Tastes great with friendly crew. The only reason I removed one star here is the opening time. I had at least four attempt to buy some milk tea and find out that they are closed.
Thy L.
I haven't updated my review in years because I've been happily living in boba bliss since I found them. As a well known boba snob in my circle of friends and coworkers (seriously, when my friends think of me, they crave boba, that's how strong the association is with me and boba), I was so unhappy when I moved to Seattle from LA, the land of boba abundance. Seattle, including its food game, was weak. There was less than a handful of good restaurants here and no acceptable boba. Yelp ratings were misleading and always resulted in disappointment. Until DTB! The people complaining about them changing their schedule all the time and posting it on FB, seriously how hard is it for you to check your FB before making the trek out there? Let's be honest, we live in a culture where we're on our phone 24/7 already and it only takes you an extra 30 seconds to check their facebook. They usually post at least an hour beforehand, I'm not sure of the exact timing. If you live over an hour away, ok maybe they didn't have it posted before you got there. I commend you for your dedication to boba and you're ok to complain. So they run out of boba a lot? Yes, I've experienced getting to the register and the person in front of me getting the last scoop of boba (see previous review). But they purposely cook their boba in small batches to ensure that every batch is the chewy addiction that stirs the rage in all of you when there's no more. Their black sugar milk tea is also unmatched. Many of the boba chains have brown sugar or some thing similar but the sugar doesn't have the same strong caramelized taste as theirs. All the boba chains seriously have nothing on them, I don't care if it's an "authentic" chain from Taiwan. Every single one of them lack something, whether it's their boba not always being consistently good because they make them in big batches, or they use powder to artificially get certain flavors that a place like DTB uses real ingredients for (e.g., they grind real almonds to make their almond powder for their almond milk tea). No, it's not a drive thru but it used to be. Every time I read someone complaining about being confused they're not a drive thru, I just roll my eyes. There's a history behind this and it's how they started. Googlemaps tells you the exact location of the store, you can also look at street view if you're confused. Their store has a big sign, which may not be in bright colors with shiny tacky lights, but I don't know how you miss it. There's also a giant sign once you walk inside that explains their history. The small menu? That's call specialization. If you go to a 3-star Michelin restaurant, the chef doesn't even let you choose what to eat. Unless you have an allergy, they generally don't adjust anything. It's one menu and you get to choose if you want to have wine pairings. That's it! I've, along with many others, learnt to live with the way they operate and the occasional disappointment because I love their product. Am I sad if I crave boba on a Monday, and they're not open? Sure. But I appreciate them being open at all. Unfortunately, they're going to close up shop so no one gets to enjoy their boba now :(
Carolyn D.
Drive Thru Boba is my absolute favorite boba shop in Washington, and I'm so sad that it's closing on March 14. I only discovered how amazing it was 3 years ago when I worked in the area, and I have been a big fan ever since. All of my friends who went after my recommendation loved it as well! I never got the chance to review it, so I only have pictures of their old cups, instead of their new canned cups (which are super cute!!). Every drink that I've tried here is a perfect blend of tea and creaminess, and the flavor of their teas is honestly unparalleled. I could still taste a strong tea flavor. Their boba is also extremely chewy and sweet from it sitting in syrup. My favorite drinks here have to be the House Blend and the Black Sugar Milk Tea. The House Blend is always on the menu, but they rotate their "specialty drinks" each day. One slight downside is that the hours differ every week and at times there are waits for them to make more boba. However, I believe that the wait is worth it. The owners are also extremely nice and wonderful to talk to. If you have the chance to go to Bellevue this weekend and try Drive Thru Boba this weekend, I highly recommend it! I am extremely sad that this place will be closing soon, but I want to say thank you to the owners for running such an amazing place and being my go-to every time I'm in the downtown Bellevue area.
Kayla P.
I mostly go to bubble tea shops for the atmosphere, most seem to be social and a great place to hang out. Drive thru boba has great tea and I love how they have the option to choose your sweetness level. It just isn't the type of place that you want to sit and be at with very few tables and minimum decor
Ellie W.
I am sad that this place will be closed on March 14, 2020. I do like this place. The service is always friendly and helpful, and the tea is always delicious. The only problem is that they don't have consistent operating schedule. They post their weekly schedule on their Facebook, so we always need to check their Facebook before we head over. They close a lot for unknown reasons. During the coronavirus craziness, they used online ordering system to take orders, which is quite creative and safe; however, they sold out immediately. I was checking their website to place an order, but somehow missed the moment when they opened the site to take orders. It's also the only bubble tea store that allows reusable cups/straws, which I really love. Just like Starbucks, they also give you a cup credit/discount when you bring in your own cup. I really hope they will re-open their store somewhere one day. With so many bubble tea stores everywhere in Puget Sound area, we really need bubble tea of good quality.
Kathleen Anh Nguyen
Best Boba in the west coast! Love the simple menu, the organic ingredients, the authentic tea flavors, and of course the nice friendly staff. Alex always makes sure he tastes every cup of tea before serving it. You can really tell the difference in the ingredients they choose to make their boba tea. Cant recommend it enough!
