STOP! Wait a minute. Fill my cup… put some boba in it!
Alright alright, I’ll lay off the singing, but boba tea shops are becoming a BIG DEAL in The Woodlands, and my taste buds are here for it! Many moons ago when my husband and I were just dating, he introduced me to a modern, trendy, boba tea shop located in midtown Houston. I remember liking the idea of a stylish place for yuppies to bring their laptops to get work done, although at the time I wasn't too fond of the beverage.
Cut to me two decades later, and I can hardly go a week without the indulgence. I owe it to my eldest daughter, who made boba tea a fast favorite when ShareTea opened with a BOGO special in Metropark Square a few years back. She got hooked, and I followed suit.
Well, it hasn't taken long for boba tea shops to start popping up at every corner of The Woodlands. This makes me so happy! Granted, boba tea has been offered on the menu at various local Asian restaurants for a long time. However, its popularity in our area has now increased to the point where this milky concoction can hold its own, whether food items are involved or not.
Here are some places serving up boba tea and other creations that you might want to try:
1. ShareTea (Metropark Dr.)
ShareTea had my heart from Day 1! I can't count the number of times we've loaded up the car after dinner on a whim to get ShareTea for dessert. They offer high quality milk teas, hot tea, non-alcoholic mojitos, and other delicious beverages. Like most of our other local boba shops, you can customize the amount of ice and sugar level for many of their drinks! My fav there (and just about anywhere) is the Classic Milk Tea with boba and lychee jelly. How can you go wrong? Another popular flavor that my daughter enjoys is the Taro Milk Tea (pictured).
*Consistency is king! This is a franchise that gets it right every time! Workers are professional and diligent, the shop is always clean, and some of their drinks come with ice cream.
2. 
The Boba Shop (W. Rayford)
Y’all... This place is too close for comfort! By that, I mean the fact that it’s just down the street from my house means I’m spending more money here than should be legal. The BobaShop is a new(ish) boba tea house in Spring, so it's more convenient to Augusta Pines, Auburn Lakes, and Creekside Park. From what I gather, this is their second location,* and it offers teas, smoothies, and even a few food items. This is the only shop around that I know of that has a drive-through window, making it super convenient to get your fix. I also love that the interior is spacious and aesthetic, making it a cute place for meeting up with a friend or two.
Pictured is the Strawberry Matcha tea with green apple boba. My daughter wasn’t a big fan of this particular flavor—it reminded her somewhat of Kefir—but the quality of all the drinks we’ve had from here has been top-tier.
*First location is on FM 2920. If you’re looking for a place to match that simple yet chic Pinterest tea house vibe, The BobaShop is it!
3. Joyful Boba (Kuykendahl) - permanently closed
This one's in very close proximity to the boba shop mentioned above. If you visited The Woodlands Taste of The Town this year (2024), you may have been lucky enough to sample some of Joyful Boba's delicious teas. They even won the prize for the Best Desserts category, which I believe was well earned! The huge murals on the wall and the friendly service are what make this a great spot for getting in an hour or two of work.
*Community-focused with colorful wall paintings. Sometimes, there's a showcase of kids singing / playing instruments. Try the fried chicken wings (they have a yummy lemon-pepper tang to them).
4. King Tea Bubble and Coffee (Sawdust)
How did I just find out about this new boba shop (their grand opening was Spring 2024)?! Is it obvious how trendy boba tea has become? This retro-style tea house is tucked in a plaza with Hobby Lobby and Dollar Tree, which is a perfect excuse to get in some shopping after you grab a drink. I guess boba shops have a thing for murals, because this is another place with an eye-catching one! King Tea has a few chairs and tables, and the lounge furniture makes for a good waiting area, but I wouldn’t necessarily hang out here.
We decided to try something new and went with the Matcha Boba Milk Tea. It wasn’t a knock-my-socks-off flavor—I’ll probably always be a Classic Milk Tea kind of gal—but I thought it was creamy and delicious! I also love that it’s locally-owned. There isn’t a whole lot of space indoors, but it’s quite convenient if you’re just doing grab-and-go.
*Prime place for a pre-shopping treat run! King Tea has a more exhaustive menu compared to a lot of other tea houses. They sell smoothies and other food treats, including macarons. They also have a mini claw machine for kids (or kid-hearted adults) to enjoy.
5. Infuzion Bubble Tea Bar (Sawdust)
I’ve only heard of one other boba tea food truck, and that was somewhere in Alabama. This franchised tea-house-on-wheels gives you the perfect blend of summer love and refreshments. It’s located in a quiet food truck park with colorful picnic tables and a gazebo for rainy days. We just stopped by one evening to take pics without getting a drink, and we were the only people there. Infuzion not only offers boba milk tea, but also smoothies, slushies, coffee, and churros, so there’s something for everyone! Some of the food truck options include Columbian food and vegan and vegetarian cuisine.
