The Most Delicious Bubble Tea in Chicago

Taipei Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (377) • $$

"I already wrote my love letter to Taipei Cafe in my review six years ago, but just popping back to report that this place still stays one of my absolute favorite places in the city. I've come here on a bad day and absolutely come out of this meal cheered up. The staff is always nice and chill, and it's just such a cozy place.On the most recent visit, I was just here for a snack so we got the seafood rice roll (fan tuan) and the plum flavored fried sweet potato. Two favorites, although I love their braised pork with rice and oyster omelet too."

Thai Spoon & Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.8 (334) • $$

"Absolutely amazing food!! Great portions and cheap pricing. Might be my fav casual Thai place. This is an absolute GEM and everyone needs to try it! Service is also quick!"

Shang Noodle & Chinese

★★★★☆ 4.1 (265) • $$

"What a great place to have some authentic delicious Chinese/Taiwanese food, in the heart of downtown Evanston. Whether you're a student, or not, definitely take the trek to Evanston to Shang Noodle & Chinese, where the food won't disappoint, the service great, and the overall dining experience being top-notched.We order the famous Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in blackbean sauce) which if you look at Yelp, there are dozens of photos of it; a crowd pleaser for sure. If you're looking for a great chicken dish, with jam-packed flavor, spice, and the perfect breading, definitely try out the dry red-chilli chicken. We topped off the fantastic meal with some pork belly soup.Our server was great... letting us two, pull together two tables, due to the amount of food we ordered. Our waters were filled constantly, and we were checked-up on several times.BATHROOM REVIEW: There is a mens and womens private bathroom. In the mens, it was extremely clean and spacious and contained a urinal, toilet, and even a chair to chill at, if you're all about having a conversation in the bathroom, or just wanted to lounge in a bathroom. No judgment here. Well, judgment with the bathrooms, as that's what I do. Sit or squat? Sit!"

Te’amo Boba Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (223) • $$

Wentworth Seafood House

★★★★☆ 4.3 (177) • $$

"Our party of 4 returned here for a Friday lunch.  It's been 4.5 years since I was here, and I really didn't remember it, but they have a comfortable and airy space.  It was fairly busy at the time but service was quick and attentive. We had an 8 item lunch comprising of 6 dim sum items and a couple of entrees (a chicken feet and spare rib rice and a mixed mushroom rice noodle dish). Pricing is reasonable and quality is decent although the rice in the pot of rice was ordinary white rice and not flavorfully cooked clay pot rice."

Taiyaki Chicago

★★★★☆ 4 (192) • $

"Honestly a 3.5 but rounded up to 4 because service was so good. We dropped by here after a random dinner in the area and were going right for the taiyaki. My friend and I being mirror images ordered the same taikyaki with matcha with the only difference being red bean vs custard fillings.Our orders came out pretty quickly and were giant! Definitely have dessert space in your stomach if you come here. I will say that the matcha soft serve had a great robust matcha flavor - not dilute or faint at all and not too cloyingly sweet in any way. Loved it! Now the problems started once I got down to the taiyaki itself. It was a hefty taiyaki and I truly wonder if it should have been cooked for a longer period of time because parts of it felt very thick and gummy. The outside and the top had a little bit of a crisp but the middle was honestly very hard to get through. The filling was fine -- i.e. the custard that I got and it complimented the rest of the dessert well but I have to say I have some reservation about the thicc taiyaki which felt a little underdone imo. Service was very sweet; you order at the counter and they call your order out. We went on a weekend night but the crowd was not insane which was much appreciated. There is a good amt of sitting area on the inside too!"

Poke Burrito

★★★★☆ 4.4 (141) • $$

"Ordered a fantastic poke bowl for delivery!! It felt very appropriately sized for the price. But more than anything, it tasted SO fresh and like the ingredients were very high quality. You could just tell. And love how many topping choices there are, and how you aren't charged extra for just avocado. I will be coming back!"

