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    Tugo Tea House

    4.6 (211 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Tugo Tea House Photos

    TUGO TEA HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Tugo Tea House

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    Nick P.

    3/2/25 update: I haven't been here for a long time but I was in the city. Lunch time on a Sunday was wonderful, it wasn't busy. We were fortunate to grab a table for 2. We ordered the regular not large beef noodle soup, popcorn chicken/Taiwanese sausage bento, assam milk tea, and almond milk tea. The milk teas were great, smooth, and delicious. It was my first time trying the beef noodle soup. We got the wide traditional noodles, they had a little chew to it. Broth was savory. Beef was very tender and succulent. Popcorn chicken is always wonderful. It has just the right amount of seasoning and the Taiwanese sausage pairs great with the white rice. Service is always superb, owners are extremely nice.

    Order up! Two kiosks ready to handle the crowd...
    Raymond K.

    Greetings! The best places I find are the places I find quite by accident. Recommendations from others are wonderful, recommendations from our daughter are priceless. Enter Tugo Tea House to the chat. A few years ago as the Boba craze was clearing the tower, our daughter asked if we could go get Boba. First I had to ask her to repeat the request then I was even more clueless after she explained what exactly she was looking for... My maiden voyage to Tugo years ago developed into a favorite neighborhood haunt where I cherish the time spent with our daughter. Started just before COVID hit by two California transplants, Tugo Tea House developed serious neighborhood street cred. Husband and wife owners Gerald and Jessica created for their customers a charming oasis that takes you a million miles away their strip mall locale. Fun chalkboard drawings, tasteful decor, and quality furniture set the stage. Their genial nature as hosts set the vibe: Come in be cared for... Remarkably, Tugo could win on their quality boba drinks (Frog Bang every time for me)...but I'm here to tell you that they win on their quality drinks and food! Potstickers are good enough to impress this Chinatown fan. Their chicken nuggets flex with flavor and light crunch satisfaction. Next time I'm there, I'm getting the noodles...They look great! There's something special about Tugo Tea House...and it might simply come down to Gerald and Jessica's commitment to making sure everything is perfect the moment you walk through the door. Kudos, Gerald and Jessica...You've transplanted yourselves into our community's heart! Until next time...tk

    Popcorn Chicken
    Zoe D.

    Food: I followed the Taiwanese group to this restaurant, and the popcorn chicken and noodles pleasantly surprised me. Tastes very different from other Taiwanese restaurant, noodle has stronger flavor, popcorn chicken are crispy and tender. Service: The owner couple was incredibly nice, introducing their food and sharing exciting new ideas for the upcoming menu. Ambiance: Small and cozy--our group of nine nearly filled the place! $25-$30/ea

    Bento Box - Pork Chop
    Ruth L.

    Great owners, Jessica and Gerald are so kind to everyone. The food there is authentic and you can tell they are passionate about it. Order at the counter or kiosk. Small cafe, so call ahead if you have a large group and want to see if they can accommodate. Locals love this spot. Few menu items and they do it well. Also check out the selection of boba and smoothies. Highly recommend the beef soup and popcorn chicken combos.

    Braised Minced Pork & Taiwanese Sausage (Rice Bowl)
    Tinna Y.

    Friendly, authentic Taiwanese food made by Taiwanese who still travels to Taiwan. I ordered the braised mince pork rice and the popcorn chicken. If you know Taiwanese, besides boba tea, popcorn chicken is another must! I was told that the reason the chicken is so tender, besides the unique seasoning, they also use juicy tender dark meat. Not to mention it's gluten free. They're not kidding. The chicken is so light and not greasy at all. It's really flavorful and the basil leaves, is the cherry on top!! The only thing that I was sad is they're out of the sausage with sticky rice. I haven't had it for years!! Unfortunately, they are out of the ingredients. The owner makes everything from scratch! She told me that she's not going anywhere anytime soon. Guess I'll have to come back!

    Business hours
    Cici C.

    We have been hearing about Tugo for a while and finally were in the area to give it a try. The owners are super sweet, kind, and friendly. We tried the basics-- popcorn chicken and beef noodle soup. We asked for thin noodles but got wide noodles instead, which was totally fine because I prefer the thick ones. We only ordered the thin because of kids, but turns out the kids ate the thick ones just fine! The popcorn chicken was light and crunchy, meat was very juicy and tender, but what took it away was the flavoring. The batter was just the perfect blend of sweet and savory and fragrance. The basil was fried to crisp but not burnt and was very delicious. The beef noodle soup is the best we've had. The bok choy's original flavor came through when I unboxed it. The beef was the perfect cut, thickness, tenderness, and was marinated with the flavor I remembered from childhood. The soup base had the exact flavor I was looking for when thinking of Taiwanese beef noodle soup. Many places don't get it right, but they've got it. I have to say, this is probably the best Taiwanese food I've had ever abroad. Their menu focuses on making a few items very well, so it's not a huge selection, but I believe each dish is done extremely well. Definitely gonna try their other dishes and even drinks next time!

