Seattle Best Tea

Tea house · International District

Seattle Best Tea

Tea house · International District

5

506 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104

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Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null
Seattle Best Tea by null

Highlights

Nestled in Seattle's International District, this cozy Taiwanese teahouse serves up authentic, flavorful teas and free toppings, perfect for a quick sip or a sweet treat to-go.  

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506 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104 Get directions

seattlebesttea.com

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506 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104 Get directions

+1 206 228 7188
seattlebesttea.com

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Jul 20, 2025

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@eater

Where to Get a Soothing Cup of Hot Tea in Seattle

"This International District teahouse is steeped (get it?) in the culture of Taiwan. Owners Joe Hsu and Lydia Lin bring a spirit of well-being to their shop even as they continue to acquire and build knowledge of oolong and other tea varietals. This is one of the most welcoming places in the city to learn about leaves." - Dylan Joffe, Harry Cheadle

https://seattle.eater.com/maps/best-tea-seattle
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@eater

Where to Get a Soothing Cup of Hot Tea in Seattle

"This International District teahouse is steeped (get it?) in the culture of Taiwan. Owners Joe Hsu and Lydia Lin bring a spirit of well-being to their shop even as they continue to acquire and build knowledge of oolong and other tea varietals. This is one of the most welcoming places in the city to learn about leaves." - Dylan Joffe, Harry Cheadle

https://seattle.eater.com/maps/heres-a-map-of-9-of-seattles-best-teahouses
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@eater

The Best Boba Tea in Seattle - Eater Seattle

"This International District shop has been a neighborhood gem ever since opening its doors in 1996. It not only carries a wide variety of loose-leaf tea, but also tea-flavored ice cream and tasting classes as well. The heavy oolong milk tea is definitely a crowd favorite, featuring notes of strong high mountain tea (and toppings come included with the price of each drink). Open for takeout and delivery." - Ryan Lee, Jade Yamazaki Stewart

https://seattle.eater.com/maps/best-boba-shops-in-seattle
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@ggudenough

Their Heavy Oolong Milk Tea is the best.

If I were EPIK HIGH, I would eat here.
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@jackolanturnt

Milk tea made with real tea leaves. The owners of the shop are also super sweet and prioritize a good customer experience. They're very lovely and also serve some pretty great ice cream too.

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Emerald City
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Madeline Valdata

Google
What a lovely place. My brother and I very much enjoyed starting our morning in this relaxing atmosphere, tea and conversation with Chris the gentleman who made our tea. He is well versed on everything from tea, to music, food and things to do in Seattle.

Lily

Google
80% sweet was still quite sweet. I think I would try 75% or 50% next time. Transaction fee for credit card orders under $10 ? No place to sit down. It is a grab and go kind of place. It took awhile to get our tea ( 15+ minutes). I got the milk tea and it tasted quite fragrant. For people that like toppings, this is a good place since toppings are free.

Jason Huang

Google
This review has been LONG overdue. I’ve been coming here as a regular for the past 5 years and it is always a pleasure to be here. All of employees, Chris, Josh, Vince, Lydia, etc. are super nice. My favorite drink is the iced chrysanthemum tea with lychee jelly at 50% sweet, it never disappoints, especially on a hot sunny day when you need something refreshing.

Michael Durnan

Google
Fantastic find in Chinatown. A real tea shop that just started selling BOBA teas and other snacks. This is just an old tea shop in Chinatown that struck gold with Boba at right time!! Authentic!!! Open Christmas Day!? Hooray!!

Kayce Manzella

Google
Yo they are not lying about being the best tea 😭 I have been to very many milk tea places and this is by far the greatest one. We bought the heavy oolong and matcha, and they were both phenomenal. The taste of the tea is very potent and they use a perfect ratio of milk to tea. I would recommend this place to anyone who happens to be in the area!

Brian Y.

Google
We got Honey Jasmine tea and strawberry sweet tea. It was perfect! Nice having teas like these when walking around the city!

