Fav spot in Ithaca for boba! I really like their panna cotta and creme brulee additions. I don't love my milk teas too sweet so I typically order them with less sugar. The creme brulee topping is a tad sweeter, creamier, and not quite as jelly-like as the panna cotta topping in my opinion. It's more custardy which I slightly prefer over the panna cotta one. Good flavor and topping selection! read more

U Tea - boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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We had some great bubble tea here! They have a huge menu with lots of unique options, including cheese foam and crème brûlée drinks. The inside is really big with tons of seating options and a cute but simple decor. The servers were very nice and made our drinks quickly. I got the mango yakult drink, which was exactly was I was looking for. It wasn't too rich or creamy, but was a delicious sweet drink with boba. My friend got a matcha drink they said was perfect. The cups are high quality and cute. Unfortunately, after we were long gone, I did find a hair in my drink. If it wasn't for that the drinks would have been perfect! read more

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Great drinks , great service, fantastic feeling. I strongly recommend the classic milk tea.

First, the boba is dope. Highly recommend. The bummer is that prices are definitely higher than expected for the sizes. The shop is...college-town-ish? Some of the seating has become a big storage space for the shop and is a bit of an eye-sore. And the tables can be sticky from previous customers, but truly, the boba is great. Take your fav drink to go or drink it there and enjoy the ambiance of being next to a large university campus. read more

I love this place! I always get their brûlée bubble milk tea and it is always delicious! I think they use condense milk? Anyways it tastes so sweet and I love it. I have also not been able to find replica elsewhere that is as tasty, so it's something I look forward to getting when I'm here. The service was prompt. We went when it was not busy so we ordered and got our drinks immediately. The interior is also quite nice. It's clean and minimalistic with a pretty pale blue wall. There's also board games in the back so it's a great place to hang with friends. read more

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An abundance of flavors. Splendid service from all staff and cozy atmosphere. I've patronized this establishment many times over the past decade and strongly recommend for others to patronize. read more

Absolutely Obsessed with This Drink! I tried the Crème Brûlée Oreo tea with cheese foam and extra brown sugar boba at U Tea, and wow, it's to die for! The flavors are rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced. The cheese foam adds the dreamiest touch, and the brown sugar boba is soft, sweet, and just right. Hands down one of the best drinks I've had. read more

It's a pretty expensive boba shop, each topping you need to pay $.75 extra. The workers seem not in a good mood, the shop just has an odd ambience. The fruit flavor drink taste artificial, the regular milk tea is ok. read more

Utea has my heart. I love UTea so much. Immaculate vibes too. They also have a giant cup u can get, it's huge I love it lmao

Utea is a convenient bubble tea stop on Dryden Rd., right off College Avenue. The accessibility is a positive factor, for sure... even though Kung Fu Tea is right down the street (they've been closed recently, I believe... a bit of a summer break). I went in for the first time early last week, asking for a Dirty Milk tea with boba. Unfortunately, they didn't have whatever ingredients were needed for that tea option, so I went with my standby of taro milk tea with boba. I've since been back to Utea a couple times now and have ordered a couple different teas... all very tasty. I do want to try their more interesting creations as well, like the Cheese Mang Mang (Mango). I've never had a drink of this sort with a cheese topping, so I plan to try it out on my next visit. The service here is very quick, which is a definite plus when I'm making a quick visit during my lunch break. Price is fairly comparable to a number of other bubble tea places I've tried both in Ithaca and in neighboring areas. All in all, a tasty bubble tea option. I may have to bounce back and forth between Utea and Kung Fu Tea when both are open. read more

U Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Our first choice was KF Tea but they open at 1pm so we gave this place a try. I read good reviews so I knew it had to be good. Usually milk tea places are served by friendly people but I can't say the same about this place. The guy staff just kept staring as we were trying to decide what to order. Anyhow, we tried green milk tea and dirty milk. Dirty milk drink comes with brown sugar boba. The bobas were on the smaller side and soft. Both drinks were good. I love their cute plastic cups that came with red heart drink stopper. Little things like that can make people happy. Nice! They have a nice sitting area where you can hangout. read more

U Tea - Green milk tea & dirty milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I was a little skeptical at first with the 'cheese mang mang' because I had no idea what to expect, but it definitely surprised me, in a good way. I wouldn't describe it as bubble tea, but it had a smooth texture and you could tell that they used fresh mango fruit. I was only in town for the weekend, and ended up going back again because it was so good. U Tea over KFT any day for me! read more

