Located in the back corner of the Inverness Plaza off Hwy 280, ThirsTea Cafe has been around a few years. They are located between the PGA Tour Superstore and the old Steak-n-Shake, which has now been replaced by Metro Diner. Actually ThirsTea is located directly adjacent to an Asian restaurant called Wok N Roll (love the name). The current owner took over from the original owners over a year ago. The menu has remained pretty much the same since inception. From the front ThrisTea doesn't appear very large, but there's plenty of room inside. It's modestly decorated with a counter with large brightly lit menu above to place your order and a few tables and chairs. There is a shelf with board games to entertain yourself as you sip your favorite drink. ThirsTea is one of the still active bubble tea specialty shops in town. You can find various Asian restaurants around town that can make some of these drinks, but at ThirsTea, you can find them all. If you don't see one you like, they might even be able to make it for you. They have the traditional Boba "balls" and jellies as well as many other "toppings" you can add to your drinks. They also make smoothies, slushies, yogurt drinks, and of course a variety teas such as fruit, milk and just fresh tea. The combinations and flavors are too numerous to mention. See my photo of their colorful menu. Matthew tried the Pina Colada smoothie. He drank it down so fast I barely got a taste. It was good! I tried the Taro Milk tea. It was smooth, rich with taro powder and tasted quite delicious! I did not get his name, but the owner was very friendly and personally brought our drinks to our table. He was courteous and service was great. I'll be returning when I'm in the mood for a delicious milk tea. read more

See all

Had yet to find a great bubble/boba tea spot, and this spot did it. Glad to have been referred to try this place by a friend. A large menu with multiple options. Boba is great, in addition to the jelly and pudding options. I went with the taro milk tea with flan and lychee jelly (large cup). Too bad I finished it in less than 5 minutes. Will be back again to try many more flavors and add-ins! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

See all

My daughter is the reason that we tried ThirsTea. She kept hearing about Boba Tea from YouTubers and a few friends and kept begging to try. We did and we go back 2-3 times per week for the fruit tea with boba. The place is so cute, the tea is delicious and the staff is so sweet! Looking forward to trying a grilled cheese (once the weather has cooled off). Go and try it out! Even if you have no idea what it is, the staff will guide you on what to try. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Selfie wall at ThirsTea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

See all

Updating my review because I was able to adjust sweetness level. I wish they would put this somewhere on the menu so everyone would know. Anyway, the bubble tea was again tasty and they had the basic boba in stock. Def stop by if you're craving bubble tea~~ read more

See all

Amazing! The staff was so nice and friendly! Maked me felt welcomed and wanted The Boba tea is always fresh and delicious

This place is delicious! My boyfriend loves it and I'm very glad he introduced it to me. The boba is AMAZING. We went three times in a week although it's almost 30 minutes away from us. They've got great non-dairy options, so one time I got a taro oat milk tea with tapioca and oh. my. god. Everyone needs to try taro tea. Wow. See you in my dreams, ThirsTea. read more

See all

I went in on a Saturday around 2pm. Ordered an Almond Milk Tea with boba. I checked in and got a coupon for a free boba add on. The service was exceptional, but odd. If those 2 words can go together to describe my experience. The worker was super kind & even let me try the boba, but seemed more interested in hanging out with friends. That made me not want to sit and enjoy my drink because of the worker hanging with friends & talking very loud. That may be the vibe of the place. I do not frequent enough to know this, but I definitely did not feel comfortable staying to enjoy my tea. The tea was very good and made to my liking the price is ok. I will be back, but hoping for a more chill/quiet atmosphere. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Almond Milk Tea w/ boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

BEST taro milk boba tea, the boba are just perfect not too chewy. Also tried the passion fruit and mango tea with leche SOOO GOOD ! The place is super cute and the ladies at the register were the nicest ! Can't wait to go try more flavors !! read more

I stumbled across this place here on Yelp. I didn't even know this place existed. However, it's such a cute spot. I had the regular sized matcha milk tea with blueberry bobas. It was so refreshing with just bough sweetness from the bobas. They also have light food, a sitting area, and tons of board games. Great spot for meeting up with an old friend and catching up over tea, snacks, and games! read more

See all

I've been coming here for years. Not only are the drinks really yummy but it's so much fun to sit and play the board and card games they have available. Perfect for hanging out with friends or chilling read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Awesome staff and great boba!! We had the best time, it's so cute and relaxing inside. The girls that have served us each time have been wonderful and efficient! read more

Ordered the lavender milk tea and a grilled cheese with avocado. The sandwich was delicious. The tea was ok. The boba seemed a little old as it wasn't as chewy and it didn't seem there was an option to customize the ice/sweetness level, which for me it was too sweet but the lavender gave it a really good flavor. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Lavender Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Bubble Tea has taken a while to get here, but finally a "tea house" has arrived in Birmingham! If you are not familiar with these tea places you need to give it a try. These unique tea shops started in Taiwan and are now all over Asia. They can be found around the US, but are primarily out West and in major cities. ThirsTea offers a large variety of teas and formats. In addition to the traditional boba tapioca balls, they offer several different "add-ins" like fruit jellies, and popping pearls. My wife ordered an avocado smoothie after she learned that it was made with fresh avocado. She thought it was excellent. My daughters and I had slushes (honey dew, raspberry, and watermelon). The slushes were flavorful and refreshing, and the tapioca balls were the perfect consistency. ThirsTea is in the Inverness Plaza next to Steak-n-Shake. It offers excellent hours, and a nice seating area to enjoy your drinks. Click Cool if you like Bubble Tea. read more

