This is a vendor in the Chicago French Market. The staff was very friendly. I tried their bubble tea, a roasted oolong milk tea with lychee jelly. It was really good, definitely exceeding expectations! The tea was legit! You can adjust the sugar and ice levels. I got it unsweetened which was good for me - the lychee jelly added a little sweetness - and forgot to ask for less ice like I usually get, but the regular ice level was perfect to keep my drink cold outside. I also got my drink with almond milk - they get big bonus points from me for offering almond and coconut as non-dairy alternatives for the milk teas. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Roasted Oolong Milk Tea w/ Lychee Jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

By the looks of things, B.I. Tea & Dim Sum is one of the most popular places in the French Market. It has long lines most of the time. Likely you'll have a long wait. After you place an order, it gives you plenty of time to wonder if it was worth it. The answer is usually yes because this is one of the better values in the Market and who doesn't like bubble tea, or dim sum. A popular place for people getting onto a train is this place, but don't wait for long. It takes some time making the tea and dim sum. There's a wait. A thing to know is they cook the dumplings to order, so don't expect to just walk up and get a few. The ordering of the tea is less of an issue. It's about $5 for a cup. They have frozen and hot. Also they have non dairy milk choices. There's the vegan Almond Milk Tea. As for the dumplings, place your order right away. It's about $6 for a few pieces. The Veggie Dumplings are good but there just aren't many of these. Portions are small, which is the main complaint. The dumplings are pretty good, considering this is just a counter and not really presented as restaurant level quality. Good options for travelers at the Ogilvie Transportation Center. It's convenient to carry around on the go. They make the dumplings to order and these take awhile, so order in time if you need to get on a train. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Almond Milk Tea And Veggie Dumplings - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Just ok for boba tea. Ordered the taro milk (50% sugar level) and tapioca pearls. I liked that we can adjust the sugar level but it drank very thin and the tapioca pearls weren't fresh. Very chewy and not in the good way and it was an up charge to add them so I think it should be way better quality. Would go elsewhere for better taste especially at that price point but not a lot of other options in the area if you're craving boba Corner stall at the French Market and super quick service as I went mid afternoon after the lunch rush. read more

I think dim sum makes for a perfect lunch and B.I does it right. Fresh from the steamer, hot, and quite large! These things are two-biters at least. The dumplings are melt in your mouth, very comforting. It's the little things that make places stand out and unlike my local suburban go-to joint, B.I. Tea and Dim Sum won't put your order out right away when you order in advance..making your dim sum get cold and bond with one another. I place an order online, make my 4 minute walk to the French Market, and they pull the dumplings out of the steamers with sriracha, hoisin, and soy so that they're fresh, hot, and not stuck together. I recommend the dim sum combo for 14.95. It is a total of 9 pieces including one bun. So I've dabbled in their dim sum but I have yet to try their bubble teas yet...don't look at me like that. I'll get one next time. read more

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More like 2.5 stars. Opted for brown sugar milk tea, sticky rice, and pork bun. The boba was not fresh and hard to chew. The sticky rice was quite good, but the pork buns were below average. The dim sum options didn't seem fresh. Normally this would be ok, but the price just doesn't match the quality. The good thing is it is basically the only dim sum option in the area. You would have to travel all the way to Chinatown for better dim sum. If you are craving dim sum and can't travel far, this place will suffice. Otherwise, it'll be worth it to go to Chinatown. Total with tip was around $25. read more

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When I'm craving an afternoon, sweet pick-me-up, I occasionally consider B.I. Tea for bubble tea. They have several "basic" bubble teas including Assam Black Tea and Roasted Oolong Tea. Overall their MILK TEA drinks are decent. I mean, they definitely cure my sweet tooth.. but they use 2% Milk instead of the usual powdered non-dairy milk which causes a lack in consistency, unlike other boba-focused vendors. They do offer milk substitutes like Almond and Coconut milk, but they detract from the tea flavor and end up becoming quite costly at $7.00+ when also adding Boba Tapioca to the drink. But given that this is the only boba/bubble tea spot near the Union + Ogilvie Stations, it's acceptable. Hope to try their Dim Sum soon! __ ALSO TO NOTE, their location hours are: Monday-Thursday 11am-3pm. Friday 11am-5:30pm. Saturday 10am-4pm. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - On-site menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The dumplings are really doughy potstickers, not dumplings. The soup dumplings were dumplings but barely moist inside. The service was a bit brusque 'though the service comprised of a take-out exchange. This place is located in the French Market which has seen a nice upgrade since the last time I was the (pre-Covid). Give it a miss stroll around the French Market to see what else is on offer. read more

