Teapioca Lounge — Restaurant in Austin

A Shocking Experience at Teapioca Lounge - Deceptive Practices Uncovered"

I am utterly appalled and feel compelled to share the horrendous experience I encountered at Teapioca Lounge. What I expected to be a simple coffee run with my kids turned into an eye-opening revelation of deceitful practices.

Upon arriving, I ordered a mocha coffee, but due to recent dental work, I requested it without ice to avoid discomfort. To my disbelief, the employee at the counter informed me that it was impossible to serve the drink without ice. Initially, I thought it was a joke, but it soon became clear it wasn't. I explained my dental situation, but the employee, citing store policy, stated that if I insisted on no ice, my cup would only be filled halfway.

The reason? A supposed policy dictating that more ice equates to less coffee used, essentially a tactic to cheat customers by skimping on the actual coffee. My disappointment escalated when I sought to address this with a manager, only to be told none were present. In my growing frustration, I began recording the interaction, prompting the employee to consult the manager over the phone. Astoundingly, the manager upheld this ludicrous policy.

This experience was not just about a cup of coffee; it was a glaring example of how low a business can stoop in deceiving its customers. The suggestion to fill half the cup with coffee and the rest with water, under the guise of providing options, was another slap in the face. It's a clear manipulation, offering a watered-down product while pretending to cater to customer needs.

I have documented the entire fiasco on video, intending initially to post it online. However, I've decided to first bring this matter to the corporate office's attention, giving them a chance to rectify the situation. Should they fail to address this misconduct by the manager and owner, I am prepared to publicly share my videos, exposing their deceitful practices for all to see.

In summary, Teapioca Lounge has demonstrated a complete disregard for customer satisfaction and honesty in their business practices. I am utterly disappointed and warn others to be wary of their...

DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU ARE LACTOSE INTOLERANT OR VEGAN. I recently had a drink here (Taro Cream Blast) that I was reassured did not have lactose. I trusted them at their word and had the drink. That night I got extremely sick--I will spare the gruesome details but the point is that I only get sick in this exact way when I have a lot of lactose. They provided details about their so called dairy-free plant based creamer--it is neither of those things. It contains a milk protein (so NOT vegan friendly) and though they are allowed to label it as 'lactose free,' researching the milk protein brings up results that they usually do still contain some level of lactose. There is also a chance the employee that prepared my drink was negligent and somehow put milk in my drink instead of the creamer, but the fact stands that there was enough lactose in my drink that I got extremely sick since I had the drink in a way that I only get when I have too much lactose. It has been 2 days but I am still experiencing symptoms, it is very bad. Lesson learned, do not trust Teapioca's "plant based dairy free creamer." If you want a tea shop that has never done me wrong like this, I recommend Gongcha. Their drinks have proper substitutes and have never made me sick. I will attach the details of the creamer with photos provided by the employees. If you look up 'sodium caseinate,' you will find that it is a milk protein and that it is not completely lactose free as the product claims. There is enough lactose in it that I got sick as a lactose intolerant person, or the employee used milk instead of creamer in my drink even though explicitly told I did not want lactose in my drink. People who have lactose intolerance know that you get sick in a specific way when having lactose, and I had those exact symptoms very quickly after drinking this. Be careful about this tea shop. I won't be...

Oh, how I want to like this place. However, this particular Teapioca Lounge does not deliver. I mean, I enjoy the product they sell. But a place like this should be much more. As such, I will have to make the trek to their north location when in need of Snow Ice. For my review of Teapioca Lounge's ostensibly awesome desserts, see my review for the Parmer Lane location.

Both times that I went to the Teapioca Lounge at Southpark Meadows, I had issues using coupons. The first time was an offer from either Google, Living Social, or Groupon for their Snow Ice desserts. I went one evening to redeem the coupon, arriving about a half-hour before the shop closed. Upon arrival, I was informed that the Snow Ice machine had been shut down for the evening. The coupon was only for Snow Ice desserts and the staff was unable (or refused) to provide a comparable deal. I vowed to not return to the Southpark Meadows location. Fool me once.

Then I moved to South Austin. I had a hankerin' for some Snow Ice, so I decided to give Teapioca Lounge another try. After all, the Parmer Lane store hadn't disappointed. This time, there was a Yelp check-in offer (and as of March 27, 2014, it's still up). I checked in and claimed it. Clicked on "Redeem Your Check-In Offer" and alerted the cashier about my offer. She then pointed out that the offer had expired in October 2013. But the managers had never bothered to take it down. Again, I was not offered a comparable deal. Fool me twice.

Essentially, I feel that Teapioca has employed a bait-and-switch tactic not once but twice. This is not the kind of place I enjoy...