Helen D

Google
It has some great flavors, but the quality is very inconsistent depending on who is making the drink. I always get the hot red bean milk tea, and i noticed that whenever it’s made by one of the female employees it tastes amazing. But when the male employee makes it, it tastes like water. More consistency between drinks made by different employees would make my experience much better. Happy to change the review to a 5 star once the quality becomes more consistent :)

Arnold (Tallazndude)

Google
Small mom and pop tea shop. 100% this is Seattles best tea. The place is a wonderful fixture in the community. Skip Big Bobba milk tea shops and come here and get tea drunk with friends~ Heavy Oolong tea and ice cream slaps~~ ultra affordable great staff who are passionate about teaTBH What more can you ask for?
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Peggy L.

Yelp
Amazing heavy oolong milk tea! Best milk tea I've ever had. I got hot heavy oolong milk tea with boba... Strong oolong tea flavor steeped with soy milk and it was very enjoyable experience as I wander around international district. Boba texture was great and it wasn't as chewy as other place's boba. The service was very friendly and very engaging with us as we were trying to decide on which tea. You could smell how fresh is it as they brew our milk tea. Very quaint environment.
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Albert T.

Yelp
We visited Seattle Best Tea as our last stop on the Small Business Food Walk for the 2 for $6 milk teas. This shop has a very homey feel, almost as if it were originally a traditional tea lounge opened decades ago, then converted partially into boba and ice cream shop maybe 15 or 20 years ago. My guess is this is probably the very first boba shop in the CID, very similar to something like a Ten Ren in other Asian American-heavy regions. Black Milk Tea, 50% Sweet ($3) - This drink comes with boba. Everything seems to be mixed by hand at Seattle Best Tea, with no particular regard to drink consistency and repeatability. They scoop the boba and sweetener rather haphazardly - in fact I'm not even sure if they actually made my drink half sweet. After tasting - the drink was far too sweet, cloyingly so, making my mouth almost pucker as if eating something sour. The addition of creamer is quite heavy as well, resulting in a drink that has essentially no taste of tea. Finally the nail in the coffin - the boba is almost inedible - way undercooked, hard with basically no chew, with the pearls all different sizes and shapes, some big and some small, some round, some smooth and some bumpy. Milk Tea Rating: 2/5 Boba Rating: 2/5 Heavy Oolong Milk Tea, 50% Sweet ($3) - On first sip, I couldn't tell that this drink tasted any different from the previous drink. It was only after sipping them side by side, I found that this tea was possibly a bit more earthy. They might as well have mixed creamer, water, and sugar instead of adding tea - there would be minimal difference in taste. Milk Tea Rating: 2/5 Boba Rating: 2/5 That's not to say the drinks are undrinkable - I still finished them after diluting with some fresh brewed tea at home - but they just aren't good. This type of drink might have been acceptable 10 or 15 years ago when the boba scene wasn't as vibrant in the US, but nowadays there are way better options. It's probably best to visit Seattle Best Tea only for tea tastings and fresh tea, rather than getting their boba. Note: It is quite possible that the drinks were bad on my visit due to heavy traffic from the food walk. I did notice they had a fructose dispenser in the store but they didn't use it at all. I am planning to give them another shot in the future.
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Vinh M.

Yelp
This is a long-standing boba place in Chinatown, and for good reason too! Their quality is exceptional even after many years, and I light up every time someone gets something for me or if I get something here myself. Since my friend picked my drink up for me, I don't have anything to say about service, though I remember the interior being quite small and having no seating. From previous visits, you order up at the counter, and there's tons of drinks to choose from. You get a free topping for anything you order, a huge plus here! I requested the peach milk tea with grass jelly, 50% sweet and less ice. I'll admit peach isn't my favorite flavor for milk tea but I still loved how much tea flavor I was able to get from my drink, and the grass jelly made it soooooo much better! There's been a huge spike on the number of boba places Seattle has for a while now, but I feel the consistent quality of Seattle Best Tea keeps it up there. A highly recommended place!
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Ashley W.

