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The Alley makes some of the best and affordable boba! It's always not too sweet and just tastes like fresh regular boba. The inside is bright with some seating inside. Staff is chill and drinks came out pretty quick. Got the lychee yogurt smoothie and mango green milk tea. Both were great!
For the Chinatown International District food walk, The Alley had their Ube Brown Sugar Boba Creme Brulee Milk with boba. They had both counter and virtual service with very sweet staff. The drink had pudding inside which was okay to my liking but it had the perfect amount of sweetness.
Honestly I'd written off the alley as super mid-tier boba years ago but we came here after a frisbee match and a nice cold fruity smoothie just sounded so nice. And it was. The drink was really fresh not to mention so refreshing too. Mixed with coconut cream and I really found my tropical happiness.
Came in with my friends for our annual Christmas gift exchange and had such a cute experience. The girls working were adorable and super sweet. The boba was soft and chewy, and the tea had a nice strong flavor--not watery at all. Honestly, pretty good for a chain boba spot! It's reliable, consistent, and you always know what you're going to get. Plus, they're open later than most boba shops in the area, which is a big bonus.
I bought milk tea here and found a bug in my drink. I'm not sure if it's a fly, but it made me feel sick and disgusted. I almost threw up
I visited The Alley as my second to last stop during the recent LNY Food Walk. I really enjoy the location in Lynnwood, so I figured this one would have the same quality of drinks. Be warned that they have a set Food Walk menu of several Milk Teas and Brown Sugar drinks for $6. Some of these drinks are actually cheaper on the normal menu (E.g. the Garden Milk Tea is $5.95 normally). They add all the Food Walk items in a special section on the kiosk, so ordering is fast and easy. Ube Taro Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk, 50% Ice ($6 Food Walk pricing, $7.25 normally) - I usually get milk teas, but most of them but I figured for the same price, I could get something I don't normally get. This drink is quite good. It's rich with an ube earthiness, combined with taro paste on the bottom that still has some very tender small bits of taro mixed in. The sweetness can't be adjusted, but I didn't find the drink too cloyingly sweet at all since it's mellowed out by all the earthy elements. Half ice is good; it cools down the drink with some ice chips left over, but not enough to dilute the drink down too much further. There's a thick creaminess to the milk that comprises the drink, with some foaminess on top. This drink comes with Deerioca/Boba. The boba served at The Alley is almost perfect. It's perhaps just the teeniest bit on the softer side, but it's exhibits a very good bounce and chew. There's a soft coating on the outside from the sugar soak that gives a good flavorful bite. Drink Rating: 4.5/5 Boba Rating 4.5/5 The Alley definitely serves some very solid drinks. I will definitely be returning in the future. Bathrooms - One unisex room that requires a code
Staff is super friendly and helped me choose my drink. They use real lychee in your drinks so it tastes so silky and soft. The location is right on Jackson so it's really convenient to go by my job, and they have a ton of options if you're looking for boba or just a gift for a friend!
Very modern, stylish, and clean little tea shop with high-quality and well-flavored tea and a no-sugar option. Maybe a bit pricey. They use the self-sealing lids, which makes the drinks more portable. The staff were friendly and kindly answered my questions about the differ options. Worth a stop if you are looking for a while in the International District.
Great boba spot! First had The Alley in the OC/LA area so it's nice to see it make its way up to Seattle! Got the brown sugar deerioca fresh milk boba and it was so good! Boba comes a bit hot at the bottom, but its cooked really nicely with the perfect amount of sweetness. My husband got the taro milk boba and loved his! Service is friendly and there's a few tables inside for seating but overall its a small location. Parking in the area isn't the greatest.
The IG reels caught my attention, so I made the effort to make the trek on a Sunday to arrive before it opened at 12noon (7/7/24). Lucked out with nearly free street parking on S Jackson. It's located across the street from Joyale Seafood Restaurant. I joined the line at 1155am. Observations: limited onsite seating, cards only - no cash accepted as payment, minimalistic interior, and bad internet connection. Various beverages on menu. Saw some croffles in a case. Probably would be more efficient if menus were posted or made available the entrance. Like myself, there's an extensive pause at the cashier stand placing one's customized order. Kind of dour person at the register and very focused staff dealing with the incoming orders. I randomly ordered The Alley Trio Milk Tea ($6.95) w/ 50% ice, regular sweetness. Came with chewy boba pearls and aloe rectangles. With tax and tip, it was a little over $9. It was okay, this experience was not remarkable over other similar businesses in the CID or greater Seattle area. It was a 3.5 rounded to a 4 star experience.
