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    DIY Tea Lab - Ballard

    4.2 (57 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    Iced Viet Coffee Milk Tea (7/3/24)
    Marie B.

    Stopped by awhile back at this Ballard location for a Yelp event. For this second visit (7/3/24), it was perfectly situated between Sonic Boom Records and Pestle Rock. Last visit I had just a classic milk tea, this time I had an iced Vietnamese coffee milk tea. It hit the spot and enjoyed it with my Kao Soi nearby. Decent, but not overly strong. If you also enjoy phin coffee, with its smack you upside the head strong, iykyk. Usually my challenge when visiting here or their Fremont location are street parking cost and availability. Teas, fruit teas, and smoothies are also available.

    Outside
    Wing I.

    I was in there for lunch from just poke and I wanted a drink unfortunately they were out of boba! I ordered ube milk tea with rainbow jelly half sweet and less ice. It was very good and surprisingly yummy! The server is very nice and explained things to me in details. The sitting area are comfortable and clean.

    Tea DIspensers (Green Tea, Thai Tea, Black Tea)
    Albert T.

    If you're in Ballard and you want boba, DIY is pretty much the only place to get it. That's actually the reason why we stopped by here on a Saturday afternoon. We got one drink: Classic Ruby Black Milk Tea, 50% Sugar, Less Ice w/ Boba ($6.25) - Interesting preparation here - the milk tea is presweetened, prebrewed, premixed with non-dairy creamer, and placed in the tea dispensers (I wonder how often the dispensers get cleaned). For the black tea, they have one dispenser with 100% sweet and one with no sweet. If you change the sweetness level, like I did, they mix the two together appropriately to get your desired sweetness level. In terms of the drink itself, the tea taste isn't particularly fragrant, but has a good black tea taste. Not the best tea, but good for a shop that doesn't brew tea to order. 50% sweet is not too sweet in this drink (probably around 25-30% sweet vs other places), and it allows the tea taste to come through. The boba is only very slightly harder than I prefer so it has a pretty good chew. DIY Tea Lab shares the same storefront with a poke place and the employees work on both sides. The store wasn't staffed that well when we visited - only two people combined for both the poke and the boba. The boba half actually wasn't staffed at all when we came in - we had to order at the self serve kiosk, and then someone walked over from the other side to make the drink. It wasn't a problem since we visited in a less busy time, but if they don't have more people at peak hours, I could see things taking much longer. I would definitely stop by again if in the area. This location is good enough for me to want to go to their other branches around Seattle.

    Ube Salt and Brown Sugar Royal tea
    Sarah L.

    Delicious bubble tea for any occasion! I stopped by DIY Tea Lab while in the neighborhood with a few friends and had a good experience. We ordered off the touch screen at the counter, which was self explanatory. I did notice that some drinks were more customizable than others, for example "less sugar" vs "25% or 50%", but overall the usual options were present. There were a couple employees around to help and make our drinks, which came out super fast! The boba was still warm and soft in the drinks, so make sure to give it a good shake!

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    4 months ago

    many delicious options to choose from. yum yum. i come here often and will continue to

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    My go to boba spot in Ballard! I love that they have caffeine free options :) my mom loves the strawberry matcha!

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    2 months ago

    so good! customizable options and fast service, basically no line at all. Perfect amount of boba, woman behind the counter was very kind.

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    9 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Very scrumptious tea, superb service and kind workers. Very chill environment. Overall lovely!

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    4 months ago

    Tea is so tea. Best boba in Ballard. Super kind and sweet service. 100000/10. Don't question yourself, get the boba!!!!

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Super fast and always tasty! The kids can move through the screens to get just what they want.

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    7 months ago

    Great options and fast service, our fave local boba stop In north Seattle on weekends or weekdays

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    6 months ago

    my order was very quickly made and tasted very good. they got the sugar percentage right!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    I go here to get bubble tea before work. I always get milk tea with boba and I am always satisfied.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - DIY Tea Lab - Ballard

    How much indoor and outdoor seatings are there, if any?

    Right now, there's a high top table/bench towards the window with 5 or so seats.

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    DIY Tea Lab - Fremont - Matcha coco with sea salt ube cream topping, matcha coco, and mango sago.

