Such a cute boba shop and hangout spot for small groups. The decoration is adorable and they played great music. Everything was so good that we went twice in a row lol. They serve drinks and street food. Gong Cha also shares the same location/ counter space with Poki DC so you can get your poke + boba fix. To order, there's a self-order kiosk. They're fairly fast in making your orders. I LOVE that they were accommodating and used soy milk as dairy alternatives when I left a note in my order since there wasn't an option button to change dairy. Green Thai tea was so delicious and had a nice balance of sweetness. Strawberry smoothie with creme brûlée was also good, but tasted a little watered down (but maybe it's because it was soy milk?). Chicken karaage was crispy and tasty. There's not a lot of boba places around DC so def recommend this place! read more

Gong Cha - Strawberry Smoothie w. Crme Brulee Foam - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came for a drink and was satisfied with the drink but man is this location warm! It's below ground with seemingly no air ventilation. Service is minimal. No human interaction till my drink was done (but that's fine). read more

Gong Cha - instagrammable - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Gong Cha has really gone down in quality since I tried it for the first time ~10 yrs ago. This particular location is inside a small seating area next to a poke place. There is plenty of seating to enjoy your drink inside or eat poke from the other place. I ordered a hot taro coconut milk drink with boba and coconut jelly at 30% sugar from the kiosk. It cost $9 and the service was reasonably fast, but the drink had so many issues with it. The temperature was lukewarm at best, and it was cloyingly sweet. There was no taro in the drink afaik, which means they probably used taro flavoring. The boba was soft with no bounce or chew to it, and the coconut jelly felt so flat as well, not chewy. Gong Cha used to be one of my favorite places to get boba and now I will no longer be going there. read more

I ordered two drinks. First was the lychee smoothie with mango jelly and peach milk tea with coconut jelly and popping mango. I love the milk tea and it was delicious. I enjoy the fact that they let you alter your sweetness and 50% sweet was just perfect for me. The smoothie was okay but I would have preferred for it to not be so slushy. The smoothie tasted like slushie. I am most impressed with the milk tea for sure. read more

Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It had been too long since I grabbed a bubble tea and wanted something without much sugar in it- this matcha bubble tea fit the bill! Quick service and nice staff. read more

Gong Cha - Matcha Boba Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The only drink recommended so far is the peach yogurt! We used the ordering machine and it's very convenient. Also the drink come out really fast! read more

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I the brown sugar boba Milk tea, and it was pretty good, the drink was on the sweeter side even thought it was only 30% sugar. Over all it was pretty good. read more

Gong Cha - Brown sugar boba milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Absolutely LOVE gongcha! I think this is my fav boba spot bc the tea is so authentic with using tea leaves and it's not too sweet! The boba is always soft and chewy and a tad sweet with adds the sweetness into the tea! read more

3.5 passion fruit green tea classic, has the 30% option, original eggettes over cooked and dry

Such a cute boba spot!!! (Did not try the poké so can't comment on that) I got a taro tea with boba and it was absolutely delicious. The boba was sweet and chewy and fresh. I love the ease with which you can order on a kiosk - I feel like it speeds up service (although they did have the option to order with a person as well if needed). Parking in this area will be tough, but that's to be expected in this part of DC! read more

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Pearl (boba) is fresh and chewy. Promotion on 4/1 and 2 free upgrade from L to XL on select teas. Gong Cha is sharing a retail space with a poki restaurant. Good use of space. Staff is friendly. No street parking. Limited seating inside. read more

Gong Cha - Promotion free upsize from L to XL on 4/1 and 4/2 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Decent bubble tea and they have bubble waffles! You can order at one of the two self serve kiosks or from the cashier. This location shares space with a Hawaiian poke place. read more

Great drinks and very quick service! Gong Cha is conveniently located near the National Mall, so it was a great place to stop for a snack during my walk around. Everything was very clean and loved that it is connected to a poke bowl spot as well - would be perfect for lunch. read more

Gong Cha - Mango Yogurt, Wintermelon Milk Drink - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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After trying more boba spots, I think Gong Cha as a chain is average. I typically order a Three Musketeers, which is a classic milk, tea that comes with pudding, boba, and grass jelly. I always adjust the sweetness to about 50% or 75%. I think their drinks are on the sweeter side, especially if you grew up with the "not too sweet" parents. My favorite thing about this location, is that they have a digital menu machine that you can order from. Therefore, you can spend as much time as you want browsing through the menu without feeling rushed. The drinks come out relatively fast! This location also shares the space with a poke spot, so it really isn't a hang out/study space. I will say the poke spot is really good though! read more

