Talk about a "Super Sized" boba drink! I finally tried this place after seeing friends rave about this place. Located by the UC Berkeley campus, it's primary customers are UC students. I must say I was thoroughly impressed. Fresh boba, affordable prices, and large portions - what more could you ask for. There's seating both by the register and upstairs so definitely a spot you and your friends can hang out and enjoy your drinks. Be forewarned: get the Super Cup if you are really thirsty or perhaps want to share with someone. I personally was able to finish mine but everyone I know say the Super is way too much for just 1 person. read more

Small but clean and cute location! Conveniently located for foot traffic (no parking available, street parking is soo hard to find and you have to pay for a meter). Most people in this area are walking anyway. Located on Center by Starbucks and Top Dog. Staff was friendly. Girl who rang me up warned me that "regular" sweetness is really really sweet which encouraged me to only get 50% sweet.. perfect! The decor is nice, there's a small seating area downstairs and if you go up the stairs there's a bigger study area with tables and chairs. Only problem is it gets really hot up there. Cleanliness is definitely up to my standards also. read more

DRINKS: (4/5) I love the big cups, and especially the iced milk drink with boba and grass jelly. The colorful pictures of each drink are really appealing and I always wish I could order multiple things on the menu! Another tasty one is the peach tea with mango and green tea jelly at the bottom. You can specify your sweetness level when you order. SERVICE: (2/5) Each time I've gone here, the service has been a tiny bit slow, but the cashiers have been friendly and considerate. However, I went yesterday, and they kept calling back people who had ordered ten minutes ago to say they ran out of black tea, boba, ..and pretty much everything. Granted, the store was closing soon, but I feel like they could've told the people earlier (before they had paid) or could've at least said things in a nicer way. It just felt a little rude. I'll be back though. I really like the drinks! :) read more

Hands down still the best boba drinks I've ever had and I've had many. The quality and consistency just can't be beat. There's a reason why there's always a line. It does take a little longer than your average wait but that's because they make each drink to order and not have everything in buckets pre-made. Trust me, it's worth the wait. You can taste the quality and care put into each drink. I have way too many favorites but my current crush is roasted oolong milk tea with Tcho chocolate pudding. read more

Strong tea flavor and milky taste. Good price for the huge cup. Make sure you increase your insulin! Be prepared to wait. Tried the Purple Kow green and black milk tea with 100% sweetness. I like my milk tea on the sweeter side and at 100% sweet it was not sweet enough. I'm not giving up on this place so I'll just try a sweeter flavor and hopefully that will suffice. Boba balls were alright. read more

My husband and I hit up this place because it was next to where we ate dinner, and I've had some friends get pearl tea from here. We were pretty full from dinner so we decided to share one. There isn't a huge selection compared to other pearl tea places I've been to, but I found my usual and ordered that. My drink came out pretty fast & I got the mango green tea with pearls and fresh mango. It was pretty good. I like when there's a strong tea taste & the pearls were a good consistency - not too firm and chewy. The only thing I didn't like was there was some type of grit with it and I couldn't figure out what it was from. Unique cup? Yes. Does it fit in a car cup holder? No. I would get pearl tea from here IF I'm in the area, otherwise I would definitely go to my other spots. read more

Really like the cute cup. Ordered mango tea with green tea jelly and that is really yammy! read more

If I could I would give this place 0 stars. I would come to this restaurant every other week and never had a problem until I found a hair in my chicken bucket, and no one in the kitchen was wearing a hair net! I went back to the store to get my refund and the manager called the police because she said they should be the judge of whether or not I could get my refund....I've never experienced anything like this and I know for a fact it's because I'm Black using words like I was "threatening and aggressive" this is completely ridiculous and I'll never ever come back. read more

I drive from Hayward once a week and buy like 10 of the D-3's It's like liquid crack! Once you start, you can't stop. read more

Long lines, but they're pretty fast. I got milk tea with boba and grass jelly, the toppings are already sweet so you can tone down the sweetness of the drink a bit. Their boba was cooked to perfection, chewy and bouncy! I'm interested in trying their milk drinks next time. I was impressed with the standard milk tea and boba. A great boba spot in downtown! read more

