Matcha Cafe Maiko

LOVE LOVE Matcha Cafe Maiko! My go-to place for delicious ice cream, desserts, good music, and great people:) The girls working there are super friendly and the owners always go the extra mile to make sure their guests are enjoying their time. Despite the store being more busy during certain hours, the service is still exceptional and incredibly efficient! Would 10/10 recommend the bubble waffle with ice cream as well as the croffle. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of their menu items:)

I really liked this place! Scrolling through their menu from a previous critic, I saw an option where you could get their signature cone with gold foil on it with a half and half twist of 2 of their flavors. I'm not a huge fan of matcha, so I was going to opt for the second option between the 2 twist options. As I'm about to order, I was disappointed to see that their twist options were matcha/hojicha, and ube/strawberry. I told the lady that I really wanted to try the ube and hojicha and she said she could do it but it wouldn't be a twist if that was fine with me? She put hojicha on the bottom and ube on top. The cone is massive, but it also wasn't leaking everywhere as soon as you got it either which was a huge plus for me. Both flavors were good but the hojicha stood out with its roasted tea flavor. The last time I had this flavor was in Japan and it was at a Starbucks. The flavor in the soft serve brought me back to that day and it was awesome! My only gripe about the place is their stools around the counter looking out towards the streets and corner it sits on. The stools are short compared to the counter height. I'm 5'4, and it made me feel like a kid the way the countertop was so high! I hope that a franchise like this will open in Denver soon!

This is the closest thing to the matcha you can get in Japan. The real deal. This place smells amazing too I have zero complaints about their quality. It’s not a spacious place and the line could be long (20-30 minutes) but it’s completely worth it!

Really phenomenal croffles with ube and matcha cream, chocolate chips, and strawberry sauce. Also had an ube cone with matcha ice cream on the bottom and strawberry on the top, topped with a gold leaf. Not sure the gold did me much good but it was pretty. Can be quite busy but the servers are very efficient and the food is phenomenal! I’ll have to grab a tea sometime. There is NO parking here. I circled for 25 min before finally parking in resident parking and scooting in and out. It’s just super congested with people idling in front of parked cars just to get in and out, and a line out the door. BUT it’s good stuff, and there is a ramp to enter, so no stairs. They also have a restroom for customers, and maybe half a dozen or so tables with chairs.

The matcha ice cream and the bubble waffle were amazing. Try the chocolate chip waffle, it’s an interesting twist to a waffle. We also tried the ube ice cream, tasted great

It is one of the best places for matcha soft serves in Boston. I recommend getting Matcha with Ube to balance the sweet from the cone. The service was friendly and very fast. The place was a bit dark, which might only be from the inadequate lighting fixtures. Will definately come back for more.

Other than the loud music, the atmosphere is nice, and the ice cream we had, Ube and Sakura, was super delicious even though the flavour is mild. You get a lot of ice cream too, so it is perfect on a warm day! I'm excited to go back for more ice cream 🍦

Such a fun place with tons of options for fun desserts and drinks!! I got the matcha and ube croffle (croissant waffle) which was good! Also really enjoyed the ube frappe.

If you are reading this: you need to try the croffle. TRUST ME. My bf and I have been coming to this cafe ever since we moved to boston. For anyone who loves matcha flavored things, this place is for you! The cafe is quite spacious, they have lots of places to sit and a restroom. They have so many options of ice creams and drinks, including boba. They also have flavors like ube, sakura, and hojicha. My favorites include: matcha latte float: a matcha latte with soft serve of your choice! Croffle: this is a croissant waffle, its insanely delicious! You can choose the cream flavor and two toppings. I always go for the matcha soft cream, strawberry crumbles, and nutella syrup. The light texture of the cream together with the soft flakey croffle makes my mouth water when I think about it. Soft serve: the matcha soft serve specifically is so tasty and a great dessert! It's not super sweet which I love. TL;DR: CROFFLE!!!!!

