Newly opened Purple Kow is alright. For most of their drinks, they use chubby cups (similar to the ones found at Sheng Kee Bakery). I've tried their Iced Milk with Caramel/Pudding&Boba- it was alright. Somewhat reminded me of a caramel frap at Starbucks since they add whipped cream in the iced milk. Super sweet though, and I only drank half then saved the rest for later. I also tried their Peach QQ- peach green tea with boba, coconut jelly, and peaches. Ehhh, the tea was more bitter than I would have wanted but the topping amount was balanced. Lines go out the door during peak times- lunch, 4:30 ish, and it's weird since there's only one cashier who takes the order and has to call out the prepared drinks and then give you the drink (I think they should fix this process to make everything go smoothly). I still want to try more of their drinks though, so this review is to be edited. read more

Six of us went to Purple Kow to check what the hype is all about. I ordered the Purplekow Matcha Fresh Milk Tea with boba while my husband got the Purplekow Black Milk Tea with boba. We both enjoyed our drinks, but I preferred my husband's order. I liked that the tea did not taste powdery and that they were generous in their boba. However, my husband's tea didn't have much ice, so it wasn't that cold and refreshing. Our friends who ordered the fresh fruit blend flavored tea did not like their drinks. They said it tasted like what they imagined a car air freshener would taste like. I tried their drinks and I thought it wasn't too bad. I also tried the iced milk tea our other friend ordered, i thought it was too sweet even though she ordered only 50% sugar. Don't plan on drinking their tea while driving because it won't fit the standard cupholder. read more

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I think the one in SF is a little better than the one over here. We ordered our usual SF choice D3 which is Caramel, pudding and boba ice milk. Flavor was ok but the pudding didn't taste as good and the boba was much chewier than I like it. It's like they didn't cook it enough. I always get it with half sugar since the caramel already provides sugary goodness. The worst part about this place was that the drinks took about 5 minutes to make which was fine. They called my number and I lined up. The person who called the order then was having problems with the cash register and placing an order which took 5 minutes and 2 employees to figure out while me and 3 others who's numbers were called were waiting for our drinks. If you call the number, hand those out then deal with people paying, makes sense. After about 5minutes of seeing my drink sit on the counter, she again calls the same 4 numbers with all of us waiting to get our drinks. Really,did you forget you called us already. They do have some seating upstairs so if you wanted to hang out here you could although there are only about 6 tables in the whole place. If I'm around I might give it another shot to see if they can do it better. read more

Purple Kow - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Yeah I like boba. This place does it great. Usually places put HELLA ice, but this place puts just enough. Just remember to shake it up before putting your straw (don't worry if you forget. I always do.)!!!! read more

Purple Kow - C12 and B1 w/boba! - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Purplekow is seriously starting to rival Sharetea in my heart. There fresh fruit teas are AHHH-MAZING and so refreshing. I find myself getting either the mango or the strawberry green tea here every single time I'm here. I haven't tried anything else. Which is weird for me! I get it with 80% sugar and boba (so fresh!) and every sip and chew is so delish! If the cup sizes weren't so fat, this place would be perfect!! read more

Stopped in with some friends while roaming around Berkeley, having worked up a craving for some bubble tea and having heard of Purple Kow from other friends before. Sadly, I was not really all that impressed, and neither were my friends. I had gotten the passionfruit with boba, and while I consider that somewhat foolproof, it just wasn't that good. The boba were a little overdone and the drink itself felt syrupy. I forget what Mr. Piano got, but it was likely a milk tea (he doesn't like fruity boba), and it was too sweet for him even having asked for less sweetness, so much so that he had to throw half of the drink away. One of my other friends also couldn't stomach the syrupy sweetness (and the blah textured boba) and ended up tossing half of her drink as well. Perhaps we had too high expectations? Either way, I think I'll stick to other boba places for now, because there generally plenty to choose from. read more