    Lesley Anne Y.

    First time trying out this place because it was recommended by friends. Unfortunately, they ran out of the popcorn chicken, which is one of their bestsellers and it was the highly recommended one, so I would definitely need to go back for it. This is a small place, but there are tables if you want to dine in and the owners, Super nice the service was amazing. I ordered the bento, which came with their pork chop and taiwanese sausage and some veggies rice with minced beef. This was so good. I am definitely ordering this again. The porch up or so, crispy, it was so tender and the serving was huge. The Taiwanese sausage I have been looking for that everywhere and so far. This is the only place that has this authentic Taiwanese sausage. So I am definitely coming back to this place.I feel like this is going to be one of my favorite places to go to. I also ordered the lemon honey green tea. But I feel like I like their passion fruit green tea more. So I am definitely need to try more.Because they do have an extensive menu. Happy eating!

    Popcorn Chicken
    celina t.

    TuGo has been a spot that my boyfriend and I would go for Taiwanese popcorn chicken! This time around we ordered the bucket to share. It was a large bucket perfect for 4-5 people! The chicken stayed crispy even after we drove nearly 20 minutes to get home and eat. The service is great! They are family owned and are very nice people. The shop is small so be prepared to come a bit before peak dinner or lunch ours unless you want it for take out. They do have app ordering, an indoor kiosk, or you can order by the front! The shop is great for dates because they have bubble tea as well as some board games in store.

    Braised Minced Pork & Taiwanese Sausage (Rice Bowl)
    Karen C.

    Tugo is a Taiwanese cafe with food and boba. Taiwanese food is a rare sight in the north suburbs. The food is good and the boba is decent. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Beef Noodle Soup: the noodles have such a satisfying texture. The Beef is tender and flavours the soup well. Go early to get this because the run out towards the end of the day! Basil Fried Chicken: the chicken is so crispy and give a satisfying crunch. I love the basil that goes with it. This brings me back to the night markets in Taiwan. Pork Rice Bowl: The tea egg is perfect in this rice bowl. The Taiwanese sausage is so good! I wish pork belly was used instead of pork mince. The meat sadly is a bit dry, but flavours are good. Garlic Tofu: the flavour is great!! Best to eat fresh in the restaurant. Doesn't hold up well in take out.

    Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup and Lychee flavored drink with crystal jelly
    Lena M.

    I wanted a healthy, tasty snack for my sons after school and something a bit more for myself, this small family-owned boba tea house has the most delicious options for every's taste. It's a cozy restaurant with nice seating for dining in. The owner and his wife are such gracious people. I ordered the lunch special of popcorn chicken and rice, Taiwanese beef noodle soup with thin noodles, and boba/jelly drinks to go. They were still preparing my order because I was early so my son and I played a few games of Connect Four (available at the restaurant) while we waited. It was a great way for him to destress from his school day and fun for us to bond. On to the food: The popcorn chicken was juicy and crispy. For the lunch special, there was plenty of chicken & a small side of rice. I liked the Taiwanese beef noodle soup. There was plenty of beef, nice and tender, and full of flavor. It also came with Chinese baby bak choy making it a well rounded dish. It had a nice spicy bite to it, but nothing so overwhelming that it couldn't be enjoyed. I don't normally eat spicy at all and this was just enough to add an extra layer of flavor without the spicy mouth burn. We also ordered a green jasmine milk tea with rainbow jelly, a watermelon flavored drink with rainbow jelly, and a lychee flavored drink with crystal jelly. I was able to customize the sweetness of each drink and the amount of ice. Tugo just may be our special after school snack from time to time on busy days!

    Taro Golden Milk Tea with Tapioca/Boba
    Mike L.

    Not sure about their food, but the Taro Milk Tea with Tapioca is very watered down. Hardly any flavor. Disappointing as this place has good reviews. Hope their food is good. Few other bubble tea spots around here I would recommend over Tugo.

    Matcha is supposed to be green!
    Tara D.

    It was fast but what i got was disgusting. All i ordered was a matcha boba and it tasted like chemicals and it was just terrible.

    Kesha B.

    Tugo is my go to when craving popcorn chicken, and let me tell you.... Once you eat it you'll be craving it too. We came by on Saturday afternoon for lunch and I ordered the popcorn chicken bento with a mango smoothie with mango stars. The owner brought the food to the tables for us and check in on us numbers times to make sure we were okay. We learned more about the business as she shared how long they've been opened, and that she hopes we come back soon. On to the food, the bento box came with rice, vegetables, marinated egg, and a large amount popcorn chicken. The flavors were spot on, and we all cleared our plates! The restaurant isn't very big but they do have a few tables outside for outdoor seating. All in all, I already can't wait for my next snack container of popcorn chicken!

