I first discovered Bambu in Michigan. I was absolutely envious that such a place doesn't exist in Chicago. SURPRISE! They opened a location in Uptown right smack in the Vietnamese Community. I had frequent this place and never had a bad drink. The facility is pretty small and the seating area is slightly limited. I believe there is two tables, two couches, and seats by the window. Drinks seem pretty fresh. At least, mines always comes out tasty. I try to get a different drink each time. #1 seems to be my favorite so far! I haven't tried their coffee or milk tea yet so I can't vouche for those. I usually go with 'che' menu. Although the drinks are delicious, their customer service is more on the eh side. They aren't very engaging and seems to not enjoy their jobs. I know you can't always smile to every customer but maybe try? read more

BAMBU - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is a great addition to Argyle. I love all the desserts here and the Viet coffee is wonderful. The staff here are nice and helpful since the menu can be overwhelming. They offer both cold and hot drinks. If you don't want a drink they have macaroons and shaved ice as well. read more

BAMBU - Viet coffee - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Review #222 - 2016 After our lunch, I was looking for a simple dessert which wasn't too sweet nor too rich since I've been doing a lot of eating this trip. I recalled bookmarking this location, but couldn't remember whether they were already opened or not so I went back to my bookmark & saw a few reviews--so it was obvious to me that they are now open for business. Yes! We showed up around 2:45 PM on Saturday afternoon and there were quite a few people inside who have already ordered so I was able to put our order in pretty quickly. Luckily, there was one table left so we decided to take a seat and enjoyed our dessert for about 10-15 minutes. After we got our desserts, there were a bunch of people that showed up. Thank goodness we showed up when we did or else we would've been stuck waiting in a long line and nowhere to sit. We both ordered the #1 ché, which is one of my personal favorite. The dessert was tasty--just as I recall from when I first started going crazy over Bambu until both the Honolulu & Oakland locations disappointed me and I stopped going to Bambu. Glad I decided to give them a try because I definitely enjoyed my ché. read more

BAMBU - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a unique spot. Love the variety of coffee, smoothies, and che'! The entire shop is welcoming and appealing to the eye. Its nicely located by the Argyle Red Line stop on the L. From the seating to the decor and even the menu your eyes will keep going back and forth to take it all in. Had myself a mango and another taro coconut smoothie and it was refreshing. Definitely want to return and and try the different menu items. read more

Decided to ditch the Chatime and KungFu tea for a night and try out BAMBU. Sadly, I've found another dessert place to spend my hard earned money on. This place has a variety of drinks along with macaroons! There's a drink named "Taro Lover" I love taro so I decided to give it a try. The drink - The taro lover is taro, coconut milk, and pandan jelly. The consistency of the drink is more tart and thick, something different from what I normally have. The drink itself was pretty big it definitely filled me up more than a milk tea does. The interior - Clean well lit interior, a few seats. The service - Quick and thorough, no problems. Parking - Plenty of meter parking around the Argyle area plus the red line is right across the street. Overall, this place will be contributing towards my risk of diabetes. #roadtodiabetes read more

BAMBU - Taro lover - Taro, coconut milk, and pandan jelly. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Apparently, this is the very first BAMBU in Illinois. We have a lot of BAMBU joints back at home (Cali), so it was whatever for me when they first opened it. However, it was a completely different story for some of my friends. They LOVE this place. More than often, I am not a fan of BAMBU because it is way too sweet for my taste. However, the drink that I got the other day was pretty good (#1-Bambu Special). The sweetness level was on point. The drink came with coconut juice and the moment that straw touched my lip, the first thing I noticed was fresh coconut juice. Number 1 was more of a drink rather than a dessert. We also got a number 10 (Bambu favorite). The texture was more on the thicker side and less liquidy. It was aight, the first few bites were good, but I got really tired of the taste after a few bites. Then again, that's just me. I am more of a drink person than a dessert person. This place is right next door to banh mi Ba Le and across the street from Kung Fu Tea. read more

BAMBU - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tried the Vietnamese Iced Coffee and it was superb! Wish the serving was bigger! Parking just gets crazy so it might be easier to have someone go down. read more

This is one of my favorite places to get Vietnamese desserts when I am craving for it & around the area. It is perfect because it is not too sweet. They never disappoint me! I always get the number 1, 6, and 10. If I'm in the mood for pandan waffles it's pretty good as well. read more

Came here with my family after dinner. There are only two small tables, which were taken at the time so we awkwardly stood around and took up space. I ordered the #10 Bambu Favorite (coconut milk with pandan jelly, red tapioca and grass jelly), which was delish. Hubby ordered #5 Smashed Avocado (avocado with pearls, combo jelly, coffee brick jelly and condensed milk) which he regrets (not a fan). There's other things on the menu aside from che if one would prefer a drink instead. ***EDIT*** I have come back to try the #1 Bambu Special and #12 Taro Lover. The #1 is perfect when you want something light. I wasn't a fan of the #12 because it lacked texture...it was mostly just smashed taro. read more

