I was excited to discover Yaya Tea in North Carolina, located near the UNC campus in Chapel Hill. I ordered the "I Love Yaya" drink and a Japanese rice ball. Unfortunately, the drink was a bit diluted and didn't meet my expectations, though my friend enjoyed her "Hulk" drink. The service was average. We visited during a slow morning when it wasn't busy. The spot was spacious through. It is good spot for UNC students to come and chill. I appreciated the variety of merchandise they offered since it reminded me of the locations in NYC that I like. read more

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The wait is so long for food that it's not even worth it. They don't make enough rice and ingredients to accommodate any size dinner crowd. read more

I've visited this boba shop a couple times now and each time I've always enjoyed my drink and snack choices. The team members there have always been kind, informative and friendly. Unfortunately, at least twice that I've been there is either a really sticky table, some sort of system issue (which can be out of our control) or they're out of a certain ingredient (again, supply shortages I understand) However, that does still put a bit of a damper onto the whole experience. Their onigiris are delicious. The fruit teas are refreshing. They are limited on the milk tea flavor options. There is also a very limited amount of indoor & outdoor seating available. read more

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I'm gonna start off with the rice ball because I had never seen anything like this and it was so good. I got the spring roll rice ball and apparently it's supposed to come with a really good spicy mayo but they forgot to include it but honestly, the rice ball had such a good flavor it didn't need any spicy mayo but I do feel like I missed out. The chicken pan fried udon was great. Perfect portion, super hot and fresh, and everything was perfectly coated in sauce. Also, the noodles were THICC The milk tea was good but they had little itty bitty boba. I like em thicc. Still good though. read more

When I first started working here, it actually felt fun. The team was welcoming, and we all did our best--even though the owners didn't provide a shred of proper training. From the very beginning, it was clear that the people making the shop run smoothly were the employees in spite of the owners, not because of them. But the cracks showed quickly. We would repeatedly tell management when we were low on inventory--crucial ingredients, supplies, anything needed to do our jobs--and we were constantly ignored. Instead of bringing in what we actually needed, the owners would show up at the Chapel Hill location with useless, overpriced junk like plushies no one asked for, mochi nobody bought, new powders and toppings we were never trained to use, and half-baked kitchen menu items that came with zero instructions. And let's be clear: when I say "management," I'm not referring to the assistant manager or the shift leads--they were doing what they could. I'm talking about the owners. They would show up, nitpick, complain about slow sales, and berate us for not preparing items correctly, when in reality we weren't even told how to make them. I had to constantly message coworkers just to figure things out. It's absurd how they expect perfection without providing tools, training, or support. They treat their employees like mind-readers, not people. The inventory situation alone is enough to make you lose your mind. We told them, over and over again, that we were out of essential items, and they'd wait until they felt like bringing them--meanwhile, they never failed to deliver more of those hideous, overpriced plushies collecting dust on the shelves. And don't even get me started on the blatant disregard for labor laws and basic human decency. They complained about us eating during shifts and said we were only allowed to eat during breaks. Funny--we don't get breaks. They never schedule enough people to even allow for breaks. We're expected to run a full store with skeleton crews, no rest, and no support, and somehow it's our fault when things slip through the cracks. They made us do daily inventory by hand, which was time-consuming and unnecessary, especially since they ignored the results anyway. We used to have a more efficient system, but they scrapped it--why? No idea. Probably because it actually worked. But what truly pushed me over the edge was witnessing the toxic retaliation. Two employees were fired simply for voicing valid concerns and calling out real problems. That says it all. And while we're on the topic of inhumane treatment, the Durham location has had no AC for who knows how long. It is miserable. But God forbid we speak up about it--we're just supposed to suffer in silence. Apparently, expecting not to work in sweat-soaked uniforms in 90+ degree heat makes us "entitled." And the hypocrisy? Stunning. They expect employees to revolve their lives around this place, which--let's be honest--serves mediocre, overpriced drinks and food. I had a legitimate academic meeting with a professor and responsibly found shift coverage two days in advance, and they were still mad about it. Meanwhile, they call us unprofessional? No. What's truly unprofessional is the way they run this business: disorganized, exploitative, petty, and dismissive of the very people keeping it afloat. This place could've been something great, but the owners chose micromanagement, greed, and ignorance instead of leadership. The team deserved better. I deserved better. And so will you, if you think twice before working here. read more

