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Seattle Best Tea

4.5 (693 reviews)
Open • 10:30 am - 8:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago
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SEATTLE BEST TEA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Seattle Best Tea

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Outside
Nadine C.

Refreshing beverage in Seattle, Washington... We were walking around when we saw this boba shop near the Large Gate at the entrance to Chinatown. My niece suggested that we see if this place was actually Seattle Best Tea. The interior was crowded, so we thought that it must be a popular place. There were people standing in line and a small group sitting in the back of the shop. Service was efficient and polite. I was told that wintermelon tea cannot be served hot. That's ok... I can drink it with less ice on a chilly, cloudy afternoon. Since toppings were free, I got rainbow jelly. Yay! Thank you! We'll be back if we're in the area again!

Wei H.

Fresh tea. I saw the whole wall of tea leaf jars I knew the tea would be good. The staff was very friendly and efficient. I didn't get any boba or topping. The tea was authentic with strong aroma. The staff poured the hot water on the leafs and soaked it a bit to ensure the taste. It's a very fine line between getting the aroma and getting so bitter. He did a great job.

Passion fruit green tea
Samantha C.

So fresh!! They know what they're doing. We got the mango green tea and the passion fruit green tea and both were incredible! The tea flavor is intense and you can tell it's freshly brewed. There's also unlimited toppings!! What!! That itself deserves a 5-star. We didn't get any toppings and the tea was great on its own!

Michelle S.

I am very confused on all these 5 star reviews. I came here in the afternoon with my boyfriend. I got the lychee green tea, less sweet, less ice with lychee jelly and he got either the mango or passion fruit green tea, regular sweetness and less ice. Both our drinks tasted water down, barely any tea flavor. Service was disappointing, I felt as though the worker was having a rough day and looked like they hated their job. I'm giving it 2 stars because we also ordered the ube ice cream which was decent. Don't think I'd come back to this business.

Menu Nov 2025
Kyle T.

TLDR: My favorite boba in the Seattle area. Great drinks, fair prices, amazing service, cozy/authentic vibe, locally owned Drinks: I've never had a bad drink here from their milk teas to their fruit/standard teas. Drinks are adjustable in ice + sweetness (75, 50, 25, 0) and all toppings are free Price: While having gone up in the past few years, prices are fair for Seattle and all toppings are complimentary with your drink. That means no +1 or +75 on top of your drinks. Also, they have a stamp card system where you can buy 10 and get 1 free across both the ID + UW locations. Service: The staff here is extremely kind and knowledgeable about the menu. No matter how busy the store gets they have always been patient and genuine. Ambiance: The look of the store hasn't changed in the 5+ years I've gone here. There are tea barrels lining the back wall and the overall vibe in decorations screams community and culture. 5/5 stars, only wished the ID location opened later (closes at 8), but sometimes if I really want boba I'll go to their UW store (closes at 10)

Menu
Casey I.

My husband and I were walking around Chinatown. We wanted a sweet treat after lunch and found this boba shop. The ambiance was cute and quaint, small and clean. On the walls, there were articles about the boba shop. The service was good, the man was friendly and advised me which drink to pick. I ordered lychee black tea with boba, 50% sweet. The tea was great, not too sweet or bitter. The boba was soft and chewy, not too firm. I would come back when visiting Seattle!

Jasmine Milk Tea Ice Cream
Christine L.

Was visiting Seattle and craving boba, but when I saw their ice cream flavors I had to switch! Got the jasmine tea ice cream- which had such a strong jasmine flavor it tasted like a flower, in the best way! Also tried the ube, milk tea, and dragonfruit ice creams- all delicious! Price is also super reasonable at under $5 for a small (and you can get two flavors!). It's also a very generous small- they give you a ton of ice cream! Honestly this place needs to come to New York- would give Chinatown ice cream factory a run for their money. Service was also super sweet and helpful. No seating inside.

Kiwi Fruit Flavored Sweet Tea with Aiyu Jelly
Makenzie D.

Super convenient stop for bubble tea in the international district! Located just across the street from the light rail, Seattle Best was a perfect stop for a refreshing fruit tea on the way to a Sounder's game. The kiwi fruit tea was decently sweet, and the aiyu jelly was light, a bit lemony, and super refreshing. All of their teas are super customizable, and their toppings are included, which I haven't seen at many shops! Overall a great place to stop for a bubble tea. I'll definitely be back to try their milk tea.

Emily Z.

Solid black milk tea. Got 50% sweet. About $7. Quick and friendly service. Not much seating inside, more of a grab and go place. Will be back!

Outside
Felinn A.

