My friends and I have come to ZenCha nearly twice a week for the past 4 years. Of all the times I have dined here, I have never had an unenjoyable experience. Due to the fact that I am a teenager, my friends and I are not always treated with the best service. However, at ZenCha we are always treated with respect and kindness. The food is delicious and the tea is amazing. In the past the service was slow, but it has seemed to have gotten faster; either because I'm had to it or because the new staff is more prompt. Either way, even if the service is slow, the staff is never rushing us out. I highly recommend this joint to anyone looking to eat some good food or drink some amazing tea. read more

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Very solid tea house for the willing-to-learn novice toward serious tea enthusiast. If you like tea but have never actually been to a tea house, it's an experience that you should have, in my opinion. Their tea ambassadors (ie, the servers) are very, very knowledgeable about tea. They will take you through all of their options and make tea to your liking (ie, if you want it sweetened, you can request an amount of sweetener to your liking; if you like it less sweet or not sweet, you can ask for that). The tea service runs $5-6 generally, and includes a variety of teas, including herbal teas, African red teas, flavored teas, fruit teas, and bubble teas for those who aren't quite as into the actual leaf of tea. If you're a super-super serious tea person, the selection there is decent; it's not all flavored stuff. They have two estate teas (Ceylon and Assam), pu erh, sencha, and a variety of green teas that I haven't tried because I'm not huge on green tea. (That vegetal flavor doesn't agree with my tongue, KWIM?) I enjoy the food, too. Get the crostini with goat cheese and honey if they have it. Trust. Service is generally excellent. You get just enough attention, everything comes out promptly. Why this is four stars and not five: *I've always liked this place, but have not yet been totally bowled over. It's solid but not HOLY WOW. *Very occasionally I get over-educated about things that I already know about. I'm not a tea novice, nor do I really want to know about the health benefits of my tea. I'm very glad that they can tell me if I ask, but if I don't, it's kind of a waste of my time to make me listen to the spiel every time I come in for tea. *I can't decide if it's a cafe or a restaurant and would probably feel a bit weird going by myself just for tea, which is why I'm always happy to go with Bryant M. *Sometimes I find the service just a bit off. Either it's really slow/mis-timed, or the server is having a hard time getting obvious signals (I once stood by my table for a *while* because the server was chatting with the person I had just arrived to meet, and she apparently couldn't be bothered to move a few paces over so I could take my seat. So I stood there, awkwardly. It wasn't the worst thing, but there are occasional WTF moments like this. In retrospect, I probably should have asked her to move, but I think I was flummoxed enough that she wasn't letting me sit down when I was obviously trying to that I kind of lost my words). Overall, though, I like ZenCha and will go back a lot. I'm straight addicted to the cardamom ginger tea. read more

Zen cha has been my favorite restaurant for years now. For multiple reasons! The food is always spectacular, the workers are always very nice and they make you feel at home! This is the only place I can eat every day without getting tired of it as well. Try the mango bubble tea! It never disappoints read more

I ordered this through DoorDash and had a million issues with the delivery app, but not one with the cafe. When I reached out to ask about the delivery time, they went above and beyond. They called doordash for me to try to find a driver. They even remade my food when a driver finally showed up to make sure it was hot. They called me to make sure I got my food. They went above and beyond and my food was delicious. read more

This place was surprising empty for how good it was. The blueberry lavender pancakes are SO good and not over priced like a lot of places. If you like tea that have a huge menu. Our waitress was also super nice. So delicious if your looking for brunch sweet or savory go here read more

