Seemingly, this is the last holdout of legit boba in Chinatown. It's a small shop wedged between a store and restaurant, with limited seating inside. However, the small space is made up for with a pretty extensive menu featuring drinks of all kinds at decent prices. You order and pay at a kiosk right in front of where you'd pick drinks up. Service is relatively quick, even with only a few staff running the whole place. The drinks are on par with what you'd find at many SGV boba places, but for Chinatown it's tops for what's in the area. I usually go for the strawberry matcha latte. At just around $6, it's a tad on the pricey side, but it's well worth it. The strawberry puree is not too sweet with a decent amount of mashed strawberries to it. The matcha is not overpowering and perfectly balances out the sweetness of the puree. The fresh milk rounds out the drink just right. You'd be hard pressed to find better boba in the area, so it's worth a shot trying here if boba is what you crave while in Chinatown. read more

Bubble U - Strawberry Matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This was the first boba shop I visited during my second trip to Los Angeles. With how much people boast about the boba from California, I always have high expectations for the boba down here, yet somehow my first boba being back is yet again not that great. It was a pretty hot day and I didn't want anything too special, so I got the Iced Cucumber Green Tea thinking it would be refreshing while walking around in the heat. But wow, I was quite let down by this drink. It was kind of bitter and tasted off somehow. Then again cucumber tea isn't your usual boba order, so maybe I just got the wrong item? I also ordered a Milk Ice Cream from here as well to beat the heat. This was the only good thing I had from Bubble U so far. Bubble U seems to be the only good boba shop in Chinatown, but it didn't meet my expectations. If I do come back here again I'll probably try out one of their milk teas instead. read more

Bubble U - Iced Cucumber Green Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Awful drink and super expensive. Took the train here so didn't have to worry about parking but if we paid for parking to come here, I would have been mad! You have to order using their monitor screen at the front (hate that, especially when someone is there at the counter already). All the drink options did not really stand out to me but it was a warm day so we wanted to get something refreshing. Chose the strawberry drink with crystal boba and it honestly was not very good. The boba was shaped weird but tasted ok. The drink itself was not a good mix and had an odd taste. It was $9 (I did choose a lactose friendly milk)!!!! Definitely not worth the price. The decorations in front were cute and there is sufficient seating inside. But I would not come back here nor recommend it. read more

See all

This place is amazing!!!! It's a block off of Los Angeles Street and 8th, on Santee. Their Jasmine Milk Tea with Boba is worth it!!! I drive a few miles for it!!! read more

They are testing their ramen menu! (5/5) Got the tonkotsu. Comes with wood ear mushroom, ramen egg, bamboo shoots. Can customize the salt, oil, toppings. Soup is flavorful, rich, while not being salty/quesy. Noodle portions are huge and filling. The ramen egg is to die for. (5/5) The peach trees drink is super refreshing and it's like drinking white peaches. Recommend! read more

See all

This place is quite popular and the drinks are actually good. Parking is very limited and it is on the pricier scale of boba in correlation to size. The store itself is quite small but service was pretty quick overall i'd still recommend if you're in the area and craving. read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Ambiance: bright and cozy tea shop, located in the Chinatown area, cool air conditioning but no WiFi available Service: very fast once placing the order through two touch panels in front of the cashiers Drink: variety choices from the digital ordering menu, you could customize sugar and ice Black Sugar Fresh Milk - **** the boba was well made freshly, chewy texture and good balanced flavor, recommend Price: standard sizes and prices, contactless payment only, less than $10 per order read more

See all

The best matcha I think I've ever had. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Store was clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Server was very pleasant. Small business read more

See all

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Amazing place and cute cup designs that varies specially in the holidays and also this cute bag it comes in when I order through uber eats.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Tried this place once in person too and love it because you can change sweetness percentage. Saw that they had ramen too and it is delicious. The Oreo strawberry smoothie was delicious too and had great. Bubble U will forever be my boba place. read more

Bubble U - Oreo strawberry smoothie & Toho tonkotsu ramen - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Pro: order with kiosk so if you have anxiety ordering you don't have to worry about taking a bit too long to choose your favorite drink. Con: a bit for a long wait so if you go by yourself expect to park a bit away before ordering read more

