bubble + tea by Tsaocaa — Restaurant in Austin

To the real boba fans & aficionados…AVOID this place & don’t waste your money.

Tried out looking for a new local boba place, worst boba I’ve had, maybe ever? If people are hardcore loving this place it’s definitely only because it’s their first time trying boba, so they have nothing else to compare it to.

I wish they had a 0 star option. Had the most weird and disappointing experience at this boba place. It looked so cute, lots of plants, those gashapon claw machines to win toys…but it’s all a beautiful money grab with poor service and even worse drinks.

I hesitate to complain about customer service ever because I work in customer service and even used to be a barista at a boba shop but the person I spoke to was so condescending it had me so stressed and feeling like I was an idiot. I get boba multiple times a week so it’s not like I know nothing, I’m very well-versed in ordering with my previous employment and how much I love boba…but the person just seemed so annoyed at me that the actual experience of ordering was awful.

I ordered my drink 0% sweet because I really like the tea or boba flavor more than anything, but when I received it, it tasted like pure syrup. It was SO sweet! When I asked about it, I was told that multiple pumps of syrup were used. The barista just kept arguing with me instead of just letting me replace my drink and no refund/replacement was offered.

I really feel that if you spend $10 on a drink, a replacement AT LEAST when it’s clearly very different from what you ordered is not too much to expect.

I ended up going back 10-15 min after leaving to ask for a refund because I was so upset about wasting $10 on a single drink that was undrinkably bad (SO so sweet). They gave it to me but I felt like I had to beg for it. Refunds or replacements for incorrect orders should just be offered. It really helps make or break people’s experiences.

Anyway glad I tried it because now I know not to come back. I’d rather drive further out of the way for my...

Ordered the Jasmine Taro milk tea (it seems more like ube than taro but I digress) and Ruby Black Milk Tea. A little bit better than average and you can taste the tea in the ruby black (not so much jasmine in the jasmine taro), but they're still in their soft open so I won't knock off stars for that. Tapioca pearls are a good texture and sweeter than I prefer. No one really frequents this area of town for food after certain hours so the place was pretty empty and service was also quick.

Cons: I was rather disappointed 33/25% sweetness level wasn't on the menu. I generally find 50% a smidge too sweet and 0% obviously not enough. The menu is also quite limited if you compare it to the 183 location but I'm hoping they'll expand it once things stabilize. I also think they should add descriptions for some of the less common options seen...

Ordered the mashed taro bubble milk tea and cocoa & red velvet egg waffle, and loved both.

The atmosphere feels cozy and set up to where it's a good place that's well set-up to talk 1-on-1 or bring a group of friends if you wanted to. If you're feeling more antisocial (lol), they do have an electronic order kiosk for you to use as well.

Beside the standard usual flavors you'd see in a boba shop, Tsaocaa also offers unique options (both in food and light snack options) that's a refreshing change of pace.

(An extra plus, for any LGBTQ peeps out there: they also have unisex bathrooms! Wish more public places would think to convert their single-use bathroom signs to be unisex, TBH and plus, it's just more...