I usually go to the Short North location because it's much closer, but decided to make the trek out to Bexley since they actually have a parking lot here. We misread their opening hours and ended up getting here 10 minutes before they opened. Fortunately, our server let us wait inside while they finished setting up since it was below freezing out, and she was overall just very welcoming and nice. I ordered their pearl milk green tea (my go-to milk tea drink), which I've had at their other location. That day, I was in the mood for a hot drink, and they were willing to make the drink hot even though it wasn't listed on the menu. Moreover, the temperature of the drink was just perfect. I am easily dissatisfied if I order a "hot' drink and it comes out lukewarm, but this was not the case for my drink. Their boba is also not bad, probably better than anywhere else I've tried in Ohio, but nothing to rave about compared to the mecca of boba that is California. Between my friends and I, we ordered the Masala Chai Waffle (perfect flavoring, and the waffle is very nicely warm and fluffy), the Spinach Parmesan Quiche (great taste, but came out somewhat cooled, which definitely killed the experience for me), and the Okonomiyaki (pretty solid, but nothing to rave about). My only gripe with this place is that I think they finished preparing my dish (the quiche) much earlier than the other two, so those were served at the appropriate/intended temperature, whilst mine was sitting out for a while and thus got a bit cold. Had my quiche come out pipping hot, this place would have been a 5-star no question. read more

Really good food and tea! You won't be disappointed. I had the spicy yaki udon and ginger and cardamom tea. Although the service was kind of slow, the food was amaze balls :) the bubble tea had a higher milk to tea ratio, which I don't prefer but you might like it if you do read more

ZenCha Tea Cafe - Spicy yaki udon and ginger and cardamom tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bexley, Ohio

I have been a fan and regular customer at the Short North location for years and years. No complaints on the tea, the food, the ambiance, the location...basically no complaints! However, I've recently moved to the east side of Columbus. After driving around Bexley one afternoon, I spotted...a ZenCha! Fast FWD... I went there last night towards the end of the day. I didn't too much care for the decor (comparison to N. High). I order tea (which was wonderful) and an appetizer of Veggie Dumplings. They were the worst tasting dumplings I've ever had. The presentation was even poor. There was a pool of water on my plate from the dumplings being pulled out of water and not strained. They were almost falling apart. The sauce was terrible. I have no idea what they were doing back there in the kitchen, but I've never had bad dumplings. I have ordered these on many occasions at the N. High location. I've even had microwaved dumplings that were better. The waitress did her best and was able to discount the appetizer, but not fully refund it. I, in no way, denounce ZenCha. I've never had a problem at the N. High location. Because of this, I will only return to that location. If I just want some tea, I MAY stop by the Bexley location, but I will never eat there. Eww. read more

Went for lunch with a friend. We were the 3rd group through the door so we were seated right away. We ordered and it took an hour and asking the server twice if our food would be ready soon. I had ordered an omelet. I don't know how they make their eggs but it had a different taste and I haven't felt well since. Two bites and i was done. Expensive couple of bites. Wont go back. read more

The feeling of zen met me as I walked in the door! The tea was exquisite, I had the pleasure of tasting one of the featured tea and it was nothing short of amazing. The service was impeccable, everyone was friendly, kind and I will surely be back! read more

Haven't had a bad plate yet but I Love their seared tuna. Their herbal teas are some of the best herbal teas i've had. One of my new favorite spots in Bexley. Just don't ask the waitress what their favorite meat dish is......they'll look at you funny after stating they are vegetarian. read more

I wanted to order a bubble tea to go, but I felt slightly overwhelmed by all the wonderful sounding tea varieties ( I think there's like 3 pages of them). so I asked the hostess for a recommendation. I told her I wanted a creamy sweet bubble tea and she kindly recommended I try the taro with black tea - it was a favorite of hers! ah, it so good. it's just what I wanted, even though I hadn't known it at the time. thank you! read more

ZenCha Tea Cafe - lovely dinning room. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bexley, Ohio

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I stopped by to grab a tea to take with me to the library. Ever since I tried the flavored mate tea sometime in the past, I am OBSESSED! The lychee is my favorite but there's apple, mango, and few others. Alongside teas, their lunch: menu is great and I've enjoyed dining in when I have the time. Also, if you're a reward program person like myself, they have punch cards for to go teas at the front :) read more

