Gong Cha

Gong Cha has a nice selection of tea and boba to whet your appetite. Quick service and able to specify amount of ice and added sugar. They offer gift cards for the tea fan in your life. Hours allow for before lunch tea into the late evening.

Located close to Columbia University, this bubble tea chain is an ideal spot for university students to enjoy the drink. The servers are friendly whereas the place doesn't have much ambiance which is fine. I ended up with strawberry milk tea and mango popping bubbles. Initially I was curious to know how it would taste but to my surprise, it was great! I requested them to add less ice which they obliged!

Friendly staff and the quality of the tea we got was phenomenal. I got the dirty brown sugar milk tea with less ice and my fiance got the mango green tea. Both teas were amazing. Definitely would recommend to any and everyone.

Their Lychee Oolong is so refreshing! The staff is really efficient and pumps out drinks almost immediately.

The chocolate caramel boba tea was really bad (sorry) :(. Brown sugar milk tea boba was still good. Update: The creme brulee milk tea with boba was surprisingly good! Update: We have now become regulars at this place :’)

Absolutely love their bubble tea, I would hundred percent recommend the dirty BSMT and their Taro!

I'm not a huge sugar person, but.. GAWDDD DAMNNNNN! Ordered the brown sugar foam tea hot, only 50% sweet... and I honestly don't know how to describe it. The foam is next level sweet but in the best of ways. Can't pin the flavors. If you like sweet and want a hot drink, go for it!!! (I think any medical professional would recommend against anything higher than 50% sweet)

Hopefully the executives see this and go back the the regular plastic straws. The organic ones split half the times just piercing the seal. All of the drinks are magic its just the straws.

The Gingerbread Gong Cha bottles are absolutely adorable! The Red Velvet Milk Tea was rich and flavorful, especially with Oreo toppings and cheese foam. The Strawberry Milk Tea was also delicious, with pearls and creamy milk foam adding the perfect touch. Though the bottles may look small, they actually hold a generous amount!

In general, I like Gong Cha. It offers a variety of options, allows for customization and is overall consistent. This location is not quite as good as others. Regardless of whether there is a line or not (this one seems less busy than most) the customer service is not as helpful. Just this last time, I was told that I could not customize the sugar. Odd. I have at other locations for the same drink. But the employee was not particularly interested in giving more information or answering questions. So I left with fewer answers and more sugar than I would have hoped, but earl grey boba still wins the day in the end.

The gingerbread gong cha bottles are super cute! The red velvet milk tea was flavorful with ores toppings and cheese foam. The strawberry milk tea was great because it had pearls and milk foam. It looks small but there is a lot in there!

This is my first time trying this chain, and I'm unfortunately disappointed. There was no inside, simply an order counter. That's fine! The staff were friendly and helpful (thought unfortunately I couldn't mix fruit teas) and ordering was easy. But my drink simply didn't taste good. I ordered a mango green tea with tapioca, 100% sweetness and tapioca. It was very bland, and I felt like I was fighting for hints of mango. The best part of the drink was undoubtedly the mango chunks mixed with boba- that was really good! I just wish I enjoyed my 8!!!! dollar drink.

Located close to Columbia University, this bubble tea chain is an ideal spot for university students to enjoy the drink. The servers are friendly whereas the place doesn't have much ambiance which is fine. I ended up with strawberry milk tea and mango popping bubbles. Initially I was curious to know how it would taste but to my surprise, it was great! I requested them to add less ice which they obliged!

The service is amazing. It was my cousin's first time getting boba, and the employees were very helpful in figuring out what she should get. It tastes great, and we rated it 10/10

Their Lychee Oolong is so refreshing! The staff is really efficient and pumps out drinks almost immediately.