I went here with friends on a Friday night around 30 minutes before closing, and there was a line as you get inside. The walls and floors are pretty much new since the place opened several weeks ago, and there are bouquets of flowers placed around the seating near the windows. Seating itself is very limited, and outside parking or public transportation is advised here since the place doesn't have its own parking lot and sits right on S Jackson St. Throughout our stay, the line got increasingly long even when it was 10 minutes till closing time. I ordered The Alley Trio milk tea, and my friends each got the ube brown sugar deerioca creme brulee milk. We all requested ours with 50% sugar. I have gotten the ube creme brulee milk on a previous visit, and that was one of the best drinks I've tasted in a while though it can be overwhelmingly sweet if you choose it with more than 50% sugar. My Alley Trio included boba, lychee jelly and rainbow jelly, all of which added a decent amount of sweetness to the drink but wasn't anything too special. For my drink I was told that the creamer they use is non-dairy, so I didn't have to request oat milk this time around even if it was provided as an option. Nice place to get milk tea and another great addition to Chinatown, though be prepared for some decently long lines for a while!
The Alley has recently opened in Seattle, so I stopped by to try it out. There is a touchscreen kiosk to order your drink, where you can scroll through the menu items and customize them to your liking. Unfortunately, the images of each drink are not available on the screen, but there is a printed menu to refer to for reference photos. I ordered the Alley Trio Milk tea, which is milk tea with tapioca, pineapple jelly, and rainbow jelly. There are a few seats and tables inside where you can enjoy your tea. Overall the tea was good, service was quick and friendly, would stop by again if I'm in the area.
The Alley's opening in Seattle seemed highly anticipated and there was so much praise for the chain overall. Maybe I had higher expectations after hearing people talk about how good it is, but I was disappointed when I tried it. I tried their most popular drink - the ube brown sugar deerioca creme brulee milk. It is a drink that is able to be "less sweet" but the staff let me know that the brown sugar makes it sweet but they were able to make other parts of the drink less sweet. Even at the less sweet option, I felt that the drink was still super sweet. I knew when ordering this drink that it would be on the sweeter side since it was not a tea, but upon taking a sip (after mixing) it felt like I was just drinking sugar. I could barely taste the ube flavor in the drink. I felt that the milk and creme overpowered the ube. The boba was very good though - very yummy brown sugar flavor and chewy. Overall, for a number one drink, it fell flat. The lighting in the store is very bright. However there is limited seating. I think I would come back again to try their tea drinks, but I don't think I would go out of my way to try it. There's other places in the International District where you can go to get boba that I would rather go to.
Finally had the chance to try the alley out and definitely did not regret it. I've had it in a different location before but this is the first one I've seen in Seattle and the Brown sugar milk drinks did not disappoint. It's on the outskirts of international district so be prepared to walk or a parking is easier if you are driving here. read more
This spot is in kind of a weird area, but the inside feels very safe and clean. Their menu is pretty big and they let you customize a lot about the drinks. I always like their ube options. The staff was friendly and made sure they were clear on what we wanted. read more
6 months ago
The Alley makes some of the best and affordable boba! It's always not too sweet and just tastes like fresh regular boba. The inside is bright with some seating inside. Staff is chill and drinks came out pretty quick. Got the lychee yogurt smoothie and mango green milk tea. Both were great! read more
For the Chinatown International District food walk, The Alley had their Ube Brown Sugar Boba Creme Brulee Milk with boba. They had both counter and virtual service with very sweet staff. The drink had pudding inside which was okay to my liking but it had the perfect amount of sweetness. read more
Honestly I'd written off the alley as super mid-tier boba years ago but we came here after a frisbee match and a nice cold fruity smoothie just sounded so nice. And it was. The drink was really fresh not to mention so refreshing too. Mixed with coconut cream and I really found my tropical happiness. read more
Came in with my friends for our annual Christmas gift exchange and had such a cute experience. The girls working were adorable and super sweet. The boba was soft and chewy, and the tea had a nice strong flavor--not watery at all. Honestly, pretty good for a chain boba spot! It's reliable, consistent, and you always know what you're going to get. Plus, they're open later than most boba shops in the area, which is a big bonus. read more
4 months ago
I bought milk tea here and found a bug in my drink. I'm not sure if it's a fly, but it made me feel sick and disgusted. I almost threw up read more
Business owner information
Yen N.
