Tea Social

If you’re a tea lover like me, Tea Social at 806 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR, is a must-visit! This cozy, downstairs gem in the Pearl serves up more than just tea—they offer smoothies, milk teas, boba, Italian sodas, and even coffee for those who need a caffeine fix. I tried the passion fruit tea with tapioca pearls, and it was the perfect mix of sweet and refreshing. They also serve banh mi, making it a great spot for a quick bite. And if you have a sweet tooth, don’t skip the chocolate chip cookies—they’re seriously delicious!

Wow, I'm totally kicking myself for not trying this place when I lived off nw 23rd, I would have been here every day! What a nice little hidden gem. They have a lot of drink options and every milk tea I've tried so far has been fantastic. They have loose leaf brewed tea and coffee as well. The bahn mi is good and reasonably priced, this is a perfect place to stop for lunch. The shop is also pretty cozy and calm, so the atmosphere is nice. Quickly became a favorite of mine in Portland 😊

Delicious! Anytime I can find coconut boba, I try it. The coconut boba was super refreshing and not too sweet, perfect! My husband ordered a white mocha iced latte, and that was very tasty. I thought the price was very reasonable for the size of the drinks. We came in on a Tuesday afternoon, so we were the only ones in there, and the service was very quick, but also very friendly. I would absolutely come back here!

Delicious banh mis with amazing breakfast and lunch options! Beautiful menu for all the bubble teas and the decor was peaceful and so so clean ❤️🧋🥖

Very kind staff! Have a wide variety of coffees and teas, which sometimes can be a bad thing, but in this shop everything is a good choice. I got an 8oz latte (which is an uncommon size, but my favorite) and was delighted as my coffee was great. 10/10!

This place is my favorite lunch spot in the neighborhood. The service is always courteous and quick and the food & drinks are always tasty. Atmosphere is cozy and the place is always clean, too. Love that it's locally owned as well!

I come here with my son regularly. We enjoy the tasty food and drinks, the quaint and comfortable atmosphere, and reasonable prices. It’s also within a social street that has lots of fun stores to explore.

Woman taking order was very nice! Banh mi was really tasty and great price Milk tea had too much milk couldn’t taste the tea. Was oolong

Stopped here while traipsing around Portland for a cool beverage. I tried the Rose City, a grapefruit and rose tea, 50% sweetness. I'm a fan of rose flavored drinks and this was very refreshing. The grapefruit and rose flavors blended very well, and the citrus cut a lot of the strong rose which might be appealing for those who don't like very powerful rose drinks.

Delicious! Anytime I can find coconut boba, I try it. The coconut boba was super refreshing and not too sweet, perfect! My husband ordered a white mocha iced latte, and that was very tasty. I thought the price was very reasonable for the size of the drinks. We came in on a Tuesday afternoon, so we were the only ones in there, and the service was very quick, but also very friendly. I would absolutely come back here!

I love that they have many choices with people who have dietary restrictions. Always friendly clean environment

This place is so cute! It's the perfect spot to chill. I got a passionate fruit boba. It's been a while since I've had boba and it was perfect sweetness even after the ice melted didn't taste watered down. I'm definitely going back to try other flavor combinations.

This was a great lunch stop. I ordered a lavender milk tea with boba and banh mi. It was small and clean. Staff was very nice and they have punch cards as well.

Ducked in from the rain for my wife to order a coffee; she ended up ordering a hot coconut milk tea with boba instead, and after one sip, I ordered something similar (a hot vanilla milk tea with boba) for myself! I generally avoid such drinks for calories' sake, but I couldn't help myself: they're just too good! Glancing over the rest of the menu, they're rocking all sorts of awesome teas, milk or otherwise, including Thai, iced and loose leaf varieties, tea lattes, Italian sodas and smoothies, plus a delectable array of Bahn Mis (one of my absolute favorites!) and breakfast sandwiches. It may have been bad weather and a happy accident that brought us in here, but we will return of our own volition in the future! What a great find!

Had time to kill before my flight, so I came to this district to do some shopping before takeoff. I stopped in for a thirst quenching drink. Delicious boba tea offered here and then some. Wide variety of items offered here. Nice and quiet environment to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, it was a nice experience. Bathroom is super clean. Parking is limited but several park and pays nearby.

Boba was bomb and the sandwich rocked! Quaint place with a peaceful vibe. The staff was pleasant too.

My go to spot for a boba and banh mi.. I wrote a haiku review. It is as follows: "Crispy banh mi, in me Refreshing boba balls, wow Best 12 bucks I've spent"

Nice little place! Great product at a reasonable price and excellent customer service too! Did not try the food but they have a nice list of offerings. I had the Mango Coconut smoothie with .50 add in boba. Very good!

