Top Tea + Espresso
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Staffs are friendly and accommodating. The drinks are good and the dine in space is small, but homey. Still have yet to try the food.
Excellent service the minute you walk in the door. Several yummy drinks to choose so we went with tropical fruit tea ( I really wanted the mui one but next time). You can choose the sweetness-we chose 25% with green tea. I can taste the lychee, mango and pineapple. Refreshing! Cant wait to go back.
Came here on Feb. 18th because I was really craving boba so I got 1 for me & 1 for my grandma and its still the absolute best for both of us and she genuinely gets so excited when I ask her if she wants a drink too because she hardly ever comes to this side of the island unless she absolutely has to for something health related so definitely will continue to come here!
Come here at least 3 times a week, almost every day. Really disappointed The photos show two drinks I got around 7PM on June 21. After one sip, my drink was mostly ice. The drink for my friend hadn't even been opened and it was packed full of ice. I did NOT order extra ice or less ice, but my drink still had way less liquid. Quality control has gotten really inconsistent. 如果你摇出来的奶茶太少了就选择直接偷懒用冰补满吗？？？一点点就算了这太夸张了吧 我朋友还要再开回来 说可以重新做 这个女生做的奶茶也没表现抱歉一副无所谓的样子 还是男生说的不好意思 但是为什么要跟我说这样是你们店正常的出品品质呢 我会不知道是什么样的吗？如果你喜欢摆臭脸就不要做服务业相关的工作 谢谢 PLS don't expect me to pay 7 dollars for a cup of ice.
The teas were delicious! The Winterberry was sweet and unexpected. The lemon also had strong flavor and just the right sweetness. The guys who worked there were so nice. They could tell we had never been there before and asked all the appropriate questions to make sure we got exactly what we wanted. They allow you to personalize the level of sweetness, which serves a variety of people, so this place is great for everyone. The shop is small, but there are places to sit down and enjoy your drink. They also have a few light few food choices.
Cozy boba spot tucked around the corner of a Subway. Ample parking because of the entire plaza. Seating is available but no restrooms. We snagged a plethora of drinks but most notably, the ube trifecta. Ube Black Milk Tea w/ Boba - milk tea was light but very refreshing. The ube mixed alright but as ube is a subtle flavor, the overall taste didn't change much. Definitely more aesthetic but I'd opt for another ube option or a classic milk tea.
Went in at 10:40 am for my early mid-day snack. Got a Pina Colada smoothie for husband and Brown Sugar Milk Tea with boba and grass jelly. Both at 0% sugar yet it's still sweet enough for us! Got the egg tarts, which were delicious. They serve lunch too; menu of udon and also rice dishes topped with shoyu pork belly. Will try next time.
This t-shirt might be hard to find but if you look for the Times Supermarket and nice day Chinese restaurant it's just around the corner. A huge assortment of drinks to choose from which you can vary the sugar and Ice level which I appreciate. They also have dairy Alternatives which I definitely appreciate! I got the Ube Taro milk tea with pudding soy milk light ice and zero sugar. My friend got the brown sugar milk tea with boba. The bobaristas were friendly, our drinks came out fast and tasted great! There are some tables outside so you could sit and enjoy your drink and it looks like they also offer a small menu of food but we didn't get any.
Amazing once again. Everytime I go, I love their drinks. My absolute favorite is the Strawberry Black Milk Tea, half sweet.
Hard to find boba spots with so many options! The Tea was so flavorful and we enjoyed all the drinks. I recommend this spot
I came here with a group of my former coworkers from almost 20 years ago. One suggested to meet at the boba tea shop at Liliha Square. She didn't tell me the name. I had to coordinate with my other coworkers. She finally revealed the name when she arrived at Top Tea + Espresso next to Subway. I normally research the restaurants before I get there. So, I would know what to order from reading the reviews from everyone local. This time, I did a quick glance at the pictures people posted. There were too many to choose from. I ended up getting my usual Honeydew with tapioca balls aka boba. The drink tasted ok and the price was really reasonable. I was complaining about the weak straw until my local friend told me it was because they used biodegradable straws. Ah ok. It cracked all over the directions. I couldn't use it to suck up the boba. I had to use a spoon to scoop them out. The location is kind of funky. We sat at the concrete table on the walkway. There were transients walking toward the public restroom. Quite a scene that busy night. Oh. One more thing. Don't be mistaken this "Top Tea" with "Tea Top", which is an international franchise from Taiwan and the mainland. This is definitely a locally owned and operated restaurant on Oahu.
