I grabbed a drink at Purple Kow last week on my way to class. It's an average boba spot turning out decent drinks. The interior is clean and well-lit, and there are a few tables to sit and sip. Several menu options were out when I went, though the service was friendly. The boba itself? I got a black milk tea with tapioca, which is my go-to drink. It was lightly sweet, although a little too weak for my taste. The tapioca pearls were bland, and a little too chewy for my taste. (I prefer mine sweeter.) All in all, it's the sort of spot I would go to if I was in the area, but I wouldn't make a trip out for it. read more

This place is fab. HUGE cups of bobba....how can you not like this place? I am a jelly/bobba fanatic and am working on exploring all if not most of the menu!! read more

I'm honestly a boba addict & Purple Kow is high up there on my list. I ONLY get one drink here & it's D3. It's so good!!! I highly recommend it. When I tell my friends to get it they love it as much as I do. It's a bit on the sweeter side but if you have a sweet tooth like me then 100% (regular) sugar hits the spot every time. read more

There are so many boba places in Berkeley now xD Drinks/price: hm honestly I don't see what's so special about this place :( and it's definitely not good enough to be NorCal's version of Half & Half except that they have chubby cups, but I guess a lot of other places now have them too. The tea here is pretty strong; sometimes I feel like I can't sleep if I drink the whole cup. I personally like the tea crema's and the flavored green/black teas because some of those drinks actually include real fruits :). The milk teas are very average to me, and I seriously don't understand the obsession with iced milk drinks. I might as well be drinking cereal milk but with more calories. There are many topping choices, but i don't think they strain the toppings, so the drink ends up tasting like whatever topping you get, if that makes sense. I guess the price is reasonable for the amount that you get? I honestly kinda forgot, but I'd rather it be cheaper and have a normal sized cup Environment/service: I love the design of this place! Exactly how I would imagine a boba place to look, modern, clean, and cute, and it's pretty cool how it's located in downtown berkeley. There's plenty of space to sit and hangout, and I like that you can sit upstairs, away from where everyone is ordering and waiting for their drinks. However, I tried to study here once, but there's no wifi, don't do it! Also, I've had pretty good service here :) read more

My girlfriend often tries something different, so I've tried a lot of the drinks. But nothing has ever been able to separate me from my one other true love (that isn't my girlfriend) - the iced milk drink (D3 on the menu). It's so good, I don't even think that any language can possibly have words to describe it accurately. You should get it. Really. Just do it. Make sure you specify half sweet, though, because every drink on the menu is as sweet as soda... read more

The girl who answered the phone is a complete idiot. I simply ask if they take orders over the phone and she could not comprehend simple English. When repeatedly asked she then said that "they're not here right now". Who isn't here? The business? I was just there yesterday! Then finally when she talks to me like I'm the retard, "weeee doooo nooot". Glad you treat your customers like sh!t over the phone. If the owner is reading this, you should fire this person. read more

Came again. still too sweet. the cash register person took a 10 minute break after us and seemed to piss off other customers.

This place is TERRIBLE. I ordered a peach slushie with micro sugar and my boyfriend ordered the same with strawberry. We got the drinks and they were the sweetest most saccharine things I've ever tasted. Mine tasted like they'd ground up canned peaches with corn syrup with ice and his just tasted like red sugar. When I inquired about the content and sugar levels with the cashier, she was rude and refused to help. In the end, I wasted TEN dollars because the stuff was undrinkable. If I could give this place 0 stars I would. Not customer focused at all. read more

i love the size of the cups they have and love the atmosphere when i arrived. RECOMMENDED FOR BOBA ENTHUSIAST :)