U Tea - Cheese mango - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I came here a few days ago with a couple of friends. There's a good amount of drinks to select from and the menu offers some sort of change from the usual bubble tea places in Collegetown like Kung Fu Tea or Panda Tea. The inside feels very nice. There are two large sofas on the sides of the doorway. There are also tables with regular and high chairs. The walls are painted light blue and decorated nicely with plants. They also have board games like Catan. It is definitely a place to hang out with friends to get bubble tea or to have a chat. It reminds me of those casual bubble tea/dessert shops in Flushing where people gather to socialize, play games, or to just have something sweet to drink. You'll probably understand if you've been to NYC. I ordered the Cheese Mang Mang, a mango flavored tea drink with cheese foam as the topping. This was my first time trying it and it tasted interesting. The cheese foam tastes like it was made from whipped cream cheese. The mango part of the drink was not overbearingly sweet, and tasted just right. It was definitely an interesting combination. Overall, I had a good experience. UTea is a good addition to the limited selection of bubble tea locations in Collegetown. I hope to try more of their drinks soon! read more

U Tea - Cheese Mang Mang (Mango) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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So my daughter was working and having "ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS" so I knew she wanted something to drink but Starbucks was closed (she likes PINK DRINK) so I remember hearing about this place so I walked in and was greeted and asked what I would like? I looked at them and said NO CLUE!!! I have never been here! Then I go "look my daughter is not having a great night at work I would like to take her something. She likes Mango but has to be dairy free! They did suggest one drink but it had a probiotic in it that is dairy but I said that would be fine just not full dairy! (She can have SMALL amounts) $7 was a bit but I do spend $6 on my lattes and toss my cup where as the cups here are CUTE and reusable!! She was very pleased with her drink!! THE ENTIRE STAFF WAS VERY NICE !!! read more

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Every time I'm in the area I make sure to make a stop at U-tea. My go-to order is the brûlée milk tea. I've never had it at another boba shop, so I'd say it's pretty unique to this place. It's like a creamy, whipped custard that makes the already great milk tea, that much better. They have three sizes, the biggest is called a "giant" and bigger than my head (the more tea the better for me though). They have a great range of options, although I did ask if they have any vegan options and they said it would most likely be the fruit teas (but they couldn't confirm for me if the syrups they use were vegan in those drinks). The service can be a little off and hard to approach depending on the day. The drinks are definitely more pricey than that average boba shop (from what I've experienced), but I'd definitely recommend for the occasional treat! read more

U Tea - Brûlée taro - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

very yum! the avocado yakult is very good too. I would go here over KFT. the bubbles could be chewier though. read more

U Tea - Lychee Black Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Looks like a nice chill spot for students. Not too busy even on a weekend night. Nothing notable to mention regarding ambiance or staff - enjoyed this quick bubble tea run. They have a surprisingly large menu with milk teas, fruit teas, panna cotta teas, cheese foam teas, etc. The milk tea was pretty standard - good taste and chewy bubbles. Pricing seems fair. read more

A little expensive for a milk tea and they charge extra for boba. The boba and tea taste good and the cups they give are very nice and sturdy, I'm going to be reusing mine. read more

U Tea - Classic Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

good dessert bowl but they gave like 2.5 oz of milk tea when I usually get like a full cup from meet fresh or dream tea -- hopefully they can adjust the recipe read more

Very fast and friendly service. Friends from Cornell recommended this place over kft. The price seems fair considering the size and they offer many interesting drinks. The taro milk tea is really yummy and the Yakult drinks as well. Also, chewy bubbles !!! No minimum charge on card :) read more

7 Kind of pricey but probably the best boba in town. The bubbles are very good. Dirty milk is good but wished it wasn't just with milk. Love the brown sugar bubbles. Quite like the taro milk tea with green tea with bubbles. Strawberry yakult was okay, thought a little too syrupy. Mango slush was okay, not really a slush. read more

Wish they had more U Teas in NYC! My favorite order is their creme brûlée milk tea. Their bubbles are the perfect chewy texture! read more

U Tea - Creme brûlée milk tea and taro creme brûlée - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Planned a day trip to Ithaca and landed at U tea to satisfy my bubble tea craving. I was not disappointed! I got the milk green tea with brown sugar bubbles, which was perfect as the tapioca pearls were soft, chewy, and not overly sweet. The hubby tried the green tea yakult which I loved as well. It was refreshing for a warm day! The interior is large with a good amount of seating (not accommodating in door seating presently). Everyone expected to wear a mask in the store during the covid pandemic and they offer plenty of hand sanitizer gels. read more