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    Gerald B.

    Thank for visiting Tugo! Looking forward to your next visit.

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    Excellent beef noodle soup and popcorn chicken! Come one, come all and try out this place!

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Tugo Tea House

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    Chef Ping

    Chef Ping

    4.0
    (1.3k reviews)
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    Chef Ping continues to be a favorite for our family based in Chicago to gather. The food continues…read moreto be excellent and of great value. My wife, her mom, and I were in Chicago to remember my father-in-law's death anniversary, and my sister-in-law chose Chef Ping's, for our party of nine for a Wednesday lunch. Parking is plentiful and the dining area can seat a lot. We got seated at a large round table in the back room, with a large lazy susan (just need to remember to spin it very slowly). We ordered a lot, and the food came out slowly. There was plenty of leftovers for the local folks to have for future meal or two. 3 Shrimp Toast (6 pieces each) - $26.85 - greasy but good, with the shrimp paste being a little sweet (in a good way) Noodle in Black Bean Sauce ($12.50) - this is jja jang myeon, which two of us had the previous night. It was OK, not near the top of the best I've had. Ping's Noodle Soup ($15.50) - the other classic Chinese-Korean dish, this is jjampong, a dish I've had many times. I was the only one to eat it, so ended up being my main dish. It was good, with thick noodles...just wish it had more seafood. Salt & Pepper Smelt ($16.90) - not sure if always available, but this was excellent...my favorite dish and one that I finished once I realized that everybody had their fill. It really depends on the quality of the smelt, which was excellent in this case. It was lightly battered, and carefully deep fried. Other dishes enjoyed by others: 2 Salt & Pepper Prawns - $35.90 - large head-on shell-on prawns fire wokked. Salt & Pepper Tofu ($11.50) - for the vegetarians Chicken Skewers (4) - $8.75 - tender and shareable Walnut Shrimp ($19.90) - mayo with shrimp Young Chow Fried Rice ($12.50) - fried rice is a necessity for our group Mongolian Beef ($17.50) - a classic 2 Sesame Ball (4) - $7 - a great way to finish a meal. 18% tip was automatically added, and service was OK throughout. Our water was kept refilled, and I think hot water was as well. It was a good meal and opportunity to get back together

    We've eaten here many times in the past and had a good experience. This visit was poor at best!…read morePlease note: (ALL PICTURES ARE FROM MY PREVIOUS VISITS NOT TO THIS VISIT) Unfortunately this visit is going to be the last time. Both the service and quality of food has gone way down from what they were famous for. The waitress spilled my tea, also dipped her finger in my tea, had no apology or offer to exchange it with a fresh cup. I had to ask her for a fresh cup of tea. Then the other server that brought our entrees spilled my husbands tea and again no offering to getting a fresh cup. We had to ask AGAIN for a fresh cup! While the portions were generous, the quality of all the food has gone way down. The special family recipe of thier shrimp dish Gan Pong is nothing but fried shrimp with dried chili peppers and no flavor. The Hunan spicy beef and chicken appeared to be all globs and sticky because of excessive and over use of corn starch used during the cooking process. This dish didn't have any unique flavor that one would expect. Previously we had experienced a difference in the food, taste and quality and that's what kept us returning. Sadly, after this experience I wouldn't recommend it to anyone or come back! I'd rather stick with Yu's Mandarin than drive to this place! Quality always wins over quantity in my books!

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    Pho Lover

    Pho Lover

    3.9
    (466 reviews)
    5.5 mi
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    Pho Lover is solid. I've been here when this place had another name and I believe it is better…read morenow. The inside is very clean and inviting, with cherry blossoms as a center point of deco, hardwood floors, plenty of booths..and of course a serving robot. The staff is super attentive. As for the pho, I tend to get the house special or rare beef. The meat, tendon, meetballs, tripe are fresh. Their broth is a little different from traditional but is definitely the star, I like it! Their soup spoons are basically ladles, and rightfully so. We love their Thai iced tea and every one of their "punches". They do have banh mi, lemongrass chicken , grilled pork chop, and more. I've never had the courage to try their sushi tacos, someone let me know what those are like. There is an area of opportunity. You charge for chili oil? Cmon dude. Also, three bowls of pho, three drinks and gratuity at around $87? Love the comfort pho gives me but that pricepoint makes me step out of my comfort zone because there are a ton of options within a 5 mile radius of here. Hey, but if you're a true pho lover, you'll get your fix here.

