I never thought, ironically, that the tapioca at Tapioca house was stellar, but the one thing that was always superior to Coco's was the chicken nuggest. They were crispy, tender, delicious - and they gave you a stick that helps you stab the little suckers for easier consumption. If you take a visit I wouldn't expect a stellar first class, but it's definitely a good place to grab a small bite to eat and just chill out after a long day of class (or work ... but most likely class, since it's a bit of a pain to park around the area). read more

I usually only come here for drinks and especially take use of their frequent user cards. But their tapioca can be inconsistent at times as well. The food is okay, and it's great that you get to combine it with a meal. I recommend spicy noodle (only drawback is it's so greasy sometimes). The place is dark and looks really dirty though, which is a big drawback for me. I don't want to think about what it looks like in the back. For everyone who's mixed between service being good or bad. I think they're only good if they know you. :P Otherwise, I don't think you'll ever really find a place that has great service close to campus... sans Wendy's inside the Union and Chipotle on the Drag. But some of my more recent experiences have had positive service. read more

This place looks soooo sketchy... A friend was in town one night and we decided to come here to just sit and chat. The Tap House in Houston Chinatown can get pretty sketchy sometimes but this one is on its own level of sketchiness. We went there at about 10:30 on a Friday night. We walked up Guadalupe and literally just walked past it b/c it was so dark and small. I even looked at it and thought that it was some kind of closed business. There was no visible sign of the store. When we eventually found it, there was no customer there. There were lights from the kitchen and some above where you order but no lighting in the sitting areas at all. Seriously? The place looked really dirty and the tables weren't clean. It made me question the cleanliness of the kitchen... Despite the shadiness, we decided to stay anyway. I ordered the exact same thing I order at the Tap House in Houston, the Fried Pork Chop combo. The tea was ok but the pork chop was way to salty. A ton of people showed up during the hour we were there, in waves of large groups. I can see how this can be a popular late night cheap food option for college kids though. How many college kids actually cared about sanitary? read more

My relationship with bubble tea is kind of a strange one. I went from having bubble tea like twice in my life to being so obsessed with it that I ordered a "Make your own bubble tea" kit online. I know. Tell me about it. What spurred the online shopping? Tapioca House. A friend of mine goes to UT and we would frequent this place because it was much closer than their nearest competitors. We got a punch card, and before we knew it, we were here two, three times a week. (I can't vouch for the food, ours was strictly a liquid diet.) After a while I decided that maybe I could make my own for much cheaper. Sure, you can. But you have to do all the work yourself and then you start eating them everyday and before you know it your addicted. Moral? If you need a bubble tea fix, this place is as good as any. Stay away from the internets unless you have awesome self-control. Unlike me. read more

This place is good for a cheap quick milk tea fix. There is a lot of choices and they are all pretty good. Their only vice is that they use a lot of powder flavor. My favorite is the Thai Tea with small pearls. Their food is alright. I like their fish cakes and chicken nugget. I like to make it a little spicy. Their meals come with a drink, egg, and bean sprouts. read more

3.5 stars. I love how quickly I get my drink here, but that's the trade-off for freshness as they use powders for a majority of the drinks here. I usually order the tapioca milk tea or the taro milk tea. Food-wise, there's nothing phenomenal to rave about, but it's decent and good enough for a quick meal. The rice combos come with a side of bean sprouts, a hard-boiled egg, and a drink, all for $7. This location is super cramped, and there's always a huge line of people out the door around 10pm and later. Meals are ~$7, and drinks are ~$2.50-$4. Get a stamp card! Buy 10 drinks, get 1 free (meals count too). 3.5 stars is a little generous, but this place kept my rice craving (and wallet) in check while I was dorming at UT. read more

Never had the food here, although it smells good. They have a huge selection of tapioca drinks, as well as smoothies and other drinks. The mango bubble tea and french vanilla milk tea are probably my favorites. They also have a punch card for their drinks, which is a plus. read more

Tapioca here can be a hit or miss, and this place can be kind of... grungy? It's dark and somewhat unkempt, but ambience is nice. They play music and it's a bit noisy around here but it's okay for me. Typically, service is decent, but lately I've had great service ^_^ I've been here many times but this is the first time a worker asked me if I had a stamp card. I never knew there was a stamp card. And last time I was here they cleaned up a mess I accidently dropped without losing patience (workers at some places do get mad... but that's not the point). Anyway, I come here often especially since the drinks are cheaper than coco's and they have a large size, compared to momoko's. read more