Tea Social is a great spot for a tea drink. The employees are always very nice and there are several tables inside to sit at. The two drinks that I have gotten so far are the chocolate and lychee milk tea. They use the Tao of Tea tea in their drinks and it sets their drinks apart in a good way. I think the drinks are good but not great. That may partially be due to coconut milk being the milk used in their milk teas. Overall, a good tea spot and if you happen to be walking along 23rd, I think you should try them out.

I was in search of a drink so I stopped by this underground tea spot and ordered a green rooibos tea latte with almond milk and honey. The latte tasted amazing! You could really taste the green rooibos coming through the steamed milk. The service was quick and friendly! I will be back.

I'm surprised this place isn't busier. My daughter attends school near here and frequents them for lunch. She took me once on a weekend and their bubble tea is by far the best in the area. Too bad more people go to T4 because of the hype - I can't wait to go back and try their bahn mi sandwich. Also the service both times I went was stellar.

We stopped in for a coffee and bubble tea. The white mocha was delicious, the bubble tea was just so so, and the service wasn't fantastic. I suppose I might return for a coffee if I was walking by, but I wouldn't go out of my way.

Mango & Guava Smoothie & chocolate chip cookie were both tasty! Service was top notch as well. Soo ...good!

Located very conveniently on the 23rd , this spot is a good place for a break if you are shopping in the area or running errands . Service is great and fast , prices are reasonable and lots of options for hot as well as cold beverages - Iced tea , Iced Milk Tea, Smoothies etc . They do seem to run out of boba fast at this place. They also have Bahn-mi sandwiches and a few other grab-n-go snack options . Seating is both indoor as well as Outdoors but currently due to covid ,they do not let customers sit Indoors.

Nice restaurant for avocado banh mi (vegetarian / vegan sandwich was $8.25 last time I checked in July 22). Café also serves bubble tea, and Chinese tea like jasmine tea and oolong tea. There are soda cans such as Diet Coke, Regular Coca Cola, and Sprite for $1.50. La Croix sparkling water for $1.50 and regular bottled water for $1.25.

Best bubble tea in Oregon. Easily. They use real coconut milk (not powder, like other places) and the boba is always fresh. I've loved this place for a long time. Quality is so consistent. I always order the salted caramel with extra boba. It is creamy, refreshing and delicious. As an added bonus, every employee I've ever interacted with is kind and helpful. Highly recommend!

Definitely exciting to have a vegan boba shop near by. Everyone is super friendly & great customer service. The boba teas & smoothies always satisfying

We came here as it was right down the street from lunch. It looks like the name has switched from Fat Straw to Tea Social now. It was pretty quiet when we went and were able to get our drinks pretty quick. I got the coffee milk tea with boba. The flavor of my drink was good, however the boba was harder than what I prefer. I did see that they still have the banh mi and breakfast sandwiches still on the menu, which I may try next time.

Cute place, absolutely dead on a Tuesday afternoon. They have sandwiches and cookies in addition to a huge tea selection. The cashier was patient with me and helped me figure what I could eat/drink with my food allergies. I'm happy I stopped by, will be returning!

The young man taking my order asked if I would like my peach jasmine green tea less sweetened or regular and I went with regular... it was delicious! The best I've tried so far. I added mango jelly and together it was a 10/10!

I looked for this place up and down the street and when i finally got to the pinned location the name FAT STRAW is no longer their business name. It's called the SOCIAL TEA. I personally like the old name it gave it a more authentic modern twist on the boba tea straws plus isn't there already a lot of "tea" named business's?! Anyways, it's a cute shop on the lower level. I went in the cooled down shop because for PORTLAND people, a mere 88 degrees is horrific for them. I moved from LA and trust me 88 is a breeze compared to leaving 105 back home. I got the Avocado Bahn Mi for $7. I wish someone who does eat meat can give better options but it's all good the sandwich was delish! I wish I could try some of teas but when I was told it's all syrup and none fresh pressed I just stuck with some good ole water. Other than that: great venue, good food, boba and teas?? Idk didn't try and won't try. Thanks again.

Fat Straw has always been my favorite place for bubble tea. I was surprised when I went in yesterday and saw that they had changed their name to Tea Social. I personally prefer the name Fat Straw, but I'm glad nothing else appears to have changed. Still the same delicious drinks and sandwiches!!

