Solid bubble tea place in the heart of Charlottesville where options are unfortunately limited. They have a board games area (was a nice hang out spot pre-COVID) and are innovating by servicing alcoholic boba drinks now (we have not tried yet!). Would continue going back for our fix! read more

I go here regularly and I love the bubble tea here. It is great that you can pick the sugar level and the amount of ice. I recommend no ice as the bubble tea is cold anyway and the ice just takes up space that more liquid could occupy. I usually get the taro milk tea as it tastes great and is super refreshing. If you get a drink you NEED to get bubbles as they taste great and add texture to the drink. I wouldn't opt for their food though as the dumplings I had were't very tasty. It is very open inside and there are plenty of board games to play and hang out there! It is usually pretty quick to get a drink unless the line is super long. If you plan on going here a lot definitely get the app as you can earn free drinks with the rewards! read more

Kung Fu Tea - Taro milk tea with bubbles (no ice, no sugar) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

My guilty pleasure! I always make sure I get my bubble tea fix here when I'm in Cville. I always get the KF Milk Tea, extra boba, with no sweetener...and my life is complete! -1 star for the parking issue. There's not a lot of spaces for all three businesses on this lot so I usually just park my car at my MIL's house, then walk downtown. This store is never crowded. It's actually a good place to hang out and study. Most folks just order their drink and leave. I would say this is also one of the few stores with the most diverse customers, so I do feel at home here. read more

I would not have guessed that there was a legitimate boba shop in Charlottesville. Amazingly enough, Kung Fu Tea is a chain that has authentic bubble teas. I came in the other day and was amazed at the quality of the bubble tea. It even almost reminded me of having bubble tea in Taiwan (or the really asian parts of LA and SF)! They have plenty of seats, good enough to hang out with your friends and play a board game if your heart so desires. While I don't have regular cravings for bubble tea, I would definitely know where to go when I do. Check it out - it's great read more

Now that I've graduated and have moved out of Cville I can finally post this review and say that KFT was my absolute favorite place in Charlottesville. I went here at least 2 times a week and honestly never had a bad experience. The atmosphere was always great; whether studying during the day or hanging out with friends at night it was always a pleasure to sit here. In terms of drinks, I've tried a lot and don't think I really disliked anything! My personal favorites are the Kung Fu Milk Tea with pudding, Sesame Matcha with boba, and the Mango Snow with mango jelly. I also really love their hot options (YES, hot boba is tasty) and highly recommend the hot Honey Milk Tea with 30 percent sugar. I can't compare this to any other KFT location since I've never been, but can say this place has great boba, great atmosphere, and great service. I could write about KFT all day so just wanted to end of saying thank you for opening and providing us with an amazing place to hang and get boba! I've had so many good memories here, and will sorely miss it :( read more

Excellent Boba so yummy. I would definitely not recommend the milk tea over the fruity drinks I found the rosehip and honey oolong milk teas to have a strange aftertaste but the pineapple tea with mango jelly was 10/10! read more

Kung Fu Tea - Honey Oolong Tea, Sunshine Pineapple Tea, Mango Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Wouldn't recommend until they resume making hot drinks again. They only serve cold tea

So glad there's a KFT in Cville now! It's exactly what you'd expect from a Kungfu Tea, except maybe that line times are more predictable since it goes by students' schedules. You can sample bubbles and other toppings before you buy which I really like, since I've always been curious about some but didn't want to order a full drink with them. If you're new to bubble tea I'd recommend trying a standard Kungfu Milk Tea or the mango green tea which are all pretty mild! read more

The tea was over steeped and tasted horrible. I've been to many other kung fu tea locations in nova that are great but the Charlottesville location is severely lacking in quality control. Not to mention the location itself is dirty, literal cobwebs and dust everywhere. read more

I'm no bubble tea expert, though I've had it in food courts and in restaurants that serve bubble tea (Pho 79 and Got Dumplings come to mind). I finally decided to try out Kung Fu Tea. I ordered delivery last week and since then I couldn't stop thinking about their bubble tea so I had to go pickup some more today! I love how customizable the drinks are. The order ahead feature on the Kung Fu Tea app made it easy to order and I was able to get in and out quickly. The guys working today were friendly and let me know there were no crystal boba for my partner's tea and gave me the option to switch to regular boba. The tea itself was exactly what I needed- I got a regular milk tea with boba and coffee popping bubbles. The taro milk tea I had last week was also delicious. Looking forward to trying their other flavors and toppings. read more