I'm going to start this review by making it clear that I am a total matcha snob. I'd like to say I loved matcha before everyone else loved matcha enough to make it trending. However, I don't love matcha enough that I'm willing to eat/drink low grade matcha - especially lattes. The after taste is just no bueno for me. I'm also actually not a fan of matcha lattes, matcha americanos over lattes any day. I like the pure stuff! With that said, Matcha Cafe Maiko is the real deal. It doesn't just taste like grass and soil mixed with milk because well, its not how it should be! Matcha Cafe Maiko has the high grade matcha that is not bitter at all! It's got the earthy vibes that matcha should have and a smooth after taste. The softserve is thick and lucious, it's always hard to choose which flavor I want because they're all so good. Thinking about it, I think it'd be really cool for them to sell soft serve "flights" with waffle chips so you could get a little taste of all their rotating and original flavors. Anyway, getting off track here. All I'm saying is, if you LOVE matcha or want to love matcha like your friend counterparts do, this is the place to go! Staff is always friendly and helpful. They all deserve a hardworking raise to be honest because every time I go it's always a full house and they're all hyper focused in the back trying to crank out as many fresh waffle cones, drinks, and soft-serves as fast as they can. I have yet to try their bubble waffle because I love a good fresh pressed cone but they do smell really good coming off the hot iron. Drinks are great - my favorite is the yuzu matcha sparkling drink, refreshing and caffeine-ating! The store is cute and instagrammable if you can find a seat to hang. Super clean and inviting. Would be a cute date spot or a friend catch up spot. The only problem I have is their location - there is literally never any parking. I have definitely craved it enough that I double park my car with emergency lights so that I can go get some... yeah, it's good enough that I'm risking getting a parking ticket!

I'm so excited to revisit this place after three years and am thrilled to see they're still doing well! The atmosphere is fantastic, and the service remains top-notch. The staff is friendly, and their customer service is wonderful. The Maiko Special and everything we ordered exceeded our expectations. It was not sweet and we thoroughly enjoyed every bite. This Boston location offers more options compared to others I've visited in different states. I appreciate the unique selections at each location, which makes each visit special. Overall, I will definitely be coming back for more and highly recommend it to anyone who loves matcha!

Soufflé cheesecake was a bit dry, but we loved the soft serve! Hojicha matcha swirl is definitely the way to go.

This is probably my favorite ice cream place in Boston! The sundae comes with soft serve, corn flakes, jelly, red bean, and matcha cake -- and absolutely perfect combination of flavors and textures. It's $10 for a medium which is more than enough to share between 2 people. Service is fast and the place is decently clean. Prices are a bit high but it's worth it for the quality. Would definitely recommend!

Absolutely loved this place! I came on a weeknight and it was pretty busy, so be warned. They have a decent amount of seating, but since the shop is located in a nice area, you could always take it to go, maybe even to the rose garden nearby. So many fun choices for ice cream. We decided we wanted to try all 4 main flavors so we got swirls for both! Everything was delicious, including the cones. Highly recommend stopping by if you're into matcha or hojicha!

Everyone who knows me is aware of my matcha obsession. Naturally, Matcha Cafe Maiko was a must-try spot for me when my friend and I visited Boston. This spot is a significantly better experience than their Flushing NYC location. I opted for their matcha ice cream with matcha waffle (obviously!), while my friend chose the Sakura flavor (which she described as having a pleasant floral vanilla taste) paired with their normal waffle. The matcha ice cream was quite good, though I found that the waffle lacked matcha flavor, which was a bit disappointing. Wished the matcha flavor was bolder there. However, the ice cream itself was excellent and fulfilled my matcha craving. Overall, I highly recommend visiting Matcha Cafe Maiko if you're a matcha enthusiast like me. It's a delightful experience and certainly worth a visit!