Dan Blanchard
Interesting place. Was quite busy when we arrived. The staff were quite friendly and my drink was great.
Corina Gum
I love the entire staff, and I’m slightly food-addicted to several of their specials. Love DTB!
Haneul R.
long overdue review - I LOVE DRIVE THRU My favorite boba shop in all of Bellevue/Seattle. Very cute small, but super popular, family owned shop in Bellevue dt area. I'm sad because I don't visit as often anymore, but in high school would come very regularly. My favorite drink is their black sugar milk ! (I pretty much go every time they had this as their special haha) You must check their facebook page for the daily specials and weekly hours, but when they're open they do have a set menu every day as well. Boba is perfect, tea is good, and the family is so friendly! Please visit them if you can be warned though -- it can get very very busy (lines out the door) + these are old pictures, now they have cute seal top bottles :)
Finally go around to pop my head in this place. Rather difficult to find as it is not a drive thru but a store front facing 4th Ave NE below the apartment complex. The decor is simple and elegant, limited on number of workers since they are considered a smaller establishment. Ordered their matcha milk tea and I was quite surprised how good it is! The taste is very clean and I think it's because of their in house raw sugar syrup. To serve it in a transparent soda can is a nice touch that adds the elements of modern and hip to the experience. You can just drink it without a straw. They are only open a few days a week and it can take rather long if there is a line due to only having 2-3 employees working at a time. Come later in the day, you'll most likely be out of luck on the matcha or boba.
OJ Carino
We were visiting from out of state and we were amazed with the level of service this little place provided during both visits. The gentlemen at the register was very friendly and provided us with info and suggestions on the best way to take the milk teas. We noticed that the staff was very attentive to both customers and the milk tea itself (the gentleman working on the orders looked like he was making sure each order was made to perfection-- my understanding is that he is one of the owners).
Amanda H.
Family-owned, each cup made with love and care. Downside is that they are very popular and since only the owners work the store, service can be verrrrry slow. They always thank you for waiting though and I always make my way here when I'm in the area and know I have spare time. The milk teas here are delicious and the boba is perfection! They started using these cool can cups that are easy to transport (spillproof!) and very instagrammable which is neat. My order is the house blend milk tea with boba, light ice, and 50% sweet ($5.50). Make sure to check Facebook for their weekly hours.
Nyssa Achtyes
They take card but cash tips only
Paulina H.
I'm back here after 3 years!! This place always has a line but its worth it! I would say it's my all time favorite boba tea place! I ordered house blended milk tea with boba, 50 percent sugar and light ice. I used to get 75 percent but trying to cut out sugar. Their boba is always fresh and cooked throughly. They changed their cup design and it's super cute and smart!!
Tastes great with friendly crew. The only reason I removed one star here is the opening time. I had at least four attempt to buy some milk tea and find out that they are closed.
I haven't updated my review in years because I've been happily living in boba bliss since I found them. As a well known boba snob in my circle of friends and coworkers (seriously, when my friends think of me, they crave boba, that's how strong the association is with me and boba), I was so unhappy when I moved to Seattle from LA, the land of boba abundance. Seattle, including its food game, was weak. There was less than a handful of good restaurants here and no acceptable boba. Yelp ratings were misleading and always resulted in disappointment. Until DTB! The people complaining about them changing their schedule all the time and posting it on FB, seriously how hard is it for you to check your FB before making the trek out there? Let's be honest, we live in a culture where we're on our phone 24/7 already and it only takes you an extra 30 seconds to check their facebook. They usually post at least an hour beforehand, I'm not sure of the exact timing. If you live over an hour away, ok maybe they didn't have it posted before you got there. I commend you for your dedication to boba and you're ok to complain. So they run out of boba a lot? Yes, I've experienced getting to the register and the person in front of me getting the last scoop of boba (see previous review). But they purposely cook their boba in small batches to ensure that every batch is the chewy addiction that stirs the rage in all of you when there's no more. Their black sugar milk tea is also unmatched. Many of the boba chains have brown sugar or some thing similar but the sugar doesn't have the same strong caramelized taste as theirs. All the boba chains seriously have nothing on them, I don't care if it's an "authentic" chain from Taiwan. Every single one of them lack something, whether it's their boba not always being consistently good because they make them in big batches, or they use powder to artificially get certain flavors that a place like DTB uses real ingredients for (e.g., they grind real almonds to make their almond powder for their almond milk tea). No, it's not a drive thru but it used to be. Every time I read someone complaining about being confused they're not a drive thru, I just roll my eyes. There's a history behind this and it's how they started. Googlemaps tells you the exact location of the store, you can also look at street view if you're confused. Their store has a big sign, which may not be in bright colors with shiny tacky lights, but I don't know how you miss it. There's also a giant sign once you walk inside that explains their history. The small menu? That's call specialization. If you go to a 3-star Michelin restaurant, the chef doesn't even let you choose what to eat. Unless you have an allergy, they generally don't adjust anything. It's one menu and you get to choose if you want to have wine pairings. That's it! I've, along with many others, learnt to live with the way they operate and the occasional disappointment because I love their product. Am I sad if I crave boba on a Monday, and they're not open? Sure. But I appreciate them being open at all. Unfortunately, they're going to close up shop so no one gets to enjoy their boba now :(
Drive Thru Boba is my absolute favorite boba shop in Washington, and I'm so sad that it's closing on March 14. I only discovered how amazing it was 3 years ago when I worked in the area, and I have been a big fan ever since. All of my friends who went after my recommendation loved it as well! I never got the chance to review it, so I only have pictures of their old cups, instead of their new canned cups (which are super cute!!). Every drink that I've tried here is a perfect blend of tea and creaminess, and the flavor of their teas is honestly unparalleled. I could still taste a strong tea flavor. Their boba is also extremely chewy and sweet from it sitting in syrup. My favorite drinks here have to be the House Blend and the Black Sugar Milk Tea. The House Blend is always on the menu, but they rotate their "specialty drinks" each day. One slight downside is that the hours differ every week and at times there are waits for them to make more boba. However, I believe that the wait is worth it. The owners are also extremely nice and wonderful to talk to. If you have the chance to go to Bellevue this weekend and try Drive Thru Boba this weekend, I highly recommend it! I am extremely sad that this place will be closing soon, but I want to say thank you to the owners for running such an amazing place and being my go-to every time I'm in the downtown Bellevue area.
