Hey Yelp fam! This is a good yet sad review--but not for the reason you're probably thinking. While in Durham (as I shared in a previous post), we stopped by a food hall after an event, and inside we found Milk Lab. I'm usually not big on trying different teas or specialty drinks, but on this particular day my sister recommended it--and I figured, what the heck, let's give it a try. I honestly don't even remember exactly what we ordered or whether it had milk in it, but what I do remember is that it was so good. The barista was amazing--super knowledgeable, explained the drink list, and even helped us decide when we couldn't choose between two options. The drink we got was one of their recommendations, and it did not disappoint. IT WAS SO GOOD! Now here's the sad part As I was walking to the table to sit down, the drink somehow tipped over and spilled. Y'all... I don't even know what happened, but I was HEARTBROKEN. I didn't get to finish it, but from the few sips I did get, I would absolutely order it again. I'm just glad I at least managed to get a picture before the tragedy. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Drinks here are really good and refreshing but their boba lacked in flavor I wish it had more of a honey taste to them. The service here was okay, it took them a while to make our drinks even though there was 4-5 people behind the counter. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Mango Tea (Large) & Brown Sugar Fresh Milk + Boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The service is wonderful but the drinks taste mainly like milk with a twinge of tea flavor. I had the oolong milk tea and do not recommend this. This is the second time I have visited. Unfortunately, the drinks taste only okay because of the lack of tea in their drinks. It does have seating, so this may be a good place to study. However, their teas lack flavor. read more

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Great service! The line never ended but you got through quickly. Massive coffee selection. Clean restroom! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Such a great boba shop! They have rolled ice cream, milk tea, and lots of toppings. My one comment is that I feel like the sweetness level in the drink is really varied from drink to drink- both me and my fiancé got the same percent sweetness, but his drink was significantly sweeter than mine. The drinks were delicious though and I would definitely go back. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This review is solely based on their ice cream. I came here to try their roll ice cream. When I walked in they have a order kiosk but I didn't use it since it wasn't busy. My order was place quickly but it took a little longer for them to find what they needed to make my ice cream. After my ice cream was finished I was told they are out of whipped cream. Ice cream wasn't firm at all and easily break a part even when he tried to scoop it inside the cup it lost its rolled shape. I didn't enjoy my ice cream at all and waste money. My ice cream ended up in the trash. I feel like this place can be more sanitized with their utensils they use to make the ice cream. Maybe their boba tea is great but the roll ice cream is a complete NO. I definitely wouldn't return here. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Milk Lab! Did not disappoint!!! This spot was super cute and super clean, inside smelt fresh and sweet which felt very appetizing when walking in. The menu is big and also simple! Super easy to read and if you needed any clarification the employees were sweet and helpful! I of course am a one trick pony when it comes to boba so I always get a jasmine greet tea with the brown sugar boba! The employee was very sweet and allowed me to no troubles subtract milk! Awesome! I even visited the bathroom and it was CLEAN! Yipee love to see a clean restroom. Especially for the middle of the day! The tea though most importantly tasted great! Light sweetness, not bitter yet not overpowering at all! Very delicious and very fresh! Just what I needed for a hot day in NC! The boba itself had a great coated of syrup that was neither gritty nor lackluster in flavor. Tasted very good and a little bit tinier than most boba I've had but no issues there it was still delicious! I highly recommend this spot for some awesome boba!! keep up the great flavors! Will come back! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Jasmine tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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AMAZING! I honestly was not expecting to love this place as much as I do when I first tried it today. I tried all three of these flavors and the matcha strawberry latte with almond milk and strawberry jelly was my favorite! I love that there is no up-charge for the amount of ice or for the use of non dairy. The add ins are a 75 cent fee but they give a great amount!! which i loved, plenty of boba and jellies! Service was also very pleasant and were patient on making sure we ordered the best drinks! Its located in south-point mall which is perfect after a long day of shopping ! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Strawberry Matcha Latte Oolong Tea - Lemon Lime Tea Purple Taro Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

first time coming to here and the bubble tea did not disappoint! they were out of matcha unfortunately but settled for the strawberry dalgona. it's espresso with strawberry which was an interesting yet tasty combo. staff were friendly and the place itself was open and welcoming. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Consistently one of our favorite spots for boba and rolled ice cream! They always use high quality ingredients from what we can tell and are friendly with their service. read more

