We absolutely love Initial Tea on Dekalb -- it's one of those rare neighborhood spots that gets everything right. The tea is clearly fresh-brewed (not powdery or overly sweet), and the boba always has that perfect chewy texture. I especially appreciate that they adjust sweetness per order, so drinks taste balanced and intentional. What really sets this place apart is that it's not just a boba shop -- the food is genuinely good. The onigiri, bubble waffles, and Asian street-style bites make it easy to turn a drink run into a full, satisfying treat. The vibe is small, warm, and personal -- you can feel that it was created by people who care about the experience and their community. There's also a lot of creativity in the toppings and customization options, which keeps the menu fun without sacrificing quality. Most importantly, everything is consistently excellent -- which is surprisingly rare in boba places. This has become a go-to spot for us, and it's always worth the trip. read more

The shrimp tempura onigiri was warm and delicious. With a waffle ice cream, it was the perfect snack

I've been to initial Tea a few times and it's a lovely little place. The employees are always friendly and prompt in their responses, the store itself is clean and has nice decor. This time I got the strawberry matcha pearl latte, the strawberry jelly that they put into the bottom was not my favorite but it was mostly a texture thing- at least I know for next time! Their boba was slightly overcooked and the pearls got attached to eachother but the texture was still good and I haven't had this issue with previous boba drinks I've gotten from here. (Tip- request a lower sugar content for this store otherwise your drink might be deathly sweet!) I also got their karaage which was warm and crunchy! A lovely snack for a chilly and rainy day. Initial Tea has a little of really interesting things on their menu- next time I think I wanna try their cheeseburger riceball :) Will be coming back, I love this place. read more

Initial Tea - Strawberry Matcha Pearl Latte - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

For my bike ride yesterday, I decided to set this shop at the destination. If you e been in New York, you know the weather has been horrifically muggy and hot! Once I arrived I was in dire need for something replenishing. The shop itself is small but cutely decorated. There was a giant boba in there. The place was clean and had around 3-4 chairs for indoor dining. There were no outdoor dining seating available. I got the strawberry fruit tea with rainbow jelly. It was refreshing and exactly what I needed. I got the spicy salmon rice ball as well. It was the perfect amount of spicy. Overall, good experience and will be back in the future. read more

Initial Tea - Strawberry Fruit Tea - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This place was really nice and cool! I basically ordered a brown sugar pearl latte,(remember to mix with the brown sugar before drinks) and the takoyaki , it was awesome and so good. And I love this service It was really nice. read more

Initial Tea - a hand holding a cup of iced coffee - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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WARNING BEFORE YOU GO!! (Re: Photos #140-144?) So the wife and I brought our son for a quick stop here before heading home since we were hungry after a show for my son's birthday. We found this spot on google/yelp on a whim and saw that it closed at 8, so we figured there's plenty of time to sit and eat just for a bit. Arrived at around 5:40pm (Sunday night), the lady was getting something done so she apologized for the wait and that was the only good part of the experience and customer service that ever existed during our exchange that night. Once she took our order which cost us $40, we sat down and there was another lady there already eating before we came. As we waited for our food after maybe 5-10min another couple came in and before they even looked at the menu the lady NOW came and said something along the lines of "just to let you know we close at 6 today so...(silence)," after which the couple left without ordering. IMMEDIATELY after they left one of the ladies followed and CLOSED the shop gate halfway so no one else would come bother them and delay the time they got off work. CLOSING AT SIX PM??? YET YOU CHARGED US FIRST WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING?? We were dumfounded and eventually asked if that meant we couldn't eat there. She simply nodded. We said but we saw they closed at 8. Her explanation was that it was the weekend and they changed their hours. No apology. Nothing. All that with a blank stare, and knowing that she had charged us $40 before letting us know that they were CLOSING IN 15 MINUTES and seeing that we already sat down and got settled waiting for our food (which was not ready until after 5:55), that was absolutely unbelievable. Not to mention the credit card machine automatically showed tip options without the option to decline so unless you were tech savvy and knew the system one wouldn't even know how to decline. Now, hour changes happen, fine. Don't expect everyone to know your store or your hours and that is NOT how you do business. Ever. I figured maybe the hours didn't change on google, but boy was I wrong. Today MARCH 5th I checked their WEBSITE and it STILL states they close at 8pm. This review is for FEB 26th. PHOTOS ATTACHED FOR PROOF. And if you thought it couldn't get any worse, KNOWING they wouldn't allow us to eat there they STILL packed the ramen WITH THE SOUP in the same container, which turned into DRY SOGGY MUSH with spam on top by the time we got home (see the photo). We had to add a bit of hot water and the taste was nauseating--SO soggy and salty all at once. Also the cake was so poorly packed it was basically the fallen tower of paper layers by the time we opened it. Also nauseating taste. The ONLY food that tasted and looked ok was the Takoyaki. Period. OH and once we got our food and got out of the store the lady followed us and locked the door right behind us without even a greeting or thank you. WHAT???????????? That was the last straw. Their menu also recommends the scallion pancake? It's more like a wrap but definitely tastes like krap. Giving them a dollar tip would be worth all the food we got. Absolute worst food experience anywhere, ever. Period. Do better, or please close this place as soon as you can. I want my money back. My advice? Even though I haven't had their tea, maybe resort to only selling tea. And be more considerate to the customer, not just make money however you can with this type of absolute horrendous service and, just the audacity. Whatever dialect you speak, you made the worst impression possible and never tried to correct your grave error or even consider that spending $40 was maybe enough to allow the customer to eat for 15min? There's three of you at least and all of you had to leave but still wanted the money. Filthy thieves. read more

