We absolutely love Initial Tea on Dekalb — it’s one of those rare neighborhood spots that gets everything right. The tea is clearly fresh-brewed (not powdery or overly sweet), and the boba always has that perfect chewy texture. I especially appreciate that they adjust sweetness per order, so drinks taste balanced and intentional.
What really sets this place apart is that it’s not just a boba shop — the food is genuinely good. The onigiri, bubble waffles, and Asian street-style bites make it easy to turn a drink run into a full, satisfying treat.
The vibe is small, warm, and personal — you can feel that it was created by people who care about the experience and their community. There’s also a lot of creativity in the toppings and customization options, which keeps the menu fun without sacrificing quality.
Most importantly, everything is consistently excellent — which is surprisingly rare in boba places. This has become a go-to spot for us, and it’s always worth the trip.
RFS 机长 Harry
the egg waffle is fantastic I absolutely love it
Arjuna Matthews
This is a great boba shop- the owner took extra effort to make sure the french toast was as delicious as possible. Vegan and Vegetarian options available too!
B
Super nice owner; high quality service and hospitality and delicious food as a result of the care
Doodle
Ngl , drinks are very diluted and barely have any taste . They really need to work on their drinks if they want to survive.
Michelle Yu
Amazing store with yummy food!! I loved everything I had!
Sophie Stewart
Vegan-friendly boba tea!- most boba shops will give you “non-dairy” creamer (that stuff still has milk in it) even if you opt for plant-based milk, but Initial Tea gives you what you ask for. Love this place!!
Alain Mendez
A small but very comfy boba cafe. I really like the robust menu. It has a very good selection of food and drinks. I like the mini mochi you can throw in as a topping.
ray
Oreo milkshake is good. Brown sugar latte disappointed me. Tasted like sweet milk. Chewy boba. Coming back to try the food. Cute shop.
Tracey Thompson
Cookie and cream boba is delicious, the pearls are even flavorful. The chicken with the tonkatsu sauce is also delightful, it’s crispy and the sauce has plenty of flavor. Perfect for a light meal with a friend, especially if you are on a budget.
the milk tea tasted like a glass of milk, no tea flavor at all, the tapioca was over cooked, also had little to no flavor and the wait was very long
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Classic
Beth
the milk tea tasted like a glass of milk, no tea flavor at all, the tapioca was over cooked, also had little to no flavor and the wait was very long
Asie Mirsky
Oh my word! The shaved ice here is a sensory revelation — SO GOOD on a hot summer day
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Passion Fruit
Evelyn
Very small place but the lady that took out out was nice. It was slow but it was just her with a bunch of more people ordering after us so we didn’t mind. The food was good but the cake was very small which I was a bit disappointed I thought it was bigger from the picture. The bubble teas were great! Overall nice small cozy spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
LOVE DOVE
Friendly staffPro Good drink optionsCon food went downhill, hand spicy tuna sandwich - bread was stail, can tuna was watery sauce wasn't not mixed in tuna one side bread mayo other spicy mayo, the riceballs are not the same SOOOO MUCH rice and a little portion of protein/filling also flavorless - i had the shrimp tempora (lots of batter with small shrimp) and clamI'd recommend this place for the drinks, you'd be disappointed with the food
We absolutely love Initial Tea on Dekalb — it’s one of those rare neighborhood spots that gets everything right. The tea is clearly fresh-brewed (not powdery or overly sweet), and the boba always has that perfect chewy texture. I especially appreciate that they adjust sweetness per order, so drinks taste balanced and intentional.
What really sets this place apart is that it’s not just a boba shop — the food is genuinely good. The onigiri, bubble waffles, and Asian street-style bites make it easy to turn a drink run into a full, satisfying treat.
The vibe is small, warm, and personal — you can feel that it was created by people who care about the experience and their community. There’s also a lot of creativity in the toppings and customization options, which keeps the menu fun without sacrificing quality.
Most importantly, everything is consistently excellent — which is surprisingly rare in boba places. This has become a go-to spot for us, and it’s always worth the trip.
the egg waffle is fantastic I absolutely love it
This is a great boba shop- the owner took extra effort to make sure the french toast was as delicious as possible. Vegan and Vegetarian options available too!
Super nice owner; high quality service and hospitality and delicious food as a result of the care
Ngl , drinks are very diluted and barely have any taste . They really need to work on their drinks if they want to survive.
Amazing store with yummy food!! I loved everything I had!
Vegan-friendly boba tea!- most boba shops will give you “non-dairy” creamer (that stuff still has milk in it) even if you opt for plant-based milk, but Initial Tea gives you what you ask for. Love this place!!
A small but very comfy boba cafe. I really like the robust menu. It has a very good selection of food and drinks. I like the mini mochi you can throw in as a topping.
Oreo milkshake is good. Brown sugar latte disappointed me. Tasted like sweet milk. Chewy boba. Coming back to try the food. Cute shop.
Cookie and cream boba is delicious, the pearls are even flavorful. The chicken with the tonkatsu sauce is also delightful, it’s crispy and the sauce has plenty of flavor. Perfect for a light meal with a friend, especially if you are on a budget.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
the milk tea tasted like a glass of milk, no tea flavor at all, the tapioca was over cooked, also had little to no flavor and the wait was very long
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Classic
the milk tea tasted like a glass of milk, no tea flavor at all, the tapioca was over cooked, also had little to no flavor and the wait was very long
Oh my word! The shaved ice here is a sensory revelation — SO GOOD on a hot summer day
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Passion Fruit
Very small place but the lady that took out out was nice. It was slow but it was just her with a bunch of more people ordering after us so we didn’t mind. The food was good but the cake was very small which I was a bit disappointed I thought it was bigger from the picture. The bubble teas were great!
Overall nice small cozy spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Friendly staffPro Good drink optionsCon food went downhill, hand spicy tuna sandwich - bread was stail, can tuna was watery sauce wasn't not mixed in tuna one side bread mayo other spicy mayo, the riceballs are not the same SOOOO MUCH rice and a little portion of protein/filling also flavorless - i had the shrimp tempora (lots of batter with small shrimp) and clamI'd recommend this place for the drinks, you'd be disappointed with the food
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