I never drink boba but it was hot and It was the best option around Chinatown. Although I don't drink often I can appreciate a good tea drink (quality of the leaves, aroma) and ordered something that was milky yet didn't hide the tea flavor. It was good with minor mods (75% sweet) although I think you would be fine ordering the original recipe. The pineapple drink was good too, very refreshing with bits of pineapple all around. Went with less ice and the drink came topped off. read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I came here since I was in Chinatown and wanted a drink. I was excited before coming because of the reviews. I ended up trying their Golden Spring drink with 100% sugar, I normally do 50% sugar. I did not like the flavor at all. It tasted very diluted and had weak tea flavor. It was very sour from the passion fruit that was added. I was highly disappointed since there was one of their top drinks. I would not come back again. The service was good, the drinks came out fast and when I tried half sugar the first time it tasted like no sugar was added. They adjusted it to 100% sugar and then it tasted like a bit was added. I was surprised since the sugar was so much lower than other tea shops. read more

See all

These drinks were not only tasty but also just beautiful to look at. The black sugar fresh milk was amazing! It was so creamy and perfectly sweet. I've ordered similar at other boba places and nothing compares. The bona was so fresh and such a tender texture. I also got the passion fruit tea with crystal boba. It was so fresh! I loved the fruit in it. It did have a strong green tea flavor, but was not bad. Out of the two drinks, the black sugar fresh milk was the best. I highly recommend these drinks as an overall sensual experience! read more

Bubble U - Passionfruit boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Drinks taste soooo good!! One of the best taro's we've had. Owner is really nice and the cups are sooo cute too!!

My coworkers and I decided to order boba and tea drinks and saw that Bubble U had a promotion through UberEats, so we decided to give it a try. None of us had been to Bubble U before, and we were pleasantly surprised! We ordered the Yam Cream Dream, Creamy Strawberry, and Passionfruit green tea drinks. First, the cups used are a sturdier plastic with a sturdy plastic cap that comes with an attached piece that plugs the hole for the straw, not the usual plastic film. Feels high quality. All drinks were excellent. The creamy strawberry came with cute designs on the foam. The Yam Cream Dream was made with real Yam paste (no fake powder here!) and wasn't that sweet (couldn't alter sweetness anyway) and was the most subtle drink. Strawberry and Passionfruit drinks were bursting with flavor and weren't watered down. Boba was soft and sweet. Will definitely order from Bubble U to try the other drinks. They made our Friday afternoon fun! read more

See all

I tried their honey Uji matcha drink with sea salt cream. They have such a cute art deco on their drinks, also the interior art is adorable and thoughtfully decorated. My date and I had a great time just chilling here, and they sold out on boba! Must be because it's good. Sweet boba spot in Chinatown LA. Will be back if I'm in the area. I'm a boba fanatic & matcha expert and this place passed. Perfect adjustment of sweetness & the honey, matcha & sea foam combo was great. read more

Bubble U - Honey Uji Matcha Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Delicious! I got the avocado mama and it was just how I wanted. I adjusted the sweetness as the boba added a bit of sweetness it self. The boba was the perfect texture, I loved it. The foam on top was a great added touch. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Really loved this place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Came on a Sunday, street parking was easy; loading is free. Will come back! read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

The drinks menu get more and Monte creative during this holiday! I tried the fruit tea and crème brûlée but would love to try more of their new menu! Seatings are limited inside, especially it's pretty small in there, but a good spot for a quick sit down place for a quick chat. It's more a grab and go place, accept they have various flavors and taste pretty good! read more

See all

Order on the computer and pick up at the counter. The service is fast and the kiosk is easy to use I love the coffee flavor. It's strong but not overpowering. They do go heavy on the boba so if you don't like too much add it to the comments as a special request. The inside is small with only a few seats. Parking is nonexistent so be mindful of the location. read more

Bubble U - Boba time - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I came here with my family and had great boba with many choices, [[HIGHLIGHT]]the interior was well[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], ands the people there were nice. read more

Ordering is efficient because you can just walk right up to a kiosk and peruse the menu to your desire. I like Thai tea but I didn't even know a Thai green tea existed so I had to order that with the golden boba. I was expecting something different because it was golden boba but it tasted just like normal boba but I'm not complaining. The drink itself had a hint of Thai tea but with matcha I think. To be honest, it was amazing. A little different from the traditional Thai tea but more elevated, if you will. It wasn't overbearingly sweet, it didn't taste like just cream, it was just right. I don't think I saw any coffee jelly on the menu but it would have been interesting if that was offered. read more

Bubble U - Thai green tea on the right - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Bubble U was great, I loved the strawberry green tea I got. Seems to be a very small family owned business. When walking in, you order at one of two kiosks and they'll call your name when your drink is ready. It's within walking distance from Howling Rays. We came from Howling Rays on a weekend, so it was of course crowded. There was nowhere to sit and eat so we decided to take our food to Bubble U and eat while chatting and drinking our teas. There are a couple of tables available for seating in the store, and they didn't seem to mind that we were eating there, which was very appreciated. The little girl is so cute and accidentally gave me a Fiji water bottle when I asked for water I gave it back and they gave me a cup of water instead read more

