I would consider myself a serious boba and tea enthusiast. I've tried everything from Chagee and Heytea in other states and overseas to nearly every boba shop in the greater Atlanta area--from the early days of Quickly in the early 2010s, Sweet Hut, boba mocha, onezo/greatea,Kung Fu Tea, Ding Tea, and Gong Cha, to later arrivals like Tiger Sugar and Xing Fu Tang, and more recent spots such as Chicha San Chen and Yezi.
Unfortunately, something feels off about the drinks at Molly Tea. It's hard to describe, but the tea tastes noticeably artificial--almost as if an artificial jasmine fragrance or essence was added. I visited on the first day of the grand opening and again on the third day, and I paid for every popular drink on the menu. In total, I purchased eight mixed variety of their popular drinks, which I feel is enough to confidently share this opinion.
I also wanted to double-check my initial impression, and I found similar feedback from other Chinese customers on the Rednote (Xiaohongshu) app. If you read Chinese--or use Google Translate--you'll see multiple comments raising the same concern, and one employee reportedly confirmed that a jasmine-flavored essence is used for aroma. As someone who has been drinking jasmine tea for over two decades, this stood out to me immediately. I've made jasmine tea myself many times and regularly drink high-quality loose-leaf jasmine teas, including Supreme Jasmine Snowflake (Bi Tan Piao Xue) from Sichuan and brands like Harney & Sons. What Molly Tea serves does not resemble traditionally brewed jasmine tea in taste or aroma.
That said, the shop itself is very aesthetically pleasing, and the space is nicely designed. However, the lines were surprisingly short even on days 1 and 3 of the grand opening, which is usually not a great sign. For comparison, Chicha San Chen consistently had long lines for 4-6 months after opening before things gradually slowed down.
Overall, I believe Molly Tea's popularity is driven more by social media presence, K-pop celebrity endorsements, and TikTok marketing than by the quality of the tea itself. Some drinks do look visually appealing, but for example, the "snowy jasmine" is essentially whipped cream topped with pistachio crumbs rather than a meaningful enhancement of the tea. If I have to be forced to pick a favorite, I think the snowy oolong is tolerable.
If you ask me what the best tea brand in the United States is, my answer would be Chagee. The closest experience to that here in Atlanta is Chicha San Chen, where each drink is freshly brewed using espresso-style tea machines right in front of you. The difference in tea quality and authenticity is very noticeable. read more