totaling around $7.80 per drink.
主打高端果茶和各种fancy奶茶，但是默认都不带珍珠在里面，所以要额外加钱，感觉不是很值，味道还可以，装修很高大上
8. Gongcha⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Newbury/Quincy
Gongcha is one of the earliest boba brands to have made its way from Asia to North America, but the brand has already mostly died off in its origin of Asia. Similarly, the chain stores didn’t seem popular during the three times I went. Their selection, except for basic milk tea boba, includes weirdly mostly slush. Admittedly, their flavors are not really as satisfying as they were before, but they do offer the lowest price you can possibly find among Boston boba shops (below $6.0).
跟国内味道差不多，基本品种的奶茶都有，包括奶盖、茶、冰激凌、咖啡，整体偏甜，然后我求求美国人能不能别做slush了认真做果茶…
9. Teazzi⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Newbury/Chinatown Tremont
From afar, you can see the distinct design style of the store: covered in china blue and Chinese characters. Their Chinatown location shares space with a cute stationery shop while their Newbury location shares space with another boba shop. This boba shop specializes in all kinds of boba with unique tea from China, such as Oolong tea, Longjing Tea, etc. It is a good place to try out new flavors. Even if you do not like their taste, their unique design can always make the packages worthy to collect.
这家店的装修风格很特别，都是蓝色的瓷器风格，所以很适合大家前往收集包装袋。有很多不同种类的茶底和奶盖、坚果等，非常中国。他们在中国城的那家店旁边还有一家特别可爱的文具店值得一逛。总体来说味道不错，虽然没有特别惊艳。
10. Moge Tea⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍Cambridge
Located right across the “Central” metro station, this boba shop is an easy location for anyone to find. They have a decently spacious store with 3 kiosks in it, so if you get hesitant about what tea to try today, you can always take your time. They have mostly everything imaginable, with a specialty in fruit tea with boba and matcha latte. As a national chain, I would say its Boston location does not compare to its Atlanta location which offers more cheese foam and milk tea boba selections. It is also more expensive, with an average price of $7.5 and above. I would in fact give it a 4.5/5.
其实这家店我会给4.5星，位置就在离哈佛很近的Central Station出来。他们家水果茶和抹茶做得很好，但是我觉得相比于亚特兰大的分店来说，奶盖和奶茶的选择不够多，价格也不便宜，需要$7.5以上。
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Wait…You’re still here? Now that you have finished reading my comprehensive recommendation, it’s time to put this knowledge into practice!