I love this place...but I wouldn't become a frequent visitor. I think the drinks here are a treat but they are definitely very heavy and VERY large in serving size. I usually get the Purple Iced Milk Drink with Boba and Pudding. I don't think I can ever switch flavors because I love the drink and consistency so much. The problem I have with this is, as mentioned before, it's just really big and very heavy. DEFINITELY would lower the sweetness/sugar, I get 50% less sugar and it's still pretty sweet, but a good amount. I can't really imagine it being at its normal 100% Yep, this place is pretty good but definitely would say...I come here once every two months if I'm REALLY craving Purple Kow. But I never really have the appeal or desire to come here on an average day. read more

Be sure to ask for less sugar or half sugar if sugar isn't your thing. There are many many options including snow bubbles, slushies, fresh brewed teas, milk teas, and teas infused with rose or blended with sugar syrups. I went with the rose oolong with lychee flavor and green tea jellies. I asked for 80% (less) sugar and found that it was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. The rose was sadly overpowered by the lychee syrup, so I can't say that I got enough rose flavor in my tea. Another good recommendation would be the mango and peach QQ drinks--very popular as they include bits of mango and peach. read more

Drinks are SUPERsized. They call them "chubby cups" here. You can add on tons of extra goodies like jelly and fruit. You can totally replace a meal with this drink, although I wouldn't advise it. You can also order how much sugar content you want. The line seems long but goes by pretty quickly especially if you are with friends. I had the Purple Cow Matcha Fresh Milk Tea. It was a bit too powdery, but oh so very flavorful. read more

They have a lot of choices but mostly tea. They didn't have any slushies that day, which is what I wanted grr. For a boba place it's not bad. And good price too. read more

Purple Kow - F3 and F5 LOL - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I would say Purple Kow is the second best boba place in Berkeley (after Asha). The drinks here are definitely an indulgence - the are sweet and VERY large. Right off the bat, regardless of what drink you get, I would ask for 50% sugar or less. I usually get my drinks to-go because the decor/ambience is nothing great (and there is no wifi :( ). I've been here a handful of times and only ever gotten the caramel milk tea or the almond milk tea. Both are good, although the caramel is better (albeit VERY sweet). The boba is average - not as good as Asha but better than Quickly or Sweethearts. Overall, I'm a fan because it is a great value for the price and it is a step above most of the other tea places in Berkeley. read more

The drinks always taste good and I like how there is an option to how much sugar is put in your drink. I love love the amber jelly and the QQ noodles. I almost always get the Tea Crema because of the consistency of the drink. I have tried the MILK drink and I think it's delicious but I will have to not have 100% sugar next time. Most of the time the boba is made really well. The service is great because every time I go I always order a lot (for family and friends) and I love how the workers there make sure the orders are correct. The decorations for the place is amazing I love the white things that are hanging from the ceiling. The atmosphere created is casual and just a nice place to chill or even study! read more

Purple Kow - new drinks! - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

One of the better milk tea shops in the area! I'm not a boba person and rarely one for toppings, so my review is for the milk tea only. I've had their black/green milk tea, caramel/almond black milk tea, honey green milk tea, high mountain oolong milk tea, roast oolong milk tea, usually at 100% sweetness. Honestly, roast oolong and high mountain oolong were not as great as ShareTea's, where those are among my staples. But for flavors ShareTea doesn't have, e.g. caramel, I was satisfied. Definitely on the sweeter side, and definitely preferable to nearly all other locations. The bucket cups are attractive, and their super cups are pretty filling as well. Good for a fanatic, an addict like me, which is another plus. Overall, this place is great! But the drinks can be hit or miss on occasion. For awhile, they were consistently sweet. Lately, they've been a bit bland and less flavorful, even at 100% sweetness. I've had their salt and pepper chicken nuggets as well - just all right. Good enough to make you feel sick after eating too many. Crispy, sometimes a bit too much. You can kind of taste something in them that tells you they were frozen. Would buy again as a snack if I were sitting in, though. read more

Another predictable boba joint??....NOPE! Friends recommended it and they suggested a few options. They warned us of the complicated menu (A4, D3, C5...) but I chose the D2--regular milk tea with pudding and boba. Added lychee jelly and all at 50% sweet (another option from their choices) Result was that it was REFRESHING!! Not milky, heavy or sweet beyond puke. It was perfect. Hubby got the special edition of Mint Chocolate with TCHO pudding. Yes--TCHO chocolate pudding--say whaaaaa! That itself was heavenly. Again, not too overbearing, not frothy, just perfect. Both bobas were tasty and chubby-sized enough that it lasted for a good 1.5 hours over our catch-up time with friends. It was awesome! read more

Cheap bubble tea. But very mediocre....I got theThai tea and it was very plain....not much flavor. The bubba was fresh and deceny. Too much of a hype about this place. read more

