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    The Alley

    4.1 (47 reviews)

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    THE ALLEY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Maggi W.

    I was pleasantly surprise by the drinks at The Alley. I came with family for dessert after dinner in the WoW plaza on Westheimer since it's pretty new and wanted to check everything out. The interior is clean and and spacious where it can accommodate large group and a long line. The drinks came up fairly quickly when we went as it wasn't crowded. The cashier was helpful when asked about the drinks as we were deciding what we wanted. We ordered 3 drinks: 1. Ube Taro Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk - 4/5 Nothing special but good as expected from a Taro boba drink 2. Mango Frappe - 3/5 This drink had greentea jelly in and it was slightly bitter from the tea taste and might not be appreciated by everyone. 3. Yogurt Grape Lulu - 5/5 This was our favorite, the yogurt really stands out with the right amount of tartness and sweetness. The grape taste is similar to the Japanese muscat grapes. They have another location in Bellaire and I will be trying out that location also!

    Linda H.

    Great location! Clean space. Great service and love all the options! The cashier was so patient with my husband and I. She took the time to explain all the options and customizations. It was extremely nice of her! Will go back! Plus we got a free item to try because we ordered two drinks!

    Junel I.

    I had an opportunity to visit a boba shop I have grown to appreciate due to the quality of the drinks. Also a logo that is synonymous with an animal with antlers: The Alley. Surprisingly this month, I had visited all the locations in the city and to me, this is location number 3 out of 4. To my surprise, I had an appointment around the area and needed a place to stop in close by and found the shop was 2 minutes away. One thing I notice is this location is really spacious. The layout is unique with various types of seating. Drink wise I was looking for something refreshing and decided on the passion fruit green tea with boba and coconut jelly. That was what I expected and a nice light drink versus the brown sugar milk tea offerings. Overall, I known The Alley to be a favorite of mine recently. From all the locations in the city, this one was one that stood out. I did notice there were food offerings and not just the typical quick bites like Taiwanese popcorn chicken or chicken wings & fries. Maybe one day I will give it a try. The person the front that took my order was friendly. Also I appreciated the small heads up on what the drink typically comes with and if I wanted to make any adjustments? I am not picky and keep it as is. Always a solid visit no matter what location and letting other boba shops know to respect and "Fear the Deer." Haha

    Mango LuLu
    Angela A.

    At this point I've visited two of their locations, the one in Katy and the one off Westheimer. My go to is now the Mango LuLu! Very good combination of a mango slushy with coconut milk and crème. I switch the crystal boba out for brown sugar boba. Love the modern look and cleanliness of both cafes. The location on Westheimer had a bit of wait after I ordered my drink. That's the only reason I gave 4 stars instead. Go check them out.

    Menu
    Caroline N.

    THIS IS MY FAVORITE ALLEY LOCATION (and I've tried many)! Opened 9/28/24, this was the first location in the country to offer a full food menu. I've tried the truffle fries, crispy popcorn chicken, and Yakiniku donburi rice entrée - these were all reasonably priced and fairly good. (I say "fairly" good as in better than I'd expect for a boba shop but obviously not comparable to an actual restaurant specializing in these foods). I'd happily purchase the fries and chicken again. While I'm impressed by their extensive food menu, I'm a boring "normal" milk tea person. My favorite drink by far is the vintage cassia milk tea (with snow foam and boba), which I have YET to find at any other Alley location! The cassia tea base gives the drink a chocolatey flavor that's not too overpowering. The snow foam (really just the Alley's special name for cheese foam) adds decadence. This is my favorite milk tea of all time. It has a beautiful interior with ample seating and charging and wifi - perfect for socializing or studying. There is bright white lighting but also plenty of natural sunlight, especially during sunset. So long as this place continues to serve the vintage cassia milk tea, I will definitely keep coming back.

    The establishment.
    Sarah E.

    This was my first time visiting this establishment for lunch with a friend on a Friday at half past noon. It was not busy, well staffed, organized, bright and clean. Table tops were spotless and cushions on the booth seats were displayed uniformly. WiFi connected easily and quickly. A family with three young children were ordering when we got in line but the wait wasn't long. There was plenty of room at check out and throughout the restaurant for their baby troller. The cashier was friendly, had a positive attitude, was patient as I changed my drink order twice and repeated our order for confirmation. The food was good, prepared swiftly and served in a to-go plastic box for pick up at the counter. There was another group of 3 friends meeting for lunch and a group of 6 who had laptops, books and notebooks spread out their table, so accommodating to any need. Ample seating and parking. I did not notice plugs around my table but I had no need for one so was not looking specially for one. Clean bathroom.

