Black Straw Tea Bar & Kitchen

We came to Black Straw for a business lunch and were promptly seated and served, setting a great tone right from the start. This was my first time trying the bubble balls with mango inside—what a fun and refreshing drink! But the real standout? The garlic beef. Hands down, this was the best garlic beef dish I’ve ever had—tender, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. Major kudos to the chef and staff for delivering such delicious food with top-notch service. Everything came out quickly, but the speed didn’t compromise the quality or taste. We were served with a smile, and the entire experience felt effortless and enjoyable. If I ever find myself on this side of the mountain again, I’ll absolutely be back!

We have been wanting to try this place for awhile as we were told it was good. I agree, it is solid. Just two of us went and I think it's more suitable for a family as it is family style. We wanted a variety so we ordered quite a bit and ended up with a ton of leftovers. Food was good. The orange chicken was my favorite and it's usually not. Very crispy on outside and moist on the inside. You get a free egg drop soup with it that was actually very tasty. The service was not the greatest but also not the worst. I didn't want to take away a star for it, but when we were sat no one came up to us or awhile. If you're craving Asian food, this will satisfy that craving. Give it a try.

Very clean and modern Chinese restaurant with family style portions and fresh flavors. Yes the sauces are thick and sweet and the fried rice is fire. You can't go wrong with the Tangerine Beef or the Sweet n Sour Chicken

Tonight a couple friends and I stopped in for dinner at Black straw on Sprague, just west of Pines. I have been getting takeout from here for a very long time, tonight was my first dine-in experience. The service was great. Only complaint is that ALL the food came out really fast. I wish they would’ve staggered a little between the appetizers, the soup and the entrees…but we made due. The three of us ordered the following: Popcorn Chicken (small) Egg Rolls (4) Sweet & Sour Pork (in my opinion, theirs is the part in town) Broccoli Beef Combination Chow Mein Each of the entrees comes with an egg flower soup. To be honest, we didn’t even make a dent in the orders.

Oh my gosh. I am still speechless over this place. The atmosphere was so chill, the staff so so polite, and the food! The milk tea was heavenly and creamy and delicious and still somehow refreshing. The meal portions were huge for the price, but you will want to finish it. Seriously, some of the best Chinese food I have ever had.

First time here. So fresh and delicious. The almond chicken was very well made and perfect. It was different than what we are used to. It was very fresh and the gravy was also very tasty. We had chicken chow mein also which also was great. . The 2 plates of that were enough for us with leftovers. The staff was very attentive and we got there just in time as around 6pm it was very very busy as we were leaving. We are going to try orange chicken next time as we heard people raving about that dish. What a great place!

Very nice experiance at the Black Straw. We had never been there and we enjoyed it enough to want to go back. We had the honey walnut shrimp, szechuan chicken and crispy tangerine beef. All were good but the tangerine beef was hands down our favorite dish.

Tried them for the first time after hearing such rave reviews and let me tell you they are accurate! The honey walnut shrimp is out of this world!! The side of rice was ample as well as some of the best egg drop soup I've had from anywhere. As fantastic as all of this was though your doing yourself a disservice if you don't try their milk tea! I had the Nagasaki (honey) and it was amazing. Found a new spot that I will be back to quite often!! Thank you Black Straw!!

Tonight a couple friends and I stopped in for dinner at Black straw on Sprague, just west of Pines. I have been getting takeout from here for a very long time, tonight was my first dine-in experience. The service was great. Only complaint is that ALL the food came out really fast. I wish they would've staggered a little between the appetizers, the soup and the entrees...but we made do. The three of us ordered the following: Popcorn Chicken (small) Egg Rolls (4) Sweet & Sour Pork (in my opinion, theirs is the part in town) Broccoli Beef Combination Chow Mein Each of the entrees comes with an egg flower soup. To be honest, we didn't even make a dent in the orders.

When we lived here 6 years ago we frequented this Pho restaurant, upon our return to Spokane we were pleasantly surprised it is now the Black Straw an eclectic restaurant that has the most delicious Chinese food. Everything we've had so far has not disappointed.