I've tried several different milk tea places in Berkeley, and Purple Kow is my favorite. I switch back and forth between ordering the Purple Kow milk (black) tea with boba and the passion fruit green tea with boba. The milk tea is creamy and refreshing and not the least bit heavy. The boba has the perfect consistency. It is soft, sweet, and a little bit sticky. You definitely feel like you are chewing on a type of candy as opposed to rubbery spheres. I order both with 25% sugar, which I think is the perfect amount. If you have a sweet tooth, then 50% would be fine. Any more than that would be way too sweet though. Both drinks cost around $3.80 There's usually a bit of a line, but it moves quickly and it doesn't take long to get your drink. I'm deducting one star because once I went there on a Sunday afternoon and the guy at the counter said they were out of boba like it was no big deal. Seriously? That's like a pizza place saying that they are out of cheese. read more

Purple Kow does everything right! I come here whenever I'm in Berkeley and am never disappointed. I love how they put bits of fruit in their tea ^__^ I usually get their strawberry green tea with boba (perfection) but today I decided to go with Peach QQ. It's peach green tea with coconut jelly, boba, and bits of peach. And omg let me tell you, that has to be my new favorite drink by far! Definitely try it out - you won't be disappointed. :) read more

Yuck. I tried Purple Cow two months ago. I'm now just getting around to writing a review. I absolutely love Half & Half in Southern California. They are famous for their ice milk drinks. People all over have been trying to mimic this particular drunk and have not been successful. I ordered the milk drink from purple cow with grass jelly. What I first took a sip it tasted like cream. Super cream taste. Don't get me wrong I love cream. This one was alllll sorts of bad cream taste. It was so off putting. It even left my mouth feeling oily and fat. They have incorporated way too much of that stuff. It's so gross. I wonder if anyone else feels like how I feel against this drink here.. I looked over their menu and it seemed like they would have some normal tea & milk tea drinks. If I'm ever dragged here I'll try one of those instead. Sorry PC, I do not like your drinks so far! read more

Can't go wrong with the Purple Kow Milk Tea & Mango Green Tea with Mango bits in it. I tried the salt & pepper chicken but it's just alright. I couldn't taste the seasoning... so please add more Salt & Pepper! I'm a fan, but not totally blown away for the 5 stars. For some reason, the drinks here are better than the SF location. Maybe I'm delusional because this store is newer? It brings me back to my good ol' college days drinking Tapioca because it was the thing to drink? Maybe it's more in a hip part in Berkeley versus the oh-so frequent fog that covers the Outer Sunset? read more

I came here for boba and definitely got my fair share of boba. Purple Kow is known for their big portions and selection of flavors and levels of sweetness. They brew fresh tea and their tapioca balls are cooked just right (not too soft or hard). Overall, I'm a big fan and would definitely come here again read more

Purple Kow is wonderful for a late-night non-alcoholic outing with the boo. Yes, the size of the cups are too big for one person, but perfect when shared with someone else. I love how they ask you for sweetness level, and that the customizing options are so clearly displayed at the cashier. The place is clean and the interior decor is more inviting than most boba places. read more

Today, I went to see what the hype on Purple Kow is about. I want to think it's because they put a lot of toppings/jelly in the drink. A mouthful of jelly/boba in your mouth from every sip. As for the milk tea, I thought it was average. Nothing enough which separates them from any other boba place. The milk teas aren't too sweet which is good. I got the purple kow milk tea with boba and coffee jelly. My nephew got the the caramel milk tea. Feel free to try the place especially if you love Boba! read more

Purple Kow - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

There are a few times in life when a boba place starts off well and stays on top, Purple Kow is not one of them. Purple Kow is that boba place you go to because there are no better places but it is nothing to write home about. Their drinks are very inconsistent and sometimes just blatantly wrong (such as forgetting to add sugar). Their sugar levels are a bit of a crapshoot because of this. The employees have become worse and worse. For example: 3 employees just standing at the cash register talking about and showing each other their stretch marks (instead of helping the customer at the register). Things I recommend are: roast oolong milk tea with pudding, their D3, sweet potatoe fries and salt and pepper chicken nuggets. read more