Ordered at a kiosk and got my drink and onigiri relatively fast! The Yaya chicken onigiri was pretty standard (maybe a little spicier than expected too!), Jasmine tea with tapioca balls was nice but not as flavorful as I've had elsewhere. Chill place to come and study! read more

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A good amount of tea and food options on the menu. The kiosk inside made it easy to order and customize your drink to your liking. I liked the dedicated section on the menu for just vegan items. A nice addition. There's a few spots for photo taking with your tea. read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Large I Love Yaya fruit tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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My friend and I came on a weekday afternoon for a quick pick-me-up. I had been craving boba for a while and heard great things about Yaya - I also can't forget to mention their ridiculously cute branding! I ordered the taro milk tea (100% sugar, less ice) and my friend ordered the jasmine milk tea. Taro is definitely my favorite boba flavor and Yaya's taro boba didn't disappoint! It was a little thicker than expected, but maybe that's because of the power they use (?). The jasmine wasn't my favorite, but I also don't like floral drinks as much, so take that with a grain of salt. I also had to restrain myself from buying all the onigiri plushies from the store! Overall, we had a very positive experience and I'll definitely be back for more taro milk tea! read more

I stop in here from time to time to get a rice ball for under $10. I'd give it 4 stars because the rice balls are only so-so, HOWEVER, if I had used the restroom before eating here, I probably would have opted to go somewhere else. The toilet was one of the most disgusting I've ever seen. Wild to have a code to use the restroom when it's clearly not cared for. To paraphrase Anthony Bourdain, if the restroom is gross you don't want to know what's going on behind the scenes. read more

The best! I love their teas and the rice balls! They are very sweet and fast with service. And they have such a cute place to eat and take pictures read more

So if you like listening to Daya And you think that you're sort of a Playa When in Chapel Hill You will get quite a thrill If you stop for Boba at Yaya Owned by Yaya Toure (and his brother Kolo), perhaps they should have stuck to soccer? A friendly but disappointing boba shop in terms of the fact that I don't really like the products here - much like the ones in New York City, at their location in Chinatown of Manhattan. I'll have to try the fruit teas next time I come through here to see if they could be better, but I don't remember liking the NYC one, and I tried several fruit teas there. And the milk teas at this location were meh AF. There are about six of these in New York City and then I always thought they weren't anywhere else in the world and boom, what do you know, it's right here in Chapel Hill. Maybe somebody in the family went to school in Chapel Hill? Who knows. That would be my guess. In any case I don't really like the products are very much but it's a lovely place to hang out and a great place for people spotting, and while Cha House down the road is unimaginably good, this place has a very friendly girl here and is more low key and chill compared to the insane and deserved popularity of its neighbour and rival. read more

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Great selection of snacks!! Japanese rice ball: Fantastic. The drinks are pretty good too, though limited selection compared to other places. Definitely coming back to try the other snack items. read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - person holding a triangle shaped item - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Good customer service goes a long way and, on our first visit they got it just right. This was the first time we ordered a tea on a touch-screen kiosk, and it makes me wonder if they had this before the pandemic. We got one green and one black tea but the black tea was impossibly bitter. It was so bitter that adding extra sweetness (however they do it here) didn't make any difference, so we were forced to take it back for another green tea instead. The staff literally didn't ask any questions and honoured our request. Their boba fell apart a bit but had a decent flavour, and so was their iced tea. Their takeaway tea cup was cool with the concave bottom, but it does give you the illusion that there's more boba than there actually is, so there's that. All in all, I'd be interested to see this place with the room fully open. I hope they do well. read more

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The Onigiri and yummy tea is a must try! We never visit the Triangle area without a stop at Yaya. The tea bottle is super cute and their fruit teas with optional popping boba is a personal favorite. I was pleasantly surprised at the available options on the menu. We got the rice balls to go since I have yet to find any in Charlotte we really like. They even taste great the next day. Hopefully they'll open a location in Charlotte so we can visit more often. read more