THE CHUBS CUPS STRIKE AGAIN!! I feel like the boba scene in NorCal is slowly being influenced by the chubbiness of short stubby cups from SoCal. No real complaints about the cups except for it makes it hard to have in your car while you drive. Anywaysss, after hearing all the hype about Purple Kow in SF, I was really excited to find one opening in Berkeley. I got to Berkeley early in the morning that day, walked by Purple Kow and noted that it opened at 12:30. Ok, got it. I show up later at 12:40 and there was a massive line out the door. Okay then... I really hope this place is worth it. Per the cashier's rec, I got the Purplekow milk green tea with boba and pudding. Boba was a little smaller and a little sweeter than those at most other places around Berkeley. Pudding had a slight hint of coffee to it. Both were really good. And the best part? The milk tea actually tasted like it was made of milk tea. Thank the heavens for real milk tea. I ordered my drink with regular sweetness and I thought the sweetness was just right. Maybe towards the end of my drink it started to feel a little too sweet, but I mean that's bound to happen when you have drinks that large... All in all, a great high quality boba joint close to campus. Drinks here on average are more expensive than at Quickly's or Sweetheart, but hey, you get what you pay for. I'd love to come back and try to roasted Oolong milk tea, jasmine green tea pudding, and maybe some snacks too :) read more

Purple Kow - Chubby cups full of chub: purple kow milk green tea with boba and pudding - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

It's good, don't get me wrong. It's just not what I think of when I think "boba." I like caramel and condensed milk flavors a lot so the menu interested me. The drink size is deceptively the same as other places even though the signature cup shape is wider. I got the D3, ice milk drink with caramel pudding and boba pearls. It's just sweet milk with pudding (which MAKES this drink to me) but next time I'll get regular milk tea to make a better judgement of the place. I'll definitely go again because that caramel pudding is crack. Also, the air of secrecy is funny and all but very, well, pretentious. I'm bringing my 6'7" fined next time purely to see if the boba man behind the curtain starts to sweat a little. read more

Purple Kow - D3, ice milk drink with boba and caramel pudding - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Wasted my money here. Came in with my partner, spent $18 for milk tea and chicken. Less than 3 minutes sitting down, two disgusting dumb teenage boys came in and shoved a half dead bird in our faces. Both of them were yelling and cussing. I told the cashier about how they acted and that they shouldn't be allowed to bring in an injured animal inside. They were asked to leave. Passed the bird on to two females. The boys came back in claiming to have purchased something. Then the two females came in and they were petting this bird. I told the cashier again and I'm confused why they were allowed back in. It upset our stomachs. And we then go confront the females ourselves telling them how cruel it is to bring in an injured animal in a highly stimulated environment. They were just nodding saying "yeah good to know". Very disgusting attitudes. Disgusting situation. And extremely poorly handled by the employees behind the counter just watching us. Y'all have a sign saying you have a right to refuse service, SO USE IT. Lucky no health inspector was there to shut the place down either. read more

Got a super size milk black tea with grass jelly and 50% sugar, and then split it into two normal sized cups. I love that they have that option -- perfect for splitting and each tea ended up being about $2.75, which is super affordable! The tea itself wasn't the best I've ever had -- tasted a little diluted. I'll probably go elsewhere for boba tea in the future. Beware there can be super long lines that don't move that quickly. read more

Purple Kow is right on Center Street, prime because it is next to BART and the University. Street parking sucks like the rest of the city so definitely just take public transit. The Drink: I tried something from their milk series that had coffee jelly and boba. I also tried my friends milk tea. The drink at its normal level is pretty sweet so I will adjust that next time. They both tasted good but it wasn't anything that I would remember. So I definitely will go here more so because I am passing it and think "why not? It's right there." The Place: So the way it works is you go in to the front, order and you will be given a number. The cashier calls you up when its time to pick-up your order. There is an upstairs for sitting as well, but the atmosphere of the place definitely makes it feel like it is a place to get your drink to-go. Staff: Nice and cool. My friend was being indecisive and the cashier was really good at helping them choose what they want. read more

D3 no sugar. My go to. I hail from LA. And every once in a while, I'll contemplate coming to SF just for Purple Kow. And the next thing I know, I'll already be standing at the counter ordering D3 no sugar. Seriously, the best thing hands down. Not just in the neighborhood, not just in the city. Probably best in the west. Knocks all of LA's best boba shops out of the park. All the taiwanese bobas, bla bla bla, sorry, can't win. I just love that there's no tea in this drink, just milk. I love dairy. To all those who are intolerant, I extend my deepest condolences that you can't enjoy this piece of heaven. Guys, if heaven doesn't have Purple Kow, I ain't going. It's so good. D3 no sugar. Because the caramel is already sweet enough. D3 no sugar. Guys. D3 no sugar. SAY IT WITH ME D3 NO SUGAR read more

