HEYTEA (Rockville) — Restaurant in Rockville

Clean, Trendy Space but Some Room for Improvement

I visited HEYTEA in Rockville last night with my cousin for the first time. At first glance, the shop gave off a fresh and modern impression—there was a noticeable tea aroma when we walked in, and the space felt new and well-kept. It had a unique minimalist aesthetic, which was a refreshing contrast from the more vibrant boba spots I’ve visited.

Instead of displaying the full menu on overhead monitors like most places, HEYTEA offers a single digital screen by the register and a stack of printed menus. However, I noticed the printed menu lacked some of the topping customization options available on the digital one, which could make ordering a bit confusing for first-time visitors.

The lighting was bright and cool-toned, which some may find sleek, but I personally found it a bit harsh over time—it made the space feel somewhat cold and clinical. The minimalist decor and muted color scheme added to that impression.

We ordered at 8:43 PM and waited about 12 minutes for our drinks, which felt a bit long considering there were 6–7 staff members behind the bar. While I understand rushes happen, I’ve experienced quicker service at other boba shops with fewer employees. There were also quite a few unclaimed drinks sitting at the pickup counter, which made the flow feel disorganized. Drink numbers were being called out, but it didn’t seem like there was much effort to match drinks to customers efficiently.

As for seating, the setup was a bit unconventional. Some tables were very low to the ground, with small chairs or bench seating that felt awkward and uncomfortable—even for someone of average height. Our table was also wet when we sat down, and we noticed straw wrappers and bits of trash scattered on the floor.

The drinks themselves were decent. I ordered the Supreme Brown Sugar Bobo Milk. The presentation was nice, but I wasn’t expecting milk foam on top and had to stir it quite a bit to balance out the flavor. Once mixed, the drink was sweet and enjoyable, and the boba pearls were soft and fresh. It’s worth noting that none of the drinks were sealed, which might be a surprise if you’re used to traditional boba packaging.

While there was a calming ambiance from the music and the overall vibe was relaxing, I’m unsure if I would return given the wait time, awkward seating, and cleanliness concerns. Today (July 10), they’re offering a BOGO deal on their Supreme Matcha Latte, which may be a great chance for others to try something new. Personally, I found the experience interesting, but it didn’t quite stand out enough for me to make it a regular spot—though I’m open to giving it another try with a...

I just wanted to address the response from Hey Tea owner to my father's review (Hung Nguyen). What you explained there sounds fair but it did not work that way. When we were in line, the waited staff told people in the line that you're part of the first 300 customers, you would get the magnet. That was how we knew about it. If the manager was the one handed the ticket for the day, why she could NOT give us the answer of how people behind us got the magnets? Neither the waited staff nor the lady that handed the magnet could explain the reason. Why???? All of the people lined up behind us spoke Chinese to the lady that handed the magnet. Was it a mere coincidence???? The management lady told us came back and line up the next day to get the magnet. As soon as the waited staff came inside, she disappeared. The waited staff kept saying "I'm sorry, I knew it was unfair. I would talk to the manager about it". We were okay initially when they told us that they already met 300 threshold for the day. What made my parents upset was the favoritism that we witnessed while waiting for the drinks. Neither of the ladies could explain why people behind us got the magnets, but we didn't. Also, they were all Chinese. My parents decided to speak up not for the magnet itself but for the fairness.

On another note, it was the opening week, you should plan accordingly with the number of anticipating customers. Besides, if you were out of stock on some drinks, why didn't you let the people in line know so they would not waste their time to wait in the heat for something that they might not get? When my father told the casher you should let people in line know, the management lady told my father to step aside and she would check with the kitchen to see how long the boba would be ready, then we waited for another 20 more mins for the drinks that were mediocre, not worthy of the price. Like my father had mentioned, the tea flavor was not there. Glad that we got the two drinks for the price of one. There are other great boba tea shops in the DMV that taste way better than this and at least, they treat customers...

We came for Brown Sugar Boba tea. Waited in line for over an hour, when it was our turn to order, the cashier told us "no more boba tea". We told him you should talk to your manager to come out and let others waited in line know. It was so disappointed to wait for that long for nothing. After we told him that, he talked to a lady (perhaps she was a manager); then, she told us to step aside as she checked. She went in and asked another staff member to check with the cook in the kitchen to see how long the boba would be done. Long story short, we waited for another 20 mins to get our tea. When we were in line, we were told we were part of the first 300 customers, we would get a magnet. However, when we asked about that, the manager asked us to wait, She spoke to us in Chinese and we told her we could not speak Chinese, she asked us to wait for her. Around 10 mins she came to us and told us the promotion was done for the day and we should come back tomorrow to line up to buy tea and get one. The funny thing was, while waiting for our teas, there were several people who were in line behind us, they got their magnets. They were Chinese; therefore, they spoke to her in Chinese. It was obvious that the manager picked and chose who she wanted to give the magnet to. We came and asked her and she said she did not know why. She sent the waited staff to talk to us. We told the waited staff that we DID NOT CARE about the magnet, but just wanted to bring to her attentions that how unfair the situation was. She said she was sorry and would brought up to the manager. We will NEVER come back for such dishonesty! Also, the tea was mediocre, barely tasted the tea but milk flavor; the boba was too soft. It was just overhyped, totally not worth the...