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Boba Bar Cafe
Category: Food Juice Bars & Smoothies Juice Bars & Smoothies [Edit]
2334 S Wentworth Ave(between 23rd St & 24th St)
Chicago, IL 60616
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(312) 881-9298
- Nearest Transit:
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Cermak-Chinatown (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 12 am
- Price Range:
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$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
24 reviews for Boba Bar Cafe
24 reviews in English
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Review from Billy W.
Chicago, IL
12/4/2011
PROs:
Great Staff
Big selection of drinks
Their drinks taste good :)
Cheap prices
Free WiFi(blazing fast)
Cons:
noisy kids(-1 star)
I've been here for a long time now. I've also read a lot of these reviews. There seem to be a common misconception of the word milk tea. You don't get flavors with it. It's regular tea, with milk! If you ask for banana/strawberry milk tea, they're obviously going to add powder to it! Their milk tea tastes great! Try it without ordering any flavors, people usually don't see the sign saying, "Try our original milk tea". Tasted fresh! I dislike the additional tastes, and I'll order the milk tea, hot!
Now, their fruit freezes were always made of real fruit. I enjoy it, but sometimes its a bit watery compared to other places, but its unique, and tastes great! The tapioca is good, sometimes a bit too chewy. I've had their sandwiches and they're pretty good for the price. Oh and they've got some amazing orange chicken.
I do like the specials they have every week. It's usually 5$ for a filling dish, with pop+appetizer.
Overall this is a great place. It's a good hangout spot to chill at also. They've got music playing + a tv. :) -
Review from Gina S.
This would be the coolest hangout if I was in high school....but I'm not, hence the 3 stars.
Boba tea is interesting, both in the way it looks and the way it feels in my mouth. I got a strawberry flavored boba milk tea, there are many more unique flavor than strawberry...but I was playing it safe. The little black boba beads hung out at the bottom and were randomly sucked up into my straw. They are a stark contrast in flavor and texture to the sweet milky tea. They are almost sugarless and flavorless black balls of a firm jelly like substance. If that's your thing you'll love it. To be honest, I'd love the milk tea without boba beads. -
Review from Peter K.
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Boba Bar Cafe is located on one of the side streets of Chinatown. It's not in a super busy area so there's not a lot of traffic, but there were still a lot of people in there on a Saturday afternoon. The target audience seems to be mid to late teens with a couple of 20 year old and 30 year olds in there as well. The inside of the store is super dark, almost like they're too cheap to pay for lighting. The menu is fairly large for a milk tea place, but the milk teas are awful. I usually judge a place like this based off their regular milk tea. It tasted WAAAAY too powdery and the tapioca balls were super artificially, a bit hard and rubbery (not like the soft chewy ones that are at the good stores). Even the fruit drinks are powdered so if you order from here, expect a powdered drink that doesn't taste great.
I won't be going here again.Comment from Sammy M. of Boba Bar Cafe 10/18/2011
Sorry you did not enjoy our milktea. We do brew our tea… More » -
Review from Deanna M.
Chicago, IL
9/5/2011
I enjoy coming here during the early afternoon hours with my son. The staff are always super friendly and nice. The artwork on the wall is cool and adds to the young vibe.
They have food but I've never eaten it. I usually stick with a bubble tea. I love how they're generous with the boba!
I really like the machine that seals the drinks with a cellophane-type wrapper. Jabbing the huge straw through the seal just adds to the experience, I swear! Lol
There is a grade school down the block and a community center about a block away, so if u come around 3pm, this place will be chock full of kids. (well behaved kids, but still...if that's not your thing, maybe stay away during 3-6pm)
There are board games, tvs, dominoes, etc. And the staff don't mind if you sit around and chill 4 a while. -
Review from Elle N.
Hammond, IN
I love this place. My bf & I have been coming here for years and the staff are always friendly and remember us. They always ask us off hand how we r doing and we have been going here since day one. My favorites are the strawberry peach milk tea & green Apple green tea with boba & lychee jelly.
I just went back last week after being gone for about a year and a half n the staff still remembered us. U can't tell me that's not good service! -
Review from Jeff K.
Downey, CA
1/23/2012
I am not a boba tea connoisseur, but I liked it. I had some strawberry almond milk tea without tapioca. At first, I didn't think the combination of almond and strawberry would work, but I trusted that they knew what they were doing. I still don't like tapioca tho. I don't trust how they move.
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Review from Anne H.
8/1/2011
I'm surprised BobaBar Cafe has received such poor reviews. I love their mango freeze with boba and milk teas with boba. Their service has always been friendly. Sometimes, it's a bit slow, but I'm usually not in a rush for my delicious refreshing sweet treat. Their freezes are creamy and sweet but not too sweet.
