Detroit Bubble Tea

Don’t get me wrong but this is American bubble tea! And yes there is a difference between American and Asian bubble tea/​boba! Lots of sweetness which is fine but not my cup of tea!
They don’t have the staple Jasmine green tea which is just sad so I had the taro. Its pushing the maybe scale. If I am in the area I might stop by but I rather spend gas and hard cold cash at the other places (Asian). Service was excellent and I love the stamp card. I know I might sound bias but when you have the excellent delicious boba tea this just cut it.

Watered down milk tea and stale macarons, I’m sorry I bought a dozen, felt like I was eating crunchy dry nilla wafers. I wanted to love this place, total let down.

UPDATE: Arun, the owner, responded swiftly to the issues we had earlier today and has quelled my concerns about continuing to go to Detroit Bubble Tea. This is a huge relief as this is a favorite treat of my team and I. Thank you, Arun!
Original review:
My office is huge fans of bubble tea and we frequent this location at least a few times a month, spending anywhere between $ 60-​$ 80. We were asked by the staff to call in these large orders (we do not use GrubHub to order as they do not have the XL option) and have someone pick it up, usually without incident. Today, however, that was not the case. We called at multiple times between 11:15 and 11:20, each time with no answer. When we finally did get through just before 11:30, we were told, «I can’t take your order, call back in 30 minutes.» This business says they open at 11AM and at that time they should be ready to assist customers. This is unacceptable customer service and will effect our choice to continue to patronize this location.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled having grown up (literally I’ve been drinking boba since I was pre-​pubescent) surrounded by bubble tea chains and small mom and pop places that specialize in Bubble tea growing up in LA. So let me preface this review by saying its solely about the quality of the tapioca pearls.
For whatever reason bubble tea or as I like to call it, boba is like a unicorn in Michigan. I can’t find it anywhere and when I do, it ends up being meh.
So I had high expectations for a place that strictly did just bubble tea, because experiences in the past have taught me that if a place focuses on one thing, then chances are it turns out to be really good.
For starters the space itself is quite big with sofas and coffee tables, and two tops near the order and pick up station.
There’s a cold case with macaroons, dulce de leche cake, tiramisu, and Vegan gluten free cupcakes, which I can totally appreciate. That aside their menu boards break it down between choosing a drink flavor, consistency (milk tea, slush, etc) then boba (tapioca, flavored popping bubbles, etc.)
My go to for all my boba needs are usually jasmine milk tea. I love anything aromatic with good floral notes, and I’m not into anything that may be cloyingly sweet. So upon finding this did not exist on their menu I decided on lavender milk tea, and the baristas were nice enough to adjust sweetness levels for me since I stated I wanted it less sweet more tea-​y. I also got extra tapioca because, why not?
Great service, knowledgable staff, and the customer in front of me had no idea what bubble tea was and the barista was nice enough to explain each of the items and even Make recommendations. This scored major points in my book!
After receiving my drink, my heart fluttered a bit because boba makes me miss home and the frequent runs I used to make with my mom. It hits a sweet spot for me.
Digging into my drink the milk tea was on point! great flavor, lavender was just right, and not too sweet like I has asked. Here’s where the three stars comes in. The tapioca pearls were hard. It was missing that soft consistency I have grown to love, and while the exterior of the pearl was somewhat soft, the center was not cooked through which meant I had to chomp down to break down every pearl.
And the pearls itself were somewhat too sweet. You could taste the simple syrup they’ve been sitting in while cooking.
While popping bubbles are a fairly new thing and not my favorite, it’s tapioca pearls that are the meat and potatoes of bubble tea. It’s what most people who are familiar with the drink associate with the name. I think if they can fix this, they’ll have a much better product.
Overall, great hangout space, wonderful employees, good location and drink, they just need some work in the tapioca department

You have to love a place that serves great drinks that also look great. Don’t forget to IG your drink. God knows the 8,000 other pictures of drinks here won’t suffice.

Taro smoothie with tapioca pearls. Awesome!!! It’s so good. I wanted another one because it was so delicious. It was almost $ 4 for the small so I wouldn’t say this place is necessarily inexpensive. But it was really yummy so worth it.
It is a nice atmosphere, with couches and chairs for relaxing. They have board games too.