The dumplings are bomb with a wonderful tasty sauce. I had the pork and shrimp shumai! They are so accommodating with the drinks. I wanted a mix of mango and passion fruit with passion fruit popping boba and they accommodated me with no problem. They were friendly and delivered my drink to me at my table. Great service. It tasted amazing! It was a tall boba drink too so great portions and a lot of popping passion fruit boba which was a great surprise. I will definitely be back and it's so close to my job in the Urban Space area which is like a large cafeteria with trendy food places. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Passion Fruit and Mango with popping passion fruit boba drink!!! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was mediocre at best. The dumpling was cold--overall, nothing to write home about.

It's fine. Honestly a 4 star quality, but it's definitely not bad and reasonably priced. Staff was friendly and quick despite the line that was forming. I wouldn't necessarily get it if I had other Chinese options but it satisfactory hit the spot. Order: Soup Dumplings Passionfruit Jasmine Green Tea (light ice) read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - a person holding a drink - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

For $12-something (with tax), the dim sum combo is a pretty darn good deal, especially for those busy people who need lunch to-go! I'm not a huge fan of beef siu mais in general so I was a little bummed it was part of the combo, but their pork and shrimp siu mai and the shrimp dumpling were so spot on! The bbq pork bun was tasty but pretty standard, imho. It's too bad the soup dumpling isn't part of the combo, but I can totally see why since it takes like 5-10 min to steam freshly. Guess I can't have everything or whatever. (I'm such a youngest child, I know.) I'd definitely come back here again! Definitely coming for their happy hour (buy a dim sum combo between 4:30-6:30pm and get a fruit tea or milk tea free!). read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Store sign - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have mixed feelings about this place, because I think it's difficult to unpack something so formative on the dine-in component into a to-go experience. While I do appreciate the fact that the place introduces a taste of Eastern culture to a wider audience, I just don't think that dim sum is the same when enclosed in brown boxes - and this honestly removes its appeal to me. When I came here for the first time, I ordered the dim sum combo which came with a mix of different dishes, including steamed shrimp balls, sui mai, dumplings, and bbq pork bun. I've also ordered the Thai milk tea blend and Jasmine green milk tea from here. The quality of the dim sum was honestly a bit underwhelming, and the boba - while I've given it another chance - is disappointing. It's watered down, more milky than tea-based, and the boba is quite flavorless. I still give this place four stars, because the staff here are always very friendly and make you feel welcomed. The menu options are more limited than a typical dim sum place like you'd expect, but I think this actually works to their advantage since it makes ordering more approachable for people less familiar with the cuisine. You can also directly place an order on their kiosk, which is helpful in getting a better description of each dish or if you're an indecisive person like me. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Jasmine Green Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This tea likes to be sipped by both boys and girls. It reminds me of myself. This bubble tea shop is inside the French Market in Chicago. I think it's a pretty good one. I don't like the wait times when they only have one person serving and we're talking about 5 or 10 minutes if there's a couple of people in front of you and even more if there's an actual line and I love run on sentences and don't you. They don't have a very big or authentic selection, but then this is Chicago so I don't expect to find that here. Houston and New York and the West Coast are the places to go for authentic Bubble Tea in this country. In Chicago I'm just grateful to get any at all. Pretty basic menu, but done well. 4 stars, and could jump to 5 when I try more stuff and if they have enough servers to get everyone served more quickly. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Street parking is tough at the market if you want some bubble tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ordered at 4:30 and they close at 6 but canceled my order "they don't have any food left" so make some?

Ughhhhhhhh I love bubble tea so much. I was so happy to find that there was a spot for it at French Market! We ended up getting two mango milk teas with boba, which each cost somewhere in the $5 range. The people behind the counter were super friendly, and really quick! They gave us a punch card where you buy 10 and get one free, which is pretty cool. We were both really happy with our tea, and remarked how we would be back again in the future. Hopefully when I am, I remember my stamp card. This place is a must hit if you need to quench your thirst while at the market. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The staff here is always friendly and quick. I'm so glad they are on ritual because I can order ahead since it's a bit of a walk from work. I'm definitely a regular and appreciate their punch card. I've tried their green milk tea, black milk tea, oolong milk tea, matcha milk tea, mango green tea, lychee green tea and passion fruit green tea (all with tapioca). All are quite sweet, but I personally prefer 25-50%. Their dim sum selection is pretty good, but can get pricey purchased individually. I would recommend the combo if you're looking to try different ones out and have a meal. Quality is so-so, but good enough for the location (not much other competitors in the area). read more

