The worst service ever. I ask a question about the menu and as the blender is going, they scream "what" and so I told her it is probably pointless if I try to scream back the question while blender is making lots of noise. Then she walks away with no expression and start making something else while the other girl who was using the blender asks me to repeat my question. She walks away and asks the other girl my question. The girl who screamed came back and gave me a grey answer. So I asked if they make coffee&tea mix. They said yes and they never asked me hot or cold. Made me a cold drink and I told her that I wanted hot. It was such an effort to get a drink. I do not know what happened to the previous owner but I sure do not ever want to come back here to get the tea/coffee....... read more

This is my favorite place for bubble tea on the eastside. They now let you have your drink any way you like it. No sugar, less milk, more boba etc etc. their food is always delicious and consistent. It is also pretty inexpensive, especially for the eastside! I would definitely recommend you come by and try out their menu. Staff is nice too and they are open late, which is convenient. read more

I love the boba at this place. It's so freaking delicious how do they cook it!! It's the best boba I've ever ate I. My life. Chewy and soft but also so flavorful. I love it. The sweet potatoes fries with the plum seasoning is the bomb. If you love xi muoi then you'll love it. They kind of taste like funnel cakes tho,'maybe the batter. The drinks are good, sometimes kind of sweet and doesn't have strong tea taste to it, but it's consistently good. I come for the boba only sometimes. Jasmine milk tea is so rich. If you like the more creamy milk than tea taste then you might like it here ;) If you just like chewing on good black balls, this is the best.' read more

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Visited today and still impressed. If you want a quick snack or a small Taiwanese meal this is the spot. I haven't been to this location since college but it still holds up. They are on two online ordering services but you're also welcome to phone an order in or order at the counter. They have menu boards all over the place so you get time to figure out what you want. My last visit nearly 8 years ago I didn't recall them offering meals. I ordered a pork chop meal, Hong Kong Milk tea, and a Mango Snowbubble (blended smoothie). They have combos (a protein with rice and a milk tea) but I wanted to try something a bit bigger today. Just like at other places you can adjust your ice and sweetness level from none to 100% at intervals of 25. My milk tea was at 50% sweetness and 75% ice, just right. The meal had so much food! There was rice with the pork on top, two sides of veggies, and a fried egg. I took my order to-go and the staff packed everything well. In my 20 min drive home things were still tasty and drinks still cold. I'll definitely be back! read more

I came here on slow Monday night. The servers are super nice and friendly. He even offer me with a cup carrier since i ordered more than 2 drinks. He also helped checked on my order several times since I ordered 6 wheel cakes, which takes a long time to make. Overall I really enjoy the food, railroad bento w/ free drink reasonably priced! You can even change the braised egg to a fried egg. Even better, the friendly service from the cashier. It's a hard time for restaurant business, please continue to support them! read more

Tapioca Express - a view of a restaurant counter - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

Loved the honeydew juice!! One of the boba places which is open for a late night grab. read more

Tapioca Express - Honeydew juice with mango popping boba - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

Shame. Feels like this has gone downhill. Used to be quite good. Fresh food and quite authentic. Menu now reduced. Food was dry. Crispy plate was over cooked. Veggies were cold. And to top it all off the place was freezing. Everyone eating with their jackets on. Prob the last time we'll come. read more

Their Railroad bento boxes are cheap and good. I've tried it with popcorn chicken and pork chop and both are equally good. The bento boxes also come with green or black tea. Their black tea tastes waaaaaay better! I like snow ice texture shaved ice and their shave ice is kinda chunky, not a fan. read more

Tapioca Express - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

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Got the Logan tea - it was way too sweet and lacks any complex notes. Also I noticed that nothing went into the drink but a thick syrup. For the price I guess it was acceptable. What turned me off the most was the strange urine smell in the air and the fact most of their drinks are made from syrups and powders. In other words, it doesn't look (or taste) like they actually steep any tea for any of their drinks.... Overall, their drinks will quench your thirst but are nothing special and is more sugar and flavoring than actual tea. read more

Tapioca Express - Ingredients - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

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Food/Drink: Wide selection of bubble teas and the prices are cheaper than other places like shareatea. Whatever flavor/toppings you're thinking, they probably have it (they also have egg pudding!!) They serve Tawianese eats and snacks #TeamTaiwan. The popcorn chicken with fried basil is DA BOMB! They allow you to customize the level of spiceyness as well. Atmosphere: Parking lot outside, it can get a bit crowded sometimes. There is plenty of seating area inside and a big selection of comic books. I imagine this is a popular hangout spots for kids on the weekends. Service: They can get packed but they move fast! No complaints at all! read more

