It's my mission to check out at least one boba shop whenever I travel, here was my experience. AMBIANCE: Parking: It's in a plaza. We didn't have much issues as there was a lot of space. Seating: Both inside and outside seating. Great for groups and patio seating outside to keep you dry. Vibes: It's in a plaza, maybe 10 minutes away from Downtown Birmingham. The plaza consists of restaurants, a gym, and a grocery store. The spot itself is spacious, clean, and welcoming. A great place to hang out with friends or be friends. FOOD: Peppermint Boba (Recommend) A seasonal drink that was a pleasant delight. The peppermint wasn't too strong, it was well balanced with milk and the boba was chewy. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Great! The store opened and there was a rush of 3 customers. The kid in front took care of it well. TL; DR OVERALL: 5 Stars. Great! This is a solid enough representation of boba so it's glad to be shared here in the Dirty South! The prices are reasonable, food is delicious, and I appreciated the range/variety they provided. For those craving a boba fix, be sure to check this place out! Shoutouts to Ashley and Tam Duong for bringing this delight to Alabama and best wishes to new owner, Hugo Anguiano, and his team on this business. TIPS: * Check online for their seasonal specials! * Check out their article! https://bhamnow.com/2021/12/17/thirstea-cafe-to-open-at-the-pizitz/ read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Wooo! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Ordered a jasmine milk tea. It's basically jasmine-flavored iced water. For $8 (order + tip), this is basically a fancy water.

My husband and I have been on the hunt for the best bobas in town! We had a taro smoothie, the first time turned out great but the second time they did not blend the ice thoroughly. So we were biting on chunks of ice, which was not enjoyable. Although we had that issue we would go back again and let them know what happened. The ambiance is casual and the service was fine. The tapioca pearls had a great texture and size, and I enjoyed the taro flavor. read more

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I loved their milk tea, it was sweet, creamy, and tasted natural rather than artificial. The boba pearls were fresh and had a perfect chew. Service was friendly, but the wait time was longer than expected. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

We are nuts for boba teas! This is a great little place to stop in. There is a bookcase with games and we always see everyone there relaxing, playing games, and talking with their drinks. We've tried their grilled cheese sandwiches as well. They're good, but it starts to add up with the additions such as bacon, spinach or tomatoes. read more

Boba and milk tea place with a good size menu. They offer a good variety with several ways to customize drinks, or go with a pre suggested mix. The staff is generally happy to make recommendations to help you find your perfect blend! The area is a little small but it makes for a cozy environment. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Jasmine with standard boba and oat milk (left) Thai tea with standard boba (right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Their matcha latte with boba is one of the best I've ever had. The matcha flavor was bold without being bitter, and the boba had just the right amount of chewiness. The staff is friendly and quick, but parking can be a challenge. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Today I ordered the sea foam. OMG delicious! It was a coconut milk tea with a honeydew foam and lychee. The greatest combo! I loved the color and that it wasn't too sweet. Definitely be back to try other flavor combos! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Always a pleasant experience. I will say i love the decor, the space is very welcoming and accommodating. I'm not saying i want to see the staff at all times but the fact that they don't come out unless they are taking or bringing you your order is a bit different. They have a menu board that was easy to read and understand, and a lot of Asian snacks i have yet to see in the local Asian market. Only negative with this is i saw no prices for those items. My drink was just right. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Delicious boba!!! Both locations are always spot on with their teas! Fast friendly service as well. Honeydew with rainbow jelly is my fav read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

went in the middle of the day, they were out of most of the things i wanted. ordered a grilled cheese and they left the paper on the cheese... i think this is my final straw. hot take: i've been coming to thirstea since they opened and i feel like it's been steadily going downhill. i've gone several times where they've been out of boba i'm still sad they got rid of the tv tbh, i remember when people used to have smash tournaments there and it was such a fun atmosphere. at this point, there are several boba places that are just as good, if not better. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - literal paper in my grilled cheese 3 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

The barista talked trash about me from behind the curtain after I paid with a 50-dollar bill. The almond milk was old (it was visibly deteriorating), and so was the boba. I ordered the caramel boba, and the boba tea itself tasted almost like yogurt and nothing like boba. Would NOT recommend. read more

This place is adorable!! They have a huge menu and he even made me a special pumpkin boba. It's not even on the menu :) The more you look around the more you'll want to buy! They have a bunch of cool snacks, boba purses, boba jewelry, boba keychains. So cute! If you check in, you get a free boba add on. read more

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I love boba tea, especially the boba that pops. I was in Jacksonville, Florida a couple weeks ago and I tried boba. I just had to find a spot at home that would let me continue to indulge. I hopped on Yelp and found this place. It's not too far of a drive for me so I was happy to realize that. There are a lot of options. I chose a fruit tea with strawberry popping boba. I absolutely loved it! I can already tell you that I'll be back again and again and again! read more