I came back one year since my last visit, since I thought, "Well. It's been a year. Maybe things change." Things were different this time, but not in a good way. I saw that they offered the Oriental Pop tea as milk tea, so I decided to try it out, since I was feeling something very simple. I knew what I wanted but I wanted to be sure my knowledge was correct, so I asked the clerk, "What kind of tea is Oriental Beauty?" The woman looked kind of taken aback that I was asking. "Is it a green tea or an oolong?" I offered. Some back and forth with the shift supervisor, and then I find out nobody in the shop knows what kind of tea it is. I get it, these people aren't paid enough to care, but honestly, even baristas making minimum wage at cafes know their coffee. If a business selling a product and, their employees should have basic knowledge of the product or at the very least put a quick short description of it on the menu or somewhere around the place. Other boba places in Bay have little menus describing the tea or even have the loose leaf tea on display in little jars, so I don't think this is too much to ask for. It wouldn't have been that big a deal that the staff on hand didn't know what type of tea they serve on the special tea menu, but the staff was kind of standoffish to me about. I guess I was asking for too much? I am willing to accept that maybe I was being a finicky customer at like 10 pm at night, but if you're in service, you're job is to be pleasant. If someone asks something that's well within the confines of your job, you should just do it. Unless that person's being an asshole. Which I wasn't, as far as I can tell. I ordered my drink. Oriental beauty, milk tea, 25% sugar. The clerk had a soft voice and I had a lot of trouble hearing her. I was distracted by the shenanigans with the whole "we don't know what kind of tea that is", that I forgot to ask for no ice. Then I get my drink, it has ice. Okay. That was my bad. I ask if I can get a new drink or something, oh no, i can't do that because with no ice is $.50 more, not even if i pay the difference?, no that's a whole new drink, okay, fine, thanks, I understand. I'm a little bummed at myself, since I can't stand having ice in my drink. My teeth are really sensitive to cold things. Also, I can't stand when my drinks taste watered down. Fortunately, my friend suggested I get a new cup and pour my drink into the cup. Cool, my friend saved me from throwing away my drink or giving it away. She asks for the cup, the staff looks bewildered that she is doing this, even after my friend explains what it's for. She gets me the cup, but honestly, this whole transaction is just giving me bad vibes. Like, I'm not sure I want to come back here, unless my drink is really really good. Then I finally try my drink. Take a sip. It tastes like straight up tea and milk, no sugar. Check my receipt. It definitely says 25% sweet. I don't think 5 minutes is enough time for ice to melt to dilute my drink that much. Maybe different boba places have different sweetness levels and Purple Kow's sweetness level is just really low. Whatever the reason, it's okay. I'm never coming back here, which I'm sure the staff here are okay with, since they didn't like all the questions I was asking anyway, so no feelings hurt, no fires burning down bridges, or anything dramatic. read more

Last time I came here I ordered the roast oolong milk tea and it was so good. This time, I ordered their new rose oolong milk tea with boba. I was so excited, I was rushing to get here before they closed, but the moment I took a sip, I tasted a strange sour taste. It tasted like something spoiled, and I don't know what it was. I'm guessing there was something that spoiled in the milk or boba. I can't finish it due to the sour taste. I'm really upset; I drove all the way over here expecting something as great as last time and I got a bad drink. I really hope I won't get sick... read more

The drinks are amazing. I have been going to Quickly for months, but I have found my new favorite place. I had the D7 and it was the best drink I've ever had. I would have given this place 5 stars, but there were a few things I didn't like. The drinks are a bit pricey. Especially compared to Quickly. It takes a long time for them to make the drink. The thing I disliked the most is that they make the drinks behind a wall. I don't like that I can't see them making it. I enjoy the comfort that I can watch the employee making my drink at Quickly. They need to find a way to take that wall down. read more

Sighhh.... purple kow, what a disappointment. How long I've waited to taste you. Regular milk tea isn't as good as I expected. No mini tapioca. The chicken isn't popcorn style. The pieces are big. There's no love in this pearl drink. The cashier, homegirl, could definitely use some enthusiasm. Thanks for the experience Purple Kow. Ttfn ‍ read more

Pearls are good, tea has good flavor. I get no sugar added to my tea, because the pearls are sweet enough. The tea isn't too strong, and I'd prefer if it were stronger. I've gotten their standard B1 (milk tea with black tea and pearls) and their mango green tea (except I went around closing time and they didn't have green tea anymore so I got black tea). The portion is huge, and I wish they had smaller cups. I don't get the drink sometimes even though I would like one because I just ate dinner and can't finish the huge drink. It's quite expensive for a drink, although the portions are quite big. Recently I tried their F5, which was milk tea with pudding and jelly. It was pretty good, although pearls (boba) would probably make it better. I found out that once you get your 10 stamps on the stamp card, there's no limit on how much your free drink costs. I ordered F5, and the cashier asked whether I wanted to upgrade for free. That's pretty cool! read more

We went to the Lawrence Hall of Science and found this on Yelp. This boba shop had a funny name which intrigued us. The cups they serve the drinks in was short and wide compared to other tea places. I tried the green tea with honey, lychee jelly, and green tea jelly(first time having green tea jelly). Loved my drink. The portion on the toppings and rhe drink itself was generous. My husband got a black tea crema with lychee and green tea jelly, too. Well come back if ever in that part of town. read more