Hallelujah!!! I love bubble tea, but it’s hard to find. It’s so special that it’s usually on my birthday to do list. I can drink a large in 5 seconds like it’s nothing. Starbucks, cake, ice cream, crème brûlée… all of the best special occasion treats ain’t got nothing on a good milk tea.
Bubble Island in Ann Arbor is the most well-​known place around that serves it, & the only one I visit because the texture of the bubbles there are my favorite. Most other shops have smaller popping bubbles instead of tapioca, or harder tapioca that isn’t chewy. For those of you as enthusiastic about Bubble Island as me, you’ll love Detroit Bubble Tea. It is even better than BI because of he variety offered. You can also get a size larger ;) If you’ve never tried bubble tea before, now is the time! If you’re not getting a smoothie/​slushie or coffee drink, you’ll end up with what is basically a fun, flavorful iced tea with creamer in it. I think they have lemonade too. I wouldn’t recommend bubbles in hot drinks, though they are an option.
DBT has multiple jellies (I got coconut & recommend that for any fruit drinks), popping bubbles in tons of flavors, or tapioca pearls (yum). There are milk teas (the best), smoothies, & other drink concoctions. *There are over 45 flavors available* some rather interesting, like Habanero Lime, Avocado, Cotton Candy, Pistachio, Violet (what I ordered & can vouch for!), Rose, Cucumber, & sugar free or organic options. There are also old standby flavors like almond or taro. I was absolutely amazed by the selection & can’t wait to try more flavors. I didn’t really pay attention to the service, because to me nothing matters except the tea! I do wish I had been offered a rewards card. The set up was really cool & cozy though; I saw a few board games & some comfy seating around. Yay yay yay yay, thanks Detroit Bubble Tea!

This place is the bee’s knees! Friendly staff, amazing atmosphere, and awesome food. I first visited the week they opened. The staff greeted me with a loud, happy welcome. Ordering was quick and easy, and they had a lot of information for me about all the unique flavors like rose and lavender. The vegan cupcakes from Sweet Magnolia are delish! While I was eating, the owner came over to introduce himself and see how our food was. I go back often and receive the same treatment as I did the first time. Check it out!

When I first learned about this place, it was definitely a pleasant surprise! The staff is friendly, and the place is nice and welcoming with couches to relax on.
My favorite drink here is the Honeydew Milk Tea, with Extra Tapioca. In my opinion, it has just the right amount of sweetness and milk, but also a hint of black tea, which isn’t overpowering and balances out the drink. The boba has a good consistency, and doesn’t freeze up after 10+ minutes like some other places.
Their smoothies are pretty standard, not quite the best I’ve had, but they are still good! Wide selection of flavors, and pearls is also pretty good. I haven’t been adventurous enough to try all the flavors, but I’ve had the Thai Tea and Matcha. Both were decent, can’t say I’d order either again though.
Overall, they’re doing a lot of things right; it’s about finding the right combination for you, and this place gives you that opportunity! Not to mention, they have a loyalty rewards program where you get a free drink after you buy 10 drinks!

My daughter and I had been waiting (mostly patiently) for Detroit Bubble Tea to open — we walk by their location frequently on our jaunts about town. A few weeks ago, we were passing there, and my daughter wanted to finally pull the plug and try it out. I am SO glad we did!!! Here’s the breakdown:
The good: The location was very clean. The young workers were prompt and very helpful in explaining how to order what you want. Since it was our first time there, we decided to play it safe and try a strawberry smoothie. My daughter was indecisive as to whether she wanted tapioca balls or the «popping pearls» (fruit juice filled ‘pearls’) — so the worker was nice enough to give us some of both in our drink. We shared a medium smoothie, and I think it costs around $ 5 or so — very reasonable considering the amount you get.
We both loved the smoothie! I was in love with the popping pearls, my daughter preferred the tapioca. I was very impressed with their «lid» on their drinks. The cup is sealed with a plastic liner that you poke holes in with your giant straw — way less of a chance of spillage (always a good thing when you’re a mom!)
The bad: I can’t really think of any. The large amount of combinations made it a little tough to choose what I wanted, but that’s not really a negative, in my book.
I was surprised to see the place as busy as it was… that makes me happy, and hopeful that it will stick around for a while!

