They serve large portions and for fair pricing. very nice owner. They never disappoint.
Yvonne D.
It's between a 2 and 3, but since I've given it two tries and unfortunately won't be going back and don't recommend it, it's a 2. Go to almost any other place inside the Great Mall plaza. I-TEA's milk tea tastes like powder. The boba tastes cheap, almost plastic-like. And the chicken, albeit has great flavor with fried basil, is chewy and full of batter.
Rachel S.
New ownership!!! When I went in October 2016 This is my most favorite place to get bubble tea. It's a really small shop with 2 tables you can sit and eat at. I usually just grab and go. The shop is located inside of the Great Wall shopping center so there's lots of parking and other shops to look at. The drinks are never too sweet and has just enough flavor in each cup. They have regular size and large size options. I usually get large since most bubble tea places come in this size. Sometimes I get a regular as a treat for myself. Just remember to bring cash! Sometimes when they just open the regular bobas are not ready to be served so I just get the mini bobas. Also ask for a stamp card if you plan on returning.
Sela T.
I tried the milk tea with boba a couple of time and it was pretty good. I live in Seattle so there are a lot of places that I could go to get some bubble tea. But the only place that I would get milk tea from is Boba Express, it's so good (I really love milk tea). I also tried the taro ice blended drink and it was just a bit too sweet. The boba however is good, better than most places. Overall, they make good milk tea. Also the price is decent, but they only take cash so be prepared.
Jeremy L.
Meh, pretty average. The boba was decently chewy but they totally overdid it on the flavor powder (sugar) especially for my wife's honeydew drink - wayyy too sweet. It's a good alternative to Bambu nextdoor if you just want something 'basic' without having to spend more.
Christy H.
In my review prior to this one, I had extolled the virtues of this branch's customer service. However, since then, both the communication skills and attentiveness of the employees (at least, the female individual who attended to my order) have taken an abysmal turn. When I entered the shop, it was quite evident that the employee was in a sour mood but, internally recalling my previous experience, I decided to place my order. However, the moment an elderly Chinese lady entered, the employee's outward demeanor underwent a 180 degree revival and, while leaving my order to chug away on the bubble tea machine, she attempted to address the elderly individual's affairs first. After a period of time had elapsed, she finally grabbed my drink and proceeded to place a seal on it. Needless to say, my bubble tea "smoothie" was much TOO watery and, rather than retain the slightly sweet, yet aromatic flavoring of milk tea, resembled an overly sweet and poorly executed imitation. If the employee chooses to act like a barrel full of spice snakes, she might as well be consistent, and treat everyone to her ill-tempered attitude. TLDR? Poor customer service, and awful tasting bubble tea. You're better off spending your money elsewhere. Any good points about this shop? There are none, but at least I snagged some Pokemon since there were nearby Pokestops in the Great Wall strip mall.
Habiba P.
Been coming here for years!! Everyone i have ever introduced to this places loves their boba teas and smoothies too. Passion fruit, lychee n fresh watermelon are my favorite flavors
Aj A.
Ordered a drink on a Wednesday at 11:40am, no tapioca, no lychee, cash only, and my drink was served 2nd despite ordering and paying 1st among 2 customers. Drink flavor was good.
Kimmie L.
The 2 stars is for their popcorn chicken bc it still is the only thing worth getting here. I asked my husband to get a milk tea with more tea, knowing they already premix their milk tea with sweetener... 1) yes it was bland, but 2) I am most disappointed bc their tea was not good... Iono what kind of tea they use but it does not taste right, and I like tea! Strong brewed. I had this feeling it would happen but felt the need to try for some reason. Waste of money, poured it all down the drain....
Cher M.
Man .. i was SO disappointed. Maybe it was an off day for the guy who made my drinks. Ive gone here a few times before, and enjoyed their drinks. So when i came today, i expected the same service. But the man that was there seemed to be in a hurry. First of all, he wasnt in the store when i got there. He came running from the restaurant across. Then he rushed to make my drinks (the place was empty btw) and i went on my way. But when i tasted my drink (mango smoothie wq! tapioca) it was WAAAAAAY too sweet. It was inedible. Smh. And my moms drink (strawberry banana smoothie with tapioca) was GROSS. It tasted like he used a green banana, and the aftertaste reminded me of powdery bbq sauce?? MAJOR WHOMP I drove back to the place an hour later with the drinks in hand in hopes of a better experience and so i can update this review with positive feedback and more stars, buuuut i was disappointed AGAIN. i came and the same man was on his way out the store with his mouth full and a plate of food in his hand. I told him the drinks tasted REALLY bad and tried to describe the taste. But he cut me off saying its because they use "real fruit" and asked if i wanted another drink or a return. I said if he can somehow improve on making the same drinks, but he looked irritated soooo i just said forget it and give me my money back. He did just that and then asked me to take the drinks to the trash bin outside the door. his bad attitude, unprofessionalism, and poor smoothie-making skills have convinced me to NOT spend another dime at this place.