Lately, price of boba is climbing and quality is declining. But Top Tea knows how to make a perfect bubble tea, and their prices are more than reasonable! I'm not in the Kalihi area often but when I am, I stop by Top Tea + Espresso because (1) Their teas and smoothies taste fresh! (2) Their boba is perfectly sweetened and the texture is delightfully chewy. (3) Customer service is excellent. The staff is always kind, friendly and happy! Today, I enjoyed a large mango green tea, 50% sweetness with boba. It was exactly what I wanted. Craving satisfied! My boyfriend enjoyed his mango peach smoothie with boba. Tip: You cannot adjust sweetness for smoothies. Also, you can choose up to 2 flavors!
Located around the corner of Times this unassuming shop is my boyfriend's favorite place to get an iced americano. They offer a variety of drinks and desserts and have a few tables inside where you can sit and enjoy their offerings. We're always greeted with a smile and enjoy their service even if it's brief. On our last visit we got to try their egg tarts, they were freshly baked so we tried our best to let them cool before sinking our teeth in them and they were so yummy. Not too sweet & the crust was light & flaky, just how we like them. They participate in Five Stars so make sure you always put your number in to rack up those rewards!
Our boba venture took us to Top Tea. Upon entering we realized they were formally friends cafe that was located on Kapiolani across Ala Moana center. My wife got the brown sugar milk tea with boba, and I got the brown sugar tiger milk tea with coffee jelly and cheese foam. 1st time check in on yelp gets you 25% off your 1st drink. Also we noticed one option for topping was you can add a scoop of gelato to your drink. Opted to try that next time. The cool thing we noticed about Top Tea were the cups they had available. You had your basic cup with a paper sealed cover, a plastic reusable milk carton looking cup that you can always bring in and get 5% off, or a cup with a soda can cover. We opted for the milk carton cup so we could get the 5% off if & when we comeback. We were also informed that it fits a medium drink. When we got our drinks, they informed us to shake it. Another cool thing, is the cup is twist off cover so it makes it easier to stir with your straw. Onto the drinks. Flavor is good, still a little watered down but that's just our preference. They do give a lot of boba, and coffee jelly. Cheese foam was good, and tiger milk was a little too sweet for my liking even though I went with 50%. Still, we'd comeback especially to make use of our 5% discount with reusable cup. We did make use of it right away. Since we still had time to kill to pickup our daughter, we sat in sitting area. Then just before we left we used it to get her a matcha with boba drink. Small place, a lot of seating. Service was excellent. Price wise for our 1st 2 drinks total was $21 even with the yelp check in discount. We thought that was kinda pricey, assumed it was because of the milk carton cup. But when we reused it for the 5% discount, it came out to under $5. Located in Liliha shopping center, parking was kinda scarce. read more
5 years ago
6 years ago
Wow I haven't made a review in a while. Well just got back into drinking boba and stuff lol. This place is fast and efficient and service is top tier. They're nice and helpful especially during these times. One party in at a time. Even when it's busy line moves quickly mango green tea with jelly is yummyyyyy read more
7 years ago
Milk tea was good and the plastic milk carton bottle was super cute! Boba was soft and chewy. Parking was okay, it was good on the day I went, but I know it can get pretty busy in that shopping plaza because there's a Times market, Chinese restaurant, subway, and bank. Would definitely come back. read more
Business owner information
Jeffrey C.
Aloha Frances,…
7 years ago
Taro Boba for me in a CUTE reusable plastic milk carton that's easy to wash because of its large opening. My mini had a strawberry guava with rainbow jelly smoothie. They also have teas & ice cream, as well as the cheese foam everyone raves about. I loved the fact that they open until late, 10:30 pm. Clean and cute place. Check in on yelp and get 25% off your first drink. One star off because they're so far away. Located in Liliha and Ward. read more
7 years ago
Recently move to Liliha from Ala Moana area. Favorite shop in the area when they still in Ala Moana, no matter how many shop they open, still the best of all time. Lucky, they moved to my area and I just have to walk five minutes and still can enjoying my favorite milk tea. As always, the new location have place to work or enjoying time with friends, also customer service was nice as always Thanks you for Top Tea/ Friends cafe giving me a lot of memory drinking milk tea with friends and giving a comfort place to enjoying my day-off! read more
Business owner information
Jeffrey C.
Aloha Kelvin…
7 years ago
This place has a cute vibe. I met a friend here for a coffee/tea date and we were the first in the door when they opened at 11. It was our first time there and the menu can be a little daunting. So many choices, colors, Chinese Characters? lol The cashier recommended the brown sugar milk tea and I added boba. No extra added sweetness was needed. I also opted for getting the $5.99 reusable carton. If you bring it back to the location I believe you get 5% off of your next drink. Okuuuuuurt I'm down with it. When it came down to the taste-- magnifique! It was tasty, just the right amount of sweetness for me and the density of the boba was perfect because it wasn't too squishy (which would normally gross me out). Id definitely come back here again. My friend and I had a great little vent session date just sipping on our boba in this cute little cafe. read more
Business owner information
Jeffrey C.