Zenchas tea salons are an excellent place to unwind. Ive been to the bexley and the short north locations and both are great place to relax, study, or catch up w friends. The tea i always get is the pudding milk latte and its simply amazing. Ive also tried to rose latte and the herbal teas which are also very good. read more

This is a great place for tea, they have a large international selection. The samples of the hot teas I tried were delicious. I had the taro milk bubble tea before from here and loved it, but I was extremely disappointed this recent visit when they ran out. I tried the vanilla milk bubble tea and the hazelnut milk bubble tea - and I did not enjoy either of them. I also did not like the pumpkin cheesecake. It had some sort of sauce/drizzle and I couldn't pinpoint the flavor (maybe orange?) but it did not mix well at all with the pumpkin. The waitress was friendly and attentive until the end, she stayed in the back of the restaurant talking to other staff and we waited for quite some time to get her attention to ask for the check. So I agree with other reviews, this is not a place to go to if you have other plans/have time constraints. read more

I'm in love with this place. The salad and chicken teriyaki are amazing. I wanted more and more. Prices are reasonable but a little high. Still so delicious I'll come back. read more

We were just walking by and stopped thinking it was for take out tea and ended up with a lovely high tea experience. Service was fantastic, he was so thoughtful and knowledgeable about what was on the menu. He was a great help with selecting the two teas that we had. Mine was herbal and came in a French press, the other was chai and came in a delightful red small tea pot. Both were delicious and aromatic. We also had sides of vegan dumplings and tiny vegan samosas that were just right for tea. Overall a wonderful experience at the Short North location. read more

The tuna avocado sandwich is life. The salad that comes with it is suuper yummy. I always order carry out, and every time I call the staff are so friendly and pleasant to speak with. Love this spot read more

Obsessed! This location is very much open. I believe it was purchased by new owners and is ran separately then the 2 locations downtown. My husband loves bubble tea and searching through reviews we decided to check it out. The tea ambassador explained the menu and different tea options. I was looking for a detox tea and obviously my hubby got the bubble tea he had so desperately been craving. He loved the bubble tea and my tea was good, mild but good. We sampled the tea of the day, which was phenomenal. It was a fruit tea with a green tea based and the summer blend. It was very sweet, but the ambassador said they do not add sugar but used sautéed fruit. We purchased a bag of the loose tea on recommendation from the ambassador for detox. I'm not quite sure the tea is actually a detox tea though. We went back the following week and tried the food menu. I think with the new ownership they are still trying to figure out what works, and I think there could be a few more options on the menu. However the food we did get was incredible! We had the chicken dumpling soup, shrimp salad, a pot of the summer blend fruit tea and vanilla chai latte. Everything was phenomenal! I've been back multiple times since and enjoyed every experience. I like the service even though I can understand how some people say it can be slow. I think this is a restaurant that is intended to sit back slow down and enjoy a cup of tea. Sundays are busy, and they ran out of a lot of things before our brunch but my sister got the french toast and I sampled... Again amazing. Definitely check this place out! It's a great place to catch up with friends and relax! read more

Delicious gluten free waffles. All their waffles are gluten free though not marked. Flavors were amazing. Checked in with Yelp and it offered a 15% discount but didn't list any restrictions. First person didn't know anything about it. Second person said that they can only offer that on go-to teas. Disappointed it wasn't more clearly listed. Nice atmosphere and relaxing. One son had a second order of his food it was so good. Servers were kind, service was a bit slow however it gave us more time to relax. read more

ZenCha Tea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bexley, Ohio

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I absolutely love ZenCha. I always get he same thing, the asparagus chicken. It's too good to not get every time. I also love to get the Strawberry Valley tea, iced, with boba added. I love how they give out a complimentary tea of the day sample, as well. read more

stopped for lunch & tea after visit to C'bus Museum of Art. was here once before, but just for tea. i did not realize they had such a wonderful lunch menu. we enjoyed our food & teas very much. fine ambiance and service. to quote those famous words [you of the younger generation may have to google to find out the speaker], "I shall return." read more