Gong Cha - Three Musketeers/3Q - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I only came here while being in the area for an event, but was the experience was pretty seamless and good, so nothing to really complain about honestly. The location shares a room with Poki DC so they have the same entrance. You have to ask for a code number to use the restroom. Ordered at the kiosk and received the order pretty quickly. It wasn't terribly busy on a early Saturday afternoon too which was convenient! I ordered the green tea with milk foam and boba and it was consistent with my order at other Gong Cha's which is very important. All in all I'd come back if I was in the area again! It's your standard Gong Cha that meets expectations. read more

Gong Cha - Milk tea with boba and pudding (left) and green tea milk foam with boba (right). - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had Gong Cha in Korea! Was visiting DC and pleasantly to find it here. Really good. We go the taro with milk and loved it. No caffeine, so even better. Very good service and ambiance was nice too. Clean! read more

my regular spot:) I love it so much. It's always clean and professional and they have great Boba!

This Gong Cha was actually pretty good! And it's really good if it's super hot and humid outside too. I ordered a large taro smoothie with pearls for ~$8 which isn't the best price but isn't the worst either (we're in DC, and I also didn't have to pay for it). The taro smoothie was refreshing and yummy. You could really taste the taro in this one. I prefer smoothies over milk tea for my boba drinks because they remind me of the OG boba drinks I had when I was a kid (e.g., avocado + condensed milk + boba). The flavor was good, but at times, it was a bit too much for me. It tasted kinda weird in a way. I'll probably try the sweet potato smoothie instead. Overall, very good for how close you are to the White House! read more

Gong Cha - Taro Smoothie - Large - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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After seeing the nearby cherry blossoms in the Tidal Basin we searched for a walk-able lunch nearby. Poki DC seemed to be attached to this Gong Cha so we could get our bubble tea fix satisfied along with food. The medium size lychee oolong tea with boba pearls and neither added sugar nor ice was decent. I ordered a poke bowl with soba noodles, salmon, tuna, mango, edamame, ponzu sauce and puffed rice for crispiness. It was pretty good. They've set up an ordering window via mic/speaker where you can place your order and input your credit card. Since it's contact-less it probably means you can't pay with cash unless a worker is willing to come up to the window. They give you an order number and once it's ready they call out your number and bring it up to the window for pick up. Currently there is no dine in due to the pandemic so enjoy the take out! read more

Gong Cha - Lychee oolong with pearls and a poke bowl - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is good overall, they offer a place for boba and poke! I was there to meet a friend and catch up, and it felt like the perfect place. They had limited seating, but there wasn't that many people so we were all able to find a place to sit. The Boba place ordering is a kiosk and works just like other kiosk places, with paying then and there. I got the green tea boba and found the prices to be fair. I was underwhelmed by the taste since it was overall bitter. I have tried plenty of teas and know that this one was oversteeped. It was really hard to finish the drink. The taste wasn't there. If it wasn't for the ambiance, I don't think this place would have a good review. I am willing to try it once more and see if the tea improves. Would recommend if you are looking for a place to meet with a friend and try out some boba read more

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Visited during the pandemic Pretty standard boba shop. Take out only. The boba was not as chewy as I like but decent. Their tea is consistent w other gong cha... nothing unique All in all- a boba shop that will give you a pretty standard drink ... don't expect anything new/twist/different read more

Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Gong Cha is a solid choice. While I have a few go-tos, this is the spot for Boba tea! You can get milk teas, lattes, smoothies, and fruit teas. So many options whether you're looking for caffeine or caffeine-free. If you're not familiar with Gong Cha, their beverages are customizable. This means that for milk tea, you can get dairy or non-dairy (almond or oat). The biggest plus is the ability to adjust the levels of sweetness (sugar). Yes! This location is fast, especially if you order online or the app. Service isn't necessarily the nicest but it's not mean either. Overall, a 3.5 but rounding up since it works for the concept and Gong Cha as a chain is consistent. read more

