Craving boba after a long school day? Within just four miles of our school, there are 12 bubble tea shops. After exploring some options, we selected the four highest-rated independent boba shops perfect for a quick treat when cravings hit after class.
Bubble Tea Café:
Our favorite boba was definitely found at Bubble Tea Café, the lowest-rated on Google of the places we tried. Located in the shopping center adjacent to Federal Plaza, Bubble Tea Café has been a staple in Rockville for 17 years.
We tried the Lychee Juice Green Tea, and we ordered it in a size small, iced, with boba, lychee jelly and half sweet ($5.19). The drink had a perfect ratio of boba to tea. The tapioca bubbles tasted fresh because they are made daily.
We were very happy with our order, and would be excited to go back and try more, as the café offers the option of mixing two or more flavors from their wide variety of milk teas, fruit teas and smoothie flavors.
Cuppa Tea:
With bubble waffles, savory bento boxes and a wide range of boba options, Cuppa Tea offers something for everyone. We ordered the Mango Passionfruit Jelly Iced Tea, one of their signature drinks. It only came in a large size and was steeply priced at $9.79.
The sweetness was not overpowering, and the lychee jellies combined with the boba and seeds almost felt like a tapestry in our mouths. Putting passion fruit seeds in Boba, however, is better in theory than in actuality.
For those sensitive to many textures, this would not be the right drink. However, the lychee jellies were perfectly crunchy, and the sweetness level was ideal.
To be quite frank, at first, we were haters of Cuppa Tea. Upon our first sip, we immediately disavowed it. In fact, on more than one occasion, we referred to the drink as “trash.” However, as we continued sipping, we came to love this drink. Once we accepted the unpleasant consistency of the passionfruit seeds, we discovered that the drink was, in fact, delicious. By the end of our taste tests, we had finished the large cup of boba that we at first thought we hated, a meaningful message to take with us into the new year.
The atmosphere stood out, featuring a phone booth in the corner and an Asian-inspired mural along the wall. With plenty of seating, it doubles as a solid study spot. Overall, even if the drinks weren’t our favorite, Cuppa Tea is an excellent option for a post-school study break.
Bubbles & Tea:
Located right on Rockville Pike, Bubbles & Tea is the perfect boba spot to sit and hang out. Of every place we tried, Bubbles & Tea was by far the most aesthetically pleasing, with a cute vibe perfect for a sweet treat between friends. By their seating area, they have a cart with various games, including Jenga and Uno.
Bubbles & Tea has some really fun and unique options on its menu, including a Tiramisu Milk Tea and a Sea Salt Caramel Milk Tea. We tried the Tiramisu Milk tea in a medium size with 25% sweetness and added tapioca bubbles ($6.40). The first sip of this Boba felt sweet, but a little wrong. The sweet coffee flavor of the drink almost outshone the bubbles themselves. Overall, we did not love the drink.
TBaar:
For anyone in the mood to explore different boba choices, TBaar is the perfect place. With fun drinks spanning from Cookie Butter Latte to Strawberry Foam Matcha, TBaar has an exciting array of drinks and toppings.
We ordered the Peach Foam Black Tea with bubbles and mango jelly ($9.90). Out of all the drinks we ordered, this one was the least sweet. We found this drink a little underwhelming, with the peach flavor not as strong as we would’ve liked. However, the mango jelly provided a nice pop of flavor on the palate and a sharp contrast to the rest of the drink.
If we were going to go back to TBaar, we would try one of their more exciting flavors. Out of all four stores, TBaar is the closest to school, located just north of JDS on Rockville Pike. If in a rush or looking to try something new, TBaar is the perfect place.
Overall, Boba is a drink that offers a wide variety of options and combinations, making it one of the most fun and explorative drinks on the market. While these are only a fraction of the many boba options in the area, they are all cool spots to try out next time the craving for a sweet treat hits.