    Anna S.

    My friend & I stopped by The Alley since we were in the area, and I noticed they had some unique options! We came on a Friday afternoon, so the area was quiet, and compared to the original Katy location, the Westchase one had ample seating. Another interesting thing about this location is that they serve food, unlike the Katy location, so next time I return, I'll be sure to try some of them. I ordered the Rosey Peach milk tea with 50% sweetness and brown sugar boba. Although 50% is a good amount of sugar for me, the brown sugar boba was a good additional sweetness, and I loved how warm & chewy the boba was when I received my drink! The rose-peach flavor was very prominent. However, I didn't really taste the tea and was hoping there'd be a good sweetness-to-bitterness (from the tea) ratio. Similarly, I tried my friend's Cassia milk tea (a caramel flavor), which tasted more caramel than tea. This could depend on your taste buds, but as expressed earlier, I do like a balance between milk and tea flavor. I would return because they have several unique options, but my drink tasted more like a rose peach milk drink rather than rose peach milk TEA. Perhaps this could be fixed by lowering the sugar levels next time. Also, the price isn't bad for how much I get, which is a plus!

    Thai Curry Chicken
    Judy C.

    Beautiful Interior! The alley westhimer location was beautifully constructed. Plenty of seating inside and so much open space. Came during the workweek during lunch and got a drink+food combo. Loved the Passionfriut Fruit Green Tea, it was very refreshing. The boba was pretty good and chewy as well. Got the thai chicken curry and it had a bit of a kick to it. The chicken itself was moist and juicy. Also included a small side of mashed potatoes and corn/cheese. Parking - plenty and free within the plaza

    Signature brown sugar latte on left, lychee green tea on right
    Alice H.

    Very pleased by the quality of drinks at this location. I was pretty upset at another location but this one is on point. I love a good lychee drink so had to try the green tea lychee. Based on other reviews, I got 75% sweet, which was just right. I could probably even do full and be ok. In any case the tea was nice and strong and love the chunks of lychee in it. Boyfriend got the signature brown sugar latte (aka brown sugar cold brew) and even though I'm not a coffee drinker, I could tell it was legit and good. I give both drinks 4.5/5 and will return to try other drinks. We walked in around 30 min before close and it was still packed, so glad it's getting good traffic. It was a good space with quite a few tables seems like they serve food so maybe will sit down next time for a meal.

    Mango coconut smoothie
    Kelly D.

    Really clean and quick service. Much bigger space than the Katy location and alot more options (food and drinks)! I got the mango coconut smoothie and it's so good and refreshing

    Queenieko M.

    Came here while on vacation and wish this was at my home. This was the best boba tea I have ever had! Everything tasted so fresh. I ordered the brown sugar deerioca and it was so yummy. Wish I had one now! The service was nice and the staff were helpful in helping with my selection. They also have food you can order and eat in there. The food looked so good. The place was very hip and quant. I would definitely relax here.

    Peach Oolong Tea with Snow Velvet
    Jacquelyn C.

    Got to try this place during their soft opening, and the drinks were good as per usual. We got to try some of the food which was good, but not great. The spicy pepper dry noodles with grill shrimp was spicy and was yummy. It mainly tasted of soy sauce and spice. The espresso pork ribs with rice was flavored deliciously though the ribs were a little dry. The kimchi spam bao was alright and is exactly what it sounds like: kimchi and spam. Nothing amazing about this. We also got the popcorn chicken which was my favorite. They weren't too salty and paired very well with the sriracha mayo. Although I do wish they came with some basil. The service was pretty quick and we were seated promptly. Although they are advertising themselves as a sit-down and eat establishment there aren't very many tables and most of the tables are meant for 1 to 2 people to sit at. Would be a great place to study, but make sure to mention you'll be "dining" in even if you are not.

    Jessica N.

    An interesting change to this boba chain! Instead of the usual popcorn chicken, they added actual entrees and dishes to the menu. I got the popcorn chicken and the shrimp noodles. I could say that the Shrimp Noodles were flavorful and the shrimp was grilled just right. However, I did not like the popcorn chicken. The coating is different from other boba spots and doesn't hold any flavor or crunch to it, but for a boba shop it's okay! My usual go to drinks that I get are the Ube Creme Brûlée which never disappoints. I do think that the whole service and being seated is weird. I would rather have it as a pay, sit, and eat vibe instead of the server coming and seating you. Overall, 8/10.

