Reviewed quite a few boba places. This one sits at top 3 in LA for me. I just feel like Bubble U is very international with making their drinks. Every one of them is hand crafted so much so it make take a little time to get your order but it's worth it. This is mainly when they're busy. I love the self service aspect of ordering and the surprise like reveal when your beverage is ready. They just come from the back and place your drink out but it still feels like a surprise lol. Only downfall is the chaos of trying to quickly park in Chinatown if that's even a thing. The street has very limited meter parking with enough red curbs to make a raging bull get angry. If you luck out, blessings upon you. If you're a boba, milk tea lover or even just need hydration go here! It's worth the trip! read more

Bubble U - Black Sugar Milk Tea with cream on top - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This was my favorite boba place for YEARS. Sadly, it is a faint shadow of what it once was. - Since the pandemic, you no longer deal with people at all, and only interact with a kiosk. - half the menu items are greyed out and unavailable at all times - they frequently get the drinks wrong. Last time the drink came without boba, this time the drinks came with jelly instead of boba - the drinks don't taste as good as they used to. Same exact orders. Different tasting drinks. - parking is almost always complete shit. There's only street parking, and the meter maids are aggressive. It's always unfortunate when a once excellent place goes to shit, but that has definitely happened at Bubble U. What a bummer. Won't return here. read more

Located in chinatown, Bubble U was just okay for me. Standard boba shop with a standard boba drink menu. Nothing really stands out. The shop is small, but service is quick. read more

Located in Chinatown, this is one of the small stores that sells milk and fruit tees. It's highly rated so we decided to check it out since we are really picky about our tea and bobas. Safe to say, the fruit tea here is really good. Strength of tea is good. Fresh lemons used!!! And lastly sweetness and ice levels are on point. I want to try other drinks like the milk tea but this was a good start. read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Got the Mango smoothie with boba on a hot August LA day, and it made my day. Drinks and ambiance is amazing. 10/10 would recommend.

Walking around Chinatown I stumbled across this boba shop and thought I try it out, especially after seeing the raving reviews on here. They have very limited contact with customers as you need to order through a tablet at the front and the staff recevies the order before bringing it out to you. I was the only customer and it took quite some time to make my drink, almost 5 minutes. Now I wasn't in a rush and 5 minutes isn't terrible, but I've been to Bounce in Northridge full of college kids and the drinks still come out quicker than that. I ordered the Rose Matcha boba which is a recommended drink. Overall it's a decent flavor, you get a strong taste of the rose at first but even while mixing it fades quick. The matcha was a bit much because after drinking maybe a quarter of the cup, I kept tasting and feeling the matcha powder with each sip. The drink was light forsure and refreshing for a warm day. Not a bad spot but nothing great to make me want to return. read more

Bubble U - Rose Matcha Boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I swear this is one of my favorite matchas ever ! But everytime there's something... I drove today thinking it was open , NOT OPEN AT ALL, even when I double checked with the hours. This happened to me before. product is good but I don't think they take it seriously. read more

I've been here twice now and it's not bad. It's really conveniently located in Chinatown if you're already in the area, but not great if it's just boba that you want. Small space so not great for studying there's also no bathroom and it's all self service. Boba was pretty decent. read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