Honestly, the place isn't too bad, although I really need to try some more tea to get a greater idea of the place. The matcha with boba tasted powdery, and much less smoother then I expected it to be. The boba itself is cooked to the right consistence, being overall not too chewy or soft. Not to mention, the cup size easily can be shared between two people (as I did with my sloth). Also, you can adjust the sugar, which is fantastic!! In any case, the service was decent, and I'm lead to try some more. God, I just hope the tea is not nearly as powdery the next time I try it... I really do... This place is going in a much better direction for me than Asha (Because god forbid I drink that frothy piss Asha labeled "lavender green tea" ever again)... I guess we will find out then, won't we?! read more

My favorite is their Purple Kow Milk Drink with just pudding which is the ONLY thing I ever get here. I've tried their teas because and I was not a fan. read more

D3 is D3LICIOUS! D3 is an iced milk drink with boba, pudding, and caramel! mMm! Cups are pretty ginormous here... It's kind of like you're drinking out of a little bucket. I've also tried a mango tea drink but it wasn't as good as D3. Stick with the iced milk drinks since milk comes out of cows and this place is called Purple KOW! moo moo moo peace out. read more

I love my tapioca teas. I had the Carmel pudding tapioca milk drink (D3) and it was like heaven! It's sweet like any dessert. Their tapioca is perfectly made. The only thing is there wasn't much people there but it still took me 20 mins to get my drink. The cashier was casually chit chatting to someone behind the counter but not working. Until their casual conversation about their personal life was done, she then greeted me. Besides that, I would definitely go back again! read more

Purple Kow - D3 - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love Purple Kow. Maybe because I just love milk. And I love tea. And I love milk tea. The fresh milk black tea is amazing. Really good. As are all of the drinks filled up with those creamy chocolates, caramels, puddings and boba. I just can't get enough. But, in the name of being impartial, this place has its cons. I feel it is a tad bit pricey, the hours suck, and as with any good establishment, the lines can be quite long. But that hasn't stopped me yet. read more

Your typical boba dispensary. However, there is one feature that sets this place apart. You can choose how sweet you want your drink to be. My complaint with most boba places is that they make everything waaaaaaaay to sweet. Here, you can select how much sugar you want added to your drink (if any). This allows you to order the exact drink that you want. A great idea! Both times that I have visited, the employees seemed to have trouble keeping track of orders. I watched a couple customers wait extra time because their order somehow disappeared, which in turn slowed everyone else's orders down. Just a heads up. read more

This is the best place i can find in berkeley for boba and cheap food specially really good for students trying to grab and go the chicken nuggets and the peach green tea are my favorite read more

Purple Kow - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

If I have a choice of boba tea shops to visit in Berkeley, Purple Kow wouldn't be my first choice (check out Asha Tea House on University and Shattuck). Anyway, I digress. Let's talk about Purple Kow. Plusses: + ability to let them know the level of sweetness you desire + Tea Crema - delicious, unique tea drink with crema on top (I haven't seen this at other boba places) + located near the BART station on Center Street (right next to Top Dog) Deltas: - long wait time (I'm not sure why it takes so long for them to prepare your drinks... perhaps, there's a reason that someone can illuminate for me?) - slightly pricey-er than other places (but some argue that you get more drink for your buck, so you can decide for yourself) Overall, I'd give it a try if you haven't before, but I don't think this will be my go-to spot. read more

While I am happy that Berkeley's west side / downtown is thriving with more and more of these new and "hip" Asian cafes, I never really understood the hype of Purple Kow. I will admit that the milk tea is pretty good, and they have a decent selection. That said, my main problem with them is the size and shape of their cups. I'd probably much prefer that they have a smaller, cheaper option that fits into cupholders. Their regular size holds way too much milk tea than is probably healthy for any one person at a sitting (although if you don't mind sharing with a friend or SO, it's probably perfect), and it's impossible to have these open while driving. That said, I probably would come here if I haven't eaten too recently and if I'm not getting something for the road. Otherwise I'd go to Asha. read more

Big drinks. Yummy pudding. Nice variety. Takes card. Love that you can customize the drinks to your sugar levels. Additional seating upstairs, but usually already taken by students who are studying. Parking can get VERY tough around peak, regular school schedule. During the holiday weekend, had to park a block away. read more