We stopped in to Tea Social for a little lunch while shopping with my daughter in Nob Hill! I kind of was a bit hesitant because there weren't a lot of people in the restaurant but I am glad we gave it a try! The Pork Banh Mi was fresh and flavourful. I love the fresh and pickled veggies that are in Banh Mi sandwiches...gives such great taste and texture in each bite! We are not fans of pate so we opted to hold that even though I know it is traditionally a must on Banh Mi sandwiches! The Pork was good but maybe seemed a bit processed...was maybe the only part of the sandwich that was just so so for me! Really glad we came here for a quick bite and really enjoyed the quick and friendly service we received here!

I think after someone else's review on their taro tea, they had revised their recipe. I was really craving a taro boba and I am still craving for one. My boba tea was rather bland, it had the tiniest hint of taro. It wasn't that sweet.. at all. There was a lot of water at the bottom of the cup with the boba. After barely 5 minutes all of the tapioca had a hard icy crust around them. I have never thrown away a boba tea before this. I can barely justify paying $6 for a decent boba. 100% I can't justify paying this much for Fat Straw. My sister had a strawberry boba and said that the flavor was very strong and really sweet. As if the flavor was hitting her with every sip. But she seemed to have enjoyed hers. My older sister said without fail every time she gets boba tea from here she could expect a stomach ache. I'm not sure why that is. I have a rather sensitive stomach and I was fine. The ambiance was really nice. It's a calm and chill place. Service was decent, better than a lot of other boba places. They were pretty fast.

Very disappointed I didn't even get to try this place.. I live literally 6 buildings down but will not be back based on the way I was treated. I walk in about 1pm, there is one other guest in the far corner snacking and reading a book, I walk in *holding in my arms* my 3 month old puppy. Before I "hello, how are you" greeting of any sort I was asked to "leave my animal outside" which I replied to "I'll just go somewhere else, thanks" ... I am not about to leave my PUPPY outside by himself in the cold, not to mention he is a multi-thousand $ dog, who's breed is often stolen. So I went across the street to another coffee shop where they gushed over how cute my dog is and made him a Puppachino - and the place was packed. Hint : People like to come to places who treat them well :-)

Excellent excellent Bahn Mi! I had the egg one which is a change from the usual tofu offered at other places for vegetarians. Their rolls are a little softer which was nice. Very friendly couple running the place. Nice work!

Super sweet milk tea... 25% sweetness was still too sweet. Banh mi was an interesting interpretation. But this could be a Portland versus California difference. Bread was nicely toasted, but the filling wasn't good and tasted too much like salt (because they add salt and pepper).

Located on a busy NW 23rd. This place has got the good good drinks. Ordered the raspberry tea and strawberry smoothie. Both came quick and tasted great. The little cafe looks clean and the workers are friendly. Great place to get something to drink if you are shopping. Overall: will return when in the area.

Love this place. Cozy spot for a hangout with friends or some studying. The staff are always really kind and friendly.

First off, I'm not bubble tea drinker. Or a tea drinker. Or a coffee drinker. So why the heck did I end up in Fat Straw? Simple, the Bahn Mi. That oh so wonderful Vietnamese sandwich that is usually dirt cheap, but chocked full of tasty tasty goodness. I think that's a pretty good reason. Don't you? I was over in the area doing a little shopping and glanced at the downstairs spot and saw the signs for the sandwiches. I took a gander at the reviews for this place and very few even mention the sandwiches. Yeah, I know you go there for the tea. Meh to that. I had the special #1 which had BBQ pork (sliced), ham and bologna. From their website " All Sandwiches made on freshly baked Baguette with homemade garlic mayo, pate, onions, pickled carrots and daikon, Jalapeno, cilantro, cucumber, salt, pepper and soy sauce." The sandwiches and $5 a pop. The also offer up a BBQ pork, Vietnamese bolgna, Vietnamese ham, Tuna and a veggie option. It's pretty close to a traditional Bahn Mi. I've never had cucumbers on mine and usually there's sriracha sauce around to spice it up some more. I didn't ask, so I don't know if they actually had it. If there was pate on it, I didn't taste it. The pork was good, the roll was crispy and the veggies were good, but barely pickled. It was still a good rendition of a bahn mi. I know this will be a place I venture back to when I'm over in the Alphabet district. I will admit, I did like the artwork around the place, and they had prints for sale as well as originals. I like some good art, and I could see stopping in to pick up a piece, when I have the time and $$$. They weren't all that expensive, so that's a bonus. Enjoy.

Tried this place for the first time with my husband. We both got milk tea. Nothing special, it was okay milk tea. I liked casual ambiance. Service was super fast, overall 3star experience. However, soon after, both my husband and I got nauseated. It was hot today, but still. Not happy about this.