    DIY Tea Lab - Fremont

    3.9(133 reviews)
    2.2 miFremont

    My family and I visited this location because of Yelp. We've only been to Fremont twice, with this…read morevisit being our second one and it was nice to stop at this establishment so that we could sample their beverages. We didn't realize that the DIY Tea Lab also shares the same space with Just Poke so that was a nice surprise, though, we didn't order any poke because we just ate lunch at a nearby pho restaurant. For the drinks, I got the Mango Sago and my husband ordered the Matcha Coco with Sea Salt Ube Cream. We were the only customers in line during our visit which was nice. Staffing is the same for both Just Poke and DIY Tea Lab but they have two separate registers. The person that helped us was busy making a poke plate for a customer upon entering but he helped us fairly quickly. I shared the mango sago with my two toddlers and they loved it! The drink had a good balance of sweetness. The pairing of the sago and chunks of mango was perfection with the drink. The matcha coco with ube cream was also delicious. The ube cream went well with the matcha. And the boba had a soft, yet chewy texture. As a side note, the employee who made our drinks realized that he forgot to put the ube cream after he sealed the drink. He made us a new drink and he let us keep the other drink which was very kind gesture. Really, I can't say anything negative about our orders and customer service. If we didn't have to drive an hour at this establishment, we would probably frequent this area more, though one downside is that parking can be hard to find. Street parking seems to be the only option. We parked two blocks away because there was no available parking nearby. We paid $7 for 4 hours although there is a an option of $5 for 2 hours. We wanted to explore the area so we paid for more hours.

    their service was quick and there was no line. I got the strawberry bubble tea with lychee per…read morestaff members recommendation. The bubble tea did not disappoint and tasted delicious!! The vibe is more pick up and go! Disclaimer: I was given this drink for free as part of Yelp Elite event.

    Photos
    DIY Tea Lab - Fremont - Black Seasame milk tea and sea salt ube coffee

    Black Seasame milk tea and sea salt ube coffee

    DIY Tea Lab - Fremont
    DIY Tea Lab - Fremont - Mango Matcha Fresh Milk

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    Mango Matcha Fresh Milk

    Young Tea - T2. Assam Black Tea

    Young Tea

    4.4(85 reviews)
    2.5 miWallingford

    Came here the other day, and we were pleasantly surprised! The service was great and they were…read morepatient with us. They had a lot of tea options, so we had to make sure we're getting the right one. My gf is obsessed with milk tea, and been on the hunt for the phoenix oolong. So far this is the only place she's been able to find in Seattle that sells it. I ordered the Rock milk tea, and it had a strong tea flavor and a good dark aroma. It's exactly the way I like my milk tea! I feel this place to be authentic with their tea leaves, and they seem to be really knowledgeable about their menu. So if you're really specific with your tea flavors, or just want to try something different than your usual black or green tea, then I recommend this.

    It doesn't seem this place is adequately staffed. The only staff was working his bones off and the…read moreline kept growing! Luckily everyone was patient and can clearly see he was working hard, and he did let us know that it might take a while. He was a hard worker. The boba place is very tea forward with a variety of options. There were a handful of drinks that had an interesting name, such as, Iron Buddha, but I wish there was a description of what the drink was. I didn't want to ask too many questions given the growing line. I don't think any of the drinks included toppings, so that's an additional charge. I guess it's been a while since I had boba cause the average price was $7-8 without any toppings! The drink was great and tasted delicious, but the operation itself can be better.

    Photos
    Young Tea - M17. Hojicha Latte

    M17. Hojicha Latte

    Young Tea - M18. Genmaicha Latte with red bean

    M18. Genmaicha Latte with red bean

    Young Tea - Inside

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    Inside

    Miro Tea - Matcha Latte

    Miro Tea

    4.2(624 reviews)
    0.1 miBallard
    $$

    I was really blown away by the selection of teas that they have here. They have a book with their…read moreselection near the cashier for you to browse. I was overwhelmed with their options and had trouble picking one as so many sounded so delicious. There is truly a tea for everyone's taste buds. Upon entering they have some of their teas that they sell on display for you to sniff. They also have samples as well for people to try. Staff were very kind and the service was very quick considering how many people were in line. I tried one of their white teas and it was delicious. I'm not a tea connoisseur but you could really taste all of the flavors in the description of the tea. It was very light. I definitely want to come back to try other teas. I really like the ambiance/design of the place. There are many seats for people to study and/or hang out. It was super busy on a Saturday though and we barely were able to get a seat inside. Luckily we were though, because enjoying the tea in their space was lovely.

