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Restaurant > Bubble Tea (Boba Tea) In Tucson, AZ
Bubble Tea (Boba Tea) In Tucson, AZ
In only one week the goal was to try every Thai and Vietnamese shop in Tucson, Arizona that served Bubble Tea (Boba). There were seven shops to attempt. Javalinas Coffee sold out to Java Edge and no longer serves Bubble Tea. Here are the shops we tried, listed in order from greatest to least. At the end is our first attempt at making the Tea ourselves.
I need to start with two honorable mentions. The Best Thai Tea in Tucson is naturally at the best Thai restaurant – Bangkok on the corner of Tucson and Speedway. They don’t serve the tapioca in the tea, but it is the most vibrant and authentic tea to be sampled.
Runner up for the best Thai tea was Luckies (Da Yuan Express) at Houghton road. They no longer serve the Boba in the tea. They have cheap eats of the MSG-free Chinese fare, and very friendly service!
First Place | Drink Price | Tries | Thoughts |
|---|
Saigon Pho (University In the Back) | 3.50 | Thai, Coconut, Honeydew, Watermelon | Hand Blended, this place is amazing! Crisp fresh sandwiches, MSG-free, loved every dish we tried! |
Second Place | Drink Price | Tries | Thoughts |
|---|
Miss Saigon (Campbell near Speedway) | 2.75? | Coconut Snow, Watermelon, Honeydew, Chocolate, Milk Tea, Grape | More variety of drinks than any other. Enjoyed them all. Fun seals. MSG in the food, had to pass. |
Third Place | Drink Price | Tries | Thoughts |
|---|
Dao Tai Pan (Wilmot near Carondolet) | 3.25 | Coffee, Green Apple, Strawberry, Tropical | Fun sealed. Liked the Lychee Konjac bits in the tropical. Boba pearls were too soft from freezing and nuking. Uses MSG so we skipped the food. |
Fourth Place | Drink Price | Tries | Thoughts |
|---|
Ha Long Bay (Wilmot at Broadway) | 2.75 | Coconut, Honeydew, Strawberry, Thai Tea | Not Fun sealed. The real coconut milk was slightly off. Uses MSG so we skipped the food. |
Place | Drink Price | Tries | Thoughts |
|---|
Orient Express (University Look upstairs) | 2.99 | Cherry, Jasmine Tea, Coconut | Not Fun sealed. Watery flavors, lids not fitting well. Blah |
LAST Place | Drink Price | Tries | Thoughts |
|---|
Asian Diner (Speedway Near Campbell) | 4.10 | Mango, Banana, Honeydew, Coffee | Yuck! Over syrup, Something was wrong with the storage of the pearls or something. We could not drink them. We had to pay .60 cents more to put the tapioca in and we ended up with less amount than other shops! |
We just had to make some ourselves! We went to G and L Oriental market and snagged all the needed bits. We bought fat straws and two kinds of tapioca balls that are pre-packaged. Fun experiment and Much cheaper. Now to perfect the Thai Tea recipe!
If you live in Albuquerque, be sure to try the Bubble Tea shop near the TaLin Market. The best Bubble tea I have ever had was in Las Vegas at Lollicup. None of these mentioned above come close to that.
Popsy Restaurant
When I tried Thai iced tea, it tasted like a theoretical tobacco tea. Very sweet, but supa-strong. Maybe I’m a coward, though.
It sounds like you tried a good one! “Theoretical tobacco tea” is an accurate description. I would say it is a little more of an earthy wooden flavor. I picture some light oak colored hardwood when it is done right. It should also be burnt orange enough to stain clothing. The almost-bitter naturals combine with the overboard sugar to force you to slow down and enjoy it carefully.
thanks for the tips, just arrived in tucson recently
I got a pearl shake at Chinese Combo in Rita Ranch, its good but its my first time trying it so I’m not sure how its supposed to taste.
been a long time since i visited.
i’m a big boba fan…