Good bubble tea spot in Ithaca! Definitely the top bubble tea location to go to other than Kung Fu Tea in the Ithaca area. UTea also serves unconventional drinks and of course serves the classic bubble tea. However, I would suggest getting their other drinks that is not classic bubble tea because I personally think their more interesting drinks are more worthy to get, but their bubble tea is still good! However, for classic bubble tea: dibs goes to Kung Fu Tea. I would recommend getting the Mixed Fruit Tea Fantasy: Tastes like passion fruit tea and then mixed with fruits like grapes, watermelon, and mangoes. A go-to refreshing drink, but also a bit filling because of the sweet fruits. The cheese mango mango drink is also surprisingly good! I initially thought there will be a cheesy taste because of the cheese foam on top, but instead it tastes sweet and has no cheese taste to it all! It complemented the taste of the drink. However, this drink did not taste like mango, but was still good! Not only that, I really like the atmosphere - they have games to play if you want, nice comfy couches to sit on, and nice bright seating to just chill with your friends. I also like their cups, you can either open the heart covering to sip, or poke with your straw to drink from your cup - very versatile. I will come back again to try other flavors because my Asian taste buds screams for bubble tea constantly. read more

U Tea - Mixed Fruit Fantasy - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Came to visit Ithaca and wanted a bubble tea to end my trip. This place was recommended so course I had to try it. I like how there are different sizes available, especially the x-large! It was quite refreshing and tasted good, just a tad bit sweet. Overall, not bad :) Cute place for college students to grab a quick drink. read more

U Tea - Fruit tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Tldr: yummy cheese topping drinks; on the pricier side ($6-8); board games! This place has great cheese tea. Cornell's collegetown has a couple other bubble tea places, but this is the only place with good cheese topping. The uji matcha cheese tea is my go to drink, but the cheese mang mang (mango) and cheese pitaya are also great. I'm not a fan of super sweet drinks so I usually get 25% or 0% sugar. Even at 0% the cheese drinks are still plenty sweet if you pace yourself with the cheese topping. Pro tip: skip the straw and drink directly from the lid, you want a bit of cheese topping with every sip. My best friend loves their bossy chang chang (orange) drink, but as of Fall 2019: "we haven't made that drink in a while and we likely will never again". Fortunate the same worker who said that suggested the whole-cup orange as a substitute. Verdit: pretty identical in flavor! Whoo! The shop has ample seating and has a selection of board games, so you can socialize while sipping on your drinks. The service is also quite fast. Even when it's busy you wait 5-ish minutes max. Only down side is the cheese drinks are on the expensive side... (hence the 4 stars) but they make for great rewards/incentives for long study sessions! read more

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We came here on a Friday afternoon. There's bunch of board games around, including Avalon and Catan. The drinks are good. They can improve on getting rid of the insects though, there were plenty of them flying around. read more

The "tea" at this shop was not good at all, and the customer service was the worst I've ever encountered. This is your very below average college boba spot and not authentic tea. Being lactose intolerant, I always ask what kind of milk or milk powder is used in milk teas so that I can know what to avoid (some places use non-dairy milk powder which is totally fine). The guy taking my order completely avoided my question, said he couldn't disclose that information, and then proceeded to laugh it off. Since he couldn't answer that question, I then asked if he could inform me which drinks contain dairy milk and he wasn't even able to answer that question and continued to laugh at the situation. This is a ridiculous and inexcusable response. read more

I will definitely not return to this business. There were 2 people there working. One guy in panamas, prepping lids with no gloves on and a girl who seemed to be unhappy that we were there. While waiting for her to make our drinks, I got the chance to look around and noticed the place is super dirty. There is a filthy (like, really filthy) curtain dividing the front from the back room. The floors were gross and there were old sticky notes to show the specials. I considered not drinking my drink but I dont have bubble tea near me and I really wanted some. The 2 stars are for my drinks flavor and cute cup. read more

I was on campus and was searching for boba. I found this place, and I'm glad I tried it! My matcha milk tea was very solid, and the boba was perfect. The service was very nice. I give it a 4 because it isn't too exciting, but very solid! read more

I had such an amazing experience at utea today I just had to write about it! I'm pretty much a regular there and every time I go there is this wonderful young man on shift with long curly brown hair. He is so entertaining that part of the reason why my friends and I go to utea instead of the other bubble tea places in collegetown is because he really just brightens our day. Like I said, I've been so many times and a review is long overdue. Today, not only my curly-haired friend, but everyone on shift was so sweet and inviting, that I just had to give them the praise they deserve! Every time I go I like to try something different and I have never once been disappointed. In fact, my only complaint is that there are so many amazingly good drinks that it takes me 10 minutes just to decide what to indulge in each time I go! Furthermore, not only has the staff never gotten one of my drinks wrong, they even help me create the perfect drink for me at each visit. I'm one of those people who adds a bunch of bubbles and toppings to my drinks. My curly-haired friend always gives me amazing advice on how to mix and match the things I love to give me exactly what I'm looking for each time I go. Utea in itself is amazing: I love the drinks with cheese and brulee, unique only to utea and the diversity in flavors that they provide never fail to satisfy. But it would be nothing without it's amazing staff! As I said above today was just one of many incredible experiences I've had with the utea staff and I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful they all are! read more