    This is a really nice and popular spot in Ballard! I came on a rainy day and it was packed - we…read morealmost didn't find a seat and were about to leave but got lucky last minute. I got the seasonal kinako matcha with soy milk - the drink was pricey at over $10, but that's almost the standard nowadays. I really like the kinako flavor though I didn't really taste the matcha itself. They also have tea samples which I really liked too. A good spot to chill and work at if not too busy!

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    Miro Tea - Interior

    Interior

    Miro Tea - (12/31/25)

    (12/31/25)

    Miro Tea - (3/18/25)

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    (3/18/25)

    Atulea - The strawberry latte with boba added. They make the strawberry purée in house.

    Atulea

    4.5(36 reviews)
    1.6 miPhinney Ridge

    ughhhhh NEW FAVORITE MATCHA SPOT i am obsessed!!…read more ok so what makes atulea so special is that you can fully customize your drink OR choose from their incredibly creative specials (both options are serving so hard). the flavor combinations they come up with are inspired, unique, creative and you can tell there's real intention behind the menu. first visit i got the black sesame matcha with lychee jellies and it was HEAVENLY. the flavors, the texture, the balance chefs kiss mmm perfect. second visit i went with the ube matcha latte and mmm, so so good. rich and cozy and gorgeous. yes, it's a little on the pricier side. but the quality of the matcha and the creativity of the drinks make it feel completely worth every penny to me. this place is a gem and seattle is lucky to have it.

    1. This is our go to boba place. They freshly cook their boba and they have the right balance of…read morechewiness are sweet but not too sweet. The quality of the drinks has been very consistent. 2. If you order Matcha or Hojicha (roasted green tea and my favorite) you can watch them make it to order. I like the Hojicha iced Americano with boba, the black sesame latte and the strawberry latte (they make their own strawberry purée) 3. The staff is always friendly and they have a good selection of milks. 2% or whole milk for the dairy folks. And soy, oat, almond or coconut for the nondairy folks.

    Photos
    Atulea - The Hojicha latte with added boba is my favorite. Hojicha is roasted green tea.

    The Hojicha latte with added boba is my favorite. Hojicha is roasted green tea.

    Atulea - Lychee Rose w/boba & House (2/9/25)

    Lychee Rose w/boba & House (2/9/25)

    Atulea - Blueberry pie latte

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    Blueberry pie latte

    19 GOLD - Malatang Soup Dumplings Combo

    19 GOLD

    4.5(1.2k reviews)
    2.0 miFremont
    $$

    19 Gold is hands-down my go-to restaurant for take-out in Fremont. I crave their hot and uniquely…read morespiced broth (fair warning, even the mild is a bit spicy, but the mild is perfect for those that love a savory spice in their food). You can't go wrong with either the original or super rich broth- I honestly switch back and forth depending on my mood. I order the mala udon every time, as I love the thick and chewy udon noodles paired with thinly shaved beef, cabbage, and quail egg. The malatang soup dumplings are yummy as well. Whenever I do dine in, the service is fast, and I like the Yelp queuing system so if there is a long wait, you can keep on eye on your place in line while you do some shopping nearby. The place is small, but cozy, and always seems to be close to full no matter the time of year. I've not had their boba, but that seems to be popular as well. Convenient location right across the street from the Lenin statue in the heart of Fremont. Quite a few bus routes within a few minutes walk!

    This Taiwanese fusion restaurant right of the heart of downtown. It is just a little off from the…read moremain road. The restaurant is mainly smaller table. They do have outside seating area. We start with beef noodle soup. I think this is ok dish. I prefer beef with a bit fat. The second dish is the popcorn chicken. Which is the good five spice marinate is good. We also got steam pork belly but I think we can skip dish. The beef with scallions is good and tasty. The three cup chicken needs to be more wine in it. Other than that all is good.

    Photos
    19 GOLD - Dining area

    Dining area

    19 GOLD - House Special Malatang

    House Special Malatang

    19 GOLD - Brown Sugar Milk Boba

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    Brown Sugar Milk Boba

    Taste & Tell Lounge

    Taste & Tell Lounge

    4.4(12 reviews)
    1.5 miPhinney Ridge

    It's the holiday season, so I took my children to Taste and Tell to enjoy some snacks and boba tea…read more They have the best boba tea in town. You should definitely try it. I was told the business hours may vary during the holiday season, however, from March through October, the hours are more consistent.

