Gong Cha

Small, but drinks were the same as always. Love getting gong cha, the app isn't great though. Staff fast and nice. My go to drink is the passion fruit green tea with pearls with 30% sugar. Delicious.

Gong Cha is a real nice milk tea boba shop. Step up to order your drink and wait a few minutes. The all space does get cramped so... The sign to help guide your order maybe blocked. First timers, it's quite simple; 1. Choose your drink, Hot or Cold. 2. Choose your size Medium or Large 3. Add your toppings, Boba, Jelly, Crumbs 4. Choose your sweetness 0 - 100, stay around 30 is enough 5. Choose level of Ice The Green Milk tea with bubbles at 0 was still sweet, whereas the plain tea was of course not. Many things to choose from and a great park to sit and enjoy a few steps away. Gong Cha will cost about $6 a drink $8 if you get a large $10 if additional toppings.

I had a really nice experience at this Gong Cha. It's much cheaper than other Gong Cha locations in Boston and the bubble tea was of good quality with good service.

Today I order two , one is milk tea, the other one is matcha tea latte, both of them are very tasty even though the matcha tea latte tastes sweeter than 30% sugar that I ordered with.

I love the set up for covid! They have one entrance and one exit on opposite sides of the building so there is less contact. Though you are free to leave from the entrance I appreciated the effort. You can drink your order inside they have one little area where people were eating inside at bar type seating but only about two people (estimate because I left after receiving my order). Medium Brown Sugar Milk Tea (added pearls): Regular sugar and ice. This drink had a very strong roasted/toasted tea flavor and was the favorite of our order today. The milk flavor isn't too strong and for me it wasn't too sweet but if you like things less sweet I recommend 30% sugar since it does also have brown sugar. The pearls were chewy and a little harder than the boba I am used to (still great and not hard just not as soft as I am used to) great if you like chewier pearls. Earl Grey Milk Tea with 3 J's (Large): (30% sugar, no ice) This drink was good but had a much stronger milk taste than the Brown Sugar Milk Tea I only got the Earl Grey flavor in the aftertaste. Still great just be aware the tea flavor is more subtle. The three jellies inside were great though I personally couldn't tell a difference (not jelly educated). Lemon Ai-Yu White Pearl (Large): (no sugar, no ice) Very good, tasted like a juice with added jelly and pearls. Great if you like to join boba runs but don't like tea or milk (like me). Just be aware the white pearls don't have a taste and have a very different texture than the brown sugar/ regular brown boba. I would compare it to a harder/ chewier jelly more than I would boba, though it is also ~100 calories less than regular boba so maybe also good for dieters? Anyways it is great and I personally recommend this drink the most!

The Boba was very good quality and perfectly chewy! I got the lychee slush, which was still pretty sweet even with 0% sweetness, but it was very yummy! The service was fast and the staff were friendly :)

Very nice tea, dirty brown sugar has nice cream on top, not too sweet just right. Taro tastes authentic tea not with artificial powder like other places. Appreciate they use biodegradable straw too.

This place is great. Simple selection. Although I did find it confusing in the beginning that you have to choose several things such as sugar level, ice level, etc. I got used to it very quickly. I ordered lychee iced tea with boba which tasted very good. The straws they had were too small for the boba, but other than that the drink was very good. Highly recommend if you're around.

This place is so good! They made my drink so good and they truly match how you order. I wish they had more popper options, and the inside was kinda small. There was seating though!

My go-to chain for boba which is customizable. This location is rather small and really not a place to hang out. You can order at the counter or on the kiosk. Prices are reasonable for a city atmosphere, especially compared to other city boba spots.

First time trying their drinks because I want the gingerbread bottle. It was OK, nothing really special because I usually prefer fruit tea their are variety of boba shop in Chinatown. Their foam, star jelly, and white pearl are good.

Fast service. Lots of tea options. We all know Gongchas! The milk tea was tasty and the greentea was refreshing.

I ordered a dirty brown sugar milk tea, 50% sugar regular ice. I couldn't taste the tea at all. My drink tasted like plain milk with boba. For $8 I expected a bit more. Quite sad as this place used to be really popular but as more boba shops are opening up they're losing their touch. When I came in there was no wait and the workers were very quick.