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Adorable tea spot! Very cute and clean with so many options for your tea desires! The owner was very patient as I looked over the menu and made my order perfectly to my specifications. The tea was delicious and the pearls and jelly were all very fresh! Definitely will be back! read more

Initial Tea - Menu - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Growing up in Hong Kong, this cafe hits close to home. The food and tea were nostalgic and just delicious by itself. We ordered the Rose Milk Tea with bubbles and no sugar and it was the perfect sweetness with a good chewy to the bubbles as well. The Egg Bubble Waffles came in several flavors but we got the Pork Floss and Original flavor and they were amazing. It was crunchy on the outside yet soft and chewy on the inside, and the pork floss flavor was surprisingly very enjoyable. The Matcha Green Tea Crepe Cake was also great! The layers held together well and the flavor of the buttercream seems to stand out. The space and atmosphere is also simplistic and cozy. There are various different snack and small treats to try! Can't wait to come back. read more

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Friendly shop, friendly service, I would definitely recommend the egg waffles and takoyaki, the egg waffles was really crunchy and not too sweet, just same as the one I tried in HK last time. I love the takoyaki too , there was full amount of octopus inside the ball, super tender and fresh. Fruit tea was rich, rice ball made by fresh, and the new product fried onion honey chicken wings, really yummy and crispy If you are looking for some Japanese/Hong Kong snacks or drink in that Barclays Center area, that's a good choice!! read more

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After receiving our grades from a monster of an exam, my friends and I NEEDED and place to rewind. We decided to give Initial Tea a try and it did not disappoint. This place is ADORABLE, with hand written chalkboards and really really nice staff. My friends and I ordered a variety of items including their waffle with ice cream, milk teas and fruit teas. I had the Grapefruit Tea and I enjoyed it. My one suggestion would be to have it be a little less sweet. I asked for 0% sugar and for rainbow jelly and I think that the drink definitely was like a 50% sugar drink. I wanted the drink to be a bit bolder in flavor, but the sugar took away from that. My friend, who ordered the Rose Milk Tea, also said that her drink was a little too sweet for her liking. The waffle was gorgeously presented and my friend thoroughly enjoyed her sesame ice cream. The staff here are also exceptional. As other yelpers have mentioned, the manager came out to make sure we were happy with our orders. You can tell he really cares about his business. The employee making our drinks was also really patient and nice as well! One thing worth noting- if you are wearing shorts or a skirt and sitting on their chairs, you will walk out with an abstract design on your behind. The imprint lasted through the hour train ride home. That aside, this place really is adorable and I definitely would come back (and to also try out their rice balls!) read more

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Honeydew milk shake is very flavorful, tastes so good with lychee bubble and coconut jelly. Bubble waffle is the best waffle I've tried in US, the dough is crispy outside and chewy inside; unlike the ones that are sold in street cart, the inside is only airy and had no contents. Takoyaki tastes sooo good too, crispy outside and gooey and chewy inside. very satisfied with the food. read more

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We got the Premium Milk Tea, Rose Milk Tea and a Plain Waffle. Everything we had was superb, especially the waffle. It was made to order and the sweetness level was just perfect. The Milk teas were rich and well balance between the flavor of tea and milk. Will definitely visit again soon! read more

Initial Tea - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Great customer service and good boba for a reasonable price. In college all the students wanted a boba place near by Pratt and it's finally happening! This place has a clean sleek interior design with a very easy to read menu. Basic boba teas with 3 bases, black tea, jasmine tea, and oolong tea. Then you can pick your flavors from there. And they have Fruit teas,milk teas, slush, and latte. Haven't tried their desserts or food but will be back to try them out. I got the grapefruit jasmine tea (large)with boba & a strawberry matcha latte (regular). I love how big the portions are and the prices are definitely cheaper than any manhattan boba shop. ALSO, they give you free toppings if you bring your cup back! Using less plastic to reduce waste! Definitely washing my cup to bring it back ^^ read more

