This place is located on Main Street, I guess you can call it the NE corner of Main and Elizabeth St. I believe it is the one closest to Duke. Not much to say here. Only got the Mango Star (see photo) which was about average. No issues with ordering or service but also wasn't too busy. Everything pretty standard. read more

Yaya Tea - Mango Star - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I ordered tea to go and everything was fine and when I picked up my order, I said oh my God thank you perfect and a girl behind the counter made fun of me by being very snotty attitude and going perfect perfect perfect it was very rude and I will never come back. You need to hire a better staff that doesn't treat people like garbage. I told them to keep the tea that I want nothing to do with it. read more

Today, I went to Yaya Tea, and got a taro boba with strawberry popping boba and tapioca boba with almond milk. As a warning, the picture on google maps doesn't show the correct location, it shows building one, but the true location is building 2. To get there, walk through building 1, and go to the outside walkway, to building 2. When inside, take a right, before the exit door, and you'll see it. It's very cute inside. The service was quick, and the person who prepared my tea gave a lot of pearls, which I very much appreciate. Overall, I had a good experience. The bill was about seven dollars USD, reasonable price in my opinion. read more

Meh. I came here for boba with a group of friends. There wasn't anyone else there, so the service was pretty fast. The drink itself was not good - boba was chewy, and milk tea was bland and tasted like a starchy water. The location isn't super obvious, but you'll find it if you walk around a bit. Atmosphere wise, it's a lovely place. Vibes are cozy, and they have an aesthetic wall to take pictures. Don't go there for the boba though read more

Yaya Tea - Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Boba and food are pretty good. Good service, cute atmosphere. Prices are reasonable too, overall good place to go!

Was at work and before I was about to leave I saw Yaya Tea and thought if they Thai tea I'm getting some. Low and below they did, so I got a large cup. read more

Yaya Tea - Hot Thai Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great rice balls and chicken bowl. Reminded me of Japans 7-11! Boba was good! Service was pretty quick. Cute interior. With two outdoor tables if you want to eat outside. read more

Bad customer service, didn't call out my order. I had to ask for my order and they also made the wrong size. The girl in a pink hoodie with curly blondish/brown hair didn't do anything except be on her phone while there was customers in front of her. read more

Atmosphere: Yaya Tea is a warm, bright boba shop in the Golden Belt Campus. There are lots of tables inside among the cute decor. Service: Despite being the only customers in the store, we waited 40 minutes for our drink to come out. When we asked about our order after around 20 minutes, we were told that they never received our order or payment despite us showing them our receipt and bank statement. We then waited another 20 minutes for them to figure out and make our actual drink order. Food: We ordered a First Love, which is a mango peach tea with lychee. For a 40 minute wait, this drink was definitely not worth it. It was way too sweet and had no other additional flavor. Overall: The atmosphere of Yaya Tea is nice, but beyond that, the service and drinks were a big let down. There are plenty of other boba shops in the Triangle to adequately satisfy your boba cravings. read more

Yaya Tea - First Love - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is a cute shop that initially seemed great! I was there at 11 when they open and they didn't open the doors until 11:05. Normally I'd be totally fine with that but the rest of my experience made me feel compelled to mention that. I ordered a Thai tea, but they told me they were out of tapioca boba which I planned to get, disappointment #2. They made my drink fairly quickly, but while waiting I noticed a wasps nest inside of the building by the secondary door with several wasps flying around. The employees were not concerned at all when I mentioned it. There was also a ton of dust and cobwebs on the door and in various places around the shop. When I got to the car to try my drink it was both burnt and watered down. It was terrible. So not a clean shop, out of essential products, and the drink was bad. Yeah no, I will not be going back here. read more

As I am aware Yaya tea on Google closes at 8pm every single day but I showed up to Yaya Tea at exactly 7:18pm, 40 minutes before, and as soon as me and my 2 friends stepped out the car and took even one step towards the door a worker who was cleaning ran to the door and turned the sign from open to closed. I understand seeing someone cleaning up in a restaurant is a sign they're closing but it was 40 minutes before and the audacity to do that as we pulled up if yaya tea is closing earlier then they should at least put that on the Google because I wasted my gas and money for what reason? Just to see a worker change the sign in front of my face. I never had an issue with yaya tea until today. read more