Finally, Charlottesville has a business dedicated to the art of bubble tea! I've been a fan of bubble tea for over a decade and I appreciate Kung Fu Tea for it's variety, quality, and serving size. As is my nature, I'm a creature of habit and of course I had to try their Taro Slush w/ modification to include 0% sugar, "bubbles" (tapioca), and mung beans. Yes on all fronts! I'm pretty particular with bubble tea as I really dislike the general syrupy aftertaste that a lot of bubble tea tends to have, but not with Kung Fu Tea! If you share a similar opinion that you don't like feeling like you drank a brick of sugar, I'd definitely recommend Taro w/ 0% sugar because the natural flavor w/ tapioca is already semi-sweet. Of course, I still have yet to try the rest of the menu, but don't worry friends, I already have big plans to slowly but surely work my way through the entire menu during my tenure in town. The atmosphere of the place is also nice. It's brightly lit, modern, and has a very cool vibe to it. I could definitely see this as a fun place hang out and meet up with friends. Lastly? I love that they are open LATE! There have been so many times that my friends and I have wanted to grab a snack or in this case, bubble tea, but everything closes at sundown in this town (I'm partially joking). Thankfully there's Kung Fu Tea for the win! read more

Thai tea hit the spot and my kids loved their strawberry shake. Super fast service - liked the wrapped lids.

It was really good. The one reAson I'm giving 4 stars because the bubbles/tapioca pearls were hard and it's not chewable so I didn't eat the bubbles which is one of my favorite kinda sad. read more

This place is absolutely phenomenal. As someone used to drinking Got Dumplings' boba, I was a little skeptical of another boba place setting up - wanted to support local business, couldn't support the chain and all that. However, everything about Kung Fu Tea is superior to Got Dumplings: there are an incredible amount of options (maybe too many options!), the boba has a fantastic chew to it, every single aspect of the drink is tailored to your liking, and most importantly (for me, at least), there are a plethora of vegan options, since they mainly use a non-dairy milk powder for their drinks. I cannot speak highly enough of this place - the staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, the place is stylish and clean, the atmosphere encourages community, and you can find all types of people ordering and hanging around inside. As far as complaints, I have only two: drinks *do* take a little long to make (though these people are never slacking, trust me - in my opinion, it really just comes down to the insane amount of options they give you) and the price scratches in a little higher than Got Dumplings', but it's entirely understandable why. I've been visiting this place nearly three times a week for the past month - perhaps that's what's bankrupting me! In terms of suggestions, some music would be nice to have in the background, and I wish there were paper or laminated menus to pass around - for people with bad vision (i.e. me) it's hard to see up at the big screen they have, and I can't be the only one who gets flustered having to wait until I get to the counter to determine what I want to order. With all that said, for those interested, if you've got $4-$7 to spend on a drink, come here - you won't regret it! read more

4 starts for the friendly staff but the drinks were not all the great. The milk tea just tastes off like maybe the tea itself isn't high quality. And they never balance the sweetness ratio quite right. Despite that this is one of the only places around to sell boba and has the best hours. read more

Mango slushy was very yummy and sweet even with 30% sugar. I would recommend getting less sugar and no ice for most tea drinks (the bubbles are already mixed with sugar so the sweetness can get a little overwhelming). Be careful with ordering though, it's easily messed up if it's too complicated and/or when it gets busy. read more

This is probably the worst Kung Fu Tea I've been to, and I've been to quite a few. They've gotten my order wrong on SEVERAL occasions (once they actually messed up a second time when they were fixing my order and I just decided to go with it) and they're ridiculously slow at making the drinks. It takes over 10 minutes to get a drink and that's when there's no line. I swear if this place gets more than 5 orders in a row they probably have to declare a state of emergency and shut it down so everyone can catch their breaths. That being said, I keep going back because their drinks are still really good, and I like how they have games there to help take your mind off the fact that they're super slow. Still worth going if you have the time to spare. read more

Hubby and I were ecstatic when we learned that C'ville was finally getting not only a legit bubble tea place, but our FAVORITE one! (#taroslushwithboba) We took the entire family out to their opening day. It was a madhouse with the BOGO promotion, but the workers were all smiley and energetic. The space is very large (especially compared to the locations we've been at in NYC and Dallas). One worker even came out to turn on the tv in the back to an Amazon prime children's show for our kids to watch. But they were more interested in the drinks! Great space and even their own parking lot outside. read more

Service is not great. They don't have all the items that I'm use to at other locations. I was disappointed that they don't have herbal jelly. Besides service, the place was spacious and the drink was made well. read more

Great selection of milk tea. I love the taro and thai tea flavor. I love that you can adjust the sweetness. Normally have it to go, and all the time it has been delicious. read more

They are scammers to get you to pay a gratuity first before paying. Bad business and reported to the City of Charlottesville. It's no better than an Arizona Tea for 99 cents. Don't get fooled. It's just a fancy place with no difference than any other $1.00 tea product. I am going to be sure others don't get trapped to pay gratuity. For what? Handing you the drink. GIVE ME A BREAK. read more

I got a matcha milk tea and it was aight. It was too sweet and tasted very artificial as their other choices seemed.