Milk Lab is a really good place to satisfy my boba cravings! It's located in a plaza with plenty of parking, and they have an online ordering option. I got their brown sugar milk tea. It was ready really quickly, faster than the initial time estimate I was given, which was very nice. The store itself is spacious and clean, with both indoor and outdoor seating. I think that for boba, I make distinctions between a good drink and a good tea. A good drink just has to be harmonious, but a good tea means I am judging the flavor of the brewed tea itself. With that being said, I think my brown sugar milk tea was a fantastic boba shop drink. It was creamy and had that nice caramelized flavor from the brown sugar, without any odd aftertaste. However, I think the brown sugar overpowered the tea in this drink. I got this drink at a reduced sweetness but I still couldn't really taste the tea. I think that does tend to be the case with brown sugar drinks though, so I may opt for a non brown-sugar drink next time I am here. All in all I enjoyed this drink even without a super strong tea flavor, so I am still looking forward to my next trip here. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - - Brown Sugar Black Milk Tea, tasty! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Yummy rolled ice cream - my son had the Cookie Monster. He enjoyed watching them roll the ice cream. He loved all the cookie toppings and the whipped cream. read more

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Great, friendly service! Lots of amazing looking options! It was so fun being able to customize & watch the icecream making with my toddlers! Brown sugar black tea boba was perfectly crafted! Will definitely be back when I'm out that way! read more

I know rolled ice cream was all the rage / Insta worthy yums a few years ago but I've largely forgotten about that til recently. Have been to Milklab 2ce recently and reminded just how great it is!! I've had the Taro and Thai Tea flavors - both signature and customized. Delicious!! Also their bubble tea is legit - like doesn't taste like sweet powdered drink but actual yummy tea! My only "complaint" so they don't have much indoor seating so not a hang out there place (at least since Covid). Good work Milklab! read more

Satisfied my boba cravings at Milk Lab, which is one of my favorite boba spots in Durham! Here is what we got: Strawberry Cap with passion fruit jelly ($6.45) - aesthetic and refreshing Mango Fruit Tea with lychee jelly ($4.95) - tastes like a mango slushee Love how they serve both boba and rolled ice cream!! But of course, boba wins any day. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Strawberry Cap with passion fruit jelly IG: michellelieats - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I love Milklab! I mainly go to the Durham location instead of Cary since it's closer to my place & I go here every other month whenever I'm in town. In my opinion, I think they have the best boba in NC because of how fresh their tea is along with their boba & milk. My top 2 drinks to order are their jasmine milk tea & their purple taro latte. You can literally taste both the tea & milk together & it's just amazing. Also, you can always adjust your sweetness level (I mainly do 70%) & I really like the fact that they offer other alt milks at no cost (soy, almond, oat)! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - L-R: Purple Taro (w/ soy, boba, 70% sweet), Cookie Monster (120% sweet), Brown Sugar Black Milk Tea, & Thai Tea! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I love the milk lab! The milk caps is what makes it unique to me. I am a sucker for a strawberry matcha, And there's is delicious! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Milk Lab is so good! I really enjoy their drinks and rolled ice cream. My go-to is usually the strawberry matcha with mini boba, which I like because it is not too sweet. I also like their thai tea with mini boba. For rolled ice cream I like the Kimochi, which is vanilla with fresh strawberry added in. I recommend the pick-your-own topping option, which has everything from fruit to toasted marshmallow to mini mochi. read more

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It's awesome to see Milk Lab out this way! It's one of the best kept "tea" secrets in the Triangle. I used to live close to the first location -- it was an instant hit with lines going out the doors on a hot summer day! I'm loving the location of this second shop. It blends well with the other eateries on the same shopping strip. I stopped in for my favorite, "Strawberry Milk Cap" tea. From the time I ordered to the moment when my order was called, customer service was straight up A+. Most importantly, the tea was out of this world! $6-7 may sound a lot for a speciality drink but it's definitely worth the experience. Check them out! read more

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Tis the season for black sesame pumpkin latte! I loved the combination of flavors. The pumpkin purée was slightly sweet while the black sesame was nutty. Add in some boba for texture, and you've got the perfect fall drink. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Black sesame pumpkin latte with boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Day two back in the Bull and I was craving milk tea again! I stopped here at Milk Lab after dinner and decided to try brown sugar black milk tea because I love black tea. The cashier assisted with my order and helped with my recommendation between that and the regular brown sugar milk tea so she was very helpful with the options. It wasn't really busy so service was quick. Their establishment is very cute and they seem to keep it very clean. I loved the little Halloween decor they put up as well for guests. They also serve rolled ice cream for those who love a sweet treat while enjoying milk tea and a huge variety of drinks to choose from. When I got my drink and tasted it, the black tea did overpower the brown sugar, you can taste the brown sugar blue it was subtle. Not sure if they didn't put enough but overall it was still very good. I also did use almond milk instead of regular so they have diluted the flavor as well. I think if I want the actual brown sugar milk tea, I'll stick with the original make of it but if I'm craving the black tea option I'll stick with what I ordered. Either way, they are both delicious. If you're in Durham come try them out off hwy 54! read more