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Cha House and Yaya serve different vibes- the best way I can describe it is with Starbucks and local coffee shops. If you want a more flashy drink, like a Frappuccino, you'd go to Yaya-Starbucks. If you want something more tea focused, go to Tea Hill/Cha House. I like getting their fruit teas and lychee jelly! I would love to try more food from here. I got their crab onigiri and it was good, but nothing I'd want to pay just less than $10 for because it's just rice, mayonnaise, and imitation crab. If the price doesn't bother you, I'd say go for it! It's a great quick snack to have. read more

I've enjoyed Yaya's for a while now, but due to developing POTs I can no longer tolerate caffeine (I know some people with my condition can, but I learned the hard way recently that my body just does NOT like it and will make sure I know that). I asked if they'd be able to just do water with the flavoring, to which they agreed, but it ended up being white tea. They told me it wasn't. I wasn't trying to get out of paying for the tea -- I was okay with that. I just wanted to get a drink without my body freaking out on me. Suffices to say I had palpitations for several hours, while feeling like I was on the verge of a panic attack. Once that finally passed, I had a headache and some dizziness. The rice ball was good, though. I enjoyed that, at least. Hesitant to come back after this. read more

Absolutely a place to stop by for Asian snacks, rice balls and fruit teas. Love the vibe read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I am not a big fan of tea. I don't drink chai at home, and I usually don't like black tea at any boba shops. So at Yaya, I opted for the lavender tea latte with tapioca balls. Considering I don't really like much tea, it was delicious. Hopefully I can return and expand my palate a bit! Their spring roll is very good and can be made vegetarian. They also have a decent sized shelf of Asian snacks, where I bought my absolute favorite (nori maki arare, or rice crackers wrapped in seaweed) for the first time in a long time. read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - lavender tea latte with tapioca! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I was on Franklin street for a lantern event that was sponsored by Yaya Tea, so I figured that I might as well check it out. I had heard that the onigiri here was great while the bubble tea was okay. While onigiri honestly aren't hard to make, getting great ingredients is not always easy. And when there's a vegetarian, getting great ingredients is kind of a headache. Fake meats tend to be dry, and they really don't taste great in onigiri. So when I came here and saw all the vegan options, I was really excited! The regular options also looked great. I got the Yaya chicken and a Gong Bao chicken (fake chicken). They messed up my order, but replaced the wrong order. So after I finally started eating about 15min later, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the onigiri are. The furikake is a little spicy, but otherwise the real chicken and the fake chicken were well seasoned and delicious. Would definitely recommend getting some onigiri. On the other hand, the teas look super sweet and full of flavoring syrups. After watching them make several drink with a ton of flavoring syrups, I decided to not even get any tea. The price is pretty expensive for watered down flavoring syrups, so I probably won't recommend trying the teas here unless you like super sweet drinks. Bottom line: it's a pretty great place for snacks, cute accessories, and onigiri, terrible place for fruit tea or bubble tea. For bubble tea, go to Milk lab or Kung Fu tea instead! read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Asian snack store inside! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Fun fact - Amex is doing $5 cash back when you spend $10 at small businesses and YAYA TEA qualifies!!! SO EXCITED TO REVISIT! Physical barrier between staff and patrons - contact tracing is less of an issue. They also do contactless payment. I'm also a fan of leaving cash and not asking for change. The guidelines they set in place to keep anyone entering the building safe is reassuring! Also as someone with chronic jaw pain (TMJ) that affects if I can even eat more than just soup this business is extremely accommodating to preparing the food to be extra soft (tofu based dishes like citrus chicken) or even offering things like the salmon. read more

Fast service, reasonable prices, friendly staff! Chicken, & spam onigiri was so yummy read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Shrimp tempura, chicken onigiri & lychee tea tree drink, - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I'm not an expert on bubble tea, but I liked the taro milk tea with boba that I ordered at Yaya. It's fair to say that I'm rather easy to please when it comes to bubble tea, though - as long as it's sweet enough, doesn't taste overly artificial, and the boba are edible, I'm happy. The service was very friendly, and since we went at a slower time of the day, my drink was made immediately. The price was standard for what bubble tea goes for in the area now, especially considering the store is on Franklin Street. read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Taro milk tea with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I am a big anime fan. Watching the the shows and seeing them eat rice balls and Takoyaki made me want to try it. Living in north carolina, far from Japan was not the easiest thing to find. I will be back to try more. read more