The boba here is on the pricier size but they do give you a large size drink on some of the options. You could honestly spilt your drink with a friend. I ordered an green apple slush with 80% sugar and it was sickerly sweet. Next time, I am going to ask for less lol. Their popcorn chicken is pretty damn good, seasoned, and filling. I love the tables and space of this location. I would have given a 5 star if they offered free wifi like other boba places. read more

My friend and I decided to be more adventurous and it failed us both. I got the Peach Oolong with Fresh Mango QQ: Too sweet. Definitely disappointed since this is supposed to be a popular drink of theirs. But I'll try their milk tea next time. Also, make the size of the jelly so you can actually suck it up with the straw. I literally couldn't get more of the mango or the jelly since they were too big for the straw.. I do like the decor. It's definitely nicer than Quickly's and Sweet Heart. But I can always get a good cup of milk tea for $2 at Sweet Heart, so I don't know. Unless they have some crazy amazing drinks, I don't know if I would come here again after I try their milk tea next time. Also, why offer people stamp cards if you don't have any? Instead, they stamp the receipts?! Talk about underprepared? You can get the store looking nice but can't print stamp cards?! O.o??? read more

The line for Purple Kow remains super long and service is a little slow, but I'd still come here for milk tea on West Side. Tip: Don't get any of the iced milk drinks unless you reallllly like milk! I was tempted by the giant poster to get D3 (or was it D4?) because it looked so good--milk with boba and egg pudding. The drink was okaaay, very thick and milky, and super sweet even though I asked for less sugar (80%). It also tasted a lot like caramel, which made me wonder if they put caramel in it on accident (between D3 and D4, the ingredients are the same except one has caramel and the other doesn't). I drank about 50% of it, before giving up. The boba and the egg pudding were still pretty good though. I'm definitely sticking with a fresh tea/milk tea order next time. If you plan to check this place out, don't set your expectations too high. Purple Kow is decent, but certainly not the best. read more

My new favorite boba place that finally opened over the summer. It's a bit on the pricier side, but you get quality and a chubby cup! Two of my favorites is the matcha fresh milk tea and the D3, the iced milk tea with caramel, pudding and boba. I liked the match fresh milk tea as it tastes as it sounds and doesn't taste like it came from a powder. Also, since it's made from fresh milk, it's less heavy on your stomach. The D3 is really good. I would order it with no sugar or 25% since the caramel makes the milk tea really sweet. I also like the pudding and boba as they offer different textures while drinking. read more

Definitely not as good as the SF one. The ice milk drink is a little too thick compared to the SF one and the line is just as long. I don't know how they do it but I think numbers should be called in the order it was ordered. Sometimes 70 would get called before 61 and I don't find that fair. I think they should be more consistent with their orders. I'd recommend for them to get smaller cups because getting the regular cup already makes me quite sick of milk tea... Other than that, I like how they have more seating than the SF one. There's a upstairs where I've seen people studying. read more

I was excited when they opened a purple kow here. This store is nice and clean. Oh and it's also connected with Top Dog. Weird. Service: Friendly, quick, and professional staff members. No complaints here. Milk Tea: It's similar to other the purple kow in sf in terms of quality. My favorite drink to get is the almond black milk tea. Yum But my biggest complaint here is that they NEVER HAVE ANY BOBA NOODLES!!! Ever since they opened I've been asking for boba noodles (I mean they have it on their menus), but every time I come to order it THEY DON'T HAVE IT! why?! Why must they torment me with that tasty looking boba noodle on the menu and they crush my hopes and dreams at the cash register?! Please I beg of you purple kow to either get some boba noodles or put a piece of paper over the boba noodle topping! Overall: It's a decent boba place, but I think they need a little more time to up their quality. I would give this place a couple of months before trying them again. read more

