Boba Up — Restaurant in Seattle

I had two bad experiences at this BobaUp and I hope I don’t sound like a Karen here…

The first one involved ordering some popcorn chicken, I had already ordered boba and had later decided I was hungry, I ordered popcorn chicken and fries and they asked if I wanted a receipt, since I was given the option I said no (foreshadowing). I waited for about 45 minutes before I realized people who came in after me were getting their food so I went to the front counter to mention it. When I went up there they asked where my receipt was. When I said I didn’t have one because they gave me the option to not take it, the girl working there was acting really annoyed and said if I don’t have a receipt they can’t make the food. They didn’t accept the receipt from my bank account either and I felt helpless. Why would they give me the option to throw away the receipt if it was required to make sure you get your food? I left feeling robbed and hungry.

The second time (keep in mind I was with a large group who all got drinks and some food) I asked for a water cup and decided to put around 5 balls of popping boba in it and some water. I didn’t think it would be a big deal since it wasn’t a lot of boba but I understand that this is wrong and I definitely shouldn’t have done that. I was walking to a table when an employee snatched it out of my hand, held it in front of my face and said “What is this?? Are you going to pay for this?” (I’m not exaggerating). I apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again, I felt awful. I sat down with my friends in shame when the same employee came up to me and said we all had to leave immediately. I told them I would just leave, I understand why, but if they could let the rest of the paying customers stay. They insisted it be every person in the group. It just felt unnecessary and rude.

I’m sure they have to deal with a lot of crap from customers so I get it but if you take anything away from this it’s keep your receipt if you want to get your food...

A cool new concept! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a self serve boba place in Washington before, so it was really exciting to try this place out!

Boba up serves food, specialty drinks, and regular boba. The specialty drinks are not self serve, but the regular boba (the only thing I tried) was.

Basically, if you’re getting regular boba, you select your cup size, pay, and then you can go ham. A small was $4.35!

After getting your cup, you go to the boba station which had way more options than expected! There was your standard pearls, popping pearls, aloe, grass jelly, rainbow jelly, etc. The food handler in me got slightly concerned because the boba’s just... out there. There’s a big ladle for each container to scoop your choice of boba into your cup, but the containers have no lids. I don’t think it would hurt to get a cheap plastic lid, because sometimes people can be a little unhygienic. I did see a staff member switch the boba out in the time that I was there, which was nice.

They have a little ice machine if you like your drinks iced up.

There were about 20-25 milk, tea, and slush options to choose from total if I remember correctly! Some off the top of my head were brown sugar milk tea, taro milk tea, taro slush, and green milk tea. I didn’t pay any attention to the fruity flavors as they’re not my thing. The staff provides sampling cups for you to taste test! I ended up getting matcha slush which was delicious! It wasn’t overpoweringly sweet, but it wasn’t bland either. When you’re done filling your cup, a staff member will put your boba into the lid machine and voila... you’re done!

Overall, I had a good experience here :-) there’s ample seating, the service is super fast, and it’s the closest bubble tea place to campus, so I’ll definitely be back here when...

I recently visited Boba Up, a self-serving boba place, and I'd like to share my experience. The concept of being able to create your own boba drink is exciting, and Boba Up offers a decent selection of toppings, green tea, and milk tea options.

I opted for a jumbo glass and decided to go with a combination of flavors. I chose a refreshing mango slush as the base, and I added the subtle and fragrant rose milk tea to create a unique blend. The combination of these two flavors was enjoyable, providing a refreshing and slightly floral taste.

To enhance the drink, I selected a variety of toppings. The strawberry popping boba was a fun addition that added bursts of flavor with every sip. The lychee jelly provided a nice texture and added a mild sweetness to the drink. I also chose rainbow jelly, which contributed a colorful and playful element.

While my boba drink at Boba Up was enjoyable, I must say that the overall experience was just okay. The limited range of options was a bit disappointing, and I would have liked to see more variety in terms of flavors and toppings. It would be great if they expanded their offerings to cater to different preferences and to provide customers with more exciting choices.

The self-serving aspect was fun and allowed me to customize my drink to some extent, but I felt that the options were somewhat limited. Nonetheless, the quality of the ingredients was good, and the drink itself tasted pleasant.

If you're looking for a basic boba experience and don't mind the limited options, Boba Up can be an okay choice. However, if you're seeking a wider variety of flavors and toppings, you may want to explore other boba places in the area that offer a more...