I found this place because it's in the same general area as the BJ's club I stop at for gas because it's effectively the end of the sprawling suburbia of Northern Virginia. The menu was quite impressive and had markings for which items had dairy. I went for a special option with fresh grapes at the bottom. I recall to another place where I got a grape tea that had weird artificial flavor, but this one tasted fresh and fruity. The milky cap it came with actually detracted from the fruit tea flavor, if anything. However, the option certainly existed to construct a tea differently. read more

RareTea - Duo Grape Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

You get your moneys worth and some!! For the size and quality. 10/10! Always consistent. read more

RareTea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

The space is well lit with natural light, clean, and it smells delicious as soon as you walk in. The menu has plenty of great options including coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk for those who are dairy-free. I ordered the brown sugar boba with coconut milk and it was amazing. I also ordered the mango mochi which was the perfect amount of sweet. The employees were friendly and helpful, I will be back! read more

RareTea - Caramelized brown sugar boba fresh milk with coconut milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

I stumbled upon RareTea when I was heading to lunch. I saw that they had Jasmine Milk Tea and had to try it- the jasmine was super fragrant, and I appreciate that the default creamer is dairy free! The actual shop is fairly small, but there is enough free parking! The employee who took my order was very informative of which drinks were the most popular and was very accommodating. Would recommend everyone to come here and try their teas! read more

We have stopped by here for bubble tea a few times. Their tea really tastes like tea and isn't watered down. We think our favorite flavor id the Okinawa tea. Their bubble teas aren't very sweet, which is a good thing because sometimes places make them sweet when you specify half sugar or low sweetness. read more

Refreshing! It was a haute day when I stopped in. Staff were nice, nice outdoor shops in Gainesville Gateway. Tea I had was not too sweet and had too many(much) boba inapposite to my liking but taste wise-simple and clean. I like it! Perfect for hot weather! read more

RareTea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

We stopped by here on our way back home from Luray Caverns! This boba shop was in a really nice outdoor mall with lots of shops from LOFT to Smash Burger! There were a ton of cool shops and places to eat that I'd love to try the next time we're in the area. This boba shop was clean and decorated with modern, refreshing plants, marble and wood furniture, and cute aesthetic stuffed animals on their shelves and counters. They even have a very pristine looking bathroom that's available for customers! I wanted to give a shout-out to Dannie who helped us on 6/26/2024 in the afternoon/evening. Dannie was so sweet and helpful, and gave us bags to carry our drinks easier on our road trip. Her coworkers were kind and friendly, too, but we had most of our interactions with her at the cash register :) Would give her individually 5 stars if I could! The drinks themselves were also really good, ranging from $5.50-6.50 per drink before toppings, which is pretty standard. I ordered the Strawberry Berry Snow Cream drink with lychee jelly and it really hit the spot! We also ordered Thai Tea, Mango Smoothie, and Mango Green Tea. The boba was chewy and freshly made, and the crystal boba was good as well. We even bought a couple cute pins they had in a display case next to the cashier. For $0.50 topping add-on, they give sooo much, which felt really worth it. They also have such a wide variety of drinks (milk teas, fruit teas, smoothies, etc -- there's something for everyone!), snacks, desserts, and even merchandise! All in all, I really loved that we were able to give RareTea a try and hopefully we can come by again the next time we're in town! I'm picky with my boba shops and I thought this one was very well worth it with the bonus of being served by super friendly staff and being in a clean, aesthetically pleasing boba shop near other fun shops to explore :) read more

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I love toppings , so I often pay extra order boba and coconut noodles. But I fell like they give me haft boba and haft noodles. JUST A LITTLE BOBA AND LITTLE COCONUT NOODLES. First time I am ok. But I ordered again and again, they still don't give me enough toppings. I'm annoyed! I and my kids love to come 1-2 times a week, but we don't come back anymore. read more

Best bubble tea around! The staff are very friendly and don't mind requested changes to the drinks. We love going there!

Tried out the Thai milk tea, orange passion grapefruit tea and mango smoothie. Thai milk tea was just ok. A little weak but not terrible. The orange passion grapefruit was refreshing like another reviewer mentioned. The mango smoothie was amazing considering I set the sweetness at 25%. Two thumbs up for that alone. Overall I'm happy there's a boba place out here with reasonable prices. read more

Soo happy that there is a boba tea place out in Gainesville! The inside of RareTea is really cute and the staff there is helpful as well if you have any questions. You can either order at a kiosk or order at the counter if you want a more personable experience! We really enjoyed the boba as it was chewy and not hard as a rock like it has been at other boba places. The kiwi fruit tea is a little sour and not too sweet.. would definitely want to go back and try more drinks on the menu! read more