Yelp
We got the heavy oolong milk tea with boba, custard, and grass jelly ($7). We got 25% sugar, which was a good amount of sweetness so I definitely recommend lessening the sugar a bit. I like how this place doesn't charge for alternative milks or toppings. You can taste the tea.
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Mya T.

Yelp
This tea was so good! Very fragrant jasmine tea and you get a free topping with your drink. I chose coffee jelly for mine. My sister got hot taro and she liked her drink. The employees were funny and kind. It is pretty small so it's more of an in and out spot. Can't wait to come back in here next time im in the area.
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Terry V.

Yelp
I love bubble tea and I am still thinking about my bubble tea from Seattle Best Tea five months later! The location is in Japan town and there was a short line when I arrived. I ordered the winter melon and then waited about 5 min or so for my drink. The tea was perfectly steeped and the tapioca balls were perfectly chewy. If you are craving bubble tea, this is where to go in Seattle! I can't wait to go back on my next visit. Staff was friendly and I had a great experience from beginning to end.
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Pooja S.

Yelp
One of my coworkers recommended this plane for boba, and I was in the area so I stopped by around 11:30 on a Saturday. There were quite a few people in the line waiting to order, but orders were taken quickly. Toppings here are free so I ordered a taro milk tea with boba. As a heads up, there is apparently a 10 cent surcharge for paying with credit. The overall cost of the tea was $7. My drink was ready in around 5 min. The drink itself tasted great! The boba was fine, not bad, good sweetness, and on the firmer side. Overall, a solid drink and a place I'll definitely return to when I'm in the area!
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Belldandy O.

Yelp
Still my favorite boba/milk tea shop to go to in Seattle and at this point in all of Washington! There is just so much to like about this shop. I brought my two friends here who are both from Florida for a sweet treat after eating an early dinner together. The employees working were very friendly and super helpful as always! They answered any questions my friends had and even gave recommendations on what to get.
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Sarah L.

Yelp
Great tea for reasonable prices! The black milk tea with boba is a classic and was not too sweet at the default setting. The employees were friendly and made out tea quickly even with the crowd. There is even a punch card for returning customers!
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Anna C.

Yelp
This is my FAVORITE boba spot. The shop is small and homey and the service is really good. One of the workers, Chris, is super friendly and always remembers our orders and faces. The topping add ons are all free so you can choose as many as you want. I usually get popping boba, boba, crystal boba and lychee jelly! They have so many options. Our go-to orders here are coconut, taro, jasmine, heavy oolong or brown sugar milk tea, all with 50% sugar. Make sure to also get a punch card!!
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Olivia H.

Yelp
We had a terrible first boba experience when we first got to Seattle so we decided to try again in the international district. This little spot had a line out the door which was such a good sign to us! The people here were so friendly and I felt so much more confident in the drinks. They have lots of options and lots of toppings but we got an oolong milk tea with boba and a fruit tea with aiyu jelly. Both were great (not the best but not bad at all) and this spot is located near a local park so it's a nice place to enjoy the drinks as there is no seating inside.
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Carol C.

Yelp
This is my favorite boba spot. Period. This is the first place where I got hooked on boba, so I remain loyal. Awesome service by Chris, who remembers you and your order. I recommend the Pink Lady, zero sweet w/ boba and lychee jelly. Drinks are moderately priced and toppings are included. It gets busy with a bit of a wait on the weekends, but so worth it.
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Janet N.

Yelp
Literally the best tea. Their tea is brewed in different large containers behind the counter. It's not only aesthetically pleasing but I like seeing it and knowing its just tea. It also already has so much good herby flavor that a bit of milk is all you need and its perfect!
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Maricor C.

