Wow!! Update on this review because it's greatly improved
And is amazing. I love all the changes from the tables to the games, and the food is GREAT! I'm so happy I came back to give it a second try I love the spicy sweet korean chicken 🐔 so good and corn dogs is way better !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Celeste Starry
I don't usually write reviews, but I wanted to this time since Why Not Boba? has always been a long time mystery to me. Every time I passed by it downtown it would be empty which is interesting since most cafes downtown are usually filled to the brim with no place to sit. I decided to answer my questions about it today when I was drawn in by their cute food posters. I ordered the salmon rice ball + soup combo and enjoyed eating it both ways, with the rice in the soup and with the crunchy furikake on the dry rice balls. They forgot to give me my milk tea but I only just started eating when they realized and made sure I got it, along with whether I would be okay with whole milk or not. Personally, most milk tea is too sweet/thick for me, but theirs was nice and light which I prefer. I was able to drink most of it in one sitting as opposed to only half like I usually do. The boba itself was okay but a bit too hard and chewy for me. Now, the big question: Why is it so empty all the time despite the fact it looks cute? I think the biggest reason is the atmosphere, which is half the reason why you would want to go and study in a cafe in a college town. Before, I think they started out with no furniture, which would be heavily uninviting, especially for a cafe and this is the main reason I didn't visit them before. Now, they have chairs stools and tables. I think the stools (they have them for the normal tables in addition to the high ones) don't look very comfy and are less conducive to a good, extended sit down experience. There are also not a lot of power outlets, one of the most attractive components a college cafe should have. Additionally, the youtube video on the TV was playing unmuted, so the sounds clashed with the music they were playing at the same time. The person who served me was pretty friendly and good at his job. He asked me if I preferred different AC temps, if I'd like boba in my tea, how the food was, as well as told me how long my food would take unprompted. He also served me at my table instead of having me pick it up at the pick up counter which was nice. The one thing I think scares away customers, however, is the fact that the worker isn't behind the counter most of the time unlike most cafes. It feels a little alien to enter a store and have it be empty of anyone at all. I honestly wouldn't mind if the cashier was doing homework behind the counter, itd feel more human than no one at all. Why Not Boba? is kind of an odd place. It feels like its trying to be like T% where you just get mochi donuts/boba and go rather than a cafe where you sit and work or a restaurant where you eat. It's large size and food being its main draw however lends it to be better as a sit down experience, but it feels like they didn't initially prioritize this. It seems like they only recently shifted to go more in this direction. I think, after reading past reviews, they've shown significant improvements in this regard (really helps to have furniture in a cafe lol). I feel like maximizing the cafe feel (making it more comfy for studying) would really draw in more customers. I suggest adding more outlets at each table if possible. Maybe have someone at the counter most of the time instead of having them spawn AFTER you enter. I think seeing absolutely no one in the store makes it feel more cold and odd and is one of the biggest reasons people are hesitant to go here to begin with, despite the fact that the service was pleasant. Also definitely recommend having only regular chairs at regular height tables, as well as making it clear there's free wifi without having to ask. Why not boba? has a lot of potential and seems to have come a long way from where it was before. I think it just needs to figure out its identity and work on making itself more comfy.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
coachlunk Rubio
Good place for a beverage and snacks. The salt n pepper chicken and cauliflower was so good. Cool things to look at while you wait for your made to order food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ginger Pennington
Lots of drinks to choose from, not just boba. Plus food and cute toys. We had one of the juice bobas and strawberry green milk tea, and they were delicious. Friendly employees too.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daphne Lee
Boba is chewy and good! And it's 15% off if you bring ur own cup:)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ava Anderson
This is my favorite boba spot in town, the staff is super friendly, drinks and food is good, and they have a large selection of authentic blind boxes and pokemon cards at a reasonable price. I love to come here after shopping at kims next door.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica Atkinson
Amazing customer service. First time there and will be back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steven Johns
Iv been here maybe 20 times havnt been dissapointed ever . Really like this place!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Caitlyn Hesling
My boyfriend and I came here for some corndogs and omg they were amazing! The house sauce was really good, and the shop operator was so kind! He gave me an extra corndog because he realized he made mine with classic coating instead of crispy ramen, so he made an extra with the ramen coating! I would’ve been happy with the classic coating instead but he went above and beyond for me!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean Corndog
Grace A
The Korean Fried Chicken portion was smaller than expected. It said it was coated with a sweet & spicy sauce, but it was predominantly sour in taste.