    The search continues…read more I still have not found "the one" I can rely on in the Chicagoland area. I say "Chicagoland" loosely, since it's only been 10 months since I've moved into the area, and I'm mainly trying to nail down a spot that I can rely on in northwest suburbs area. The thing is, there are plenty of decent Vietnamese restaurants. Maybe some above average. But I'm finding out that it's very difficult to find one that can give you the "wholeness," per se. Especially once you've had one and set the bar there. Mine happens to have come from an old, grumpy couple who have since retired and no longer serving their amazing home-style cooking. As for Pho Lover, my family ordered one pho and one pork chop. I opted to try the advertised "combo," which in retrospect I should have skipped. It's just a bowl of pho, a couple eggrolls and a pop for a couple bucks less. Considering I normally would not have ordered the eggrolls or a pop, I immediately regretted it. The option for pho was either the House Special pho or the rare steak pho. I asked to see if I can substitute rare steak with brisket only and they said it was fine. Only, I ended up with a rare steak version anyway. They apologized and I decided not to make a fuss out of it, even though I don't normally like the way rare steak become tough to chew once it's fully cooked in broth. It was no exception this time. Noodles were cooked fine. Perfectly average. Broth was fine. Perfectly average. All the usual toppings were on the skimpy side, which I didn't like. I asked for some extra onion and cilantro, but I never ended up getting them. The porkchop dish was very underwhelming. Meat still had strong boar taint, which to some is a feature, not a bug. Not for my family. Even besides the odor, everything was once again, perfectly average. I can't say I'll go back. Life is too short for average meals.

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    Noodle Deli

    Noodle Deli

    4.2
    (86 reviews)
    7.3 mi
    $

    Ambiance - hole in the wall. Very cute. I liked it. 8/10…read moreService - 10/10. Constantly came to refill water, and answered all of our questions well. We were unsure of what to get because we are vegetarians. She took the time to explain the dishes in detail, told us the modifications she'd make, she even added extra vegetables without asking! She was kind enough to add tofu in our dish free of charge. Extremely kind. Food - 9/10. we got two biang biang noodles and 1 tofu/tomato with a side of white rice. Biang biang noodles were delicious. You could tell those noodles were fresh. The tomato and tofu was delicious as well. I will be bringing my friends and family here! Portions were huge. I was only able to eat half of my noodles!

    Pretty surprised to find this totally on accident. Didn't have high hopes given the name, but…read morereally feels like walked into mainland China, with their QR code ordering system and payment all in app, very convenient. The noodles were served in super big bowls. All of the noodles were very good, springy and QQ (iykyk). The beef noodle soup had nice cuts of beef the ones with tendon so the muscle fibers were short and easier to chew through. Also had firm age tofu slices to soak up the broth. The staff all spoke fluent mandarin and really helpful and friendly. They suggested the wide noodle with their biang biang sauce with beef and scallion, it's a dry sauce/oil based dish. The noodles were so very wide and QQ, the widest noodles I've ever seen. Flavor is very good but also a bit spicy. Husband wanted cumin lamb, we had low expectations given that it is a noodle shop, but the flavor, cumin seed and spices as well as the meat are all on point. Both the lamb and beef were tender. The onions were caramelized well without losing the crunch. Overall pleasantly surprised by it.

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    Phat Phat

    Phat Phat

    4.1
    (529 reviews)
    8.1 mi
    $$

    From the moment we saw pictures of the noodles, we knew we had to try Phat Phat. We really enjoyed…read moreour first visit two weeks ago. We loved it so much, we drove from the city to have it again today. This is such a great restaurant. It's clean, spacious, and busy...and rightfully so. The staff is super nice and they remembered us from the first visit! On our first visit, we had the orange chicken xiao long bao, sichuan wonton, kwetiaw with chicken (asked for spicy) and hongkong mee with chicken. On our second visit, we had the orange chicken xiao long bao, sichuan wonton and two kwetiaw with chicken (spicy again). We had to have the our own kwetiaw because we loved it so much. The wide noodles (looove wide noodles) are perfectly cooked and the savory sauce coats the noodles and chicken just enough to make it balanced and delicious. All the dishes we had were wonderful. We can't wait to go back and try more items...and have all the same things!

    Location had ample parking. A bit difficult to see from the Main Street and entrance was tough to…read morefind for parking lot. Eventually arrived and even with no reservations, we were able to get a table rather quickly. The dining room had clever decor, ample space, and had an inviting atmosphere. The food photos only show a portion of the menu, so look online before going although choices are plenty, there will be discussions about the food. A nice quaint place that you gotta try if you're a local or simply looking for a different flair.

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    Tugo Tea House - bubbletea - Updated June 2026

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