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As fans of the Milk Lab in Cary, we were excited to visit this location while in Durham. We usually order milk boba tea and rolled ice cream. This visit we ordered Black Milk Tea with boba and Tea Sunrise with lychee. We arrived on a weekday early afternoon. Milk lab was not busy, so we were able to order upon arrival. The employees were friendly and they completed our order quickly and accurately. We both enjoyed our beverages. The drinks were refreshing and had great flavor. They were ideal for the warm summer day. Overall, we had a good experience and recommend this establishment to others! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Black Milk Boba Tea and Tea Sunrise - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I tried out their Purple Taro Latte after getting a 20% off coupon from Sushioki. I believe the two local businesses have teamed up to provide 20% off coupons for each other after a purchase, so this was a great promo to get me exposed to Milk Lab. I ordered the drink with 30% sweetness, which I thought was perfect. Anything sweeter would have been too much. The taro flavor of the drink was spot-on. I tried it with boba and taro pudding - the boba had perfect texture, and the taro pudding was silky and flavorful. I will probably ask for a little less ice next time, since my drink was plenty cold but still ended up with just ice at the end. Their service during COVID was great - straightforward and easy ordering in-store for take out. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Purple Taro Latte. Delicious! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We usually go to the Cary branch and love it! Milk lab has been our go-to for milk tea - boba drinks. However, our visit in the Durham location was a bit disappointing. Still giving them 4 stars because it was corrected. We just noticed the employee that made my son's rolled ice cream wore a dangling bracelet that touched and dragged onto the ice cream he was making for my son. I made them aware of my observation and they remade the ice cream without him wearing the bracelet. So always watch how they make it. read more

Milk Lab is a gem for Bubble Tea in the Triangle! I've tried many bubble tea shops in the area, and Milk Lab definitely stands out. My experience here was so lovely. The staff is so welcoming and extremely patient as I made the tough choice between menu items. The menu is extensive with several milk teas, fruit teas, and even rolled ice cream. The vibe feels very "New York, trendy/cool". This place feels like a tea shop in a much larger metropolis than Durham. During my visit, I tried the Taro Latte and the Yuzu Fruit Tea. The Yuzu Fruit tea was refreshing and not too sweet. However, I really loved the Taro Latte the most. It was delicious! It had the right balance between the milk and taro flavors. It's safe to say that I'll definitely be back at Milk Lab soon. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The absolute best boba around. Rolled ice cream is to die for. Great quick date spot. Brown sugar boba is wonderful.

How can I forget to do a review for this AMAZING tea stop? Before leaving my alma mater, stopped by to grab some Milk Tea (and more) to go. From what I know, this is an Australian chain that uses the Asian Milk Tea concept. As expected, the place is uber-cool (all black decor), and specialized in all types of Bubble Teas, as well as Fruit Teas, Smoothies, Frappes, you name it! And OH...Rolled Ice Cream, the amped up version with an array of toppings of choice! Thanks to Covid, the place was open only for take-out, and patio dining...so I ordered Taro Milk Cap w/ Boba and their "Bubble Tea" Rolled Ice Cream, then headed out to their spacious patio area. The verdict is Y-U-M!! Not sure which I liked better...the Tea or the Ice Cream, but both were beyond delicious! How I wish this tea chain makes its way to Charlotte sometime soon... read more

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Ever since my last review, Milk Lab has definitely improved the quality of their boba! It's now one of the best in the area! My recommendations - Taro Lattes: They use actual taro rather than powder substitutes. It is amazing and is a great afternoon drink. - Jade Oolong: it's a good mid-afternoon drink for those who want something lighter and herbal - Matcha: their matcha is really smooth and doesn't have that bitter after taste read more

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We've been loyal Milklab customers for several years now, but we unfortunately feel that the quality of their drinks has decreased over time. Most recently, we ordered a Black Ceylon Milk Tea and Oolong Milk Tea. Our drinks this time around were quite watery and mostly tasted like milk, so we could barely taste the tea. While Milklab is still in our rotation of frequented boba shops, we've found ourselves gravitating towards other shops more. read more