    Seattle-Area Boba Shop Review #67…read more Taste & Tell Lounge is a small but welcoming cafe, serving a decent sized menu of food and tea and coffee drinks. Ordering is quick using the kiosk right in front and the staff are very friendly, getting the drinks prepared and out within a couple of minutes. Signature Milk Tea, Less Sweet, 50% Ice w/ Brown Sugar Boba ($7.25) - Interesting. This is the 2nd time in Seattle I've seen a boba shop put a piece of wax paper in between the cup and the lid, to allow the customer to shake the drink and get that satisfy pop of a boba straw piercing the top. This drink is ridiculously sweet, so cloying that my mouth puckered while sipping on it. I could not drink more than a couple of sips before having to stop. It's perhaps 200% or maybe even 300% sugar level as compared to other places. The taste is also not very pleasant to me. Not only is it extremely harsh but for some reason, there's somewhat of a stale undertone to the entire drink, kind of reminding me of the essence of cardboard mixed with an old Chinese herb shop. I believe they use real tea leaves to brew their tea, so the taste is puzzling. The ice level at half is essentially like full ice at any other establishment. When the drink is completely cooled, the ice still fills up approximately the top third of the cup. When I visited, they had just run out of the regular boba, but they still had the brown sugar boba in stock. For the same price as the regular boba? Great! And then I bit into my first one.... This is not boba. The pearls are agar based cuboids. Why call these brown sugar boba? That's false advertising in my book. Milk Tea Rating: 2/5 (and I'm being generous) Boba rating: 1/5 I feel bad giving such a low rating to this family owned establishment, but the drink I got was not up to par. Given the high ratings from other reviewers, I have to assume that I just received a poorly made drink and they're usually better. Bathrooms - One unisex room Edit: I stashed the drink in my fridge for a couple of days and after diluting it by about half with freshly brewed assam tea, it's much more palatable due to the reduction in sweetness. The harsh taste stale is still there, though, and there's still no tea flavor.

    Photos
    Taste & Tell Lounge - Interior

    Interior

    Taste & Tell Lounge - Bánh Mì, Spam Mushubi, taro boba, Jasmine milk tea with grass jelly

    Bánh Mì, Spam Mushubi, taro boba, Jasmine milk tea with grass jelly

    Taste & Tell Lounge

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    Dont Yell At Me - Osmanthus Jasmine Milk Tea

    Dont Yell At Me

    4.3(474 reviews)
    3.4 miUniversity District
    $$

    Delicious as always! I got the original milk tea, 50% sweet, whole milk with honey pearls. The milk…read morereally helps temper the bitterness of the tea (along with the sugar, haha) but the astringency of the tea is there along with the malty flavor of the tea. The boba is the perfect chewy texture - not too hard or too soft. I did not try any of their sandwiches (there's so many other yummy options near by!) but it seems like they were selling at a decent clip. If I had to identify a weakness, it would be that a lot of times it seems like they have supply chain issues. They did not have lactose-free milk when I visited the past few times. I hope they work things out! I would have purchased two drinks if I could have substituted the dairy for lactose free.

    I absolutely loved this place!…read more First you come in to the shop and feel like you're in a lab of genius scientists crafting up delicious concoctions. White coats + goggles and all. Everything was generously spaced out and looked sparkling clean - THANK YOU I came up to the register and the gal was so sweet, offering up suggestions and masterfully navigating me through the top sellers (I'm a bit of a newb with bubble tea). I expressed I liked milk tea and she recommended the Osmanthus milk tea with Golden Honey boba. She said their standard was 50% sweetness and less ice. I ordered her reco and was super happy I did. One thing to note is that this drink was pretty $$$. Around $7 for a medium...however, now is the time to try because they're upgrading you to a large size on the house!

    Photos
    Dont Yell At Me - Interior

    Interior

    Dont Yell At Me - Winter Melon Chrysanthemum Tea

    Winter Melon Chrysanthemum Tea

    Dont Yell At Me - Brown sugar pearl

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    Brown sugar pearl

    DIY Tea Lab - Ballard - bubbletea - Updated May 2026

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