Let me start by saying I love the Tapioca Express chain and have tried the ones in California and they are delicious!!!! To find out that they even had a location here in WA state was so exciting that we decided to make a trip. Now I don't know if all stores are franchises or owned by corporate, but this location was subpar. No seasoning on their popcorn chicken and calamari- which are our favorites at the other shops. The drink was watered down with rarely any flavor. And the service was not inviting. But hey, I'll give this location 3 stars because my 2 year old liked the games, his smoothie and the French fries read more

The popcorn chicken here is the best in the city. I come back time and time again for this specifically although on my last visit there was a bit of an ordering problem and I got crispy chicken steak stripes instead. It still had the same tasty flavor but not the crispy texture that I was hoping for. I love the bentos and other food options too. It reminds me of Taiwan! (Note: the free tea with the bento is smaller than the regular sized drinks.) The only downside is that the service is a bit slow, but if you're not in a rush then grab a game and sit down and relax. Also parking is kind of a hassle but that is not the restaurant's fault. read more

Tapioca Express - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

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Maybe my standards are too high because I'm so used to tofu pudding (dohua) in Taiwan, but who puts dohua in a cup? Aside from that, everything tasted as expected. The syrup was sweet, the tofu pudding itself was cold.. That's about it. Good for a quick fix, but if you want true authentic ice I'd suggest Monga Cafe or Facing East. Update: Got their minced pork rice and while the presentation is lovely, the taste is just alright. Decent enough for a quick and cheap meal. read more

Tapioca Express - Minced Pork rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

SO GOOD. Nice people. Very clean. Consistent. :) it is so delicious! I know a lot of people forget to write positive reviews but this place truly made me want to write one! read more

My toddler loves boba pearls, but not with a drink. I ordered a strawberry slush for him and asked for boba in the side. The person at the register did not indicate it was a problem, charged me 75 cents, and sent me to wait for my order. The person filling the order insisted they don't sell boba on the side, only in a drink. I asked why and he said because it's their store and their policy. He could not it would not articulate what purpose the policy served. I asked if I was getting a refund and he relented and said he would give it to me this time but I better know for next time they wouldn't do it. He was kind of a condescending jerk about it. Was the problem the cost of a cup? I only got a small side dip container of boba for my $0.75. Are those really that expensive? Would I have paid extra for a cup of that was the problem? Absolutely. Are those really that expensive? It's not like I'm trying to buy all their boba to sell it on the black market for a profit. The milk tea was passable, the boba pearls were chewy and turned into a single blob in the bottom of my cup, which I think means it was going old. The "milk frost" was heavy on the milk and light on strawberry/flavor. I will not be back again. I'll stick with Happy Lemon and ShareTea. read more

I don't know why this place only has 3 stars. This is my favorite boba place in Seattle and I have been to more than 100 boba places in at least 15 different countries. The milk tea is really good and the tapioca pearls are always fresh. I like Oasis too, but this place has been more consistent in providing the best boba. The popcorn chicken is also fantastic!! read more

Tapioca Express - Some of the best popcorn chicken. 3 stars not too spicy - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

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Our favorite boba place, especially in the summer when they have the watermelon icy. We've always had quick, friendly service here.

Check your receipt! The posted price is not the billed price. It's a good thing I checked my receipt. I ordered a chocolate milk tea because it was cheaper than the other options I was considering. It somehow became more expensive than the other drink I wanted. read more

Tapioca Express - The advertised price of a chocolate milk tea $3.75. Boba is an additional $0.75. - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

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Hit or miss like I've mentioned. Sometimes the drinks and food are great, sometimes they're shit. The service is always pretty bad so I don't expect anything when I come. This place is good just for the late night bubble tea or when you're too cheap to go out and eat an actual meal. It's usually too crowded during the weekends so don't expect a table. read more

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amazing service and great vibe. amazing food and good environment. will be here again with my other people

Taro milk tea, half sweet was good :) We went to Malay Satay hut next door and wanted bubble tea after, and this was the closest place. Don't let the 3 star review fool you, the service was fast, boba was fresh, and taro wasn't too sweet or overly fake tasting. We'll be back. read more

This place has pretty good food! I ordered one milk tea with tapioca and one popcorn chicken, surprisingly good and tasty! But the one thing I would say is that the popcorn chicken serving size is kinda small so if you are looking for a little snack, that is the perfect size for you!) Would recommend and come back again. read more

It's not a bad place. They have reasonable prices for bubble tea and shaved ice. I've been here about 5 times. But This is my husbands favorite place. he's probably been there for more than 10 times over. Husband always gets popcorn chicken, it's his favorite but tonight he got two bags for to go. When he came home, he already finished one bag. Then I opened the second bag and I noticed a piece of hair on the popcorn chicken. I showed it to my husband... And we tried to pull the hair out but The hair wouldn't budge out at all!!! Lol ... My husband was so disgusted, he threw up. Overall I thought it was funny and it made my day lol! Thanks tapioca express lol read more

