To start, what an insane name for a restaurant. What is the o mai even trying to convey? Like are they trying to do a play on "lions and tigers and bears oh my!"??? There aren't even 3 things? it's just paninis and boba? 2 things that don't even go together, I might add. It's just so dumb every time I drive by the sign I spend like 2 minutes trying to figure out what it means. Maybe it's actually good marketing
On to the actual review: my first issue is the drive through has a QR code menu. If you have the budget to print a QR code on a sign you have the budget to print a menu. Nobody likes ordering off of safari.
Second issue is that the drinks are bad. Full stop. The boba tea is served with what can only be described as a large tumor of tapioca congealed at the bottom. Just one solid mass. You could probably throw a mean fastball with it.
Third issue is the drinks cost 8 bucks a pop, and to add insult to injury, they hand you the credit card machine with the classic "it'll just ask you to answer a few questions" with options to tip like 22%. This issue is instantly solved by the punch card, which is buy 10 get 1 free. Real good samaritans over here, giving you 1 free drink for every 80 dollars you spend.
The only redeemable quality (why it's 2 stars not 1) is the portion size, which is probably the largest I've seen at any boba tea place, which is immediately offset by the addition of an unholy amount of ice.
That's pretty much it.
P. S. I'm still so mad about the branding. Why is there so much punctuation??? Panininis and boba? o mai! Is it a dialogue? What were you guys thinking?
Update: Tried the food. Prices are equally ridiculous, 14 bucks for a panini which was tiny. I got a roast beef sandwich which was drowning in horseradish. I feel like I have a sinus headache after eating that sandwich. The employees seem to know how bad their food is. Very little eye contact, they made a point not to ask how everything was.
The interior was also interesting, they have 12 hightop tables (all empty, interestingly enough) and some of the most sterile decoration I've ever seen. It's just the usual brunch spot lighting and neon letters saying "let's have a good day" or something like that, the most interesting thing they had was what appeared to be informational diagrams about boba (leftover from the previous restaurant) and a steampunk looking clock, both hung up way too high up on the wall. Just bizarre choices all around. If you would like to spend less than 23 dollars on a sub par sandwich and boba, go somewhere else. read more