Moved to Durham and was honestly heartbroken at the fact that the only bubble tea in the area was Quicklys (which is trash in terms of bbt) and other small shops (none of which are good either) So, it was AMAZING to see Yayas on seamless because a)they deliver to Durham and b)they have several locations in NYC where I'm from & it was nice to have a taste of home. Yayas isn't known for its milky teas - it's known for its fruit teas/jelly & pop toppings/ and onigiri. I usually get mine with less ice & 50% sugar - onigiri has vegan options as well. read more

My milk tea wasn't that good but my friends fruit tea was excellent. So my friend was telling me that Yaya is known for their fruit teas and I can see why. Her tea was so delicious, and the mango jellies at the bottom were also so so good. Meanwhile, my milk tea wasn't the best. I got the summer special Assam tea and was pretty disappointed. The boba was a good texture, but overall my drink tasted pretty artificial. The place itself is super cute , and my friend likes the rice balls as well. Don't come here for milk tea but come for everything else! read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Assam Milk Tea (Seasonal) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I got the Sunrise tea with strawberry boba and it was SO GOOD!! Highly recommend. The staff was very friendly and helpful as well. I will definitely be back for more! read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Sunrise tea with strawberry boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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While there are other bubble tea shops nearby along Franklin Street, Yaya Tea pulled me in for their food selection- tempting accompaniments for an afternoon bubble tea treat! They had kiosks in the shop for ordering food, which was nice to peruse all the menu options and the various customizations. I knew I wanted an onigiri with my bubble tea, but there were so many choices, my favorite kind of struggle :') I decided on a salmon onigiri and one of their many tea blends, The Boyfriend, which was a blend of mango and lychee. Though they had signs on the kiosk for some of the toppings that were out of stock, I completely forgot when making my selections and ended up having to change my toppings after ordering and paying. Kind of a bummer, since there was an up charge. It would be great if out of stock selections were greyed out in the kiosk. The onigiri was warm and comforting, though I felt like the additional charge for extra sauce did not really yield any extra sauce. The filling to rice ratio was on the smaller side, but nonetheless the taste was nice. I like that there are small and large options for the onigiri so you could really make it a snack or a meal! I really enjoyed my stop at Yaya Tea and look forward to returning for more of their many teas and snacks! read more

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Yaya Tea is a small, quaint boba tea shop in Chapel Hill right beside UNC. I came in just for Taro milk tea, and was pleased by how clean the shop was, how fast my drink was made, and how friendly the staff was. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best taro boba I've ever had, but I will definitely come here again and order something else to see if I find anything else I like on the menu. Would recommend coming here to give it a try! read more

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It's true that there's a lot of tough competition in the area that often overshadows Yaya Tea in terms of milk tea, but milk tea is not all that Yaya has to offer. For something lighter and more refreshing (and cheaper), I really like the unique fruit-flavored teas that Yaya serves. The Lychee Tree is my personal favorite; you can customize the sugar levels of the drinks so I usually get a 75% sugar level to bring out the flavor of the tea more. Additionally, Yaya serves onigiri, which can't be found anywhere else in the area, and they're delicious! I love the shrimp tempura onigiri and always get a side of spicy mayo to go with it. It's quick, cheap, and filling, so I stop by often in between classes to grab something to eat. For snacks and ramen, Yaya also has you covered with their snack wall, which features a huge variety of Asian snacks, albeit a little on the pricey side. Overall, Yaya is definitely worth checking out if you're looking for food, drink, or both. read more