Hi Linh, we’re so sorry to hear about your experience and understand…
I visited The Alley as my second to last stop during the recent LNY Food Walk. I really enjoy the location in Lynnwood, so I figured this one would have the same quality of drinks. Be warned that they have a set Food Walk menu of several Milk Teas and Brown Sugar drinks for $6. Some of these drinks are actually cheaper on the normal menu (E.g. the Garden Milk Tea is $5.95 normally). They add all the Food Walk items in a special section on the kiosk, so ordering is fast and easy. Ube Taro Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk, 50% Ice ($6 Food Walk pricing, $7.25 normally) - I usually get milk teas, but most of them but I figured for the same price, I could get something I don't normally get. This drink is quite good. It's rich with an ube earthiness, combined with taro paste on the bottom that still has some very tender small bits of taro mixed in. The sweetness can't be adjusted, but I didn't find the drink too cloyingly sweet at all since it's mellowed out by all the earthy elements. Half ice is good; it cools down the drink with some ice chips left over, but not enough to dilute the drink down too much further. There's a thick creaminess to the milk that comprises the drink, with some foaminess on top. This drink comes with Deerioca/Boba. The boba served at The Alley is almost perfect. It's perhaps just the teeniest bit on the softer side, but it's exhibits a very good bounce and chew. There's a soft coating on the outside from the sugar soak that gives a good flavorful bite. Drink Rating: 4.5/5 Boba Rating 4.5/5 The Alley definitely serves some very solid drinks. I will definitely be returning in the future. Bathrooms - One unisex room that requires a code read more
Staff is super friendly and helped me choose my drink. They use real lychee in your drinks so it tastes so silky and soft. The location is right on Jackson so it's really convenient to go by my job, and they have a ton of options if you're looking for boba or just a gift for a friend! read more
Very modern, stylish, and clean little tea shop with high-quality and well-flavored tea and a no-sugar option. Maybe a bit pricey. They use the self-sealing lids, which makes the drinks more portable. The staff were friendly and kindly answered my questions about the differ options. Worth a stop if you are looking for a while in the International District. read more
Great boba spot! First had The Alley in the OC/LA area so it's nice to see it make its way up to Seattle! Got the brown sugar deerioca fresh milk boba and it was so good! Boba comes a bit hot at the bottom, but its cooked really nicely with the perfect amount of sweetness. My husband got the taro milk boba and loved his! Service is friendly and there's a few tables inside for seating but overall its a small location. Parking in the area isn't the greatest. read more
The IG reels caught my attention, so I made the effort to make the trek on a Sunday to arrive before it opened at 12noon (7/7/24). Lucked out with nearly free street parking on S Jackson. It's located across the street from Joyale Seafood Restaurant. I joined the line at 1155am. Observations: limited onsite seating, cards only - no cash accepted as payment, minimalistic interior, and bad internet connection. Various beverages on menu. Saw some croffles in a case. Probably would be more efficient if menus were posted or made available the entrance. Like myself, there's an extensive pause at the cashier stand placing one's customized order. Kind of dour person at the register and very focused staff dealing with the incoming orders. I randomly ordered The Alley Trio Milk Tea ($6.95) w/ 50% ice, regular sweetness. Came with chewy boba pearls and aloe rectangles. With tax and tip, it was a little over $9. It was okay, this experience was not remarkable over other similar businesses in the CID or greater Seattle area. It was a 3.5 rounded to a 4 star experience. read more
I went here with friends on a Friday night around 30 minutes before closing, and there was a line as you get inside. The walls and floors are pretty much new since the place opened several weeks ago, and there are bouquets of flowers placed around the seating near the windows. Seating itself is very limited, and outside parking or public transportation is advised here since the place doesn't have its own parking lot and sits right on S Jackson St. Throughout our stay, the line got increasingly long even when it was 10 minutes till closing time. I ordered The Alley Trio milk tea, and my friends each got the ube brown sugar deerioca creme brulee milk. We all requested ours with 50% sugar. I have gotten the ube creme brulee milk on a previous visit, and that was one of the best drinks I've tasted in a while though it can be overwhelmingly sweet if you choose it with more than 50% sugar. My Alley Trio included boba, lychee jelly and rainbow jelly, all of which added a decent amount of sweetness to the drink but wasn't anything too special. For my drink I was told that the creamer they use is non-dairy, so I didn't have to request oat milk this time around even if it was provided as an option. Nice place to get milk tea and another great addition to Chinatown, though be prepared for some decently long lines for a while! read more