Just decent spot for boba, but tbh I go to Yaya more for their onigiris. The Okinawa (Brown Sugar) milk tea is classic for a quick boba fix. I like their shrimp tempura onigiri (which you can also get with imitation crab meat or seaweed salad); the large is a pretty sizeable snack. I haven't really seen onigiris being sold anywhere else in Durham, which is why I appreciate it being here. Service was fine & ambiance is cute. Not really a great study spot because of limited space and loud music, but it's nice for hanging out. 5/10 soft recommend but with the caveat that you will probably find better boba elsewhere! read more

Delicious tea and rice balls. The inside is very clean and cute. I always come here whenever i want a rice ball. The last time i came i noticed the sanitation score was a B. First time I've ever seen a B. Other than that this location is great read more

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"Boba Tea and more just east of downtown Durham" Boba tea places are spreading in the area, and my son and I were excited to try this one on a Friday afternoon. The location seems a little odd-- amidst office buildings, townhomes, and warehouses, but the parking was super easy and right outside the quaint little store. One can order online or via tablet in the store. I suggest clicking through a few things-- I wanted something non-caffeinated, and I found great choices by clicking "herbal tea" and then seeing choices under that: I went for a hibiscus tea, 50% sweet, with strawberry hearts. My son got a milk tea with boba. It took maybe 7-8 minutes to get our boba, and no other customer was there, but they had a large staff behind the counter. My son liked his milk tea (I don't know what kind he got exactly) -- it had a bit of a "pumpkin spice" quality to it. He said the boba were quite good (which is not always true at boba places in town). For mine, it was very mildly sweet and quite refreshing, and I liked the strawberry hearts. I might get 75% sweet next time, but this 50% was good-- light and refreshing. Only trivial complaint is that the tops are a little "flimsy", so when they fill the drink to the top and you punch through with a boba straw, it's basically certain to spill a bit no matter what you do. I felt the pricing was very slightly better (ie, cheaper) than Moge Tea on Ninth Street, and I thought the quality was fine. There are just somewhat fewer options here, especially very fruity ones. I would be interested to try their "rice balls" sometime, too. Multiple other reviewers complained this place was "hard to find". I clicked on the map in Yelp to guide me, which opened Apple Maps, and that took us right to the front door with no problem whatsoever. It's not visible from Main Street itself, which may be what they mean, but the Apple Maps app still gets you right to the parking lot at the front door. Overall, I enjoyed it and think I'll go back. Moge Tea is closer to where I live, so I probably won't be a regular here, but worth the occasional outing. read more

The location is hard to find. We drove around for 20 minutes trying to find it. Once you do, you're met with a cute, small little place. I got the gyoza and the sauce was really good. I also got the rice balls and I was very happy with them. I got a sunrise tea with strawberry boba. I recommend getting 50% sweetness cause that's what I did and it was very sweet. The chicken rice ball is really good. The prices are high, but that's everywhere right now. What I liked about the service was there was a tablet where you can order and avoid a line. But you still have the option of ordering in person if you want. Food came out in 15 minutes. Weird amount of one direction playing but who am I to judge ‍ read more

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Newest Boba Tea place in Downtown Durham. It's located in an interested location surrounded by office spaces, but unfortunately isnt' very walkable. The interior is cute and provides opportunities for IG photos if you're looking for that! Now.. down to the tea! I've tried to the standards black and jasmine milk tea and when comparing to other boba shops, Yaya has a strong tea presence. Unfortunately, the boba hasn't been on point; often being hard/too chewy. Still if your favorite part of boba milk tea is the tea, I would give Yaya a try! read more

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Server was very patient and chill when I asked a bunch of questions The chicken rice ball is amazing Okinawa milk tea is good, a little sweet for me, but you can ask for less sugar Very cute shop read more

Workers were really sweet, area is a little hard to find but the boba was really good! if you like sweet i would suggest to get 100% sugar other than thay the place is nicely decorated! read more

Yaya Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Great boba tea. I enjoyed it. The service was quick you only have to go to the kiosk and make your order. The price was reasonable.