I got the taro milk tea w/ sweet cheese foam (not pictured) & the milk tea w/ cheese foam. It was good but a little too sweet for my liking. I got 50% sugar and would go lower next time.
But actually ... Why, boba? I have no idea what the point of Davis' hundredth boba place is unless it's a front for something (benign, like an art project). After passing it many times and wondering why the branding looked more like a Kumon Learning Center than a boba shop, I finally went in.
Nothing about this place makes sense. Most of the shop is occupied by a display about the history of mahjongg like something you might see in a local museum or an ambitious airport. No chairs, because they apparently don't have a license to have chairs(??). They also sell various anime doodads and, for some incomprehensible reason, Dippin' Dots (which for a long time could only legally be sold at amusement parks).
Now for the bubble tea. I'll cut to the chase: It is the worst I've ever had in California. (I've had slightly worse elsewhere.) They have far fewer options than most Davis boba shops, leaning heavily on flavors you can make with instant powders, and yet are somehow also one of the most expensive. I asked for the lowest sweetness level, but it was still so sweet and artificial tasting I had to throw it away after a few sips.
Three stars because I did enjoy the mahjongg exhibit. I just have no idea why it's in the worst boba shop in Davis.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
Lewinus
Great milk tea, and very attentive service. They ran out of boba once and let me switch + gave complimentary mochinut. Not glamorous but has a special place in my book.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Bryan Nguyen
Fun place, nice staff, and tasty drinks. Would visit again
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ash Dreyer
the plain donuts are so perfect. a well crafted balance of sweet and savory with a light texture. also enjoyed the peach flavored donuts. tasted like i was a kid again eating peach slices from a cup but like, the fluffy bread version of that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Georgia Lea
The boba is yummy and the employees friendly! Just need some tables and chairs to feel less empty inside! Also, nice Pokemon card collection, but...why?
Wow!! Update on this review because it's greatly improved
And is amazing. I love all the changes from the tables to the games, and the food is GREAT! I'm so happy I came back to give it a second try I love the spicy sweet korean chicken 🐔 so good and corn dogs is way better !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
I don't usually write reviews, but I wanted to this time since Why Not Boba? has always been a long time mystery to me. Every time I passed by it downtown it would be empty which is interesting since most cafes downtown are usually filled to the brim with no place to sit. I decided to answer my questions about it today when I was drawn in by their cute food posters.
I ordered the salmon rice ball + soup combo and enjoyed eating it both ways, with the rice in the soup and with the crunchy furikake on the dry rice balls. They forgot to give me my milk tea but I only just started eating when they realized and made sure I got it, along with whether I would be okay with whole milk or not. Personally, most milk tea is too sweet/thick for me, but theirs was nice and light which I prefer. I was able to drink most of it in one sitting as opposed to only half like I usually do. The boba itself was okay but a bit too hard and chewy for me.
Now, the big question: Why is it so empty all the time despite the fact it looks cute? I think the biggest reason is the atmosphere, which is half the reason why you would want to go and study in a cafe in a college town. Before, I think they started out with no furniture, which would be heavily uninviting, especially for a cafe and this is the main reason I didn't visit them before. Now, they have chairs stools and tables. I think the stools (they have them for the normal tables in addition to the high ones) don't look very comfy and are less conducive to a good, extended sit down experience. There are also not a lot of power outlets, one of the most attractive components a college cafe should have. Additionally, the youtube video on the TV was playing unmuted, so the sounds clashed with the music they were playing at the same time.
The person who served me was pretty friendly and good at his job. He asked me if I preferred different AC temps, if I'd like boba in my tea, how the food was, as well as told me how long my food would take unprompted. He also served me at my table instead of having me pick it up at the pick up counter which was nice. The one thing I think scares away customers, however, is the fact that the worker isn't behind the counter most of the time unlike most cafes. It feels a little alien to enter a store and have it be empty of anyone at all. I honestly wouldn't mind if the cashier was doing homework behind the counter, itd feel more human than no one at all.