I thought BobaBar was SOOOO much better than that other popular boba place in the newer Chinatown plaza. I believe the other one was called Joy Yee or something. There's a order window on the outside an there's usually a huge line. I don't get it. I've tried their boba smoothies and I think they're disgusting.Comment from Sammy M. of Boba Bar Cafe 9/4/2011
Thank you for your business. We strive to provide our… More » -
Review from Aeris W.
Fremont, CA
8/30/2011
I was born in Taiwan, where tapioca milk tea originated and I grew up in the San Francisco bay area so I'm used to having good milk tea all the time.
I know there aren't many competitions for milk tea in the Chicago area so maybe that's the reason why this place doesn't taste that great.
The price is pretty standard, around $3 for a cup of milk tea + boba.
The taste? Meh... I ordered the green tea milk tea and it tasted really weird. No, it did not taste like Jasmine milk tea (usually that's what green milk tea is) and yes, it tasted like they just mixed some cheap green tea bag with powdered milk and sugar. Yuck!
The boba? They weren't chewy at all - They were soggy and didn't have much flavor to it.
The only positive thing about this place is the customer service. They were very welcoming and friendly. But that's definitely not enough for me to ever return to this place again.Comment from Sammy M. of Boba Bar Cafe 9/4/2011
Our Greentea milktea is not Jasmine greentea. For our… More » -
Review from Iris T.
5/13/2011
Cute cafe, wide variety of drinks, and free wifi!
Only problem: the girl making our drinks didn't know how to make Vietnamese Coffee. It took 15-20 minutes for both of us to get our orders. A bit weird but maybe she was new?
Anyway, if you strike gold and end up with someone who knows how to make all the drinks on the menu (and efficiently!), then you'll definitely enjoy your visit here! -
Review from Elaina J.
Joplin, MO
3/26/2011
The drinks are good and the environment is amazing love the café that's for sure.
I was however extremely disappointed that I found more than one hair in my green tea with extra boba today :(
it made me very sad because I love boba tea and the cafe. I'm not sure if I'll be returning do to this situation. -
Review from Mike K.
Updated - 6/13/2010 2 photos
I should let you good people know that BobaBar is back and is back w/ a vengeance. They've repainted the interior, hung a new flat screen TV, hired more people (thank you) and are back in business.
Still the best milk tea in town.
I wish they had later hours, though. I remedy that by getting more than one drink and stashing the extras for emergencies.
They have a frequent shopper card you should pick up. 10 drinks nets you a free one. I'm already on my second card. HELP ME!!!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/1/2009
You motherfuton bastards, I can't believe you're closed!
What about MY milk tea needs? Don't you… Read more »
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Review from Amy H.
6/9/2010 5 Check-ins Here
I go here a lot when I come home from college since it's pretty close to where I live in Chinatown, and their drinks are pretty good. I get the Honeydew Fruit Freeze with boba a lot, and it's always pretty good because I like honeydew. Their boba is not the best, but I've been spoiled by amazing boba in LA =p Also tried the Taro Freeze, and it's one of the best I've had!
I'm more a fan of this place as a hangout than for their drinks because they're totally fine with you hanging out for a long time, even if you've only ordered drinks. The walls are painted by an artist (I think a Fiona?), and the walls/decor change once in a while - always cool to check out.
They have a big flat screen TV that people seem to enjoy. They also have free wifi!
Parking: Eee you're in Chinatown, so it's gonna be tough. The street that it's on (23rd place) requires permits, but there are meters on Wentworth. If you come here at night, Wentworth has plenty of parking. -
Review from Darren F.
7/15/2011
majority if not all of the boba drinks here is powder mixed or can fruits so i didn't bother ordering any drinks... i mean why order a powdered fruit drink when every other restaurant in Chinatown serve REAL fruit smoothies? Ive tried some of their hot food on the menu like the hot wings, burger,fries.. all their food if frozen food that you can at a jewels or Sam's club.. nothing special about this joint and its a hang out spot for elementary school kids... will not coming back again
Comment from Sammy M. of Boba Bar Cafe 7/16/2011
I am sorry you have a misunderstanding of our drinks. All… More » -
Review from Emily R.
5/1/2010
I'm pretty sure this is the place I went today, but I remember the entrance being on 23rd St., not Wentworth. So if you have trouble finding it walk down 23rd.
I had the cantaloupe milk tea with boba and it was very good. Not too sweet. Also ordered the veggie curry. I had a lot of food leftover, and the tofu they used was very tasty, so the entree was a great value. But it took way too long to come out (15 mins+). I was the only person there at the time so I dunno what took so long.
Another minus: no soap in the bathroom. No soap at all. Eek. -
Review from Luke S.
Menlo Park, CA
12/9/2010
Smallish servings of powder-based drinks prepared slowly? Thanks! And surrounded by a convention's worth of tween boys trading Pokemon cards...