Initial Tea - Cute signs in front of their toppings - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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First of all, I just want to mention how grateful I am that they are open during this time! I am truly impressed with the changes they made to the store to make sure that their staff and customers are safe. There are many stores that I am hesitant to go into but this definitely is NOT one of them. This place never disappoints. I've been coming here for over a year now and whether I'm getting a snack or a drink, there is always something new and exciting to try. I love how they are constantly updating their food and drink menus unlike other shops that just stick to the same few items year after year. When I stopped by today, I noticed that they added new types of rice balls. I normally get the spam rice ball but decided to try the karaage (Japanese fried chicken) rice ball with spicy mayo and I'm so glad I did! The flavors work really well together and the spice is not overwhelming. I liked that the chicken was crispy and that there were large pieces (I was actually able to see the chicken inside my rice ball!!). This karaage rice ball along with an iced lychee oolong tea with tapioca is so worth it and makes a perfect weekend treat. I'm looking forward to coming back soon to try their shrimp tempura rice ball along with another refreshing drink. read more

Initial Tea - Premium milk tea with bubbles - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Amazing food. Nice environment. The owner is very friendly and will work fast to get your order finished. Drinks are super tasty too! It must be hard to operate during covid-19 but they do it right. read more

Initial Tea - Lemon mint slush. Delicious - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

AMAZING. everything on the menu is delicious. Love the caramel milk tea, crepe cake, and dumplings so far. To top it off, the owner is super kind. My new go to spot. Thank you Initial Tea! read more

Initial Tea - Caramel Milk Tea - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

So we were craving bubble tea and found this hidden gem. It's a small place but so cute. They have bubble waffles with ice cream, crepe cake, and bubble tea. They were so friendly. We ordered Mango Tea with rainbow jelly and Black Milk Tea. The bubble waffle was nice, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The tea tastes really good. Definitely coming back here! read more

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This green tea crêpe cake drizzled with chocolate sauce satisfied my dessert cravings . The cake was fluffy and not too sweet which I liked. The pictures were deceiving though because the size was small but decently priced at $6.50. This is a cute little boba shop in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn and I have enjoyed their taro boba before. Excited to see their new desserts in the future. read more

Initial Tea - Green Tea Crepe Cake - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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nice place to go, and it's really close to Pratt Love the rice balls and coconut milk tea Waffle is also really good read more

Initial Tea - Menus - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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It's good bubble tea!!! Looked like a recently opened spot. Strong A/C, important for the hot summer days. And has ~3 tiny tables with like ~8 chairs total haha. More of a get your bubble tea to-go place. I tried the mango slush and it was sooooooo tasty!!! It tasty like real fresh mangos (not sure how they did it. If real mango, or maybe mango syrup). The drink menu is pretty standard, but still good number of option. Nothing too crazy in flavor combinations, so it's a place to check out if you're already close by read more

I was looking for somewhere to satisfy my sweet tooth and I found this place near my school! It's been open for ~2 months and I was very happy with everything I ordered. I got the create your own waffle (vanilla, green tea, Nutella, Mochi), rose milk tea with pudding, grapefruit tea, and sesame ice cream. The workers speak Cantonese and English perfectly which is great because I've visited shops where they only spoke Chinese. Furthermore, the service was excellent. I believe I met the owner/manager and he always made sure everything was great, when we left he asked how everything was and told us to visit again! The prices are decent and not too expensive. Additionally, if you're ordering drinks you can adjust the sweetness and the ice level. Lastly, you know a shop is good when the locals and NYPD visit! I will definitely return to try their other items. read more

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We got pancake, Takoyaki, rice ball and bubble waffle, rose milk green tea. They were all fresh made and so so tasty! The Takoyaki was with tenderly chewy diced octopus. The rice ball is very filling and fresh. The bubble waffle was my favorite! It's crispy outside and soft inside. Make sure you get the sesame flavor and pork floss flavor. So so so yum! I wish I can eat it every day if I live more closed by. I got the rose milk green tea with half sugar and I think it was just right. It was made with real rose tea leaves. read more

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Good flavorful tea, great food choices, fair prices. One star off because My bubbles got stuck in my straw and spilled all over my white shirt, I wish I was warned. Def coming back next time I bike through. Warms my nostalgia for Japan. read more

Yo the chocolate egg waffles here use real chocolate. In HK they use powder and using chocolate chips make it taste so much better. They're also made to order! The rose bubble tea is also pretty bomb. Love the atmosphere and the name of the restaurant (if you get the reference ;) read more

Initial Tea - Original egg waffle - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Friendly service and a nice and chill environment. I went there with my family and we got the brown sugar latte, the lychee fruit tea, the matcha milk tea, and the spam rice ball and all were delicious. Looking forward to coming and trying out other items. read more

Initial Tea - Brown sugar latte, lychee fruit tea, and matcha milk tea - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Only reason I give a 3 instead of a 5 is because at times they closed before the time they are suppose to and also they do not ask you what tea you want to use in your bubble tea. Last thing is they run out of tea n do not rebrew after a certain point even if they are still open. Other than that this is a great place to get your bubble tea! I have yet to try their food options tho read more

This place is great. The food and drinks are both good. I met a man in the lobby who said he goes here a couple times a week for the tea.