UGHHHH. so disappointed today. I was craving a snack. I really wanted to get a good bite of some crispy chicken...that was not what I got tonight. There was pretty much NO chicken but a ball of seasoned flour & oil....I paid almost $4 for a ball of flour && oil. This made me extremely upset and I definitely won't be ordering any food from them again. Also, I had to ask for my food. They didn't give it to me && they didn't even offer it to me for free. I'M DONE. Tap house, bye. Also, the last time I ordered a type of milk tea....it was basically a cup of sugar. No...just no. You don't do that to a type of milk tea. read more

I looove that they offer small boba, because I love that stuff but it's hard to find. They have a huge variety of drinks and service is super fast. Their food is okay...I would rather go somewhere else for Asian food. They recently got a new manager and the place has kinda been cleaned up and redecorated with a less lax vibe, but they have some new matcha drink and green thai tea drink which are both really good! I can't recount how many times I came here in college, they're open late and have the best bubble tea near campus. read more

When the first Coco's opened up off of research way back when, I loved their pearl milk teas. They were probably the only place to have it back then (at least 5 years ago), but after coming to UT, I decided to give Tap House a try since they are almost right next door to each other. I thought Tap House was a refreshing change from Cocos, but the change was very short lived. After having pearl milk teas, I would feel very nauseous at night, and often uncomfortable, not knowing what it was that I had. Then I traced it to the Tap House drinks. To test it again, I ate the same healthy foods that I normally eat and bought a drink and low and behold got sick. I'm not exactly sure what it is that they have in there, but my only guess could be bad milk. Yeah it's cheaper by about fifty cents, but I'd rather go to Cocos, pay the extra 50 cents and NOT get sick. On the plus side I like their pan fried dumplings and occasionally their cutlets. These entrees each come with their own drink, so I guess it's a good deal if you don't get sick from them. read more

So if you go, let me get you some pointers : bamboo shoots with pork is the BEST (THE BEST) However, that wasn't my plate! I found myself chowing down (or lack thereof) on beef noodle which was actually soup. YUCK. I was not expecting soup. And I wasn't happy. And there wasn't beef. And there was something strange in it (I'm talking about beef) Their smoothies were delicious. I'm not boba drinker, but it's available. Pineapple smoothies are just up my alley. YES YES YES Price is reasonable 6 dollars for a smoothie and a meal! :D read more

The drinks here are okay. A little bland at time, but it satisfies my tapioca craving at its minimum. I keep coming back because the place is convenient and decent. At the rate they keep rising their prices, Tap House isn't really worth it unless you get the meal in my opinion. I like the crispy chicken nuggets and grilled chicken steak. read more

I used to come here all the time back when I went to UT. They offer more types of milk tea than Coco's next door, and I always got either Vanilla or Honey Milk Tea (I highly recommend). The spicy chicken nugget meal has always been tasty, but for noodles I usually go next door. read more

So I didn't get into the whole tapioca craze until I came to college, but now that I am , I'm totally loving it!! My FAVORITES are the Mango slushi and the Mango smoothie.... For all of you Indians out there, the slushi reminds me of the Indian mango juice Maaza!!! =) I absolutely love it, and it reminds me of home! I've had their food maybe once; it was alright, nothing too exciting! But I don't care since their drinks are great!! For those that don't like tapioca so much, they offer jellies in their drinks, which is what I would get before I worked up the courage to try something new... The mango jelly tastes great with the slushi!!! =) read more

I thought this place was decent for boba. The boba was good and the prices were very reasonable. There are 4 places that serve boba all in a row and compared to the one other that I tried there this one comes in second so far. They do have a much larger variety of flavor choices which I liked. Next time I will try one of there non-traditional flavors and see how it goes. My boyfriend ordered a smoothie and it was delicious. There is also a $5 minimum for credit cards. read more

I have been coming here since 2010. Nothing beats the spicy fried chicken (or pork chops) over rice. If you aren't sure about spice level, go with 3, safest choice. Pro tip: order extra soy sauce eggs! read more

Tried the Jasmine Green Tea with Tapioca. Was good. Nothing out of the ordinary though.