Purple Kow is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Their drinks are delicious as well as affordable. Their menu is long, with many things to choose from and their seating area is delightful, you can stay inside or enjoy some fresh air outside. The only downside would be the fact that it is around many schools (not that kids are bad) but if you go during lunch hour it will be very packed, also because it's such a busy area it could be a tad bit hard to find parking. Overall, Purple Kow is a place EVERYONE needs to try because everyone will love it. read more

My new favorite boba place! I get the caramel milk tea with pudding and pearls. I've been opting for half the pudding and micro sugar but may ask for no sugar and half boba the next time I go in. Quick and so so delicious! read more

I'm all for quirky cafes & drink places, so I really enjoyed Purple Kow! Not sure how I feel about the chubby cups though...they're really not that ergonomic and make me feel like I'm consuming way more than I should. Still, I love all the choices and the decor of the place. There's some cute and modern seating upstairs. The classic milk tea with boba was pretty good...not too sweet, which is the way I like it. read more

I used to think boba shops were all created equal, but after Purple Kow I realize I was wrong! Their tapioca is lightly sweetened and the texture is just right. Firm, but chewy. Not soggy at all like some of the lesser shops in the Bay. Their menu is fairly traditional - lots of milk teas and a few slushes. I had the honey milk tea and would highly recommend it! read more

I love their modern decorations, but the place was cramped not by people, but by walls. Tight space. My first time here, had the green grass jelly milk tea wasn't bad but didn't really like the jelly, pearls was ok. Overall nothing special just a average boba place around the street of Berkeley read more

Whenever I'm downtown Berkeley, I absolutely HAVE to go here and get my Boba on! The drinks are very good, and the service is okayish and fast...depending upon how many students there are in line lol! The price is very good! I usually get a medium sized drink for less than $4! A warning...if you order light boba...they don't give you light boba. They still give you a LOT! read more

While the tea is affordable compared to other boba spots in the area, it is sub-par. I have tried a multitude of their teas, green and black with varying flavoring, but been fairly unimpressed with most of them. The size of the cup is wonderful, though, especially if you need something to fuel you through a long study session. I recommend this place if you don't have a ton of money but want a lot of tea (and you don't really mind the taste). read more

Boba done right. Purple Kow cups are wide bottomed, allowing for maximum boba or red bean yumminess. Moreover, it's so big that you will still have some by the time you get to class! Try the fresh strawberry slush! read more

This brightly lighted convenient and quick boba shop really does make an impression- not many boba places are supposed to be two stories and have sugar level options, yet it does. Although many boba shops have a wide variety of options, this one serves with quality. Light snacks may not be there strongest point, but it's location to popular food places makes it a go to place for a drink. Note that the bathroom and tables aren't really looked upon the employees. read more

One of the best boba I've had! I ordered the purplekow iced milk drink with grass jelly and boba and it was big enough for two. We got it with 50% sweetness, and it was still pretty sweet. read more

I am a fan! One thing I love so far is the consistency! I've been to many boba places and it's good one day or a few times then it's off and the rollercoaster starts again! I've been here 4 times now and each time the boba was soft and chewy but not too soft or too chewy! The tea have great flavor and you can actually taste the tea! I did wish they had Thai tea but there are a lot of choices to choose from! The grass jelly is lightly sweetened, only wish it was cut up smaller for a better tea to jelly ratio but still tasty! I wish they would have a little more description on some of the not so typical drinks or at least smaller sizes so I can be a little more adventurous and not feel like I wasted a behemoth sized drink if I didn't like it. But over all it is my new favorite place! Wish parking was better but if you go with a friend or makes it more manageable! read more

I use to think their stout cups were the greatest things in the world. After trying to drink one entirely on my own, I am not so sure about that! The drinks here are extremely sweet, to the point where I feel like the drink must be hiding an entire measuring cup of dissolved sucrose. They do offer three levels of sweetness and I personally would recommend going for the lowest level. I will give them credit for having a very extensive menu that offers a lot of different additions besides boba. I just ordered my usual matcha milk green tea with boba and enjoyed it till about the halfway mark, then it started tasting too lukewarm for comfort. A lot of people go crazy over this place though so I would say it is worth a try for boba enthusiasts. I might go back to try some of the other toppings, but next time I will definitely remember to split it with someone else. The portions are large and the price is not cheap for boba ($4/$5). read more