Side note: The parking lot doesn’t look horrible—it’s just a bit tucked away, so I wouldn’t necessarily advise going alone… just because.
*Good for an evening hangout with family / friends. Bonus points because it’s next to other food trucks. According to the reviews, this place isn’t over-the-top but seems to be worth giving a try.
6. Kung Fu Tea (College Park Dr.)
Everybody was kung fu fighting! (For boba tea, I would be to.) I’m not sure how long this location has been around, but it looks to be on the older side, which I suppose is evidence of their loyal clientele and consistently good beverages. Kung Fu’s whole “thing” is the authenticity of their tea—I mean, they get their tea leaves from Taiwan.
I went for something simple and got the Thai Milk Tea with boba. Let me tell you… the flavor of that tea was almost as steep as the mountains they picked the tea leaves off of. To be honest, I would’ve preferred mine with a bit more sugar, but my 16-year-old actually enjoyed it, and she doesn’t really care for boba tea. (She dumped out the tapioca balls.) They even have a couple of shelves with board games in the back, as well as a claw grab machine. It’s not as aesthetic as some of our other local tea houses, but it’s spacious, convenient, and happens to be a reputable company.
*Plenty of seating, including an outdoor table. Rich tea flavor. Lovely tulip table centerpieces. Apparently, Kung Fu Tea is the biggest franchise in the U.S. that’s dedicated to serving boba tea. Fun fact, they even founded National Bubble Tea Day (April 30)!
7. Tea Hive Boba and Sandwiches (College Park Dr.)
Seriously. When I say boba tea has become a literal bandwagon in The Woodlands and surrounding areas, I mean it’s not uncommon to see multiple tea houses on the same street. Tea Hive Boba and Sandwiches is literally three minutes away from Kung Fu Tea, so driving down College Park means you have options. I’m not sure how busy this place typically gets. We visited fifteen minutes before closing time, and we were the only customers.
This was my first time trying Rose Milk Tea with crystal boba, and I can’t believe I hadn’t gotten it before! It’s a fragrant tea with a prominent rose flavor, and it’s an oh-so-pretty light pink. I took my first sip and immediately thought it would be good for a “read a book, take a bubble bath” kind of day. If you’ve never had crystal boba, it’s basically these clear jelly-like balls that don’t taste like much… they’re mainly just something to chew.
My daughters were brave enough to get the specialty pork bahn-mi sandwich too—we love bahn-mis, but we’ve often been disappointed by the ones offered in our area. This one was yummy! One of them said the sandwich was a little dry but not bad at all. Also, because this place is an actual restaurant, they have a good amount of seating, but enough space to order to-go without being awkwardly smushed between tables as you wait.
*They’ve got salads, rice bowls, noodles, egg rolls, crab puffs, and more! If your child does swim lessons at FINS or music lessons at Muse Mantra, this makes a for a nice treat / meal afterwards. There’s also a nails spa in the same plaza for a quick girls’ day out! *wink wink*
8. Kokee Tea (The Woodlands Mall)
Talk about convenient! You can’t even enjoy a mall crawl without having a boba tea shop in your face… or rather a boba tea kiosk. A couple years ago, I got Kokee’s Strawberry Milk Tea, and it was tasty but not as authentic as I had hoped. Turns out, a lot of people seem to agree about their mediocrity, as this place has mixed reviews. Recently, my daughter ordered the Dream of Butterfly (a fruity juice kind of tea) with strawberry popping pearls. The ombre presentation was beautiful, and she had slurped down most of it before I could ask her how it was. From my experience, their milk tea is just okay, but perhaps their other drinks are better.
*Located right by The Woodlands Mall food court. This place is convenient if you’re already at the mall, but I wouldn’t take a special trip just to try it out.
9. Feng Cha (Grogans Mill)
If you’ve read this far without getting in your vehicle to go try out one of these boba shops, congrats because you would’ve missed one of my favorites on the list. Feng Cha isn’t huge per se, but it’s one of the biggest boba tea houses I’ve been to. Part of what makes getting boba tea such a wonderful experience is the vibe of the building,
and the interior of this place is bright, clean, and professional. Pictured is the Jasmine Apple Green Tea with boba, which was cool and refreshing with tiny bits of green apple at the top. My daughter also wanted to try one of their small cakes, so we got the Matcha Love. It was basically a pound cake covered with matcha-flavored foam and two tiny bread sticks. She thought it was delish (and a little exotic), and given that they have five more flavors to choose from, we might be back for another one.
I really like how family-friendly Feng Cha is! They have a foosball table, and you can order at the counter or at one of the two touchscreen stands. Also, I suppose claw machines are a common novelty in boba shops, because this place has one too.
*Comfortable, clean atmosphere. This tea house is spacious and inviting, and they have some interesting cakes to try.