Hello Jasmine - Lincoln Park

★★★★☆ 4.1 (155) • $

"Love to have a restaurant with a full selection of delicious Taiwanese drinks and food. One has to be warned before they make a visit that portion sizes are between generous to quite large, so it's important to bring a large appetite or friend when you're making a visit here. Since everything is so good here, it'll be hard not to try to finish everything you get (for example, the popcorn chicken is a box of all meat, and the bento is packed quite tight and can easily be shared between two people).The drinks here are done quite well, exactly to the special order of ice or sweetness that you desire. This is with high quality ingredients and the boba has the right amount of chewiness to it. The popcorn chicken was tender with a good crispiness to it and the salt and pepper wasn't overwhelming. The bento box is a fantastic way to try lots of different Taiwanese favorites and snacks at the same time including the tea egg and Taiwanese sausage. The pork rib was marinated well and quite crisp. Overall, great food and drink make this a spot I'm excited to visit again in the future. I was very glad to see everything prepared in such an authentic way and to see a menu that's different from what you see at other boba cafés nearby."

Hokkaido Ramen House

★★★★★ 4.6 (117) • $$

"This was good ramen for the burbs. It was a bit of a drive to the Hoffman Estates location. However, we were able to get seated with no wait. If you check in via Yelp, you can get a free appetizer of crab rangoon. We also ordered chicken karaage, tonkotsu shoyu ramen, and black garlic tonkotsu ramen. Food came out surprisingly fast. The staff was good at taking away the empty plates and bowls. Chicken karaage was good. Chicken was juicy, crispy, and cut in good size bite pieces. Crab rangoon was okay, I mostly tasted the cream cheese, I felt like there wasn't much imitation crab meat in there. Tonkotsu shoyu ramen was delicious. I enjoyed sipping the rich, flavorful pork broth. Pork meat was nice and tender. It broke apart easily. Noodles were chewy and good. It's a tasty ramen for the cold weather. Black garlic tonkotsu ramen, I liked the broth more than the shoyu. I found it addictingly savory and had a longer lasting impression on me. Prices were reasonable. Sufficient parking."

Ume Tea

★★★★☆ 4.4 (126) • $$

"Very cute boba shop with so many places to take pics if that's your thing. I saw this place on TikTok earlier this week, so when I spotted it today, I had to stop in and see if it lived up to the media hype. Place your order in the kiosk and wait for your drinks. It was very busy day but my order still only took about 10 min. There are only about 4-5 tables, so grab one quick. I got a Passion Fruit and Watermelon Green Tea and really liked it. It wasn't overly sweet which I prefer. But 24oz is huge for me. I could only finish about half since I still had lunch to eat. Our drinks were about $10 each. For some up-charges you can get specialty cups and/or plushies. I only wanted my drink, but it's a really cute idea."

Top Tao Tea

★★★★☆ 4.3 (130) • $$

"Great boba spot in Uptown! Workers were friendly, easy ordering system, and our drinks came out timely. Boba was tasty and the cups our drinks came in were so cute! Pro tip: order 25%-50% sugar since these drinks do get sweet! They have a lot of seating (mostly booths) and an area with a pretty flower backdrop. There's some board games at the front of the place, so you can spend some time here!"

Tasty House1

★★★★★ 4.7 (106)