Cute place to get your bubble tea fix! They were super friendly and accommodating. A nice addition the neighborhood. read more

Initial Tea - Yum - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Great energy from the staff Good tea, will be back for the wings Hilarious bathroom sign Go see for yourself read more

Takoyaki is spot on!!! So delicious and would definitely order again and again. Their menu is deliciously curated in my opinion. I'm excited to come back and try more! Happy to have this shop in the neighborhood :) read more

I enjoyed the strawberry slush and rice ball I got! It also feels good to support a small business :) It's a cute place with good food.

Was craving Spam Musubi before heading back home. Luckily the stores' sign attracted my eye and when I first saw the Initial Tea I quickly thought of the animé my friends and I watched in high school, Initial D! The picture of the Musubi also helped my decision to rush in. The store had just open for over a month it was clean but not as much theme or decorations. So maybe along the way they'll decorate more. I ordered the Spam Musubi and had a Taro Milk Tea both were just what I wanted for lunch. Taro Milk Tea wasn't too sugary it was nice and lite. Musubi was lite quick snack with tasty Spam. Matt, the owner, was great and welcoming. I'll def will come back! read more

Stopped by here the other day to treat myself to a bubble tea and something to eat since I skipped breakfast. I had the passion fruit tea, scallion pancake roll, and vegetable dumplings. I tasted the black tea ...not so much the passion fruit. The tapioca clumped so I had to stabbed them with a straw to separate them. Veg dumplings were on the salty side. It wasn't cooked evenly. I got the scallion pancake roll for a friend and he wasn't crazy about it. It was disappointing. Maybe it wasn't a good day for them. I will give them one more chance if I happen to be in the neighborhood again. read more

Nice place with ac and WiFi. Easy to find parking spot. Drinks r delicious n the egg waffle is a must to try. read more

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Love this neighborhood spot, my first boba experience after 3 months of quarantine and was everything! I love their reusable cups, the people are always nice, and their fruit teas are very fresh not artificial tasting. Definitely a go-to spot for the bedstuy/fort greene area. read more

It's currently 88° as I write this and we're deep into Hot Trash Season (fka "Summer"). Given the weather, I thought what better time than now to try this new boba spot. I ordered a Jasmine Passionfruit Tea with Aloe (and 50% sugar and 50% ice, if you must know my life). It was everything. Hella refreshing and just what I needed. Also, they have seating, A/C, WiFi, and reusable cups you can bring back for a free topping (like boba, aloe, etc.). I'll definitely be back! read more

Initial Tea - Jasmine Passionfruit Tea with Aloe - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My girlfriend and I stumbled by this place right before it closed for the night. They were cleaning up but insisted on us getting whatever we wanted and restarted the waffle maker. I got the strawberry ice cream on a fresh waffle (which my girlfriend stole most of because she liked it so much). They custom made her a coconut milk slush that wasn't on the menu and was really good. Super friendly staff/owner. Great customer service. Delicious treats. Will be back again for more ice cream waffles and to try the savory items. read more

I ordered the Classic Black Milk Tea, 50% sugar and it was on the bland side, not much tea flavor and a little bit heavy on the creamer. The tapioca was chewy and also bland. A little disappointing, but my friend ordered the egg waffles which were pretty good! read more

This new boba shop is so good! Not only do they serve a delicious classic milk tea but also onigiri, ice cream, and waffles. The shop is striving to eliminate excessive waste, so they offer reusable cups that you can bring back and get a free topping (so that pays for the flavorful tapioca they serve along with other options like rainbow jelly)! I'm excited to return and try more off their menu. The shop is very cute and clean as well, so it's a perfect stop to escape the hot summer weather! read more

Initial Tea - The front counter featuring the reusable cups! - Desserts Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Finally tried this!I ordered honeydew milkshake, Takoyaki and sesame, meat floss bubble waffle, and they are delicious! It is rare to have honeydew flavor drink on the street and you can find it here! The honeydew milkshake is fresh, with strong honeydew flavor! It's my favorite! Takoyaki and bubble waffle are fresh made. Takoyaki is really filled with diced octopus, not only one piece, but few pieces! The Hong Kong style bubble waffle is super good too! If you miss the one in Hong Kong, you can probably find the similar taste here! read more

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