Okay, but I don't really get the hype.. and also, how does their sign resemble a cow? Is it supposed to? This is a little tea shop crammed into the Center Street strip, and seating consists of one or two tables, which is pretty standard for Berkeley. I've heard raves about this place, so I had to try it. I tried their oolong tea with added aloe, no milk, and half sugar. I didn't get that smokiness of oolong I look for with fresh loose-leaf oolong tea, and the aloe must have been saturated in sugar water because it was crazy sweet. I did like that the tea was strong and robust, but the balance was just a little off for my taste. I also had a sip of my friend's regular black tea, and I think it suffered from the same issues as mine did. The sizes are gigantic though, and the prices for the teas I tried were reasonable for how much we received. I'm not a huge fan of the tubs that they use, even though I know that's their signature look. They're hard to hold, and moisture condensed on the outside and makes the containers slippery, not to mention super cold. I might come back to give their milk teas a try sometime, but so far, this definitely isn't one of my favorite milk tea places. read more

Came here on Sunday afternoon and it was a 15 person line with about a 5-10 minute wait, mainly because one lady ordered 10 drinks. Otherwise I can see it being a somewhat more streamlined process. There was one pretty stressed out looking gal manning the register, orders that came out, and the overall customer service. Given the amount of tasks and demand of customers, she did a really great job with service. Then came the milk tea. Asked the gal if they used real milk. She stated that the standard was to use a soy creamer base, but they have a fresh milk option, which comes normally with the menu items that stated "fresh" in the name. There were options also to get 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% sugar. I got f5, which is milk tea with pudding and grass jelly, with fresh milk and 25% sugar. $4.24, which is not bad for freshly brewed tea and customization. The milk tea was rather bland. Seems like they use nonfat or very low fat milk. The pudding had a sharp caramel flavor, with not as much focus on egg flavor, and the grass jelly was virtually tasteless, so not a fan of those. Next time I come, I would like to opt for a warm drink or one of the fruity flavors with some other jelly type. They have a good selection of milk tea flavors as well as fruity tea with a lot of add ons. Not bad at all. read more

I got the matcha milk tea (B10) 80% sugar with no boba in it. Enjoyed it some, but the irregular cup-sizes are not conducive to cupholders in cars. We had to wait in line for a while and then wait some more after our orders were placed -- and this was on a summer day around 3 PM or so -- I'd hate to see what the wait is like when school is in session! Sitting in there made me feel like I was in college again. read more

A solid choice for Boba Tea right by the UC Berkeley. I would have to agree that the drinks here are a little more watery than they should be, however, the menu is pretty extensive and the drinks are pretty big for their price. They also come in the now-popular Bucket Cups, which are actually inconvenient in every practical way(they don't fit in any cup holders, wai ): ). The one thing I will comment on is, DO NOT GET THE FOOD HERE! The two snacks that I tried, the popcorn chicken and the sweet potato fries, were extremely oily, almost to the point of being soggy from the oil :( gross. But, if you're looking for a solid drink and are around this side of campus, come give it a try! :D read more

Huge servings. I like their iced milk drinks with chocolate pudding and caramel.

I've had Purple Kow in San Francisco before so I knew to expect gigantic cups of bubble tea here as well. I like that Purple Kow offers different sugar levels since even 50% sugar is pretty sweet as is. The tapioca they use are very tiny so expect to get like 5-10 bubbles with each sip. I don't really like the interior that much. It's really awkward in the front of the store and there is some limited seating upstairs. read more

Same amount of stars, but I really recommend their popcorn chicken as well! I didn't know they give you ranch if you ask for it either. They give legit big pieces of meat and its so crispy and fresh. read more

Purple Kow - Ask for ranch! - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I heard about purple kow for so many years and finally made my way to one. The hype about the cups got me lured in! Regarding this particular place, I really didn't like how they put so much ice in my milk tea ( I ordered the purple kow black milk tea with mix of boba and brown sugar jelly; the jelly was so good and sweetness was perfect). 50 cents extra if you don't want ice? Say what?! Otherwise, service was great. The lady was talking on her cell phone right before I went to order, but hung up immediately after I was ready! read more

I like the short fat cups! Sure is a lot of milk tea and other flavors and a huge menu of different items to choose from. I liked mine and wouldn't mind going all the way back to berk to try other flavors. Great customer service and extra seating upstairs. read more

Purple Kow - An F5 twins qq milk tea with grass jelly and pudding - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'll keep it short! Shits amazing. They have so many flavors!!! Milktea to take away some depression hahaha. Service is pretty fast and the place is cute but hella small. I like that they have a spot upstairs for customers to just chill. Come back again! Yup of course !!! But they need to have more food options. Or just buy food next door lol! read more