Purple Kow - Match green milk tea with boba - Desserts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I like this Purple Kow over the SF one because the line is not so outrageous. It makes the drink taste a lot better knowing that you did not have to wait 2 hours for it. I usually share the ice milk with caramel, pudding and boba. There is wayyyyyy too much sugar in this drink, but that makes it good :). I must add that I do share because not only is there a lot of sugar, but there is just a ton of liquid. Overall, I wouldn't make it a habit of coming here, but more of an annual event haha. read more

This place got me addicted to boba!!! Amazing love all their fresh teas-- try the fresh lime plum! Much better quality then any other place in Berkeley -- surprised they don't have higher stars on yelp! read more

Server took five minutes finding my drink on the screen after inputting the wrong order and messing up the first time and then going "oh are you sure you don't mean this drink?" Peach QQ is a thing okay read more

The honey boba here is great. I've tried the D1 and B10. I preferred the milk teas here and the matcha green tea with fresh milk was very good. If you're not sure what type if milk is used ask the staff as I didn't know they used powdered soy in some and milk in others. I also tried their version of popcorn chicken and it was good. They have a lot of seating upstairs with funky orange chairs. read more

My personal favorite is the Milk Tea with Caramel, Grass Jelly, and Boba. The drinks can be a bit on the sweeter side, so take that in mind when you order (the staff is very nice about taking orders for reduced sugar levels)! Overall the drinks are very good and the decor makes it a bit of a higher end boba place- much better than many other Berkeley boba spots for sure! read more

This has got to be my new fave place for boba. I get the iced milk drink with caramel, pudding, and boba. I crave these so much and wish it wasn't so hard to find parking in downtown Berkeley. But the pudding is just so unique that I don't mind the hassle of parking. And a plus is that they take card---A rarity for boba places. read more

Love purple kow! I always go to the one in... Balboa? I think and everything is always right on point. But.... This branch wasn't that good. I couldn't even finish it because the boba tasted really bad. Over cooked it. I got my regular, the frothy milk with grass jelly and boba. Yahhhh... I don't think I would wanna go back to this location. The interior itself was pretty nice. I loved sitting upstairs and talking to my friend but that was about it. Hope they shape up because this place should be filled with ppl... There was literally no one in there sadly =[ read more

They ran out of boba by the time I was there to order a drink. The drinks itself are okay, though pretty diluted for my taste. I got the passion fruit green tea with half sweetness and no ice. It's nice that I really got no ice and the drink wasn't too sweet so it was good. I don't like how they only offer one size, and it's awkwardly wide. Makes it strange to hold it.. Really not sure why they do that, but I'm surprised it fits in a typical size car cup holder. This hole in the wall has like no indoor seating on the first floor. There is however a 2nd floor that you can hang out at. read more

I like coming here if I'm in the mood for boba and don't feel like going too far. The tea here is decent and they have good chicken. Plus you get a lot for your money. It's not the best tea place ever, but certainly not the worst! It's actually a lot better than most tea places that I've been to. read more

This isn't like Quickly or TapEx where they have a big ol menu with a million and one things to choose from. I was hella confused when I walked into Purple Kow for the first time. Like, there's so many different types of drinks (crema?? I was like wth is that??) Anyways, I decided just to be plain Jane and get a milk tea like I always do at tapioca places. To me, you can't go wrong with a milk tea but you CAN go wrong with boba. Their boba is good! Soft and gooey on the outside and not hard at all on the inside. If I were in the berkeley area i would def stop by! read more

Went here on a Monday night at around 7:45 pm and literally walked up to the register. That was awesome because I am used to waiting in lines that stretch out the door for the one in San Francisco! The service was quick and the boba tasted fresh. Personally, I haven't found a flavor that I like on the menu yet, but I may keep trying if this is the only boba place around. They offer large cups which is great if you like your drink, but a little bit of a hassle if you're driving and have no cup holder to put it in. There are many options to choose from between the different flavored teas and topping choices, so I'll keep trying. read more

Been wanting to try this boba place for awhile. I got their fresh mango green tea and roast oolong milk tea. I like the fresh mango green tea, the sweetness was just right, not over whelming. It was very refreshing, although the mango pieces was a little sour, but it balance with the tea really well. The roast oolong milk tea my friend said it was good. But to me the tea was not strong enough. One more thing on the side, the cashier girl was a little rude. Overall, I would come back again! read more

Drinks always come out really quickly here! There's also a good variety of toppings, but combined with the really large size of the drinks, it can be a bit much. For the milk based drinks always cut down on sugar (go for 0-25%). In terms of quality, the milk tea is average. read more