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I got a jasmine milk tea with 75% sweetness. It tasted like straight milk, water down and not even sweet. Also the boba was not fully cooked.... still hard. Kindly train staff members how to do it right. Very disappointing. I will never get that money and tip back. My friend also got one and it was pretty bad too. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Not good... - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Fast service and clean spot, but subpar tea and boba. I got here at opening and first asked for the pandan waffle since I drove all the way here for it, but they don't make them nowadays apparently. Also there was a sign that said no poke either. So I settled for a safe order, thai tea with tapioca boba. The tea tastes more like sugar than tea, very weak for thai tea, and the tapioca boba wasn't great, a bit on the chewy side. Particularly disappointed since this was my first stop on my first trip to Birmingham. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Thai tea boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Okay, so... We were the only ones in the shop (with the exception of some teenagers playing poker at a back table who already had their drinks). We placed our order (nothing complicated just jasmine and lavander tea with tapioca Boba) and took a seat. It legit took 25 minutes to get our order. Not really sure what to make of that.. I would not recommend this place if you're in a hurry unless you order ahead of time for pickup. However, we noticed a couple who came in shortly after us that had to wait almost as long as we did for their carryout order. Now.. All that being said, the tea was delicious. We will definitely be back and happily wait for this delicacy. read more

Probably one of my favorite boba tea places in Birmingham. They always have lots of options and even have seasonal options to choose from. I'm a sucker for almond milk tea with boba so end up choosing the same drink regularly. Their customer service is great and they're pretty fast in making the drink. It's a pretty chill spot to come to after work or school and they even have area where you can sit and play games! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I wish ThirsTea was not so far away and on 280 of all places. I do like that it has convenient access from Valleydale Road. This is a real treat, and my teenagers enjoy going to get tea every once in a while. Lately, we've tried the Pina Colada Slushie with boba, as well as the fall limited edition flavors of Witches Cauldron and Boo Brew. Personally I go back and forth between the original boba and the bursting boba; depends on whether you want the chewiness of the original or the added light, fun pop of the bursting boba. I have tried the jellies, but they just weren't my thing. Any of the milk teas are pretty good--definitely give the lavender, caramel, or taro a try. If you want something a little lighter tasting, try either the passionfruit or pomegranate (which both go well with the blueberry bursting boba). I have not tried their sandwich or bowl options, but this last time we did add a muffin and a couple cookies. Both were good, and not terribly expensive. Great afternoon snack! read more

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Coconut Almond Smoothie, Honeydew Coconut Smoothie, Lavender Honey Milk Tea, Taro Milk Tea all top favorites from here. The updates are cute within the store itself and they staff has finally started to improve again after a long break from them. The pandemic honestly screwed most places from a service aspect. read more

Haven't been here in awhile and from other reviews it seems like it may have had an owner change? If not owner change, something changed....and unfortunately not for the better. I noted several negative reviews within the last few months and a couple more adjusted down from the original 5 stars. How unfortunate! Came in today and they were out of the large cups. Hmmm, okay, sounds like poor planning but it happens. Ordered 5 drinks and waited for a bit, but the wait time was reasonable. Drinks came out and were fine (powdered and/or tea based so it's pretty hard to mess up honestly)....BUT, where were the bobas? You can barely see them as they put so few in there! There were SO FEW that I actually pointed it out to the staff and asked if I could get more? He said that's a scoop and that's what they do. Really? What scoop did you use...a teaspoon? Drives me nuts when boba tea stores aren't willing to put in an appropriate amount of bobas in a drink, especially when they charge additional for them! Seriously, the cost of tapioca is VERY, VERY low! I am happy to pay additional for them, but then give me the bobas! Anyway, I used to drive half an hour to come out here just to get a good boba drink with actual bobas inside (they used to do a great job!). I think it's important to support a good boba tea store. Unfortunately they have now fallen from the "good boba tea store list". Going back to making them myself....actually really easy and the cost is a fraction of what you pay in store! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Exterior - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I'd say this is probably the best place for boba in the Birmingham area. However, their tapioca pearls are not always great and same with their boba tea (sometimes disgustingly watered down). They have inconsistencies but of all the places I've tried in the Birmingham area, this one is best though it is a hit or miss at times. Customer service is decent and the new atmosphere makes a very lively ambiance. Also...ask for light ice or you'll just get ice. read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Horrible service. Employees are blatantly rude. Will never return here again. I tried calling the store and they refuse to pick up the phone. Husband waited over 30 minutes for a simple drink, and they never apologized or refused to offer a refund. I'll find another place to get my tea. read more

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I've been here several times now, twice to get tea and once I ordered a poké bowl. They teas are delicious. They have a ton of available options, plus different types of add ins. I was surprised by the variety and will have to come back several more times to sample everything I want to try. I've had the Thai Milk Tea and the Lychee tea, both with Boba add ins. They were both delicious! I've also ordered a poké bowl there and that was more or less disappointing. The chicken it it was super dried out, and the rice tasted like the kind you boil in a bag. Definitely not worth the price. The inside is nice, with ample seating and a tv. The staff is always friendly and efficient. Definitely go check out the drinks! read more