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    5 months ago

    It's always so dark and not open. Sound like they are about to close the business. Quality and service dropped quite a bit

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    My is fast service and very friendly . The milk tea is super good! The store is super clean!

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    Ask the Community - The Alley

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    San Dong Noodle House 山東麵館

    San Dong Noodle House 山東麵館

    4.2
    (752 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $

    My BF told me this place has incredible food for great value…read more Beef Noodle Soup - This is only $10? The value is as incredible as the flavor. Goodness, can we have one open near me? Very hearty and not too spicy. The broth is rich with a refreshing relish tang. My BF and I shared a bowl because there was no way I would've finished it on my own with everything else we ordered. Chicken Dumplings in Beef Soup - Seems to use the same broth as the Beef Noodle Soup. Not my personal favorite because the dumpling wrapper is a bit too thick, but it's a small miss considering how fond I already am of this place. Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings - How is this place making money? These things are massive and deliciously oily. There's a clean Maillard effect on the bottom that adds so much flavor. They also have an interesting fold--I've never seen dumplings shaped quite like this before. The pork flavor comes through strongly with the classic scallion combo. Steamed Bao Bun - Yaass, reliving my Chinese drama dreams. These weren't as sweet as the commercial ones, which I personally prefer. Still, I reckon this is how they tasted in those shows, so I'm stoked for the experience. Now, will I say this is the absolute best dumpling place in Houston? No--but there is something undeniably attractive about this place, and it is fundamentally delicious. It embodies one of the best versions of a classic mom-and-pop restaurant, serving homemade food that isn't perfect but reflects craftsmanship and care beyond the appeal of modern restaurants. My dumplings weren't wrapped with perfect precision, nor were they the pinnacle of healthy eating. They were just blatantly delicious--like when your mom cooks your favorite meal on a weekend night. That's why I would come back. This place represents the most authentic form of home and freedom in food. The downside of all the carbs I ate is that I had to volunteer at my local theatre afterward, and I was crashing haaaaaard while sending this place so much love.

    Woow I never knew about this place, ive walked past this place countless times so color me surprise…read morewhen this came up on one of the most recommended and longest standing restaraunts in Bellaire This place really is a hole in the wall, its fantastic. Generous generous portions, cheap, and overall pretty dang great. Chicken steak rice - soo much food. Very crispy chicken and great! Comes with a boil egg and I believe it was tofu. I ended up making a second meal for later with all the food. Had a option of rice/ noodles. I wish I got the noodles. Tried friend's roasted beef noodle and wow the texture on the noodle is fantastic thick, little chewy, but felt perfect and I don't say that lightly. Pan fried dumplings - 12 of them! Pretty great for sharing. Loved it! Perfect amount of crispyness Shrimp and pork siu mai - I think it was good but to me it didn't taste fresh to me personally. I think its still quite good in taste though Overall I was pretty happy with this place! The owners were so nice, answering all our questions, recommending options on menu. I would come back!

    Photos
    Packaged good to go
    Packaged good to go
    Black Sesame Bun
    Black Sesame Bun
    Pork Bun

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    Pork Bun
    Northern Pasta 北方面食

    Northern Pasta 北方面食

    4.3
    (165 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    Northern Pasta is a hole in the wall located in a strip mall in Chinatown. The parking lot is…read morespacious and relatively easy. You order at the cash register and the menu has quite a large selection of dumplings and buns. You seat yourself and there is a station with cups, a water dispenser, plates and chopsticks. The liangpi is the reason I come to this restaurant. The noodles have an amazing texture and it pairs perfectly with the bean sprouts, cucumber and cilantro. The sesame sauce brings everything together and it's amazingly refreshing and hearty at the same time. The pork leek dumplings have a delicious filling and the wrapper is very clearly handmade with a delicate chew. The pan fried buns were also quite yummy with a golden crispy bottom and fluffy exterior. My diagnosis: come here for the best liangpi and well made dumplings and buns