Love this place if we are in the area, usually end up having to double park as an actual parking spot seems pretty hard to find but a handful of spots at the beginning of the block. The service is always quick, staff is nice and we tend to lean toward matcha waffle cones with Ube ice cream and different toppings each time. Condensed milk alone when I'm feeling simple or add some fruity cereal or mochi bits when i want some more depth. Very refreshing on a hot day. I couldn't find my photos too many to scroll back thru but will update again if i find them. There's seating inside, bathroom with lock code you can get from the staff and overall clean spot!

Omg new favorite place in Fenway! I love all things matcha, and if you're like me, you will be thrilled to know that they have all sorts of matcha drinks and other tea drinks as well. Along with drinks, they sell ice cream and desserts, like croffles and waffles. I came inside when it was bustling with lots of people, but there was no air conditioning so the place felt stuffy and hot. Service was fast though, and I was able to get my matcha drink fairly quickly. They have a few tables but overall it's a small location.

I've been here countless times and what I love about Matcha Cafe Maiko is that every location I've been to has always been consistent in taste/flavor, texture, and presentation. I love that they have seasonal flavors, thus making it exciting to visit and try something new! Their lattes are okay but their matcha soft serves are great. Their hojicha flavor is one of my favorites. Service is super friendly as most of the workers here are college students in the surrounding community. It's a small cute, clean, and well-lit cafe with good vibes and music. Definitely worth checking out if you're a matcha fanatic like me :)

Every few weeks, I get a craving for Matcha Cafe Maiko and I simply cannot help it. Their matcha ice cream is perfection, but my ultimate favorite flavor is Ube! My usual order is either the matcha special with half ube and half matcha OR if I am not as hungry, I will get simply a cone with ube topped with condensed milk! The workers are always super nice and helpful. Finding parking can be tricky but Matcha Cafe Maiko is super worth it.

Contrary to popular opinion, I am not a huge matcha fan (Ahhh!), but I can objectively appreciate this cafe. My friend and I stopped by here for a quick sweet treat-- this location is located super conveniently next to the Fens. Lots of unique flavors including matcha, hojicha, and ube. I opted for the classic strawberry- which was very light but I think serves better as a complimentary flavor to another. It doesn't have much of a tart flavor on its own. My friend got matcha and strawberry ice cream mixed together and confirmed this. The portions here are HUGE, so you definitely get bank for your buck (it's about $8 for a small). Overall, if you're a matcha fan, I'd highly recommend this cafe!

I love this cafe!! It is a matcha lovers dream. All the drinks and desserts are so cute and aesthetically pleasing. I went with the matcha ube swirl soft serve and it did not disappoint. I loved the matcha dusting on top. Usually matcha is a bit too grassy and strong tasting for me but they nailed the matcha flavor. You can tell it's high quality. I also really liked the ube. It was subtle. The menu is huge, they have so many fun items like croffles, bubble waffles, boba, floats, lattes, parfaits, soft serve, and more. There were so many things I wanted to try! Will have to go back another time. Employees are super friendly. Great ambiance in here. Upbeat music and a good amount of seating. Check it out!!

Super cute matcha place down the street from northwestern university and Fenway park. My partner and I stayed in Fenway, and I was craving some matcha, but didn't want to travel all the way downtown to get it. A local friend recommended this place. It's located in a residential area near Fenway park, a lot of other small businesses in that area as well. Generally easy to find. I got the standard matcha latte ( cuz again I was craving some pure matcha). It was delicious! Very flavorful! One thing I would say is that the drink is a little bit on the sweeter end of things, so if you're looking for "grass" like matcha, this might not be your spot. Overall they seem to have a pretty decent selections of matcha/Ube drinks and desserts! The servers were friendly in general and would visit again when I come back to Boston, and would recommend to friends :)

I crave matcha cafe maiko every so often and it never disappoints. My go to is the kokuto hojicha tea or latte but if I'm feeling extravagant I'll get a float. They have a few constant soft serve flavors and a few rotating monthly flavors as well. I got the ube soft serve with hojicha tea and it was blissful.

Love the ube and matcha soft serve flavors together. Even though they don't have the option to swirl certain flavor combos, you can always ask for both flavors stacked. The different components in the Maiko special add different textures that make it fun to eat. Always a consistently good chain for matcha ice cream and desserts!

