My roommate and I decided to take a trip to the Austin Community College library last Sunday (since the public library was closed) for some studying/research. (We're terrible about getting work done at home, with the siren song of PC games and comfy mattresses calling our names). Mr. Boba is conveniently located across the street from a high school, a block away from the community college, and two blocks away from the middle school. I haven't visited during any high-traffic times, but my guess is that they get a fair share of student and family clientele.
Authentic Flavor - 1/5
Aww, man. We were both super disappointed with our orders. Rooommate got the strawberry milk tea; I got my usual order of mango green tea with double boba. This cafe definitely uses artificial powders and syrups instead of real fruit - the strawberry milk tea tasted suspiciously like Nesquik strawberry milk powder (with not even a trace of tea taste), and my mango green tea was overwhelmingly sugary. I don't pretend that mango-flavoured tea shouldn't be sugary, but there's a difference between a syrupy, heavy sweetness versus the clear, balanced taste that makes a good green tea mix. Did it taste like strawberry and mango flavouring, respectively? Yes, if your benchmark for "strawberry" is "pink Starbursts"...
Boba Flavor & Consistency - 3/5
Ehh. I wasn't super happy but also wasn't super upset. The boba was a little harder than it should have been - did a lot more chewing than I wanted to. In addition, they were way too sweetly coated. I'm not sure exactly whether this was a fault of amount of sugar or type of sugar used, but let me tell you this: when the tea is all gone and you're just scooping up bubbles with your straw, it should not taste like I'm popping 200-calorie-per-piece candies
Menu Variety - 5/5
Ah, now here's where Mr. Boba shines. They have all of the requisite menu varieties, with a few interesting extras. Besides all the usual, it's worth noting the "vampire juice" (which contains apple, beet, carrot, celery, and orange) and the shaved ice. The owners of the cafe are Korean, so I believe the shaved ice is Korean-style bingsoo instead of Chinese-style baobing, but that's okay. Shaved ice is delicious no matter how you eat it! Next time, I think I'll try an acai smoothie.
Cafe Decor and Ambiance - 5/5
Oh, this place is quaint. It's cutely decorated with little stuffed animals and wall decals. The chairs have cute patterns, the hanging lights are warm and inviting, and the walls are exposed brick. It's adorable and reminds me of a little cottage or village tavern, haha. Not much to say here except that I like it!
Promotions, Specials, etc. - 0/5
Well... there aren't any. Or none that I can see. They also don't have a website, a Facebook, or any other sort of social media. I didn't see any announcements or postings when I walked into the location either. If there are any specials, they aren't very well advertised. I understand that they might not need to actively promote if they're getting enough foot traffic, but I also firmly believe that gratitude should be shown to repeat customers. At least offer me a rewards stamp card or something?
Final Rating - 3/5 bubble teas read more