Gong Cha - Dirty Brown Sugar Latte (oat milk) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Let me tell you all about a place named GONG CHA I love it so much that I put it in a SONG CHA If you don't come here, then you drink the WRONG CHA The best Boba place this side of Hong KONG CHA It's the Boba spot to which Barbie does BELONG CHA And all the boys stare, mouths open, hanging TONGUE CHA Watch her small steps like your grandad watched Neil ARMSTRONG CHA I won't visit the moon til the moon has GONG CHA So here is where I tried the strawberry milk tea for the first time, it was good, tasted good, and this is a good location sharing its space with a popular local Poke chain (DC Poke) that usually has a Gong Cha inside. There are places to sit, it's very busy, and I like to sit in the window and watch DC go by. There are 2 restrooms, and it's a shame ppl treat it like NYC and vandalize the bathroom and cover it in urine constantly. It's definitely one of the busiest and possibly slowest Gong Chas I've been to - partly because everybody in front of me was very rude and they didn't know what the hell they wanted. But I must emphasize that the people working here were friendly and the drinks are really good, so we definitely have to give them at 5, because you know I love Bubble Tea and if someone's going to make me a good bubble tea - especially in the heart of DC which isn't really much of a boba City or boba area - even though they're an international chain, I have to give them good credit and Gongita Chatita is very good quality for sure. As for the chain itself - Gong Cha is one of the best chains there is, especially if they have some of their standout items such as the Dirty Brown Sugar Milk Tea on their new Dirty menu, Xtina style. I also recommend the surprisingly excellent Strawberry Milk Tea, or the regular Milk Tea. Certainly the milk teas are the highlight for me, and these three are exemplary. Their bubble waffles are also some of the best around, especially when they make them right, not overdone, moist, and piping hot... and with the tapioca inside! And let's finish with more rap Students love it more than they love Beer PONG CHA It's so addictive they could put it in a BONG CHA My flagpole makes your bf's look like a little PRONG CHA But I know you'll forgive him if he takes you to GONG CHA Each cup has more balls than a game of PING PONG CHA Take tiny sips in an attempt to PROLONG CHA Hide in the back like you're in the VIETCONG CHA People will do anything to get more GONG CHA read more

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Walking around the National Mall on a Sunday morning in 90 degree heat made milk tea a must have. This was the closest milk tea joint close to where my boyfriend and I had lunch (Old Ebbitt Grill) and we definitely needed a pick me up before we ventured back into the heat. We came here since there's been a number of gong cha chains and I figured it had to be decent. There wasn't much of a line when we came so we were able to order rather quickly. I decided to get a Large Matcha Milk Tea with boba and it came out to a little less than $7 - a little pricey for one drink but it is downtown so one can't expect much cheaper. The drink itself was alright - I know matcha is naturally bitter and this matcha milk tea was definitely more on the bitter end than sweet even at normal sweetness. Personally, I would've preferred a sweeter drink because I have a bit of a sweet tooth but my boyfriend, who likes tasting the tea more than the milk, enjoyed it. Overall, I am rating this place a 4 since the drink wasn't bad and the shop is in a convenient location if you're wandering around the National Mall. It is a little more pricey than other boba joints in the surrounding neighborhoods, but it's what you pay for if you're in the area. I think if I were to come back to the area I'd venture to find other boba joints since I wasn't 100% sold on the flavor and price. read more

Gong Cha - Large matcha milk tea for ~$6.50 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Atmosphere: Gong Cha is a cute, cozy, and typical boba shop that shares the space with Poki DC.  Service: It was pretty empty when we went late at night, so we ordered and received our drink very quickly! Food: We had the Dirty Brown Sugar Milk Tea with Boba for the first time. The presentation was what really drew us to order in the first place, and we were not disappointed. The drink was very sweet, did not taste too artificial, and had a nice dark, sugar flavor to it. Also, the boba was soft and chewy! Overall: Gong Cha had very solid boba that looked exactly like the pictures they advertised on the menu. We liked the Dirty Brown Sugar Boba and would be excited to try more of their drinks in the future! read more

Gong Cha - Dirty Brown Sugar Milk Tea with Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ordering here was very frustrating and was a complete waste of time. Took almost 15 minutes for my drink, and I was confused why everyone who ordered after me got their stuff first. I tried the Strawberry Creme Brulee drink, and it has absolutely no taste. The only tasty part was the tapioca pearls. So, for $9+, I paid for overpriced tapioca pearls. I had to ask several times about my drink order as the minutes kept passing by. With 3 employees working the drink section, my order shouldn't have "magically" disappeared. Save yourself the trouble and go elsewhere. read more

I was so excited and eager to see that Gong Cha finally opened in D.C.! This location is in the city's center and very metro-accessible. I first tried Gong Cha's bubble tea in New York and remember how glorious it was. So, when I arrived here on a cold January day, I was expecting the same bubble tea goodness. The store decor was adorably cute with cartoon characters adorning the counter area. But unfortunately, the drinks didn't match the happiness of the decor. What a let down! I ordered the hot version pearl milk tea (which is just the black milk tea with bubbles), it arrived lukewarm. And my friends ordered taro milk tea (hot) and coffee milk tea. All 3 drinks were so dang watery without much flavor. Were we just drinking watery tea? I ordered mine less sweet compared to my friend's full-sugar coffee version, but they were both equally bland. His additionally had a weird fake coffee taste. How unfortunate. Also, the bubbles were overcooked and just melted a bit after just one bite. read more

Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Fast and convenient. You can order on their computer and they will mix the drink for you shortly after. I like that they have customization when it comes to sweetness level but wish they had the same option for how much ice we want. Also, not as many toppings options. read more