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TL;DR: Great new boba place in Gainesville! FINALLY, a good/dedicated boba shop in Gainesville. So glad this spot opened up! This is located in the shopping center near the movie theater. Nice spot to stop by after grabbing lunch or dinner. The inside is nice, spacious, and very clean. Lots of seating options indoor and outdoor (as weather permits). You can order at the counter after looking at the menu above, but they also have a tablet you can order and pay from. DRINKS: ~Mango Green Tea (5/5): Good mango and tea flavor, and boba was perfectly chewy ~Grapefruit Green Tea (5/5): I got zero sugar, and it was perfect with the boba. Nice and tart. Definitely a great addition! Hopefully one day, they will add some snacks to their menu :) read more

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RareTea is now open in Gainesville! I stopped by today to check out the opening of RareTea - a new boba tea shop in Gainesville. There was a line of ~25 people around the grand opening (12PM), but it moved really quickly. The staff did a great job taking orders and clarifying when needed (for example - the strawberry tea comes in milk tea or fruit tea). They were super careful to make sure your order was correct; great attention to detail! I ordered the brown sugar milk tea and the kiwi fruit tea with aiyu jelly. Both were delicious and the boba was so fresh. My friend got the strawberry fruit tea and a mango green tea; his were really good as well. The inside of the store is super modern, clean, and would be a great place to hang out for a little while enjoying your drink. There are tables and chairs outside as well. Overall, this is an awesome addition to the boba scene in Gainesville. When I'm in the area and feeling like having boba, I'll be sure to stop by. read more

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Super excited a new tea place opened at VA Gateway in Gainesville. The grand opening today is bogo tea until 6pm. I first tried Rare Tea through my friend who ordered their DIY products online. There was a line, but they had plenty of staff to help the line move. There are so many different tea options on their menu so I had a hard time deciding what to get. I ended up ordering a Mango Milk Tea, Thai Milk Tea and Passion Orange & Grapefruit Tea. Mango milk tea had fresh mango puree which was such a delight. Their boba is soft and chewy. The Thai Milk Tea was a perfect blend of sweet and creamy. I really enjoy how the tea flavor stands out even under all the flavors and sweetness. The Passion Orange & Grapefruit Tea was very refreshing. I will definitely be back to try the other flavors! read more

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My favorite boba shop! I really love how accommodating the sweetness options are because I do not love sugary drinks. I gave actually tried a lot of different boba and they are all so good! Highly recommend! read more

It's rare that I say this about a boba spot but THIS PLACE IS DELICIOUS (see what I did there)! This has to be my #1 spot now for bubble tea in the area. It's located in Gainesville, VA which is 45 minutes away from me (this makes me very sad) but I'll definitely visit here whenever I'm in area. I ordered the Mango Milk Tea (they use non-dairy milk for milk teas) and it tasted like a mango creamsicle. They use mango purée and not the powdered packets which makes the drink fresh and no preservatives. The boba pearls were soft and chewy! I finished my drink in 5 minutes, it didn't even make it to the MD border. The staff were friendly and quick to make my drink. I will definitely be back very soon! read more

RareTea - Mango Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

This is probably on my top 3 of fav boba spots! The tea smells so good! Tastes natural and doesn't taste like it's made from powder. The milk actually tastes fresh and refreshing. If you like your milk tea with a strong tea flavor/scent then this is the place for you. I often reduce my sugar for other spots, but for this place, I order 100% sweet and it turns out perfect. My personal fav would be the jasmine milk tea (not pictured here). The place is smol, nothing special inside. Service is always good here. read more

RareTea - Lychee tea, coffee milk tea, and black milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Nice clean place to get any drink from smoothies to tea base. Service is good. My choice of drink is frozen mango. Simple good average price ranging from $5.75 to $6.00. No food all drinks. 0verall 4/5 read more

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Good Taro milk tea! Will come back! Percent amount of ice, not too much, perfect amount of the boba and sweetness. read more

I love bubble tea and have tried a decent number of places, so very happy to see another shop open up in the area! and I love it! The bubble tea is delicious! Personally find the regular sugar to be just right here, not overly sweet. One thing I love is the ice, they use the small chip pieces so most of your drink is actually drink, not ice! The cups are also made of the nice hard plastic. And the straws are very durable too! Weird things but they stand out to me. I of course had to get my favorite, Thai milk tea, in order to compare to other shops and it is great! I also tried their signature Okinawa milk tea and it's also very good! Will be back very often! read more

RareTea - a coffee cup with a straw on a table - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Horrible customer service! Their service and food quality has declined! If i could, i'd give it 0 stars. Save your money!!

