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    Purple Kow

    3.5 (753 reviews)
    ModerateDesserts, Bubble Tea
    Closed 12:00 pm - 7:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Black milk tea with boba Strawberry slush with lychee jelly
    Juanna F.

    I love purple kow. I've been going to the university location for years but they closed and opened a location in Channing. The drinks are consistently good. You can't go wrong with their milk teas, fruit teas, specialty milk drinks. I will say I miss their stamp card system. They had the best reward. Nonetheless, my fave boba. They are very generous with the amount of boba they include in a drink.

    D2, C12

    Great service by the ladies that took my order and made my drinks today! Very kind and helpful thank you

    Ada F.

    I'm so glad that Purple Kow is still around! The last time I came was about 7 years ago and when I came this time around, it looked completely different! I asked the cashier if they had changed locations and she confirmed my suspicions, they moved from Shattuck to this new location about a year ago! The location is very bright and there were a couple tables and chairs to hang out and chill with friends. Boba wise, I ordered D4, the iced milk drink with boba and grass jelly. It tasted as delicious as I remembered it! I asked for 0 sugar and it's still sweet. I wonder what kind of milk they use! The grass jelly is perfect and the boba is soft. The cup size is still pretty funny. If only parking was easier, I would come more often. But the boba is absolutely delicious!

    Fried zucchini + popcorn chicken + Garlic Wings
    Serina A.

    Purple Kow is one of my go to places when the other boba spots close at 9pm or when I'm craving their specific drinks. You get a HUGE cup with boba for way cheaper than a lot of places around. Last night I stopped in for my favorites- their V-DAY STRAWBERRY MILK and TOBANGO WINGS W/ FRIES COMBO!!!! So good every time. The staff who work here are so sweet. I love hopping around all the boba spots in berkeley because they each have good things about them. Purple Kow is for sure in my rotation.

    Pineapple green tea
    Em T.

    I realized my review is 5 years old! I still love Purple Kow so much, and I'll always go out of my way to go there, if I can. I think they moved since my last review and are a bit harder to find - there isn't a great sign out front - it is also hard to park on the street, so best to order and pick it up. Even with all this it is still completely worth it! Same great quality tea, and they're always nice - They even called us once when we ordered online to make sure we had the right location. The new location is more fancy than the old but I haven't spent much time in the store/seating. Recommend more than every boba place, ever - however you have to keep in mind I only ever get the one pineapple green tea drink --

    D3 & D2
    Vicky Y.

    If you haven't been to this location before, be warned that there isn't a ton of street parking directly next to the store, but there is a parking garage within walking distance that has 1 hour free parking! The interior isn't huge, but you can definitely go in to sit down with a couple of friends! We only came for the drinks (D3 & B2). The service was quick as well. I generally try to go by the rule that if you've never had a drink before at a new place, you should always get 100% to try the drink how it was intended to be made. That being said, we got the B2 with green milk tea & 80% sweetness but didn't really feel like the flavor was super strong... I definitely feel like I should have gotten a 100%! There was A TON of boba in there, which was half appreciated but also it was so difficult to try the drink on its own! We also got the D3 with 100%( Milk with Caramel, Boba + Pudding). The caramel definitely makes this feel like it's 200% sweetness, so you could totally tone down the sweetness for this drink. Other than that, the boba was nice and chewy, a little smaller than usual though!

    Jannette R.

    Off Channing street, New location to me as only make a trip to berkley once in a blue moon. Today daughter was craving purple kow, we Used to frequent SF & SJ when we in town. The signature drinks are the D series & the pudding was really tasty in the milk teas. Pop corn chicken is always a hit as they are really chunky chicken pieces. Say that 5x. Parked in a parking lot $4 an hour with first hour free otherwise limited street parking.

    Salt and Pepper Chicken Nuggets - should be called spicy nuggets
    Christine L.

    Salt and Pepper Chicken: 5 stars for this because the chicken nuggets are big and juicy and you get a lot of them. Definitely enough to share with friends as a snack. They should be called Spicy nuggets though as they definitely taste more like they have Spivey flavoring vs "salt and pepper." I would get the chicken again, it was tasty and a good value. My roasted oolong milk tea with aloe was alright... I'll probably try something else next time as I think it just wasn't my preference. My friend's drink was really good. Don't remember what it was. The cup is annoying to hold. Service: The person working told us there was no WiFi but we saw there was a WiFi and were able to sign on no problem... Ambiance: loud as heck!! Spend a little over an hour doing some computer work in here and it sounded like a college cafeteria with the kids constantly coming in and out and talking loudly. Definitely a place to hangout and not necessarily to work but there is WiFi and one bathroom decently clean.