[Review #559] 2020 Yelp 100 Challenge (67/100) A boba aficionado & Chinatown native, I'm happy to see a variety of mom & pop's in my hometown to stir on creative recipes & keep the prices competitive. ;-) After I moved to the South Bay, I rarely frequent back except in late winter/early spring because my tax guy is based in Chinatown. I couldn't remember why we were her on a summer afternoon, but the kiddos were hot & bored so Dad took them to the one & only local park. I meandered the main street, trying to find something for the kids to drink before picking up some snacks at the bakery. Voilà! Ask & you shall receive... Bubble U. Unlike other boba shops, Bubble U has a more condensed menu consisting of milk teas, fresh teas, flavored iced teas, smoothies, seasonal fruit teas, & their specialty drinks. After a quick perusal, I ordered a RASPBERRY SPARKLING GREEN TEA with RAINBOW JELLY (my kids' fav topping) at 75% sweetness level & half ice. There's only a couple orders ahead of me, but took almost 10-mins. :-| After I got my drink, I took off to pick-up some sweet rolls & snacks at the bakery before meeting my family at the park. Since it was a hot day, I took a sip of the kiddos' drink. It was quite refreshing, though I prefer boba over jelly. Usually when I try an unknown boba shop, I personalize the drink by adjusting the sweetness & ice level because the bobarista might be heavy handed with one or the other, or both. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ In this case, after the adjusted sugar level it was still pretty sweet so I'm glad I reduced it. I'm not sure if it's because of the hot summer day or they're on par with the ice level... by the time I got to the park, it felt like I only had a few cubes left; luckily the kids were thirsty because they gulped it down in minutes with enjoying the tea like they normally do. LOL (＾ｖ＾) The shop is located on one of the busier areas of Broadway; there's always crowds near or in front of the shop due to a bunch of restaurants & knickknack shops. It's smaller than other boba shops & doesn't have a restroom. Of course, it's Chinatown so there's no street parking in front, but if you're lucky, you might find metered parking to the east on Broadway or one the smaller side streets: College St. or Yale St. :-) Staff was friendly & helpful; I had a couple of inquiries on their drinks. Order expedition was a tad slow, & could be a little faster on a hot summer day. It didn't help the matter that they don't have air conditioning, only a portable fan which didn't help much but blow more hot air in my face. (／．＼) I no longer live in Chinatown but if I'm in the area, Bubble U will be on my list of places to go to quench my thirst & satisfy my boba cravings. Tip: No electronic loyalty program, but pick-up their stamp card for a freebie drink upon completion. Recommended: Raspberry Sparkling Green Tea with Rainbow Jelly. read more

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I love this lil boba spot - the staff is always super friendly, beautiful energy and the Tiramisu Iced Coffee is *chef's kiss* super delicious! I grab mine with oat milk and it's the bee's knees. They also add a lil graphic on top and it's always the cutest! read more

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Such a cute boba spot in Chinatown downtown LA! I got the rose matcha and it was very fruity and slightly floral with a good tea aroma! The small boba was also chewy and not too sweet which I like! You can order on their device and the drinks were ready within 5-10 mins! Service was convenient and there was a nice small seating area for my friend and I to catch up! All cups are one size too! read more

Bubble U - Rose Matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Kind of pricey for boba but had some really interesting flavors. It was a hit or miss for our group because some of our drinks flavors or sweetness didn't hit the spot. I got a matcha rose drink and it worked out for me because I don't really like sweet drinks but when my friends tried it, they thought it was just okay. The rose flavor was subtle and didn't outcompete the matcha. I would come back if I'm in the area but it's nothing to go out of the way for, mainly because of how expensive it is. read more

Bubble U - Rose Matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Taste: 3/5 Aesthetics: 5/5 Cost: 3/5 I think the major selling point of this place would be their super aesthetic drinks, which come in sturdy cups and are layered nicely for that perfect IG pic (see other Yelp pics, as I ordered one of the plainer looking drinks). However, I think the taste of their drinks could use some work, especially since their prices are on the higher end ($5-6 for most drinks). I ordered the earl grey milk tea and honestly would not recommend it to anyone. Even after ordering my drink with 25% ice, it just tasted like extremely watered down tea. A few of my other friends ordered different drinks and weren't too impressed either. I came here during the pandemic, and they were taking appropriate precautions such as ordering on an iPad and limiting 3 customers in the store at a time to promote social distancing. Hand sanitizer also provided. read more

Bubble U - Earl Grey Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Honestly I would not even put a star at all to this place. I don't recommend anyone coming with this people really bad customer service. The employee sweared she was the owner. And fighting over 2 drinks that I purchased. Instead of convincing there customer to go back and buy from them they push you away from not buying from them. Not ever taking my money from here. (Chinatown location is way better ) read more

While visiting family in Glendale, I had an obligatory boba craving that I needed to satisfy so I discovered Bubble U online and decided to check it out. We didn't order ahead as we planned to order on arrival. When we got there, there was actually a QR code posted outside that we were able to scan to access the menu to place our order. We opted to order through the code as to not take up space in the store (which is takeout only at the time). It took about 7 min before our order was ready. - Irish Matcha - Lychee Green Tea Both drinks we got were really good! You could tell that the Irish matcha was made using real matcha, which is always a big plus, and the mango flavor was very fresh. It didn't taste artificial at all. The lychee green tea was incredibly refreshing with a quality tea taste. The lychee flavor for this tea also tasted legit and not artificial. read more