Purple Kow - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I love their squat cups, they're so cute! They don't quite fit in a cup holder, so I tend to only get Purple Kow when I'm wandering around downtown. I'm bummed they don't have Thai Tea, which is my favorite, but the Almond Milk Tea is pretty yummy - it's on the sweeter side and tastes like marzipan. The upstairs seating area is nice, but I typically just get my tea to go. read more

Inquiries confirmed. THEY USE "MILK-BASED DAIRY PRODUCT" FOR THEIR "FRESH MILK/ ICED MILK" DRINKS. By that I mean half-half or whipped cream. So after a few visits to Purple Kow, I noticed that the texture of their Iced Milk drinks tasted a bit suspicious. Believe me, I am an avid milk lover, and I know what REAL milk tastes like. I confronted the cashier on my last visit and asked her about the product they use for their beverages. Me: What's the difference between your Milk Tea and Fresh Milk tea? Cashier: The Milk Tea is soy-based and the Fresh Milk tea is milk-based. Me: So what kind of milk do you use for your Iced Milk drink and Fresh Milk Tea? Cashier: We use whole milk-based dairy Me: So is it real milk OR milk-based creamer? Cashier: They are the both pasteurized, basically the same thing. Me: ..................... ----------------------------Awkward Silence----------------------- Go google if you're unsure what's the difference between "real milk" and "milk-based" products. And oh yea, pasteurization has nothing to do with the distinction between real milk and fake milk..just saying... I'm not a health freak or a FDA Nazi, but I really do hope they can either switch to REAL milk for their "fresh" milk items or clarify to the customers. But again, like anyone of you would care... read more

Will definitely be comming back to this boba place. I ended up getting the mango green tea with boba. It was really good but definitely on the sweet side. I asked for "less sweet" which is about 85% sweet. It was still very sweet. Next time I'll try the 50% sweet. read more

Purple Kow - The mango green tea w/ boba really good but pretty sweet - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Quite underwhelming. Rubbery, bland boba, Watered down, overcooked and overpriced tea. The gimmicky drinks taste wierd. They try too hard to be innovative. Verdict: Unimpressed the two times I was here. read more

This place dishes out some huge drank and somehow I manage to finish ever single time so all y'all complaining about the size of the cup are just making me feel bad. I'm a fan of the fruitier drinks and the ability to control the sugar content. read more

Purple kow is an okay place. For those of you from SoCal, the closest equivalent would be half and half. I would say if you like really sweet boba drinks you should definitely go to purple kow. Their sweet drinks are the better ones. D4 (if I remember correctly) is a SUPER SWEET iced milk drink. They do give the big portions so expect a large chubby cup! The place itself is nice. Has a few seats downstairs and upstairs. Can get crowded sometimes but whenever I decide to stay there is seating! Workers are always nice! Remember stamp card! read more

Wasn't the best, but it was decent. The cup shape is kind of awkward to hold unless you want to use both hands like a kid handling a sippy cup. read more

Annabelle P. convinced me to take her to Purple Kow after eating at Sliver Pizza (review to come soon!) and since we loved the SF location back in the day. It's conveniently located right across the street from the Berkeley campus so I can imagine it packed with college students during the school year. The shop is really modern and clean and has an upstairs area to sit and chill with your drinks. We ordered the green tea creama with boba and roasted oolong with boba. You can now customize your drinks depending on the sweetness and ice levels preferred. Both drinks were aight, but the redeeming factor was definitely the boba! It's so chewy and QQ and still has the lingering honey taste to add sweetness to the drinks. The creama tasted just like the ready whip stuff from the grocery store - I'm not sure if that's how it's made here, but it didn't have that same frothy creamy taste I've had at other milk tea spots. The matcha flavor was pretty good, but the roasted oolong was super milky. Overall the drinks were decent, but there are plenty of other milk tea spots in Berkeley I'd hit up over Purple Kow. read more

I was in Berkeley during the summer with a couple friends before we marched in the Pride Parade. I am a fan of Berkeley and really wanted to try some new boba spots while I was in town. Thankfully, my friend's friend recommended we head over to Purple Kow for a treat. I walked in and saw a huge menu of their selection. I was impressed by what they had and wasn't sure what to get, but I ended up ordering a mango slush with boba in their larger cup. I should've gotten a milk tea or something of that sort because the mango slush was too much for me! But other than that, I enjoyed my drink and experience here. The employees are kind and will answer your questions nicely. I also like Purple Kow for their gender neutral bathroom too! But also, it's roomy and pretty cozy. There's a second floor for more seating choices. And there are tables big enough for one to work on their laptop or read a newspaper (that was me, OK), which is great for students. As for me, I will definitely try one of their milk teas next time I visit! read more