So I've finally made my way to the Purple Kow that everyone has been talking about. And as with many of these drink places, I tend to judge by the quality of their milk tea, a simple staple of all these stores. First trip to Purple Kow was pretty good, as it was around noontime and there wasn't any lines for me to wait in! The decor is quite nice, modern. Downstairs is small, a couple of seating areas but there is space upstairs, but I didn't make my way up top. But I can definitely see this place getting annoying when there's a rush and you're waiting with other patrons for your drink. The drink took a little under 5 minutes to get to me, nothing too bad I guess. but onto the important part - the drink. I got the regular Purple Kow Milk Tea with tapioca. A bit pricey at $4, but the cup was quite large so I guess that made up for it. I do remember there being a lot of drink, although i wish there wasn't so much. The milk tea itself wasn't bad at all. It wasn't too creamy and had a slight tea taste to it. But I feel that the tapioca itself was way too sweet for my liking, and they were quite generous with them. I mean, this place seems very popular, so I guess the sweetness is working out for them, but a little too sweet for my taste. But they do seem to have quite a lot on their menu, so I'll be back to try some more! read more

So glad that Berkeley recently decided to add Purple Cow to its repertoire of boba places on the north-side! I randomly found this place when Asha tea house was closed early for the holidays and I really need to get my fix. I really like Purple Cow's variety in jellies and puddings, and their fruit/tea blend options. They also give you a really hefty amount, so you feel more than satisfied after finishing your drink. Each drink is about ~$5 and they accept cards. I've been here twice now and I think I've settled on a favorite: Roasted oolong tea with grass jelly, and pudding - less sugar and less ice. I think this is definitely my new go-to place for my drinks if I ever have an Asian dessert craving on the Northside. It beats the other places by far. The only item they don't seem to have though is a Thai Ice Tea blend, which doesn't matter much to me as much as it matters to a few people I've gone here with. Also, for the folks from SoCal, this place is pretty equivalent to 'Half & Half teahouse' Btw, according to their website, their hours are: Sunday - Thursday 11 - 10 Friday - Saturaday 11 - 12am read more

As I write this Yelp review, my tea is separating (see pic) and I am at home steeping my own tea with my Yelp claws are out. I just paid about $6 for a matcha tea because I loooove matcha. What I got looked the part, but tasted like Jasmine green tea (like Adriana mentioned earlier), which to me tastes like gulping down perfume. I waited in line to politely request another drink. I told the cashier what it tasted like to me and she said that they basically just add a bit of matcha to their green tea (which I assume is jasmine tea). I asked if I could just get something else and, upon consultation with some mystery person behind the wall, said I would have to pay for another drink if I wanted something else. I was a little shocked and all she had was a "sorry" so when I said, "that's just not what matcha tea is" she said she could give me a refund, but couldn't just give me something. By then I was so over talking to an idiot with no customer service skills, I grabbed my perfume tea and walked out. You can't just add a teaspoon of matcha powder to cold jasmine tea and call it matcha tea!!! But if you do, you get this kinda brown tea with a layer of floating matcha powder. Guess it's worth losing patronage over something that probably costs them a quarter to replace with something else. BOOOOOOO. Also very skimpy boba portions and grass jelly. A ripoff in general even if they did make their tea properly. read more

Purple Kow - "Matcha" Tea. One small scoop of matcha powder added to whatever green tea they have. Nicely separates and floats to the top. Gross. - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have tried three drinks from this place so far: 1) High mountain oolong tea with crema This drink was delicious. The tea reminds me of what I used to buy everyday from my favorite green tea chain back in Taiwan. The crema on the top was slightly salty, possibly to bring out the sweetness of the tea. 2) Jasmine green milk tea with boba The green milk tea was kind of bland. The boba was sweet, smaller than average sized bobas but larger than typical mini bobas. 3) The matcha tea crema was NASTAAYYY!! :( If it weren't for the long lines and the lack of parking, I'd come here more often. read more

Pros: - iced milk drink tastes like ice cream - pudding add-in is soft and tasty - option to change sweetness (half, 25%, etc) Cons: - milk tea tastes diluted - boba pearls are too small for my liking - extremely slow service - cramped space - over priced (every option costs! add boba, make hot, etc.) - chubby cups are the only ones available Bottom line: go to Asha or Sheng Kee instead read more

I ordered the yakult mango drink. It was great. 4 Star because of parking. Took us forever to find a parking read more