I was drawn to Bubble U after seeing their unique menu. My cousin and I walked in at around 4 in the afternoon, and were able to order immediately. They take their COVID-19 precautions very seriously, and I appreciate that. You order from the middle of the room, more than six feet away from the counter. They have it all set up with the menus and other information regarding COVID. I ordered the Coffee Matcha with Boba. Honestly, the drink was not as good as I was hoping for, especially considering that it was about $7. I'm a fan of both coffee and matcha, but I found this combination to be far too bitter for my liking. The boba was very good though. I think that based on the other good reviews, maybe I just got a drink that wasn't right for me. read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Rose matcha tea: 3.5/5 Rose milk tea: 3/5 Watermelon slush (summer only): 4/5 Brown sugar boba: 5/5 read more

In the heart of Chinatown, we walked right past and walked right back lol. Coming right after the high of Covid, this place was open and was taking all the necessary precautions to keep their employees and customers safe. We ordered at a kiosk inside, then wait outside for our name to be called, and when they call you, you can then come back inside to the area where your drinks can be picked up. My family enjoyed our drinks! read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

First time trying!!! Delicious place to try boba and coffee beverages. Staff has great customer service, they even saved my bank card that I had accidentally dropped without realizing until arriving to next location. Thank you! Oh just an FYI NO cash guys only card or Apple Pay. read more

Been to this place a few times. The drinks some are good and some are ok depends on what you're ordering. Their Boba milk tea is good. Pineapple tea is also good. Macha and mango in my opinion is not. Overall, I think the simple drinks (not mixing with 2 different flavors are good, like mach and mango). Other than that would come back for some milk tea if I'm around the area. read more

Bubble U - Matcha and mango. Black Sugar Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

While I shy away from drinking boba often currently, I thought to visit the top boba spot in the area. A bit of searching on Yelp and I ended up at Bubble U. It's a relatively small shop that features two kiosks for ordering. Wait times on a Monday afternoon were fairly short, so I got my Strawberry Matcha Latte in no time. The drink featured both strong matcha and tasty strawberry. Note, I got 75% sweet which is about what I'd find 50% in most other places, so their drinks don't seem to be as sweet by default. The only downside I would say is that the place didn't have regular (non-boba) straws. Since I usually don't order pearls, finishing milk tea with a boba straw becomes a little too easy! I'd say going here and trying what they have will be good for U! read more

Bubble U - Strawberry Matcha Latte. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This place is the bomb! You have to try the tiramisu coffee and matcha mango tea. Really cute cups and the bubbles are nice and light. The tiramisu came with mascarpone cheese too. But definitely get it with 50% sweetness as it's too sweet otherwise. Ramen was all out. Love how efficient it is with iPads for ordering and just one person making the drinks. Not a lot of seating area though. Will definitely be back! read more

Convenient but a little pricy. The shop opens a little later than 11:30, closer to 12. There's some seating inside with outlets but overall small space. You order at the kiosk so it can be virtually contactless. I got the mango tea at 50%, it is still quite sweet. Don't really have anything special to say about the boba as I think it can't compare with oc. If you wanted a cold drink this is on the central street of chinatown. The cups are sturdy but a bit skinnier. Service was fast, not much parking around tho but very walkable to read more

Delicious bubble tea from a local business. Lots of flavors and toppings, easily Instagram able, and customizations galore ensure there's a solid drink choice for you! I haven't had boba since March (thanks covid), and to be honest, I usually don't care to get boba because it's not worth it unless it's high quality. However, my friend wanted some so we came here for take out. There's so many options for both drink and toppings (normal and golden/honey boba are standouts) plus they allow you to easily customize things like ice, sweetness, and milk type. I opted for the Irish matcha (which I believe is a mix of matcha, mango, and perhaps coconut?) that comes separated but you mix before drinking. I got it with less ice, half sweet, and almond milk. And of course, golden boba. The verdict? Worth it. If anything I think I could have gone a little less sweet (so if you don't have a sweet tooth less is more!). The golden boba was delicious and I could taste the freshness as I chewed. Other reviews said they found the boba a little small but the boba I got was definitely normal sized! Given indoor dining is closed, you can always take your boba to LA Historic Park :) The store is also clean and has you order via machine for minimal contact. read more