This place is in Viet town across from Tank Noodle. They have nice late night hours, especially compared to the fussy fancy bakery that's a couple spots down. I got a rose tea, that was advertised on a poster. It came with bubbles and some fruit slices in it already - tasted awesome! I tried 2 macaroons, the espresso one was stellar and the lavender one was tasty too. They're a bit pricy at $2.15 for such a small cookie. I had to drop a star because it's dark in there and there's a shitty lack of lights outside, other than dull white track lights around the windows. Staff isn't the friendliest, but I got everything in short order. I'll visit again, for the yummies, even if its dark. read more

$8.50 for a large mango shake that tasted like diluted slice of mango and ice. I can make better myself at home.

I ended up trying out BAMBU because it was suggested under another person's yelp review to go to after eating at AYCE Sushi. BAMBU was just what I had expected-- it's cute and a little bit small, but the dessert drinks (they call it Chè) here are definitely super unique and something I would definitely try again if I were within the vicinity of it. I came here initially for boba but ended up getting the BAMBU Combo and it was soo unique and delicious-- I loved it! I ended up letting one of my friends try it too, and he loved it just as much even though this was his first time trying anything like this. BAMBU Combo (4.5/5): It came with a huge selection of toppings (including boba, jelly, taro, red bean etc.) and was super filling (you can definitely split this between two people if neither are super hungry-- it may look small, but it has a lot packed in it). It's overall, really great. The only downside was, when I asked the lady working the counter what was the base of it, she looked a little confused and then told me to look at the menu. I just wanted more of an explanation than what was in the drink. Plus, I was confused on whether or not it would be similar to milk tea (it isn't-- it's much more like iced coconut milk/water). Still really tasty though and at a good price. read more

BAMBU - Bambu Combo - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I first had Bambu when I was in Cali and let me tell you, I was in Cali for 6 days and I went to Bambu 6 days in a row! My sister in law and I were hooked! We love it so much we even went on our last day before heading to the airport. My usual is the #10 che dessert and my sister in law gets #3 w/o taro. When I heard Bambu was opening up in Chicago, I was stoked! Whenever I'm in uptown, I must make my Bambu stop and buy it for my entire family. I recently tried the hazelnut mocha with tapioca. I must say this drink has made it to my top 2! I really enjoyed the strong coffee flavor from this drink. If you're in the area, you must check this place out! read more

BAMBU - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I absolutely love love love this place. It is very similar to a typical che place in Vietnam and reminds me so much fo living there. They have a wide variety of different drinks, and some food! They have different macaroons, vietnamese yogurt and vietnamese flan! Yumm and the yogurt comes in a cute little container. For drinks it's a wide variety of che/bubble tea its almost hard to decide what to choose! You can also check in each visit and earn points towards free drinks and get sent occasional coupons! For drinks they hVe a super sweet but amazing brown sugar bubble tea. Also the drinks are quite large and are more than enough for two people to split . They have typical flavors such as passion fruit and other fruits. They also hVe lots of fun ingredients from Asia such as pandan, basil seeds, red bean, mung bean, coconut, yogurt, black bean, avocado and so much more! read more

Great place for summer dessert not too sweet, which was perfect! Quick service! Highly recommend

Decent dessert!! 7/10 HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I was here at 12:30pm shift on 3/21, and cashier was yelling at us and all the other customers for no particular reason. If you're craving Vietnamese chè, come with your readiness to be treated like s h i t!!! read more

Stopped by after getting pho in the area because something cold and sweet sounded like a great way to end the meal. The space was small, but clean with simple decor. I got the lychee jelly expecting it to be like a lychee smoothie with jelly-- but it was more like a bunch of lychees floating in the drink. Different... but still good! They give you the option of getting the shaved ice put on top of the drink or mixed into it. The girls working there were really nice and helpful. I think I would've liked it better if I had ordered something else. Next time! Definitely willing to come again. read more

BAMBU - Real orchids! I loved how clean and simple the space was - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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OH MY GOSH I come here literally every time I am in chicago! I always get the smashed avocado-although its pricey it is worth every calorie! They have so many different desserts, my bf does not like sweets and he raves about the mocha coffee drink! I can't wait to come back in a few weeks to take my parents here- they are going to love it! read more