I love Gong Cha and i just had to leave them a review for going the extra mile for me. I'm sick with COVID and wanted some boba so I went to ubereats to order. I couldn't find an option for a plain oolong milk tea with boba, so I selected the "milk tea" and in the extra instructions asked if it would be possible to make it an oolong instead of a traditional black milk tea. Not only did they give me an oolong, but they left this adorable little sticker on it too. Having worked in the restaurant business I know that these small things are the last thing on one's mind when you're running around fulfilling orders, but the personal touch is so warm and welcome. Thanks so much guys!! read more

Gong Cha - Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Good place for bubba tea. The Passion fruit green tea was delicious. Quick and easy service! read more

Gong Cha - Passion fruit green tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I frequent Washington DC often especially when I was heavily involved in attending networking conferences for in the education space or doing civics participation. I visited Washington DC on a flight sponsored through the Gates Millennium Scholars Program and Southwest Airlines. It is always nice to see that there is a robust Asian community in Washington DC available to me when I am doing work or tourist/vacation traveling. This Gongcha is spacious and service is amazing since people in the area are usually more wealthy, well-off, and quite polite than some less affluent spaces. The one issue that I had coming was that they did take a little longer on each order when we brought in about 20 people to do business with them. It must've been an excellent day for the owner so do take it easy on the barista people when coming in. Washington DC also has a lot of parks and open spaces with the views of giant building that can be enjoyed while sipping on the cold drinks. read more

I am extremely disappointed in this location. I absolutely loved gongcha back in NY and would spend so much money there, but I don't think I would come back to this location. The line is ALWAYS long. I'm not sure why because they seem to always have a lot of employees "working." And for some reason, they are so strict in following the order numbers. I guess a part of me can understand their logic, but it's extremely annoying not getting your drink sitting right in front of you because you're #143 and #140-#142 haven't gotten their order. But these aren't even the reasons for my low review. Their taste is disgusting. I order the same drink at every single gongcha, and I have never thrown out half of it like I did with this location's. The drink itself literally tasted like plastic, not even their tapiocas. So sad this ruined gongcha for me. Even more sad because this is the closest boba place to me. read more

Peach lycha sparkling with aiyu & basil. Very Refreshing. I was suggested with no suger because the drink it self already have some sweetness. Too bad my Starbucks straw is not big enough for the bubble or else I would order it. Not recommended to come during Lunch Rush 1~2, there are a lot of people ordering poki during lunch time. This mean not enough sitting. If you just want to buy a drink and sit there for a while. Better come around 12 or before, less people mean More Clearly Background Pictures. Me and my friend leave around 12:30 before the rush slowly start. read more

Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Tea is not my thing, but I thought that the poke at this location was excellent. It's also a nice place to sit and work.

I stopped by on a weekday afternoon and was surprised to find that the Gong Cha was located along with a poké shop in a shared shop space. Gong Cha is one of my go-to boba spots, so I always stop by when I'm in the city. There are two kiosks that customers can use to order and pay, which was convenient. One drink caught my eye, so I ended up ordering the Little Star peach green tea. The Little Stars are jellies and the tea flavor was really strong, so it's a nice refreshing drink that's not too heavy. It seems like a new drink, so I'm not sure how long it will be around, but if you're looking for a cold drink on a warm day this is a safe bet to try. read more

Gong Cha - Little star peach green tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The two young girls are nice, but most of the employees always make me pay before they are even done making my food.

Gong Cha never disappoints. It has always been my go-to bubble tea shop in k-town NYC. I wanted to try something new in DC and help the small businesses so I've avoided coming here for boba. But finally caved in for Gong Cha. Came here after lunch with my boyfriend. I ordered a dirty brown sugar milk tea and my boyfriend got the oolong milk tea. We both enjoyed our drinks very much. One of the best simple no frill and reliable boba places in DC. read more

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I ordered the Milk Foam Dirty Brown Sugar Milk Tea. The Milk Cap was less generous than I expected and the Black Tea flavor outshined the brown sugar flavor. It's good overall, just nothing special or new. read more

Gong Cha - Milk Foam Dirty Brown Sugar Black Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Gong Cha on New York Avenue in DC is a great place to go for quality teas, bowls, and much more. I really like the location and everything that they have available here. The staff here is very friendly and accommodating to make sure that you have everything that you need. read more

Gong Cha - Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Seems like no matter which Gong Cha you go too there's always a big hype surrounding the location. From San Francisco to New York and now Washington D.C. it's funny because I wasn't even intending to find this location in the first place. The sign caught my corner of my eye and I'm glad it did! The interior of this location is shared with a poki restaurant. The line can get busy at times but the staff is on top of everything! Once it was our turn to order, we were immediately greeted with a smile and welcome! Like wow!! I tried my all time favorite, black pearl milk tea. I know basic of the basic but Gong Cha's is bomb. Bonus points, the service was fast and the restrooms were very clean. Definitely wouldn't mind coming back to this location whenever I get back to D.C. read more

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