New Jersey, otherwise known as the Garden State, might be small but it packs a lot of diversity. And what does that mean? It means it has a lot of cultures and different backgrounds that make up the delicious food and beverage industry of New Jersey. Plus it’s only hours away from the most bustling city in the United States, New York!
Being right next to New York, it has to earn its stripes right? Don’t be fooled by the small size of New Jersey, it has more cultures than some of the bigger states. And that calls for different foods and drinks to try throughout the state!
Today here in this article we’ll talk about the different but delicious best boba places in New Jersey. There’s a lot so relax and enjoy a cup of tea if you’d like! If you’ve asked yourself some of these questions… Are there boba places in New Jersey? What’s the best boba in New Jersey? Where can I find bubble tea in New Jersey? Then you’re in the right place.
Read on.
Mi Tea
This boba cafe deserves to have a nickname of the fastest growing bubble tea cafe around the world. Within 3 years they’ve been able to expand to over 1000+ locations. Like what? That’s incredible!
Mi Tea definitely has something up their sleeve when it comes to bubble tea.
What makes Mi Tea so special is their unique twist on boba and bubble tea. Their signature and unique creation is the cheese tea boba sprinkled with Himalayan pink salt. Talk about using trends in the right way! Who remembers when Himalayan pink salt was the must try necessity in the kitchen?
Many of the Mi Tea drinks are milk foam based. If you ever come to Mi tea you’ll have to try their Formosa Black tea topped with cheese foam, oolong milk tea or matcha milk tea. And yes all three are topped with their signature milk foam blend. The balance of subtle saltiness and sweetness from the tea itself is so delicious! Read everything you need to know about cheese tea here if you’re curious.
Kung Fu Tea
Another great contender compared to Mi Tea…Kung Fu Tea has also expanded like wildfire on a global scale. With hundreds of locations you’re bound to see this fearless boba company serve many happy customers.
Some of our favorite teas from this boba cafe are the following.
- Coconut milk tea
- Traditional black milk tea
- Winter melon matcha milk tea
Also we usually get 50% sweetness as some of the drinks like Thai milk tea can get very sweet. If you like sweetness, this tea shop is the right one for you! If you like more tea undertones, opt for lower sweetness levels or percentages you’ll be more satisfied this way!
Coco Fresh Tea
We’re starting to think this best boba places list is very good as we continue writing it. With the addition of Coco Fresh Tea the list just keeps getting better and better.
Coco Fresh Tea has over 3000 locations worldwide and there are only 195 countries in the world! Let that sink in for a second. How crazy is that?
Coco Fresh Tea is a great environment the moment you walk in. With tons of different milk tea flavors, fruit tea flavors, signature flavors and more…you’ll find a good boba flavor fairly easy. And the best part is, Coco Fresh Tea creates and adds new flavors to the menu every 2 months! This way drinking from Coco Fresh Tea never gets old.
They must be hard at work finding new flavor trends and incorporating them into boba.
Boba Guys
We’ve talked about the guys before, but we’re here to talk about them again. Founded by 2 marketing gurus from Timbuk2, Boba Guys was born to build and bridge cultures together. No matter what culture that is!
Oh and on the side they sell the highest quality boba.
Some of our favorite flavors from this place include:
- Rose black
- Black sesame latte
- Horchata
- Caramel milk tea
Vivi Bubble Tea
This boba cafe is another great household name. Starting back in 2007 Vivi Bubble Tea changed the boba industry with how fast they can serve their customers. With technology innovation in the food and beverage world, they are able to grab a huge share in the boba industry due to speed, quality and intent customer service.
With over 70 branches on a global scale you can find you favorite flavor almost anywhere! Great flavors from Vivi Bubble Tea include red bean matcha milk tea, taro creme brulee (yes you read that correctly) and earl grey float.
Cafe Zio
This is what we call a hidden gem. Buried in the streets of Edison, NJ you’ll find Cafe Zio. This place has crazy good reviews and it looks like people just keep coming back for more. The boba cafe isn’t big so don’t plan on sitting around but they definitely have great boba tea. If you’re from Rutgers University this might be the best boba place near campus!
Popular flavors here in Cafe Zio include mango green tea with boba pearls, taro milk tea with boba pearls and Thai milk tea with boba pearls.
Gong Cha
“…one of the most recognizable bubble tea brands around the world.” And we definitely have to agree with that. Founded in 2006 and rapidly expanding across the world ever since, Gong Cha brings a whole new level of premium quality and experience.
Everytime we visit a Gong Cha near us we find the customer service and experience is so great, sometimes very noticeably different compared to other popular boba places. They truly make choosing a flavor, ordering and drinking boba a great experience.
Gong Cha has milk teas with boba pearls, fruit teas with boba pearls and even the trendy milk cap or milk foam tea drinks too!
Don’t Underestimate New Jersey’s Boba Cafes
The small state of New Jersey packs a delicious bunch when it comes to bubble tea. Many of the places we mentioned are big franchises but don’t make any pre-judgements, all these places are really delicious! Being so close to New York City, which is known for a really booming food and beverage industry, it only makes sense that NJ is getting that same love too. As NYC becomes more crowded, small businesses and delicious cafes like the ones above move to New Jersey and continue to expand the north east region of food and beverage.
If you’re having a hard time choosing which boba places to try, choose one out of a hat, you won’t regret it!
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