See all

This place has a great vibe with board games to play. The service was fast and the tea is delicious! I'll be going back to try another combo soon, as our hotel is super close to the establishment! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Pomegranate Tea with passion fruit boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Whenever I'm craving boba, I can always depend on ThirsTea to quench that thirst (pun intended). ThirsTea is the only boba place in Birmingham that is the closest to the type of boba you'll find in California. Definitely not the bad, basic boba that many Asian restaurants around town serve. It's a great place to come hang out with friends since they offer many board/card games to play while sipping on your boba. In terms of the drinks, there are a lot of flavor options and jelly options that you can choose from. I always switch it up whenever I go. For people who like to have pre-made options, they have a list of monthly top favorite drinks! You really can't go wrong. Also, pro tip - check in on yelp to get a free jelly/boba add on! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Black milk tea with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Coming from California, I use to have boba every other day. I was on the lookout for a boba shop here in Birmingham and ThirsTea is the best one! It might actually be the only one! They have a long list of all flavors you could imagine which they can make in a tea, milk tea, slush and so much more. The green tea raspberry with boba is my all time favorite! Give it a try! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

The coveted bubble drink making a blast from my past. Boba is something you find on practically every street corner in California and it has really become a staple drink. It has always been so refreshing in the summer with its' light and airy nature. I had procrastinated trying ThirsTea so I didn't have to revel in the fact that it did not quite match up. Perhaps, not quite the taste I was looking for, but it is still really good. My husband and I had the peppermint boba and Thai tea respectively. I really enjoyed his peppermint drink. I was not a big fan of the Thai Tea. They did have the light airy feeling, but did not quite feel authentic. They did have such a large variety of options, which I absolutely love. I would definitely go back to try a smoothie. The atmosphere is also quite nice and very relaxing. It is a great spot for socializing and a good coffee shop replacement for the summer. read more

I have a weakness for bubble tea and it's always nice to be able to enjoy this treat. When I spotted this place while at breakfast at Metro Diner, I knew I would be making a visit soon! It wasn't crowded when I went in the afternoon around 1pm. Must've missed the lunch crowd. Since I hadn't been here before, I was glad to have as much time as I needed to look over the menu. They also offer sandwiches and there's seating for those who want to dine in. They also have board games for the customers to use while there, which I think is a nice touch making a relaxing environment. I got the Thai Milk Tea and what more can I say, other than, "I'll be back!" read more

See all

DISGUSTING I use to be the biggest fan of the place but IDK if it's due to a new owner, but the place was horrific. The whole store was dusty, the walls were either chipped, in desperate need of new paint, or had holes in it, tables were off-balanced and sticky, and to top it all off- the bathrooms were in worst shape than most gas stations. It's a shame because the staff and food are still good, but the store needs a drastic cleanup and remodel for me to go back. read more

Pretty tasty! They were a bit skimpy on the juice in the slush that I ordered. About halfway in I was only sucking ice: this is the only downfall. A good place to grab a textured drink on a hot day. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Great customer service delicious drinks and grilled cheeses, fast and good workers, nice atmosphere, and good vibes! I love it

Thirstea has hands down the best bubble tea in the area. They are quick and friendly and all of their teas are delicious. I highly recommend the Lavender! read more

This is a place I've been meaning to try for the longest time, and I'm so glad I finally did!! Their tea really exceeded my expectations since the only boba (circular chewy fruit at the bottom) I had before today was the tapioca flavor. Although good, the cashier encouraged me to try one of the other flavors so I got strawberry. So sweet and delicious!!! They have several flavors of tea, slushie, and even a yogurt drink. I tried the coconut milk tea today and loved it. I'll have to be back to try the rest! The atmosphere of the place along with board games make it a great place to spend with friends. They have whimsical cups with funny faces you punch in order to get the tea. I didn't want to punch my face!! No pun intended, but had to punch my face to get to the tea. I was even tempted to keep the empty cup later since it was so cute! I highly recommend this place. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Coconut Milk Tea with Strawberry Boba. Sooo yummy!!! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Which I knew about this place earlier. Delicious boba tea! Staff was super friendly and the atmosphere was so cute. They even have poke. I got the coconut mango smoothie with boba and jelly, too bad they were out of large cups or I would have got a large. Hubby got taro smoothie with boba. We got a cute boba keychain too read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