I'm a big fan of the Slush Series at Gong Cha, especially during the summer months. It's pretty much a slushee that you can add boba, jelly or pudding to. My favorites are the mango milk slush or strawberry milk slush, although today I also tried the lychee (no milk in this one) and it was also quite good. I like adding the black pearls (bubbles/boba) for added texture and interest. You can customize your beverage at Gong Cha and in the case of the slush drinks, you can set the sweetness but not the ice since that's constant as part of the recipe. I recommend trying 0% added sugar in the fruit slush drinks since the fruit flavoring is already sweet. If you're looking for a drink to cool you down this summer, try the slush series at Gong Cha and I don't think you'll be disappointed!

I am personally not a huge bubble tea fan but my daughter wanted to try some. Based on reviews we came here. The menu is short and sweet making it easy for a kid to choose her first bubble tea. We got a small caramel bubble tea with pearls/tapiocas. My daughter loved it. Only thing was my daughter wished they had a bit of a smaller size. And was shocked when I told her she had gotten the small. The store itself is very small can hold about 4 people at a time. There is a standing bar by the window inside but it's likely more a treat to take on the go. Service was quick and efficient when we went on a weekday afternoon around 2pm.

Once I walked in the staff were very nice. I had ordered the brown sugar boba tea it tasted really good.

For the most part, they're pretty good and quick. I've only had a couple of issues in the past where they've given a wrong drink or forgot pearls.

This Gong Cha is a reliable bubble tea spot has consistently well-cooked a generous portions of toppings (although there have been two or so instances where there was a little powder in them) with good texture, and I love their Earl Grey with 3 Js drink. The combination of the tea with the herbal jelly, pudding, and boba is so good! Unfortunately, their wintermelon milk tea is a big miss for me--it tasted like milk with sugar and doesn't really have much flavor. But the other drinks (like mango green tea, slush, and milk tea) I've tried are great!

Lowkey disappointing. I always love going to Gong Cha for my bubble tea, but my drink didn't hit right I ordered the strawberry creme brûlée with boba. The drink is supposed to be really rich, creamy, and thick with all the cheese foam and preserves. But I was shocked to find the tea very watery, the syrup kept separating at the bottle of the drink, and overall, it wasn't the vibe. Can't say my bubble tea addiction won't bring me back but I'll have to try something different next time (or at least stick to the classics). Loved the service, and lots of cute details in the shop like a wall of universities and a dry-erase board with markets for patrons!

I went here for my usual order and I was 1 dollar short, I was devastated because my order is the most delicious thing and I couldn't spare a dollar for it. I instead got the Crème brûlée brown sugar with pearls and Oreo crumbs and I was delighted and amazed when I tasted this! Gong cha is very clean, has a board to draw for kids, the staff are nice! 10/10 Recommend!

Very good boba. Strongly recommend the taro slushie with boba on hot days.

Precovid this spot was just a local option but rarely chose it unless I had a sudden craving but during covid it became the go to option for me for months because my other options were basically out until further notice. Best options here were the Brown Sugar Milk Tea, Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with Boba, and the Sparkling Passionfruit. The Strawberry Matcha Latte was ok but not as good as the other two because the matcha was a bit strong. The bulk of my orders were during summer time for obvious reasons and so Strawberry was in season for my drinks. I was excited for Strawberry green tea but it wasn't sweet enough so the tea was very strong. They even had Strawberry "boba" which I was ecstatic about because I know a few places that make their own boba too and I already I like Gong Cha's regular boba. But to my disappointment it was actually the agar made boba which means it's not chewy and it's like hard jello that doesn't carry much flavor. For anyone curious about the sparkling drinks it's like a fruity soda that's pretty addicting to drink if you like the sound of that! I got it for someone and they were doing some major sipping and couldn't stop til it was gone! Comes in Lychee flavor too if that's more your cup of tea. They only got my order wrong once by forgetting the boba in one of the drinks but I ordered a bunch at once so once out of at least 5 orders that isn't too bad. I'll be back since the boba quality is there!

