Shannon B.
Yelp
I'm by no means an expert in bubble tea, but living in North Austin means I've for many years had access to a wide selection of options before the shops began to proliferate throughout the city. I've had my neighborhood favorite on Parmer Lane since 2010 (you know the one with "tea" at the start of the name), but now we have a new import contender with a menu unlike any other in town. Meet Happy Lemon, the first location in Austin of a Taiwanese franchise with more than 60 stores across the U.S..
Apparently, they had their Austin grand opening just a few days ago, with lines of boba fans waiting for up to 2 hours to get a taste and some swag. Lucky me, I waltzed in at lunchtime on a Wednesday and found no line at all.
Having zero experience with Taiwanese "salted cheese drinks," I was keen to try something new, and it was awesome to not have a long wait ahead of me.
I decided to go with my usual matcha milk tea with boba and 25% sugar, with the added novelty of a tiramisu salted cheese topping. The cup is structured so that you remove the adorable lemon head stopper and drink, which allows the creamy topping to sort of coat the tilted cup while you sip, getting just the right ratio of tea to cream in each mouthful. I didn't receive a straw, so I'm not sure how you're supposed to get to your boba; I just ate those later at home with a spoon.
According to the internet, the "cheese" is really a mixture of cream cheese, whipped cream, milk, and a dash of rock salt, so it's not as weird as you might imagine.
My take on the drink I ordered? It was an interesting experience, but overall, a bit rich for me. If you are looking for a milkshake-like dessert and have no concerns with calorie intake, this may be a perfect treat for you. Afterward, I did some web sleuthing and found an old article ranking all the Happy Lemon drinks and the reviewers there recommended pairing the regular salted cheese with the matcha latte, so maybe I'll try that combo in the future. Another highly recommended pairing for people with "salty snacker" palates like mine is the plain brewed black tea and the original salted cheese topping.
The bubble waffle, on the other hand, was very familiar to me, and Happy Lemon did not disappoint. The warm waffle was light and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. When dipped into the puff cream, it makes the perfect not-too-sweet pastry treat. I would really like to have this with a hot coffee, but alas, no coffee is served here...
The rest of the menu includes some fruit teas, slushies, smoothies, and typical assorted tea shop toppings. There are also non-dairy, non-caffeine options. Lastly, you can get your daily dose of probiotics with the Yakult drink selections. The full list of possibilities (not all currently available in Austin) can be viewed here: https://happylemonusa.com/menu/
The inside of the store is very spartan, with lots of bright, clean open space and markers on the floors to direct lines of traffic when the crowds are large. On the walls, there are a few cute art pieces for photo ops, and a chunky little mascot statue in the corner if you need a friend.
A word on service: I was thoroughly impressed with the attentiveness of the staff during my visit. Granted, they were not under pressure, but I felt like everything ran smoothly and they were concerned that I have a great first experience.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Happy Lemon! I'll be back for regular milk tea and bubble waffles very soon.