My favorite go to for premium matcha! Love the variety on the menu for warm drinks, ice drinks, soft serve and mixed dessert! The staff is friendly, helpful, and nice. It is a fun and cozy environment. Great space for a date, friend date, and a dessert spot in fenway. Very charming place! Love the matcha here!

Cute dessert spot in Fenway with a focus on Asian flavors. It's a perfect place to come after dinner, before dinner, or really any time of the day. The last time I visited was before students came back from winter break, so it was completely empty. Normally though, expect a full house, especially on weekends. I'm a fan of every soft serve flavor I've tried so far, as well as the bubble waffles. Definitely recommend visiting for a fun little treat!

If you are a matcha lover. This place is for you. They have all kind of matcha from soft serve to drinks. Inside the shop is quite large, you will order upfront and they will call your name once the orders are done. Their menu offers lot of options. I have tried a few and everything I tried so far is excellent. Their croffle is a must try, it's a soft serve on top of a waffle.

Pretty good! The matcha float was a fun treat! Service was standard. Ambiance is nice, lots of cute decorations!

It was interesting seeing Cafe Maiko opened shop in a quiet part of Fenway area. Definitely more of a reason to go off of Boylston Street. The matcha is quality, with the soft serve being smooth, not icy, but flavorful, without being too sweet. The other flavors are pretty solid too, with the ube in particular. I last went with the matcha soft serve with an egg waffle (雞蛋仔) and it's definitely a two-person dessert. The waffle was pretty decent and the included topping and sauce (went for a pocky and then hazelnut sauce) was a nice bonus. It's always rather busy here, demonstrating its quality. Service is pretty decent and the staff is relatively friendly.

We stopped in after a trip to the museum - this is a cute matcha shop with a variety of lattes, drinks, and soft serve ice cream treats. We really enjoyed the matcha and hojicha flavors! Service was great and the interior is very cute with a Demon Slayer comic panel on the wall.

I love this place so much! I come here to get their soft serve. I've tried the ube, matcha, and hojicha. They're all very good. When I come here with someone, I love getting the soft serve with a bubble waffle because it's a bit too much for one person. It's kinda pricey, but I think it's worth it. If you're a student, bring your ID to get a small discount!

Food: 5/5 - I got the matcha latte float and it was so creamy and delicious. I would definitely go back to try different variations! I wanted to get a matcha latte float with strawberry ice cream, but unfortunately they ran out of strawberry today. Service: 5/5 - Service was quick and the workers were super responsive to questions. Ambiance: 5/5 - Super cute place to meet up with friends and grab a cute bite!!

Best Ice cream and friendly staff! The ube and sesame mix is so good. Also not bad prices for being so creative

Love love love this desert shop! They have the best matcha soft serve ice cream. I got it with the ube flavor as well. They have a rather extensive menu which can be intimidating but just go by the photos and you really can't go wrong. The line moves quickly and the interior is clean. Making a mental note to stop here next time I'm in the area!

This cafe has a really special place in my heart. My friends and I used to live very close by so we would stop by almost every other day. Matcha Maiko has probably the most authentic matcha soft serve I've had outside of Asia. My favorite thing to get is the Matcha and Taro combo with either a bubble waffle(the original bubble waffle is the BEST in my opinion, it is super crispy on the outside and so soft and fluffy on the inside) or on top of an iced latte. I would strongly recommend trying their matcha soft serve if you are a matcha fan. The inside is also spacious and perfect for a weekday study session -- I find it really hard to get a seat on the weekends. The service is also amazing, all the baristas that I've encountered so far are super bubbly and considerate.

Matcha Café Maiko has the best matcha soft serve! I always find myself craving their ice cream, especially on the hotter days. Boston as a city isn't short on ice cream stores but many places tend to have options that are too sweet for me. Café Maiko has found a great balance of sweet and creamy that doesn't make you feel weighed down and leaves you refreshed from the summer heat even after finishing the whole cup! I've tried their matcha, vanilla, ube, and the limited time sakura flavors and they were all delicious! The store itself has plenty of seating and a public restroom, which is always a plus. Staff has always been efficient and courteous, so no complaints there!