ZenCha Tea Cafe - my guest & server. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bexley, Ohio

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Great knowledge of international teas and the differences between each type. They have a selection of teas left out for smelling to tell if it's a good match for you. Very friendly and accommodating staff. The brunch menu is cute and works in tea flavors in an appealing way. Their yaki soba with beef and star from Africa rooibos are amazing (and the server helped me avoid ordering a rooibos that might trigger that cough syrup taste some rooibos teas seem to have). read more

ZenCha Tea Cafe - Yaki soba and rooibos, brunch of champions. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bexley, Ohio

My food is cold and I do not have time to heat it. There was a mix up with Grubhub. ZenCha should have either called Grubhub or myself, or both of us, rather than just letting my food sit there to get cold; it doesn't taste so good. Now I have 10 minutes to eat a cold lunch. Yes, I know I'm being redundant. read more

This will forever be one of my favorite places. The atmosphere is so quiet and cool and it's extremely relaxing. It makes you just wanna wind down and read a book. The employees are extremely kind and I have never never met anyone so calm, quiet, and sweet that works in customer service. I had some bubble tea and Thai coconut curry and it was filling and so flavorful. The bubble tea is what I get all the time. You will never go wrong. They make everything exactly how you want it and the employees answer all of your questions a and fulfill all of your need. Greatly appreciated. read more

There is a huge difference between the ZenCha on High St and this one, definitely different management. The wait staff were hard to track down and wearing sneakers (not hipster ones), one kept dropping silverware several times, would never visit again. Expensive food that wasn't up to par, definitely go to the one on High and 2nd. Everything is magical there.... I don't understand why they are able to use the same logo, it really does a disservice to the owner of the other two cafes. read more

Service was extremely slow. Had a nice atmosphere though, felt very peaceful there. I wasn't expecting it to be a sitdown type of restaurant considering it's mainly for tea/boba though. read more

They have a very large selection of tea, which I think is awesome! I got the Taro bubble tea and it was delicious. The food however, needs improvement. I ordered the samosas and potato hash to go. The potato hash was just okay. It was seasoned potatoes with some onions and peppers, it tasted like it was sitting in the freezer too long tho which really put me off. Their discription if the samosas online says "flaky dough with a spicy filling". The filling is just mashed potatoes with some seasoning and they were inconsistent. I had one that had a lot of seasoning in it and 3 others that had barely any. The prices here are also really high for what it is. read more

Love the tuna avocado ! So good !!! Seriously, the bread tastes so good and it's a whole avocado on the sandwich. The tuna is always fresh too. The salad (as the side) has the yummiest dressing. OBSESSSEDDDDD. read more

ZenCha Tea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bexley, Ohio

My favorite tea in Columbus! Fantastic food, and the tea is ALWAYS immaculate. I hope someday they bring back the scone platter, my dad and I still rave about that even though it's been years since we last had those scones read more

This was my favorite place to enjoy food and drink, especially tea, when I lived in the area. The staff was always so knowledgeable and kind and the service was always excellent!! read more

I love the food and tea at Zen Cha. And I frequent at least one location weekly. But the more I go, the more I wonder why it takes FOREVER to get served here. I realize that the whole concept of the restaurant is winding down and relaxing. But, sometimes I just want a bubble tea and a quick chat with a friend before yoga class (at the nearby Blue Spot yoga!). And really, the whole process of being seated, ordering a bubble tea, and paying for said bubble tea shouldn't take over an hour and a half. 45 minutes would be acceptable. Especially, when you repeatedly (and politely) tell the person serving you that you have a limited amount of time and you whip out your credit card and keep it on the table. My tips: Don't go here if you're super hungry or if you only have an hour. This is definitely a two-hour meal/tea place. read more

For some reason, Zen Cha isn't top-of-mind, but it should be. Your experience always starts with a sample of their tea of the day. The staff is always very knowledgeable about their (many) tea offerings. Their food is always delcuous, too. read more

