I've been to Chicha San Chen many times and I really love their drinks. It's definitely on the pricier side but the quality of the drinks are worth for me. I love fruit teas and really enioy their osmanthus oolong mango tea. It's not too overpowering and tastes great with coconut jelly. Sadly, the last couple times I've been here they don't have coconut jelly. It can get pretty crowded but there's a decent amount of seating if you have small groups. If you're in a bigger group, you would probably want to get there earlier to claim some tables. read more

Best bubble tea in Austin, hands down. The inside of the store, although often really packed, has a very cute interior design and it's very cleanly. The ordering process is a bit overwhelming due to the sheer amount of people but Chicha San Chen is a one of a kind boba experience everyone should try once. They brew their tea for every drink for perfect precision. I ordered the fruit tea and it was absolutely delicious. Often times fruit teas tend to be very sour but this one was perfect despite having no added sugar (which you can customize). My only big complaint is the price. It's extremely pricey for such a small cup but it's definitely a nice treat once in a while if you're around the crescent area. read more

Chicha San Chen - fruit tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Favorite boba spot in town at the moment! Each boba is made with care as the staff is super meticulous and measures everyone precisely by hand. The tea is aromatic and super light. Go odd hours to beat a long line because the wait is longer than usual. Shop is a bit tight and no A/C just fans which is a bit of a downside in the Texas heat. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Heard a lot of hype around this boba chain so I had to check it out. I thought the location was kind of comical only because I use to work at a boba shop next to a bank as well and I always thought that was odd. The cashier was super patient and informative about their menu. They also let us try their taro balls as well. The green mt taro was good but nothing special for the cost. The original milk tea was not good in my opinion. It had a really weird after taste that reminds me of cardboard. For the price of the boba I don't think it'll be worth a trip back. read more

Chicha San Chen - green milk tea with taro balls & paste $7.50 original black milk tea with boba $7 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

super refreshing drinks! the interior was super clean and had plenty of seating. i would definitely get the osmanthus oolong tea again, it has a taste that reminds me of the desserts my mom would make that were sweetened with rock sugar. read more

Chicha San Chen - dong ding oolong tea with grass jelly (left) and osmanthus oolong tea with konjac jelly (right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Honestly, the best boba I've had. I got the brown sugar milk tea and it was so fresh. The tapioca pearls were cooked perfectly with a nice chew and flavor, not too sweet. read more

Chicha San Chen has probably the best boba pearls I have tried in Austin. My drink had a fresh batch of brown sugary pearls that were perfectly QQ and complimented the classic milk tea perfectly. The store itself was packed, very loud, and warm so we decided to hang out in our car in the parking lot instead. There is not a lot of room for a large group. Service was great, the drinks came out quickly and all the employees were very nice. I would probably come back for a nice treat if someone asked me to, but this is definitely not my top choice for boba given the price. read more

New favorite tea spot hands down. The wait has been long because there's so much hype but like the other reviews say the emphasis is on good teas here! First thing I noticed when I walked in was the tea smell. All of the tea is freshly brewed in front of you with these cool machines. At the back, there's also space to smell the teas. My husband got the regular boba milk tea at perfect sweetness (70%) which they passed out samples for and I got the cassia tea with mousse (30%). Both the boba and the mousse are sweetened so I made sure to get a less sweet tea and it was perfect! Would highly recommend if you like things not too sweet! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Not too bad overall. This place uses high-quality tea. I need to try them again as they were out of a lot of ingredients during my first visit. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

I can't lie I was really unimpressed by the boba here. I came with my family and we tried the Dong Ding Oolong Latte, fresh milk with brown sugar bubble and fresh milk with taro paste (they were out of taro ball). All of the flavors tasted really watered down and even though their thing is fresh brewed tea, the tea flavors didn't really stand out. The boba was bland and a little too soft for my liking. We tried to ask the person at the register about the business and he knew nothing about it, and made us feel like we were wasting his time. I really don't understand the hype, I think the aesthetic definitely plays a role. And it was pretty expensive for small portions of bubble tea. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

as soon as we opened the door the employee at the register said "are you ready to order" and the door wasnt even closed behind us yet... probably 7 workers behind bar for some reason. still took 10 mins for our drink even though we were the only ones in the store. i ordered a green milk tea with taro balls; got taro balls and taro paste. the paste leaves a really weird texture in the mouth and is very gritty. drink was okay, just nothing to write home about. unless youre a tea expert youre better off going somewhere else read more