This is one of our favorite places on earth. The dumplings are mouthwatering. The rice sandwiches are amazing. I like to get a crab and shrimp tempura mix in mine. I usually drink a milk tea, Taro or jasmine, with lychee popping bubbles. SO good. My husband always gets fruit teas. I like getting it less sweet- About 50% and my husband likes it fully sugared. Just about everything is customizable. If you get food- think small plates or simple but impactful dishes. So worth it. I also usually pick up a bag of the gummies. The space is so cute and useable, they have the most adorable souvenirs and they are always friendly and make the drinks right every time. The food is such a good pick me up, we literally have to pull ourselves away. I could eat here 3 times a week if I had the funds lol! Ug just writing this review makes me want to go back! read more

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Just good food. A small little shop with a dedicated and diverse staff. The make your own tea aspect was very fun, being able to experiment with flavors was enjoyable even for a first timer like myself. Though my idiotic self had no idea White Tea had very little flavor, but the little it had made it rather enjoyable as I don't prefer strong teas. The rice balls were the real stars of this meal, with robust flavors and plentiful options. I ended up eating Three!!! The crab was really good with an adaptable flavor mixing well with the rest of the rice ball. The chicken had a nice savory-sweet fusion that was reminiscent of chick-fil-a's chicken but better! But as my partner said: "Its like cinnamon apple." Which gives it a very unique flavor profile. Overall this place is a 100% must visit, GO EAT HERE!!! You won't regret it! (Neither Will Your Wallet!) read more

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Super cute place with a variety of Onigiri (Japanese rice balls). Their onigiri felt very authentic. Like the onigiri you can get at the train stations in Japan. Their bubble tea was also very good. Perfectly flavored and perfectly cooked boba. Plus, they have cute japanese plush animals, candies and souvenirs to buy. read more

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My favorite drink is the jasmine milk tea, 75% sugar, with mango stars. Regular boba is often overcooked, but the stars are always a consistent texture (and go best with the floral jasmine.) read more

The best things to get from Yaya are the fruit teas. On the other hand, the rice balls, I got 3 in the regular size in the flavors Japanese, salmon and rice tempura. It tasted average, but for its price I could've made it better at home for cheaper. There wasn't enough sauce within some of the rice balls, so it felt like I was eating only rice. The taro tea I got was mid. It tasted very powdery. But I also got another drink which was their fruit tea lychee tree, which was good. I would come back here and only order their fruit teas. read more

Yaya Tea - Taro Milk Tea, Japanese Riceball, Salmon Riceball, and Shrimp Tempura Riceball - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Yaya Tea is located within walking distance of Hi-Wire. There is a lot of parking in front of Yaya Tea and behind it near Hi-Wire. It has indoor seating and outdoor seating where you can sit with your pets. I order the black tea and the matcha bubble tea with shrimp tempura riceballs. Everytime I get the Shrimp Tempura, it is always amazing. It also has other meals you can order like noodle dishes and soups. I also enjoy the various bubble tea selections. lt also has a bunch of plush toys, keychain plushtoys, water/tea bottles, snacks, and boba metal straws that you can buy. Great gift ideas! Overall, love coming to this place and sitting outside with my puppy. read more

Yaya Tea - Inside, cute decor. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

OKAY -- I really wanted to force myself to like this place but I just couldn't. Boba tea shops are trending in downtown Durham at the moment but it's so hard to set this shop apart from the others. The location is on the other side of town, which is a bit out of the way. I've driven by this building but didn't realize that a few office spaces and stores existed here. It's quite hidden! The drink menu was a bit confusing, I had to ask for help. I was debating between the fruit tea and milk tea. I opted out for the fruit tea. To be honest, it didn't taste too great. It tasted like watered down fruit punch. Overall, it's a beautiful space if you're feeling IG worthy. There are lots of photo opportunities inside for your next post but unfortunately, I came here for boba tea. I would like to try the milk and other items on the menu but the trouble about that is...finding the courage to go back. read more

The location, staff, and ambiance all get 5/5 stars. Staff was super nice and walked me through the menu. I also appreciated that they had alternative milks. They had almond milk and soy milk available for most of the milk teas. But man, at the end of the day, a boba shop's boba has to be good. The boba was hard and unpalatable. I felt like they were refrigerated and went stale. If they can fix that, then I'd come back in a heartbeat. read more

Yaya Tea - oolong milk tea boba (almond milk) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Cute aesthetic but just okay bubble tea. I had the Okinawa tea and was way too sweet. Next time, I will definitely do decreased sugar level. It's possible if I got the 50% sugar level it would have been more tolerable. My salmon onigiri was tasty! It was on the fishy side, so I would only recommend for people who are okay with that. The ambiance is very cute, and they sell some cute knick knacks, including cute onigiri pillows. I don't think this is a good place to study. It is more of a place to get food and leave. Also, it is a bit difficult to find this place, and I definitely drove by it the first time. read more