Yelp
Sometimes simple is best. If you're tired of the fancy smancy flavors with cheese foams and a million toppings and add-ins, or need a break from all that sugar and decision fatigue, going back to basics is key. (If you're a fancy boba girl, then by all means, skip my review). Don't get me wrong. The extras are nice, sometimes. But I also think boba is losing its soul when we keep accessorizing it with too many extras. Or we focus only on how good it looks for the 'gram. I've been to one too many boba spots where the drinks only look cute. Or I get 'influenced,' get intrigued by the hype, then get so disappointed when the taste is mid. I'd much rather have a plain looking drink that tastes great, than a cute one that tastes like milky water. Seattle's Best keeps the main thing, the main thing. The teas are brewed strong enough that even with some sweetness, the bitterness isn't lost. The boba is cooked well - not mushy nor undercooked. You get a selection of toppings - boba, grass jelly, and pudding. That's all you need, in my opinion. Service has always been straightforward too - no trying to upsell me extras, no annoying niceties. They are welcoming without being cloyingly sweet. And I appreciate that. Seattle's Best is what I would liken to the good old days when boba was still relatively new and IG wasn't as huge as it is now. I highly recommend supporting them next time you're in CID.

Daniel D.

Yelp
Where to start? This place is located in the heart of the international district. It is authentic and so, so tasty. The second you walk in, you see Taiwanese paintings. The nicest woman is working the cash register and they always greet you. They make your boba right in front of you and deliver it quickly. They have flavors I didn't know could be boba. Some of my favorite flavors are the tropical milk teas such as mango, passion fruit, pineapple and lychee milk tea. Boba doesn't get much better than this place with their kind workers, authentic workspace and exceptional boba tea. Maybe that's why they call it Seattle's Best Tea.
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Annie C.

Yelp
I've been to Chinatown often but tend to miss out going to this place since there are so many boba options around the area. I've tried Seattle's Best Tea before on the food walks so decided to give them another try. The menu were very extensive with a lot of flavors that will please a lot of palates. My partner and I ordered the strawberry milk tea and the heavy oolong milk tea with 50% sugar. We opted out on the free toppings. Overall, the flavors were really good. They used real strawberry to make this drink without the taste of artificial flavors. The oolong tea tasted very fragrant and has the right amount of sweetness. Really glad this small business is still around especially if you just want a basic milk tea. Definitely go support small businesses rather than the big chains when in Chinatown.
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Allison P.

Yelp
I stopped by here while wandering the international district in Seattle. I got the strawberry milk tea with strawberry popping boba, which is my standard order at any boba place. The milk tea was super sweet, and the boba was more like strawberry jelly, but it was still good. If I went back I think I would try something else off the menu to see what it was like.
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Tan L.

Yelp
3.5 Solid old school spot. Ordered a mango smoothie with pearls. Pearls had a good chew and drink was a reprieve from the scorching heat. More of a $5 spot than $7 but decent all around.
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Hailey S.

Yelp
lots of drinks to choose from! they also have free toppings :) service was great and they repeat your order back to you to make sure you got what you wanted. inside is small so we waited outside for our drinks got the lychee yogurt and it was not good at all. tasted like water and syrup, wish there was more yogurt flavor. the boba was also harder than my liking the oolong milk tea light was flavorful but lacked creaminess in my opinion the best drink we got was the yogurt milk tea. surprisingly flavorful and a great mix!!
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Camille C.

Yelp
This place honestly has the yummiest boba. Me and my friends got lucky cause when we were there, there was no line. We turned around and a group of people started gathering. The shop has a lot of yummy flavors. I got a strawberry milk tea with coconut milk. This is the first time i ever tried boba with coconut milk. It was awesome!
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Vincent P.

Yelp
Decent boba spot in Chinatown, Seattle. I come here whenever I am craving boba after finishing grocery shopping at Uwajimaya. It is only a couple blocks down and you have time to grab the drinks after putting your groceries away in the car. Otherwise parking is quite difficult to find. They include free toppings with your drink and the prices are fair. I usually get the Wintermelon Milk Tea, but they have plenty of drinks to choose from. Is it the best though? Unfortunately not, I brought some friends here and they didn't enjoy the drinks that much. Therefore, I would say that they're a decent boba spot, but don't go out of your way for it.
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Adithya B.