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Tapioca milk tea with boba and popcorn chicken are the best, no other place I know makes it the same.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in.... was a funky smell. It smelled like either old urine or a dirty litter box. My friend also noticed the smell instantly also. The place was crowded which was a good sign and it's open until 1 am which is great for the area since most shops close around 10 even on a weekend. I ordered a classic black milk tea with tapioca hoping that if I stick with something basic it would be good. Well, the milk tea tastes powdery and has a hint of bitterness to it. However the food on the menu looked good and everyone seemed to be having a good time there, but the bubble tea was a bad idea there. read more

I usually order the popcorn chicken combo with rice and salad. Spice level is pretty accurate and the boba is good here. Sometimes certain staff fine the register a bit tricky when ringing up my pick up orders but overall I have no complaints. When I first cam here I was so happy about how late this location is open. I get my strongest cravings for boba and popcorn chicken late at night and the hours of this location certainly help with that fix. Looking forward to come back soon. read more

I used to come here often, but haven't been for a while, today I decided to stop by for a bubble tea, and realized how much the service has changed here!!!! The employees are Extremely rude, not only they sound like they are screaming at you, but also with an attitude. Come on, I'm here to spend money, not that I owe you anything. There are way more bubble tea place in town now, never coming here again. read more

4 star for their hours - open till 1 am!!!! It was only boba place open when we looked up something. Spacious and welcoming atmosphere. Drink was ok. I got boba/red bean milk drink. read more

Tapioca Express - Interior - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

I have frequented Tapioca Express locations since I was in college and I was after my fond memory of that spicy popcorn chicken. I was happy to see this location so close to me and I was not disappointed! It tastes just like how I remember it to be! The cashier and cook were friendly and food was out fairly quickly. I would definitely recommend for fast food food and boba. read more

My husband's Taiwanese co-worker introduced him to Tapioca Express for a quick lunch spot during the workday. They offer pretty generous offerings at a decent price, and I tried a good variety of foods. I haven't had their boba tea, so I can't comment on that. Yes, as other reviewers have noted, they seem understaffed and service is not stellar. We had to wait a while to order (we were the only customers at the counter), and my husband had to hover by the counter waiting for our food, because they don't have a great system for notifying customers when their orders are ready. But the food is really good, especially for what you pay! My husband's zazhang noodles were really tasty, and you can tell they are hand pulled noodles - nice, chewy consistency. He also got an order of the popcorn chicken, and they were really crispy and seasoned well (we got spicy level 3). I got a fried pork chop plate (also spicy level 3), and it was a huge serving - it came on a plate of rice with some veggies and a fried egg. The pork chop was delicious but not as spicy as the popcorn chicken. Finally, I got a side of vegetables, and I was pleasantly surprised to a large portion of bok choy, carrots and sliced garlic. Hey, when that wait at Bai Tong is just way too long for your liking, head up the street to Tapioca Express and give them a try (next to the Macy's Furniture Gallery). read more

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You know, popcorn chicken never gets old for me! I went to the Edmonds location quite bite. This is the first time I came to this store. The space itself is a lot bigger than the Edmonds location. And, it feels very hip and young. It does reminds me of Taiwan. Back in the days, when there's no Starbucks, that's where we went, a bubble tea place! I didn't have much time. Therefore, I only ordered popcorn chicken to go! I feel popcorn chicken is actually one of their best. And, it didn't disappoint me at all. It was definitely the highlight of my day because of that bag of pop chicken. There are parking spots but it might be more difficult during busy hours like lunch or dinner. The service was quick. It only took me less than 5 minutes. And, I also inhaled that bag of popcorn chicken within 5 minutes. Hope to come here with friends one of those days just sit there and have a casual afternoon gathering. read more

Tapioca Express - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

The boba tea is great. I ordered the passionfruit green tea and it had the perfect amount of syrup....not overly sweet, but still had a wonderful passionfruit flavor. The only thing was that I got a small size and my sister got a large. Even though I would expect less boba in mine, it was quite a lot less (unproportional), which I was disappointed about. However, I'd go again! read more