B I Tea is located in the Chicago French Market. I really wanted to like this bubble tea place but I wasn't that impressed. I got the original milk tea with less sugar, and of course with tapioca. I thought the tapioca was quite chewy, but the tea didn't taste that great. Even though it was less sugar, it had that weird artificial sweetener taste that I don't like, so it still tasted sweet but in a bad way. read more

This is only for the milk tea, as I didn't grab any food here. Ordered Taro milk tea, it's made from powder, can barely taste Taro. The tapiocas are hard to chew. No where to throw trash for straw wrap when you get the drink, had to carry it with me... read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Taro Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best milk tea in Chicago by far! I ordered the Litchi milk tea with Litchi jelly and almond milk, simply delicious!!!! The price was really cheap and the service was AMAZING! If you have never tried, you should go for it! I am totally in love with the flavor! Besides it is really healthy read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've only had bubble tea here, and I thought it was just alright. I ordered an original milk tea with bubbles. The milk tea tasted watery and I couldn't really taste the tea flavor. The bubbles were also bland and on the softer side. read more

Happy to see another bubble tea spot downtown - there need to be more! I'd describe the boba as being very solid. I ordered the jasmine milk green tea with tapioca, half sugar, no ice. The tea itself was excellent, though I could've used a bit more jasmine flavor. The tapioca pearls were perfectly chewy but not sweet. My favorite tapioca is soaked in honey/sugar so that when you chew on it, the sweetness oozes out. I understand that's not a must for everyone though. That being said, I will still happily return for more when I'm in the area. read more

I was meeting a friend last night at French Market and had my eyes on B.I.Tea. I knew going in I was going to have a 香芋奶茶 Taro Milk Tea - just plain and simple. I love taro flavor and didn't need the boba in mine. $3.95 and it was very filling. Lasted me all night and even had a little for dessert, as well. Noms! Service was very friendly and very quick, plus they gave me a frequent buyer card. Buy 10 drinks, get 1 free! I'm a girl all about a bargain. I'm very happy for this addition to the French Market (they opened about 9 months ago)! I realize they don't use fresh fruit, but for my milk teas, the powders work just fine for me. I'll definitely grab another drink next time I'm at French Market. read more

Amazing boba, delicious dim sum and pork rolls. Highly recommend- a great snack or meal depending on how hungry you are. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Worst service ever!!!!! I just wanted to confirm my sugar and ice level and the server rolled his eye and shook head? That's how you treat your customer? After we finishing our order, he smiled and said hello to next customer. When we came to him, he didn't even say hi to us! Seriously? He was really rude to us and treated customer differently. My friend and I were polite all the time. We didn't deserve this kind of attitude. 我是不知道這家店員怎麼回事，本來看到yelp上的好評價滿心期待過來嘗試，結果卻經歷了來美國以來，最差的服務態度。問了每種奶茶的分別，店員說就在Menu自己看；想調整甜度跟冰塊量，他一副怎麼這個人那麼麻煩的表情；因為收據上並沒有標示我要的調整，我就再確認了一次，店員卻翻了一個大白眼，還搖頭很不耐煩的說，他有跟工作人員交代了。我到底是來買奶茶的，還是來受氣的啊？重點是，我們點完之後，他對下一位美國男客人微笑打招呼，我可不記得他有對我們微笑？如果是對每個人態度一樣差就算了，沒想到還有差別對待啊？ read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Tea taste a little bit artificial, bubbles are good but not worthy to receive such bad attitude from the server. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been going to French market for years as it's so close to my office. I've been to this place once before and had asked to substitute the pork items in their combo offer and this was done for me to adjust to my dietary preferences. Today I went back and asked for the same and they refused to do so. What was weird is they said they can make one substitution but not for both the pork items in the combo. In this day and age with so many dietary styles, I find it incredible for a food spot to not make this adjustment especially when they have inventory to do so. And in downtown Chicago/ west loop of all places. It's a shame and such a miss on order rings in this environment where everyone is eager to support local businesses. Please care about your customers a little more or at least give me a better logic. read more