Stop letting that rude dirty guy making our milk tea! I can tolerate spending 6.5 dollars for an average milk tea, but I can't put up with the shitty service I get from here. I am absolutely disgusted by that black hair guy's (white T-shirt, no glasses) dirty service and lifeless rude attitude. He looks 20 something but he works like he can't wait to retire. Any minute more in the duty would be a torture for him. He clearly didn't want to serve an average costumer like me. He forgot to add toppings and didn't even care to speak or look at at me (like I wasn't present) when I asked where's my topping. Wow! How rude! He didn't remake my milk tea and that's fine. BUT, the way he carelessly unsealed my milk tea and added back pearls with his bare hand touching the rim was disgusting to my eye! Honestly this is the second time they messed up with my order and I didn't hear any sorry from them. It's horrible they don't apologize for their mistake!

This is a great little spot that opened up relatively recently. Like most boba place in the city, there is barely enough space for 2-3 customers inside under normal circumstances. Considering COVID, there really is only space for 1 or maybe 2 customers inside at a time. Moreso a concern in the colder months! Otherwise, the quality of the boba is good, service is quick, and pricing is reasonable. This is a great spot in this area of town, where there haven't been many boba options. I generally get the standard Classic milk teas with boba, and the Pearl Milk Tea here is definitely good quality. I didn't have a *negative* experience with the service, but I don't think they went out of the way to be overly friendly either

This is a go-to spot for a delicious drink. The staff are quick and efficient. Love it! Make sure to use the Fivestars app to earn points for discounts.

It was a particularly hot day in New York so I decided to go the unusual route of a slush instead of a milk tea and got a matcha slush.. I didn't particularly enjoy it as I felt the consistency of the drink was too thick and had random chunky pieces throughout. I think it could have used more liquid or more even blending. The tapioca was very good though and they were generous in the amount they gave. I also tried a sip of the jasmine milk tea and really enjoyed it. The tea was very flavorful and fresh. Next time I'll stick to the milk teas!

Got the Earl Grey and the Taro, both 30% sweet which honestly was still a bit too sweet for me. Also got the coconut jelly in each which may have been why it's too sweet. Honestly I'd pass on that jelly in the future, it would be good in fruit teas but not in these - tastes like pineapple. The milk foam in the tarp has made my night, my life. I sit here smug with lips shiny and fingers coated after refusing to walk across my micro studio for a spoon and instead savagely taking matters into my own hands. Brilliant. Now I can't do the work I should be doing. Even better, there's more to be had. Don't ask me what's in it because I haven't a clue. It's certainly not just milk because it's salty and thicker and magical. Ahhh yes. Yum. All things should have milk foam. Whatever the heck it is.

Quality tea and boba that does not disappoint. This has become our go to boba spot ever since they landed in Morningside heights. Sorry, Magic Tea (boba is inconsistent and not that great) and Shiny Tea (delicious but a far walk). I personally love their milk foam tea. I know it's not for everyone, but the distinct mix of savory and creamy is just plain addictive. You can't go wrong with their straightforward milk tea boba with pearl. The tea is delicate and creamy and the boba is sweet and perfectly chewy. Other favorites include their oolong tea and their lichee jelly. Their prices are not bad either. For 4.75 you can get a large (really large) pearl milk tea.

My go-to order is Oolong Tea with bubbles, no sugar or ice. It's something I indulge in multiple times a week and with no guilt! Gong Cha has so many options with even the absolute basic ones being right on point. Figured with how much I go here, it deserved a review :)

Gong Cha is one of my favorite bubble tea spots but I haven't found my "perfect flavor" here yet. I tried the Caramel Milk Tea but it was missing the tea flavor for me. I had light ice but it still had quite a lot of ice or was very cold so next time I would do no ice. Next time I would also like to try the white pearls (mini white boba). The ambiance is nice although it is small so I wouldn't recommend it for groups. The price point is good I think- especially compared to Tea Magic and Culture Tea Bar near Columbia. Compared to Shiny Tea on 96th/Broadway, I think the flavor of tea is stronger at Shiny Tea and there are more traditional Hong Kong flavors there. However, Shiny Tea has no seating space so Gong Cha is better in that respect. Finally, I know 108 Dried Hot Pot has bubble teas and I think the flavor options for milk tea is better at Gong Cha.