From the drinks to the food, everything here is pretty okay to mediocre. Not the cleanest or most spacious place to enjoy drinks and food. The chicken nugget meal comes with rice, a soy sauce egg, and some bean sprout and is the "star" of this place. The meal comes with tea or if you prefer a different drink then an extra 50 cents will be charged. Sometimes, I'll crave their fried mushrooms which are pretty cheap and tasty. The taro milk tea and milk tea with egg pudding are my favorites. I tried the tomato beef meal recently and it was a total let down. It was super...gelatinous, for a lack of better words. Still enjoyed my soy sauce egg and bean sprouts, but the beef was not good. I'm just going to stick with the chicken nugget meal. Super close to campus, a couple of minutes walking distance. Get the stamp card if you are a frequent comer. read more

Tapioca House is really good. The prices are fair and checkout is very easy. However, while inside the woman working the checkout was on her phone and very short with me when I decided to order a second smoothie. She was speaking on the phone while I was ordering at I did not appreciate it. In conclusion it's good if you don't mind people without much courtesy of others and work ethic. read more

My first bubble tea experience ^_^ now i'm addicted. Lovelove their boba. I'm pretty much hooked on taro and thai tea. yum! I always order the same food item: spicy chicken nugget meal. so tasty and cheap. It is enough food for two meals, and you pick the level of spiciness. it's not very consistent though. read more

Four words: Strawberry Slushie with Boba. Edit: I had it at 5 stars, but then realized I've never actually tried the food at this place! I always go for a Boba. I'll leave it at 4 stars for now, but the Boba is a slam dunk 5 stars. read more

Great college food. Cheap, fast, and way too dang salty. The hot milk teas are great during winter weather. Honeydew bubble tea is the bomb during the summer. read more

Have eaten here twice, and thought the flavor both times were just wrong and bad. I'm not a picky eater, but I could not enjoy the sauce of the noodles, nor the soup. This isn't to say it isn't edible if you're hungry, but this is to say I would only recommend this restaurant as a last resort. The Bubble Tea is also slightly over priced, and includes an abundance of ice. Workers seem like nice people, but the service is mediocre and a little slow. As much as I appreciate ethnically diverse restaurants, I can't give this place a good rating. Will not eat here again. read more

I came here with my friend and he ordered a drink and an order of veggie dumplings. we got our drinks very quickly but we've now been waiting for 45 minutes for one order of dumplings. we've already asked them multiple times about the status of our order and they do not seem to be in any rush to figure out where our food is read more

Apparently the customer's never right. Puts order in wrong and refers to the incorrect receipt when I tried to tell them. read more

I come here a lot. Probably at least once a week (during school). I usually opt for a milk tea with large tap and no ice and the price is around 3 dollars. The milk tea has a really great flavor and creamy taste, unlike Coco's which I find to be thin and too watery. Their boba is usually really good (sometimes, I can tell that they haven't soaked them long enough in sugar water and the boba have no taste). They're open late (till 12 AM), but I tend to try to go before 10:30 PM. Afterwards, it's a huge gamble whether or not they have run out for the day. It seems like they portion out how much milk tea/boba they make everyday because sometimes they'll run out of milk tea at 10 PM and not have it for the rest of the night. Since this semester, there have been several times there they ran out of boba (big and small), milk tea (but not flavored milk tea like vanilla or caramel milk tea), food (all plates except for snacks), and large cups. However, I still keep coming back! The price is a little cheaper than Coco's (enough to make a difference to me) and the food is solid (I always order the crispy chicken nuggets (level 3 spicy)). I love how when you get a boba with your order, they reduce the price of a regular milk tea to 1 dollar. The food comes with rice, a tea egg (so good!), green beans, and cooked bean sprouts. read more

Friendly staff with a good sized menu, close to the UT campus. Had the Taro Root Milk Tea with Tapioca. It was average. It might just be a preference, but I like the Taro Root Milk Tea with Tapioca a the place a little bit down from this business, called K-BOP. I might come back to try the food though. I read a review else where that they didn't have water, however, when I was there they did have a large beverage dispenser with cups next to it for everyone to serve themselves. read more

All of my experiences were great BUT new employee Brian? made my earl grey milk tea taste like MEAT, LIKE CHAO MEIN. I took one sip and almost threw up. Honestly do not know what the hell he did to fuck it up this bad. Also greeted customer in an informal way. We are your customers, not your buddies. Messed up my order twice even after I repeated to him four times. Nope. Just nope. I know I'll NEVER buy anything when he's working. read more