Aloha Tiffany,…
5 years ago
I have been wanting to try this place out for a while but it's very out of the way and parking is madness there. I decide to call ahead and order our three drinks. The cute carton cups I want the man said something about not having. (I didn't realize it until after that when I asked for a large, the cartons only handle mediums. Miscommunication over the phone, no biggie.) I get my order placed and he says 10-15 min. Ok, heading from Home Depot, perfect timing. I get there jump out of the car bad have my hubby do a circle thinking I just have to pay. Well I get there with two people in line, first customer asking a ton of questions-ok. Second customer- has a 3 drink order, lots of answers needed. I get up to the register, pay for my order, figure out the issue on the carton cups and end up just paying the $7.99 for an empty one. I notice drinks are not ready. Find out they haven't even started to make them and I could sub one drink with the cup. Mind you it has been a good 20 min. Not sure what the point of a phone order is when you expect it to be ready by a certain time. While I waited to get my drinks someone who was picking up an order had theirs ready, the first person got their drinks. Saving grace I guess was that I got my drinks before the guy in front of me and the worker who brought them out yelled loudly enough that it was a phone order so the poor chap didn't think I got mine before his in person order. Clocked this whole experience in at 32 minutes from time of call to receiving the products. Hubby didn't like doing circles in that crazy parking lot. Probably not a place we will heading back to in the future read more
5 years ago
Business owner information
Jeffrey C.
Aloha Kalena,…
4 years ago
Located in the same shopping center as Times. Busy busy parking lot. Good selection, friendly staff. Got a milk tea and honeydew smoothie with boba. Both delicious! read more
7 years ago
Quality/taste: Not amazing milk tea. Ordered the Honey Black Milk Tea with boba and pudding. Not much pudding I feel like, I got my drink in the clear plastic milk cartoon looking container. It was easier to drink if I uncapped then too of the container. They had many options including smoothies. The cute container was an additional $5.99 which was a total of $11+. I should get into the habit of checking in on yelp to see if there's coupons, after I paid for my drink, we noticed that yelp had 25% off. Interior: The menu is a bit loaded with information. It took us a moment to analyze what drinks they have and to make a choice. They also have a freezer that displays multiple ice cream flavors. Service: They were nice and when the drinks were finished, they brought them to us. read more
6 years ago
4/5/21-I love this lil' spot! New & hip ! The menus are easy to read & understand. The cashier was patient with me (cuz I'm still new @ dis fancy tea drinks!) @ he was quick! He read my mind & knew what I was gonna ask. It's located next door to the old "Aala Bakery ". Parking was tight & hard to come by. They have all ur favorites! U can even get dim sum around the corner while you wait for your drinks. I looked it up before we visited because I wanted a cute reusable cup! I feel very wasteful throwing away cups after one use.(let's malama da aina) So,look at my pics of the adorable reusable cups!(yes, I had to pay for them but it's okay) Melon almond milk w/boba is what I ordered w/75%sweetness in a "soda can". Teen boy had a Black tea milk in one of those reusable "milk containers " cashier said it was the equivalent to a medium drink . His goal is to try this same drink all over & see who has the best! Also Yelpers,I wanna tell you that it may not be in the swankiest part of town,the parking is a big hassle BUT...their boba is by far the best tasting! Sweet,chewy, plenty & big & fat! Ha ha ! So picky yeah? I have learned that boba needs to stay warm to prevent it from getting hard. Also,today is the 5th of April so as of the 1st,no more plastic bags & plastic straws! Our paper straws were paper wrapped for sanitation. The straws were black. It's ok if it weren't colored. (Yes,black makes it looks more Nouveau!) While sitting under the cool shady trees overlooking Liliha St. ,teen boy was already planning what he would order next time. I was thinking this was a one shot deal. But I guess I could get another one of those cute milk containers! My husband says I have an obsession with cups,flasks & drink containers! I DO NOT!!! (He he) read more
4 years ago
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6 years ago
Thanks to my sis CAROLYN for recommending this place! She found y'all on IG and dm'd me the location and pictures and I was sold with the plastic milk carton containers! I have never seen anything like it and it was just too cute to pass on! My brother and I went down today and luckily there was no line. The place was clean, small and cute! Ordering was easy and the price was okay. Would of wished the containers were a little bigger for the price it came with but it's worth it! They are re-usable and you can use them for your water, juice etc! We ordered the milk tea and the sweetness was perfect! We dropped one off to our little sister Leia and she also loved it! In her own words, "I'm never getting boba anywhere else but here!" read more
6 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
I've been to many Tea places on Oahu, and I can confidently say this place does not disappoint at all. They have hard case plastic containers. Also if you travel inter island like me a lot just for tea! They have this very cool machine that seals your drink with a soda lid so you can take it to go while they retain its freshness! I order my usual Taro Milk Tea is Icecream! And one of the most delicious ones I've had if not the best! read more