I have been here a few times as well as their other locations in Virginia. This is one of my favorite location; it's quite cozy with some board games. They also offer free Wi-Fi, so you get some work done while sipping your bubble tea! The prices are reasonable and you can pretty much adjust everything in your drink. Also, they have recently added some food items. It's more like snacks, and I wouldn't count on it as a real meal. read more

Probably the best KFT location in Virginia, including nova and other campuses. The building suite is big and accommodating for large groups to socialize and play board games (supplied by them), and the staff is always friendly and welcoming - the best duo for a college town. KFT is a very popular bubble tea chain so if you haven't tried it before, this is a good place to start! read more

As a Chinese-American I have tried Kung Fu Teas and other drink spots across North America. New York to LA to Vancouver. This spot has consistently delivered a quality product with the service you'll expect from the name. The location is spot on perfect and all of the drinks have been made perfectly. Highly recommend checking this location out - all the drinks are refreshing, it's clean, and the staffs always been friendly. read more

Words cannot describe the love I feel for this place deep in my soul....like, seriously, they fail me. I love me some boba tea, and drink it at every opportunity. But, my constant boba slurping usually takes a hiatus during the winter months when the ice-cold tea just doesn't seem appropriate for the season. Enter Kung Fu Boba - where, (get ready, friends) - *breathe* you can order dat joy juice HOT! At first I was skeptical; what would tapioca pearls taste like if they were warm? They already have the consistency of a somersaulting slug, what happens if you place them in boiling liquid? Let me tell you, friend - Amazingness. Amazingness happens when you put them in that hot liquid. Like, you will never ever drink tea without them again. I swear, I ordered a Hot Green (Jasmine) Honey Milk Tea with Boba and it was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. The tea was delicious - it didn't taste fake or artificial like some other teas I have tried at previous boba tea establishments. There was a hint of honey, and the drink was super creamy. And the boba - goodness, the Boba. They were far from the lackluster gelatinous orbs I was fearing. They were slightly sweetened and were delicious. So much so, that I returned each of the three nights I was visiting Charlottesville so I could have more! No joke. The force was that strong. Steeee-rong! All that being said - I admit, ordering at Kung Fu Tea was a little intimidating! (Enter the barristas - who know the product very well and will help you decipher the code!) There is a giant menu, with many options. Take your time! If it's your first time and you're going for the milk teas, I recommend keeping it simple. Don't jump right into the Taro (which tastes like buttery amazingness, but is a unique taste I would recommend holding off until visit two or three). Stick with the almond black tea, or the jasmine green. Or, better yet - ask the Barristas what they recommend! Also, be warned, these drinks are made very sweet - so if you're like me and you try to avoid sugar overload, make sure to adjust your sweetness (I routinely get mine 50% sweetness level, including the honey beverages). There are other options for customizations available, but I didn't adventure out that far....as mentioned, I took the leap of getting it "Hot" - which was a huge leap of faith! :) Most impressive of all to me (even more so than the tea) was the kindness and dedication to customer service I saw exhibited by the owner (Kel) - who was working the nightshift! He is passionate, and goes above and beyond to make sure the orders are made correctly, and customers are satisfied. I see that other Yelpers have commented on the length of time they sometimes wait to receive their beverage after ordering; I didn't experience a long wait time at all, and I was there on a super busy night. While waiting, I had the opportunity to watch all that goes into making one of these delicious concoctions; if you do the same, I am confident you will soon see that this extra time is usually due to the care that is placed in creating the drinks. The store itself is also pretty cool - there is an abundance of tables with ample seating. There are also board games (Jenga, Scrabble, etc) around if you're feeling competitive. :) It's also open late...win, win! *HEADS UP If you're a Kung Fu Tea frequent flyer - this location is new, and they still are not utilizing the Kung Fu Tea app. I expect this will soon change. read more

If you've been to one KFT, you've been to all of them. Standard storefront but this one offers food!!! Wish they'd bring food options to the DC-Metro area. read more

This is the best bubble tea I've ever had ! The owners are super nice and friendly. I highly recommend this place. read more

DON'T GO HERE EXPECTING FOOD. They have their food menu and photos up all the time. Out of the several times I've wanted to order food over the past year, they were able to serve it only once. Have seen photos of delicious looking dumplings, tried to order, and been disappointed several times. They're understaffed -- if they don't have enough people, which is most of the time, they can't do anything in the kitchen. Boba drinks are fine. I wrote this review specifically to warn people not to get excited about the food, cause you most likely won't be able to have it. read more

Absolutely delicious for Boba tea! My personal favourite is the Taro Milk tea with bubbles. I get zero sugar added as it is quite sweet on its own! I highly recommend this for anyone interested in bubble tea :) or any tea for that matter! read more

Really nice tea place, their bubble tea is simply delicious! Inside it's always clean and their decor is nice and modern. Highly recommend!