Needed a refreshing drink while walking around the neighborhood and popped in. The peach italian soda was a nice pick-me-up, although the service didn't seem too friendly. Sadly, we didn't have enough room in our stomachs to order food too, but definitely need to next time.

This popular Asian tea house offers a wide selection of tea and coffee drinks, from hot and cold milk teas/boba to a full compliment of espresso coffee drinks with Stumptown coffee. They also offer bahn mis and breakfast sandwiches on the bahn mi baguettes. My bahn mi hit the spot and while I didn't get any tea, the crowd inside was a testament to that menu's draw. There were a few things that missed the mark for me, though, and leave me with an "A-OK" experience rather than something more special. First, the cashier asked me if I wanted room for cream in my 8oz coffee and when I said yes, she left over an inch of space which meant I got about 5oz of coffee; I had to ask her to put more in. This wasn't a big deal though, mostly funny... she's clearly not a coffee drinker! Second, they didn't appear to be staffed properly, as the line was never longer than 3-4 people but moved vvvvery sloowwwly. The cashier was stuck making the cold drinks which seemed to be the problem. Also not a huge problem, as I wasn't in a rush, but good to know for anyone looking to rush in and out. What I have the biggest problem with was that they didn't allow me to sub avocado for pate on my sandwich. While all sandwiches come with pate, both this and avo are listed as $1 add-ons, so logically there was no reason not to allow for the substitution. Frustratingly, there are also signs around the shop promoting the fact that all sammies are made from scratch, so again, the substitution seems logical. Having worked in similar quick-serve places, I know it's not a huge time-suck to make a simple one-for-one substitution of cold ingredients. This all added up to an average experience. I'll probably be back to give their boba a try since I live nearby.

So I have been here a few times and tried a few things on their menu. Boba: Pretty good boba! I like the texture and the "milk" part of the milk teas are very tasty. I believe they can be made lactose free as well with a milk substitute. Their bobas are very yummy. The taro is my favorite Banh Mi: They are so-so. Not a lot of meat or pate on them so maybe you can ask for double meat for an extra charge? The pickled veggies aren't very pickled, more like mildly pickled. And they do not forget to put a jalapeno in there, so if you don't like it spicy, say no jalapeno. If you do like it spicy, ask for spicy mayo. Staff: Pleasant and nice, not overly friendly but quick and efficient. Try calling in your order if you are in a rush, everything is made when ordered.

I enjoyed it, it was near to the house, fast and the the standard Thai tea flavor. Good for a quick drink.

I miss Boba places in LA. There's a place at Lloyd Center that I tried but the Bob'a seemed uncharacteristically small compared to the plump chewy ones I have been accustomed to. Last night my niece flew back from LA and was craving some Boba so we checked Yelp and decided to drive over he bridge to this sweet lil spot. I had the Thai tea with Boba and honestly I forgot what my niece ordered but she lived it. I have missed the sweet taste of Thai tea with those big chewy Bobas!!! So happy. It's also located in the very hip lil Alphabet district which I just love to come to anyway to gawk at their gorgeous Victorians!!

I live two blocks from Tea Social and have been a regular for two years now (I order bubble tea to-go). However, I'm appalled at how horrid the service has become in the past couple of months! As long as I have been a customer here, there has never been a sense of 'hustle' or desire to provide prompt service. I have come to accept this and am used to waiting around 5-7 minutes for my bubble tea, even if I am the only customer in the store. I'm not sure if the employees here are bored, high, angry, stressed...?. Some employees are friendlier than others, but I do tend to feel like a burden when I walk into the store, rather than an appreciated customer. I was excited to see that Tea Social is still open for take-out orders during quarantine, and I was looking forward to being able to continue bringing service to a small local business. I understand downsizing due to social distancing measures and decreased business, but the past several times I have been to Tea Social, there has been ONE or MAXIMUM two customers ahead of me, and my tea has taken at least 15-20 minutes (I kid you not, one time there was one customer ahead of me who ordered a few smoothies and I waited at LEAST 20 minutes before I got my tea, it was so bizarre). The employee ultimately put my tea and acted extremely inconvenienced by it... I have never expected the Tea Social employees to get my tea out in just a few minutes, especially if they are working on other orders. But it takes literally 5 seconds to say "thank you for your patience" or "I'll be done with this order soon and start your tea shortly" or "I appreciate you waiting." However, I decided to stop by again today. When I walked in, an employee was making one or two coffees for the other customer in the store. I realized the employee was working on an order (though taking his sweet time, as Tea Social employees do). I ultimately waited 5-10 minutes in front of the register today, literally 3 feet from the employee at the espresso machine (who was facing in my direction!). My presence was never acknowledged. The employee didn't even greet me, let alone say something like "thank you for waiting" or "I'll be right with you." I ultimately just walked out and was never acknowledged. Insane. I have always been polite and more than patient with the employees at Tea Social, as I have become used to their (unfortunately) very mediocre service, but today they lost a regular. I understand times are tough, but the least you can do is say "hi." The two stars are because the bubble tea itself is very good.