    Purple Kow Milk Tea with boba
    Elizabeth L.

    This Purple Kow location is closer to where most of the other boba spots are in Berkeley and in the area where most of the students hang out in. Parking is a bit hit or miss here, as everyone is always doubled parked, but they are located on a quieter street, so there is usually some parking right in the front of the shop. Not much service - I ordered ahead on the app and sat inside waiting for my drink and even though they finished making it, the time for the drink being done was not updated and my drink was just sitting on the back counter. I ordered the Purple Kow Green Milk Tea with boba and grass jelly. The milk tea tasted a bit off like the milk tasted a bit funny like it did not go well with the drink and it also tasted a bit lukewarm, even though I ordered it cold (there was no % option for ice, only either cold or hot). I feel like I only go here because I like how big the cups are, but the milk tea is just eh.

    C2. Fresh Mango Green Tea
    Caitlin J.

    I was surprised to hear Purple Kow had moved to Telegraph! It's one of my favorite boba places to go to in Berkeley because their drink size is huge compared to other shops so you get more bang for your buck. We had the peach green tea and mango green tea, both were yummy and full of flavor. This location is a lot smaller than their old one understandably, so keep in mind there's only around six tables inside. The only thing was service was very slow, we waited around 15-20 minutes for our drink to be finished on a Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, I recommend Purple Kow if you're looking to get boba in Berkeley (which seems to be everywhere).

    Sophie F.

    Decent boba place in Berkeley. Convenient location with wide selection of flavors. The serving sizes are generous and the cups are awkwardly large. I recommend the fruit teas, specifically the mango green tea. The yakult drinks are good as well. Great place to get boba with friends.

    F5. Twins QQ Jelly Drink
    Marcus C.

    Purple Kow is one of my favorite boba shops in Berkeley. Their milk tea is consistent and are served in large cups! Some may say this is inconvenient to hold, but I personally don't mind it. My go-to order is their Twins QQ Jelly Drink, which has milk tea, grass jelly, and pudding. I usually like to taste the flavor of the tea, so 50% sweetness always works for me. Overall, solid spot for boba. They recently changed their location to be closer to Telegraph, which makes it more convenient for UC Berkeley students to stop by. The new location is very spacious and is definitely an upgrade from their old location. The service is quick as usual!

    C2. Fresh Mango Green Tea
    Jecy L.

    I ordered the fresh mango green tea with boba and I enjoyed it! The drink was sweeter than other places I've been to, so I set the sugar level to be 50%. The portion is worth the price and it's cute too!

    Half filled and no salt and pepper seasoning....no seasoning at all actually

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    9 months ago

    My milk tea missing grass jelly, plain taste and sweet potatoes fries is sooooo soggy. :(

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    1 year ago

    Such a fun place. The garlic chicken is to die for. So are the fat bobas. Great for sharing, especially the garlic chicken bucket

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Pretty good boba place in the area. Just don't get the plum tea, that one was a little weird.

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    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

    4.0
    (448 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We found this spot by accident because we were looking for a store nearby. I LOVED IT! Cutest place…read morewith the nicest employees. I had a lot of questions and they sweetly answered them before I did my order. You order online or on the screens in the store. Pretty self explanatory and easy. There are just a few places to sit inside, so probably want to get it to go. I ordered this heavenly mango/grapefruit concoction with pearls. 15/10. It was so hard to choose what to order because everything looked so delicious and refreshing. My drink was ready in less than 10 minutes. I definitely want to come back and try some different drinks!

    Tried a few more drinks at Yi Fang:…read more Multi-floral honey mountain tea, 50 sweet no ice, large: The drink was done in about half the time that was estimated (Snackpass estimated 15 minutes, but it was done in 7). It was barely sweet, 50% is the lowest sweetness you can set for this drink. I was disappointed by this one as I felt the tea and floral flavors could've been stronger, it really just tasted of honey. Large chocoberry bliss, warm, 50 sweet (which was the recommended sweetness): It's a non caffeinated drink and can only be hot or warm. It tastes of dark chocolate with strawberry. It reminded me of hot chocolate but with a strawberry milk flavor, I liked it and would recommend trying it when it's in season if you enjoy sweets and chocolate in particular. Cheese creamer black tea, no ice, 0% sweetness, large cold: The tea is truly bitter when at 0% sweetness, which is what I intended. A generous thick amount of creamer on top. It doesn't mix easily with the tea. Note that on Snackpass, they add another $0.25 onto the price of your drink for "city cup fee" - referring to City of Berkeley's fee charged for plastic drink cups. I have found they're usually pretty fast at making the drinks and they may be done earlier than what Snackpass estimates. Sometimes you may need to get the attention of one of the workers as they can be occupied working and aren't always at the counter looking at you.