It is finally open after being told mid-April by Balboa staff. Today was the soft opening and there was already a huge crowd within minutes of word getting out. Sadly there was no roast oolong tea today so I was forced to get the next best thing which is peach oolong ice tea with grass jelly. Prices are higher here and so is the sales tax. There are no stamp cards or stamps yet but luckily I have one handy at all times. There are a few tables and chairs downstairs but there is an upstairs seating area. Snacks here are also more expensive but I will have to come back to try them. read more

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I like it here! The cups are GIANT and impossible for me to finish in a single sitting but that's okay, more for later! I like their honey boba and pudding -- delicious and hard to find in the other tapioca joints around town. Its tough for a lactose-intolerant girl like myself since they use real milk but I'll be back to try some additional flavors, despite my inevitable pains afterwards. read more

The Dish: The matcha green tea with green tea jelly is disgusting. I was sorely disappointed. Disclaimer: I'm from Southern California so boba there is A LOT better, but I was trying to be neutral going in. The Yokult Mango Iced Tea is good though. Although it's good, it's too sweet - it's diabetes in a cup. The boba isn't too bad here as well, but I definitely won't be making a visit again any time soon. Ambiance: It's also very far from campus so definitely not worth the trip. It's very small with two tables so there's always a line out the door. I'd say it's worth a try since there are mixed reviews, but to me, it's just not worth waiting that line for a mediocre/sub-par drink. read more

I didn't realize how much I craved Purple Kow until I moved just across the street and had to start physically and mentally restraining myself from stopping by on the way home from class. Compared to other boba places I have tried, Purple Kow isn't the best of the best, but it's more than enough to satisfy my cravings for something sweet and creamy. I usually get their Iced Milk drinks with boba, but I recently tried one of their mint milk drinks with Tcho chips and coffee pudding and I really enjoyed that. Their drinks are definitely on the sweeter side, so if you aren't a fan of extreme sweetness, I would recommend getting less sugar. In terms of their food, they do offer popcorn chicken and other fried snacks, but I tend to just stick to their drinks or fried zucchini sticks, if I'm craving something fried while I'm there. read more

I love their strawberry green tea with boba. The drinks are large, and come with plentiful amounts of boba. I think their cups are really cute -- they're really short and squat but don't fit into the average car cup holder. The servers are always fairly friendly, and service is relatively quick, depending on how many people are in line in front of you. I strongly suggest NOT going in around noon on school days, as there are usually a lot of noisy Berkeley High students who make the wait a lot longer. (Other times, the wait time is usually about 5 minutes to order and get your drink.) If you're a frequent visitor, get a stamp card -- buy 10 drinks, get the next one free (or is it buy 9, get the 10th free?) You'll probably have to ask the cashier for one though, since they don't usually offer them. I only knew that they had them because I saw the person in front of me in line had one. read more

The cup size is probably the only thing that bothers me, but overall the place does the job. The lines do get long. read more

The line was OK... service was not bad... nothing to complain about there. The drink was yummy! However, I think "half sugar" is still way too sweet probably because of the caramel they add to the iced milk. Tell them you want slightly sweetened (1/3 sugar) and it will taste perfect! read more

This is the best milk tea boba! I've tried several places and none compare to this one. Not too sweet, not too bland and the boba is just perfect! I even got out of a ticket because of this drink. I couldn't find parking so was parked in a loading zone to get one and the officer was so curious about the drink that I had to have that I didn't get a ticket. My only complaint is they need one in Walnut Creek! read more

I had heard so many good things about Purple Kow but I am so disappointed. We ordered 2 almond milk teas with 50% sugar. At first I really liked that they ask for sugar preferences, but despite asking for 50% it was still way too sweet. I can't even imagine how 100% sugar tastes- perhaps they mean it quite literally and you get a cup of 100% sugar. However, the sugar content was the least of my troubles. First of all I waited for 18 minutes for my drinks. I know it was 18 minutes because I had the time of order on my receipt. And then I only got the drinks because I went up to ask. When I walk up to the counter there close to 12 drinks just sitting there ready for customers to pick up but they weren't calling the numbers! The cashier hands me the drinks and they aren't even very cold- they were sitting on the counter long enough for all the ice to melt! And then I took my first sip...and what they meant by almond milk is a drink with artificial almond extract in it! Seriously! It was so overpowering and absolutely disgusting. I actually got a refund for my drinks. I've never asked for a refund at a coffee/tea shop before. But this was the most ridiculous experience that there was no way I was going to let them keep my $8. Now if I could only get the 20 minutes of my life back. read more