Listed in: Chicago spots
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Review from Dantee A.
Chicago, IL
12/17/2009
Even though the milk teas are made out of powder, they are good.
Watch out though - this place is full of kids around 2-5pm. So if you're into dealing with 12-17 year olds laughing at who know's what --
"Oh, you're laughing at me? What did I do?" Oh, my tea has been leaking on me without me noticing all over my shirt.
The walk of shame out of this place proved to be very embarrassing and awkward for both parties. -
Review from Loosh M.
Buffalo, NY
4/2/2011
So, I know people love this place, but I'm not a fan. It has a lot of competition in Chinatown and it doesn't live up to the hype. There are better places.
Pros: Cheap, giant portions of fried rice and noodles. Nice decor.
Cons: Not-so-cheap, tiny drinks. A great source of boba tea but smoothies are better elsewhere. Also, their boba was hard for some reason...? And their sandwiches are a rip-off for the price. Also, unprofessional staff. Noisy underage crowd. And they're always out of stuff. It's not a big menu, guys, so it should be possible to keep it stocked. -
Review from Louis C.
Chicago, IL
4/15/2009
Once Tea Leaf Cafe was close me and my friend lost a hang out spot.
After a while there was a new cafe name BOBA BAR CAFE. One day after school me and my friend went to Boba bar cafe to try it out. When we first walk in we see alot of people sitting down waiting for their drink. we walk up and get a menu we see that they got drink and food in front of the menu. i see that they have all kind of drink like Milk tea, green tea, black tea, fruits freeze, and more. They have american food and chinese food. i order a fruits freeze and a rice dish. the fruits freeze was good and the rice dish we the best. after i fnish i look around i see a big T.V on the wall and all kind of painting around the walls. they have free Wifi for people who meed to study. -
Review from shirley m.
Chicago, IL
2/6/2010
Great spot to quench your thirst as you make you way through Chinatown! CLARIFICATION-the teas here are all made from loose leaves for the base, if you order a flavored tea it will have a powder flavor added to it (duh!) There are two types of Milk Tea, Tiwanese and Hong Kong Style, both are very good, the Tiwanese is the kind that flavor gets added and the Hong Kong Style is tea and cream sweetened with sugar. I usually order the Almond Milk tea, it has a sweet nutty flavor that goes great with an afternoon snack. There are two schools in the area so expect to see plenty of kids in the afternoon. Great service and super friendly staff, have not tried their food yet but will be back!
Listed in: where to get your rice on in…
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Review from Shauna S.
9/21/2010
I want to be nice, I do. I even sprung for the extra boba that I was clearly charged for. But you took forever brewing my black hot tea and totally shafted me on the boba. :(
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Review from Susie C.
Chicago, IL
11/19/2009
Been there a couple times, their drinks seriously suck. I absolutely hate it when drinks are made with flavored powder. My suggestion to them is to put some effort into it and make real drinks with real tea and milk. There are tons of places in Chinatown that makes drinks with real fruits and tea, I suggest Saint Anna in square for milk tea any day over this.
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Review from Melissa M.
Chicago, IL
6/25/2010
love this place with its yummy food, GREAT prices for the yummy food, variety between American and Asian, which is always awesome, and fruit freezes ESPECIALLY LIME and being round the corner from my house!!!! yaaaaayyyyyy
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Review from Mona F.
Cleveland, OH
10/24/2010
If i could give this place no stars, that would be more accurate. I have been on a quest to find my go-to boba/milk tea spot. Being in Chinatown for the first time, and seeing this place, I assumed that they would do it right (I compare all tea places to Tapioca express and quickly on the west coast). But behind the counter I see all powder mixes-- no real use of tea or fruit at all! So after waiting in line for longer than I should have, I decided to get an iced thai tea-- "not available". so i switched to a thai iced coffee-- again, "not available". annoyed, i asked the girl behind the counter what was in the vietnamese coffee and she said "honestly i couldnt tell you"-- which was dumb 'cuz she was the one making all the drinks! So just so it wouldn't be a waste of my time, I ordered the vietnamese coffee and she said it will be another 15 min wait since she still has to brew the coffee. she was the only person working and had still had to make 10 drinks from previous orders and 5 more people were in line after me. I almost lost it and just walked out the door. I wouldnt give them any business because they need to learn how to run their own business first. My quest for the best milk tea in chicagoland continues...
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Review from Alan G.
Chicago, IL
3/5/2009
i was sad that tea leaf cafe was gone untill me and my friends drove around china town for a bit and we found this new cafe! i we were happy as hell so we parked around the area and ran inside with joy! haha, and yes its that good! their kinda slow but its really worth the wait cause its fresh!