Lucky when we arrived there was no line to order. Got 4 milk tea. Delicious as I remember from last time I went there (2.5 years ago!). My stepmom asks me to buy more milk tea for today, she loves the flavor. Always add boba to your milk tea as that is the best part.

Pros: + Friendly staff + Great variety + Fast Service Cons: - Limited seating inside - Crowded IG: QueenOfAdventureNYC

the gong cha in chinatown is always my go to. their milk tea is the best, and tastes pretty authentic. there's a couple of series, including the slush series, creative series and coffee series. the lychee oolong tea is also super good. sugar and ice levels can be adjusted. customer service is always good. sometimes the wait times can be quite a while, especially at night. they also charge $0.25 for bags. overall rating: 10/10

Any time I am in Chinatown in Boston Gong Cha is a must place for me to go to. All of their drinks are amazing and made to perfection. My go to drink is the strawberry series milk tea. The best part is that you can select the amount of sugar and ice you want in your drink. Finding parking in Chinatown can be a pain but it's worth it. The staff is always nice and explain everything to you if it's your first time there. The place is small and it's always packed so be ready to wait.

The store is Not following the CDC guidelines for covid19 prevention. There were no signs/guidelines outside/inside the store for mandatory masks and max personnel allowance in the store. There were 6-8 people in the little shop while i was there. that's about 2 ft from each person. ideally there should be multiple signs outside and inside stating a max of two people in the shop and Enforced by the staff telling customers only 2 people only to have the proper social distancing of six feet. i raised the concern to the staff which replied, sorry. the only guideline the store was following is the clear acrylic Plexiglas that lined the entire counter top separating the staff from the customers. this also made it a little hard to communicate to the staff on what you are ordering. i had to lower my height towards the credit card machine where there is an opening to let the cashier know my order, even with that, they didn't get my order right and i had to go back after i received my drinks to have it corrected. As far as the teas, it's consistent to the dozens of past visits, no complaints there.

Beat bubble tea so far in Boston. Many flavors and sugar level. Nothing but boba. A dream come true for a tea lover. There are several in Boston so one is always near. Love the passion fruit.

Pretty good bubble tea in Chinatown, which I prefer less sweet (30%), less ice, and wish it was 150-200% thicker tea. Recommend the Earl Grey milk tea 3J (large $6.50, medium $5.75). Mango and strawberry milk slushes are pretty good too (large $6.75), add pearls for $0.50.

I used to frequent Gong Cha quite often before I decided I needed to cut my wallet some slack. I've probably visited this particular location some 50 times and their quality is always consistent. Although there are a growing number of strong boba contenders in Boston Chinatown, I'd still trust Gong Cha to make a good cup of bubble tea with anything from the menu. This is a relatively small location. Bench seating (no tables) for 4-5 and the line will easily stretch past the entrance on a busy evening.

Again this location is a pretty decent stop for Boba in Chinatown. I tried their Strawberry matcha latte recently with boba 30% sugar and it was interesting, reminded me of a similar drink from The Boba Guys in NYC (and I have to say I like their version better). This matcha layer tasted watery and mild, but aesthetically pleasing. Service is relatively quick, you're in and out since there's no space inside to really loiter.

The drinks are nice. I got a large earl grey milk tea. The tapioca pearls were chewy but not too chewy, which is how I like it. It took about 5 minutes for the staff to finish making it. The staff was very nice and friendly. However, it's a very small store, so there's no place to sit.

I heard about this place and I was kind of disappointed. I wasn't sure why there's such a huge hype for this. It's your typical chain boba place. Comparing it to chatime, kungfu, and gong cha, there's not much of a stand out. I got their Jasmine tea with salted foam - pudding and boba added. The Jasmine tea was refreshing, I got 50% sugar, but it seem like they gave me 25%. It was more on the bitter side. Luckily the pudding and boba added the sweetness for it to be bearable. Honestly, I wouldn't wait in a long line for this when across the street there's chatime, and just a block away there's Kungfu tea.

