The Dinkytown Boba Showdown

Why are there so many boba places in Dinkytown? Which one is the best? If these questions keep you up at night, don’t fret, because we’ve done the investigating for you! (No need to thank us…or our stomachs…)

BY SOMMER WAGEN AND BEATRICE HANDLIN WITH ART BY MEGAN BORMANN

Dinkytown is exploding with boba tea shops. What was once a rare delicacy has flooded the market. Originally from Taiwan, boba, also known as bubble tea, has seen a recent increase in popularity in the United States. thanks to its unique texture and wide variety of flavors. We decided to hit the streets to investigate this phenomenon ourselves by visiting the five Boba Shops on 15th Ave in Dinkytown to make sure University of Minnesota students are informed about the best places to find Bubble Tea. 

WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPLICATE THIS EXPERIMENT. YOUR STOMACH WILL HURT AFTERWARDS. 

  1. Tiger Sugar: Friend of the busy and lactose intolerant.

    1. $6.00 for Brown Sugar Milk Tea with pearls  

    2. Pros: authentic & tasty drink, good stop-and-go place, clean with cute decor, great service! Has a cute stuffed tiger near the front. Doesn’t upcharge for milk alternatives and is the perfect level of sweet and savory. Boba is still warm and melts perfectly in your mouth. 

    3. Cons: Paper straws that disintegrate in your drink, limited flavor options, ordering at the digital kiosk is a little hard to navigate, no places to sit and hang out inside.

  2. Chatime - Even the employees hated being there. 

    1. $6.52 for Salted Caramel Pumpkin Milk Tea with Pearls

    2. Pros: They offer lots of coupons with their loyalty program. Many tables and couches with cute decor. Large variety of flavors and customizable options. 

    3. Cons: Service is not great, the employees had beef with each other which was amusing but the vibes were rancid. The music was too loud, the menu was hard to read, and it was very busy inside. The drink tasted horrible. had a weird black pepper aftertaste, and was very watery and the pearls were very cold and solid.

      1. S: I’ve been to Chatime several times. My go-to drink there is the Nutella milk tea with pearls, so go for that one if you want something reliable. But whatever you do, DON’T get the lavender milk tea with coconut jelly- it tastes like straight-up soap.

  3. Bober Tea & Mochi Dough - Lots of Style, Some Substance 

    1. $7.62 for Taro Milk Tea with Pearls 

    2. Pros: Drinks have super cute bear shaped lids. The drink tasted great and had a smooth consistency. The boba was cold and solid but melted in the mouth. The drink was big despite being the smallest size available, so come with an appetite! 

    3. Cons: Store looks like social media influencer bait on steroids. The music was loud, there were cheesy neon slogans everywhere, and it was kind of dirty beneath the bright pink shine. It was very busy inside and had a touchscreen kiosk that was nearly impossible to use with way too many steps. 

  4. MangoMango Dessert: “There’s an inside??” Yes- and it’s amazing!

    1. $6.15 for Thai Milk Tea with Pearls 

    2. Pros: fantastic decor, music was a good volume, comfy seating. cups are semi-reusable, great drink taste and consistency. Wide variety of tea and desserts available. 

    3. Cons: Menu is cute but hard to read, service is a little slow. The pearls had a nice texture, but were flavorless. 

  5. KungFu Tea - “Beans in my tea? It's more likely than you think!”

    1. $5.78 for Red Bean Milk Tea with Pearls 

    2. Pros: little sticky notes you can draw on and post on the wall! The service was great and the employees were super nice. The drink tasted good but there was nothing to write home about. 

    3. Cons: Shares a space with a restaurant so it was very busy and loud inside with limited seating and space. The menu is hard to read. Drink was leaking out of the cup. The pearls were hot to the point of it melting in the drink and the drink we ordered had literal red beans mixed in with the pearls which wasn’t in the description. 

      1. B: I’m still not over the literal beans in the drink. That was my villain origin story. 

Our Verdict: 

Best Taste:

  1. MangoMango Dessert

  2. Tiger Sugar

  3. Bober Tea & Mochi Dough

  4. KungFu Tea

  5. Chatime

Most Affordable: 

  1. KungFuTea

  2. Tiger Sugar

  3. MangoMango Dessert

  4. Chatime

  5. Bober Tea & Mochi Dough

Best Store Ambiance: 

  1. MangoMango Dessert 

  2. Tiger Sugar 

  3. Bober Tea & Mochi Dou

  4. Chatime 

  5. KungFu Tea

Final Ranking

  1. MangoMango Dessert 

  2. Tiger Sugar

  3. Bober Tea & Mochi Dough

  4. KungFu Tea

  5. Chatime 

Wake Mag