I have been going here religiously for two years, I do not think any of the other boba places in Austin compare. In taste or price. Tap House has the best deals for drinks and food and the street snacks are my favorite. I always love the baristas working there as they are always nice and talkative! This place gets bussssy during the school year but during the summer it's awesome. I would recommend the chicken nuggets and calamari! And for a combo anything is good there! read more

Questionable freshness, quality, and ingredients. Most drinks seem to be "pre-made" and have been sitting there for who knows how long. You cannot substitute ingredients which leaves you no option but to not buy if you are allergic to a specific ingredient or buy and suffer. Horrible business. read more

I usually love this place. Rose milk tea and lavender milk tea are my favorites. Today I came in, noticed it looked like they had hired new people. I ordered large rose milk tea with big tap. The first drink was nearly flavorless, with almost no rose petals in it. I asked politely for it to be remade, and the woman working behind the counter gruffly said she could remake it. She was thenceforth really rude, even ignoring me when I apologized for the inconvenience. I'm sympathetic that she was new, but that was totally uncalled for. The second time the flavor was really bad, she clearly didn't know how to make the drink. I'm giving up because the worker was so rude and clearly didn't know how to make the drink. I won't return if I see her working behind the counter again. It's a shame because this place has been a favorite of mine for 3 years now. Management should really train their new hires better on recipes and customer service. read more

The drinks are good, but a bit too much ice for my liking. I have gotten the food a few times, but I have had nothing remarkable. However, the food tends to be on the greasy side and portions tend to be small. An annoying thing about this place is that they have a $5 minimum, so make sure to bring cash if you are only purchasing one drink. Overall, its a good place for bubble tea especially since it is open late. read more

This place is sweet!!! I always stick with the combos but I hear from others the dumplings there are good too. The combo is cheap with a good portion of food and comes with a bubble tea. Protein galore. read more

Update: They're finally renovating!! They have TV screens displaying the menus now, more space (it feels less cramped) and new decor outdoors that actually lets people know where this place is! Love the new changes - they're great! Still love the food too. :) read more

awesome place! one of my favorite boba places in austin and my go to boba place. there aren't many places to park which is inconvenient though. they have phenomenal fruit tea and service is fast and efficient. the only food ive eaten there were crispy chicken nuggets and they're were super good! 10/10 recommend read more

The charged amount was wrong. Milk tea is not tasty, using the condensed juice to make various flavors. I ordered the milk tea without ice, but the server still provided ice inside. read more

My daughter and her roommate both got sick from their popcorn chicken rice on Sunday night. They threw up and had diahhrea for the entire Monday, now they are running a fever. I know Tapioca House is not the cleanest restaurant but they obviously served something rotten and contaminated that caused the food poisoning. Yuck! read more

This was my fourth visit to the little Tapioca House. I found each experience very pleasant on all accounts. My first experience was a bit over whelming from the extensive options of drinks, but the friendly staff walked me though it and I ended up with a delicious black tea with tapioca. I had always seen people eating there but was never sure how to approach a menu constructed of characters and numbers that appear to be laminated construction paper. Today I was in the mood for something hot and spicy, perhaps because it's Monday and that seems like the best way to start a week. I sauntered over on my lunch break to a completely empty house, not even a server in sight. Undeterred, I started to try and reason through the menu. I was thinking the spicy chicken stew or brew? # 156, sounded tasty, but there was no clue to what that all entailed. So I had to ask; chicken with onions, red peppers, over rice with bean sprouts and an egg... a rather unusual combination, but I went for it. To my surprise the meal includes a drink, sweet deal. I got the peach smoothie, so tasty, a delicious refreshing blend of sweet peach and smooth cool ice. I had no idea what to expect from #156 but when I opened the neat little styrofoam meal I found a savory delight inside. I loved the idea of having an egg and bean sprouts as sides, some fiber and healthy protein. The chicken was a fantastic blend of spice and flavor with enough sauce to coat the rice and bring the whole dish into beautiful harmony. I plan to explore this colorful menu a bit more and see if there are other dishes that will live up to the standard this one set. read more

no. just don't go. long wait, terrible food, below-average drinks. go to raising cane's instead. if you really need a taiwanese food fix, go two doors down to coco's, i guess. read more