"My sister recently told me about an Asian restaurant that was absolutely fantastic. She told me that I needed to check it out as soon as possible and that I would absolutely love it. The name of this restaurant is Tasty House #1 in Carol Stream.We ended up going on a Sunday night. The restaurant was completely packed, which is a good sign of a restaurant that serves good food.The owner remembered my sister. He was extremely friendly to her and her family and was happy to meet me. I already had a very good feeling about this place. The level of customer service was fantastic.The main dish that this location is known for is Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle dish with herbs and meats.I went with the make your own Pho. I added brisket, Vietnamese meatballs, and chicken. While we waited for our main dishes, we also ordered egg rolls and spring rolls. The eggrolls and spring rolls were super fresh and delicious. One thing that you definitely need to try when you go here is their hot chilli oil. It is the best hot chilli oil I have ever had. There is a heavy flavor of garlic and the spice is not too spicy.They are also known for making fresh fruit drinks and Boba teas. My favorite flavor is taro. It is a purple potato/Yam that is sweet and delicious, something you need to try.The restaurant seemed to be getting busier as we sat and the owner was very busy serving tables, while one of his workers made fresh fruit drinks for the entire little league baseball team that suddenly walked in. All of this chaos and they never missed a beat.Our main dishes arrive at the table. The Pho came with a side of bean sprouts herbs, such as cilantro and mint amongst other items to add in to your Pho.The broth was so rich and the noodles were perfectly cooked. I was in heaven.We all ate until we were completely full. Six people and the bill was under $200 to eat like kings and queens.I definitely cannot recommend this place enough for you to check out. You will not be sorry. When you stop in please tell them the Chicago Food King sent you.I give a rating of 9 out of 10. This is definitely a place that you need to check out."

Five Spice Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (132) • $$

"I heard a lot about how this restaurant is a rebranding of Silver Lake Chinese food. They did have w a Silver Lake menu and one of the staffers said it's a rebranding of Silver Lake, so I guess it's true. It's significantly more upscale than Silver Lake but the people are just as nice. Personally, I think the food is better. I was happy my husband suggested we try it. I love the updated decor. Very chic. If you liked the old Silver Lake, this is a sure bet."

Viet Taste

★★★★☆ 4.1 (107) • $$

"I was on vacation in this area and wanted pho. Found this place that was open late. There was a huge parking lot. The place is huge. I like that there was large tables to accommodate large family gatherings. I ordered spring rolls and they were good but the sauce was not a peanut sauce. I was a little disappointed. My husband ordered a strawberry smoothie that was really good. The pho was really good and portions are generous. They only accepted cash so something to consider. Overall okay experience."

Cuckoo

★★★★☆ 4.3 (76) • $$

"Ordered a bunch of food for delivery and we were very pleased! The soy garlic tenders were the ultimate favorite that we'll be coming back for. Soy Garlic Tenders: amazing flavor! Light and crisp, 5 tenders are enough if you're mildly hungry. Since they're delicious I would order more next time. Snow Onion Sandwich: spectacularly tasty sandwich. Split it with my husband. Could do with less Mayo next time but still impressed. Smoothies with cheese cloud: wonderful!!Dumplings: Good no issues. Pork Buns: While not bad I generally wasn't impressed. Wish there was a sauce on it."

Taipei Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (64)

"Overall Thoughts: The food here is tasty with very reasonable prices for the portion sizes. Everything was flavorful, and came out quickly-- my favorite order was the fatty beef black pepper noodles; it's pretty oily but the flavors and textures are impeccable. It's a small space and seating is limited (just a few hightop tables and bar counter seating). I need to go to their Bridgeport location next, which has a more expansive menu (including hotpot) and seating area! Food I tried:- Fried Egg Tofu Bento (4.4/5): The Japanese egg tofu is great here: crispy and well-seasoned exterior with a soft, scalding interior. The other sides were solid too-- it's an overall well-balanced, filling meal option. - Fatty Beef Black Pepper Noodles (4.7/5): I especially enjoyed this dish: the beef and noodles were packed with flavor (the black pepper flavor is very distinct) and the soft textures paired perfectly together. - Popcorn Chicken (4.2/5): A Taiwanese classic; this was good with a crispy exterior and juicy interior-- no "wow" factor but very solid! It didn't come with any sauce, but dipping it in the egg tofu bento chili sauce was pretty good.- Matcha Belgian Waffle (4.2/5): This is a huge, filling dessert that tasted good but quickly became a bit monotonous/tedious to consume (especially since we were already so full by then). The waffle is soft, warm, dusted with detectable matcha powder, and topped with matcha Pocky sticks and vanilla ice cream. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.5/5Food: 4.4/5Ambience: 4.7/5Service: 4.8/5Overall Value: 4.5/5"

Pure Tea

★★★★☆ 4.3 (65) • $$

"I was looking for boba and some snacks, and found this 88 Market on Yelp. Pure Tea is on the first floor of the market. There is a good variety of drinks, and also different flavors of egg waffles on the menu. I tried the Osmanthus Fresh Milk Tea with cheese foam. It has a very strong osmanthus flavor, and I don't think the drink needs the cheese foam (additional $1). My group like the Taro Fresh Milk with Sago, Oreo Crunch Smoothie and Americano they got also."

