Bowba Cha. Photos by Sydney Livingston.
Want a sweet and refreshing treat this season? Try boba, a popular Taiwanese drink, at these shops around Delaware.
What Is Boba?
Boba, or bubble tea, is a sweet Asian drink that has been a cultural sensation in America since the ’90s. While the drink’s origins are often debated, the sweet and refreshing beverage is the official libation of Taiwan. Both elements—cold milk tea and sweet tapioca balls—have been popular desserts in Taiwan for generations. The combination of the two emerged sometime in the ’80s and is now a staple in Taiwan’s markets.
Regardless of its origin, there’s no question that boba is an addictive treat. The chewy texture of tapioca, sweet milky tea and satisfying “pop” of poking the large straw through the lid of a cup keep boba lovers coming back for more. Check out these boba shops around the First State, from north to south.
Bowba Cha
Main Street in Newark is home to plenty of boba shops. Bowba Cha serves delicious milk and fruit teas, bubble teas and smoothies. The Boba Cha is the classic pearl milk tea. Other popular choices include the Queen Bee, made with black milk tea and honey, and the Strawberries N’ Cream with black milk tea and strawberry flavor. This boba shop has one of the most diverse menus in the area, so it’s a great place to try new and interesting flavor combinations.
157 East Main Street, Newark
Tastea 101
Tastea 101 serves up small Asian bites alongside a menu of teas and smoothies for a cute café experience. The bubble tea menu includes flavors like green coconut, sesame milk tea, Japanese green tea and more. For a unique and fun flavor combination, try the Fire Dragon: red bean tea, grass jelly and tapioca.
101 Carroll Court, Newark
Kung Fu Tea
This bubble tea chain from Queens can be found in college towns across the United States. The Washington Post has called it “the Starbucks of bubble tea.” The Newark location is the only one in Delaware, and it serves up a variety of yummy teas and fruit punch. The menu includes Milk Caps, teas topped with thick frothy milk. You can also find coffees with boba, frozen coffee and tea beverages and hot coffees and teas.
93 East Main Street, Newark
TBaar
TBaar is another national milk tea chain. Along with boba, TBaar serves lemonades, smoothies, fruit teas and milk teas without the tapioca bubbles. Popular selections include brown sugar bubble matcha, coconut milk tea and Taro milk tea.
108 East Main Street, Newark
Tiger Sugar
For those with a major sweet tooth, Tiger Sugar might just be the perfect boba shop. With black sugar and cream mousse, the bubble tea here is sweet and indulgent. The menu also includes mochi, a sweet and soft Japanese dough with a slightly different texture than tapioca. Try the Mango Sago, a refreshing and sweet Asian dessert with chunks of mango and tapioca.
211 South Main Street, Newark
Comma Cafe
Comma Cafe specializes in bento and small Japanese-inspired bites. Alongside favorites like onigiri, shrimp tempura and gyoza, enjoy a variety of milk teas and boba. The shop offers all the classics: oolong, taro, sesame, jasmine and Thai milk tea. Plus, try some fun flavor combinations like coffee milk tea with boba or the Sunrise, which mixes coffee, orange and mango.
74 East Main Street, Newark
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Mr. Wish
This franchise from Taiwan has locations in Wilmington and Christiana. The shops specialize in creative bubble teas and fresh fruit teas and smoothies. From sparkling boba to diced fruit teas to classic bubble tea, visitors can enjoy a variety of flavors, additions and toppings.
4327 Concord Pike, Wilmington | 132 Christiana Mall, Newark
Bubble Shack
Bubble Shack offers Vietnamese foods and delicious bubble teas. Popular menu items include spring and summer rolls, banh mi and, of course, milk and fruit teas. Try some of the drink specials like the Chasing Oliver, made with cantaloupe black tea, mango and strawberry jelly and cantaloupe popping bubbles. For something sweet and indulgent, opt for the crème brulée milk bubble tea.
3205 Concord Pike, Wilmington
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Nature Reserve
Enjoy coffees, teas and boba at this Wilmington café. Brown sugar boba can be added to coffee, milk tea, matcha and a yummy chocolate-based drink. The eatery also offers plenty of flavors of bubble tea: jasmine, Thai, taro, vanilla, honeydew and more. If you want something light and bubbly, Nature Reserve does house-made sodas in a variety of fruity flavors.
4737 Concord Pike, Wilmington
Pho Viet
Experience the flavors of Vietnam alongside sweet bubble teas! Try spicy soups, steamed buns and spring rolls with a sweet and creamy tea on the side. Pho Viet offers fresh artichoke sweet tea, peach tea, milky brown sugar tea, Thai milk tea and more. Add boba, crystal boba or fruit jelly to any tea selection.
721 North Broad Street, Middletown | 155 North DuPont Highway, Dover
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Pho Saigon
This Dover Vietnamese restaurant also offers a selection of teas and fruit beverages. Enjoy noodle soups, rice dishes, spring rolls and more. Choose from a variety of flavors to complement your Vietnamese entrée, and add tapioca bubbles to any beverage for a small upcharge.
1651 East Lebanon Road, Dover
Olive and Oats by Azafran
This Lewes coffee shop offers delicious coffee, baked oatmeal, pastries, salads and bubble teas. It carries green, black and chai, as well as a variety of flavors to be added. Plus, add bubbles to any smoothie or iced drink for even more flavor and fun.
113 Market Street, Lewes
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Miyagi Ramen Bar
Who doesn’t love ramen? This spicy, savory and warm comfort food pairs perfectly with a sweet and cold drink like boba. Bubble tea flavors include honeydew, red bean, papaya, watermelon, avocado, taro and many more.
19266 Coastal Highway, Unit 6, Rehoboth Beach
Sandy Pony Donuts
All about a good donut? Sandy Pony is a local favorite with so many delicious flavors and toppings. But did you know the hotspot also has a variety of bubble teas? Made with freshly brewed tea and in-house prepared tapioca pearls, this donut shop offers a product just as good as any teahouse. Flavors include Piney Island Green Tea, Tidal Wave Taro, Mango Lagoon, Coconut Cove, Mocha Marsh and, of course, the classic Bayside Black Tea. Satisfy your sweet cravings with a donut and a tea to-go.
115 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach | 32919 Coastal Highway, Bethany Beach (Drive-thru only)
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Related: Where to Find Fresh Juice, Smoothies & Açai Bowls in Delaware