Stumbled across this boba shop and so glad that I did. The drinks are made with good quality ingredients and you can really taste the difference. I havd been drinking boba fora very long time and back in the days teas were made with better quality. Milk drinks had actual milk not creamers and fruit drinks had fruit not flavored or powder. This boba shop is going old school and it taste great! The owner was super nice and I would totally recommend anyone to give this place a try. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute little shop on a small street easily missed.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Oh! Some of the drinks have characters imprint on the foam. So cute. read more

Hands down THE best boba in LA!!!!! Don't look further just head to Bubble U! We had a few different ones and all were amazing. read more

Bubble U - Milk Tea Boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Walk in, no one in the shop. I don't even see an employee. You have to order at a kiosk. The only other boba locations I have been to that make you order at a kiosk are Sunright and La Bobatory. At least at those locations, there is someone around to answer any questions. I ordered a regular black milk tea with half ice and less boba. When I got the drink, not only did it have like 10% of ice, it tasted like water. The tea taste wasn't even subtle, it was non existent. Not sure this place has so many good reviews. Maybe it was just the drink I got? Not sure since this was my first time here. I wasted $6+ on a tasteless drink. On the cup itself, it has a scale starting from "never again" and goes down towards the bottom of the cup. I don't recall what the bottom of the cup says but it basically means if you drank to that line, then you loved it. I drank ABOVE the "never again" line before throwing it away in a nearby trash. read more

See all

I don't come out to Chinatown very often but had to pick up some items in the area and tried out Bubble U! Location is central Chinatown with lots of street parking but they were all full (and i was in a bit of a hurry) so I ended up parking in a lot down the street for $5. Shop was clean and had a bit of seating for a few parties. You order off of the kiosk and it will text you once your drink is ready. No interaction with staff necessary. I got the brown sugar milk tea with boba at 50% sweetness. This was really tasty. Boba was warm and chewy. They keep it in layers which made the drink also visually appetizing. Will definitely return when I'm in the area! read more

Bubble U - Black Sugar Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Pretty awesome tea! I ordered the Iced Cucumber Green Tea with grass jelly and no sweetness. I love it when the slight bitterness of the tea comes through. Ordering was a breeze at the electronic stand. No cash. They offer oat milk as a non-dairy substitute. Street parking was easy to find though most are metered. read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

OK tea in the area if you are craving boba! Whenever I try a new boba shop, I order an "Original Boba Milk Tea" or "House Boba Milk Tea." For some reason, I could not find any item titled that. The closest I could find was brown sugar milk tea with boba, but I don't like brown sugar in my milk tea. So, I settled on a black milk tea with golden boba, 70% sweetness. It was okay! Ordering is via Kiosk or even ahead, online. The drink came out very quickly! Overall - I wouldn't mind coming back if I was craving tea with boba. My coworker really liked her tea and the macarons though! read more

See all

Honeydew tea 6.5/10 Vibe 5/10 Convenient location, self serve kiosks, mainly high top seating read more

Came to LA to visit family for a weekend and was looking for boba spots nearby. This popped up on our results, had good reviews and we made our way over! They have a QR code outside that you can order ahead and if there is a wait, it will text you when the order is ready. We ordered: - Lychee Green Tea with boba - so good! Taste like actual tea and the lychee flavor was good - Thai milk tea - good! Not too sweet like some other Thai teas - Irish Matcha (seasonal) - so good!! Tasted like real matcha and the mango was fresh I'd highly recommend this boba spot! read more

Bubble U - Lychee Green Tea with Boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Wow I honestly wasn't expecting this place to be that good! I just thought it'd be a quick and nice place to get drinks and be done with. But I was wrong. Definitely don't skip out on this place. Parking: it's mostly just metered street parking or parking at paid lots. A bit annoying but we were able to find a metered spot easily on Black Friday in the afternoon. I ordered the burn burn tea latte and it was so good! It's basically black tea with cheese foam and brûléed sugar on top I think. Definitely recommend! It wasn't too sweet and was delicious! I did adjust the sugar to 50% though. Overall definitely try this place out. I'm amazed! read more

Bubble U - Burn Burn Tea Latte and Golden Spring Fruit Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

With so many boba spots to choose from boba U was the one that caught our attention quickly. The shop itself is a bit small but there is spots for you to sit if they aren't too busy. You order on a kiosk and get to choose sweetness level and ice level. I tried the fresh passion fruit tea and it is one of my favorites, it isn't too bitter and the fresh fruit that is added are sweet. The kids cup is also something that made our littles day as it had a panda on it and it could be reused. read more

