Rustic Bubble Tea Cafe

Came to ABQ for a business trip and was craving boba. My coworker and I decided to try out this place because I read one of the comments that said it was comparable to bay area boba! I’m an asian kid who grew up in the 626 where it’s an asian mecca and tons of different teas and boba from the motherland have set up shop there so my taste buds were already prepped. I ordered a regular milk tea just because I use that as a comparison of milk tea when I go to new boba shops. This place definitely was delicious and reminded me of being back home. The décor is really awesome and is also something that a lot of 626 boba shops have set up. They also have board games so it is a good place to go and hang out with friends. Definitely coming back here whenever I come to ABQ.

Pretty good drinks and boba/​toppings. Pretty wide variety of options. Definitely can’t compare to all the boba shops in LA, but the best in Albuquerque. Tofu snack was pretty unique and good as well. Nice place to study with free wifi.

I’m so happy that there’s boba in New Mexico. This place opened not so long ago but it’s really nice inside, a perfect place to hang out and catch up other than Starbucks. I tried their mango green tea with boba and rainbow jelly and their mango/​passion fruit green tea with rainbow jelly and boba. I would say their teas taste more like tea. That probably sounds silly but there are places that you can’t really taste the tea but more of the flavored syrup. Even so, I still like it because it’s refreshing. It’s not too sweet though, so if you like it sweet, you might should ask for extra sweetener or try something else.

Nice selection of teas and juices, as well as light snacks. Staff is very friendly. The tv had hip hop music videos on which doesn’t quite gel with a place to relax. The open area is a little sterile. Looking forward to going back.

The way Boba tea should be !! The best I’ve had in Albuquerque.

Please check this place out, it’s such a small hole in the wall you’ll drive by without even noticing it’s here. This is just the kind of small family run local place that makes Albuquerque unique. Hidden in a super small slot in the Hasting’s strip mall is this gem.
Boba tea is a great snack and fun for everyone. Tapioca strips or spheres in milk tea, herbal tea, or snow tea. Mix and match for your favorite combination. I’m partial to green teas with tropical boba, but play with flavors to find your favorite.
Rustic offers a comfortable seating with free wifi. It’s a nice invitation to stay, work, interact… I think this would be a great change of pace for a book club or other group.
Try it out! I think it’s a fantastic find: unique, fun, and local.

First off let me tell you that Boba Tea Company is just flavored water compared to Rustic. Rustic’s assortment of teas is beyond flavorful. A very chill spot that enables you to enjoy a mouthful of bobas and a mouthful of amazing tea. Don’t support a corporation, support a new local business that cares about its customers!

1 of the best things that has ever happened in ABQ — milk tea is where it’s at!
I’d personally prefer this place over Boba Tea Co. any day! Rustic’s drinks are always made to perfection & it’s also not too sweet. They also have a wide variety of flavors from raspberry to taro & also offer smoothies, slushies, & juices. if you’re not into the milk tea deal. You can also have your fair share of add-​ons too, ranging from bursting boba (they’re like gobi’s) to jellies (they’re like nunu’s). Ps: you can also get grass jelly &/​or aloe vera in your drink (s) too — which makes Rustic 1000% better.
I highly recommend the milk tea, taro or lychee snowbubble, & the raspberry green tea!
So, what are you waiting for? Stop on by & I promise you, you won’t regret it!

I’m thinking the rave reviews of this place are based on the fact that boba tea is somewhat of a novelty to Albuquerque, is that it? When something is lacking, people tend to get excited and think higher of it than they might if there were ample opportunities to experience it everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, but let’s put things in perspective.
Go to Seattle, Portland, any larger city in California, even Las Vegas, NV has a plethora of boba joints. And most of them shine a bit brighter than this place. A lot of Boba Tea places I’ve been to in other cities have live acoustic music on certain evenings off in the corner. The vibes are just more comfy & inviting.
Nevertheless, to the matter at hand, Rustic Bubble Tea Café is nice. The young man behind the counter was very friendly and polite to all the customers. They have several board games for people to enjoy while sipping their boba tea or slushi. We enjoyed a nice game of Uno while sipping our drinks and eating some sweet potato fries. It was nice!
However, they need to spruce up their food menu. They need some pastries & sweet treats to go with their tea. As it stands they have a very small selection of just a few fried foods, i.e. fries & popcorn chicken. We almost left when we realized this, but didn’t want to be rude, so we hung. I had a jasmine iced milk tea (my go-​to), with boba of course. Both my wife and daughter had slushies with boba and everyone was pleased.
The vibe is a bit dry, if you will. Though one wall is decorated with a giant chalkboard look, which is cool, the other side lacks anything of décor value. I believe they should comfy up the furniture a bit and try to appeal to the masses. Right now it appears to be a hangout for Asian youth and college kids in general, though it’s nowhere near campus.
With some menu tinkering and slowly but surely working on the comfy vibe I’m sure it will improve by leaps & bounds and my opinion/​rating will definitely increase.