Pretty solid bubble tea and they are generous with toppings. Nothing to memorable but I think one of the few bubble tea places in harlem with actual tea and topping options.

I like that the teas here are easily customizable and that the default sweetness is less than most other bubble tea spots I've tried. Space is small and usually pretty crowded, and prices are a little high but nothing surprising for the area.

Love Gong Cha! Recommend ordering their milk teas! I visit this place a lot and this time I decided to go with something I don't tend to order, but I enjoyed it as always!

Perfect treat for summer in Manhattan! My favorite gong cha in the city for limited edition offerings. Have yet to have a bad drink!

I really like their toppings, especially grass jelly, white pearl and the classic pearl!!! They are really great and just like what I had in China. Their milk tea is classic. The BIGGEST PROBLEM is that every milk tea is toooooooo SWEET!!!!!!! (I don't think they ever paid attention to the sugar requirement...) I was so disappointed because they had a terrible control of sugar level. The first time: I ordered 30% sugar and my boyfriend ordered 50%. It turned out that my milk tea was much sweeter than his.... The second time: I ordered no sugar but it still tastes that a ton of sugar has been poured into the tea....there is no difference between no sugar and 50% sugar

This Gongcha store is located next to Columbia University, and I have been to so many Gongcha store in the US. So my reviews are quite general, not specifically to this location of the store. Get the Pearl Milk Tea please. I have tried so many classic milk tea from different chain stores, so it is the best place to get it! I think they use a special type of tea or so, because the milk tea was so right for my taste, with only 50 percent sugar and less ice.

My bf and I were excited when we found Gongcha nearby--drinks came out fast; we were the only ones there so I expected nothing less. But why is the girl who is working at the register extremely rude? She obviously couldn't get out order right because she kept cutting us off. I simply said "original milk tea, no boba, less sugar," but she cut me off before even finishing saying "anything else? what about ice?" I mean, if she didn't cut me off so rudely, I would've finished ordering. Also, my bf asked for a stamp card because we knew we'd be coming here since the location is convenient for us, but the same worker was on her phone, didn't even make eye contact, and only said "one sec." We went 30 minutes after it opened so I don't think she had a long day..no smile, very unwelcoming, extremely rude. By the way, we never got that stamp card from her. I hope the management trains their employees more professionally because that lady can seriously tick off the customers.

This location is usually pretty low key, and the service is quick. I usually stop by when observing schools in the area. The workers are young and sometime kind of scattered, but they make good tea. Be ready for the small groups of well-off teens that come in and occasionally make the employees uncomfortable. Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves and remember to tip for good service.

Kung-Fu was always my go to for bubble tea and I loved how they can customize the sugar level. I used to always see a line up at Gong-Cha in Ktown so I decided to stop by this one as it's not as busy. Their drinks taste a bit more tea-like but just as delicious with some interesting flavors. You can customize your sugar level here too, but if you don't specify they automatically give you 70% which I found to be interesting. Will gladly go back once the weather warms back up.

Gongcha tastes the same everywhere but the girl working the register is pretty rude. She couldn't hear my order I guess and yelled "WHAT?" at me instead of politely asking me to repeat my order. Anyhow, drink came out quickly. There are some seating area as well with wifi. Good location in uptown.

This place never fails me . I am always on the hunt for some bubble tea and when I stumbled upon this shop one summer hot day I was super excited! I immediately combed over the entire menu , such an array of different flavors . Now here's the disclaimer I'm usually the one who complains about there not being a great selection but that is NOT the case here . After looking over the menu so many times I finally ordered the Coconut Brown Sugar Series 50% sweet, light ice and Pearls. I make it a treat to get one every time I pass by . My friend ordered Taro with jelly it was ok but not really my thing but she liked it a lot . There's a few tables if u wanted to sit for a few .The last time I ordered regular brown sugar as pictured it's less sweet if u don't like sweet . But it's brown sugar so lol

A man came in and tried to order a drink and asked for less sugar. He had an accent and seemed unfamiliar. The worker told him he could have normal sugar or no sugar. That's not true, there's 4 levels (0%, 30%, 50%, 100%) on the menu. Why wouldn't she just give him 30%? I can't help think she made that simplification because she didn't want to spend the extra effort conversing with a non-native English speaker. Drinks are fine and ordering is fine if you speak perfect English, of course.