Te'amo Boba Bar - Chicago

★★★★★ 4.6 (49)

"Overall, a decent spot to grab boba near Millenium Park! They have a big variety on the menu, and it seems their dalgona drinks or volcano milk tea are most popular.I got the Rose Green Tea this visit, which was VERY STRONG tea. Refreshing and lightlt had the aftertaste of rose. Not bad! I also tried the Coconut Double Pudding, which was okay. The flavor was good, but the texture was too goopy for me. I wish it was a little more firm or jello-like."

Autea Sweets & Eats

★★★★☆ 4.4 (38)

"1. Taro Ball Fruit Iced Snowflakes w Red Bean2. Hanging Pear Milk Tea w Boba & Watermelon Slushy w Conjac3. Braised Beef Brisket Rice & Noodles4. Avocado Banana MilkshakeThe natural comparison is to Meet Fresh who occupied the space before AuTea. Both are similar in the Asian desserts they offer but AuTea also offers hot snacks and entrees. Short answer is I definitely like AuTea more.My breakdown: The shaved snow is better - finer and softer. Hanging pear milk tea was fragrant. Watermelon slushy didn't taste very ripe/sweet. The braised beef in both the rice and noodles was delightfully tender. The rice was short grain, mushy, and disappointing. The noodle soup was excellent - both the noodles and soup flavor. Banana avocado milkshake was good.No issues with service. Employees were very friendly."

Bubblelicious

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (63) • $$

"BobaWhatever you call this drink it's become very popular in America. Some people call it bubble tea and others call it boba.A lot of these drinks are very sugary, but I found our drink to be light and refreshing.Definitely stop in and give it a try"

Te'amo Boba Bar

★★★★★ 4.7 (30)

"Very cute little stand with a kiosk for you to order your favorites. My son loved the Oreo mochi donut. My sister loved adding lychee jelly and crystal boba to her green tea! Definitely a sweet treat!"

Queen Sheba

★★★★★ 4.9 (26)

"I couldn't find the place at first. It's right across from the post office with the entrance facing the street rather than the parking lot. It's the most quaint tiny little store front.Very tasty and clean food. The bread loafs were huuuge and I ate the entire piece given how light and fluffy it was. The owner/ chef was warm and welcoming.My only complain was that some of the ingredients (onion?) were sharp and filled the small space, which was a bit uncomfortable for my sinuses."

Tsaocaa Lincoln Park

★★★★☆ 3.8 (43) • $

"(Review based on a Oct 2022 visit)First of all, I found it weird that I could only order through the touch screen. I guess I'm not so anti social that I don't want to avoid telling someone my order directly? I had a substitution I wanted to make for a drink but it wasn't immediately obvious how to input that into the ordering system. I had to flag down one of the bobaristas who had to explain how to switch one mix in for another. After ordering our drinks though, everything else went fine. The teas were refreshing and the mix ins were good. Details:- Contactless ordering at kiosk- Sweetness and ice level adjustable"

Pho Xich Lo

★★★★☆ 4.3 (29)

"When you first enter the restaurant it is very spacious (we posted a video of the dining room) there is a table setup with plates, utensils, and lemon water. We ordered the calamari appetizer, it was really delicious and worth the money! They looked like onion rings and were not chewy and were easy to eat. Our waitress was very sweet. My husband ordered the Shrimp fried rice... unfortunately a man came out of the kitchen after 10 minutes and said that they don't have any more fried rice. He did give us a free crab Rangoon appetizer to make up for it. The outside was very light and crispy and the center just melted away! My husband and I both ended up ordering the pho #2 (Beef noodle soup base with Sliced Beef, Tendon, Tripe, Brisket) If you dine in between 3pm and 6pm on weekdays you save 20% (make sure you tell them when you pay because they don't just automatically give the discount to you) We are glad that we dined here the food was really good and served at the proper temperature. If your in the area (and have at least an hour) stop in and give this place a try! You will not be disappointed."