Thank you for a delicious Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with boba pearls! It was perfect served without ice or sugar per my request. Great service too. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Roasted Oolong Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My office ordered an assortment of dumplings today to celebrate Chinese New Year. I tried the veggie and shrimp dumplings. The veggie was fantastic but the shrimp were only okay. The Thai milk tea with boba that I had was the real MVP for me! read more

No fresh fruit, only powder. SAD! Visited B.I Tea located inside the French Market and was really excited to purchase a fresh fruit Watermelon boba smoothie to celebrate the 75 degree November 1st in Chicago. However, upon my first visit I learned that BI only offers artificial power for their "iced fruit drinks." What? I have standards when it comes to fruit drinks. hehe. I opted instead for their Passion Fruit Green Tea with tapioca and was satisfied with the beverage. Not sure if I would go back, maybe if I have a craving for a milk tea but if I want fruit then I'll have to go elsewhere. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Passion fruit green tea with tapioca boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love bitea! This is my first place to go when visiting Chicago. And one of my big motivations for hurrying back from Minneapolis! The owner is very nice. I would recommend the black milk tea over Jasmine but both are good. It's more busy each time i return, which is a good thing! Free one hour parking in lot next door with $20 purchase. Pair with Aloha Poke for a perfect day :D read more

B.I.Tea & Dim Sum is my personal favorite place for mid-day bubble tea and dumplings. They have about every flavor of bubble tea and the dumplings are a perfect snack when I need an afternoon pick me up. read more

Located in the French market. They serve dim sum and bubble tea. You get to choose sugar level and ice amount. I ordered their regular milk tea. It didn't taste like tea but more like a mocha- not the way I remembered from before... read more

Love the coconut milk tea from here ! They have a variety of different bobas to pick from so you always have a new drink. Oolong milk tea is also a favorite. I've tried the chicken pot stickers and they were delicious! Located right In the French market so I can check out the cool pop up shops outside that sell neat jewelry as well on my way out. The staff also has great customer service, very friendly and attentive. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Coconut Milk Tea before i board the Metra - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Big fan of this place - quick friendly service and a smaller selection of good milk teas with boba and popping bubbles. Mango fruit tea is very good and so is Thai milk tea. Will be back for more! read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Thai Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered the Mango green tea, cashiers recommendation. I asked for less ice and less sugar, which actually turned out great. I also ordered it with boba, which wasn't that great (but I'm also from Los Angeles, where they have some of the best boba). My friend ordered the kumquat and lemon tea, which she thought was good, but got sick of it about half way through. She ordered aloe in her drink, they were huge chunks. Would return for the tea but wouldn't recommend the add-ons in your drink. read more

B.I. Tea & Dim Sum - Mango Green Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Milk tea was okay. They make it from a powder so it's a little watery. Tapioca was also on the sweeter side. One of the few bubble tea places in the city to I was grateful. Still, the drinks are very over priced. read more

I've been here over 5 times and the staff is always so friendly and informative. Drinks are made well and the kitchen is clean (that's important!). Close to enough to my work so I can easily get my boba fix . As far as dim sum goes, I've tried it once and I think it's a bit overpriced. I prefer going to Minghin or Grandee Cuisine. read more

Pretty expensive compared to Chinatown dim sum but you pay for the convenience. They are always short handed and it takes a long while to get your order even if you order ahead. I do however appreciate they allow for adjustment of sugar and ice levels. read more

They use the powdered stuff here, and I don't generally give anything higher than 4 stars for bubble tea places that use it. The staff was friendly enough, and the bubble tea was tasty enough. I do like that they give you options on the sugar level, since it helps with containing the overly sweet flavor that can overpower the flavor of the actual bubble tea. It's better than a lot of places I've had, but I can't give it 5 stars because of the powder. Overall: 4/5 Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Atmosphere: 3/5 read more

We walked a mile here because of their high reviews and I was hoping for fresh milk but they said that fresh milk was not available for the original or Jasmine milk tea boba since it was pre mixed? (Probably means those are made with a powder). Then I went for the Thai iced tea and I didn't want any sweetness - fresh milk was available for this but they said that it will be sweet since the Thai tea was a powder and already sweet. We finally settled with the match milk tea since this one was least sweet but still somewhat sweet because it was also a pre mixed powder. The drink was pretty good but their lack of selection for fresh milk + no sugar was dissapointing. read more

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Located in the French Market, this is a good place to get bubble tea when you need a quick pick me up. The staff is very friendly and the drinks come out quickly. The only con is that ever since they branched into dim sum, the variety of the drink flavors went down. But other than that, a good place with tasty drinks! read more