This is genuinely one of the best tea drinks I've had, period. I don't know why it's so good but from the first sip to the last, this drink made me so happy from how good it tasted!!!! Even the presentation is super cute! I absolutely recommend this place! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

The tea here is so so good. If you prefer tea-forward drinks, this place is such an easy recommendation. I ordered the cassia black tea with mousse and it reminded me of a cold brew coffee. I loved the flavor, and would recommend it to any coffee lovers. This boba shop is very good if you can come by on a day that's not too busy! I've been twice, and the first time it was packed out the door. I ordered my drinks, left, went to Kinokuniya down the street and shopped around for about an hour, and then came back just as my drinks were getting finished. Might have been due to recently opening hype, but I went again a few weeks ago and ordered ahead, which saved a lot of time, though it seemed like no more than 5-10mins wait if I had ordered in store. read more

Employees are nice but the boba is so tough. I ordered taro bubble milk tea. The flavor is good but that boba hurt my jaw to chew.

Chicha San Chen in Austin is one of my favorite boba places to date. The menu offers an array of options, from classic milk teas to innovative fruit infusions. Each drink is expertly crafted with high-quality ingredients, ensuring a perfect balance of flavors and textures. I like to taste the tea in my drinks and this place really blends it perfectly. It is not overly sweet or taste like powder. With friendly service and cozy ambiance, it's the perfect spot to satisfy your boba cravings. read more

See all

After reading the good reviews, went there during a holiday week day, the line was insane out on the street, couldn't take the cold and left. Went in there second time in a random afternoon when nobody was there, really enjoyed the drink. It was a total different experience from any other bubble tea chains I have tried, it was very Tea-y, you can taste it was made from the freshly brewed tea leaves instead of artificial tea powder, so it was less flavorful compared to many other brands as everything artificial smells and tastes better.but the fresh tea taste overrides everything, the drink was light and natural. But if you are a big fan of Gongcha, Tiger sugar etc this place might be not for you. read more

See all

Amazing boba! The tea is brewed fresh for each drink and you can definitely taste it in the drinks. Very unique flavors, not too milky, not too sweet, and boba is a good consistency. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Omg! I can't be any happier to have came across this place. It's so unique and I love how they spend time to seep your tea. The flavor profile and combination with the milk is out of this world. Their tea are so fresh and it really shines through the drink. You can taste the herbal and floral notes. The best part of all is that they have Fresh milk. We had the honey osmanthus oolong and it was delicious. The fresh milk with boba yummy and dong ding oolong with perfect sweetness. A must try if you're local. Service is a bit slower but it's because it takes time to brew the tea which I didn't mind. Cute little spot with a lounging couch and tables spread out. Clean and open concept. Can't wait to go back and try their other drinks. read more

Parking can be hard especially when there's a line out the door. I came here on a Saturday around noon. From the time we ordered to the time we got our 2 drinks it was a 10 minute wait. You could feel the love and intention in each sip. The line wasn't long for me but as I sat there sipping, the line extended outside. For Austin on a very hot day (87F) I don't know if I would wait. You can order online and pick up though. The inside is white with plants on floating shelves. The cool thing to observe is the teaspresso machine that brews your tea. I ordered the dong ding oolong with taro boba and it's my new favorite. I love taro and this is my drink now. My boyfriend got the osmanthus oolong tea with honey. It's refreshing. Both drinks taste like tea, which is totally worth it because that's why I don't like boba tea, it usually tastes like milk with a hint of tea. the boba tastes so good, slightly sweet. the staff, if you have time to watch them, are measured in creating the drinks. everything is weighed or timed. will come back to try more taro drinks! oh, it's like $7 per drink. I wish there was a way to reuse/recycle the paper wrap and string. really cute but kinda not sustainable. read more

ChiCha is my favorite boba place! I've tried so many different boba places but this one is my favorite so we always come through here. The quality of their tea is great and love the taste. Reminds me of BobaGuys and love all there other drinks too! read more