Between this and Kung Fu Tea, I'd gladly choose Bambu! Their Che is very authentic and most of their bubble teas and smoothies are amazing (I don't believe they have real taro, however). They have a lot of different options for milk bases (coconut, almond and soy, I believe) and as a lactose intolerant person, I am VERY grateful. Love their macaroons too! It can get pretty busy at 6pm-8pm, so you can call in to order as well! read more

I think it is refreshing to see a shop dedicated to Vietnamese drinks instead of your typical boba drinks. Lots of different refreshing jellies, fresh fruits, real coconut, basil seeds in their drinks. My first time trying and def. not my last!! read more

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Great spot! My friend went on the hunt for bubble tea. My friends was delicious. I decided on a yogurt peach smoothie and it was amazing. Definitely going back...today. read more

Bambu did not disappoint. You have to try the avocado smoothie. Some places use powder, the smoothie here is made from real avocados. Hubby always gets #1. It's kinda strange looking but the combination of fresh coconut and pandan works. read more

BAMBU - FYI looks like they extended their hours to 10pm. Still says 9pm on Yelp. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time I tried Bambu was in Vegas and boy was I hooked! There are plenty of options for everyone to choose from. To play it safe, I got the #1 special. This one reminds me of an Asian dessert that I've had in the past with the fresh fruits inside. My son also loved it! Husband opted out to get something way different than us and got the hazelnut coffee with coffee jelly. He said it was so addicting and so glad he ordered it. The lady at the front counter mentioned the hazelnut is their most popular coffee flavors. Prices aren't bad either, especially for what you get. You definitely won't get anything that's not fresh or watered down. The flavors are all definitely there to savor with every sip you take. My mother in law even raves about this place and she is a pretty picky eater herself. That's just because her cooking in amazing and I know she has made something similar to their #1 special before. This is a place to go whether it's in the summer or the winter. An all around place to get something refreshing from juices, coffees, smoothies, teas & more. You must try, if you haven't already done so! read more

So excited to have finally given this place a try! I usually hit up another local bubble tea spot but decided to give BAMBU a try after consistently being disappointed by the other place's service. WELL, Yelp did not disappoint! I got a jasmine milk tea and it was AMAZING. Not overly sweet, stronger hints of jasmine. And for $5 and some change, I got a big-a cup. THANK YOU FOR EXISTING, BAMBU. Don't ever change. Or leave. read more

When your in Uptown/Argyle, Bambu is a must go to place for there Che! The dessert beverages are the best! I normally get the #3, the Bambu Combo, but everything on there menu looks delicious. read more

BAMBU - #3: Bambu Combo - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm Vietnamese so naturally I love Vietnamese che (dessert beverages/puddings). Luckily if you're new to che, they already have some premade options for you to trial. What I didn't know was that you can add in toppings for no additional cost! I love the pandan jelly the most, which is like a lightly coconut tasting tapioca noodle. If you want a refreshing drink, I suggest the #1 Bambu special. My least favorite I tried was the #15 Thousand eyes as it didn't have much flavor for me. Every time I've had something from Bambu, their drinks were fresh. I wish they had one in Indy but probably better if not, so I don't end up spending too much at this place. read more

BAMBU - Grass jelly with basil seeds (Number 15) with pandan jelly. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love the avocado smoothie here! One of the best I had so far.. cozy place and nice service. Definitely recommend. read more

BAMBU - Menu area - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent addition to Chicago. Been here for 2 weeks and haven't found a good place to enjoy some freshly made "Chè" which is a. Traditional Vietnamese dessert which typically includes but is not limited to, mung beans, red beans, tapioca, condensed milk, grass jelly, aloe, agar, Chia seeds, coconut milk etc. Originally from San Jose, California and Bambu was always the spot to go to for something sweet after a nice dinner. I am very glad it made its way out here to the Windy City! Most likely will become my go to when I'm craving something sweet. With such a wide variety of flavors and add-ons, I can probably order something different every time! The coffee is really tasty here as well with some red beans and boba. For people trying che for the first time, I would recommend the "chè ba màu" literally translated means chè 3 colors. Nice variety of add-ons and great flavor combo. Enjoy! read more

BAMBU - Unlike McDonald's your drinks actually come out looking like these photos. They take great care to make sure what you see is what you get! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you haven't been to Bambu, you should try it one time and only one time. They have reduced the cup size, but their price has increased. Not sure why the cutback when most of the ingredients came from a can or jar that you can find at the local asian grocery store. You find find 3 asian grocery stores with walking distance from Bambu. You are in little Saigon. For example, lychee, jackfruit, and palm seed all came from a can/jar. The only good thing that Bambu has is the pandan jelly. I would recommend Bambu for a single visit if you haven't been and get a cup that have pandan jelly in it. After that, it's just not worst it. read more