I found this adorable restaurant a month ago and have already been back 5 times!!! The atmosphere is cozy and calming, the food is delicious and reasonably priced and the tea selection is the best in town. I am a big fan of their lunch special (salad, soup and a sandwich). The service has been hit or miss-- but it's always very fast. read more

One of my absolute favorite spots in Bexley. Massive tea menu (though I always gravitate toward chai) and my favorite salad in Central Ohio!

tl,dr: Don't go if you like well-prepared tea from the tea plant (senchas, oolongs, black tea, etc). Their fruit infusions, bubble tea, or food may be good but we didn't try them. Full Review: Me and my boyfriend decided to take a trip to Zencha on Valentine's Day. We're both tea freaks and had read on their website that they offered tea flights. Apparently, this location does not offer them. Odd, we thought, but whatever. We ordered two pots of tea instead, one oolong and one chinese black, and they both came out tasting rather unpleasant and astringent. We were disappointed, but chalked up our dislike of the tea to our unfamiliarity with oolongs and chinese black teas. When our server came by to ask how we were doing, we let her know that we weren't having a great time and she set us up with a free to-go cup of Sencha, a tea variety that we are extremely familiar with, having brewed it for ourselves from loose leaf on a daily basis for about two years. When the tea arrived, it was far too hot to drink, which immediately seemed odd since the ideal temperature range for this variety is somewhere between 160-180 degrees F. When green tea is brewed at that temperature I can comfortably drink it right away. Additionally, a sencha should not be brewed for more than 1-2 minutes because this brings out bitter and astringent flavors in the tea, and yet ours took about 15 minutes to get to the table and, I realized after the fact, probably spent most of that time brewing. The result of this peculiar process tasted musty, flat, and bitter, with little of the grassy, vegetal flavors that any decent sencha should have. We both agreed that it was the worst sencha that we have ever had. Out of morbid curiosity, we pried open the lid on our tea, and were astonished to find that it was dark, brown, murky, and opaque. I brewed a cup of sencha at home for comparison to upload with this review so you can get a feeling for the scope of the problem. After our visit, we went to Zen Cha's website to write an e-mail about our experience only to find that Zen Cha in the short north disavowed themselves of this franchise location in 2014: "Disclaimer: Our previous Bexley location located at 2396 E. Main St., has been under new ownership since September 2014. The Bexley location is no longer asscioated with the ZenCha brand and management. Please forward all inquires and feedback directly to the Bexley location." This quote is taken verbatim from Zen Cha's website. Curious. read more

ZenCha Tea Cafe - Ack!!!! Run, lovers of tea! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Bexley, Ohio

Accidental find while on a business trip. I now stop here every time I come back to Columbus multiple times in the week I'm there. My favorite is the coconut chai tea served hot! I've had several of the sandwich/soup/salad combos for lunch and each one has been delicious. My favorite is the roast beef. The bread alone the sandwiches are made with are just perfect. They have an amazing menu of teas. They give you a sample of their daily tea, and everyone has been delightful though I always walk out with a cup of my favorite. read more

Ordered chicken & bacon omelette. Didn't get it. Ordered what I thought was curry veggies because that's what the menu said, it was an omelette. Zen cha said they combined the two omelettes. What?! So my "combined" omelette didn't have ANY of the missing omelettes ingredients. Didn't get the fresh fruit. Ordered the Blackstone, instead of bacon it came with salmon. read more

I thought the atmosphere was a little busy for Zen. I also forgot to use my check in to get 20 percent of my order. I told the waitress I had never been and the menu wasn't really explained to me. While waiting on my soup I saw that they had soup of the day which would've been cheaper than the soup I picked had I was explained the menu. I am looking for a tea shop but not sure if this is it read more

This place is amazing-- 90 types of tea and well-prepared food mirroring the origin countries of the tea. Portions are generous but not overwhelming and service is attentive. Nice oasis in Bexley! read more