The Alley has recently opened in Seattle, so I stopped by to try it out. There is a touchscreen kiosk to order your drink, where you can scroll through the menu items and customize them to your liking. Unfortunately, the images of each drink are not available on the screen, but there is a printed menu to refer to for reference photos. I ordered the Alley Trio Milk tea, which is milk tea with tapioca, pineapple jelly, and rainbow jelly. There are a few seats and tables inside where you can enjoy your tea. Overall the tea was good, service was quick and friendly, would stop by again if I'm in the area. read more
2 years ago
The Alley's opening in Seattle seemed highly anticipated and there was so much praise for the chain overall. Maybe I had higher expectations after hearing people talk about how good it is, but I was disappointed when I tried it. I tried their most popular drink - the ube brown sugar deerioca creme brulee milk. It is a drink that is able to be "less sweet" but the staff let me know that the brown sugar makes it sweet but they were able to make other parts of the drink less sweet. Even at the less sweet option, I felt that the drink was still super sweet. I knew when ordering this drink that it would be on the sweeter side since it was not a tea, but upon taking a sip (after mixing) it felt like I was just drinking sugar. I could barely taste the ube flavor in the drink. I felt that the milk and creme overpowered the ube. The boba was very good though - very yummy brown sugar flavor and chewy. Overall, for a number one drink, it fell flat. The lighting in the store is very bright. However there is limited seating. I think I would come back again to try their tea drinks, but I don't think I would go out of my way to try it. There's other places in the International District where you can go to get boba that I would rather go to. read more
2 years ago
LOVE IT! I had the alley in california and at other states. They all have been really good with a ton of refreshing drinks such as a water slush with water bites with crystal boba. I expected this location to have the drink too, but unfortunately they didn't. So I tried their ube crème brûlée drink instead, but I heard it's good and it's most popular drink. I substituted the milk for soy and asked for less ice. And it didn't taste like I got soy milk. Which is really good, but I did expected more of an ube flavor. The drink also came with boba and bites of crème brûlée, which I didn't know and made it seem like I was eating a crème brûlée. And I so got the jasmine milk tea with their homemade lychee jelly. Which was very delicious, the lychee flavor was really strong. It's not like the regular lychee jelly other places have where the jelly is chewy. This one is soft. Overall, the ambiance is really nice and bright. Which lots of lighting to take pictures. The price of the boba is definitely on the norm for boba now. $8 for the ube and $7 for the jasmine milk tea. There isn't a lot of siting other than 2 counter and 2 table. I would definitely came back here if I'm in the area, since it's a little hidden at the broader of Chinatown and Little Saigon. Rating: 4/5 Ube: definitely could've emphasize more on the ube flavor. 4/5 Jasmine milk tea: the tea flavor is strong and good. It's typically milk tea, in my option. read more
2 years ago
Soft opening June 25-28. Grand opening June 29. I am beyond ecstatic that The Alley is finally around the Seattle area! The Alley is my favorite chain when they're on top of their stuff. Not my number one in the state (yet) but easily up there. This location is consistent with my good experiences in other states. They're one of the originals to start the whole brown sugar boba boom, dubbing their version Deerioca. I wish more drinks had adjustable ice and sugar but that's a standard across The Alley chains. Their most popular drinks have always been the brown sugar series and Royal No. 9 Milk Tea and are generally the most consistent across stores. The inside is clean with restrooms. About two tables and two counter areas, so light seating as well. Location is a bit further than the main area of Chinatown and there's free