    Their advertisement pictures on the store front's glass got me drooling so I wanted to check it out…read morewith my boyfriend, also I'm a huge fan of northern chinese food because it's my mom's hometown. The got nice wall art too, depicting the popular dishes from the north so I had my expectation and hopes up. Service is ordinary, she speaks little English but can get by ordering, we order first at the counter the sit anywhere. Braised egg is 2 for $3.50, salty but expected since it's marinated. Came out steaming hot, and yolk was not overly cooked and dry, not bad. Starting with the Chinese hamburger I felt sad and know not to expect too much from the other dishes we ordered. First the meat look different than what others have posted before, and it was kinda dry and too salty to eat. There was no other spice, only the meat juice flavor. The bun they use was stale to eat. Traditional way of making this should be the flaky oily pancake, or at least make the buns softer to eat. The mutton stew was clear and very heartwarming to drink on a cold day. But the portion is super small for the price. The glass noodles were gone in literally two bites. I had none to share with my boyfriend. This dish come with the burger bun too that you can soak them in the soup so I guess this is the extra carb make up for the less noodles. Oil splash noodle is their specialty? It was good but didn't wowed me. Noodles are chewy and well cooked, came with lots of bean sprouts. The sauce is flavorful and actually not too oily which I enjoyed more. You can add the beef for an extra charge, it's the regular braised beef, was just ok. I find it funny that their all food arts on the wall look nothing like the actual way they serve it.

    Photos
    Inside (chairs put up at 3pm, but can bring them back down if needed)
    Inside (chairs put up at 3pm, but can bring them back down if needed)
    Beef noodle soup
    Beef noodle soup
    Lamb soup.

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    Lamb soup.
    Hu's Cooking

    Hu's Cooking

    4.5
    (1.1k reviews)
    11.0 mi
    $$

    5 Stars - Authentic Szechuan that absolutely nails the classics…read more During our short trip to Houston, as a custom, we were determined to find real Szechuan food, and luckily we found Hu's Kitchen. The location is a bit unassuming, and parking is definitely tough (the spaces are very shallow), but the second we walked through the doors and smelled the Szechuan peppercorns, I knew we were in exactly the right place. I generally judge a Szechuan restaurant by their 夫妻肺片 (Fuqi Feipian)--which they cleverly name "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" on the menu. They completely nailed it. The beef, tripe, and tendon were incredibly cohesive together, yet you could tell each component was prepared and marinated in a slightly different way to perfectly highlight its specific texture. The chili oil was right on the spot. We went through a massive bowl of rice just eating this dish alone. Honestly, if I weren't feeding a family of four, I could have just ordered that and been perfectly happy. While the Fuqi Feipian proves their skill with dry dishes, the 水煮魚片 (Fish in Szechuan Hot Chili Oil) proves their skill with wet ones. It's another must-order. The execution was flawless--we didn't just finish the tender fish chunks, we ate every last piece of cabbage soaked in that incredible chili broth. For my two daughters who can't handle the heat, we ordered the fried rice, garlic pork ribs with onion, and the 紅燒獅子頭 (Giant Meatball with Cabbage). The giant meatball was spectacular. The kids completely devoured it on their own, but I managed to steal a bite, and it instantly brought back childhood memories of exactly how this dish is supposed to taste. We also had the Dan Dan Noodles, which were great and rounded out the meal perfectly. I loved all of the dishes we tried. Should we ever find ourselves in Houston again, we will absolutely be revisiting this hidden gem.

    My mom wanted steamed fish with ginger, scallions, and that light sweet soy sauce. Hu's Cooking…read moredelivered! When we ordered, they mentioned it'll take about 20 mins but it came out in 10. No complaints here since we were starving from an 8 hour road trip. The Dan Dan Noodles...I had high expectations but sadly this dish fell short. I recommend Hu's Cooking to use a bigger bowl and more sauce because it was difficult to mix the noodles and the sauce wasn't...saucing, unfortunately. I wish there was more flavor in this dish. The Scallion Pancake was super over-fried and oily. See image in my review. The outer parts of the pancake were fried to a crisp and only a small circumference in the center stayed chewy. I know Chinese tends to be oily but this pancake soaked up way too much oil. Half a Peking duck: super great price for so much meat. The difficulty when eating this dish is gnawing the meat off the sharp bones of the duck. Mapo Tofu with white rice: pretty easy staple, no complaints here. Dinner on a Saturday was packed but we got seated quickly and food arrived fast.