Staff people here are so rude. They made mistakes and made wrong tea but they did not remake it . It is worst experience I ever had!

My co-workers and I always grubhub Kung Fu Tea because we love it. Although, out past experience wasn't quite delightful. We had ordered 4 drinks and only got 3. We called and they gave us a refund for the inconvenience. The lids weren't put on well. When we went to shake up our drinks it all came out. I'm not sure if there are new employees or what the problem was. I appreciate the refund but I'm still disappointed. read more

Great selection of flavors here. It's also super cool that you can pick your level of ice and sweetness. The atmosphere is fun and they always seem to have the best music on when I'm there. The game area is fun if you bring a friend but it's also nice to just relax by yourself in the back area. read more

Kung fu tea is yummy but can be a tad sweet. They're affordable and quick though so I will continue to return iin the future.

I was excited to try Kung Fu tea since I saw so many good things online like Instagram. I was leaving the hardywood brewery across the street and saw they were open, so I went to my hotel, dropped off some stuff then went back out to grab a tea. At first glance it looked that they had closed. I look at their sign on the window showing their business hours. It's currently July 24th, a Wednesday. Monday through Friday the sign says they're open until 10:30 pm. It was 9:12 pm so I go to open the door. It was difficult at first and I soon figured out why. The dead bolt was locked, however the doors opened anyways since the door to the left was not locked. So both doors opened and I stopped, double checked the hours of operation sign again, see that yes they should be open. But maybe they were closing early. I was about to leave but I didn't want to leave and they think the front door was locked and there possibly be a robbery. So I walk in and stand at the counter, asking nicely if they were closed to the 2 employees in the back who were cleaning. I said it a few times because they didn't hear me. Finally a young man with purple hair came to the counter and I explained the situation and asked if they were closed. In a super sassy and rude tone, added with an eye roll they reply "Well we WERE closed sooo..." And starts walking away. I reply as I leave "yeah, get sassy with me because your damn sign is wrong and you didn't lock the doors properly. They're unlocked now btw!" And I left. I get places close early or that signs don't get updated and that's totally ok. Being rude to a nice customer because you're in a bad mood is not ok. Clearly upset they don't have some 6 figure job already and have to work at a tea shop. It's really upsetting that I didn't get to try Kung Fu tea and now have a bad taste in my mouth (metaphorically of course) for the business. I won't try another attempt at this location while I'm here in Charlottesville. read more

I probably have been to at least 20 different Kung fu tea locations but this location has been my favorite. The staff is extra friendly and I ran into the owners and they were very cool and nice people. They're clearly passionate about the quality of their drinks. The location is super clean and the vibe is always energetic. It's a very well run shop. read more

My friends share the experience online that happened in KFT. I experience the same thing that the male staff never smile to Asians instead of changing to a smiling face immediately to white customers after me. This is not an accidental event, this actually happens many times when I visit the store. Some Asians also get rejected several orders from him, I think it is necessary that the owner need to notice. I would not spend time lying on yelp if this is not actually happened. Good luck. read more

I was so impressed by how nice the owners are. Definitely the best owners in town！They are extremely passionate about their business and are open to customers' suggestions. Very thankful that they chose charlottesville, to enrich this town's food culture. Tea is just so yummy, better than the one i had in NOVA. You can customize the degree of sweetness. I chose no sugar and still very good with just the syrup. And the shrimp roll is the best I ever had, because the shrimp are super fresh, and the wrap is very chewy. Such a happy experience on Friday evening. I hope their business bloom！oh if they added pho, hotpot, and other food such as jianbing, it will be even better so we can have our friday lunch out at this place. Everyone I know loves pho！ read more

I've had bubble tea wherever they've served it, and this is the best bubble tea I've ever had. I love how custom you can make it. It's the Starbucks of tea, but better (and less expensive!). The atmosphere here is awesome too and there are tons of free games everywhere! The big space and seating areas make it a great place to hang out, too! read more