Yelp
It can be daunting to come inside and see a regular, old-school shop because it can come across as cheap, hold-in-the-wall boba but it is not the case. Seattle's Best Tea is very hospitable and informative. They offer adjustments for ice and sugar and are very welcoming with questions about tea suggestions and our personal lives concerning visiting Seattle. They offer private farm tea from Taiwan, Tong Ting Tea which is the heavy oolong and it was amazing! I can't believe i scrolled past this place in Yelp to look for a picture perfect one, this is a great lesson in not judging a book by its cover, or in this case, a boba shop
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Lorenz K.

Yelp
This is one of my favorite places to get bubble tea and a must-stop whenever I'm in Chinatown. My favorite drinks here are the pink lady and the heavy oolong milk tea. I appreciate that they don't charge extra for toppings. Additionally, the staff is always friendly, and they get the orders out fast.
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Jeremy T.

Yelp
I visited here after dinner since many other dessert places were closed. There was nobody standing inside when I arrived, I guess everyone stood outside waiting on their drinks. It is a fairly small place, after all, but I can tell it's mainly used for takeout drinks. I chose the light oolong milk tea since I could have sworn the cashier said the heavy was more of a greenish color, but the light was roasted. Either way, it was still a good drink, but not nearly my favorite. I think if this is the best Seattle has to offer, they are steps behind many other cities. Even though there were several people waiting for their drinks, I ordered and received mine in lightning speed, so kudos to them for that. The best part, like many others mention, is the ability to add as many toppings as you want. I chose egg custard and boba.
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Justin L.

Yelp
After having the "world's best" mac and cheese at Pike Place Market, I needed a palate cleanser. So I went to go get the best tea (allegedly) in Seattle. It was only fitting, right? This boba shop is near King Street and 5th Ave S. Right underneath the historic Chinatown Gate. It's very close to the light rail station. You'll probably see a crowd of people waiting outside for their orders. There was a line inside that moved relatively quickly. The back of the room had some tables but it was closed off when I visited. No seating outside. It's pretty much just a grab and go kind of spot. Their menu has a wide range of smoothies, milk teas, flavored teas, ice cream and normal brewed teas. You can adjust the sweetness of your drink, I find it interesting that 75% and 80% sugar levels are both available options here. If you can tell the difference, kudos to you. Toppings are free! You can get popping boba, red bean, normal tapioca boba, one of the jellies, or a combination of different ones. Black Milk Tea was weak and bland, but the sweetness was adjusted to my liking. Boba was on the soft side. Could be more QQ. A bit skimpy too. Prices aren't bad, but you couldn't pay me to visit again.
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Nathasha S.

Yelp
By far my favorite bubble tea spot in Seattle. I always order the heavy oolong milk tea with tapioca or grass jelly at 70% sugar. The taste is consistently yum and the boba is fresh and chewy. My favorite part is how they remember their customers and are so friendly and just happy to be there. Support this local business!!
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Lisa V.

Yelp
One of my favorite boba spots in Chinatown because of how fresh the tea is here! It's a small grab-and-go shop with plenty of tea options on the menu, and they also serve ice cream. I also love the people who work here, since they're always friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend this shop to satisfy any of your boba cravings!
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Jenny W.

Yelp
I normally don't get boba anymore because $7 for a cup of tea just seems ridiculous to me now, BUT seattle best tea is not only less than $6 (a steal in this city) but also so good! I always get the pink lady with aiyu jelly and lychee jelly, and it just makes me so happy. toppings are also free, so you don't feel as bad trying new toppings until you get to your favorites. the line can get really long though on weekends and fridays, so be prepared to wait a little longer. they are overall very friendly and the interior is homey. they've been opened since 1996, and it truly is an institution of seattle chinatown-international district.
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Katherine G.

