Background: I'm from the Bay Area and have drank a lot of milk tea so I can attest if it's good or not. I ordered: - Pumpkin cream chai with boba (both iced and hot): the boba isn't soft enough to my liking but the drink itself is so delicious. The pumpkin cream is soooo good. I've never had better pumpkin cream before. - Ube monster: this is the best. You cannot adjust sweetness but it's not overly sweet. It's creamy and so yummy. Love it so much!! Don't drink them at the same time though because Ube monster has a stronger flavor so it will overpower pumpkin cream chai. I haven't had any other drinks here so cannot comment on it but definitely recommend trying those out!! The store is very clean and spacious. Service is good. read more

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FYI - Gathers does private event catering! If you're tired of having office happy hours with alcohol, Gathers is perfect! Gathers has grown quite a bit over the past year - from their original location where they shared it with the restaurant to seeing them catering at weddings and at my own work event to their new standalone place on Taylor. The new location is bright, spacious and can order items like clothing, reusable boba straws and more. Their milk teas are awesome and it's probably our favorite boba place in the city. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Drink menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This has become my new favorite spot for authentic bubble tea in the Chicago area. The tea flavors are strong and perfectly balanced with the milk in their beverages. The texture of the boba is on point - not too mushy and not too hard. Perfectly springy while delivering just the right amount of sweetness. I typically get my bubble teas without sugar as I find the toppings normally have enough sugar/syrup to sweeten the entire beverage. Service was quick and friendly. The ambiance is casual - great spot to hang out with a group of friends. Seating can become limited during peak hours so definitely keep that in mind if you plan to visit with a larger group. They also sell reusable bubble tea straws with a convenient carrying case for interested customers. Love Gathers, will definitely be back! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've raved about this place before but I wanted to add that they cater! I recently went to a wedding that had gathers tea bar boba bar and it was so good I literally had a dream about it the night after that I was able to take a bunch of leftover milk tea home from the wedding and I was so excited (idk if there were leftovers or not I left too early ). read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Counter - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love the hojicha latte from here Super strong tea flavors! Boba is chewy with the perfect amount of sweetness! I tried sesame hojicha, genmaicha, and more on different visits and I think I might just stick hojicha latte Genmaicha was a little on the watery side, not the biggest fan. Still a 5 because their hojicha is just unbeatable! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Genmaicha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So many of my friends hyped up Gathers Tea Bar to me so I knew I had to give it a try while I was visiting. The boba here definitely hit the spot and it's been awhile since I've enjoyed good boba. ASSAM BLACK MILK TEA (16 OZ.) - 5 If you are a milk tea fan, you have to get the black milk tea with tapioca during your first time to be able to rank it across all the other boba shops. +.75 here for golden boba. I got mine with 25% sugar and 0% ice. I wish I got it with 0% sugar since the golden boba have been previously sweetened with brown sugar. So the drink was a bit too sweet for me by the end. Overall, the tea really shined through and it was super fragrant. I'd definitely get this again. I wonder what kind of tea they use here. Service was nice and friendly. The interior is minimal and chic. UIC students have it good with Gathers close to their campus. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Gathers is one of my favorite spots in Chicago. The quality of their fruit and milk tea is unmatched. While they always offer seasonal specials, I'm a huge fan of their Hong Kong milk tea. The staff is consistently helpful, and the atmosphere is always relaxed. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Orange strawberry jasmine tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The best boba spot in Chicago! Highly recommend. My faves are the roasted oolong boba milk tea 75% sweet, strawberry lychee green tea QQ (boba + lychee jelly) 50% sweet, and the newer strawberry cream matcha. My husband likes those too and the strawberry lychee fruit tea with oolong tea read more

I was really craving a good matcha. I came by here after looking at the reviews online. Ended up getting a mango matcha latte with the least amount of sugar (aka smallest amount of mango puree). The tea was really good. The matcha was strong and smooth. I was skeptical about how much mango I would taste, but it surprisingly it was just enough. It's a little out of the way from the main areas of Chicago, but if you need a good matcha fix, it's a good option. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Mango Matcha Latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped by Gathers Tea Bar and really enjoyed the experience. The tea selection is unique and flavorful, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Cozy spot to relax or catch up with a friend. read more

This is more of a grab and go place. Limited benches, loud music and a crowd of people. I got the mango matcha which was delicious and came out around $9 after tax. The place is worth stopping by if you're close in the area, but nothing special to drive to if you're farther away. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Mango matcha (upgraded to size large) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This easily my favorite place to get boba whenever I'm in the area. My favorite is their hk style milk tea. I usually prefer less sugar for boba but because it's set to the flavor, I couldn't adjust the sugar level but it's still really good. They have a great variety of tea selection and I love the ayu jelly! Everyone is very nice and the service is fast. Definitely recommend if you're in the area. read more