Yaya Tea - Okinawa bubble tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Maybe I'm spoiled by milktea from Taipei and Hong Kong, but I didn't find the boba here enjoyable at all. I had a standard boba milktea with oolong. The beverage part was fine, but the boba was terrible: I hope it was just an off day. A slimy, waterlogged exterior gave way to a stale, dry, crumbly interior with each pearl that was reminiscent of rigatoni still 3 minutes shy of al dente. I poured off the beverage and drank it on its own to make it palatable. The staff were friendly and attentive and were the best part of the experience. read more

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The tea was like water. It didn't have any taste to it. Felt like drinking water with boba. Would not recommend

The tea was very refreshing and the shrimp tempura was well breaded but the flavor was bland. Ambiance is chill and the menu is vegan friendly. read more

Yaya Tea - Shrimp tempura - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I have been to the spot twice. I am an avid Boba lover, so when I first went, the boba was so good however, on my most recent visit, it was not as good. The Boba pearls were not cooked well, and they were stuck and clumped together making it impossible to drink them. The flavor of the tea was not as strong either and it was very bland and flavorless. Their ordering system is pretty neat and the service is always good. The restaurant is a nice cozy cute spot with a wall to take pictures in front of. read more

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Difficult place to find, but I think the spot was meant for all the employees in the office building that it shares. The beverage was below average quality. I got the Thai Iced Tea and a friend got the Black Milk Tea and there was barely any flavor in the black milk tea. It was quite a disappointment for us since we purposely drove to this location to get boba. I would have to note that we arrived at the location near the end of business hour which could affect the boba quality. read more

Classic delicious milk tea! Great flavors and customization options. Mine was a bit flavorless but I requested 50% so that could've been my fault. The tapioca boba balls were also subpar- not fully cooked or whatever in the inside and slimy/rough rather than smooth and spherical. Rice thing had good taste although the amount of protein is small. I was confused how to open it and not sure if I did it right but still tasted good! Good option to try a different place but probably not my go to read more

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so yummy!! employees were so nice!! cool vibes very clean and friendly! the rice balls were so good!

Most 1,2, or 3 stars have common point that is: The Boba in their drinks and ours was hard, gummy sticking to each other decomposing? = stale Boba. It should have been thrown out , but they just want to put it in your drink and hope you are an unsuspecting first time or or not a discerning Boba drinker. We have been to all the Boba Cafes in Chapel Hill it gets confusing, but We think this happened at the Yaya there too. I wonder does it take a long time to "process fresh Boba" and is it a high cost??. Doubtful. We liked the passion fruit tea w/o sweetening. But we told them of the boba in it issue & asked for just a little more tea to maybe soften all the Boba that was at the bottom & so disappointing. Not wanting to win over return customers, she gave us an unpleasant "NO , you drank all the tea" Her manager appeared & whispered, she whispered back & that was that. We left bummed out, but did like the rice nori triangles; 1salmon and a shrimp one. read more

Food is great, my brother loves anime and he was estatic to finally try some "anime" food. I've gone back many times.

This is the first Boba place I ever visited so my review may be a little bias but I absolutely love this place. Everyone's super nice and the tea is very good. I mostly like the fruit teas but the milk teas are also good, a little on the sweeter side which is fine, I just have to be in the mood for it. The rice balls are to die for especially the Japanese one, I have recommended this place to my friends and they have loved it as well. If you want a smaller and quiet place to get your boba and study, chat, or relax then this is the place to go! read more

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My coworkers and I love getting tea and rice balls from Yaya's. They have sweet and filling fruit tea, boba, and milk teas. We like to preorder and pick up, but their little shop is so cute! I could sit in there all day. The crab rice ball is my favorite and I always get a LARGE. The peachy fruit tea is also amazing. And based on my coworkers, I recommend trying everything. I'm not sure who runs the store but everyone is super nice. Go and enjoy' read more

Yaya Tea - Crab Meat Riceball - Bubble Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

RUDE, customer-is-always-wrong service! A sullen young employee prioritized their own needs and tasks, making me wait 15 minutes for what I needed. I have never encountered anyone with worse training and with less ability to meet customers with compassion and care. The tea is good and the food is all right, but the service is so incredibly bad that I won't be back. I tried to contact a manager to complain, but there are no contact details for this store. read more