Bubble U - Irish matcha with golden boba! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I'm on a quest to find the best boba spot in LA and I gotta say, Bubble U is a top contender so far. I got the Taro & Earl Grey milk tea, and both were pretty good. One thing I didn't do was really shake the drink (hey, I'm a novice boba consumer). The sugar was up top and the bottom part was sugarless but noted for next time. The boba itself was really fresh and delicious. It just melted in my mouth. In terms of service, it's pretty minimal and you basically place your order on a kiosk and they'll let you know when it's ready. The drinks were ready pretty quick. I think I'll definitely come back and try the other flavors. Parking: There's a paid lot down the street Ambiance: 2/5 Drinks: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Overall: 4/5 Would Return: Yes read more

Bubble U - Taro & Earl Grey milk tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We did not order any food. But we ordered 5 drinks they were all amazing. The ambience was nice. The service inside was very nice. For 5 drinks the total was around $35 so it wasn't too bad. read more

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Good drinks, teahouse vibes, and customer service. I've come here about 4x in the past year and have been happy with all their match and sea salt crema drinks. Almost makes the $7/ boba worth it. The Good/ Recs + Can't go wrong with their matcha rose or matcha mango. tho it's not the best place i've had matcha drinks, it's pretty good. + I like their sea salt creme texture and taste -- it's actually salty! Once ordered, they will make sure it looks much better than it tastes (please see my pics!) + My friends really liked their roasted oolong milk tea and blended drinks as well. + Spacious, modern/clean interior and great customer service. The MEH: - I ordered two drinks with boba and total came out to be $14.25, this is after a 50 cent CC fee. $7 is a lot for boba, but i see a lot of tourists (myself included...) come, so I guess if you don't come often, go ahead and splurge on the cute pusheen drink lmao - Not a lot of street parking and drinks take a while to make, so you'll need to camp out of your car for atleast 15 mins to get your drink lol. read more

Bubble U - ;-; so cute but so expensive - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I love when a boba places offer a variety of milk to make with your boba including almond, organic, soy, and OAT milk! (Not that many boba places that have oat milk as an option). I ordered the earl grey milk tea which definitely has more tea flavor to it than being overpowered by sweetener. I even enjoyed their sturdy cups. Located in Chinatown there is essentially no chance at parking unless you get lucky for street parking. Inside it's very clean and modern. My little qualm was the machine to order the boba yourself. The line was almost to the door, and we were waiting for a long time for a group of 3 to make their order on the kiosk. If the line gets that long, I wish that someone would just take the orders to expedite it a little so that groups don't goof off on the order yourself kiosk slowing down everybody else behind them. read more

Bubble U - Earl Grey Milk Tea with oat milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My boyfriend and I were looking for a boba place near us and found this gem, pleased and impressed. Upon walking in the place itself is not that big but very cute and decorative. The place itself gave calm coffee shop vibes. No one greeted us but only a machine but no big deal for me because I am a shy person so , bless. The menu itself was pretty straight forward but also their drinks are pretty unique, interesting but also aesthetic. I got the matcha strawberry and my bf got oolong milk tea ( I think, but also basic ). The drinks were good. I loved mine, I got the strawberry matcha and it was well balanced and not overly sweet. Love how strong the tea taste Was on my bf's drink, I enjoy my teas with a strong tea taste but also the milk and boba added the perf amount of sweetness. We also ordered macarons ($13 I think) because we got the 6 pack, appreciated how we can chose the flavors and it was the best desert to end our night, not overly sweet and the fillings weren't much but light or it went well with the flavors of the macarons. Definitely will come back and recommend because you never know. You might like it. read more

Bubble U - Strawberry Matcha, oolong milk tea? ( I think), & macarons - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Got a Thai Tea & it was pretty solid. Wasn't greeted when I walked in, and it was a bit confusing on how to order. I just saw the order kiosk, but it looked pretty cramped space-wise. Fast service, good boba, but not necessarily a must-try. read more

Bubble U - Thai Tea with Boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Their drinks are good , and thank goodness this place exists. Love their matcha and citrus/fruity drinks ! Comparable in price with other boba places around, but the quality of their drinks are good. Def recommend this place . read more

I am all about modern and I have no problems using a kiosk for my order but a kiosk that automatically tack on 20% tip, that I have a problem with. Visiting LA, my daughter wanted boba so they used yelp to find this place. You walk in and you are greeted with a kiosk. My daughter put in her order and one cup was over 9.00. Luckily my sister was looking over her shoulder and saw it adds on 20% tip! If not for her keen eye, we would of paid tip for literally no service. When the order was ready they scream out a number and drop on the counter....No interaction at all. On top of that, the drink was meh at best. The bubbles were all stuck together and hard. When my daughter don't finish her drink, you know its a problem. read more