Hello Jasmine - Lincoln Square

★★★★☆ 4.1 (28)

"Hello Jasmine is one of the better bubble tea places in the city but this is probably my least favorite location. I think that it's the biggest and the nicest but the food and drinks are not as good as their other locations. I ordered the pink guava tea and it was way too sweet I was so disappointed. I also got their pork rice bento box and the rice was cooked so poorly where everything was clumped together :( Maybe they were having an off day this week but it was very disappointing. Aside from that it's a beautiful space and the service is decent. You basically order at a kiosk and then they bring the order out to you! Ample seating and parking is never too difficult in the neighborhood!"

ParTea

★★★★☆ 4.2 (22)

"What a cute place; perfect for getting ice cream and going for a walk afterwards. The chocolate ice cream was very rich and yummy! Not overly sweet - which is my preference. The vanilla Pikachu was delicate. We ended up getting these adorable waffle eggs! Two plain and two with chocolate! Very creative! The service was great, nice people who seem to like working there!"

Ton-Ichi Ramen

★★★★☆ 3.6 (27)

Bubble and Brew

★★★★★ 4.6 (13)

"This place is so cute, you get greeted by the owners when you walk in, it's super relaxing to be here and get some work down. The bubble teas are really good and you get a good amount in your cup before it's all just ice. They also have a lot of bakery items to chose from; a lot of unique flavors. Definitely recommend this place if you're in the south loop!"

Tsaocaa

★★★★☆ 4.1 (12)

"I'm a huge fan of Tsaocaa Chinatown and Lincoln park! So when I saw that there's another location in Chicago, I had to show my support! I always do a rotation of fruit tea or jasmine green milk tea. Today, I ordered my standard jasmine green milk tea and bubble waffle. My friend ordered the iced muscat grape green tea and pork sung bubble waffle. The taste is similar to all the other locations! I did have an issue with the flavor of my milk tea but they corrected it when I mention it to the staff member. So they're very attentive to the customers request! The inside is very bright and cute. They have a plushie wall which is great for photos. They also have a cute painting wall which I used for the photo!"

Ume Tea

★★★★★ 5 (7)

"was intrigued by the free samples outside and it did not disappoint! I got the oolong signature milk tea and it was so good! Highly recommend :)"

Matcha Cita

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (17)

"Cute, Instagramable matcha spot. It's located in the Studio Three so after your workout, you can grab a matcha, smoothie, or some grub. The woman who made my matcha was friendly and nice. I ordered the hot matcha horchata. While it wasn't the best matcha I've had or made, I liked it. It was a bit gritty (from the rice I assume?), but a good whisking will alleviate that. I recommend watching some of Veggiekin's IG videos on how to make matcha for some help.Anyway, it was still a good vibe. I worked on my planner while sipping on my matcha. If I'm in the area again, I definitely want to try some of the food items on the menu!"

Mambo Wings

★★★★☆ 3.8 (4)

"Fresh food, made to order. I got the 5 tenders in spicy and fries combo with a super fruit green tea. Tea is so refreshing with real fruit in every sip. Might be a texture thing for some people but I like it. Tenders are good and seasoned, glad I got spicy and not hot spicy because the spicy is actually spicy and not white people spicy! Workers were nice, I think I met the owner, she was very kind. They gave me more than 5 tenders which is always great. They have a kiosk for orders but you can also place your order with one of the workers. Small place but I ate in my car so no big deal! I will be back, I want to try more of their teas!"