Purple Kow - My new favorite: D3 milktea with caramel boba and pudding - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love our Purple Kow! Positives: + Service - Quick and hassle-free. Usually long lines going out the door but drinks produced rapidly. + Personalized Drinks - Outstanding boba and love that you can adjust the sweetness and amount of ice. Our favorite is D4 with 80% sweetness! + Portions - The large is actually KING-sized. Drawbacks: - Seating - Not enough and there is often nowhere to sit. Best to grab a drink and walk around Downtown Berkeley. - Food - Not their expertise. read more

This location in Berkeley is right next door to Top Dog. They have some of the largest cups for boba drinks. Tried their large lychee tea with aloe and lychee jelly at 50% sweetness, rose milk tea at 25% sweetness, and their strawberry fruit smoothie. The drinks are pretty good and the large cups actually fit in the car's cup holders. There was no line when we went in the early evening but the wait was still about 10+ minutes for the drinks. A lot of folks order then come back 10 minutes later. They do check your receipt when you pick up the drinks. 10c/bag if you need one to hold all your drinks. read more

Purple Kow - Large lychee tea with aloe and lychee jelly - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I got a peach drink with standard sugar. It came out way too sweet! Next time I will try 30% sugar. They don't have AC so it's a bit uncomfortable sitting upstairs during the summer. They also don't have wifi so don't bother bringing your laptop. read more

Before ShareTea opened up, Purple Kow was the most popular boba place in Berkeley, even though it's on north side. Compared to some of the former SouthSide options, Purple Kow was the perfect place to get Boba; it wasn't TOO far from campus and they have an extensive menu. Now with way more options to get boba/tea around Berkeley, I would say you could probably find better options for Boba. That being said, the boba here isn't bad--but it's pretty comparable to the other places nearby. The drinks: You can choose the amount of sweetness in the drink, which I like. The drinks here are actually super sweet, so I would opt for a less sweet version of the drinks. Sometimes, they even do the seasonal flavors; like pumpkin and peppermint tea. The boba itself is sweet, and given that the drinks can be sweet, it can feel like too much (especially, if you're getting one their "chubby cups". The D4 is a sweet milk drink, and it's a great first option when going to Purple Kow. The atmosphere: There is seating in Purple Kow, so feel free to bring a friend or 2 here. The service is quick and efficient, and I've never waited too long to get tea. This place definitely gets crowded at the top of the hour, and in the evening time, so if you can't find a spot to sit, there's always spots to sit near the grassy field in front of the university entrance. read more

D3- ice milk w/ boba, caramel and pudding/ half sugar/ less ice Super insanely sweet, even at 50% sugar. Found this to be the sweet spot IMHO for this drink~ read more

Good selection of boba flavors to choose from. The strawberry tea was so good. They also serve their drinks in these wide cups that make for a cute instaworthy pic. read more

Purple Kow - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Please update your closing time. It's 2105 and it says the store closes at 2200. Frustrating. Sad pregnant mom.

drink was goood . i like the shape of my drink haha . they have a second floor which is nice to hang out in . it does get a bit warm up there . the cashier was super nice read more

Purple Kow - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

The customer service here has nose-dived recently. Yesterday was the third visit in a row they screwed up my order. They didn't give me the right drinks I had ordered, and I had to walk all the way back to their restaurant since there's no dine-in anymore. They replaced my drinks, but I had ordered one with no ice (paying the additional fee for no ice) but the drink I got had ice in it. When I went back a SECOND TIME and asked them to fix it, the guy at the counter went in back for a couple of minutes and came back and gave me exactly the same drink with ice. They never bothered to make me a fresh one without out ice that I had paid extra for. Stay away from this place now. They used to be great, but now they are awful. Customer service is not far from rock bottom. read more

good flavor selection. get 0% sugar as the boba is sweeter than most places. only one chubby size

I haven't been to the Berkeley location as much as the SF one but each time I've been here their boba drinks have been consistent. During my latest visit. I ordered the rosie lychee oolong tea with boba 30% sweet, my bf ordered the iced milk drink with boba, 30% sweet, and a popcorn chicken. The popcorn chicken pieces were quite large but tasty. The last time I was here I don't remember them being that big. read more

Purple Kow - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Please Change your hours online. Drove out of the way only to see they were closed..