Way too sweet not the right boba never beats our pearl shakes back home .
Brandi B.
The only boba place I go to! Their drinks are always on point and their popcorn chicken is amazing! My only complaints are they only accept cash and they close their kitchen a half hour before they close which limits a few items on the menu.
Jennifer S.
Another usual stop after we have Korean food across the way. I order the Thai milk tea with no jelly (boba). They say it's hard to mess up boba but trust me I've had some horrible Thai tea's in the past at other establishments. They offer two sizes which is nice, small or large. For two small drinks, it was a little over $7. They do not take cards so remember to bring your cash.
Luz E.
I am always constantly looking for bubble tea places closer to home. I live in Des Moines and it's a bubble tea dessert. I tried Boba Express after looking on Yelp for bubble tea places near me. I came in yesterday, Feb. 8th, at about 6:15 pm. Based on the reviews I was hoping to have found my spot but unfortunately this was not the case. The boba was not soft and chewy. It was hard in the center and had a horrible texture. I was completely disappointed. Maybe it was a bad evening for them but I will definitely not be getting boba here again especially with Bambu next door. 2 stars because the black milk tea wasn't too bad, but the boba was horrible. Hard as a rock.
Smaly K.
It seems as if their bubble tea isn't as good as they used to be. Maybe because I've tried a lot of new bubble places that were just a bit better. This place still is better than a lot of places, but won't be my first go-to place for bubble tea. The Grapefruit Green Tea Bubble Tea is my favorite here; it is very fruity with a lot of pulp. I had really liked their Strawberry Green Tea, but it's starting to taste very syrupy. And the tapioca is not as good of a quality as other places; they stick together and the texture doesn't stay good. And you can't mix flavors for the green teas, which every single other bubble tea place mixes for us. I assume you're just scooping syrup flavors in a cup and then add the tea, which you can actually see them do, but they say they aren't able to mix flavors at all.
They serve large portions and for fair pricing. very nice owner. They never disappoint.
It's between a 2 and 3, but since I've given it two tries and unfortunately won't be going back and don't recommend it, it's a 2. Go to almost any other place inside the Great Mall plaza. I-TEA's milk tea tastes like powder. The boba tastes cheap, almost plastic-like. And the chicken, albeit has great flavor with fried basil, is chewy and full of batter.
New ownership!!! When I went in October 2016 This is my most favorite place to get bubble tea. It's a really small shop with 2 tables you can sit and eat at. I usually just grab and go. The shop is located inside of the Great Wall shopping center so there's lots of parking and other shops to look at. The drinks are never too sweet and has just enough flavor in each cup. They have regular size and large size options. I usually get large since most bubble tea places come in this size. Sometimes I get a regular as a treat for myself. Just remember to bring cash! Sometimes when they just open the regular bobas are not ready to be served so I just get the mini bobas. Also ask for a stamp card if you plan on returning.
I tried the milk tea with boba a couple of time and it was pretty good. I live in Seattle so there are a lot of places that I could go to get some bubble tea. But the only place that I would get milk tea from is Boba Express, it's so good (I really love milk tea). I also tried the taro ice blended drink and it was just a bit too sweet. The boba however is good, better than most places. Overall, they make good milk tea. Also the price is decent, but they only take cash so be prepared.
Meh, pretty average. The boba was decently chewy but they totally overdid it on the flavor powder (sugar) especially for my wife's honeydew drink - wayyy too sweet. It's a good alternative to Bambu nextdoor if you just want something 'basic' without having to spend more.
