By: Regan Sumy

With more shops and restaurants opening up, you may be craving to get out of your house, but you have nowhere to go. I highly suggest hitting up a boba tea place; all of the ones I have been to during quarantine have done takeout or curbside pickup options, so if you are worried about going into public, maybe you should consider picking up some boba. This article will go over some of my favorite places and drinks. So let’s get into it!

First off, what is boba tea? Boba tea originated in Taiwan and is usually served with a tea base (or milk or fruit tea), but what makes this drink extraordinary is the boba, which are chewy tapioca balls. Tapioca comes from the root of a cassava plant. You can choose any flavor of tea or milk tea you want and add any toppings into your drink. Although the boba is delicious and customary, I have had many friends claim the boba hurts their stomachs, so you may want to take that into perspective when choosing your toppings. Most boba tea places also sell some different drinks, like smoothies, and most sell ice cream.

Milk Lab:

✰✰✰✰

Milk Lab is located off of Tryon Road, so it is most likely the closest place to get boba. I have been here a couple of times and have been satisfied with my drinks. The first time I went here, I thought Milk Lab served more dessert-type drinks than a casual refresher. They have a website (Milk Lab Website) that contains their menu which consists of fancy drinks, ice cream, and specialty drinks, Milklab Floats. My favorite drink from Milk Lab is called the “Brown Sugar Black Milk Tea,” which I get with boba. While I have never tried their ice cream or specialty drinks, I have heard from friends that they are delicious. 

Bumble Tea:

✰✰✰

Bumble Tea is located off of Avent Ferry Road, near Athens Drive High School, so this would be another place to try close to you. I have only been to Bumble Tea once and thought my drink was decent. The boba tasted great, but the actual milk tea flavor was bland. I ordered the “Winter Melon Milk Tea” with boba, which is one of my favorite flavors, and didn’t fall in love with it, but it was still decent. From what I remember when I walked into the cafe to pick up my drinks, it was a very cute shop. The whole logo is incorporated in the adorable cafe. The website (Bumble Tea Website), shows the menu, but if you click the “order for pickup” button on the top, it gives you many more options, which could be confusing. I am willing to try Bumble Tea again, but maybe a different flavor. 

Summertime Tea & Smoothie: 

✰✰✰✰✰

Summertime, which is located in Garner off of Highway 70, is my personal favorite boba tea place so far. It may be a little bit more of a drive than the other cafes listed so far, but I think it is worth it. I live closer to Summertime and go there more often, so I am probably biased when it comes to stating the best boba place. My go-to drink is a “Large wintermelon tea with boba, please.” The flavor of the tea is rich, and the boba is chewy- a perfect comfort food for me. Summertime doesn’t have a website, but they do have an instagram they post on periodically (@summertime_garner).  

There are a couple of other boba tea cafes around the triangle, but these three are the most local and popular. I hope you can enjoy boba soon! Check out any of these places and see if my reviews match your review!