I am a milk tea fan and have tried so many different apps around the city from UniUni on Argyle to Elite Boba in the Chinatown basement. Nothing compares to Gathers. I'm a student at UIC so I'm there all the time these days. The workers behind the counter are always kind even when they're super busy and a couple of them know me by order The space feels nice and modern although there's not much seating inside (never a problem for my Togo orders). What I'm really here to say though is their matcha is unlike any I've had before. I have never had a matcha drink that didn't make me wish I was chewing on grass until I came to Gathers. I get matcha almost every day there now. I would say that if you don't like matcha, you can't say it for sure until you've tried this matcha. My partner who hated all tea even enjoyed some of my drink for once read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Matcha mango cream, large, 50% sweetness - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My family went in the store on 11/22/2025 and was physically assaulted by another customer and the staff did not do anything to protect or help my family. A woman punched my son in his face several times and spit on him while the staff did nothing. This place is not safe. I tried calling them several times today to get a video of the assault to go to the police station but they don't answer the phone. Completely unacceptable and very scary. read more

Absolutely love love love this place!!!! My favorite drink is the strawberry fruit tea, it's literally cheaper than a Starbucks refresher and so much better in flavor and quality. There are some tables where you can sit for a while and relax. I love to stop by Gathers when I'm feeling really stressed--being here is so soothing for some reason. All of the employees are so nice and give great recommendations, but you can order from a self-service kiosk if you feel more comfortable that way! Really really recommend this place!! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Strawberry fruit tea!!! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my favorite boba place and I'm so happy that they have a nicer location now. (It's the old Pokeology place near UIC that didn't last very long.) It's worth the wait and I find that their tea has a distinct taste. There's enough space to stand/sit to wait for your order now and there's AC. Definitely worth visiting. read more

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I've been to a lot of boba places in my life (both in Chicago and elsewhere), and I can safely say that Gathers falls within my top 3 of all time. It's the best boba place I've tried in all of Chicago. I'm very serious when I say that if you live close by or are visiting, give it a try. Last time I went, Gathers was still at its old location, sharing a joint space with Hana Sushi Chinese & Thai, (and I didn't have a Yelp account yet), but it seems it's since moved to a different spot on the same street. The interior is well-lit, aesthetically pleasing, and cozy, with seating around the edges. Gathers excels in the milk tea department. Over the course of a year, I've tried their Rose Tieguanyin Oolong Milk tea, their Genmaicha Green Milk Tea, their Hojicha Green Milk tea (one of my favorites), their Peach Oolong Milk tea (another favorite), and their Hong Kong-style Milk tea (yet another favorite). They truly never disappoint. Their milk teas are extremely fragrant, with a strong tea flavor (but not overwhelmingly bitter); you can just taste that they're brewed with high-quality tea leaves. I got 50% sweet, and the ratios of everything (sugar, milk/cream, ice, etc.) were just perfect - not too bitter, not too sweet, cold but not watered down, etc. (To be fair, I'm not as much of a fruit tea person, so I can't speak to the quality of their fruit teas - my friend ordered one once and I tried a sip of her drink; it was good, but not anything groundbreaking). Their golden boba is also exceptional. My partner said it was the best boba, texture-wise, that he's ever had. It's so sweet and chewy - it's just a little sweeter than the drink, and it has a very pleasant bite to it without being undercooked. Highly recommend. The only downside to Tuesday's visit was that we came around 8 and they had run out of golden boba for the day. Still, our drinks (my Hojicha Milk tea and my partner's Hong Kong Style Milk tea) were good enough to make my day. Long live Gathers! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Hong Kong Style Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Crystal Boba, Hojicha Green Milk Tea with Aiyu Jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love love love this milk tea spot. It could be my favorite milk tea I've had anywhere and I have milk tea pretty often. I came here three times in the week I was visiting Chicago. I got three different drinks: Ube Monster: This drink is amazing!!! I ordered this twice. The flavor is so unique and strong. The cream they put on top is so good. I love creamy milk tea and this drink could not be any better. Pumpkin Cream Chi (hot): It was cold out so I decided to order this drink hot for .50 extra. I really loved the flavor. The chi tea is really flavorful you get great hints of cinnamon in every sip. The yummy cream/foam they put on top is sooo tasty. Only downside is the drink was more lukewarm rather than hot. Pumpkin Cream Chi (cold): Decided to try the cold version of this drink too since the flavor of the hot one was so good. It was great! Same great flavors just iced. I got it with the brown sugar crystal boba. Service was pretty good. Did not interact with them much. Just took my order and gave it to me but no complaints. They have a small indoor seating area. Not a lot of room for people but it's nice and bright and clean. I 100% loved this place and I would come here every week if i lived here. read more

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Finally a place with good Hong Kong style milk tea in this city! If getting it cold, I'd suggest go light on this ice otherwise the flavors gets diluted! Would definitely be back to try their other teas when I'm next in the area! It seems they're a quality vs quantity place which is hard to find with bubble teas these days! read more

the best boba place in chicago!!!! came in from out of town for labor day weekend and did A LOT of research to figure out which boba places to try and this one really stood out to me due to their variety of teas and how they brew it fresh. this place is near the university and little italy and i think the street its on is so charming. there's only street parking but i never had an issue finding somewhere to park. the shop itself is also very minimal and aesthetic. theres plenty of space and benches/counters to sit at to wait for your drink or chat with a friend. the first time we came here i ordered online and just went to pick up our drinks. we got a peach oolong tea with 25% sweetness and aiyu jelly. the peach oolong was perfectly sweetened but their aiyu jelly was personally a bit too soft for me. the flavor was on point but i couldnt get past the texture, as it just melted when i ate it (rather than having a bit of a bite). my boyfriend got the earl gray milk tea with boba and liked his drink but felt like the milk tea didnt have enough of that bergamot/floral earl gray flavor as other places. their boba was really good though, cooked perfectly with the right amount of qq! the second time around we went into the store to order. they just have two ordering tablets at the register so maybe just order online to save time since it's the same thing lol. this time i got a strawberry matcha latte with oat milk 50% sweetness and boba. i read so many reviews raving about the matcha here so of course i had to try it before leaving, and it did not disappoint! 50% sweetness was perfect and the matcha and strawberry balanced each other perfectly so i could taste both flavors. their boba was also good this time so it's pretty consistent! this time my boyfriend got the roasted oolong milk tea with sea salt cream and boba and loved it. the roasted oolong flavor was strong without being overpowering or bitter and their sea salt cream was the perfect salty creaminess. everything here that we got was great and we would highly recommend it to anyone visiting or living in chicago. i drink a lot of boba (specifically socal boba lol) and this was definitely one place that stood its ground! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - matcha strawberry latte with oat milk & boba roasted oolong milk tea with sea salt cream & boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super clean environment! I love how they have the kiosk so you can customize it and it was very simple. Super delicious boba! read more

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

I looove this boba shop! It's a new favorite for me & I will definitely have to go back to try the other popular drinks. I got the strawberry matcha latte and it was so creamy and it wasn't too sweet for my liking. The interior is so simple and cute and they have the prettiest neon sign "boba is always better with friends" read more

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a true diamond in the rough. we got the mango passionfruit fruit tea and it was good. there were a looooooot of people though and finding parking was not super easy. read more

Such a cute place, was pretty packed but service was really fast for how many people were there. Waited maybe 5-10 minutes with 20 other people there at 8 pm on a Friday. I've been looking for a boba place in Chicago for a year now and none of them have lived up to my expectations. This is probably some of the best boba and matcha I've had in years! 11/10 would recommend! So happy I found it. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Mango matcha milk tea with golden boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's ridiculous how good this place is!! I got the matcha mango drink with grass jelly and it was DELISH. The sesame hojita is also really yummy and has a nice nutty flavor too. Everything is not too sweet read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Black sesame hojita + Matcha mango - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Okay so their thai tea is delicious! Boba is a must! It's not extremely sweet like other Thai Teas and you have the option of doing half and half or oat milk. read more

10/10 I love gathers and usually order the black sesame matcha which always fulfills my matcha cravings haha an amazing drink Today my cousin and I forgot to add boba into our order and we were bummed that we messed up, but one of the workers, Kimmy, noticed and offered to give us free boba to put into our drinks. Amazing customer service! Made my day! Thank you Kimmy! read more

Great place to gather with friends & family for unique and/ or traditional Taiwanese tea drinks and boba. Highest quality ingredients mean a higher price point than your average boba joint but then again this ain't your average tea shop. Well worth the 40 minute round trip to savor flavors and flavor profiles you cannot find elsewhere in the city. Well done, Peter! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Black sesame hojicha w/ oat & grass jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've heard of this place for a bit, but I haven't tried this until recently. I ordered a matcha latte in Chinatown's fair and it was decent. It was a little pricy for the size, but the tea wasn't bad. The boba was really chewy which I liked the texture of it. I felt like I tasted some powder with my tea, so I'm not where that was from, but it could've been the matcha too. My experience is solely based on Chinatown fair & customer service was really nice. I'll go in and try them eventually and do a full service one or something. For what it's worth, there were a ton of people waiting for their drinks, so I'll def go back and try this again in sometime. I'll give it a 4/5. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Matcha Latte w/ boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love this place, everything is homemade from the syrups to the foams and other toppings. The strawberry matcha cream is amazing. I don't even really like bubble teas but I love this place. read more

Best tasting matcha in Chicago really close to highway exits and entrance, next to uic campus as well 10/10 experience. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Matcha strawberry latte & strawberry refresher - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is one of my top spots for bubble tea in chicago. I definitely come out of my way to get boba from here, everything is so high quality and the flavor is great. My personal favorite is the black sesame matcha, but nothing I've gotten here has ever disappointed. It is for pick-up only, but there's plenty of nice spots to hang out in around the area to drink your boba. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - rose hojicha milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my favorite boba place in Chicago. Pricier than other places but you can really taste the quality, and I like the unique teas they offer. They recently moved out of Hana restaurant and got their own space just down the street. Favorites have been the HK milk tea, earl grey milk tea, and the black sesame hojicha latte. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Black sesame hojicha latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I wish I had tried Gathers much sooner but better late than never! Hands down one of the best bubble tea places in Chicago! I was a little confused when I first went looking for the store. It's located inside Hana Sushi. Parking is street parking, I never had problems finding a spot. Gathers does not have a place to sit and sip, just know it's a place where you pick up and go. Pro tip: order ahead online and you can skip the line! So far I tried the Passion fruit green tea and mango/passionfruit green tea with lychee jelly (75% sweetness, light ice) and the flavors bring me back to Taiwan. If you like a roasted nutty flavor, try the Roasted Oolong milk tea (75% sweetness, light ice) with golden boba. If you like a more milky flavor then try the Hojicha milk tea. It is so hard to order just one drink. I usually get 2-3 drinks, I save a fruit tea for the next day :). Also, I must add that they do a wonderful job catering too! I tried a brown sugar hojicha milk tea with golden boba and it won my taste buds over! I would highly recommend a boba bar at your next big event! Thank you to Gathers for the reusuable boba straw for Christmas! To sum it up: 5 stars for quality and 5 stars for service! read more

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I love Gathers, and have gotten many of the offerings (Jasmine milk tea, banana milk, and mango green tea are my favorites). The only drawback is that the milk teas say they are made with a dairy-free creamer, but I was recently informed by an employee that it's not dairy free (it contains whey). It may be lactose free or something. I cut out dairy for health reasons, so I asked for a substitution of oat milk (as they do with the banana milk) and they were happy to do it the first time. I came back another time and they were very hesitant to allow the substitution, saying that it's only for latte teas. The cashier ended up asking a bobarista if it would work and they did it for me, but it made me feel uncomfortable to ask in the future if they won't allow it (it's also not an option on the kiosk). I understand they want to maintain the integrity of flavor, mouth feel, etc. but it's frustrating they mis-label the milk teas as dairy-free if they're not dairy-free. Just something to be aware of, going into it. I still love this place. If you have no dairy issues, this is definitely the boba place to visit in Chicago! read more

Gathers is my favorite boba shop in all of America! I could give this place 10 stars if I can. What makes this place special is how rich, creamy and flavorful every milk tea drink is. I personally love my milk tea more creamy, so I thought these drinks were perfect. The Hojicha milk tea is my all-time favorite drink. The strong, roasted tea flavor is unlike any other boba I've had. The pearls are very soft with a good chew to them, and they're always warm and slightly sweet. I've also tried the matcha latte (one of the best matcha lattes I've had, sweetness perfect at 70%), the Assam black tea (solid choice, tastes as expected) and the Black Sugar milk tea (sweet and creamy!). Every drink has been flawless. From the quality of the drinks themselves to the friendly staff who always bring your order out to you directly, I have only had positive experiences here. Even though I no longer live in the area, I always try to come back time every time I have the opportunity to visit Chicago. I find myself craving their delicious, quality drinks. I want to move back to Chicago just so I can come here more often. I want these drinks at my wedding. This is how much I love this place. read more

I came to Gather's Grand Opening day 2 for their new location on Sunday, May 21! They opened right next to Edible Arrangements and what used to be Pokiology. They gave out free metal boba straws for the first 150 customers each day of their grand opening. In my initial review, I mentioned that I wish they had more seating, and now do! So glad Gather's has a new, bigger space. I got the Strawberry Matcha Latte today with 25% Sweetness and Golden Boba! So good and fresh! Hands down my favorite boba spot in Chicago! :') read more

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Absolutely LOVE Gathers. I don't go anywhere else for boba because theirs is the best. And as a matcha aficionado, I can tell you their matcha is authentic, great quality, and made deliciously! Service is always great, and I feel calmer as soon as I walk inside read more

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

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AMAZING. FAB. BOUGHT ANOTHER TWO DRINKS FOR THE NEXT DAY ON THE SPOT. This reminds me of Chi Cha San Chen but they have options other than whole milk so I can actually drink the dang drinks :,) When we got our two extra drinks, I told the barista that I loved their drinks so much that they were for us to drink again the next morning. When he heard that he immediately asked if he could re-prepare them without ice so they wouldn't be watered down. He also topped off the drinks after removing the ice and sealed the tops with plastic so we had no danger of spilling. Customer service is above and beyond. Get 50% sweetness to begin with because this place is on the sweeter side and they can always add more. Love that you can taste the real tea thru the milk!! As for DA DRANKS, the ranking goes 1. Black sesame matcha: SHEESH DIS MATCHA GOOD (10/10) 2. Hong Kong Style Milk Tea: reminds me of home. So thick. So full. So fragrant. (9/10) note: has evaporated milk and minimum sugar is 50% which is what I would advise. 3. Green Oolong Milk Tea: very good!! (8/10) 4. Assam Milk Tea (7/10) read more

Nothing but good things to say about gathers. Its my favorite boba shop in Chicago. The milk teas are very tea forward so you know its the real deal and when I went into the shop I saw the they got a teaspresso machine which I have not seen others use. Also whats not mentioned enough is their milk cap. Even tho its like 1.25 its the smoothest, creamiest one ive had outside of california. 10/10 recommend Their interior just got a huge update with moving down the street and its super modern/classic. They do have very limited seating so its more of a to go place. read more

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

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The absolute BEST milk tea and boba in Chicagoland. If you know, you know. My wife and I live in the northern suburbs but we will make the drive down just to come here. My wife loves the jasmine green milk tea, and I usually switch it up between the assam black, genmaicha, hojicha, and roasted oolong. All amazing! I've also tried one of their seasonal drinks right now, the hojicha latte with oat milk, and it is excellent. The boba texture and taste are both perfect, and they keep everyone updated via Instagram Stories if they've run out of boba and when the next batch will be ready. The owner, Peter, really knows his stuff and is obviously passionate about his craft. I've never been disappointed with any of his recommendations. My wife and I love it, our friends love it, and you will love it. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Roasted oolong milk tea with lychee jelly. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So I originally found this place because I was looking for highest rated coffee spot, but they do not serve coffee whatsoever, no espresso, however, that is not to take away from this place. They have truly excellent Matcha, chai and other teas. I just tried one and it was really good. read more

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

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BANANA MILK!!! That's all I need to say. Average wait time and very cute storefront. Staff is very friendly. Would recommend if you're in the neighborhood! read more

Beautiful and delicious teas! This place is pricey but worth the splurge if you love your Asian teas. Gather is located inside Hana restaurant and the service was very hardworking and friendly. Online ordering is pretty simple but note that none of the teas come with boba on their own so you have to add that if you want. The prices include tax. Even if you order ahead you may have to wait a couple minutes when you get there. Tip: it's only a dollar to make it bigger so order bigger and split with someone else. read more

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

The best boba in Chicago. All the teas are high quality and freshly brewed. You can't go wrong here but I really enjoy the roasted oolong milk tea and the genmaicha. Genmaicha is not a common flavor you find at boba shops and the toasty notes are so delicious. Their fruit teas are also very refreshing especially on a hot summer day. If you're looking to try something new they usually have seasonal drinks. I'm not usually a fan of orange flavor but their seasonal orange drinks were amazing! read more

Gather's Tea Bar is a small place and no place to sit but we enjoyed our tea on the go. Fair prices and good service. A sign does advise that hot teas take a bit longer. Free straw for cold tea with boba with any order over $20. That was nice. Wish my hot tea was hotter but the grass jelly probably wouldn't tolerate that. read more

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So happy this place is down the street from my job! Lemme just say... WOW! This is like next level boba. You can definitely taste the quality in this place compared to others. Black sesame matcha latte: So im already crazy addicted to matcha but I've never had black sesame milk tea so I wanted to give it a try. I would give this flavor a 4/5. When they say it gives it a nutty flavor, they are not kidding. Tasted so rich and nutty but I'm not sure I would order it again. It was still good! Overall quality: My 5 star rating stems from my impression on the quality. My order consisted of whole milk, 100% sweetness, with boba added. Their boba is brown compared to the traditional black color. Drinking it, I noticed the boba are smaller too. The quality of the boba was amazing too! Super soft and fresh. The matcha... AMAZING. I think it was worth the $6. Also, I normally like my boba sweet but even with 100% sweetness, it wasn't that sweet. I still enjoyed it though. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Black sesame matcha latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a relatively small establishment with a store front that you will easily miss if you don't look carefully- look for a group of people hanging around on the sidewalk in case you're having a hard time finding it like I was, chances are that's Gathers. Right now, they have you place your order inside (masked) and then wait outside- one of their staff members will bring out your order when it's ready. They're quite busy and it took between 5-10 minutes for my drink to be ready. Their teas are legitimately good and their menu isn't overwhelming like some of their bubble tea places. I tried the black sesame matcha bubble tea and added tapioca and grass jelly. They have the option of either whole milk or oat milk, which I've yet to encounter at another place but I think is cool they give non-dairy alternatives. I went with 25% sugar since I often find bubble teas to be sickeningly sweet. However, their green tea flavor is very potent so the sweetness wasn't as noticeable so I probably would go for 50% sweetness next time. To be honest, the black sesame wasn't my favorite but I could tell the quality of the drink, bubbles and grass jelly were top notch and freshly made. I will definitely return to try their other drinks! read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Black sesame bubble tea with tapioca and grass jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Drinks were good and pricing is not bad. Service was good. It's street parking so keep that in mind.

SO HAPPY to see one of my favorite drinks, osmanthus oolong tea, on the menu!! It is a rarity at boba shops and hard to find one with a strong floral flavor but Gathers does it really well. read more

Gathers Tea Bar - Osmanthus oolong milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

really good! i ordered the strawberry matcha and it was nice. the strawberries were super fresh. read more

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

Really good authentic boba! The tapioca was chewy and the tea was flavorful! In a great spot for a quick boba pick me up!!! read more

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