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    The Alley

    3.8 (22 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    L to R: jasmine green tea w/boba Ube brown sugar tea w/boba Strawberry green tea w/green tea jelly
    Kim N.

    I was never a fan before, until I discovered their lychee green tea with less sugar. It comes with green tea jelly that is so addictive, something in between the coconut jelly and jello. It takes some control for me not to stop by here every time I'm in the area. On this visit, I decided to try the strawberry green tea with the green tea jelly. The tea itself was ok, maybe because I'm partial to lychee. It was strawberry puree, makes it nice without having chunks of fresh strawberries. This space is nice and clean, feels more comfortable than many of the surrounding tea houses. They have a self order station but also takes orders at the counter. Parking really sucks at peak time and weekends so be prepared to get dropped off for pickup or try the attached parking garage.

    Matcha purple rice yogurt and ube brown sugar crème brûlée
    Alexis C.

    Ordered Matcha purple rice yogurt and Ube brown sugar crème brûlée. 3x coming back for this order, yum! I like the ally for a complex/lux drink. Here all your average drinks get spruced up yet they do have basic drinks for a simpler taste if wanted. Saw other desserts I may try if their drinks are this good.

    Tri D.

    For my 500th review I had to give a spot that's well deserving of a 5 star & The Alley did it for me. The drinks are well made and well presented, the service is good although they all look very tired & the decor is beautiful on the inside. What I like about the Alley is that each location is consistent on quality. Here's the drinks I've ordered. * Strawberry green tea with jelly- refreshing, good amount of sweetness & the tea flavor is strong. Ordered this twice and it was the same results. 5/5 * Snow velvet strawberry lulu- creamy, sweet with a hint of tea. The cheese foam was the icing on the cake. 4.2/5 * Passion fruit green tea- good amount of tea flavor, not as strong as the strawberry green tea but I was content with it. 4.5/5 * Ube creme brûlée brown sugar deerioca- solid drink. Just wish the Ube was a little stronger. The brûlée was good in quality. 4.5/5 Overall, it was a great experience. I'm not sure why I don't go to the Alley that often but this will be my top boba spots to go from now on. The decor is instagram worthy. Will I come back? You bet I will.

    Ye J.

    I was pleasantly surprised to see that The Alley finally opened a new location in Bellaire Chinatown while dining in Dunhuang Plaza. Located in the former Aqua S spot, the interior is modern, spacious, and clean. We ordered our go-to drinks: the Ube Brown Sugar Boba Crème Brûlée Milk and the classic Brown Sugar Boba Crème Brûlée Milk. Both drinks were on the heavier side calorie-wise, but the brown sugar flavor tasted natural and wasn't overly sweet, even at 100% sugar level. The combination of chewy boba and silky crème brûlée created a perfect balance of textures. While our choices were definitely a guilty pleasure, The Alley also offers lighter, healthier tea options for those looking for something less rich. If you have a sweet tooth, this spot is definitely worth a visit!

    Eint P.

    The Alley has a nice vibe and a good variety of drinks, but my taro milk tea was a bit too sweet for my taste, and the boba wasn't as chewy as I like. The presentation and atmosphere were great though, and I can see why people love coming here. I'll definitely give it another try and experiment with a different drink next time!

    Shveta A.

    Boba is great dessert option but there are so many choices out there. I tried the Alley while I'm Chinatown and was definitely impressed by their novelty. The interior was spacious, and though crowded, the chaos was pretty organized. I liked the casual vibe and atmosphere. The drinks themselves were very pretty to look at and were generously portioned. I really enjoyed the brown sugar boba crème brûlée. The only part I was not very fond of was the cream that was a bit clumpy. Overall, a solid spot!

    Jason Z.

    Came to Chinatown to grab dinner with the family. Saw that the Alley opened up a store here in the spot of the former soft serve store. Even though this area is stacked with lots of milk tea / boba spots, the Alley probably has a better flavor profile than spots like Kung Fu, Sharetea, or Gongcha. Drinks are in the $7-8 range but comes with boba/toppings in there usually. You can adjust the ice level on the drinks and sugar level on some of the drinks. There's interior seating but maybe only for 10-15 people. Their ube and standard brown sugar boba drinks are fairly solid.

    Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie, Ube Brown Sugar Boba Crème Brûlée Milk Tea, Fruit Tea
    Matthew L.

    The Alley completely satisfied my boba craving. Every drink we tried was delicious and had something special to offer. We got the Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie, which was sweet, fruity, and perfect for a hot summer day. The Fruit Tea was super refreshing and light, great if you're looking for something less creamy. But the real star for me was the Ube Brown Sugar Boba Crème Brûlée Milk Tea. The ube flavor was rich and smooth, and the custard crème brûlée topping took it to another level. It was creamy, slightly caramelized, and the perfect addition to the drink. This is definitely the one I'll be getting every time I come back. Highly recommend if you're a boba lover or just looking to try something new and flavorful.

    Decoration
    Khang D.

    New boba store near Chinatown. I have heard about this brand for a very long time, but now I have a chance to try it. The store was super clean and had plenty of seats. I do recommend this store for family. However, it could be difficult to find parking slot due to its location. Staff were super friendly. Price range from $5.45 to $7.25, which topping includes in some drinks. Therefore, I think their price is pretty good. I like my cold brew. Highly recommend this boba store.

    Anthony L.

    Terrible the drinks I wanted and Advertised were not available!!! How about you take the signs down!! Not good business will NOT be going back!

    Ube Brown Sugar Crème
    Jing G.

    This is an awesome place. There are many boba tea place in this plaza but this one is unique.

    mango green milk tea

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    Cafe 101 - Uni

    Cafe 101

    3.1(813 reviews)
    0.1 miChinatown, Sharpstown
    $$

    We were hungry late at night close to midnight. Our go to place... Fufu cafe is gone. Saw the…read moreCafe 101 was open till 1 am and plenty of people eating inside so that's always a good sign. Cafe 101 serve Japanese and Chinese food. There are table and booths inside as well as a full bar. We started with a couple of sushi specials... bluefin toro and Uni. Thought the bluefin toro were fresh as well as the Uni. Wasn't expecting so was pleasantly surprised. For our mains, we ordered the twice cooked pork and beef galbi. Both came as a set... with rice, side dish of pickled radish and carrots and dessert. Price-wise, it was reasonable considering it came as a set. Twice cooked pork hits the spot. It was plenty and had some to go. Galbi was decent... it's not like Korean Galbi. It was pretty saucy, sweet and tender. It was decent portion as well. Think we found our new late night spot! Look forward to trying out the rest of their menu in the future. :-)

    As one of the quintessential late night options in Chinatown, Cafe 101 provides a specific…read moreexperience that few other late night spots can match. The lounge like ambiance, along with their diner-like menu, is a major selling point for folks and has been one of the reasons for their popularity over the better part of the last two decades. It is a bit trendy and plays music that you would think of and in a Miami lounge or a pretentious New York Club. While service is not their strong suit, the clean bathrooms, spacious seating, and semi-open kitchen makes up for some 'tudes from the staff. The menu is most definitely Asian, but blends from a predominantly Chinese menu and featuring various Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese items. The latter includes sushi, which is likely one of the only spots in the neighborhood that still has it after midnight. They have bluefin tuna and sea urchin, in which Cafe 101 is one of the only late night spots to offer it. Their beef chow fun is nice and greasy, but filled with excessive onions, bean sprouts, and various other veggies that almost take away from the noodles and beef (which was nicely cooked). Their shrimp and egg came in a nice set, which was a good surprise and surprisingly well executed. This is also a spot for Japanese curry, and even though it's not the best, it most certainly does the job. Taiwanese popcorn chicken is on point, cumin lamb is unsurprisingly spicy, and Singapore chow mai fun has a tinge of solid wok hei. (#1) I'm genuinely not a fan of their soups and think the sushi rolls are not their best work. While they also have milk, tea options, unless one is desperate, I would also steer clear of. Parking in the early evening can be an issue at Don Huang Plaza, but after 11pm, the parking options should be abundant. I would consider coming here in a larger group, especially with late night owls. ___________ (#1) Wok's essence (鑊氣)