Bubble U - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Got the Mango smoothie with boba on a hot August LA day, and it made my day. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Drinks and ambiance is amazing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 10/10 would recommend. read more

I was desperate for coffee when I was in Chinatown with my friends. We looked up a spot for coffee and this happened to pop up and, well it's a boba shop but my friends wanted boba so we stopped by. I was surprised to see they had a matcha and coffee drink so I decided why the heck not. This turned out to be a really good drink. The matcha and coffee mixed well with their syrup and the oat milk. 10/10 recommend -- it also gave me my much needed caffeine boost for the day. My friends enjoyed their drinks as well-- they got different items but said it was good. If you're in the area, stop by. It's a really good boba shop. read more

Bubble U - Coffee matcha with oat milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I swear this is one of my favorite matchas ever ! But everytime there's something... I drove today thinking it was open , NOT OPEN AT ALL, even when I double checked with the hours. This happened to me before. product is good but I don't think they take it seriously. read more

Stopped by when I was hanging out in downtown after visiting Echo Park. I went on a Monday around 2:30pm, and the wait was a decent 15mins without a line. Parking is hard to find, but I got lucky with a prepaid metered spot across the street. I ordered via a self serve kiosk, if that means longer wait times? I ordered a Black Sugar MT and a Luna Matcha. The Black Sugar MT was basically their house milk tea, but with a black sugar label. Even though it was kind of a bait with the cool name, the drink tasted like something I would get in China/Taiwan - a very distinct, "traditional" (herbal?) tea taste that most boba shops don't have. It was perfect at 100% sweetness, and the cup was really high quality to a point where I decided to keep it (it was also pretty cute tbh). Although it was a little pricey, I guess it's to be expected within DTLA vicinity. The Luna Matcha had a unique name, but the matcha taste was really strong. It's layered with matcha, honey, and boba, which makes it pretty picturesque. I recall having to add milk to the matcha since it tasted strong and a little off. It had a cute design on top of the drink in the foam/cream, which again makes for a nice pic! It should be noted that their boba pearls are smaller than average, which took me by surprise. It's like the midpoint between small and big boba. Since I'm a little biased about not being a fan of boba sized below the standard, I didn't really enjoy my time consuming them, but they did have their own flavor. They were pretty soft with a chewy center, with a little bounciness to it. 4 stars since the matcha drink tasted a teeny bit off and was way too strong (had to add milk). read more

Bubble U - Luna Matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Post Howlin Ray's and their house milk tea with golden boba is must-try. 75% sweet and less ice was solid all around. Small shop, fast kiosk ordering, and out within 5 minutes. Prepare to pull up curbside with your blinkers on since parking can be rough. read more

Reviewed quite a few boba places. This one sits at top 3 in LA for me. I just feel like Bubble U is very international with making their drinks. Every one of them is hand crafted so much so it make take a little time to get your order but it's worth it. This is mainly when they're busy. I love the self service aspect of ordering and the surprise like reveal when your beverage is ready. They just come from the back and place your drink out but it still feels like a surprise lol. Only downfall is the chaos of trying to quickly park in Chinatown if that's even a thing. The street has very limited meter parking with enough red curbs to make a raging bull get angry. If you luck out, blessings upon you. If you're a boba, milk tea lover or even just need hydration go here! It's worth the trip! read more

Bubble U - Black Sugar Milk Tea with cream on top - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It's getting hot in LA and Bubble U is a perfect way to grab something to drink while walking and shopping in Chinatown. It's still the pandemic so how they are handling the orders is contactless and cashless. You can scan the QRC code in the window, order from one of the food ordering apps they support or do how i did and wait in line, order through their electronic kiosk and wait outside. You can modify your drink so that it can be dairy-free or modify the sweetness level Our order were ready around 10 minutes after placing our order. I ordered the grapefruit slush with no boba and it was extremely refreshing. I wish it came in a larger size. My niece got a berry slush with boba and said she loved the drink. Overall, the experience was 5 stars considering the circumstances. The staff are efficient and friendly as possible despite being very busy fullfilling orders for customers in line and for delivery apps. read more

See all

This was my favorite boba place for YEARS. Sadly, it is a faint shadow of what it once was. - Since the pandemic, you no longer deal with people at all, and only interact with a kiosk. - half the menu items are greyed out and unavailable at all times - they frequently get the drinks wrong. Last time the drink came without boba, this time the drinks came with jelly instead of boba - the drinks don't taste as good as they used to. Same exact orders. Different tasting drinks. - parking is almost always complete shit. There's only street parking, and the meter maids are aggressive. It's always unfortunate when a once excellent place goes to shit, but that has definitely happened at Bubble U. What a bummer. Won't return here. read more