street parking on the opposite end or in the Pacific Rim Center across (I believe free for plaza customers or paid). Brown Sugar Deerioca Creme Brûlée Milk - my friends and I agree that The Alley has the best creme brûlée drinks and this location definitely keeps that reputation. The creme brûlée is located in the middle of the drink rather than the top so one can actually drink it and have it mix with the drink. Boba is sweet and flavorful on top of being typically chewy. Royal No. 9 Milk Tea - the Royal Number 9 has a subtle blueberry taste that I've always loved. No different here, it's a light blueberry milk tea that's super refreshing. It's a great balance between milk tea and fruit tea without commitment (but it really is a milk tea). read more
4 months ago
I went here on Sunday after dinner. Parking is street parking nearby so it can be challenging most days of the week, but Sunday is free parking day and there is plentiful nearby. I got their ube brown sugar deerioca creme brulee milk and it was expensiveeee - $7.95 plus tax on top of that, which comes out to almost $9 for boba that wasn't even that good quality. Boba is overcooked so it was very soft, and the ube milk wasn't really creamy or had much ube flavor (mostly felt like it was there for cosmetics). The creme brulee is more like egg custard, so it was not representative of actually creme brulee. Overall, this was a mediocre drink. The plus is that the drinks come out fast. read more
1 year ago
We have been to this place several times now for the lychee yogurt smoothie. Super refreshing and comes with house made lychee jelly which gives just the right amount of sweetness! Also got less sugar. Have also tried their ube brown sugar brulee milk (which I need to get again) and the ube taro smoothie! Somewhat pricey for boba arouns $8-9 each drink. Service was quick and easy. Ambiance was simple cafe. read more
Wow I've had the Alley in the past but today I got drinks I haven't got before and they were all so good. I waited 1+ hours for their grand opening but I guess it was worth it. The garden milk tea and the lychee yogurt smoothie is a must. Best I've ever had respectfully. I'd come back! read more
Newly opened shop near ID. Shop is clean and staff is friendly, but shop is small with just a couple of tables. It may be more convenient to take out instead of dine in. With less sugar, the drink is still plenty sweet. I love the additon of strawberries and jelly to this drink. Also, customers should be aware that less to no ice option has an additional cost. read more
The cousin and I decided to stop by after lunch to try out this new place in town . I ordered the royal milk tea with boba and pudding . The royal milk tea has a hint of fruitiness (like blueberry) to the taste. The only thing I was disappointed with was that the pudding texture was mushy and fell apart in the drink and because it was mushy it made the drink texture really weird . I felt like I was drinking a creme brulee texture drink and that made it not good anymore . read more
Went during the day, so there was no line! The location was easy to get to but has minimal parking. The tea itself was good! I got the Ube bubble tea. It tastes like legit taro. Would recommend, i got the lowest sugar option. Was delicious! read more
6 months ago
Solid boba place. I got the lychee yogurt smoothie with regular sugar and it was good. It was also really sweet so I think next time I can get 50% sugar and it'll still taste good. The inside of the restaurant is white and bright. It feels very clean, modern, and fresh. The service is good. This place seems quite popular since there were a few people in the shop already when we arrived (Sunday night), but it didn't take long for us to order and I didn't feel like we waited too long for our drinks either. read more
2 years ago
We had lunch at Phnom Penh Noodles House next door and stopped by after for a sweet treat. This is the first location in Seattle and it didnt disappoint. I think theyre still in soft opening status but the drinks were pretty good compared to the other locations ive had in the past. Staff and manager were super friendly. We accidentally ordered a drink for my son and didnt realize it had tea in it. The manager completely understood, suggested some non caffeinated options and immediately remade the drink for our little guy. We had a great experience and we wish nothing but good luck to this location. read more
2 years ago