Purple Kow - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I graduated over a year ago and already Center Street seems so much different. This is one of the many changes that have occurred in Berkeley since I left. I've gone to the one in SF plenty of times and this place is pretty much the same. I did notice they have a sliding scale for drink sweetness here, which is not something I've ever seen at the SF location. But perhaps they've added that there as well now. The advantage of this place over SF is more seating. They have a few seats downstairs, an upstairs area, and they share a front door with Top Dog so I guess you could have people spill over there. I always hated the SF location because it's almost always crowded. Speaking of which, another advantage of this place is that you won't have hundreds of high school kids crowding the place all the time. Although I guess the hundreds of high school kids are replaced with hundreds of college students here. But at least they're seasonal; I came here over winter break and it was practically empty at lunch hours. I'm guessing during busy times it'll be much like the SF location: 45-60 minutes to order a drink and 10-15 minutes to receive it. The drink I got here was more diluted than what I used to get at the SF location, which was weird because I got the "regular," which is apparently 100% sweetened. It's not that I wanted it that sweet; I'm just unsure if it was made correctly. read more

This place is not at all like the one in San Francisco. For every ten drinks they pump out, the SF branch is only able to make half of a single drink. They truly put their other location to shame. The drinks even taste better here, and you do not even have to wait 45 minutes! I also appreciate how it is not cramped, and there is even an upstairs. read more

Purple Kow - D4 (: light sweet - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yummy! I love the Chubby Cups and they give LOTS OF BOBA!!!!!!!!!! I got a classic milk tea and it was pretty sweet with 100% so I recommend getting 75%. The overall drink was yummy!! read more

3 stars for the lady working the front - she was a sweet heart, easy to speak with -- you'll make a great doctor someday AND for management allowing me switch my teas (I know this not their policy...If you do not like a drink - the only option is to add sugar...tough)! Yet, I requested to speak with management, explain my case, and politely insisted on changing my drink. The matcha milk soy milk tea is a bitter pill to swallow (ugh), even sweetened. 2 stars off for the tea - replacement was honey soy milk tea. I believe the black tea used here is quite strong - and bitter. Only a select number of teas (about 7) can be made with soy milk, so no open range of flavors to substitute with. read more

Long line but lots of options to fit anyone's taste. You can adjust the level of sweetness if you ask. My favorite is: Mango green tea with half the sweetness and add lychee. Yummy if you don't want it too sweet! They put in actual chunks of fresh mango. You also get SO much for the price you pay. I can't finish one on my own and usually save it for later. The only down size is that the cup doesn't fit in your car cup holder. I wish parking was better around this location because I would be here ALL the time if it was! Best boba in Berkeley! read more

Having tried most, if not all, boba places in the UC Berkeley campus area, and having had many cups back home in Hong Kong, I would say I am quite serious with my boba. Many of my friends were excited when hearing that Purple Kow is opening a store in UC Berkeley, as they've been to the SF store and had a good experience there. I'll give a brief comparison of the teas I usually get at different places in Berkeley and how I think about each of them. Purple Kow: have only tried their Oolong Milk Tea with boba and pudding. The oolong flavor definitely had a kick to the tea, and appreciate that the store allows the sugar to be at different levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%). Thought it was good but tea wasn't as flavorful as the ones back home. They have a second floor with a few tables. No air ventilation so it was very hot, but still appreciate they provide space for people to sit. 8/10 Asha Tea House: definitely one of my favorite places in Berkeley to grab (and sit) a drink. Love its innovative, seasonal flavors. I'm a huge fan of its Matcha Latte, Hong Kong-style Milk Tea and strawberry tea. Never tried any of it with boba. The decor is very homey and many students spend their afternoons chatting and studying there. 9.5/10 Moccachino: have tried its jasmine milk tea and honey milk tea. Liked it more than Quickly's but thought it is pretty generic and can be better. 6.5/10 Sweethearts: usually get its iced tea rather than milk tea. Once dropped a drink at the door and they made me a new one for free on the spot. Though my friend told me once her tea has an unidentifiable object in it. 6/10 Quickly's: usually my last resort of getting boba. Find it to be too sweet. Though it tends to be opened till latest and at a convenient location (especially for freshman). 5.5/10 read more