This place has so many choices to choose from: Lunch meals, snacks, boba, desserts, etc. I mean it's nice to have a variety of choices on your menu but it always seems to have the biggest con when going to these type of restaurants--the quality. Going to these types of restaurants, they never focus on the quality of a good dish or beverage. I ordered their Classic Milk Tea, overly sweet and the tapioca they used were tasteless and watery. Especially do not go to this place during the night! We went there two hours before closing time and they ran out of supplies for most things on their menu already. Very disappointing first impression of you want customers to be regulars. Plus, there was a lot of people who came during the night out of nowhere as well. I've ordered their Melon version of "Mangonada" since they ran out of mangos. It was still pretty good and had that chili flavor, but I prefer having the mango one though. Another one I've ordered was the sweet tofu dessert, and they didn't put enough syrup so all you could taste was the tofu only. Overall this was just a bad first time experience here. I guess it's only good for hanging out during the night with your friends and just wanting a quick snack to eat while you guys are distracted on having a conversation instead of really paying attention to the food. Not sure if I'll be coming back. read more

I feel like Tapioca Express deserves 3 stars bc it's not actually THAT good, but because of the following reasons, I'll give it a 4. 1) One of the few places I can get bubble tea on the Eastside 2) Open late, every day 3) Wifi 4) Friends like their food 5) Enough seats- there's tables and a few booths 6) Lots of flavors and types of bubble tea 7) Good hang out place 8) Two drink sizes so you can get a small if you don't want to intake all those calories in a single bubble tea In conclusion, I have no real complaints and will continue to come here for some average bubble tea to drink while I study, read or hang out with friends until it's closing time. Maybe I'd think this place truly deserves 4 stars if they offered a punch card or some kind of perk for being a frequent customer :) read more

Tapioca Express is starting to become a favorite spot for me. I really sold this place short at first, assuming they would sell nothing but expensive bubble tea. Eventually, my curiosity got the better of me. I came into this place, looked at the menu, and saw that they offered full meals too. Inexpensive ones! And that is how I came to rely on this place more than I care to admit. They have bubble tea, too. It's reasonably priced and overall tastes great. I would not recommend getting the larges as nobody needs that much sugar in their life. The meals are decent, and some of them can cost you ten dollars or less. I love how the pork chop meal comes with rice, egg, and vegetables. They put some thought into this and actually made it appealing. That's just what I like to see at restaurants. read more

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I should probably update my review about this place. Yes, they still have bubble tea supply issues and their staff only cares about taking your money, but I have continued coming to this area simply out of convenience (been working out in Bellevue). Since then, I have started trying stuff off their food menu and I do admit that they're pretty legit when it comes to Taiwanese cuisine. Even my Taiwanese boy toy keeps asking me to bring food for him from there on my way home. I believe some of our favorites are the railroad bentos (complete with a drink!) with the chicken or pork steak, the popcorn chicken, fried tofu, the fried fish balls, calamari, and my most recent new favorite - pork belly!!! They also have waffles that I want to try but they seem to be out of the flavors I'm interested in (not surprised considering their boba reputation), but I really want to try the strawberry and taro someday! For now, the classic was still delicious. I've been going here pretty much once a week to break even on my workouts on the days I go here. The food is good, well-portioned, and definitely worth the try! read more

Tapioca Express - Pork belly and calamari. There are also fried squid balls in that bag. - Taiwanese Near Me - Redmond, Washington

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Tapioca beverages are really tasty!!! The ones with coffee on them are the best. I tried also the mango with a good flavour. I can't say the same with mixed flavours. Service is OK I just would like the place to be a little cleaner. read more

I have been to this location several times and I've seen some things that I wish I hadn't-- for example, tea being stored in large pots and then poured into other containers sitting on the floor, sticky syrup bottles cleaned with dirty rags, etc. It's also happened several times that I've gone in several hours before closing and they are out of boba. That seems pretty ridiculous especially if you are called tapioca express! The flooring in the place needs replacing and things are generally kind of worn and sticky. I'd go elsewhere if you can for boba-- I now do! read more

I really like their fresh fruit boba! They actually use real fruit! Why do i believe this? Because they have the fresh fruit visible in their fridge. YAY! Had their watermelon fresh fruit juice. Yum! Friend had their Avacado fresh juice.. thick! but YUM!. haha Other green tea/regular boba's are mediocre. Nothing special to write home about. Price for their fresh fruit is actually pretty reasonable. Hopefully they don't go raise it after they see this comment. That would be a :( :( :( Haven't tried their food.. so this 4 stars is strictly on their fresh fruit boba! :) Finally a decent bbtea place close to home, thats open late! mmm might be bad for the diet tho. read more

This is a bubble tea shop coupled with a Taiwanese snack shop. I liked how there were two sizes for the bubble tea - I don't need to drink 32oz of tea each time thanks! The tea was great flavor and the bubbles were big and chewy. They charge you a fee if you try to use a credit card and it's not over $5 so I would be mindful of that and bring cash for your smaller items. read more