One of the better bubble tea chains here in Boston! I like that Gong Cha has your classic flavors as well as some unique flavors that you can't find anywhere else. Their taro milk tea is pretty standard, but I recently tried their milk foam green tea and I found it to be really good!! I have never heard of milk foam before and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the saltiness of the foam balanced well with the sweetness of the tea. The foam was a good buttery texture, and is even better when you mix it with the tea. It's the perfect balance between sweetness and saltiness. They have a lot of varieties of teas with the milk foam topping (they call it the mustache series) and I cannot wait to try them all out. The only con is this place is super small and there is limited seating along the window. So definitely better for bubble tea on the go. Also, be ready to wait for a bit during peak times because there can be line literally out the door!!

So your definitive ranking of boba/bubble tea in Boston's Chinatown is: 1. Kung Fu Tea 2. Gong Cha 3. Tea Do Gong Cha is pretty average but is definitely way better than Tea Do! A plus is they open until 11pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. Would come here if Kung Fu Tea was too packed or closed. I got the Jasmine milk tea (or green milk tea) and liked the flavor for the most part...but thought it was a bit on the watery side. Keep in mind that 70% sweetness is the regular level of sweetness here, if you want less sweet ask for 50%. If you're crazy and like your drinks extra sweet then go for that 100%. I'm not a fan of the tapioca pearls here...they were super mushy when I went. But at least super mushy is better than hard, I guess.

The milk tea here is one of the best that Boston has to offer at the moment. I love their Oolong milk tea and the Lemon Ai-Yu drinks. The sugar level is normally too sweet for my taste, so I usually order 30-50% sweetness depending on the toppings I get. If it's a drink with syrup, I recommend getting 0% sugar since the syrup is already sweet enough. Service is pretty quick. They always look like they're rushing to get all the orders done to beat some record. You order the drink(s), pay, and get your drink. Before covid, I've always gotten my drinks within 5 min unless there's a long line. I have to agree with others regarding Covid guidelines not being followed or enforced at this location. This is why I always recommend ordering ahead online (I use Uber Eats). This way you can get notified when your order is ready for pick up and you avoid staying in the shop longer than needed.

I placed an order through Chowbus and noticed that I had a free milk tea so I added it to my order. I wanted to specify that I want no nice but there was no option in Chowbus app to enter notes for the free milk tea so I called the store. The girl who answered the phone was incredibly rude. I told her I ordered through chowbus and that I needed to put in a request for no ice, she said once the order is made they will make it how it shows on the order. I tried to explain that I couldn't enter notes which's why I called so I can tell them my request. I told her my order but she got impatient and proceeded to tell me I didn't need to tell her that and hung up. There was absolutely no need for this terrible service especially when there are so many other bubble tea options nearby. I won't be returning to gongcha.

I went here on Opening Weekend and they were having a promotion where 5 different drinks off their menu were buy 1 get 1 free. Thus, it only cost a little over $4 for 2 drinks. The store is very small with no tables and only a bench for seating. It was very busy and felt cramped with 25 people in it. We all ordered the Pearl Bubble Tea since it was the only one that was part of the promotion that we were interested in. On their menu, they also have the mustache series Pearl bubble tea which is very popular now-a-days. The bubble tea was good and their tapioca balls were soft. Overall, I felt the quality was a little better than Teado or Chai Time. Note that it's a small place so there's really no room to hang out and it's just an order and go kind of place.

Decent place for boba! I ordered the strawberry matcha latte with 30% sugar and less ice. I could have gone with no sugar since the strawberry made it sweet. Shop is clean and staff is friendly :)

The "Gong" in Gong Cha is a funny word. Apparently the way we say it in English is not how it sounds like in Cantonese - the pronunciation and tone is way off! Since Gong Cha seems like a traditional sort of bubble tea shop, I was excited to try their bubble tea! I've ordered the Oolong Tea and Lemon Ai-Yu with White Pearls. No disappointment. In the lemon ai-yu with white pearls, there's a light brown pudding-like jelly in the drink. It tastes like a light version of grass jelly. I'm assuming it's "Ai-Yu", but I have yet to figure out what that is.. Besides that, the white pearls are pretty cool! It's easier to chew on in comparison to black pearls. Just a heads up, Gong Cha is not meant to be a place to lounge around after getting your drink. When you walk in, you basically line up along the counter until you get to the cash register to order. To order, you choose your drink, size, toppings, sugar level, and ice level. Then you stand back a few steps or sit along the window to wait for your drink. I'd recommend Gong Cha to those who enjoy the tea more than the artificial fruity tastes in bubble tea. I'll definitely be coming back to try more tea and to ask what Ai-Yu is!