Was not too creative tonight, decided to try a place i was recommended by my daughter for dinner. Did a home delivery by Door Dash, when i arrived i was very very pleased withe food and all of the excellent dished i ordered. It was such a great meal, was talking with my daughter when i opened each one, and was treated to all of the great flavors & smells, my senses were i overwhelmed! Will need to go to there for a real sit down meal firat hand. ordered multiple dishes, each was very good and well prepared!

This food is amazing. I JUST WISH YOU COUld buy smaller portions like pay 1/2 for a different dish. Its so much food 1 person can not eat ig all.

My wife and I got a sparkling mango passionfruit with lychee jelly and a oolong black tea with sea salt foam. First of all the containers are soooooooo so cute and make it very easy to pack it up. The sparkling mango juice/tea(? unsure) is very strong, delicious for when you just want a sugary drink. The oolong tea is great with the foam. The flavor of the tea and the salt foam could both be a little stronger but it's a really smooth drink. I'm really pleased with my order and the price, and the staff were all nice and prompt. Would def come again, I don't feel the need to test other boba places in spokane now.

Came highly recommended from a nurse at St Luke's. Ordered the sesame chicken, combo fried rice and the egg drop soup. The portions here are no joke. Must have been 5lb of rice in that container we received. It was so good, great flavor, perfect to eat by itself. The sesame chicken was heavily sauced and also solid, good tang and flavor and decent quality chicken. Soup was also solid. Can't speak to the dining area or service since we used uber eats but super solid food/portions. Excuse the poor picture, had already started to dig in!

Very good! Noodles were yummy, nice staff and good food. Parking situation is a little tough but that's nothing against them, just make sure at arrive a little earlier to account for parking

The food was great! The staff were very friendly and attentive. I highly recommend you try it out

This is just a really wonderful place for great food even if the prices are a bit high. I don't mind paying a bit more for great food though! We brought a large group here a week ago and had a truly great time. We ordered lots of dishes: Egg Flower Soup comes with all the dishes BBQ Pork Tangerine Beef (of course!) Ginger Onion Beef Orange Chicken Combination Chow Mein Combination Fried Rice Everything was perfectly cooked and extremely delicious! I also ordered a Kumquat Lemon Fresh Tea: so refreshing! Our waiter was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. We had an absolutely fabulous time!

Delicious boba! Hit the spot and I will definitely be back. Also tried an egg roll which satisfied my craving for something snacky. Great combo. I want to come back to try a meal next time!

Came here one time sooooo gooood mmmm best boba ever I hate tapioca boba but this place makes it so goood

Orange chicken was chewy. Same with the sweet and sour pork. Had about a year ago and was good. Will never order again.

I've been here a handful of times and almost everything I've had is good. My favorite is the Mapo Tofu, if you like little Szechuan spice it's a must grab. The hot and sour soup is good as well as the squid, it's like a chineese inspired lightly breaded calamari. Best chineese food I've had in WA so far.

Tasteful menu! This has become our new favorite since Gordys bid us farewell. We haven't been disappointed once!

This place is phenomenal. Very recently, my family and I were returning from a Thanksgiving trip to western Washington. After stopping at the comic book store and thrift shop down the road, everyone's blood sugar was at critical levels and I was the only vote for Five Guys, so instead, we opted for Black Straw. My wife and I had been one other time, solely for tea and coffee drinks, but we'd noted the Asian menu on hand and decided to do the full gamut: Thai tea with boba and Chinese food. It. Was. Fantastic. Black Straw has (very probably) the best pork fried rice I've ever eaten. We also ordered a plate of their cashew nut chicken, which was also extremely good. The price to quantity ratio is very fair. There were three of us eating and we still had enough leftovers for a healthy lunch the following afternoon. I'm used to questionable quality when it comes to Chinese food, ie: "Chicken" that could really be any part of the bird, whether objective flesh or something more internal like a wok fried avian renal system. The meat was all very good quality, lots of breast chunks, and to my delight, they do not skimp on the cashews. Their Thai iced tea is to die for. The service was also excellent. We were seated immediately, and our host was very adept at arranging a seating solution for our very busy infant daughter. We will absolutely be back. 100% and hands down the best Chinese food we've yet found in the PNW. Just shut up and give them your money. You won't be disappointed.

We finally gave this place a try and we were impressed. The service was good, even though it looked like there was only one server and a bus person. The facility is clean and the tables and booths are spread out nicely. We started out with a cup of the egg flower soup and it had more flavor than most. We ordered the Tangerine Crispy Beef and it *was* crispy and delicious. Also the Szechuan Shrimp which had assorted veggies in a tasty sauce. IpBoth entrees came with a good portion of white steamed rice. Boba tea was good, too. We probably will split the tangerine crispy beef next time and just order an extra cup of soup as the portions are quite generous. They included a nice menu in our leftovers bag and there's lots more interesting things to try.

Inconsistent food quality, typically average or below. Service is not terrible but not exemplary either.

Generous portion (one meal fed two people) I loved the sea salt cream iced jasmine tea! Not sure if that's the right name but I'm going to replicate it at home.

‍$$$just meh, idk. Kinda expensive. Two wonton soups w/xtra wontons and two sides of egg foo young = $60+ Really just mid food

I've given Black Straw multiple chances, but the food quality is just too inconsistent. One visit, the food is great; the next, it's underwhelming--either overcooked, under-seasoned, or missing ingredients. It's frustrating when you never know what to expect. Service is decent, but it doesn't make up for the hit-or-miss meals. I really wanted to love this place, but the lack of consistency makes it hard to recommend.

Great food...amazing portions (you'll have plenty of leftovers)....great service. Never been disappointed

Food was delicious. Just wish they had some combos. My favorite was the combination chow mein even though I only got 2 shrimp. The mandarin chicken was my other favorite their. No complaints here.

The food here to amazing, and the selection of boba flavors is top-notch. I recommend when you walk into the unassuming building that you take a minute to smell the delicious food being prepared! The waitstaff is polite and and efficient, and the folks manning the counter are great at making boba! I highly recommend the generals chicken and broccoli beef. You won't be disappointed!

One of my favorite go-to places that do boba! I also have dined in and ordered takeout as well. PARKING: Free, couple spaces in front. Never had an issue with parking although there are a few spots. Their boba quality has been consistently great as well. I love how they allow you to adjust sweetness and ice levels as well. Here is what I've tried for drinks: -JASMINE MILK TEA: My go-to drink everywhere. Wish it came with boba, but you have to add on for a topping. I like getting this with boba or grass jelly for 50 cents, depending on what I'm craving. :) I usually get this with 75% sweetness for my own personal preference. -HOUSE MILK TEA: The drink includes boba. Tastes as I expected and enjoy this too! -STRAWBERRY MILK TEA: This was my only miss for me so far as I felt it tasted too artificial. As for food, I've ordered MAPO TOFU (spicy for sure), BEEF/CHICKEN CHOW MEIN, BEEF/CHICKEN HE FUN (highly recommend, only place in Spokane I've found that does this right), BLACK PEPPER BEEF, and COMBINATION FRIED RICE. All of which I would order again!

Came here with a group of ten and the restaurant had plenty of space to hold larger groups. There's several vegetarian and vegan options available. If you do want to make it vegan, make sure they omit the oyster sauce that is in some of their dishes. I had the Szechuan Tofu (minus the oyster sauce) and the group got the Crispy Spicy Tofu to share. The Crispy Spicy Tofu comes with sautéed tofu, onions, peppers with a side of chili sauce. The Szechuan was spicy saucy goodness with loads of veggies and tofu. I would get either dish again. The staff was very friendly and helpful with any questions we had. The restaurant itself was bright, spacious, and clean. The prices are reasonable, especially with the quantity and quality that is served. Everyone in our group was very satisfied and full after our visit. This place will definitely be in our rotation when going out.

OMG!!! The absolute BEST Asian food in Spokane!!! Possibly the best I've ever had! The walnut chicken was perfectly breaded - not too thick, not too thin! And cooked to a perfect crispy, golden brown. The chicken was quality pieces. Overall, it had the perfect bite but was tender and juicy. The sauce complemented the chicken without overpowering it. The chicken chow mein was equally as good. Thin sliced breast pieces pan fried to a golden and tender perfection. Fried rice was a perfect blend of flavors and was very moist and yummy! Portions were huge and staff was really friendly and fun! Do yourself a favor and go now!!! It's amazing!

