This review is a long time coming. In general, I give places that I love a lot of chances before it becomes too ridiculous and I decide to stop going all together. Usually, I don't bother leaving a review bc it's not worth the time or energy, but in this case, with all the chances I've given Bo Tea, I'm officially done after my most recent visit. I'll try to be brief. I'll try, but there's a lot.
There are several women who work there, but only a few who possibly also own the business. Unfortunately I have never learned their names, so in an effort to specify the particular workers, I apologize in advance if it comes off offensive. I promise, it is not my intention to do so, just to help in writing my review. There is one Asian woman, she's not the oldest of the ladies, nor the youngest but if I had to guess she's somewhere in her 50's with thick dark eyebrows and usually a pink shade of lipstick. She's usually always there to wait on you or take orders, but not always. Bc I don't know her name, I'll refer to her as "V" bc she plays the largest roll in my distaste for this place. Now I'll begin the review.
In the past, I've gone with friends bc we adored their lemon pepper wings. Now that was when their chicken meat was actually good and they actually flavored the wings as described. But as time went on, we began having to ask for extra lemon pepper seasoning bc it was becoming so light in flavor, you couldn't taste the lemon or pepper at all. If you asked for extra, they charged you a dollar to their already overpriced wings (as is everything on their menu) and if you say to them that it seems like there's not much flavor, "V" will argue and disagree With you. She will also make it a point to comment on you ordering too much food, multiple times, if she thinks it. She will, at times, help you pack your leftover food away in one instance, and in the next instance, if asked if she can help put it away, she will say "why can't you do it yourself??" I've had so many little things like this happen that it makes you question if it's a cultural thing or if it's just the person working, bc she hasn't been the only one who's been annoyed by working or waiting on the customer. For example, the young blonde waitress who offered to break open the top of my boba cup to add the missing ingredients to my drink, an error on their part, instead of making or at least offering to make a new one bc it was the last open hour of their business and didn't want to do much more work than was already done. I left it alone, it wasn't worth dealing with.
My last visit though, yesterday in fact, just ruined my faith in their business ethic and overall quality. I called in a pick up order, which is usually what I do, and upon arriving and telling them my name, good ole "V" came to the register to check me out. Before and during checking me out, she said she needed to discuss something with me as she pulled out an old receipt from under the register. She said about two months ago I came in and picked up an order of dumplings and a boba tea. I said okay, yeah. She said I left without paying. I said how is that possible when you don't give us the food without doing so? (I always use apple pay if it's available, rarely anything else.) She said I used my card and my card must not have gone in all the way. I said I always use Apple Pay, but she disagreed and said I must have pulled my card out too soon and then left. Again, I just stared at her confused about how it was my fault but also, why she was bringing it up two months or more Later. She said, I waited for you to come back but you didn't come back for a long, long time. I said yeah, I don't eat out that often and when I do, I also go to other places. She then repeated the entire conversation about how I left without paying and took too long to come back. I was speechless, only because I could feel my rage setting in. After looking at her in disbelief that this was actually happening, she ended her lecture with "I'm gonna let it go but you left without paying" and then put the old receipt in the trash. THEN, she handed me the food I ordered that she held hostage so she could fuss me before letting me leave. I left feeling so attacked, bc it didn't make sense that she'd hold onto a receipt of $17 for that long just to scold and lecture me when it a. Wasn't my fault and b. Could have been dealt differently if at all. It was a $17 order, and you treated me like I was trying to steal food from a place I'm a regular at and never had issues with before. But I will no longer be a regular. I will not go back at all. That's petty business and I'm over their cheap childishness.
The food is sloppily made. The ingredients are cheap. And it's overpriced. Add poor service and disrespect, and it's now a place I'd skip over for McDonalds. Oh well. Now it's out there. Eat with caution. read more