Alright I'm not sure why most reviews give this place 3-4 stars so far. It's fantastic and my new spot (yes, I like it better than Cha House) in Chapel Hill for bubble tea! I had been out in the heat for some time and this place was an amazing refuge! I ordered the I Love Yaya Tea and my friend got the Blue Blood. Also, this month they're upsizing drinks for free to larges so we got those! They were DELICIOUS. I like that they have multiple fruit blend choices for the teas! That's definitely unique. You can customize ice and sweetness level so ignore the reviews below hating on how sweet the drinks are. Oh also, the bottom of each cup has a fortune cookie type line - how cute! They have options for boba, popping boba (many flavors), and a bunch of different jellies! I had the jellies and loved them. They do charge an extra 50 cents on cards for orders under $10... but honestly, I'm not complaining. I'm just happy there's finally a legit bubble tea spot close by that has the variety I like! The rice balls are also 10/10!!! Definitely my first time trying them. I had the fried chicken one and it was great! Spring rolls were also excellent. I'll be back for more drinks and to closely examine the AMAZING selection of ethnic snacks on their shelf! Have always been a fan! Also they have NOODLE bowls. Can't wait to try those, too! Seating is great and there's lots of it! People who work here are also super nice! Give it a try! read more

Yaya Tea has several locations in New York City, but I was amazed to see that there's a location in North Carolina as well. They make really great onigiri and they have unique names for their bubble tea such as "first love" and "boyfriend". Honestly, the tapioca could be softer but the drinks are decent otherwise. This particular location is also comfortable and they have free wifi and bathroom for guests. read more

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The rice balls were SO delicious here- the vegetarian flavors were spectacular too. All of the design and packaging is also so adorable! It's a fun place to visit with friends. read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Milk tea with grass jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Not the best iced Vietnamese coffee I've had but it taste like regular iced coffee. Not bad. If you like strong coffee this is your drink otherwise if you're expecting it sweet I don't advice getting. It was good for a morning coffee. I Would come back and try other things though! read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Iced Vietnamese coffee - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The salmon onigiri is filling and delicious. It is a great snack. The only issue at this cafe is you need to hit a minimum($4.50) before you can use your card. I would prefer that was not a requirement. I did not try the bubble tea, so I cannot comment on it. read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Fantastic food and delicious drinks! Me and my two boys went there for lunch and we all enjoyed every bit of it. All three of us are looking forward to going back! read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - The Hulk and My First Car! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Yaya Tea is a place that I have been to many times since it opened a couple of years ago. The only thing I can say is that the quality of the tea they serve seems to have declined as time goes by. Recently when I went with a friend, I bought a large Hulk with lychee jelly as well as their Yakisoba. First, I do appreciate the measures the store takes to abide by COVID-19 restrictions. The physical barrier between staff and customers makes me feel more at ease, and safety appears to be a priority for the store. However, when the tea was eventually served, I could not finish it. The jellies were almost crunchy rather than chewy, and the drink had extremely tart particles that were annoying to drink. It was like drinking an instant drink where some of the powder clumped up at the bottom. The yakisoba was very rich, but felt way too oily. The box the noodles came in was glistening with oil, and I could not finish it before I felt nauseous. Their rice triangles are definitely worth it, and I can't comment on the milk teas, but there are items on the menu I definitely would not recommend. I've tried the same menu item multiple times to see if it was a small error, but the problems I've stated have surfaced every time I order it. There are three places that I know serve bubble tea on Franklin Street, and Yaya Tea is not my favorite. read more

The tea was great and the rice balls were very good I got the fried chicken one which one of their employees recommended and I loved it very much. Nice customer service. read more

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Yaya Tea was ok. I did not find anything special about it. It was a cup of flavored tea with pearls. Sounds kinda boring right? I look forward to stopping in again to try other drinks and hope to update my review. This is basically the only Asian fusion tea shop in the area, it's worth giving it a shot. It's a great addition to Franklin St., especially for the students. Overall, great customer service. read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - The Hulk - not bad! Refreshing! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Just came here today. I got thai tea, blue blood and takoyaki, drink and food came out very fast and taste good. Friendly staff and very clean place. read more

Yaya Tea - Chapel Hill - Fried Takoyaki (8 pieces) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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I like the tea and the snack! My husband ordered "Boyfriend" and the mango favor was great. I ordered a customized white tea with mango, aloe and less sugar and ice. It was perfect for me. The girl there was very friendly and helpful. I'm on a gluten free diet so very excited to try the gluten free lichee gummy candy. Very delicious! The food looked good but we didn't try. Will definitely come back to try the different favors of tea and food next time. read more

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