    Photos
    Cafe 101 - Cute atmosphere

    Cute atmosphere

    Cafe 101 - Complimentary Beans

    Complimentary Beans

    Cafe 101 - Twice cooked pork

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    Twice cooked pork

    CHICHA San Chen - Green tea + milk + boba

    CHICHA San Chen

    4.3(149 reviews)
    0.2 miChinatown, Sharpstown
    $$

    I have tried just about everything on the menu across the Houston, Dallas, and Austin locations,…read moreand can confidently say that they knock it out of the park every time. While the osmanthus with cream remains my personal favorite, this visit I ordered the high mountain pouchong with orange and was not disappointed. It's refreshing in the Texas heat, a little tangy from the citrus and perfectly sweet (the lemon variety of it is also exceptional). Seating inside is rather limited, but the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, good for sitting awhile and having a chat while you drink. One of my favorite tea stops of all!

    Aside from their name that is really hard to remember, I've heard about how good the tea was but…read morenever stopped by because of the hype and lines when they initially opened. Luckily there wasn't a line. I picked up a green tea passion fruit tea and was surprised how tasty it was! The drink was a pretty yellow hue with passion fruit seeds at the top. The green tea flavor wasn't overly strong or dry wnd was very fragrant-- super tasty~ It came in a recyclable little sling carrier too, super cute :) I love how the brand focuses on real fruit, milk/cream so there aren't any artificial ingredients lurking around. You can order at the kiosk or at the cashier. For sweetness customization, they only have full level, less sweet, and no sugar options. The less sweet is already plenty sweet for me, so wish there was a slightly less sweet option than that. The service was polite and friendly, and the inside was clean with several tables. Besides the great taste, I really appreciate the "no artificial stuff" way of doing things. After one drink I'm Chicha San Chen fan! Be sure to stop by sometime and try their tea :D

    Photos
    CHICHA San Chen - Green tea with milk and grass jelly.

    Green tea with milk and grass jelly.

    CHICHA San Chen - Mango high mountain pouchong tea with boba

    Mango high mountain pouchong tea with boba

    CHICHA San Chen - Cassie black tea + mousse

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    Cassie black tea + mousse

    Tea Top - Black milk tea with original foam

    Tea Top

    4.2(322 reviews)
    0.1 miChinatown, Sharpstown
    $

    There are so many boba places along Bellaire and I personally recognize how expensive of a habit…read morethese sugary drinks can be, so I generally avoid going. But when I'm in town I go out of my way to "eat all the things" to take advantage of being near the Vietnamese community. I decided on trying Tea Top over other -- seemingly indistinguishable boba shops -- simply because this shop participates in the Dining Rewards Program, which allows me to earn airline miles per dollar in addition to my standard credit card points per dollar. I will say, the tea here is very good. They actually sell tea, rather than just sugar water. You can taste it. And for that, I appreciate this place. I tried their Alpine Green Tea with boba. It was good. I came back a second time to try their Wintermelon Alpine Green Milk Tea and thought it was even better! Quality drinks and I can earn additional airline miles per order? I'll be coming back. I also like that their in-store rewards program keys to your credit card so it recognizes your account and you can instantly apply small discounts to future orders every time, or save up your points to get a buck or two off an order when you feel like it.

    Honestly in my opinion tea top and feng cha taste very similar. They are both good and known for…read morethe milk foam. My only complaint about them is that they don't have a lactose free option for those of us who are lactose intolerant. It is also the reason why I stop going here

    Photos
    Tea Top - Pearl milk tea with boba (no sugar)

    Pearl milk tea with boba (no sugar)

    Tea Top - Milk foam

    Milk foam

    Tea Top - Taro Milk Tea with Sago 紫芋西米露

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    Taro Milk Tea with Sago 紫芋西米露

    The Alley - bubbletea - Updated May 2026

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