Minneapolis and St. Paul have a surprising number of unique boba tea hot spots, with many in the Dinkytown area to supply university students with their boba tea fixes. Discover the best places to try the tasty drink and explore the large number of combinations and variations of this classic Taiwanese treat, also referred to as bubble tea or milk tea. Visit any (or all) of these seven distinctive tea shops in the Twin Cities.
Photo by Rosalind Chang
Tiger Sugar
This international boba chain was founded in Taiwan in 2017, aiming to produce and provide the “best dessert drink” and featuring the popular boba pearl milk tea. Visitors at the location in Dinkytown can try the specialty black sugar boba tea, green tea latte, or mochi boba with tastes unique to Tiger Sugar, made with an unforgettable Taiwanese influence.
318 14th Ave. SE, Minneapolis
Ding Tea
Striving to promote Taiwanese tea culture around the world, Ding Tea aims to create tastes exclusive to their strict tea selection, flavor combinations, and drink designs and has been in operation since 2004. The extensive menu includes milk tea with a flavor selection ranging from chocolate to winter melon, as well as passion fruit, matcha, and jasmine green.
1327 University Ave. W., St. Paul
Coconut Whisk Cafe
The Coconut Whisk Cafe features re-imagined boba, pancakes, and coffee. If you’re looking for plant-based vegan and gluten-free options, this is the store for you. Signature drinks on the menu include the jade dragon, made with organic matcha and strawberry jam, the peach bum with wild berry and turmeric, and the lake monster, created with butterfly pea tea, lemon, and coconut jelly.
905 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
Mango Mango Dessert
The Mango Mango chain began operating in New York’s Chinatown in 2013 and now has more than 30 locations. The Minneapolis shop offers a wide selection of hot and iced dessert drinks and smoothies, as well as classic cakes, crepes, and waffles. Choose from bubble tea flavors including oreo brulee, coconut, matcha brulee, and blush rose, or try the ginger or golden kiwi milk tea.
406 14th Ave. SE, Minneapolis
Simplicitea
This boba tea shop also provides coffee and smoothies to the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood in St. Paul. The menu selection also includes craft teas on tap, milk cap teas, and slushies. Choose from flavors for tea including strawberry, taro root, and red bean, and add toppings like brown sugar crystal boba pearls, agar jelly, aloe vera, and tapioca pearls.
272 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul
Feng Cha Teahouse
The Minneapolis location of Feng Cha Teahouse has a specialty menu with unique boba tea drinks, as well as options for coffee. Choose from fresh fruit tea flavor combos like kiwi and basil or try the citrus lord, which features tastes of orange pulp and lemon. Perhaps the most popular menu items are the dirty boba drinks, made with milk foam and a variety of flavorings.
2929 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis
Jinx Tea
The mission of this family-owned store is to create a menu of delicious tea-based beverages. The bubble tea options of this shop’s menu include a rooibos cream soda, a chai brew with tapioca pearls, and the chocolate cow, made with black tea and cocoa. Jinx Tea will also make an appearance at the State Fair, as the tea shop has partnered with Nordic Waffles.
4503 France Ave. S., Minneapolis