Ice cream itself was great - would not recommend getting the waffle but highly recommend overall . Inside was busy but nice places to sit nearby with a park.

Cafe Maiko Special (Ube and Black Sesame ice cream) 5/5 Hojicha Latte 5/5 Hojicha Ice Cream 5/5 THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! The first time I went here I swear, it. was. true. love. Great place for dessert - they have ice cream, boba, lattes just to name a few things. The interior is decently spacious for location being where it is and there's a good amount of seating inside. Similar to any other cafe, you go in, order, pay, and pick up your order at the counter when they call it out. Service is quick! There's not much parking around the area, but if you're willing to walk a few minutes, there are spots on streets near there that are not residential parking. I would highly recommend the Cafe Maiko Special. You get your choice of 2 flavors of ice cream and then they usually put cornflakes, mochi or boba, matcha cake, red beans, a chestnut, and clear jelly in it. IT IS DIVINE.

I really enjoy this place! They definitely do matcha Justice, which can be hard to come by sometimes. I have been here for just matcha lattes, which have so many opportunities for customization. I appreciate that there are dairy-free milk options too, so people who are vegan or have food allergies can have quite a selection here. I have also had some of the bubble teas, which are outstanding. I have found the boba to always be consistent and balanced, not overly sweet. They have more than just matcha options, including non-caffeinated teas that can be used in the bubble tea options. The menu is so aesthetically pleasing in itself and there are so many delicious combinations I have yet to try. A super popular item here is the soft serve in a waffle cone. The line will be out the door for this and it looks (and smells) amazing. Unfortunately it's not dairy free, but for those who can have dairy, it is definitely a must-try during a hot, summer afternoon. This place is a bit of a hidden gem, but once you find it, you'll be coming back!

10/10 would recommend. The matcha was perfect and the added sweetness of the strawberry made it that much better. The croissant/waffle was warm and the ube topping was not too sweet. The staff were super friendly and helpful, I came in while it was super busy and they were still smiling and in a good mood. There is not a lot of places to sit as it's small, but not many people stay- they just were taking it to go, so I was able to find seating quickly. Will definitely be coming here every chance I get.

Stopped by on a hot day and both the matcha and the hojicha were super refreshing! The soft serve wasn't too dense or too sweet and is a generous serving. The staff was very friendly and willing to answer any questions, and there's plenty of space to sit inside. Would definitely return!

The matcha ice cream is amazing!!! Very creamy and not too sweet! We always order it with bubble waffles which are made fresh. The staff is really great and the service is quick but it can get very busy during summer hours. They have some tables and high chairs by the window inside.

The desserts here are amazing. We tried the special where they have mochi and soft serve, along with the bubble waffle soft serve. Both were so good! The ube flavor is light and the matcha is rich in flavor. The employees are always friendly and are fast as well. There is a small seating area with a couple of tables with some window seats if you want to chill on a hot day. The prices are a tad bit expensive but I think that the experience and quality makes up for it!

This is the GO TO spot for Matcha and desserts in the Boston Area. Customer service was kind and fast. Answered questions I had since there are so many different types of Matcha to choose from. The interior was cute, and the place was packed but not stuffy. I got the Iced Matcha Latte Cream- basically an Iced Matcha latte with whipped cream. Delicious. Next time I need to try the Matcha float!! Prices were typical for a Boston Cafe- about $7-8 for the drink, but service and taste paid off!

Pretty good Ube soft serve! I would definitely go for the Ube soft serve large instead of the Maiko special with corn flakes... the texture didn't match at all. The mochi however does add a nice chewy texture to the ice cream. There was some kind of jello underneath and one chestnut. I would rather have just the ice cream! Ice cream is creamy but light. Just right for the soft serve texture! Ube flavor is on point! Noise level in this little cafe is super high! Very crowded when I went in the afternoon on a Sunday. Service was fast though. Would definitely come back to visit again!