The food was great! Fresh and delicious! Service was quick, knowledgeable gal.. definitely coming back! I had honey walnut chicken, hubs had Szechuan beef. Pork fried rice. (Huge) Egg fu yung. Super generous servings. 2-3 people per entree.

The food and customer service are great! The music is also amazing. Good vibes all around

I ordered ginger/onion meal. Was very good and plentiful however way too much ginger! Egg foo yung very good with good gravy.

The food was amazing off the charts and very authentic My dad and I would eat there every day

Food selection was excellent; large portions and all dishes delicious. Staff very helpful with decision making g , service and ambiance nice and place was busy despite being off hour . Would definitely return as cannot say that for any other Chinese food location in Spokane

Really enjoyed this place. Food was presented nicely and tasted even better. Best Chinese I've had in the area. Will go back again.

Be careful ordering combination fried rice - all I got was chicken, zero pork or shrimp. Was told they cannot help as it was ordered through doordash however based on packaging upon opening, I'm pretty sure Katherine didn't hand pick out those missing items. Never had an issue before but don't enjoy paying for items within a dish I am not given.

Second New Years Eve in a row where this place has totally hit the spot. Service was great. I ordered it to go and it was ready right when I got there. Everything I ate was delicious. The Sesame chicken, the beef chow mein, shrimp chow mein, pork fried rice, almond chicken, sweet-and-sour pork... all soooooo good!

I was so disappointed with our to-go order. The General Tso Chicken bright red with no spice (when order was taken she did not ask) The last time I ordered the General Tso chicken it was so good. The ginger beef was more than 1/2 green onions in big wilted chunks. And to top it off, the chicken chow mein had no chicken and was swimming in oil, my plate was an oil slick. What happened to your food quality it used to be so good. We were looking to find a permanent place to order oriental food from. So sad....Won't be back after spending almost $60. HUGELY DISAPPOINTED

Their food is EXCELLENT & their service is good! One of our favorites in the valley)! Their ambience is good too. Prices reasonable& portions are large. What more could you ask. The only negative is their limited parking.

My new favorite place to eat out in Spokane valley.. the food is amazing and the tea is awesome!

We went here for the first time today for lunch and it was INCREDIBLE! To start, the portions are very generous. Dont let the price per plate scare you. It's served family style so each plate can serve 3 adults comfortably so you truly get a great price for what you get. We ordered the Szechuan Chicken heat level 5 for $17.59 and the Crispy Tangerine Beef for $19.99. The Szechuan chicken was fantastic. The chicken was so tender, the vegetables still had a crispness to them and everything was fresh and perfectly seasoned. This was served with a side of rice. The Crispy Tangerine Beef was beautifully plated and if you enjoy a sweet sauce, this is the dish for you. The beef was perfectly seasoned and the brocolli was steamed and had a nice crispness to it. The sauce was sweet and the candied orange peel added extra demention. Served with a side of rice. Overall, great service, fantastic food and they offer a military discount. We can wait to go back and try something new.

The food are really good and service is great! Their portion is very large and fast. We travel a lot and always trying new Chinese restaurants. Their egg foo young is one of the best that we had. Most definitely recommend for anyone who is in the area.

Fake Chinese food. I ordered Tso chicken. It had minimal flavor and was not even close to what normally passes for Tso's chicken. On the plus side, it wasn't overloaded with sugar that most of the crap places in the area dump on their fake Chinese. It came with white rice and mystery soup. It wasn't a soup listed on the menu, slightly thickened chicken broth with onions and celery. Overpriced by a fair amount - it is amazing how Spokane restaurants cost more than those in Seattle and Portland and can't even come close to what is average quality in those much better cities. It is truly a remarkable level of incompetence that exists in Spokane. What is more amazing is that people accept this crap and give high ratings for restaurants that wouldn't last a month in most populated areas in the country. We deserve these abysmal restaurants! I would have given it 2 stars since it is not the Atilano's, Clinkerdaggers, Max, or Gander & Ryegrass of fake Chinese food but they committed the one unforgivable sin: they put broccoli on the Tso Chicken. That is so far out of bounds of what is proper and acceptable that I have to wonder if the owners are from Idaho.