I love boba and have been drinking it since I was little. As an ex-bobarista with experience at multiple shops, I can confidently say The Alley is pretty good. I've tried their locations in SoCal, London, and Vancouver B.C., and now they've finally opened one in Seattle's Chinatown. Here's what my friends and I have tried: - **Ube Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brûlée Milk** (Recommend) - **Jasmine Green Milk Tea with House-Made Lychee Jelly** (Recommend with regular sugar) - **The Alley Trio Milk Tea without Pineapple Jelly** (Recommend) - **Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brûlée Milk** - **Matcha Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brûlée Milk** - **Royal No. 9 Milk Tea** (Not Recommend) I really love their brown sugar boba, especially the Ube flavor, which is in my top five. The homemade lychee jelly is another highlight; it tastes real and not artificial. However, I didn't like the Royal No. 9 Milk Tea, which tasted like a nail salon--definitely a miss. The drinks are around $7-8 with tax, which is pricey but inflation I guess. I'd rate The Alley a solid 7.5/10 overall because the service was good and the interior is minimalistic. However, they sometimes take a while to make the drinks, but the owner mentioned that the staff is new to making boba. I'm sure they will be faster as time goes on so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and continue to support them. read more
We went today at their Soft Opening, we waited in total 90 minute from the time we arrived to when we got our drinks. We rate our drinks 8/10 ! Honestly one of my highest rating. We would have love to lower the sweetness but couldn't. It wasn't sweet but just us predicting the calories LOL. Our Drinks - Deerioca Crème Brûlée Cold Brew with Light Ice and Ube Taro Brown Sugar deerioca milk with no ice. Today was a busy day, 3 Barista 1 Cashier and the Owners helping the best they can. The previous review has mention micro managing or even that the staff weren't happy. As someone who was a Barista, when it gets busy- we focus on trying to not make mistakes on drinks. Having to make new ones is just double work. Can't say If they felt that way or not. Didn't feel like the Owners were Micro Managing but Each to their own perspective on things. The place is kinda small but would say a place 3-8 people can go and sit down. Wishing them the best on their journey, it's in a place that I don't see myself going by often. read more
The Alley is a relatively standard, but expensive, boba shop. I got the Royal No. 9 Milk Tea with boba added. This was quite surprising -- the milk tea is very heavily blueberry flavored, more blueberry than tea. There's no mention of this on the menu, which I thought was odd. Frankly it should be called "Blueberry Milk Tea". Although I had intended to get a plain tea, the blueberry flavor was still good. 25% sweetness was the perfect level. I'd rate the milk tea as 4/5. Unfortunately the boba was not great. They were kind of soft and flat, not chewy. The inside is small and basically plain. There's a couple tables and a few counter seats. Overall fairly average, I might come back to try another drink but without any boba. read more
2 years ago
From drinks to the waffles...Delicious!! The staffs & managers are friendly, the store is clean. If you are not sure about their different types of boba sweetness just ask. I was unsure of the drinks sweetness the manager was very kind to explain and sure enough my drink came out perfect to my taste. I recommend Mango Coconut,Snow Velvet Mango Smoothie, and the UBE Crème Brûlée Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk. I keep coming back because of the wonderful consistent customer service and their fresh sweet and tasty boba,crystal boba & creme brûlée!! read more
located within the ground level of an apartment building that is between little saigon and chinatown, it is very cute as well as clean inside with the nice white decor. there is a register but a self order kiosk too. i ordered two drinks from their top 12 being the ube crème brûlée brown sugar deerioca and the matcha brown sugar deerioca. i found the ube drink being way too sweet due to all of the elements but feel that it would be great if you did 50% or no sugar in the drink itself but was not possible on the self kiosk as it did not provide the option to adjust the sugar levels. the matcha i found to be quite bland in flavor and would not order this again but both drinks had phenomenal boba! i would definitely try again but maybe order using the register to see if i can change the sugar levels with an employee. read more
1 year ago
8 months ago
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More info about The Alley
913 S Jackson St
Ste B
Seattle, WA 98104
Chinatown International District
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(206) 843-2228
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https://www.the-alley.us
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