    Photos
    Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats
    Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats
    Mango Pomelo Sago
    Mango Pomelo Sago
    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

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    Asha Tea House

    Asha Tea House

    4.1
    (1.7k reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    at this point I have tried most of the Matcha places in downtown and this is the only one I have…read moregone back to multiple times. The Matcha is always a beautiful bright green color with a large depth of flavor. both the hot matcha and strawberry iced matter matcha are my favorite depending on the weather. Also they have adorable tea and California enamel Pins for sale at reasonable prices. I can get my morning cane and birthday present shopping done on the same day.

    I moved to Berkeley about a month ago, and Asha quickly became one of my go-to spots for matcha. I…read morelove the vibe and decor of the cafe, the baristas have always been sweet and friendly, and the menu has a great selection. I especially appreciate that they have genmaicha, which can be harder to find. Their version has a distinct roasted tea flavor that doesn't taste watered down, which I love. Their strawberry matcha is also delicious, with a fresher, juicier strawberry flavor than a lot of other spots. I would honestly give this location 5 stars based on the drinks and regular barista interactions alone, but my last experience was really off-putting. I noticed that people often study there with laptops, so I came in with mine and brought a small lunch from Oori down the street to make a morning out of it. I've done this before without issue, but this time, a woman with crazy eyes who seemed to have a higher role came out and very abruptly scolded me, saying, "You CAN'T eat outside food here," while aggressively pointing toward the door as if I needed to leave immediately. I completely understand having a no-outside-food policy, and I would have had no problem following it if it had been communicated respectfully. But the way she approached me felt unnecessarily harsh and honestly pretty upsetting. I apologized right away, packed everything up in a panic, and left. After processing it, I realized how inappropriate the interaction felt for something that could have been addressed with a simple, polite reminder. Overall, Asha has great matcha, a cute space, and friendly baristas, but that experience really left a bad taste in my mouth. Just a heads up: the drinks are good, but you may want to be careful about bringing outside food in, because the policy might be enforced in a pretty unpleasant way.

    Photos
    Cold matcha
    Cold matcha
    Soft serve: matcha and hojicha swirl
    Soft serve: matcha and hojicha swirl
    Hojicha Latte @lesminaddio

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    Hojicha Latte @lesminaddio
    Heytea

    Heytea

    4.3
    (137 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Walked by and saw a sign out front advertising their matcha with matcha foam, so of course I had to…read morepop in and order exactly that--and I absolutely loved it. The matcha flavor was strong and didn't taste watered down, cheap, or artificial. The location is convenient, clean, and the service was efficient. They have a strip of benches along the wall with tiny tables, which is nice if you're waiting for your drink, but I wouldn't say it's the kind of spot where you'd sit down with a friend to catch up or study since the space is pretty small. Overall, a solid matcha stop and definitely worth trying if you're in the area.

    Was near the area and decided to visit this location. This has to be the worst location in my…read moreopinion. One, the staff here is worst than other locations I've been to. Not helpful at all and rude. Saw the fridge magnet blind box giveaway. Tried ordering on app but saw it was in-store only. I go in-store and order on the kiosk. There sign that reads "no magnet or order here" made no sense. I assumed you have to order with them to get the magnet, BUT NO ONE WAS WELCOMING ENOUGH TO TAKE UR ORDER AND NO ONE IS THERE TO ASK OR HELP OUT. So I ordered 2 drinks at the kiosk instead bc you need to order 2 drinks to get the magnet. I was hoping they'd give the magnet since I did order the 2 drinks, so we ask. They replied blatantly with "no" and not even a sorry. The tv said our order number had been "served." I go up assuming it's ready. They take forever to notice I'm standing there then give me attitude saying it's not ready. VERY MISLEADING. Two, the layout at this location is actually the worse possible design, it's insanely narrow. Interior looks grimy like they don't clean it. Three, pretty obvious, parking is a hassle. Save your trip coming here and just go to the Milpitas location. Better service and parking is more accessible. Oh but I will say drinks were aight and their workflow is pretty impressive.

    Photos
    Mango Coconut Boom
    Mango Coconut Boom
    Coconut mango bloom
    Coconut mango bloom
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    Purple Kow - desserts - Updated July 2026

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