We've been to locations in Philly, Vegas, Bolsa, and Irvine. We can now add this Chicago location. The #1 tastes pretty much the same. read more

BAMBU - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Be warned: the fruit tea here is insanely sweet. Like, inedible sweet. The service was great, so I added a few stars for that, but unfortunately I couldn't even drink the fruit tea I got, it was so sweet. I asked for a glass of water to dilute my drink, and after I'd poured 1/4 of the fruit tea into the water I had to stop because the water was starting to get overly sweet. I ended up tossing the rest of the drink away. Can you imagine how much sugar syrup must have been in that? As much as I wanted to like this place, I unfortunately won't be back. :( read more

You can tell from my previous review that I love this place and visit every time I'm in argyle, but I had a terrible experience due to the cashier that was working last night. My cousins were in town and I was excited to introduce them to Bambu since they've never had it before so we made a stop after having pho at a nearby restaurant. After some deliberation, my cousin decided to order a "strawberry tea with lychee jelly, mango jelly, and tapioca" I interjected to clarify with my cousin that he wanted the regular boba, and not the red tapioca. He said yes, and the cashier said ok so boba then and we confirmed "yes". I ordered a che and paid for both, and she gave me my receipt. I took a look at it and the first item read "strawberry milk tea, boba only". After the cashier finished checking out the person that was in line after us, I asked her - "Just to confirm - we ordered strawberry tea, not milk tea and we had asked for lychee and mango jelly as well as tapioca. Can you check for us?" She was EXTREMELY rude and said "Okay, you said strawberry tea, and didn't specify what kind of tea. I also asked you if you wanted boba and you said yes." Her statements were not wrong as we did say strawberry tea, but as someone who was placing the order, she should have clarified with us what we wanted if there were more than one option available with that name (which we did not know there was, judging from the menu). I've ordered bubble tea literally all across the country and when you say strawberry "tea", it is not automatically assumed milk tea. Generally, it means just black/green tea. We also did say we wanted boba, but we also asked for the jellies as well - did she just completely forget that conversation from 15 seconds ago? It would have been no big deal if the order had been slightly wrong. We would have just dealt with it, but it was really her attitude that ruined this place for me. I hope you find a cashier with a better attitude. read more

This place is one of my favorites in Uptown! They serve traditional Vietnamese cold soup desserts, bubble tea, coffee drinks, macaroons and mochi! They have it all! My ultimate favorite is the Che Trai Cay. It's tropical fruits like lychee and jackfruit in a sweet coconut milk broth! Their iced mocha is sweet and tasty too. The classic milk tea is tasty and their tapioca is chewy (but a good chewy) and also sweet. read more

BAMBU - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Solid little smoothie place located not far from the Green Mill, on the Broadway Strip. I got an avocado smoothie that was good. Came with lotsa tapioca. They also have thai iced cream, the ones that come in little balls, as well as other dessert items. Despite a big crowd, they got my order put pretty dang quick. I'd be down to come back and try some of the other smoothie flavors read more

I love how many different flavors they have here! The drink I got was delicious, and I like that they have a lot of unique options to try if I am looking for a boba tea or something similar. read more

I found BAMBU through a recommendation from my barber. I'm really glad I came here! It is a Vietnamese tea/coffee shop. Minimal seating, but clean and a plethora of options between tea, milk tea, smoothies, dessert drinks, yogurts, waffles, and macaroons. What I really loved about BAMBU was that they had other Vietnamese items (not on the menu) and you wouldn't know about them unless you are Vietnamese. They had Vietnamese beef jerky (thit bo kho) and cured fermented beef (nem chua). Our drinks came out quick. I didn't find them to be overtly sweet (I got the Oolong milk tea) like other places. Definitely will be back! read more

Serevice are worst, they put too much milk in the drinks. Wont recommend it, it better to go next door kungfu boba read more

The cleanliness of this place is questionable. They have a lot of flies in the shop and it's a small shop! Lol Other than that, their drinks are really good. I got the taro lover, my fave! They're very generous with the content inside and a little bit of ice on top. This viet drink is very sweet with coconut milk and taro slush. The pandan jelly adds a great gummy worm texture to the drink. The drink is a bit expensive ($6). Not sure you should be going everyday for how the drink is priced. read more

Love love love their current special where you can get your milk tea in one of their signature Bambu bottles for free! I got the jasmine milk tea while my bf got their mango milk tea, both with boba. I was so pleasantly surprised by how subtle the flavors were, and the sweetness level was around the 25% sweetness of other boba shops. I also love their che options, so kudos to Bambu for great and consistent service! read more

We got the taro milk tea and taro smoothie with boba. Could adjust the sweetness which was great! The boba was an ok texture. Great place with lots of options.. read more