If you have ever had boba tea from Half and Half in the Los Angeles county, and are living in the San Francisco Bay Area, then you have found its match! Purple Kow is that good. Almond milk black tea with tapioca? Boom. Green tea with honey and grass jelly? Boom. It goes on. The place is also very nice looking. It's hip, with simple off white walls countered with a warm, analogous color scheme that lifts you up without that tacky "bright orange + bright yellow + bright green etc." look a lot of Asian boba places have. There's also a nice upstairs spot with 3 or 4 tables that are inviting for studies, informal meetings, informational interviews and hanging out. Seriously, try it, and congratulations for doing so. Word of advice to boba newbies: never order a boba anywhere without reducing the sweetness. (They have 6 options for that). It'll be sweet anyway, but that's just me. read more

Pros: friendly service Delicious, chewy boba and etc. Option to choose the amount of sugar in drinks Cons: parking can be difficult Annoying shape of cup doesn't fit in my car drink holder but that maybe just my problem..... read more

A wonderful selection of drinks, fun, and snacks to satisfy a sudden craving. The cups sizes are HUGE! And the drinks are good. If you need a quick boba hit, this is the place. read more

this place is indeed lack of customer service, flavor and way over priced! $6 for a Totally lack of flavor drink, not worth it. Should of stick with I-Tea. Ordered no ice drink, the guy said it will cost you extra 50 cents for no ice. I asked why weren't we charged last time? We didn't, perhaps the guy was nice guy, who knows. So when we told him we weren't charged last time, this guy said; "WHO?! who didn't charge you? They are suppose to! Who? Who didn't charge you?! Who?!!" Boy, this guy must be the owner or related to the owner or something...super demanding!!! Definitely don't need this kind of customer service around! Only pro is the location because we were craving for a boba drink and it was there. But will not return indeed. Not worth being harassed and a flavorless over priced drink! read more

I want to love Purple Kow. I really do, but the drinks here often make me feel somewhat ill after I drink them. Maybe it's has something to do with the portions or the sugar content, but I always feel a bit uneasy after I finish a drink form Purple Kow. I'm not fond of many of the menu items, but do have to admit that the Purple Kow Icemilk drinks are great. read more

Finally got to try this place. Came here a gazillion times in the past but it was closed. I ordered the roasted oolong milk tea. It was OK, nothing special. This place is over hyped. The drinks are way too big here, wish they had smaller sizes. Also the service is a little slow compared to other boba places I've been to. Space isn't well laid out, because they could add so many more seats and arranged the line better. Over, nothing special about this place. read more

Four stars just for the drink - my husband brought home a drink and I did not get a chance to scope out the store itself. Since it's late at night, he brought home a milk drink with no tea, boba, caramel and pudding. I tend to like my drinks on the sweet side, so I loved it! The boba was chewy and soft and cooked well. The pudding was good and so was the milk drink itself. Overall, it made a great first impression and it was good enough for me to make a mental note to go check out the store myself one day. I see other Yelpers compare it to Half and Half in SoCal, and I have to say that I personally thinkg Purple Kow serves up a better drink. read more

Similar to the branch in SF, this Purple Kow offers a wide variety of freshly made drinks. The tapioca balls are also on point and very chewy, and perfectly sweet at the same time. There is plentiful seating compared to SF due to the upstairs portion, which is conducive to hanging out with friends. Unfortunately, the wait for this Purple Kow (in line and also for your drink) is just as long as the wait in SF, so minus 1 star out of possible 5 for that. Great location and drink quality though - solid place to satisfy your boba cravings in Berkeley. read more

Despite their ice milk drinks being different than the ones I'm used to in SoCal where they're ice blended, I thought it was pretty good! I think I got the milk drink with boba, pudding, and caramel. It tasted quite similar to the ones I've had in SoCal so it was nothing too special I guess. If you're looking for something different besides milk teas, you should give their ice milk drinks a try! read more

Tons of great tea options. I got the B1 with boba and normal sweetness. It was refreshing, creamy, and sweet. It could have been colder, but it was a huge tub for pretty cheap. Definitely a good place for some boba tea. read more

This place rocks! I heard so much about Purplekow from friends that this was the perfect stop before going to the Greek Theater to see Sara Bareilles. I wish there was one by me in downtown San Francisco (hint hint to Purplekow to open one in downtown SF or Japantown please!). These drinks are HUGE - it's like a bowl, no a bucket. I had to hold it with two hands! I sipped my lychee black tea with 100% sugar boba allll throughout the concert and thensome! I had to go pee once during the show because of it, but it was worth it LOL! It was soooo good as the tea was tasty and I loved the sweetness of the boba against it with bits of lychee too! Next time I am in Berkeley, I am definitely going to stop by! read more

The chubby containers are so cute. I recommend their regular pearl milk tea, it has the right amount of everything.

Love this place. It's a great afternoon pick me up! I've never had bubble tea taste this good before I tried Purple Kow..A must try with or without the boba, it's delish. Yummm read more