Yelp
I have quite high standards for boba nowadays, and this spot was great! I found myself in the area after a hike and thought it was the perfect time to stop for a drink. I got the heavy oolong milk tea since oolong is my go-to and this one was #1 on the recommended list. They give free toppings with the drinks which was really nice, and I chose boba and red bean. The tea flavor was nice and strong, and at 50% sweet was just right if not a tad bit too sweet for me. Maybe I'll try 25% next time. The red bean was great, and the boba was also the perfect firmness and sweetness. I feel like boba spots that get the sweetness right nowadays is so rare. They aren't super generous with the amount of toppings but it's still enough. I'll have to try more of the drinks!
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Brittanie H.

Yelp
We came to Seattle Best, which lived up to the name. They were a stop on the Chinatown food crawl, and being the boba lover I am, we could not pass it up. My cousin had never had boba, so I made him try it. We both got the honey jasmine with boba, and it was delicious. The wait was prolonged because of the food crawl, but the line moved quickly. The ambiance is a bit dated, but it is clean and delivers a quality product. Unfortunately, my cousin didn't like the texture of the boba but he did love the tea.
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Nareena V.

Yelp
I get the hype! Seattle Best Tea is a boba/ice cream shop located in the international district/Chinatown. This was definitely a top recommendation I got before coming here and it did not disappoint. I got the heavy oolong milk tea with egg pudding and GIRL it was delicious!! The tea was the perfect amount of sweetness and the egg pudding was just so yummy. I also appreciated how the drink came with toppings. So much more affordable than the Bay Area. Definitely coming back again and trying their ice cream next time.
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Ally C.

Yelp
We came here during the Lunar New Year festival food walk while they were running a promotion for 2 drinks for $6. I didnt know what to expect. When we got in the store there was a bunch of articles on the walls showing Seattle Best Tea as ranked super high. I was not impressed. The tea was decent but the boba was harder than I like. We ordered the oolong milk tea, but when we got the drink it tasted like black tea. l was surprised to see that all toppings were free. That's super rare to see at boba stores. My review might be a little skewed since we did go during their promotion so they were understandably super busy and may not have been at their best.
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Tim W.

Yelp
I always get their Lychee Jelly Milk Tea with extra jelly at 75% sweetness. The guy working the front has amazing customer service. Very friendly. I love the taste of the tea. I always order two when I go for myself. One today and one for tomorrow morning. I don't even live near the ID but still make the drive there just because I like it so much. They have a punch card system. Thank you!
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Ashley C.

Yelp
Actually the best bubble tea I had in Seattle. The exterior looked unimpressive and Seattle Best Tea isn't in an area of Seattle I'd feel safe at late at night. But the size of the interior was cozy. I wonder why there was a table deeper in the restaurant. I would've tried their food if they served anything else besides bubble tea. I had their milk tea. Like I wrote earlier, their milk tea is the best I've tried at Seattle. Hell, a small shop at the west coast that wasn't a franchise. Tapioca is not an extra charge, but you may need to ask for it. The price of a drink is enough to equal the price of bubble tea plus tapioca in other local shops and franchises anyway.
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Marc T.

Yelp
My friend and I arrived at the boba shop around 11:15 AM in the morning in the international district on a Thursday. Located near the monumental gate of the international district at the corner of the street, the boba shop has its doors open with a short line ahead of us. Cute interior with homey décor with a Chinese traditional style with rows of urns and vases of traditional tea in the back half of the store. The shop offers free toppings for their drinks, which is a plus because in California, they charge for each topping!!! I ordered the mango milk tea which is my go to drink for trying a new boba shop. Super quick turnaround time of under 5 minutes on the counter after ordering. I was pleasantly surprised by the color of the drink since mango boba in California is colored a bright orange rather than a mocha color like jasmine tea. Nonetheless, great sheen of color with refreshing semi sweetness with lychee jelly. Some tart notes and smooth. Great boba and great service!
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Cindy N.