Gong cha, my new favorite boba place in Boston! I first discovered Gong Cha when I visited Hong Kong years ago. I literally had Gong Cha every other day! Ever since, I have been constantly on a search to find a boba shop comparable to Gong Cha until a few franchises started opening in New York and California! I was forever satisfied but New York and California is still far from Boston which means I can only get this occasionally! They are having their grand opening week this week and are doing a buy one get one free special on 5 featured drinks! They also have an extended menu of different drinks. There is definitely something for everyone. The milk foam green tea is my fav! The tea is fragrant and with 50% sugar level, it is perfect! One thing I like about them is they are super quick with the drink orders. At other boba shops nearby, I have to wait for days for my drink. Sometimes it makes me wonder if they are still picking the tea leaves for my drink up in the mountains. The boba is perfectly sweetened and chewy! The boba is a little smaller than other places, which I prefer. I am so excited that Gong Cha is finally in Boston!

Gong cha has finally come! I would always get their milk tea with boba when in New York and once when I was in Korea. This is located where juice bar used to be/ across the street from beard papa. You can choose your ice and sugar level. Regular sugar is 70%, I like to go with 50% when ordering the milk tea. Other drinks to try: earl gray milk tea and green tea foam! They are open today at 11AM- 11PM for their BOGO Nov 9-12 selective 5 drinks only. Check out the picture I posted.

BOBA. YAASSSSSS, I love boba. But one thing that I love more than boba is basil seeds. And Gong cha has basil seeds! I first tried tea from Gong Cha in California then in Hong Kong. And I was excited when I saw the soon opening sign over Gong Cha in Chinatown. I came for their opening weekend, BOGO special. I waited for about 45 mins but was disappointed that the BOGO only applied to 5 drinks. Alright, I waited so long I decided to wait another 15 mins to get my drink. Second time here, I get the drink I want...Jasmine milk tea with basil seeds and white boba. First off, if you haven't tried white boba, try it! It's made out of agar instead of starch. And the basil seeds give a nice crunch to the drink. Also their 30% sugar is true 30% sugar, not like chatime across the street which is still really sugary. So glad that Gong Cha is finally in Boston. I just wish the craze would die down so I don't have to wait forever for my drink. Staff are friendly. Bathroom is behind the counter.

I have a palate that enjoys the tea flavor and less syrup/fruity ones so my review is based on the black tea with milk (caramel and brown sugar). I also like that you can customize your drink based on sugar percentages (30, 50, 70%, etc). In the two times that I have been here, the lines were out the door. It can also get hot in the small area while waiting for your drinks. Overall, I would come back but only if I have at least 20 min to spare.

The place is cramped and there isn't any room to sit and chill (besides one bench parallel to the register) BUT the customer service is really great. The works are very friendly and willing to accommodate to you. One worker added pearls to my tea even though it was my fault for not being completely clear in my order. No complaints either! He was very understanding and quick to take action. I like the Earl Grey Milk Tea, 50% sweetness with light ice and pearls. My sister got the peach green tea with pearls and she enjoyed it. It's more refreshing. My other sister got a slushy, which was good as well. I recommend this place!

Ordered lychee green tea and coffee milk tea. Both were water down and have no tea taste at all. They used to have strong tea flavor but now, it has gone down hill. Disappointed.

Very good bubble tea, go the earl grey with 3j and it was amazing. Would come here again in the future. Very busy here usually, so expect a 5-10 minute wait.