Was looking for a quick caffeine pick me up and this was the spot. It's in the heart of Chinatown right next to the gate. They have a wide array of drinks and ice cream to offer as well. I ordered a heavy oolong milk tea with coffee jelly for about $7. Fast service and good flavor on the drink, a little on the sweeter side. Easy place to walk in, order, and take it to go. Appeared to be a good local staple as they had pictures of all the people and customers they serviced! Felt homey inside like your typical mom and pop's shop.

Drink
Albert T.

We visited Seattle Best Tea as our last stop on the Small Business Food Walk for the 2 for $6 milk teas. This shop has a very homey feel, almost as if it were originally a traditional tea lounge opened decades ago, then converted partially into boba and ice cream shop maybe 15 or 20 years ago. My guess is this is probably the very first boba shop in the CID, very similar to something like a Ten Ren in other Asian American-heavy regions. Black Milk Tea, 50% Sweet ($3) - This drink comes with boba. Everything seems to be mixed by hand at Seattle Best Tea, with no particular regard to drink consistency and repeatability. They scoop the boba and sweetener rather haphazardly - in fact I'm not even sure if they actually made my drink half sweet. After tasting - the drink was far too sweet, cloyingly so, making my mouth almost pucker as if eating something sour. The addition of creamer is quite heavy as well, resulting in a drink that has essentially no taste of tea. Finally the nail in the coffin - the boba is almost inedible - way undercooked, hard with basically no chew, with the pearls all different sizes and shapes, some big and some small, some round, some smooth and some bumpy. Milk Tea Rating: 2/5 Boba Rating: 2/5 Heavy Oolong Milk Tea, 50% Sweet ($3) - On first sip, I couldn't tell that this drink tasted any different from the previous drink. It was only after sipping them side by side, I found that this tea was possibly a bit more earthy. They might as well have mixed creamer, water, and sugar instead of adding tea - there would be minimal difference in taste. Milk Tea Rating: 2/5 Boba Rating: 2/5 That's not to say the drinks are undrinkable - I still finished them after diluting with some fresh brewed tea at home - but they just aren't good. This type of drink might have been acceptable 10 or 15 years ago when the boba scene wasn't as vibrant in the US, but nowadays there are way better options. It's probably best to visit Seattle Best Tea only for tea tastings and fresh tea, rather than getting their boba. Note: It is quite possible that the drinks were bad on my visit due to heavy traffic from the food walk. I did notice they had a fructose dispenser in the store but they didn't use it at all. I am planning to give them another shot in the future.

jasmine milk tea and heavy oolong milk tea
R C.

Jasmine green milk tea was yum. The consistency of the bubble pearls was perfect. Service was prompt. We took our drinks to go space is cozy.

Mango fresh tea with lychee jelly

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2 years ago

Been having mixed experiences here! Sometimes it good but other times like when I approach closing time the boba are way too hard.

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Ask the Community - Seattle Best Tea

Do the boba pearls have gluten?

In general, boba is made from tapioca, which is a gluten-free starch extracted from the root of a cassava plant. Though I am not aware of any other types of boba, I think it's safe to say it should be gluten free wherever you have a boba drink.

Can you change the sweetness of the boba tea?

Yes! They allow you to change to your liking.

View All 4 Questions

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TLDR: long line, self order screen. Good flavor but limited options in terms of add-ins for each…read moredrink. Great if you are a tea drinker. Staff is efficient and friendly. There are limited indoor areas for seating is this location, but some outdoor space as well (which i don't think is meant for the boba shop). The flavors were AWESOME but expected since it is on the pricier side (similar to Chicha Sen Chen). Easily one of my top boba spots. Got the longjing milk tea which is a type of green tea. At this point, Chinese/taiwanese boba shops remain superior in taste and quality !

The stars are for the tea, which was tasty, but the service here was atrocious. I was in the mood…read morefor boba and this place was next to the hotel I was staying at, so I dropped in for the sake of convenience. Like the Heytea in San Francisco near the Metreon, no one here says a word to anyone in the store until they call out an order. No greeting, no acknowledgement of your presence and patronage. I was the only person in this tiny store when I walked in and I may as well have been invisible. I ordered on the kiosk and went with the king jasmine guava. When the drink finally came out, the barista called out my order number, but when I walked up to take it he wouldn't give it to me unless I showed him my receipt. Again, I was the only soul in here, they saw me walk in and go to the kiosk, but I had to prove I wasn't stealing my drink before he handed it over. The sheer amount of boba I've consumed at this point in my life is immeasurably large, but I can say with certainty that none of the shops I've been to have made me hand them my receipt so they could scour it for the order number before handing it and the drink back to me. The drink was quite good, not too sweet, very refreshing, and with a pleasant guava flavor, but it wasn't enough to salvage the overall experience. I already found Heytea in San Francisco to be incredibly mid, but that's not as bad as mid and uppity. I'll never come back here.

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