Ordered delivery last night!! My bubble wasn't cooked well still hard inside. couldn't enjoy it!! beware guys.

Pretty small place and not the cleanest, but employees were very friendly and kind. I got the brown sugar bubble tea which looked very pretty and tasted good, just a little watered down.

Decided to go for a walk in the neighborhood and what actually caught my attention was my alma mater school logo on the wall. Stepped inside to find a bubble tea shop and although I don't normally drink these, I ended up ordering one. I'll have to say it's actually pretty awesome and will definitely be drinking more of these in the future from this joint

This has made me unable to have many other milk tea drinks because of how delicious it is. I will definitely be going out of my way to have some more of this again. :) The drink itself is absolutely tasty and the boba is well made and especially delicious. I'm looking forward to trying a different drink next time.

The only place that has the best white pearls instead of regular boba. Flavors are also really good, and does not have an artificial taste like other boba shops. They're quick and the staff is super friendly!

I ordered delivery earlier today from Gong Cha. I like their tea but, I also like other places in the area. I appreciate their consistency and that they have a good variety and you can easily vary the sugar level. This particular location tends to be very efficient even though they are understaffed and frequently over run with customers. However, this is not enough to motivate me to write a review. What is enough was the amazing customer service I received today. What impresses me is not when everything runs smoothly but, what people do and the ethos of a business when they make a mistake. Within minutes of my order arriving I received a phone call from Gong Cha letting me know that they had accidentally sent me the wrong order and asking if they could refund me, send me a replacement or if there was anything else they could do to rectify their mistake. They did not put the blame on the driver nor, on being busy nor understaffed. I know from being there that they chronically are. I am happy to spend money in an establishment that has such integrity in addition to delicious bubble tea. The taro bubble tea I got accidentally is also really delicious.

Pleasantly surprised that a Gong Cha opened up, especially since this is my go-to chain when I'm visiting China. The tea is really good, I like it to be strong enough to still maintain flavor when the milk is added. I have had the black tea and jasmine tea which both live up to this expectation. I always get 50% sugar though because I don't like it to be overly sweet. The tapioca pearls here are also dependable, they're usually just the right amount of chewiness and not mushy. The prices are pretty typical for bubble tea ($4-6). The only thing is that it can get busy, sometimes with the line out the door because it's such a small space. The employees are usually doing their best though!

Favorite bubble tea place ever !!! I've tried several but none have compared to Gong cha! I'm literally obsessed with their strawberry milk tea with some boba!! Amazing. Friendly workers and good prices. Definitely worth the drive or visit in the city :)

Gong Cha's management is really unfriendly. They made two orders wrong. When my 12 years old son asked them to add a little more sugar to his green macha slushie, they reacted so rudely to him saying that they would need to make a whole new drink. The way they spoke to him was so unacceptable that we will never go there again and will not recommend it to anyone else.

Awesome Brown sugar milk tea. Excellent milk foam and this is great. This is better one.

Got both orders wrong! Asked for 1 matcha 100% sugar with milk foam and 1 matcha 70% sugar with no milk foam. Instead got given 2 matchas 70% sugar with milk foam. This almost happened last time in person at same franchise before the trainer corrected the trainee just in time. I shouldn't have to pay over $15 for the trainee's inability to do her job. Absolutely ridiculous!!!

Was 10 cents short on a milk tea with pearls order and they took out the pearls. And I waited 15 minutes for my order because they were so overwhelmed by online orders. Really Gong Cha? I was a loyal (repeat) customer who tipped every time but you couldn't spot me 10 cents!?! You lost a customer today!

This new addition to MSH is exactly what we needed -- they're so much better than the other places close to columbia. The brown sugar milk tea is phenomenal!