This is a great spot for matcha boba! The Genmaicha milk tea features a brown rice tea - not as milky as I would've liked so if you're looking for a light drink, this is a good pick. I personally won't get it again, not my fav! The matcha latte was good and the matcha latte mango was so yummy! I definitely want to try more of the matcha drinks next time! read more

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I've been having some not as great experiences lately/: I'm not sure if it's new hires so the drinks aren't as strong or if they are being told to make it this way. It's been quite inconsistent over the past month (my family comes at least once a week). There are days where the matcha is the same as it has always been - strong, flavorful, best in the region. Then there are days where the drink seems so watered down. Especially when a drink is upwards of $8 - you can see why this is incredibly disappointing. My sister recently just ordered me a matcha strawberry with oat milk. When she came home we realized they had made it wrong and it was whole milk. This was frustrating because we could not call in to inform them (there's no phone number) and we had to go all the way back to the store. When we got there the workers were not mean about it but the customer service was just not as stellar as before. They remade the drink but didn't go out their way to provide the best service. They could have explained what happened and apologized or even asked if anyone in my party wanted to keep the other matcha (it was full still). The worst part of it was the matcha with oat we received was sooo mild that I wasn't sure if they just skimped out on the matcha because they didn't want to remake it/: hopefully Gathers will become more consistent again so everyone can love it as much I do. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Match milk substitute with oat and add golden boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Honestly the best matcha drink I've ever had. I came in right before a rush, but my drink was served quickly. Very cute cafe, definitely coming back to try out over drinks! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Strawberry oat milk matcha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tried this place back when they were just the front half of Hana Sushi Chinese and Thai Restaurant. Definitely a small space for them to work out of since they were takeout only, but they were slinging in my opinion the best boba in Chicago. So happy this place finally outgrew that and opened up their storefront! There's always concern when a place moves to a new location on whether or not the quality will go down, but can gladly say when I swung by this place during their grand opening weekend that it's still going strong! The space itself is nice and pretty laidback to just sit around and chat with some friends on the benches inside. My go-to order has always been the hojicha latte with oat milk and golden boba. 50% sweetness is my preference though I know my brother prefers 75%. I will occasionally add grass jelly too which makes for a really nice texture. 10/10 would recommend swinging by this place. I've heard recently that they've had to temporarily switch boba suppliers so the boba is now slightly smaller and a different texture. I will definitely have to check it out next time I'm back, but honestly the quality of the teas they use for the boba also gives it a step up. I'm sure the boba itself is still great! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Hojicha Latte w/ Oat Milk + Golden Boba, 50% sweetness - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

No dine in setup. The strawberry cream matcha was 9/10 With a nice tart taste. Hojicha latte with Konako cream 8/10 Really good and well blended lighter expresso. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My favorite boba place in Chicago. It's pricey but the tea quality can't be beat. I will say that your drink quality might depend on the person who is working that day though. I have had misses from Gathers before, but there's been times where the drink was superb. Some of my favorites are the Thai tea, the genmaicha, and the hojicha. I always get 50% sugar and it's perfect. The boba is also perfectly chewy and sweet. Inside the shop there's a lot of cute backgrounds for you to take pictures with your drink and friends. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Time and time again it's always 5 stars! So happy they finally moved to their own location( which allows more foot traffic and for us to sit down and enjoy the tea and use bathroom :) I've seen the growth of this cafe from when they first opened in the middle do pandemic in 2020 till how big it's grown now in popularity and size. I'm the biggest matcha fan and hands down this is the best matcha in Chitown! So grassy, earthy and rich! You can tell the quality and care that goes into making the drinks! I am so happy for gathers matcha. Now even more reason to make it a special place to meet up friends! read more

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I tried the banana milk, 75% sweet, with oat milk and golden boba. This place definitely deserves the five stars. The flavor combination was unique and reminiscent of Korean banana milk but with their own rum caramel twist, kinda like bananas foster. I wish I had to opportunity to try some other flavors which also seem to get rave reviews. One minor critique is their boba was a little too soft at the beginning and was not particularly sweet or flavorful. There was a small bar area with stools for seating but otherwise this is not a place to gather with friends or do work. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Large banana milk with golden boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

About a 2-2.5: Gathers Tea Bar is located inside Hana Sushi Chinese & Thai; when you go up the few steps into the eatery, you just place your order with the cashier to your left. There are a few seats in the front, but the 'waiting area' is super tight if there is a line. If you get a little claustrophobic, you can wait outside. The menu includes traditional tea, fruit tea, matcha lattes, milk teas, and various toppings (golden boba, custard pudding, grass jelly, aiyu jelly, lychee jelly, chia seeds, and/or sea salt cream) - you can customize your drinks to having it 0% to 100% sweetness, where 100% is the default sweetness. After having a meal in the area, I decided to stop by to grab a drink to go - I ordered the Brown Sugar Assam Black Milk Tea, iced, with 100% sweetness. The drink itself was just okay - I think it was more brown sugar syrup-heavy with the milk, and I didn't really taste any of the tea. Staff here were friendly and welcoming, and drinks were made to order. There's limited street parking around the area. +more syrup- and milk-heavy +friendly staff +street parking around the block read more