Why Not Boba? is kind of an odd place. It feels like its trying to be like T% where you just get mochi donuts/boba and go rather than a cafe where you sit and work or a restaurant where you eat. It's large size and food being its main draw however lends it to be better as a sit down experience, but it feels like they didn't initially prioritize this. It seems like they only recently shifted to go more in this direction. I think, after reading past reviews, they've shown significant improvements in this regard (really helps to have furniture in a cafe lol). I feel like maximizing the cafe feel (making it more comfy for studying) would really draw in more customers. I suggest adding more outlets at each table if possible. Maybe have someone at the counter most of the time instead of having them spawn AFTER you enter. I think seeing absolutely no one in the store makes it feel more cold and odd and is one of the biggest reasons people are hesitant to go here to begin with, despite the fact that the service was pleasant. Also definitely recommend having only regular chairs at regular height tables, as well as making it clear there's free wifi without having to ask.
Why not boba? has a lot of potential and seems to have come a long way from where it was before. I think it just needs to figure out its identity and work on making itself more comfy.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Good place for a beverage and snacks. The salt n pepper chicken and cauliflower was so good.
Cool things to look at while you wait for your made to order food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Lots of drinks to choose from, not just boba. Plus food and cute toys. We had one of the juice bobas and strawberry green milk tea, and they were delicious. Friendly employees too.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Boba is chewy and good! And it's 15% off if you bring ur own cup:)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This is my favorite boba spot in town, the staff is super friendly, drinks and food is good, and they have a large selection of authentic blind boxes and pokemon cards at a reasonable price. I love to come here after shopping at kims next door.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing customer service. First time there and will be back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Iv been here maybe 20 times havnt been dissapointed ever . Really like this place!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My boyfriend and I came here for some corndogs and omg they were amazing! The house sauce was really good, and the shop operator was so kind! He gave me an extra corndog because he realized he made mine with classic coating instead of crispy ramen, so he made an extra with the ramen coating! I would’ve been happy with the classic coating instead but he went above and beyond for me!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean Corndog
The Korean Fried Chicken portion was smaller than expected. It said it was coated with a sweet & spicy sauce, but it was predominantly sour in taste.
I got the taro milk tea w/ sweet cheese foam (not pictured) & the milk tea w/ cheese foam. It was good but a little too sweet for my liking. I got 50% sugar and would go lower next time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
But actually ... Why, boba? I have no idea what the point of Davis' hundredth boba place is unless it's a front for something (benign, like an art project). After passing it many times and wondering why the branding looked more like a Kumon Learning Center than a boba shop, I finally went in.
Nothing about this place makes sense. Most of the shop is occupied by a display about the history of mahjongg like something you might see in a local museum or an ambitious airport. No chairs, because they apparently don't have a license to have chairs(??). They also sell various anime doodads and, for some incomprehensible reason, Dippin' Dots (which for a long time could only legally be sold at amusement parks).
Now for the bubble tea. I'll cut to the chase: It is the worst I've ever had in California. (I've had slightly worse elsewhere.) They have far fewer options than most Davis boba shops, leaning heavily on flavors you can make with instant powders, and yet are somehow also one of the most expensive. I asked for the lowest sweetness level, but it was still so sweet and artificial tasting I had to throw it away after a few sips.
Three stars because I did enjoy the mahjongg exhibit. I just have no idea why it's in the worst boba shop in Davis.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
Great milk tea, and very attentive service. They ran out of boba once and let me switch + gave complimentary mochinut. Not glamorous but has a special place in my book.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Fun place, nice staff, and tasty drinks. Would visit again
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
the plain donuts are so perfect. a well crafted balance of sweet and savory with a light texture. also enjoyed the peach flavored donuts. tasted like i was a kid again eating peach slices from a cup but like, the fluffy bread version of that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The boba is yummy and the employees friendly! Just need some tables and chairs to feel less empty inside! Also, nice Pokemon card collection, but...why?
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 5
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