I mostly go to bubble tea shops for the atmosphere, most seem to be social and a great place to hang out. Drive thru boba has great tea and I love how they have the option to choose your sweetness level. It just isn't the type of place that you want to sit and be at with very few tables and minimum decor
I am sad that this place will be closed on March 14, 2020. I do like this place. The service is always friendly and helpful, and the tea is always delicious. The only problem is that they don't have consistent operating schedule. They post their weekly schedule on their Facebook, so we always need to check their Facebook before we head over. They close a lot for unknown reasons. During the coronavirus craziness, they used online ordering system to take orders, which is quite creative and safe; however, they sold out immediately. I was checking their website to place an order, but somehow missed the moment when they opened the site to take orders. It's also the only bubble tea store that allows reusable cups/straws, which I really love. Just like Starbucks, they also give you a cup credit/discount when you bring in your own cup. I really hope they will re-open their store somewhere one day. With so many bubble tea stores everywhere in Puget Sound area, we really need bubble tea of good quality.
Best Boba in the west coast! Love the simple menu, the organic ingredients, the authentic tea flavors, and of course the nice friendly staff. Alex always makes sure he tastes every cup of tea before serving it. You can really tell the difference in the ingredients they choose to make their boba tea. Cant recommend it enough!
Interesting place. Was quite busy when we arrived. The staff were quite friendly and my drink was great.
I love the entire staff, and I’m slightly food-addicted to several of their specials. Love DTB!
long overdue review - I LOVE DRIVE THRU My favorite boba shop in all of Bellevue/Seattle. Very cute small, but super popular, family owned shop in Bellevue dt area. I'm sad because I don't visit as often anymore, but in high school would come very regularly. My favorite drink is their black sugar milk ! (I pretty much go every time they had this as their special haha) You must check their facebook page for the daily specials and weekly hours, but when they're open they do have a set menu every day as well. Boba is perfect, tea is good, and the family is so friendly! Please visit them if you can be warned though -- it can get very very busy (lines out the door) + these are old pictures, now they have cute seal top bottles :)
Always delicious always amazing :)
Restaurantji Recommends
Finally go around to pop my head in this place. Rather difficult to find as it is not a drive thru but a store front facing 4th Ave NE below the apartment complex. The decor is simple and elegant, limited on number of workers since they are considered a smaller establishment. Ordered their matcha milk tea and I was quite surprised how good it is! The taste is very clean and I think it's because of their in house raw sugar syrup. To serve it in a transparent soda can is a nice touch that adds the elements of modern and hip to the experience. You can just drink it without a straw. They are only open a few days a week and it can take rather long if there is a line due to only having 2-3 employees working at a time. Come later in the day, you'll most likely be out of luck on the matcha or boba.
We were visiting from out of state and we were amazed with the level of service this little place provided during both visits. The gentlemen at the register was very friendly and provided us with info and suggestions on the best way to take the milk teas. We noticed that the staff was very attentive to both customers and the milk tea itself (the gentleman working on the orders looked like he was making sure each order was made to perfection-- my understanding is that he is one of the owners).
Family-owned, each cup made with love and care. Downside is that they are very popular and since only the owners work the store, service can be verrrrry slow. They always thank you for waiting though and I always make my way here when I'm in the area and know I have spare time. The milk teas here are delicious and the boba is perfection! They started using these cool can cups that are easy to transport (spillproof!) and very instagrammable which is neat. My order is the house blend milk tea with boba, light ice, and 50% sweet ($5.50). Make sure to check Facebook for their weekly hours.
They take card but cash tips only
I'm back here after 3 years!! This place always has a line but its worth it! I would say it's my all time favorite boba tea place! I ordered house blended milk tea with boba, 50 percent sugar and light ice. I used to get 75 percent but trying to cut out sugar. Their boba is always fresh and cooked throughly. They changed their cup design and it's super cute and smart!!