See all

I'm pretty basic when it comes to boba, but that doesn't make me any less enthusiastic in slurping down my Thai milk tea with tapioca pearls. I don't usually crave something this sugary, but the strong-brewed tea, the chewy boba, and the sweetness balance each other out somehow. I haven't noticed that the staff are particularly friendly, and during the boba shortage, I have gotten a few less pearls at the bottom of my cup (which is understandable- a shortage is a shortage), but the flavor is just that good! Sometimes I have to put it out of my mind or I will inevitably find myself wandering over to ThirsTea to quench my thirst on a hot day. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE ThirsTea Cafe, we always get the Lavender with Boba and it's amazing. They also have really good sandwiches and tasty little trFun a atmosphere with lots of gains to choose and play while you hang and drink your tea and eat your treats. read more

See all

good service nice place but caramel milk tea and cinnamon milk teas i ordered taste like water with a hint of caramel and hint of cinnamon. sadly i cannot recommend this place. :( read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Caramel Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I love stopping here whenever I'm in Birmingham for a Boba Tea. The Taro flavor is my favorite and I highly recommend it if you want to try something new. This is also a great spot to hang out with friends. There are several games in the back that you can enjoy. read more

Get the Vietnamese coffee, wow. And don't forget to try their grilled sandwiches, all of it is excellent.

The best boba in BHAM. If you've never tried boba before this is definitely the place to try it. There so many options to choose from whether you want a shake, tea, or even slushy! The staff is usually very friendly and efficient so it makes for an easy and quick stop if you're in a hurry. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Parking is great - ThirsTea is a part of a strip Space - Small. We came here right after dinner and not many people were there so, found a table and chairs. I was kind of surprised it wasn't busier. My friend ordered a waffle and it was good. I liked it! Better than other places I've been to. The waffle wasn't soggy and done well. I'd get this again if I came back into town. Why a 3? Yes, it's Birmingham and not many Tea shops, but... I just can't give a 4. The Black tea I had was OK. It was really watery. The Boba was good though. Perhaps I got the wrong drink - I'm pretty basic when it comes to bubble tea, lol. However, from what I've seen from other reviews, this place is much better than others in Birmingham, so I'll be back if I have a trip here again and try a different drink! read more

we LOVE this spot, have been coming since they opened! They're under new management and are updating the inside, it looks SO GOOD! Excited to see the new direction they take! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - New wall!! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

It is harder to find Boba tea in Birmingham but this place is a great find! They have a great menu and reasonable prices. The shop is so cute and a great environment to enjoy your tea in! read more

This is my favorite place to get bubble tea in all of Birmingham. Their boba is always the best and the staff are also nice. I usually go with a large coconut milk tea with boba and I absolutely love it. This is a great place to chill with some friends and study, or just relax and play some board games that they have on hand. They've added a lot of random snack foods that I thought I wouldn't try. But when I got hungry, I gave their matcha waffles a shot. My friends and me loved them! I've gotten them many more times since. Overall, I love this place! read more

A definite must try! I have to say this place has great smoothies and milk teas. I was in Birmingham for a conference and had to Yelp for boba shops and this place was the first on the list, along with having 5 stars! This shop was a bit out of the way, but I really did not mind it at all. I did not expect to come back anytime soon, since it was further from the place I was staying at. So I ordered two different drinks for myself, just to (1) satisfy my smoothie craving and (2) try one of their milk tea, because I really like those. I had ordered an avocado smoothie with boba (typical boba drink for me) and a black milk tea with lychee jelly (I fell in love with milk teas from my trip to Singapore last year). Which were both very delicious and freshly made. The prices were reasonably and the service was great. The cashier walked out to hand me my drinks while I was seated. Which I thought was pretty nice and cool of her to do. I plan to stop by again tomorrow and try something different and I'm sure I would not be disappointed! read more

See all

This is the second time i got bubble tea without sugar/sweetener in it. So plain tea with a lot of milk. I thought it should be sweet? Also no ice in the tea. Well 2 out of 4 i got plain tea. It is definitely far from the best bubble tea in town. I do not plan to come back. read more

This is honestly one of my favorite places to take my friends. They have such a variety if boba tea and all of them taste amazing. Amazing staff and amazing atmosphere! read more

My girlfriend has been raving about this place for awhile now. I think she might have a slight addiction to it. That being said, it didn't sound like the kind of place I would like. I was reluctantly drug in one afternoon and tried it out. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the bubble tea that she had ordered. They have a huge variety, so I will have to find the flavor that suits me next time we go, and we can enjoy one of their board games next time too! read more

Hands-down the best boba tea place in Birmingham. ThirsTea has a wide variety of flavors of teas and smoothies. My favorite is the taro milk tea with boba. ThirsTea also offers small food items (chips, waffles, customizable grilled cheeses, etc.). I have not personally tried any of the food, but I have heard positive feedback about it. Additionally, ThirsTea has fun board games and card games for customers to play, making it a great place to hang out. read more

An incident occurred this evening. I was about to walk into thirstea with my boyfriend after driving 25 minutes to get there, and the lady working was closing 10 minutes early. She glared at us threw the glass door and shook her head no in the rudest way possible. I was scared to walk in there, she looked insanely angry. There was violence in her eyes. I love thirstea. It's my home. I felt betrayed in this moment. I've never felt more disrespected in my entire life. I work in customer service, and I know that it is absolutely not okay to treat your customers like this. Thirstea, I know you can do better. read more