In my review prior to this one, I had extolled the virtues of this branch's customer service. However, since then, both the communication skills and attentiveness of the employees (at least, the female individual who attended to my order) have taken an abysmal turn. When I entered the shop, it was quite evident that the employee was in a sour mood but, internally recalling my previous experience, I decided to place my order. However, the moment an elderly Chinese lady entered, the employee's outward demeanor underwent a 180 degree revival and, while leaving my order to chug away on the bubble tea machine, she attempted to address the elderly individual's affairs first. After a period of time had elapsed, she finally grabbed my drink and proceeded to place a seal on it. Needless to say, my bubble tea "smoothie" was much TOO watery and, rather than retain the slightly sweet, yet aromatic flavoring of milk tea, resembled an overly sweet and poorly executed imitation. If the employee chooses to act like a barrel full of spice snakes, she might as well be consistent, and treat everyone to her ill-tempered attitude. TLDR? Poor customer service, and awful tasting bubble tea. You're better off spending your money elsewhere. Any good points about this shop? There are none, but at least I snagged some Pokemon since there were nearby Pokestops in the Great Wall strip mall.
Been coming here for years!! Everyone i have ever introduced to this places loves their boba teas and smoothies too. Passion fruit, lychee n fresh watermelon are my favorite flavors
Ordered a drink on a Wednesday at 11:40am, no tapioca, no lychee, cash only, and my drink was served 2nd despite ordering and paying 1st among 2 customers. Drink flavor was good.
The 2 stars is for their popcorn chicken bc it still is the only thing worth getting here. I asked my husband to get a milk tea with more tea, knowing they already premix their milk tea with sweetener... 1) yes it was bland, but 2) I am most disappointed bc their tea was not good... Iono what kind of tea they use but it does not taste right, and I like tea! Strong brewed. I had this feeling it would happen but felt the need to try for some reason. Waste of money, poured it all down the drain....
Man .. i was SO disappointed. Maybe it was an off day for the guy who made my drinks. Ive gone here a few times before, and enjoyed their drinks. So when i came today, i expected the same service. But the man that was there seemed to be in a hurry. First of all, he wasnt in the store when i got there. He came running from the restaurant across. Then he rushed to make my drinks (the place was empty btw) and i went on my way. But when i tasted my drink (mango smoothie wq! tapioca) it was WAAAAAAY too sweet. It was inedible. Smh. And my moms drink (strawberry banana smoothie with tapioca) was GROSS. It tasted like he used a green banana, and the aftertaste reminded me of powdery bbq sauce?? MAJOR WHOMP I drove back to the place an hour later with the drinks in hand in hopes of a better experience and so i can update this review with positive feedback and more stars, buuuut i was disappointed AGAIN. i came and the same man was on his way out the store with his mouth full and a plate of food in his hand. I told him the drinks tasted REALLY bad and tried to describe the taste. But he cut me off saying its because they use "real fruit" and asked if i wanted another drink or a return. I said if he can somehow improve on making the same drinks, but he looked irritated soooo i just said forget it and give me my money back. He did just that and then asked me to take the drinks to the trash bin outside the door. his bad attitude, unprofessionalism, and poor smoothie-making skills have convinced me to NOT spend another dime at this place.
Restaurantji Recommends
Way too sweet not the right boba never beats our pearl shakes back home .
The only boba place I go to! Their drinks are always on point and their popcorn chicken is amazing! My only complaints are they only accept cash and they close their kitchen a half hour before they close which limits a few items on the menu.
Another usual stop after we have Korean food across the way. I order the Thai milk tea with no jelly (boba). They say it's hard to mess up boba but trust me I've had some horrible Thai tea's in the past at other establishments. They offer two sizes which is nice, small or large. For two small drinks, it was a little over $7. They do not take cards so remember to bring your cash.
I am always constantly looking for bubble tea places closer to home. I live in Des Moines and it's a bubble tea dessert. I tried Boba Express after looking on Yelp for bubble tea places near me. I came in yesterday, Feb. 8th, at about 6:15 pm. Based on the reviews I was hoping to have found my spot but unfortunately this was not the case. The boba was not soft and chewy. It was hard in the center and had a horrible texture. I was completely disappointed. Maybe it was a bad evening for them but I will definitely not be getting boba here again especially with Bambu next door. 2 stars because the black milk tea wasn't too bad, but the boba was horrible. Hard as a rock.
It seems as if their bubble tea isn't as good as they used to be. Maybe because I've tried a lot of new bubble places that were just a bit better. This place still is better than a lot of places, but won't be my first go-to place for bubble tea. The Grapefruit Green Tea Bubble Tea is my favorite here; it is very fruity with a lot of pulp. I had really liked their Strawberry Green Tea, but it's starting to taste very syrupy. And the tapioca is not as good of a quality as other places; they stick together and the texture doesn't stay good. And you can't mix flavors for the green teas, which every single other bubble tea place mixes for us. I assume you're just scooping syrup flavors in a cup and then add the tea, which you can actually see them do, but they say they aren't able to mix flavors at all.