This place reminds me a lot of the boba/juice parlors you'll find randomly scattered across malls or street corners in Asia. I used to love those places, so figured I'd stop in here with my family of 5. They have a wide range of menu items, from smoothies to slushies, to boba teas, and with a lot of topping options. Prices are very reasonable, so there is no issue of value. I absolutely love that you can choose the level of sugar in your drink, from as a high as 100%, to 70% (considered normal sweetness), down to 30%. That was something I was not accustomed to seeing, but happy to see. I would have given it 4 stars, but I it just seemed a bit dirty when I got here. The floor was sticky, there were dirty corners everywhere, and I just get heeby-jeeby vibes when places just don't feel really clean, especially when there is a lot of sugar in ingredients, and can invite roaches at any time (no I didn't see any roaches, but I'm just particular about cleanliness where sugar is a key ingredient). I'll probably come back here again, as the products are good.

I was craving some bubble tea, and Boston's Chinatown was nearby. I decided to stop into Gong Cha based on my familiarity with this franchise, and their other locations haven't disappointed me so far. This place is definitely tiny and can be claustrophobic when there's several people in the shop at once. However, the line does move pretty quickly, and more importantly they're also accurate with the orders. My hands were pretty occupied, so I didn't get a chance to take a picture of my drink. But, I ordered the large oolong pearl milk tea with no sugar and no ice, pudding and extra boba. That's my go-to order, their boba was fresh, and they definitely loaded me up with tapioca which I could appreciate. I highly recommend Gong Cha to anyone looking for some delicious bubble tea in the area.

This place is very small and there's always a line. There's really no seating except for a small bench. So you can't really sit and chill with your friends there. Their menu is placed all the way in the back of the store so you can't even read the menu until you're near the front of the line. They should say put a menu outside or something. They have a very extensive tea menu. I've tried their milk teas and fruit teas and never had one that I didn't like. You can customize your tea with the sugar and ice level. However their boba topping isn't that great. It's on the softer side and isn't sweet at all. I would recommend this place if you're craving boba. Just be prepared for a line and know your order before you get to the front.

Yay! Gong Cha chain is finally in Boston! This place is small and will be busy during peak times. Lots of options of different flavor milk tea, tea, coffee, and drinks. The boba I had in my drink was not sweetened or at least I could not tell it was sweetened. The milk tea flavor was good, tasted natural and not from a powder. There is extensive customization to make exactly how sweet or the amount of ice you want in your drink. The default seems to be 70% sweet on the sweetness level. You will be asked this when ordering. If you have not had this level of customization in your milk tea drinks then it might take a few drinks before you dial in your preferences. So far my favorite is the earl grey milk tea with 3J's (I think this mean 3 types of jellies = boba, pudding, grass jelly) I will be back to try more of their menu. The prices are on par with other milk tea places. About $4 to $5 depending on the amount of add ins and size.

This Gong Cha is super small!!!! But also right in the heart of Chinatown so how can I complain. The quality and consistency of this branch is the same as every Gong Cha I've been to. Don't be too concerned with long lines, they move fast. I personally think Gong Cha is the best bubble tea around these parts of Boston, the Milk tea has a strong black tea aroma and the bubbles aren't too sweet and have a nice texture. I have only had Thai Milk tea and Original Milk tea with bubbles but both are great choices. I personally reduce the sugar to 30% and little ice but any decision you make will be a good one. Overall, Done blind taste testing with myself and friends for mulitple bubble tea chains and shops. Gong Cha was consistently everyone's favorite.

Came here with my little cousin, Amy N. on a friday night at 1045pm. The line was ridiculous, to the door. This a small establishment, no public restrooms, tables or chairs. There is a small bench like area for 4 people max. Because it was 30* with high wind chills, everyone got their drinks and stayed inside the shop. We were all packed like sardines and getting cozy. LOL. The drinks are good: I got a oolong milk tea with white pearls and my cousin got a milk tea with regular boba. We were satisfied with our drinks. Among the 30 patrons that came between 11-12am, we stayed on the bench area until they closed and they never told us to leave. Very nice staff. **They do not have a minimum for cards.