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GREAT MILK TEA IN DURHAM. Came here on a summer day with a friend after hearing all the hype. Got a fantastic refreshing tea with boba. Great addition to the Durham dining scene, offering a unique and delicious twist on classic desserts. I think I got a rose oolong tea with boba and I believe my friend a brown sugar black milk tea. Both were delicious. They have SO many flavors and specialty drinks - also seasonal ones on rotation so always something new to try. We sat outside because the inside was quite full. They also have rolled ice cream which I'll have to try one day. The atmosphere is bright and inviting, with a relaxed ambiance - classic bubble tea shop vibes. Overall worth a visit! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Delicious and dependable! I really like the thai tea here. The rolled ice cream is very tasty too! The yuzu tea is also delicious. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I went in on their grand opening day as the first 100 customers and got their reusable boba cup! I was a little sad when their Cary location stopped allowing customers to bring in their own boba cups/ jars So I'm happy to report that you can use their reusable boba cup (honestly not sure if you can bring your own that is not "milk lab's reusable cup"). They're located right by Southpoint off of 54. It's in the same shopping center as Shiki Sushi and across from Harris Teeter! Their new shop has really cute interior. I love their black walls and decor! Durham location is a little bigger than their Cary location but still has limited seating. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Just not our kind of ice cream place. Expensive but you do get a good deal of ice cream and toppings for the price.

Incredible. Coming from a boba fiend, Milk Lab actually has delicious bubble tea drinks. I was very skeptical because it seems like an Americanized shop, but I ordered the rose milk tea, matcha milk tea, and jasmine green tea, and everything was so good. The milk tea is rich, the boba is handmade (I'm pretty sure) and cooked perfectly, and service is great. I only wish I could bring back Milk Lab to Austin with me. I've heard their rolled ice cream is really delicious as well! I was highly impressed. The Chapel Hill area truly has a gem of a boba shop. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - matcha milk tea and jasmine green milk tea!! so good - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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We came here as the first 100 customers and received a free straw set! I have been wanting a reusable stainless steel straw and I got both regular straw and a boba straw! Sweet!! Jasmine Green Milk Tea milk cap is soo good! Prices for the milk cap teas is around $5.50. The milk cap overpowered the jade ooolong so you really just taste the salty caramel. I recommend not mixing the milk cap too much with your drink if you still want to taste the tea. Sleek black design inside with limited seating but good space. Definitely want to come back in warmer weather for their yummy looking rolled ice cream! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Honestly, I am a milk tea connoisseur. If someone thinks a milk tea is good when I think it's not, they're probably Americanized. Good milk tea is smooth and the flavor is bold and consistent throughout. The texture is also homogenous. The toppings or sinkers are chewy and fresh. For the grand set-up and modeling of the interior, it seems like a fancy boba spot. They had all sorts of things on their menu. Ice cream, specialty ice cream, teas, slushier, etc. But everything was ultra SWEET. That did not go well after sipping half the cup. Everything inside was branded, all the cups and straws, and even the bags and walls and rugs and floors too. So fancy, I wonder if it drive the prices up.... but not the quality of the drinks. All four people who came with me agreed that their drinks got SWEETER as they sipped at it. Yes we shook it up, as the boba was also hot (which is good). We would definitely ask for less sugar next time! read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Cookie Monster - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I love this place! I used to travel to the one in Cary so I'm a so excited there is one just down the road from me now. I used to get the rolled over cream from there but since it's nuance has somewhat worn off I now go for the bubble tea! They have a ton of different options for the bubbles, teas, and flavors. You can get I ones that are barely sweetened to ones that literally have ice cream in them. This place is a great addition to south durham! read more

Very cute ambiance and feel on the inside. The rolled ice cream is definitely big enough for a party of two. My favorite part was the sprinkles on top; they added a great deal of flavor to the ice cream read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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3/5 - I got the brown sugar milk tea, and the tea was strong, which is great, but that was the only good thing about my experience. I asked for light ice, and they put no ice at all so my drink wasn't cold. I could not taste the brown sugar syrup either (I like black tea so that was fine). The boba is on the softer side, as well. The drinks do look aesthetically pleasing but definitely not worth the $7 I paid. I might've enjoyed it more if it was at least cold, but unfortunately I will be continuing my search for good boba. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Brown Sugar Black Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Milk Lab is my most frequented bubble tea shop in NC. I got the brown tea black milk tea with crystal boba at 50% sweetness and less ice. It was delicious. Service was relatively quick. Ambiance was great. Indoor and outdoor seating was available. It's the perfect place to catch up with friends or go on a short sweet date. read more

Milk Lab - Durham - Brown Sugar Black Milk Tea with Crystal Boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina