Boba Guys Soho
Permanently Closed
Signature strawberry matcha latte & Korean banana milk
Signature strawberry matcha latte & Korean banana milk
"We go to this popular West Coast mini-chain whenever we need to get out of a boba rut. Boba Guys has two NYC locations with some unique menu options, like the signature layered strawberry matcha latte, dirty horchata boba, and Korean banana milk boba, which uses homemade banana jam as the base. Plentiful oat milk options make this a particularly good choice if you’re a plant-based person. Boba Guys has smaller shops with a modern aesthetic (think white subway tiles and natural wood), and little or no seating—so plan to grab your drink and take it to go." - molly fitzpatrick, carina finn koeppicus
"We go to this popular West Coast mini-chain whenever we need to get out of a boba rut. Boba Guys' three NYC locations have some unique menu options, like the signature layered strawberry matcha latte, dirty horchata boba, and Korean banana milk boba, which uses homemade banana jam as the base. Plentiful oat milk options make this a particularly good choice if you’re a plant-based person. Boba Guys has smaller shops with a modern aesthetic (think white subway tiles and natural wood), and little or no seating—so plan to grab your drink and take it to go." - Carina Finn
"I was thrilled to see the Hayes Valley flagship reopen this week — boba fans had been desperate for milky teas and chewy pearls — and Boba Guys, which began as a 2011 pop-up out of Ken Ken Ramen before going permanent at 19th and Valencia in 2013, has grown into a small chain with nine Bay Area locations plus outposts in LA and New York. They're known for upgrading bubble tea with quality tea leaves, organic milk, from-scratch syrups (no fake powders) and drinks ordered to specified sweetness levels, producing colorful layered drinks like dirty horchata and strawberry matcha and toppings from grass jelly to egg pudding. The co-founders Andrew Chau and Bin Chen — self-described nerds who met playing ping pong — also released The Boba Book, a playful, design-conscious cookbook (millennial pink, line-drawn illustrations, chatty author bubbles) that walks through classics like milk tea, matcha lattes, Thai iced tea and Vietnamese iced coffee, includes a thrilling chapter on toppings and a primer on simmering boba pearls to capture the silky-but-chewy “QQ” texture, and reads like a nerd-out for devoted boba fans even when some specialty drinks require sub-recipes and special equipment." - Becky Duffett
"New York’s next corporate-sponsored, branded cafe arrives this fall — and this time it comes from mobile dating app Bumble, with food from the team behind hip destinations such as Charlie Bird. Bumble Brew will serve as a coffee shop by day and wine bar with small plates by night." - Carla Vianna
"A bubble-tea chain operating in New York and California does not have a paid-leave plan for voting but will reward employees who vote with an hour’s worth of bonus pay." - Chris Fuhrmeister