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Favorite milk tea spot in Chicago! Loveee the rose milk tea drinks from Gathers, tried the limited time Rose black milk tea at 50% sweet which was perfect sweetness for me. The boba was a bit too soft/mushy for my liking so I think next time I would go without. My only complaint is that I like to order drinks without ice since I am a slow drinker and don't want the drink to be watered down, I requested no ice and they notably didn't fill my cup all the way without a heads up, slightly bothersome when I'm already paying $7+ for a drink. I've been to other places that do that, but usually with a heads up that it won't be full. Overall I think the drink quality is good and I will be back! Drinks: 5/5 Price: 4/5 Service: 5/5 read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Rose Black Milk Tea + Roasted Oolong Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First timer! Had the Matcha brown sugar boba and it was delicious. I love everything matcha and boba and my go to is normally brown sugar- the combo of all the flavors was Devine. It's hard to know which boba place to pick when you are near Chinatown because there are so many options. I saw a TikTok and knew I had to check this place out. It did not disappoint. I ordered on a tablet and my order was ready quickly. I will definitely be back! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Only giving 4 out of 5 stars because the cost was over $11 for a small drink and staff wasn't friendly. Had the specialty strawberry cream matcha latte with oat milk, 50% sugar and tapioca beads. It was delicious! read more

Good quality milk tea & boba. You can taste the tea. Definitely one of my favorite milk tea spots I've had in a long time. I got the roasted oolong milk tea and the Longan honey jasmine milk tea with their golden boba. read more

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Visiting friends and wanted some bubble tea. Found this place close by and can't wait to visit again! Parking: street! Location: small building and it's inside of a restaurant. As soon as you walk in, it's the front part and the restaurant is the back part. Service: great! Drink was created quickly. I got a black sugar milk tea. It was just as expected. Great to go with friends or for a quick stop! Enjoy! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The other 5 star reviews say it all. This spot is one of the best boba spots in Chicago. The boba is chewy and soft. I would recommend the Rose Tieguanyin, with less sweetness (i think 75% is great). The service is helpful and friendly. The ambiance is alright. It's a grab and go place with no seating inside. I think the inside seating area closed for covid, and it remains closed. I would come here all the time if I lived closer. read more

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I first visited Gathers Tea Bar when they had just opened, back in 2018 or 2019. It's been amazing to see how much they've grown over the years. I recently went back to try their matcha drinks, and I absolutely love their strawberry matcha. The mango matcha is incredible too. They're much busier now that they have their own store on Taylor St., but the service is still fast, and the ambiance is lively with college students hanging out. Although I don't live in the city anymore, I make it a point to get their drinks whenever I can. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Strawberry matcha latte with golden boba; mango matcha latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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OMG Gathers take my money!! Is my go to for matcha drinks, I love it here they are nice and attentive so I have no complains, I know at times there's a wait but I am happy to see others also enjoy the teas. I've had the matcha and also de hojicha drinks. If you drive, there might not be parking but your wait won't be long. Give them a try, I definitely recommend. read more

Hands down one of the best boba places in Chicago and a place I actually frequent. My go tos are the Hong Kong style, genmaicha, or oolong milk tea with the sea salt cream topping. The new stand alone shop is very cute and clean; seating area is just a bit awkward and basically along the window and walls. Service is pretty quick and staff overall are friendly! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Genmaicha Milk Tea with Sea Salt Cream Topping - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been here dozens of times, in my opinion the best Japanese-style milk teas in Chicago; their matcha, as well as genmaicha/hojicha are excellent and the latter are very rare elsewhere. The standard Assam teas are bold and tea-forward, while I find the fruit teas good if unremarkable. Pricing is quite reasonable and long but quick moving lines will form at busy hours. read more

Updated: Thank you for taking the time to respond, but I want to be honest -- your reply didn't address how hurt and uncomfortable I felt. I've been a loyal customer for a long time, and I truly love your drinks, especially the jasmine milk tea with golden boba. Even yourself said that you made drinks with specification of the other. But recently, I've experienced comments and behavior from your staff that felt personally targeted and unkind. Hearing things like "OOF good luck" and being called a "picky bitch" -- even if behind the counter -- is incredibly inappropriate, especially when it's clearly about my order. Whether or not it was intentional, it made me feel unwelcome and disrespected. I didn't share this to attack anyone, but to give honest feedback as someone who has supported your shop. I was hoping for accountability, not a defense of the staff or a dismissal of what I experienced. A simple apology and assurance that it would be looked into more seriously would have gone a long way. Respect should go both ways -- I've never been rude or aggressive with your team. I just like my drink a certain way and expect to be treated kindly, like any other guest. Instead, I was responded with "you were vocal". Did you mean I asked nicely for it to be redone? The staff specifically told me to ask for the drink to be remake if it wasn't done right. Thank you for reading. I hope things improve going forward. read more

Best Strawberry Matcha in the City. Supper quick max wait 5-10 minute wait. Very clean, simple, and organized.

Generational Falloff :/ I've been going to Gathers for about 2 years at this point, and I was pretty excited for them getting even more popular since they started trending. Long lines aside, I hadn't had any issues with their drinks - literal perfection everytime that I was more than willing to spend $8.39 on that large strawberry matcha latte any day of the week. However, it's pretty clear they've had a ~huge~ falloff in their quality. The last three times I've been (once in late May and twice in June) have literally been below subpar (bordering horrendous) , and it's been continuously getting worse. In my May visit (strawberry matcha latte), I noticed a stray piece of powder or two - nothing unusual at your avg matcha joint tbh, but weird for Gathers. I didn't take any pics of that since it was still very much fine. My last two visits (June 13th + 24th) were much worse. On the 13th, my whole drink (mango matcha latte) was unmixed, noticeably more bitter, and much lighter in color (see video with flash vs. reference pic of strawberry matcha latte) and on the 24th, it was lowkey undrinkable (video without flash) because of how unbelievably unmixed the drink was. I went during a rush on the 13th and went in on the 24th when the place was basically empty, so it's definitely a difference in matcha quality, barista effort, or both. Overall, pretty disappointed that a business I really liked for so long has decided to pull the stereotypical route of lowering their quality in light of a new wave of business. It's so noticeable how all of the locals + UIC students I used to see here almost everytime are no longer going ‍. I don't think anyone could've paid ME to drink what I had to on the 24th Get it together, Gathers. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - reference pic to before the flop - on April 12, my strawberry matcha latte was perfect and the color was noticeably deeper - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love gathers!! It's one of my favorite places to get boba in the city and I can't believe it's taken me until now to give them a review. They can literally take all my money!! I love how friendly and helpful the owner and staff can be. I think it's so nice how the owner helps craft his drinks for customers making it a homey sense feel to the business. Also love the fact tax is included when you purchase in store! My favorite drink to get is the strawberry matcha latte which is definitely a crowd favorite as well! I also really enjoy the hong kong style milk tea on its authentic taste. The thai tea is uniquely spiced which is so fun to have. I also enjoy their hojicha milk tea in its flavor as you rarely see boba places have on their menu. The one thing I wish was permanent was their St. Patrick's drink! It was the mint thai green tea and was super refreshing with actual mint leaves, I hope they bring it back the next year for the holiday. I'm slowly trying to try their whole menu as it seems every drink to always be well made. I'm one of their biggest fans and I hope to continue supporting them despite not being on campus anymore. I can't wait until they're able to have a whole store on their own! read more

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My family tried a variety of drinks and everything was amazing. My matcha was 10/10. The ube latte was probably the best I've ever had, it tasted exactly like the Filipino ube ice cream. Not too busy when we got there and the self ordering kiosks made the lines easier. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Matcha latte, chai latte, Thai tea, ube latte, mango passionfruit tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great milk teas and really good matcha. The 2 things that I really enjoy are the matcha cream strawberry latte and the brow sugar milk tea with their sea salt caramel foam. Service is good and ambiance is nice. The only thing that would be nice is a chance to order online. Maybe they have it but every time I want to use it, it doesn't work. read more

Outstanding bubble tea program, unapologetically tea forward with the classics and creative with others. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A great boba place that has unique options and is consistently good every time. Drinks: We got the Black Sesame Hojicha Latte and Black Sesame Matcha Latte. The Black Sesame Hojicha Latte has a nice blend of tea flavor with the sweet nuttiness of the sesame. We got it with the oat milk option but surprisingly the oat milk doesn't overpower the drink so that you can enjoy the original drink flavor. The Black Sesame Matcha Latte isn't as sweet and the matcha has a more overpowering earthy taste without tasting like grass. Both drinks are nicely balanced and have depths of flavor. Service: there are two touch screen kiosks where you can contemplate and take your time choosing your drink options. You can watch them make your drinks in the and the drinks come out super fast. Ambiance: there are some places to sit and enjoy your drinks. It can get a bit loud given that the sitting area is relatively next to the counter. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Absolutely delicious drinks here! It's a small tea shop close to UIC in the Taylor street area; and a welcome addition at that. The black sesame latte is wonderful. It's not super sweet and it has a nice, slightly bitter flavor that's really lovely. Get it with the cheese foam--the cream and the nuttiness of the sesame go together so well. read more