Yelp
might've came in with high expectations because this place looked like an authentic tea shop, but honestly thought it was just okay.. the heavy oolong milk tea seemed to be the most popular but I didn't really like the flavor, the tea had a slightly fruity pebble taste?? I thought there would be a stronger and better quality tea flavor, but that wasn't the case :( the winter melon tea was good tho, it was sweet and refreshing. it reminded me of my favorite childhood drink, yeo's white gourd (iykyk). honestly can't go wrong w this flavor! I loved that they also offer unlimited free toppings with each drink, and there were a lot of different options. got the boba, but it was kinda hard and not chewy. maybe I didn't go on a good day bc it didn't taste 'fresh' and was almost like it had been sitting out for a while...
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Britney Z.

Yelp
The name doesn't lie, this spot is one of the best tea places in Seattle! Service is always great here, and the tea flavor is strong and yummy. The drinks aren't too sweet either, and toppings are included. Overall great boba place to visit!
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Lynna T.

Yelp
I love this place!! Quick, easy, no frills boba option with a location in Chinatown and one in the University District. The service is quick and friendly. I haven't been disappointed with any drinks of theirs and I've tried fruit teas and milk teas. I love that you can mix flavors too. They have plum which not many places have! Highly recommend the peach milk tea, heavy oolong tea, or a peach lychee chrysanthemum tea! Best of all, the toppings are free :))))
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Keith H.

Yelp
A step above most other bubble tea shops. Located steps from the dragon gate entrance of the International District, SBT serves up some seriously good bubble and milk teas. I recently had a red bean tea shake with additional red beans and egg custard (toppings are all free) and was treated to one of the best frozen drinks ever. Pretty popular place, but lines have not been unreasonable (that might change when summer rolls around). Service is friendly and snappy. Plenty of choices with endless add-ons and modifications. Highly recommended. (4.5 stars).
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vivian

Yelp
We wanted a good boba place, just to see how it fairs compared to back home on the east coast and this was quite delicious! No pictures unfortunately, but we got the Brown Sugar Milk Tea with boba at 75% sweetness and the Heavy Oolong Milk Tea with boba at 75% sweetness. Definitely lives up to it's name! Great service, kind people, and you have an atmospheric seating area that really fits the theme of Chinatown.
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Sara N.

Yelp
Was in town and looking for boba near by. This one had the best reviews and we decided to give it a try. The staffs were very nice and accommodated our big order. Decent flavor for the Wintermelon milk tea, the tapioca boba stood out more. It's a cute local shop near Chinatown.
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Alina L.

Yelp
I was looking at all the reviews on Yelp and had to come try it for myself. Did this place really serve the best milk tea in Seattle?? l was a little surprised when I first walked in because I was greeted by two friendly staff but nothing about the store spoke out to me as "best bubble tea" and it was quiet. But then people started coming in and ordering in batches and I saw newspaper articles highlighting this store and I heard the old Cantonese playlist in the background. I ordered a Deep Oolong milk tea, took a sip, and was really pleased with the flavor of the tea. Tasted authentic, tasted smooth, and the boba pearls were not too bad! A little on the harder side but still chewy. I'm pretty glad that this was the store I went to for boba during my trip to Seattle!
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Patrick D.

Yelp
I'm not sure what to say about this place. The young man who prepared our teas was very friendly. It looks like a little mom n' pop shop at one of the entrances to Chinatown. The tea was light. So light, that had we gone later in the day, I would've been pretty disappointed. But because it was early in the morning and the start of a day of eating, the lightness was very welcome and refreshing. It was nice to feel good after drinking it, rather than over-sugared from the get go.
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PinnPinn S.