I've been meaning to check out this boba spot for months but could never stray out of my routine after work.. It was the reusable milk tea cup that attracted me the most that I was bound to add it to my collection. During this COVID era...they are giving a 10% discount, sweet sweet. However they will not refill your cups if you bring it in the next time which is understandable. I'll just have to pour it in myself when I get back to my vehicle. Staff was really sweet, small area, parking wasn't an issue but I have a feeling once the state starts opening up it will be hard. I couldn't even find street parking which was odd.. Location wasn't hard to find if you park in the lot. Just follow the Top Tea arrow sign above, they are on the street side of Liliha. No complaints about my brown sugar boba drink, I practically inhaled it.. Sign on the door says we couldn't use our Five Star rewards during COVID.. however You've got a regular! read more
6 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
very friendly, the milk cartons are so cute and my boyfriend and i are pretty obsessed with it! i did a smoothie and did a mango and peach mix. i thought it was pretty cool that you could mix any two flavors! read more
Hawai'i is getting better and better with their boba selection ! Top tea is basically a re-opening of Friend cafe that used to be on Kapiolani blvd. The place was really clean and the workers were nice. I got the Okinawa milk tea 25% sweetness and my brother got the brown sugar milk tea 75% sweetness. Both were great! Boba taste good and the milk tea was perfect. I thought the milk cartons were a super cute option and made my mom regret not coming with us lol! Definitely gonna come back here to get another milk tea in a milk carton and with my mom too! read more
6 years ago
My first time trying this place. The drinks were so yummy and they made it so quickly. I would try this place again. I am into brown sugar milk tea and this one was called the brown sugar tiger milk. It tasted the same as those ice cream bars!!! read more
4 years ago
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7 years ago
I loved Friend Cafe & I'm so happy that they opened their new location in liliha since its so convenient for me. I love that you can get a reusable drink carton for 5.99 if you get a medium. If you bring it back you can get 5% off your order. Great place. Will definitely be coming here more. read more
Business owner information
Jeffrey C.
Aloha Kayla,…
I pass this place on the way home from Costco once a week and I have never tried. My boyfriend always gets taro smoothies , and I opted to get one the "ube series" drinks. I always try my bf drink. The taro flavor was great, but both drinks were a little on the sweet side. The taro smoothie also looked not blended so welll from the outside of the cup. But when you drank it, wasn't too chunky with ice . The ube black milk tea , DEFINITELY had ube in it. I didn't listen to the girl when she said "shake it well " before sticking the straw in to take a picture... My first sip was a big straw full of ube lol I found a creative way to shake it up after . It was really good. Maybe even a little too much ube for me . There was a lot on the sides of the cup to make the drink look great! I would've liked a little less on the bottom of the drink. One thing about the ube is that is doesn't exactly melt / dissolve in the drink . There ends up being a lot of ube bits at the bottom which I didn't really care for . If there was a way to blend the ube itself smoother, I think I would have appreciated the drink more. I always judge places on the boba itself . The boba was sweet but I could tell it wasn't cooked all the way. You can tell when it's not cooked all the way when you bite a boba and it's still hard / brown color in the middle. It wasn't bad, little under done for my taste. I end up not eating all the boba and just drinking the drink in situations like that . Over all I give the ube black milk tea a 3.9 out of 5 . If I'm near this area again and craving boba I would definitely go back to try something else. read more
7 years ago
Easy to find on Liliha Street in the shopping area. Clean and friendly. Got the Milk Carton they let me know the 5% off will be available after the pandemic so good to know. Super friendly and helpful, definitely go again when I'm in the area read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
Business owner information
Jeffrey C.
Aloha Good Shepherd,…
5 years ago
More info about Top Tea + Espresso
1425 Liliha St
Ste 10
Honolulu, HI 96817
Kalihi
Directions
(808) 524-3888
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Ask the Community - Top Tea + Espresso
Do you have and sugar free options? I'd love to pay for a black coffee drink with crushed ice, no dairy and no sugar (I'm diabetic). Or tea would work, too. Thank you.
Yes. We do. You might order Americano which is black coffee. For tea options: plain tea like black tea, green tea or oolong tea. For milk tea options: we use non-dairy…
Do they offer catering?
What are their current hours of operation?
We currently open from 11a to 6p daily until further notice. Thank you
What is "Top's Black Milk Tea"? How does it differ from the regular "Black Milk Tea"?
It is steeped longer so the tea is stronger in taste
Do they have brown sugar milk tea and cheese toping?
Hi there, Yes, we do! Thanks
What flavor is Okinawa flavored milk tea? Is it a type of brown sugar?
Hi There, You’re right. Okinawa flavored milk tea is like Okinawan Brown Sugar. It’s slightly different than regular brown sugar taste
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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
4 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
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6 years ago
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