Bubble U - Looks nice but the bubbles were hard and stuck together. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

You order from a Kiosk and they make the order really fast. The Thai Tea and the Golden Spring Fruit Tea drinks were not good. I wouldn't come again because of this first impression. read more

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I like how they have a kiosk that shows pictures of the different drinks. They all looked super yummy so it was hard to decide! I ordered the Golden Hawaiian smoothie with boba. I really appreciated the aesthetic of the presentation of the drink. It made the drink worth the $7, but it tasted like apple juice to me. The description read "golden kiwi with mango champagne". I don't think I tasted either of those flavors. My friend ordered the tiramisu latte which was really good, and a huge plus that every drink has a non dairy option. Although I wasn't completely satisfied with my drink selection, I still think this boba joint deserves five stars for their quality, presentation, and customer service. I would come back to try something new and refreshing! read more

Bubble U - Golden Hawaiian smoothie and Tiramisu Iced Latte. Both non-dairy! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Some of the best boba in the area. The tiger sugar milk tea was 10/10. The service and interior could use improvement. My experience wasn't very inviting and I never saw a worker. read more

Bubble U - Tiger sugar milk tea after stirring it around. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My girls and I always stop here when in Chinatown. Drinks are delicious and not too sweet. Simple and silly but we get a kick out of seeing the designs on top of the foam. Drinks are made pretty quickly since I only see 1 or 2 people making them. The only thing negative is the self service kiosk. It's the only way to order your drink. There is never a human taking your order and some people will literally take forever to decide/order their drink and you just stand and wait as they scroll thru every drink with every possible option. There are only 2 computers and the last time we were here, each group (2 and 3 people in each party) took 10 + mins to order a drink each. I understand they have a limit of workers so the kiosk helps them, but it would be nice if they had a large menu on display so people can see their options before getting to the kiosk rather than only seeing drink options at the kiosk. read more

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This place deserves 4.5 stars, for the location, selection, and interior decor! I've been meaning to come to Bubble U but every time I stopped by Chinatown I was in some sort of diet competition.. not today! I decided to treat myself and got the Rose Matcha - which was one of their 2 or 3 matcha options. I was warned that this had more floral and sweet notes, and therefore I decided to get it in 25% sweet, with oat milk. My drink came quickly, as the store was somehow decently empty at 130PM on a Sunday. The green and pink color was nicely separated, and my drink was beautiful! Unfortunately, the drink was still a little too sweet for my taste (I haven't had boba in a long time). Since the drink was rather pricey ($6!), I decided to raise my concern to the barista, and asked if I could have some milk or ice added to the drink. They took the drink back without any fuss, and ended up adding more matcha and milk to it! At the end, I think my drink was more like the Luna Matcha, which is their less sweet alternative, but with great floral notes and rose petal bits. I just wish the price point was a little lower, but Bubble U is on par with other fancier boba shops in SGV area. Parking as usual is hard to find in Chinatown but if you are in the area and craving something sweet, Bubble U would be a good find! read more

Bubble U - Rose matcha tea Rose Matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Brown sugar milk is bomb! Honeydew is good too! I also like their peach green tea..but I'm sure their other options are just as good! Staff is pretty nice and I like their in store touchscreen ordering system. Sometimes they have good online promos as well! Will definitely be coming back read more

Cute boba spot! Easy online ordering or you can order via a no-contact screen inside. Straightforward ordering system that lets you easily customize your milk, sugar content, boba, etc. I enjoyed my lychee fruit tea with golden boba. Suggestions: *Order ahead. *I recommend getting less sugar. I got 50% sugar and it was pretty sweet. *Be patient. They were really swamped when I came by this past Saturday. There was only one dude making the drinks and he seemed very stressed. Felt bad for him as I believe they are understaffed (saw a hiring sign). Probably having trouble due to the labor shortage. *Street parking. We found a metered spot on N. Hill Street (next street over). It's less hectic and was much easier to find a spot. read more

Was craving a boba drink after stopping at Katsu Sando down the street for dinner. Decided to try Bubble U and so glad I did! After ordering and paying at a machine, my number was called out once my drink was ready. Whole process took less than 5 minutes even though it was moderately busy. Loved my brown sugar boba milk. Delicious--one of the best I've had! read more