Protip: they now have a self serve screen next to the cash register, doubling their efficiency for taking orders! I recommend going on weekdays or right when they open on weekends to avoid a line. As someone who's only had big chain name boba places like ShareTea, TeaTop, GongCha, this place is in a league of its own. The tea taste is strong and aromatic. Boba has been consistently cooked perfectly ever since their soft opening. You'll pay $7 a drink but that's not anything new for Austin. read more

The drinks are everything they promise to be flavor wise. The milk tea with taro is really yummy if you want the best of both worlds. Any oolong is good. The mousse is good too (though I did not try the other foam). Boba quality is a right texture of chewy. Tea quality is superb. The seating is a bit jammed packed - they tried to fit in as many tables as possible, so a little awkward at times. The counter is right in the middle so it's pretty hard to not stare down the workers who are making the drink. Friendly staff. Parking is awful though. If you go at off times you can probably find parking and people are always going in and out, but the lot is not meant for the sheer volume this place will bring. As many have said, while the tea is good, the wait is not worth it for me. For context, we went right before the lunch rush with no one in line in front of us to order, but maybe 4-5 parties waiting for drinks. It took over an hour to get ours. Until their order ahead is live, I won't be coming back. My husband said it's "ChiCha Sad Chen". Sad because I know it'll be good, but I keep having to stare at the people taking their time making my boba. read more

It's the best tea in town and they make it right in front of you. Gotta love that. Friendly staff and great atmosphere.

Unfortunately they don't have non dairy milk. The amount of boba topping is a lot for the size of the cup. The price is too high. However, the flavor is on point and vey authentic. I got the Milk Brown Sugar. read more

Chicha San Chen - Boba tea drink - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

I came to Chicha San Chen interested in trying this tea made from the fancy machine I saw on Instagram. They don't have an extensive menu, but I think they've got the perfect "not too sweet" boba tea in the Austin area. I got the osmanthus oolong tea with boba. I liked how the tea flavor was present and didn't taste like it was overpowered by sweeteners or flavored syrups like most tea shops. The only problem I have is that there are only two machines, so we were unlucky and got there when there was a 45 min wait, and they ran out of the tea they use for their bubble milk tea option. If you're someone that is into the tea flavor when you get boba, Chicha San Chen would be a great place to try, but if you like boba for the fancy flavors and mixes, I don't think this place is it. Personally, I really enjoyed it and would come back again when the hype of it all dies down. read more

I've tried the Green tea with passion fruit and Green tea with Fresh Milk. Each time the boba has been perfect!! Super chewy and fresh! love the presentation as well. read more

Chicha San Chen - Green tea w. Fresh Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Holy cow this is the best boba I have had!! The dong ding oolong that they are known for was delicious.

By far the best tea flavored boba place in Austin. I got the green tea with mousse (similar to a cream top/cheese top in other locations), with boba. Boba was perfectly chewy. Green tea was by far the best I've had, and I drink a lot of tea (I own a lot at home - loose leaf is the way to go). They freshly brew the tea per order. My husband got the high mountain with lemon juice and mousse and that tasted like a really good lemon bar. My brother in law got the dong ding oolong tea with boba and that was also very flavorful. The wait did take a while because it was a soft opening and the tea is freshly made, but it was well worth the wait. You also can't order more than one topping. Would come here again! I can't wait to try the other teas (I LOVE oolong teas and they have a few varieties). I also love that this is from Taiwan, and somehow it landed in Austin before Houston, which somehow always gets all the top notch boba places. read more

I decided to make a 30 minute drive out on a Friday to see if this was worth the hype - and it is! The boba itself is delicious, and paired with the friendly staff this place is a worthy 5 stars. The boba options in Austin aren't all that great, and I'd definitely say that Chicha has earned its place among the top in the city. The parking isn't great because the plaza is small, but I would still recommend it! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Amazing. Best tea place in Austin by far. Great service and cute and clean interior. 100 percent worth it

Ok I'll be honest. Had high expectations given reviews, forums, long lines, etc, but I was shocked to taste it wasn't anything special. I understand this chain received a rating thats supposedly equal to a 3-Michelin star rating but I truly didn't think it stood out in terms of quality or taste. There was a slightly heavier tea taste but otherwise, I also felt the drink flavor was diluted at times... the cafe is super cute and perfect for chilling but given how far away it is, I would not return. I also paid $7+ each for a grande size read more