The best Chinese food around. Get the almond chicken and the walnut shrimp ! All of their food is great. We love their chow mein and their tangerine chicken too. Huge portions and delicious every time

A friend suggested this restaurant when we were asking for good Chinese food. It did not disappoint. Food was great and big portions. The service was spot on. The ambiance is a little lacking but what Chinese restaurant at this price point it amazing? We will definitely be returning customers!

I gotta admit... I've been here twice, now, and I've come out with the same opinion that they are one of the better Asian joints in the metro--and I am historically hard on places like this in this forum. Freshness and flavors make me believe the owners are Southeast Asian folks, because alot of typical Chinese places around here don't seem to have the nice cuts of fresh vegs included in the stir frys, like you see in the Vietnamese restos around. Everything was great, and we refrained from appys because we know how much you get (to-go boxes mandatory). If they would just cut down on the gringo-pleasing use of sugar in all their sauces, I'd eat their chef's creations anywhere I travel. Nice people there, too...

Having moved to Spokane from Seattle, I wasn't sure about the quality of Boba in the area, but decided to come check out Blackstrap after hearing a suggestion from a friend! Located in the Valley, Black Straw serves Chinese food as well (honestly it smelled really good) but my friends and I wanted a quick drink on a hot day. I ordered the Taro Milk Tea with boba, and was pleasantly surprised! The taro itself was good, however a bit sweet although I requested 50% sugar. I will say that the boba itself was pretty hard, but the sweetness was there! Staff themselves were pretty friendly and efficient, but unfortunately I likely will keep going back to Seattle for my boba fix.

4 1/2 out of 5. Another solid recommendation from Jeff B. and Nellie B. The Crispy Tangerine Beef was a first for us and proved to be a showstopper. The dish was crispy as advertised and the tangerine flavor, although very sweet, was succulent. We should have ordered something savory for a second dish, but my co-pilot loves sweet and sour chicken, so we dove into a sugar high for dinner. It was also very, very good. This place will be visited again so we can try more options from their menu... just maybe not as much sweet. Thanks again to "The B's" for guiding us to another great meal.

Always on the lookout for good Chinese food and Black Straw did not disappoint. It's very clean and modern. Our server was attentive and helped us make our selections. Most importantly the food was delicious (Kung Pao Chicken and Szechwan Beef) and the portions were generous. We will definitely come back next time we pass through Spokane.

Black Straw has both great food and tea. Their service is really quick. Location and atmosphere is so so, but it's not terrible, nothing that would shy me away from eating here. They have lots of yummy tea options, even for those that don't like tea, there is almost certainly something that you'll like. Food wise, I have gotten some of the orange chicken before and it was really soggy and not great, however, that's not always the case. And to guarantee that doesn't happen, I ask for the sauce on the side vs the chicken tossed in it. I have had their orange chicken, general Tso's, and honey walnut, and Id highly recommend them all, particularly the orange.

How does this place have such good reviews? I've never had such bland generic white bread Chinese food in my life. It's like it was cooked by someone who had never eaten real Chinese food but read about it in an old Better Homes and Garden magazine from the 70's when woks were all the new rage. Rice was still hard, the mugu guy pan was mostly undercooked button mushrooms (seriously?!) and the "tea" tasted like juice spiked with a thick sugar syrup. Orange chicken had absolutely zero flavor. The only positive is the sippy cups the tea came in were kind of interesting. The food was so disappointing I actually left feeling insulted and taken advantage of.

I'm STILL loving the crispy tangerine beef! I found the sweet and sour pork to be an excellent choice as well. They don't use the red dye in the sauce, which was weird at first, but WOW, is that a good dish!! Service is excellent. I've done carry out a few times and order is always correct and ready on time. I really appreciate the time they put into making the food and making sure you get what you ordered! I'll continue to come here for the excellent food and service.