Hubby and I were craving some bubble tea and we came across this place whilst walking around. It's a cute, casual bubble tea shop. We were still deciding what to get and it was late in the evening so I was trying to avoid caffeine. The employee there patiently answered my questions and I was happy to find that their taro smoothie didn't have any caffeine so I went with that one. My husband got their Thai Tea. We both enjoyed our drinks. Next time we decider we were going to try their mochi ice cream. Staff was really nice. read more

RareTea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

First, the drinks: a wide variety of choices that are different from other chain tea shops I have seen. The size of the drink is a bit smaller than other places, but the quality is excellent. The boba never taste like they've been sitting or like they've dried out. The service is pretty quick, considering how busy they get. They have kiosk ordering if you don't want to wait in line, and they have a rewards program. The inside is on the small side, but it's well lit and clean. Overall, would recommend. read more

Such a cute boba tea shop! I LOVE all the varieties of flavors they offered! Plus the cashier was very helpful in helping us choose! Thank you!! read more

Finally, a quality bubble tea place in Gainesville! I've gone here a few times the past few months, and each time I'm delighted with my drink. It's a great after dinner pick me up, especially with all the dinner choices around in the shopping area read more

My new go to place to get a bubble tea that actually has flavor and not on the bland side!! I have tried a few of the teas from here but you never can go wrong with th OG (Thai boba tea).There aren't many tables in the establishment but there is still a few seats if you want to have a quick date. I recommend this spot because their teas actually have flavor and the Boba bubbles aren't stale. read more

We always get the Taro smoothie and it's our favorite. Sadly my husband and I both got one today and it hardly had any taste and was very icy, not a smoothy at all. I returned them both. Not enjoyable. read more

Great new spot! My son and I really enjoyed it and the staff was knowledgeable about everything.

Nice place to go with friends in your free time. It's a little pricey but, that's ok.

I've been here several times now and have enjoyed working my way through their boba menu. Everything has been delicious so far. Recently had their tea-pressos and loved the strong tea flavor. Very easy to order, and short wait times too. read more

RareTea - Thai tea and Okinawa milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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I love rare tea. This is my favorite place to get boba, but there has been a decent amount of times where I order extra boba and I don't get the extra amount and it kind of disappoints me seeing as I drive about 25 minutes to get there, and sometimes get boba 3 times a week. Sometimes the drinks taste different too, but I still love their boba, and the customer service is lovely, but I wish I could get the extra boba I paid for. read more

RareTea - Here is what I ordered paid extra money for boba went home. they need to pay more attention with people's orders. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

I am so excited there is a bubble tea place in Gainesville finally! I just tried this place today and I am quite impressed. The inside is modern and clean looking. It was pretty busy for a Tuesday afternoon. I ordered the Rose Matcha Latte with oat milk and no ice. Even though I didn't love the drink I got, I did like it better than some other bubble tea places. The matcha is strong so if you don't like a strong matcha flavor I wouldn't recommend it. I do wish there was more rose in my drink. I was a little disappointed with the amount of rose they put it. Overall though I did like what I ordered and will definitely come back to try out more of their drinks! read more

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Came here after work to pickup some boba for my daughter and I. Service was absolutely awful, slow, and thankless. Got a lychee fruit tea with aloe and it was literally just ice water with a tiny bit of aloe in the bottom. Grumpy workers and tasteless drinks? No thanks, kokee tea is levels better than this dump. read more

Absolutely thrilled to have a boba tea shop closer to home! Not only that but RareTea does not disappoint. The flavors I've tried so far were tasty (taro milk tea, peach black tea) and the boba serving was more generous than many other places. Look forward to coming back for my fix soon! read more

I Love, love, love it! Everything my family has ordered has been really good. I like that they offer different levels of sweetener, since I don't like things too sweet. You can really personalize and have fun customizing your drink and they offer dairy alternatives if you need that. read more

I was very pleasantly surprised! We got a coffee boba and Strawberry Berry Smoothtea. Both were actually delicious! The boba were fresh and both drinks were flavorful and not made from powders (my pet peeve). I think this place is relatively new; fingers crossed they keep up the quality! Recommended! read more

My wife was all pumped that a boba place was finally opening in Gainesville, so we went to check it out the other night. I had a Thai tea with bobas and it really tasted great! She had a Okinawa milk tea with bobas and loved it (although I can't speak to that one, as it's not my go to flavor). However, we both thought the bobas were excellent. They were chewy and well cooked. Prices were normal and service was friendly. Open to updating as appropriate as I have more drinks, but as of this visit both our drinks were great! read more

The staff is super sweet and the drinks are so great! So excited to have something different close by!

I love boba!!! They make delicious drinks here. I am still working on trying all of them but I haven't found one that I didn't enjoy. So far the Thai milk tea is my favorite! My kiddos love it too. read more

Favorite Boba Tea ever! Their Rose Spring Tea is amazing and tastes like rose petals.