Great boba find in Portland! Their milk teas are all lactose free, made with coconut milk? Samples available for certain flavors! Tried the rose milk tea - strong rose flavor and really good! Sipped their house milk tea and jasmine green tea, both were on point! Get the stamp card if you're a local!

The milk tea is perfect on a hot day in Portland. I tried the taro milk tea with boba, which was both refreshing and tasty. There's a great selection of flavors, from lavender to mango, and you can add their boba for .50$ or they also have jellies. There is a $0.25 card fee for transactions under $5, so bring cash if you just want one drink, or bring a friend and try two! There are lots of tables and chairs, so no lack of places to sit and chill with friends or work. I spotted a few outlets for those in need of charging their devices. Apparently there is free wifi as well, so stay a while! There is a bathroom, but you need to ask the employees for the key!

Their matcha green milk tea taste similar to Starbuck's green tea latte. I like how Fat Straw makes sure the matcha gets dissolved completely, because Starbuck's version tends to have some matcha undissolved. I like how that their iced milk teas are made with non-dairy coconut milk. They have a stamp card system to get a free drink after a certain number of purchases. There is wi-fi, but will have to ask the cashier for the password. This is a good place to hangout or do some laptop work. They also have a restroom for customers too.

Great little boba/pearl tea place along the main strip in the Nob Hill area of Portland! The staff was friendly and there were tons of menu options to choose from, including teas, coffees, snacks, and bobas. I also loved that they clearly noted vegan options on their menu. Our chocolate almond boba drink was a bit too sweet for me, but that's just personal preference. There seems to be plenty of seating space inside the cafe as well.

Tea Social is a great place but there are some downsides, the staff is nice, but the bahn mi's are not so great. Me and my friend both got B.B.Q pork, and the meat was raw! There bubble tea is really good other than th time they forgot to put popping bubbles in my friends drink. (it doesn't usually happen.) overall there place is ok.

Amazing Service and amazing product. What more can you ask for? Perfect!! So glad you guys took over this location and are going strong. See you soon!

When I entered the cafe, the ladies were really welcoming and helpful. That was awesome. There are cute art pieces hanging on the walls and adequate amount of seating. It looks like a nice place to study and people watch. I walked in for a bubble tea and ordered the taro flavor. It was really nice, and I definitely taste the taro. On my next visit, I would probably ask for less ice. Gosh, it was cold drinking it, but it was tasty. I didn't have a chance to try the banh mi, but I am curious. :)

2 was enough. I've been to Fat Straw twice, first time was bad- tasteless drinks, and service was terrible. In addition, I started to have stomach problems shortly afterward. Though I did dismiss it as my stomach acting up. Decided to give them another chance again recently, this time, going with the most simple drink - original milk tea with boba. Very similar experiences, rude wait staff and slow service. We didn't get acknowledged though we know for a fact the cashier saw us. The drink again, was tasteless and felt like they just dumped a bunch of sugar into the drink. There plenty of good boba drinks in Portland, though they might not be within the downtown area. Go to SE 82nd or Beaverton for them. If you just want a refreshment because you're walking down 23rd - go to Starbucks or something else instead. Don't waste your time here.

Big fat nope from me. As a huge connoisseur of boba tea ranging from Southern California to Northern California, this location sticks too their recipe too much. So much to the point where the smoothies aren't runny and I'm not really a fan of that. I ordered their taro smoothie and it was extremely hard to drink; I ended up eating it like soft serve frozen yogurt - with a spoon! They even told me that they aren't allowed to mix flavors because each smoothie had a different recipe (which was obviously a lie). All I wanted was a matcha/avocado smoothie but the lady behind the front counter was very rude to me. On top of that, their menu is just too large and it's hard to choose one thing for them to have a specialty in. Plus their boba isn't made fresh. It's very old and tastes as if it's been sitting out. I wish there were more boba tea options in Portland but I definitely won't be coming back.

All I can say is: Avocado smoothie substitute honey for sugar with tapioca pearls=heaven I can say more...I love this place! Finally checked out the NW location as I usually frequent Hawthorne. So cute and a great hangout Treat yourself if you like Boba and go!