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The only thing I can say about this place is they need to expand & hire more staff! When we left, there was a line out the front door! The teas are delicious and the decor is fun and friendly. If you like (or have been wanting to try) boba tea, this is a great place to get some! We prefer the bursting pearls. They are softer and have fruity flavors. The traditional boba is good, just thicker. It all comes down to what you prefer. read more

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This store is super cute and staff members were helpful. This was my first trip and I thoroughly enjoyed my guava fruit drink with apple gummies and passion fruit bobas. I have never had any other boba flavor except tapioca so I was obsessed with the passion fruit. The green apple gummies were very similar to fruit roll up texture (shout out to my fellow 90s Babies!). It was fun to drink with all the textures. I ordered my husband a milk peppermint boba with tapioca. I will report back with his review! The drink is super refreshing and is reminding me of summer on this cold winter day. When I entered the store there was a group of teens playing dungeons and dragons which made me super happy to see. This is definitely the place to have a small group/Bible study/ good ole game of D&D! read more

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Drinks were amazing more food. You don't see too much staff so you don't have to talk. But staff is nice you won't get screamed at or anything so don't be worried. read more

Hands down best bubble tea in town. Only thing I dislike is the 15% minimum tip option - I feel like the staff just looks at me as I hit custom and have to type $1 read more

Top notch bubble tea. I got the taro. Creamy taste, just the right amount of ice, quality boba, good price, good sugar level, and good variety of flavors. I could go on a rant about bad bubble tea but I'll just leave you with the good - this place being one of them. Another win for Birmingham and the state of Alabama. Bonus: I'd be curious to check out their poke bowl next time. read more

This is my go to boba place, but recently the bubble tea has not been great. Super watered down, mushy boba, and powdery texture. Will have to spend my money elsewhere at this point. Not sure what's going on... read more

I have been coming to ThirsTea for the past four years and it was always my favorite boba place in Birmingham. Today however our teas were extremely watered down to the point where we threw them away pretty immediately. I'm super disappointed because like I said I have always loved their boba tea and the ambience and service here but I think they are having consistency issues. read more

I've been wanting to try this for forever and I thought heck, it's Friday, treat yo self. I loved the atmosphere. Very laid back. I also appreciate the signs around the place explaining different drinks. I ordered a caramel almond milk tea with coffee jelly and boba. I'm still on the fence on if I like it. The boba is cool, but for me personally there was too much. It overtook the caramel and coffee taste. The almond milk was also ok. Wasn't as flavorful as I hoped. The staff was extremely nice and helpful and he signed me up for a rewards card which is awesome. I will be back for sure. There's so many combinations of teas that I'm sure there's someone for everyone. The prices are great as well!! read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

The tea was great awesome service good service and creative menu the place is clean it's also pretty quick

I came year last year back in MAY of '22 and forgot to review, but I came across this place while mindlessly scrolling on TikTok. I highly recommend coming here not only just serving boba they also hold events and have good options. The service was nice and quick no trouble at all. The cafe was very colorful and pretty and very aesthetically pleasing. It's definitely worth the drive. I recommend the matcha boba read more

ThirsTea Cafe - Thai Milk Tea, Matcha Milk Tea , Mango Tea,& Strawberry Slush - Bubble Tea Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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omg. yes. all day. so good. period. I go here all the time after climbing, and I get the taro milk tea with lychee jelly, and omg it's so good. I've gotten so many other things here, and they are ofc good too!. The grilled cheese is fire, and the earring are so cute! I have a collection of like 5 pairs!. The place is sooo cute and aesthetic! They have rlly fun board games that my sister loves!!. And the bathroom is always clean!. The workers are always nice! . Pls go here and this place is amazing and that's on periodt. read more

Had a great experience with Emily last week! She's very pleasant and attentive. Nice girl! read more

After a long drive home from work- it literally took me two hours to drive 7.4 miles (that's hwy 280 for you), I decided I wanted a hot cup of tea. Then I thought maybe a tea with boba. So, after my shower, I decided to make the journey back over the mountain to one of my faves- thirstea. It's a cute and quaint place. Nice atmosphere. An easy hangout spot to chill, sip tea, coffee, smoothie, or slushie and play a board or card game with friends(just check out the shelves). I ordered 2 hot honey lemon teas- one with boba, one without- and a white chocolate peanut butter smoothie with boba. The place is always clean. Staff always friendly. It's always worth the trip even if I have to battle the 280 traffic. read more

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We had been here previously and enjoyed the tea and atmosphere however the service has gone downhill since then. No toilet paper in bathrooms and they are not honoring the check in offer stating its fraudulent. read more

I came in behind a group of 5 teenagers and was still out of there within 10 minutes. While I was there I received excellent customer service, the place was clean, and in the back there was an area where you could play different video, board, and card games. read more

man before the pandemic i would go to thirstea at least once maybe twice a week. The drinks were always good the staff was friendly and had wonderful suggestions now I rather go to Starbucks which isn't even close but i refuse to give them anymore money. The staff morale has gone down the drain. The last couple of times I've been there the staff wasn't friendly at all. I just rather spend my money elsewhere. I hate that it had to come to this but oh well. read more