Love this place. Iced tea "float" with soft serve ice cream in Asian flavors is genius and delicious.

Love the service and rich flavor of ice cream The egg waffle was crispy outside soft and puffy inside

I am so happy that this specialty matcha place opened in Fenway 2 years ago and I have been a regular ever since. I love getting their Hojicha and Matcha swirl as I can't commit to just one flavor. Their Ube soft serve is a must try too! I have tried their bubble tea and it was good as well. They have seatings inside to accommodate a good amount of people but gets crowded on a weekend night. Food: 9/10 Service: 9/10 Experience: 8/10 Value: 8/10

I am a huge fan of matcha and since this place was highly recommended by friends, I had to check it out when I was in the Fenway area. I got the matcha float with matcha soft serve-- the drink part of this was great, but the soft serve had a couple chunks of frozen matcha chunks intermixed with the creamy rest of it. Based on previous reviews, this does not seem to be the standard so I may have gotten unlucky today. Service was quick and the staff is very friendly. Usually full but tables seemed to free up at a pretty fast rate.

I've been here twice and the matcha, ube, and Hojicha soft serve are all great. The bubble waffle is chewy and crunchy, it's a bigger portion so it's good for sharing. It tends to be crowded on weekend afternoons

There were SO MANY options. Felt like matcha HEAVEN. The soft serve was delightful--fresh, light, and hit the spot on a hot day. The menu is a bit pricey for desserts and drinks, but I would come back to try their other items. I love matcha, and this place is what I've been DREAMING of

Food and drinks were delicious and service was phenomenal. Staff was really kind and friendly

Matcha Cafe Maiko is somewhere I could return to weekly and never run out of ideas of what to get. I don't think I've repeated anything in the number of times I've visited (not all pictured) and have been pleased with it all. As you'd expect, their matcha is the star of the show, but the non matcha items also find a place to shine. Though adorable on the inside, it's on the smaller side, so you might not be able to find a table on busier days, especially in summer. I've not had this issue in fall or winter though. The staff is all lovely and orders are ready quickly.

I love the delicious treats this place has to offer! I absolutely enjoy anything Ube flavored. Their Ice creams are very creamy and delicious, they are a bit on the sweeter side but fantastic nonetheless. Price is a bit on the higher end but for the great service and delicious desserts, I'd honestly say it's worth it. The workers are so kind and helpful if you have any questions and this place has plenty of seating although it may get a bit busy on hotter days. I love the ambiance of this place as it's very clean and spacious. I definitely recommend checking this place out if you're looking for a delicious dessert!

Kind of obsessed with this place, not going to lie. I've been here once but think about this place on the weekly. The only reason I'm not here every day is because it's far from where I live. They have a very extensive menu complete with pictures of all kinds of drinks and ice creams. I tried both their matcha and ube soft serves and I fell in love. The ube is so sweet and creamy, and unlike other places, the matcha soft serve is very strong in its matcha flavor which I appreciate. I also think the price is exceptional for how much ice cream you get (like I almost couldn't finish mine they give you so much). I would argue this place has the best ice cream I've had in Boston yet.

I absolutely loved it here. The interior was beautiful. The menu items were beautiful high quality Japanese drinks and treats. I got the matcha float and got a fruit tea in the way out. Both were great, and now I definitely want to go back and try more menu items

If you are a big Matcha fan, you have to check out this cafe! I am a big fan of this Matcha chain. They have a lot of locations in Southern California, so I was surprised to see a location in Boston. I have tried so many things on their menu, and I don't think you can go wrong with anything. Whatever you get will satisfy your craving for matcha. I got their Matcha Latte and my friend got their Kokuto Hojicha Latte, which had a jelly in it. Both solid drinks. There is also seating inside so you can enjoy your matcha in the cafe or take it to go.