Yelp
Came here during my travels with a friend last week on a Saturday night. No line. It was conveniently on the way to our bus stop. I was really craving some sort of sweet tea and she wanted something non-caffeinated! This place was perfect for the both of us since they had ice cream and milk tea. The 3 guys working there were so helpful and sweet. They were patient and let my friend try all the ice cream flavors before she bought a cone. They had unique flavors of ice cream such as durian, milk tea, taro, and red bean. They also had classic flavors like strawberry and vanilla as well. The workers gave my friend a generous scoop on her cone. They have a lot of menu items in terms of drinks as well. And all toppings are FREE!! ‍ I got their peach flavored sweet tea with Aiyu jelly and I honestly loved it. It was just what I wanted and satisfied my sweet tooth. They do have a very small credit card fee for orders under $10, so me and my friend combined our order to avoid it since we didnt have cash on hand. Would come here again if I came back to Seattle :')
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Sharyse W.

Yelp
Seattle Best Tea? Not for me personally. I had quite high expectations and this place was recommended to me by some friends. The line can get decently long, but service was quick! All toppings are FREE/included which is a refreshing concept in the era of 75c to $1 extra for boba. I ordered the Jasmine Milk Tea with boba which is quite highly ranked on their best sellers. Honestly the tea itself had a really great flavor and for the price, the size was quite large as well. The boba however. Absolutely horrible. I am not sure if it was just that particular day, but the texture was too chewy and had a strangely sour aftertaste. It was so bad that none of my friends and I actually ended up eating the boba itself. We drank the tea and left the boba. Even with just drinking the milk tea, it was nothing to write home about. Honestly I wouldn't really recommend coming here, nor would I come back.
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Erika T.

Yelp
First time here! I ordered an Oolong Milk Tea with regular sweetness and ice levels and it was above average. There's no room to sit and dine considering the inside is pretty small to put any tables and chairs. I could tell why it's their most popular drink. It was pretty good. Oolong tea is hydrating itself, but there was something about this one that made it amazing. The boba was more on the soft side - other than that I'd come back if in the area.
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Laura J.

Yelp
Tried the lychee green tea with boba. Was very shocked to see that all their topping were free and it looks like you might be able to get as many as you like! It also looks like they might brew tea individually for each drink, while this is great the only downside is that sometimes the tea might not be brewed long enough especially if there is a crowd. The lychee green tea was light and refreshing. And while I love that there were free toppings, the boba was a bit too hard for my taste.
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Vic C.

Yelp
Seattle Best Tea is located in Chinatown with only street (metered) parking available and (paid) parking lots. Being that it was so cold, my husband and I decided to get some hot tea since we were in the area (picking up Dim Sum a few blocks up). We came by on a Thursday afternoon, around 2:20 pm. I was greeted by a friendly employee behind the register when I walked in. After looking over the menu, I ended up ordering the following for both my husband and I (we didn't want to pay for parking, lol so he waited in the car): Lychee Milk Tea, $5.45 prior to tax- Drinks automatically come with topping. I ordered this drink to be made hot, with 50% sweetener and boba. My husband thought this drink was good and liked the sweetness level. Chrysanthemum, $5.45 prior to tax- I ordered my drink to be made with 25% sweetener and with grass jelly. However, they ran out of grass jelly, so I ended up getting it with pudding instead. I really liked the sweetness level that I ordered and thought it was perfect for me. ------------------------------- (Total= $12 after tax) Wait time wasn't too long. But since I ordered my drinks to go, I just waited by the entrance. I probably should have waited for our drinks by the tables and chairs since it started to get busy and a little crowded as other patrons started coming in to order drinks too. Overall, we had a pretty good experience with Seattle Best Tea and would come back here if we were visiting Seattle.
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Misa P.

Yelp
My husband came home with a classic milk tea with boba and pudding one day after his work out and I instantly fell in love with this place . He told me that the reason he stopped by was because he saw that there was a line. The classic milk tea was 10/10 with the taste. The sweetness was just right and the boba was soft and chewy. Tonight I'm on call at the hospital and had to order their drinks because I was craving for it. Another plus side of this place is that they don't charge an arm and a leg for their drinks and they don't even charge extra for toppings . Each drink was around 5 dollars and that was with me adding boba and pudding to my drink .