really good bubble tea and nice people working! prob the best food place on campus
御坂天鸾
Best gyudon I’ve ever had! Matcha ice cream is delicious as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Arthur Trusov
Cafe East is hands down the best dining option on Columbia’s campus. The menu features a variety of well-prepared dishes like sushi, teriyaki chicken, and other classic East Asian options. What really sets it apart is its surprisingly good boba tea—something you wouldn’t typically expect from a campus cafe. The tea is brewed just right—whether you go for classic milk tea or one of their fruit teas, the flavors are fresh and well-balanced, never too sweet or watered down. The boba itself has a perfect chewy texture that complements the drinks without overpowering them. It’s honestly the kind of quality you’d expect from a specialty boba shop, not a campus cafe. As for the sushi, it’s decent, especially considering the price—$10 for a roll is a great deal for a quick bite between classes. It’s nothing gourmet, but it gets the job done when you’re craving sushi on a budget. But if you’re stopping by Cafe East, the boba tea is the real highlight.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
叶晨丰
Nice atmosphere and interior to lounge at! Also located conveniently at the lerner center. Came here for the boba since we were here for a pre college program at Columbia. Very good boba and not too sweet! Grandiloquent and stupendous menu.
I must say though… business must be very lucrative over here since the boba cost us around $8 (after tax). The cashier was also a bit audacious and impatient with us. The hours are also irregular since they don’t always open on schedule.
Vegetarian options: Only a thing or two that’s vegetarian.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Piggly Wiggly
I recommend this beef Don. Great for lunch.
Brittany Wang
got a vanilla matcha latte with no ice. did not realize it came with boba, the menu was definitely not very clear on that. the drink itself was good! not too sweet and the boba was chewy. i had to wait a bit for someone to take my order.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Lauren A
I've been getting the banana berry smoothie here for years without strawberry because I am allergic to strawberry. They became annoyed when I requested no strawberry, and told me that changes are not allowed and I needed to choose something else from the menu. I don't understand why they changed their policy after all these years and would love to go back to the days when they were happy to accommodate my allergy.
epic place with top secret menu and good froyos but I dare not speak Chinese because my Chinese is terrible. If I make a mistake, I will switch back to English?
Navjot Singh
I don’t know who needs this but you really need to try Salted Caramel Hojicha with Boba. It’s the best boba I’ve had! This place is pretty expensive though.
Gaspar Karagumechian
Disastrous. Awful. ugly
Marcia Ojo
I came here once at 7:50pm and asked for froyo and was told it could not be made... I accepted that as I saw the toppings had been put away but today I came in at 7:45. I asked for a smoothie and was told it could not be made. I then asked for froyo with toppings and was told that it could not be made. The toppings had not been put away yet and froyo truly is not difficult and only requires pulling the lever on a machine (as I have seen done before). There is no reason for this kind of service... don't have closing officially stated at 8:00 but then stop serving 90% of items 15 minutes before closing.
SHA 4:20
Im a coffee guy, and this chai boba tea is creamy tasty with a nice herbal tea flavor thats like cakey. Light sweetness and plenty of boba goodness. Sept. 9 2021 ??
The sushi is always so fresh and yummy !
really good bubble tea and nice people working! prob the best food place on campus
Best gyudon I’ve ever had! Matcha ice cream is delicious as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cafe East is hands down the best dining option on Columbia’s campus. The menu features a variety of well-prepared dishes like sushi, teriyaki chicken, and other classic East Asian options. What really sets it apart is its surprisingly good boba tea—something you wouldn’t typically expect from a campus cafe.
The tea is brewed just right—whether you go for classic milk tea or one of their fruit teas, the flavors are fresh and well-balanced, never too sweet or watered down. The boba itself has a perfect chewy texture that complements the drinks without overpowering them. It’s honestly the kind of quality you’d expect from a specialty boba shop, not a campus cafe. As for the sushi, it’s decent, especially considering the price—$10 for a roll is a great deal for a quick bite between classes. It’s nothing gourmet, but it gets the job done when you’re craving sushi on a budget. But if you’re stopping by Cafe East, the boba tea is the real highlight.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Nice atmosphere and interior to lounge at! Also located conveniently at the lerner center. Came here for the boba since we were here for a pre college program at Columbia. Very good boba and not too sweet! Grandiloquent and stupendous menu.
I must say though… business must be very lucrative over here since the boba cost us around $8 (after tax). The cashier was also a bit audacious and impatient with us. The hours are also irregular since they don’t always open on schedule.
Vegetarian options: Only a thing or two that’s vegetarian.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
I recommend this beef Don. Great for lunch.
got a vanilla matcha latte with no ice. did not realize it came with boba, the menu was definitely not very clear on that. the drink itself was good! not too sweet and the boba was chewy. i had to wait a bit for someone to take my order.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I've been getting the banana berry smoothie here for years without strawberry because I am allergic to strawberry. They became annoyed when I requested no strawberry, and told me that changes are not allowed and I needed to choose something else from the menu. I don't understand why they changed their policy after all these years and would love to go back to the days when they were happy to accommodate my allergy.
Nice spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I recommend this beef Don. Great for lunch.
Restaurantji Recommends
epic place with top secret menu and good froyos but I dare not speak Chinese because my Chinese is terrible. If I make a mistake, I will switch back to English?
I don’t know who needs this but you really need to try Salted Caramel Hojicha with Boba. It’s the best boba I’ve had! This place is pretty expensive though.
Disastrous. Awful. ugly
I came here once at 7:50pm and asked for froyo and was told it could not be made... I accepted that as I saw the toppings had been put away but today I came in at 7:45. I asked for a smoothie and was told it could not be made. I then asked for froyo with toppings and was told that it could not be made. The toppings had not been put away yet and froyo truly is not difficult and only requires pulling the lever on a machine (as I have seen done before). There is no reason for this kind of service... don't have closing officially stated at 8:00 but then stop serving 90% of items 15 minutes before closing.
Im a coffee guy, and this chai boba tea is creamy tasty with a nice herbal tea flavor thats like cakey. Light sweetness and plenty of boba goodness. Sept. 9 2021 ??
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