    Photos
    Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans
    Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans
    Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat
    Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat
    Hu's Cooking

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    Xing’s Kitchen

    Xing’s Kitchen

    4.3
    (80 reviews)
    10.2 mi
    $$

    I love Xing's Kitchen. Whenever I find myself in Sugar Land, it's my go to for Chinese, mainly…read morebecause I love the Shanxi oil noodle which is the best I've had. I swear it's just one really long hand made noodle, so it's a bit hard to share, but it's a must-get. We also tried the Claypot noodle and it was good as well but a bit of an acquired taste. The restaurant is located inside Jusgo grocery store. The seating is quite limited so I wouldn't recommend it for large parties. And it's pretty mom and pop, so if that's your jam, go for it. Chairs are mismatched, drinking water is somewhat self-service in small cafeteria-style plastic cups, and tables are small. Like I said - mom and pop, and that's not a bad thing. It's just not exactly a place where you would have a nice business meeting. Service was ok - nothing to note. You pay at the cashier which is like 2 feet from where you ate. Yes, it's a small space. Overall - I love this place and will keep coming back.

    the 热干面 (hot sesame paste noodles) is an absolute must!! the sesame sauce is rich and thick,…read morecoating the noodles really well instead of being watered down we also really enjoyed the braised chicken which was super fresh and flavorful (and spicy, be careful!) the 凉皮 (cold flour skin noodles) was also good, though i personally think it couldve used a little more salt very casual ambiance, not much service, food comes out fast

    Photos
    Interior / ig: @joyyeats
    Interior / ig: @joyyeats
    Henan lamb stewed noodle / ig: @joyyeats
    Henan lamb stewed noodle / ig: @joyyeats
    Outside

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    Outside
    Xiaolong Dumpling

    Xiaolong Dumpling

    4.6
    (299 reviews)
    12.7 mi
    $$

    This little spot is my literal favorite place for fried rice. Everything is good but the fried rice…read moreis the best I've ever had! Pork Bao's are normally my daughter fave but the soup dumplings here are her favorite. She could finish an order on her own. The service is always great. As soon as you get in they give everyone a water and a carafe of more water. There is a QR code to order and you place your order on the phone. The order goes straight to the kitchen and you can add as you go if wanted. I always thought that was pretty cool. The owner came out to say hello and ask how everything is. She even brought out a small bowl of soup for my baby to enjoy. The waitress was also very sweet and attentive. I don't live close by but will make the trip when the craving hits. Today was one of those days. The last time I was here there was no ac and not enough seating. This time it was nice and cool in and well as having new seating! This little spot needs to be on your need to stop places!

    Was a little bit of a red flag when we were the only Asian customers in the restaurant - still…read moredecent but definitely catered towards Western taste buds. My favorite dish was surprising the fried rice, with generous portions and slight smokiness. The xiaolongbao weren't my favorite, as there wasn't a whole lot of juice; but hey if you're looking to be health conscious maybe that is a positive.

    Photos
    Excellent customer service!!!
    Excellent customer service!!!
    V9. Eggplant In Garlic Sauce V9.
    V9. Eggplant In Garlic Sauce V9.
    P3. Black Pepper Beef P3.

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    P3. Black Pepper Beef P3.
    Ishin Udon

    Ishin Udon

    4.3
    (470 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    I don't see many places that specialize on udon. Ishin does it well with a big variety of udon…read moredishes from Japanese to Italian inspired and soups to curries. It's a small and cozy place that can get packed around peak hours. I got the beef curry udon with a side of tonkatsu. The tonkatsu was tender and crunchy and made an excellent addition to the soft and creamy udon. The curry was one of my favorites I've tried so far, a generous, flavorful helping that wasn't overly salty or spicy. They also gave a good amount of tender sliced beef as well. If you're out looking for udon specifically, this place has all sorts of good options for you to choose from.

    This was my third time coming back here. Each time we like to try different dishes. This time I…read morebrought my nieces with me and that just means more dishes to try. Not many restaurants in Houston offer Takowasa, which is marinated raw octopus with wasabi; and when we find one that does, it's our must order for appetizers. We also ordered the chicken karaage and agedashi tofu. The karaage was juicy and slightly larger than the size of popcorn chicken. The tofu was soft and lightly battered, however the downside is that it gets soggy quickly since it's sitting in the sauce rather than on the side. For our entrees, we got the carbonara, curry tonkatsu rice, niku tama ankake, and kakuni udon. The carbonara was nice and creamy. The curry rice tastes exactly like the Japanese box curry. The niku tama is more of a thicker soup base similar to egg drop soup, however has a more slightly sweet umami flavor. The kakuni udon had a lighter broth with braised pork belly. The service was a bit slow here, but we didn't mind it too much. The interior had a cute traditional Japanese style decor. Overall, we enjoyed our meal and we'll be back to try other udons.

    Photos
    Booths layout
    Booths layout
    Curry udon
    Curry udon
    Chicken Karaage

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    Chicken Karaage

    The Alley - bubbletea - Updated July 2026

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