Chicha San Chen - Oolong and regular milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is probably the best bubble tea I've ever had! All bubble teas I've had up until this point is trash compared to this place. I'm actually not a huge fan of regular milk tea but chicha has really fresh ingredients that just makes the drink taste *expensive*. The service was great even though the line was very long for the soft opening. My favorite drinks were the regular milk tea and the HMP with lemon juice and mousse. Trust their sugar and ice levels, it doesn't need any adjustments. Will definitely be returning! read more

They brew their tea from fresh tea leaves, who else does that?! No one! First time trying this concept and wow you can taste a difference! None of that powder or tea bags here. This has ruined it for me. I will be sad that this does not exist in houston. The tea quality was superior. I got the milk tea and it was the perfect amount of sweetness. I didn't feel bad for drinking this. It tasted healthy if you know what I mean. The price is higher than normal, but that's because each drink is brewed to order instead of a 5 gallon tea tank. The string cup holders are a great touch Will definitely be back when visiting Austin and would like to try their other drinks read more

Chicha San Chen is my favorite boba shop in Austin, perhaps in the US. The tea is strong with a very layered, floral profile, and each order is made fresh using a patented tea pressing machine -- unlike boba places where the tea is brewed by the gallon in advance. The boba is brewed fresh every two hours, and any old boba is discarded. My favorite orders are the green tea and dong ding tea (usually no sugar + cream or fresh milk + boba). This location is franchised by the same family that opened Xian, and their staff is always nice and friendly even when they are super busy. It's slightly more expensive than other boba shops but worth it for the quality. read more

This place can be hard to find parking on weekends. I was told the tea here was flavorful but in my opinion the tea tasted a bit strong I had to put some water in to dilute it. I am an experienced Chinese tea drinker, I think the green tea tasted like the typical tieguanyin at home, price was $5.41 with tax. Still a good refreshing buy. I would like them to have jasmine tea! They have nice decor, but very little seating. The place is too small for its own good. If I wasn't worried about parking the entire time I think I would have a great time but definitely recommend coming not on weekends or holidays. read more

Chicha San Chen - Green tea, no sugar, less ice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

this place is amazing. The servers are so kind and helpful. Would recommend the Cassia with cream and coconut jelly, Tastes like Chocolate covered strawberries. The place is gorgeous, with plenty of seats. read more

Best tea in Austin, but the wait time isn't worth it for me. Definitely go and try this place out to decide for yourself. If you get lucky and there's a short line, it's worth it. Once you order, you have to wait another 15 mins for your drinks since everything is freshly brewed. I wouldn't go out of my way to get this as it's 30 mins away from me, but if I'm in the area and it's off peak hours, I'd get it. -- Fresh milk tea tastes better than well, not fresh milk. read more

Chicha San Chen - Refreshing summer drink -- it's really good! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

I didn't expect to see a Chicha San Chen in Austin but here we are. I tried to go when I was in Seattle but the line was crazy long and that was no different here. We got there right before it opened and there was already a huge line. Little did we know that it was the day of the grand opening. The gimmick that drew my wife was the cute rope handle that comes with the drinks. But that's not the only thing that makes this place unique, it's also the fact that they brew tea on order espresso style which I found neat. I could definitely taste the enhanced tea taste in the drinks. The Dong Ding Oolong was surprisingly good for me not being a oolong fan. And I can say the same for the regular milk tea. The "perfect" sugar levels were perfect for me who never gets full sugar at other boba tea places. I was not a huge fan of the fruit tea though. Super aesthetic interior and very neat. This isn't a super casual boba place and expect to pay a higher rate for drinks. Was the hour wait worth it? Nah. Maybe I'll wait until the lines die down before I come back again. read more

I work close to Chichaa San Chen and it is a great treat to order online and pick up the tea with bubbles. The tea is always ready for me and the service is friendly, very kind. The small shop is alway clean They have tables and other seating. When I first started going there I would walk in and order. Now they are pretty busy so I order online. read more

This is my third time coming here and it's consistently been the most delicious tea. Everything is perfectly packaged and the perfect amount of sweet. By far my favorite tea spot!!! I hope they open a location in DFW read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas