I love that they have a decent selection of fruit teas. They also let you adjust the sugar level on…read morethe fruit teas (not the milk tea) -- I like that flexibility. I'm not a huge fan of boba so I'm glad they have grass jelly. Though, I will say their grass jelly is much more dense than other bubble tea spots I've been -- Verdict is still up on how I feel about that. I had the sunset (strawberry & lychee) and double melon (watermelon and winter melon) fruit teas with 25 % sugar. Next time I'll try the sunset with 0% sugar because that was still very sweet. I'm thankful that we have another decent bubble tea spot in Des Moines. Im looking forward to trying all their fruit tea flavors.

I just think it is weird they don't have just normal tea? I…read moreasked if I could please have an iced oolong or black tea without milk added and she said it'd pre mixed in so they don't do that here.

My Windsor Heights Ocha location has been seeing a little less traffic lately... My guess is it's…read morebecause the choices for boba are increasing on the West side and in the metro in general. This will always by my go to spot! My daughter and I both prefer it to any of the others... New or old. Absolutely love Aom and Nick (the owners) and the staff is always great here! The Hokkaido with less ice, 50% sugar, and with coffee jelly is my standard order. It's so good I can't see that ever changing...and I sure hope I never have to change it up. Aom and Nick also own Eat Thai up on 22nd and an Ocha location in Ankeny! Check out their expanded dessert menu too!

It tasted like waffles with toppings, which are good, but it was mid and super over-priced…read more Wouldn't recommend

On the surface it looks like it would alright at the bare minimum, but it's actually just a tacky…read morerestaurant trying to come off as modern and preppy. Kiosks asked for my phone number and/or email 3+ times, the bathrooms were not well put together at all, it took 15 minutes for them to put together a couple small ice creams that cost me TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS. They were painfully MIIIIIIIIID. Service members didn't even acknowledge me either. Do not recommend at all, stay away.

Decent boba shop by Drake University. They are currently doing "takeout only", but there's three…read moresmall tables inside to wait for your drink. If you are ordering with credit card, there's self service kiosks now! There is a cashier available too if you're paying by cash. + Ube Latte: This was just okay. The ube paste was very grainy and the drink was overall kind of bland. The egg pudding was also pretty basic and did not have a strong egg flavor or sweetness to it. + G Dragon: Fresh red grapefruit slices and dragonfruit bits! The green tea is fragrant too. Pretty good at 0% sugar even!

1/19/26 5:00 p.m…read more Walk-in Food: The selection available here is outstanding! Between the drink options and the general store merchandise, there is so much to look at; so many new things to try. My go-to was an iced Thai milk tea with boba, but I recently tried the taro milk tea and now I'm hooked lol. This last visit, I had my daughter with me and she asked if they had a regular chocolate shake (they don't), but the employee that was taking our order was incredibly sweet and helped us pick out something that would work. She made a chocolate banana shake and just omitted the banana, as well as added frozen strawberries on top for my daughter; it was delicious. One of my favorite things to get as well is the matcha mochi; I'm so glad they carry them! Service: Every time we've been in, the employees are wonderful. We're greeted with a smile and positive attitude as well as patience. They are quick and efficient when preparing your order. This last visit, one incredibly sweet employee even came out to give my daughter quarters (from her own wallet) for the claw machine. She most definitely went above and beyond :) Ambiance: It's quaint and cozy inside. It's pretty well organized and kept very clean. There aren't too many tables to sit at, so it can get crowded if it's busy, but it never really seems to be an issue. The variety of items available is awesome as well as the large selection of freshly made-to-order drinks. They have frozen items that you're able to warm up and eat there as well. This is a great little spot for people that want to get some work done also; it's like a little coffee café, just better. The overall noise level can get a bit elevated, but headphones can easily cancel it out if you're sitting down inside.

Food is always excellent. Served with style and courtesy…read more Great place to go with adult friends and husband.. possibly a business lunch place though. I think they do have private rooms for private launches.

I don't expect a good Vietnamese restaurant in Ames but I was wrong! As a student from Vietnam and…read morelived in other big cities in California, I have to admit their food bringcback my childhood flavor which I did not have for more than 10 years. I order their beef pho. It was simple but when tasting the beef, I was surprised how good it is. It tastes like my childhood pho from my hometown. I also ordered the fried rice and this is the fried rice I want in a Vietnamese restaurant. It has smoke flavor similar when I ate in my hometown. Some Vietnamese restaurants in California does not have that flavor. It's hard to describe but I admit their food is authentic. Wish their business goes well for a long time

Ok, I gotta be honest... I had low expectations since I'm from San Jose, CA. BUT DANG! The beef pho…read morebroth here is better than some places back at home. Just keep in mind that the pho doesn't have the usual specialty cuts of meat like tendon, tripe, etc. which I totally understand considering the location. I'd come back to try other things!

The staff are friendly and the coffee are excellent. Got a latte and it was perfect, foam and…read morecoffee flavor spot on.

Excellent coffee! I have lived in tons of places and I am always traveling and trying local coffee…read morehouses. Hub genuinely has absolutely delicious coffee. I ordered an iced latte and I was advised to try oat milk with it since I did not want dairy. It did not disappoint and the next time I am in town I will most definitely go back.

This super cute coffee bar was just the perfect treat. Probably the best cappuccino in a 45 mile…read moreradius. The coffee was strong and hot! The young lady at that served us was kind and accommodating. Also a huge plus, the Christian music playing softly creating just a lovely atmosphere. 5 starts from this seasoned barista

From the owner: West Side Java is a locally owned shop specializing in coffee drinks, hot, iced or blended. We also…read morehave a wide variety of other drink options for the non coffee drinker, such as smoothies, shakes, teas, Lotus and boba.

Wow, this was my first time going to Ocha. My kids have been recommending it for a while and I…read morefinally decided to try it out. I'm definitely going back to try other things on their menu, I got their Japanese Toast with bananas and strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was delicious. They set the bar high for next time. It was worthy of a high end restaurant dessert and the price was more than reasonable. For those of you who haven't been to Ocha, please give it a try, you won't regret it.

I come in here quite often! It's rare that I crave a drink but the taro milk tea has me in a…read morechokehold. Its always extra good when this one lady makes it! She has bangs and is so so so sweet all the time! She even complimented my outfit one time The sitting area itself is so cute too. I love going there and is definitely worth the 15 minute trip for me

It's still very new but I like the aesthetic and the drinks were pretty good!!…read more I got the milk bubble tea and my friend got the milk green tea. We were both definitely satisfied with them. There's also free wifi. Itd be a good place to study. Definitely coming here again!

I was excited to see this boba spot especially coming from Los Angeles. Unfortunately some drinks…read morewere a miss The strawberry cream looked so good but unfortunately tasted really bad. It tasted very artificial and like a water down drink. My hubby didn't drink it at all. The lavender milk tea (50% sweet) was not too bad. The chai milk tea was pretty good. The chocolate cookies n cream was good also. One thing is the boba was not fresh. They tasted old. I believe all drinks are made with powdered cream (as the base for "milk"). Sadly to say I will not be returning. At least not for the drinks. I might try their rolled ice cream.....might...

Great stop on our drive through Iowa! The salt and pepper shrimp and the chicken with vegetables…read morewere both fresh and flavorful, and the oolong boba tea was a perfect treat. A satisfying meal that fueled us well for the long drive ahead.

Fanny is phenomenal, the food here was delicious and she was so kind. Service was prompt and…read morewelcoming even when it was busy. Definitely a must-go. In a cute, clean little spot next to ISU.