Utea probably has the best bubble tea on Cornell's campus. They have different and experimental flavours. Their boba is nicely made and also have a nice ambience where you can play board games with friends or just relax and study. For a bubble tea it is a tad bit expensive though! My personal favourites are the - Dirty milk tea, Taro milk tea, Oreo milk tea. You can try anything you like. You won't go wrong as long as you know what you are getting! read more

As far as I can tell the two legit milk teas in Ithaca are here and Kung Fu tea. I like a smooth but strong tea flavor, which both do have, but I much prefer U Tea for the flavor and the milky/creaminess. The boba is a bit smaller size than I'm used to but they have a nice texture. I travel a lot and always seek out new black milk teas to try and the U Tea Classic Milk Tea is a very good one. Service was also quick and the place has a good, typical bubble tea shop atmosphere. read more

Nice to find a boba tea place in a mall of all places. Wasn't outstanding but it was certainly passable. The boba could have been softer but not bad. Liked the variety offered. read more

Got a cheese taro milk green tea with bubbles. It looks like their menu has lots of interesting drinks. Generally my drink was pretty good, the cheese foam had a very rich taste and was not at all watery and the bubbles had a nice chewy texture. To me it seemed like the taro flavour was a little weak, but the taste of the tea was still pleasant. It was pretty empty when I went, so it seemed like there was a good amount of seating to me, but I guess this place gets more busy when school is in session so I can't say how it would hold up against those crowds. The couches and chairs by the window looked really comfortable though. On that note, it was dead quiet when I walked in. Like, compared to walking on the street it felt like there was negative noise inside, and if you were talking it seemed infinitely loud. I feel like they should consider playing some quiet background music when it's not busy, so that the vibe isn't so sterile. read more

U Tea - Cheese Taro Milk Green Tea w/ Bubbles - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I've been waiting for the brown sugar milk tea for a long time, finally it gets here. Tried some other flavors before, which are quite tasty. Recommend! read more

U Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

This is my go-to bubble tea spot by Cornell. They have lots of menu options, including a special menu. My friend and I had the mango tea with cheese foam, the red bean milk tea with bubbles, and the dirty milk bubble tea with brown sugar bubbles. They have board games (Jenga, Uno, Monopoly) and other fun things to play while waiting for your order or sipping inside! WiFi included and comfy couches and seats. Restrooms are in the back right corner. Would definitely recommend this place! read more

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This place was great other than the lack of parking. The space is modern, clean and trendy. It has a sleek appearance and cute decor items like colored pineapples and a couple of couches by the windows. The only thing missing from the ambience is music. The place is dead quiet outside of the refrigerator fan noise. I had their signature cheese pitaya drink for under $8 and it was delicious. It's expensive for a smoothie but anything with pitaya is so it wasn't surprising or unfairly priced. It was delicious and not too sweet. It is also beautifully colored (great for the 'Gram #aesthetics). Their entire menu looked awesome. There's no parking lot and you cannot park out front either. They are currently hiring. I was surprised how dead the place was on a Friday afternoon. I really thought their long tall cups were unique and cool looking (though for smoothieand cheese topping surfaces, it made for a lot of surface area on which my smoothie got stuck). The cheese topping is common in the bay area in CA where I am from but U Tea is the 1st place I've seen in upstate NY that serves it. It's deliciously thick, creamy and a little salty. I didn't notice any insects as another reviewer mentioned. I'd probably come here weekly if I lived in this town. I'd love to try their brulee series next time I'm in town. Their logo is a cartoon girl with a graduation cap on it. read more

U Tea - Cheese pitaya signature drink. Comes in only one size. Almost $8 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Used to love this place. Went here allll the time. But now, not all their employees wear a mask (even when preparing the teas) while we're in the middle of the pandemic. I even kindly brought it to the attention of an employee and the manager the next day, to which they replied with an unmotivated "ah" and did nothing about it. Super irresponsible as well as illegal due to the mask mandates! :/ Unfortunately spending my weekly boba allowance elsewhere from now on read more

They have some funky bubble tea flavors and they tasted fine. It is a happening place most of the time and good place to hang out. read more

U Tea - Counter - Bubble Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York