I’ll start off by saying this is the only place I’ve ever had bubble tea, so I’m not entirely sure if it should be different or better in comparison to other places, but I enjoyed it. I’m not sure why people are choking on the prices so much. It’s the same kind of price range as a specialty drink at Starbucks or something like that. (4 – 6 for small — large)
I’ve been in a few times now, and I’ve always managed to do it when they aren’t very busy, so the line has always moved quickly for me. I’ve tried a few different flavors and enjoyed all of them, and I will also say that I like the slush better than the tea. I really enjoyed the coffee and tapioca pearls together, but lavender and blueberry popping pearls, lemonade and strawberry popping pearls, and coconut and pomegranate popping pearls have all been good combos.
While I haven’t tried them they also have some small desserts like cupcakes and macaroons.
Another added bonus is the loyalty card! I like getting free things. :)

Quick service, reasonably priced bubble tea, and a busy but comfortable place to do work.
Came on Thursday evening, during student study night. All drinks 10% off with student ID!
The smoothie option with coconut and mango was a little too sweet, but a great size for $ 4.77.
You can choose up to 2 flavors to mix into your drink, and turn it in to a smoothie, milk tea or a slush.
Any flavor boba or jelly, and there are lots to choose from!
They offer free cute little stickers at the cashier, and give out coupons for $ 5 off an order of $ 10 or more from GrubHub.
Great place for a drink and hangout/​study spot.

I love bubble tea! I love this place too!
Lots of flavors to select from. Pick your size, flavor, flavor of bubbles, style of drink.
My favorite is thai tea, milk, smoothie style with tapioca pearls.
Macaroons are yummy. Vegan cupcakes are ok, not my favorite but others like them.

This is one of the best boba experiences I’ve ever had. Being from California, I consider myself a boba connoisseur and this is some of the best I’ve ever had in the country.
Their macaroons are dope, and from nyc!

Detroit Bubble Tea is just what the doctor ordered. It is the perfect shop for Ferndale, but I’m just really excited to have another option for bubble tea in Metro Detroit. Let’s face it, bubble tea is kind of hard to find.
This place is located right on Woodward Ave in downtown Ferndale. They did an awesome job turning the shop into a cool hangout; there are several comfortable couches and they even have boardgames. If I lived closer I know I’d visit frequently just to enjoy some bubble tea, a treat (or two) and play a game with some friends.
Speaking of treats, they have vegan cupcakes (!), and their macarons are from Mad Mac Macarons in NYC. the caramel, pistachio and coffee varieties are awesome for sure — the rest I’ll just have to sample. It’s rough, I know you’re feeling bad for me.
The actual bubble tea is a treat in itself, I love that this is such a versatile and customizable drink. You can pick your bubbles, flavors, base of the drink and wether you want it iced or blended. My hubby is diabetic so I am excited that they have a lot of sugar free bubble tea flavors as well.

Finally got to try this place out tonight! I suggested coffee but a friend wasn’t in the mood, then I remembered this place.
Bubble Island in Ann Arbor is usually where I get my bubble tea fix (ever since undergrad, starting in ’05) but I’m pretty picky — I no longer like the bubbles but I love mango stars and lychee jellies. This place has all that and MORE which is awesome.
It’s a little pricey — $ 3.50-$ 5.50 (small/​medium/​large) but bubbles or jellies are free. I got a medium almond milk tea WITH almond milk (too meta? I don’t do well with dairy though), they have soy/​almond milk but it’s $ 1 extra. Mine was okay but I actually preferred my friends’ drinks — one got a passion fruit green tea, and the other got a taro milk tea. Yummy stuff!
I will be back at some point. They also had vegan cupcakes (you know you’re in Ferndale when … lol) and macarons! Also yummy.

Over the years, the wife and I made a habit of grabbing a bubble tea at an Asian bakery in Madison Heights once in a while. But alas, it was gloomy to have it outside the shopping plaza or on a car ride, as said bakery had no indoor seating or hangout vibe whatsoever — also it was cash only.
Enter Detroit Bubble Tea in 2015. Since its grand opening we have been psyched to go try it out. My only fear was getting there to try all the flavors and having to be carried out with a forklift or something. Jokes aside — finally got around to it and I am in love now. It’s located at the prime location corner of Ferndale’s 9 Mile & Woodward. Park in the secure city lot behind them and feast your eyes on the unpretentious and colorfully Detroit industrial themed lounge. Friendly staff, plenty of comfortable seating, a few TVs, and even board games to pass time. I got a kick out of the bubble tea themed memes playing on the TV behind the counter. So many well thought out flavors and the choice of either traditional tapioca pearls (aka boba), popping pearls, or even little coconut-​fruit jellies. Mind you, it’s rare to find a place that has all 3 of these topping choices in addition to over 30 base flavors! I’m no mathematician, but there are probably thousands of combinations you could try over time. My wife had taro root while I had the cinnamon bun, both with traditional tapioca pearls. Wow — both delicious. Tasted so fresh, icy, and creamy — both had a refreshing subtle sweetness. Best of all, the bubble tea did not taste any hint of artificial or high fructose corn syrup sweetening. We hung out there for a while and even got a specialty Grandma Rose’s Rose lemonade for the road. Excellent decision as that one was more of a non-​milky and thirst quenching lemonade taste with the right hint of rose extract. In this one, we enjoyed the fruity popping pearls.
Whether you’re in and out foot traffic or making it a destination to have bubble tea, this is definitely a go to place. If you are having dinner nearby, it’s a great option to hold off for a sweet treat bubble tea as desert here. My only word to the wise is that they have honest to English language sizing here. Fast food giants have redefined the «small» drink as being the size of a milk jug, In comparison, when DBT says small, they do mean a smaller size. Love bubble tea? Get a bigger size. Hashtag
# Did I do that right?
Again, awesome place and even better bubble tea. Two thumbs up! HANDS DOWN THE BEST BUBBLE TEA I’VE HAD!