Got a Dirty Brown Sugar milk tea and earl gray milk tea. Overall: Really great boba but a bit pricey depending on what you get. Pro: -The tapioca is the perfect chewiness -Tea flavor is not too strong and not overpowered by sugar or milk! -Sugar and ice level are very adjustable (which I think is standard for most shops now) -Menu is very diverse enough to appeal to multiple ta Cons: -No seating inside the shop and very little space in the shop -A little on the pricier end vs other places in Chinatown -No online mobile ordering (or it might be available but it's tricky to actually go forward with???)

I really have nothing to say about the service but the milk tea here tastes like water, maybe a new employee made it?

My favorite boba chain is finally open and I'm so happy to say it meets expectations!! You'll prob never see me at another boba chain in Chinatown again. BOGO until 11/12! There's basically only space for ordering to go, a window bench for 3-4 ppl to sit at most. But the tea! Not too sweet, so 100%-70% is not a problem, compared to uber sweetness at some other chain. Prices are not bad either, $3.75 for medium milk tea with boba. Definitely coming back to try other menu items.

Definitely get the brown sugar boba. Wow. It was so tasty and made perfectly. Brown sugar soaked tapioca pears nestled happily below my cup. The bold tea flavor is enhanced by the brown sugar adding a richness to each sip. MUST GET!

Our boba tasted great. Also, I ordered two large drinks and the worker made the mistake of making mediums and ringing it as mediums. He made it to the larger size and did not charge us the extra price for the larger size :)

Drink: 4 Ambience: 2 Service: 4 Overall: 3.5 This place is pretty good compared to their surrounding competitors. I wish there was more seating, but it's understandable since the space is limited. But it does defer me to visit other establishments with seating in the winter. This is the first place in Chinatown, from my knowledge, that has cheese foam! I recommend trying cheese foam at least once. Sounds gross, but tastes soooo good. The hype right now is black sugar boba, I personally don't see/taste much of a difference. Sugar is sugar.

This place is always packed with a long line. I finally got a chance to come. I had taro milk tea with pearl. It's made by powder and tasted very artificial. 30% sugar level was so sweet, probably the sweetest 30% I've ever had. Pearls were cooked well. Price is on the high end. Won't come back.

My 14-year old wanted bubble tea, and this place had the best rating and was not questionable health wise from the exterior appearance... lots of teenagers to 20 something's pouring in. Menu is pretty big. Seemed to wait quite a while. Comes in a sealed top cup, you poke a straw through. I got the black foam coffee, large, no sugar or ice. It was just okay - the liquid part. The foam was really good. Wife got a passion fruit slushy and said it was good. Daughter got a strawberry milk tea and said it was really good, an enthusiastic five stars. Maybe I am too old to appreciate these cold tea and coffee drinks. I'd give mine a three, so we will split the difference, four overall.

The best boba spot in Boston. The brown sugar boba is a must try!! It's a little sweet at first but when the ice melts, it definitely hits the spot. Definitely coming back here for more! If I could come here everyday I would

As far as milk tea goes, this is a pretty standard place. I wouldn't say its the best milk tea ever, but it definitely isn't the worst. I did enjoy the brown sugar ginger milk tea, as it definitely was a first for me. I think if you enjoy ginger, it would be a good drink to try out and see what you think!

Boyfriend got the strawberry matcha latte with boba. He felt it was too sugary but I liked how sweet it was when I tried it. Unfortunately, they don't let you adjust the sweetness for that specific drink. I got the lemon aiyu with white pearl and it was super refreshing. I personally didn't like the candied lemon peels in it. Next time, I'll see if they can make it without it. Other than that, it's the perfect drink for a hot summer day.

This was the first time I tried gong cha. Tiny little place in China town but filled with people. Mildk foam was recommended by my friend so I got the oolong tea with milk foam with bubbles. Initially I enjoyed it but then the milk foam tasted sour. Not sure why. I would probably try it again but I feel it is a bit overpriced for what you get. (Although somewhat trendy)...

This place is a smoothie / boba machine factory. It hardly needs review with how consistently busy it is. Be ready for an average waiting line any time of day. I visited and stayed close by so I was here every day at different times . The wait is worth it. Maybe like 10-15 minutes to place your order. I think I saw some folks coming in and out after placing an online order? Anyways! Drinks are fantastic, I'd recommend the mango slush with milk foam on top!