My husband and I were attending a wedding reception at the Rust Belt Market next door. Imagine my surprise when we pulled into the public parking lot behind Woodward and I saw a bubble tea place (I am a FIEND for bubble tea).
The place was deserted on a Saturday night. The staff members helped my husband and I select choices from their rather extensive menu of flavors. We made a point to choose flavors we haven’t seen available at other boba joints. I had pistachio and my husband had bubblegum.
I was a little thrown off because we ordered regular ‘ol flavored milk teas, yet the texture was somewhere between a smoothie and a slushie. (Looking at photos accompanying the Unilocal listing, I’m thinking they may have accidentally given us smoothies?) However, they were both tasty and the tapioca balls were the perfect consistency, so I can’t really complain.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting Detroit Bubble Tea. My first trip here was a miss because they decided to randomly close on a Monday, I made a second attempt on a Wednesday afternoon. I’m so happy I stopped in.
If you’re a newbie, it would be nice if the employees walked you thru the process or at least made some recommendations. But, the kid who waited on me seemed kind of confused, so I decided to wing it. My instincts were good because my drink was delicious. I had a mango milk tea with tapioca pearls.
So here’s how it works. First you pick a flavor, there’s so many to choose from! And you can even mix flavors. Next, you pick how you’d like your drink served: slushie, smoothie, iced tea, or milk tea. Then you pick your topping: tapioca pearls, popping pearls or jellies. Lastly choose a size and viola! You have a drink. They also have a selection of macaroons, cupcakes and other treats. I tried a mantcha macaroon that was very unique and tasty.
Overall good experience. I think their prices a a tad high but that seems to be the way of the world. Their customer service for sure needs some work. There were all kids working, how about some adult guidance? But still I’d come back for a tasty drink.

I love boba. LOVE it. I usually drink it 3−4x a week and will go out of my way for good boba. so after emailing the owners multiple times, I’ve been looking forward to this opening for over a year!
I think it needs to be said that in places like this (where you make your own drink), the combination (s) you pick are important. I generally tend to stick to fruity teas (strawberry mango green tea with mango stars) and am rarely ever disappointed or disgusted.
With that said, here’s how you do it:
1. Pick up to two flavors OR one of their premade combos
2. Decide if you want it as a slushy (icy drink), tea (pick black, green, or I think oolong?), smoothie (slushy with cream), or milk tea
3. Add a topping (tapioca pearls/​boba, lychee jelly, strawberry jelly, mango stars)
4. And don’t forget to specify a size! Small ($ 3.50), medium ($ 4.50), or large ($ 5)
Pros:
–Detroit finally has boba options if you don’t want/​like QQ bakery
–multiple topping choices
–1 free topping in your drink!
–very easy to customize! But remember: don’t pick a bad combo haha
–lots of space to sit and enjoy the drink
–they offer macarons and cupcakes
–they had an issue before where they were giving half-​full cups to patrons who requested no ice — it’s been resolved!
–they accept credit card
–service? Some say the service is super awesome and friendly, but the service I received was not worth noting. Neither good nor bad.
Cons:
–no parking lot so you have to pay for street parking
–the line moves SO SO SLOW — maybe bc they just opened
–their macaron shells looked cracked and dry
–my drink was just okay. Nothing special. However, everyone else (4 other people) who’s been here has been disappointed with their drinks. Stay away from the taro drinks and the slushes.
–pricing. I’m used to inflated prices, but these prices are ridiculous for the size they give you and def not worth it for the quality. Their medium imo is a $ 3 drink at best… not $ 4.77 including tax.
Detroit Bubble Tea isn’t a disappointment, but it’s not super awesome/​go out of your way good either. It’s nice that this is an option if you’re in the area. Definitely worth trying once.