Kind of a bare bones joint but I guess you don’t need a whole lot to serve boba tea and a few snacks. It’s nice and cozy though, they have 1 couch in addition to a window bar and regular tables.
I got a peach milk tea with boba and the popcorn chicken. I’m critical of boba where ever I go… there’s was slightly on the soft side but overall tasty. I liked the chicken too… slightly spicy and good chunks of meat!
The prices are very good compared to other boba joints I’ve been to. A 16 oz is $ 2.99 and a 24 oz is $ 3.49…not too shabby.

Yay! I love that Albuquerque has a REAL boba café. The teas are not too sweet and the bobas firm, not squishy. If you have never tried boba before, I highly recommend you try it for the first time at Rustic Bubble Tea Café. My go to’s are almond milk tea or jasmine milk tea with boba. So delicious.
I also love the cute décor and although I have never played them, the availability of a few board games to play. If I were still in school, I imagine Rustic Bubble Tea would be my favorite study spot.
This place is the real deal and this is coming from a girl who lived in California for 20 years.

Am I really in Albuquerque? Seriously.
I’m from SoCal and am quite frankly a boba addict. If you mention a boba place in the OC/​LA area, I most likely have had it. Also have had boba in NYC, Boston, the Bay area, Hawaii, and all over Asia! This shop looks like it could fit right at home in SoCal from the drinks to the decoration.
They have 2 sizes I tried their thai milk tea and almond milk tea with boba. Boba was definitely on the chewier side, but still soft. It was good, but it doesn’t even come close to Half and Half boba. The thai tea was good and not overly sweet like some of the other ones I have had. The almond milk tea was delicious, but not my favorite almond milk tea.
I also tried their fried chicken, fried tofu, sweet potato fries, and regular fries. Although the fried chicken was mild spicy, there was no burn at all. The fried tofu was ok, but I think they need to add more sauce since the soy based sauce they drizzled on top didn’t have a strong flavor and you primarily just taste plain tofu. Both the sweet potato fries and regular fries tasted normal.
Service was decent. The drinks came out quickly, but the food took a little longer. There are a lot of tables and chairs. Location is off Lomas and Juan Tabo in a shopping plaza. It is slightly far to drive just for boba (assuming you’re coming from the middle of ABQ) especially when you’re used to it being under a 5 minute drive.

I’m not a huge boba lover but this is far better than what I’ve had at the well known bubble company out there. They have a huge variety of teas and I wish I’d taken a picture of the one my son got because it was freaking delightful… I guess this gives me an excuse to go back and experiment until I find the right one?
My only gripe is the staff is young and they all seem very attached to their phones. The service didn’t suffer from this but I guess I’m old and set in my ways and it seemed… too casual? Rude? Unprofessional for sure. That said I’ll be back and I’ll give them a stern lecture in my head every time the tilt their head to look at whatever is so important.

I have only been here a few times. But… out of the few times I have been here, they were great. I’m from Southern California where within a 5 mile radius, there are at least 10 (maybe more) boba tea restaurants. So I sort of have high expectations. Plus, I’ve had bad experiences at Boba Tea Company or whatever in the mall and on Central. But not here!
The employees are kind and welcoming. I’ve seen a few people walk through to say hello, which shows how kind and friendly the employees are. I’ve also seen them bring the drink (s) to the customer (s) at their table. Generally smiley (but not creepy smiley) and happy to serve you.
Black Milk Tea with Regular Boba: My top favorite boba drink when I go anywhere. $ 3.75 I think? I have to say that it’s the best I’ve had in New Mexico, and better than some average boba joints in California. There has not been a time where they added too much or too little milk. Same for sugar. Tastes the way the way the famous «Milk Tea» should taste. The boba is evenly between soft and chewy, but not too chewy or too soft. It’s flavorful and never dull.
Atmosphere is soothing. There’s a big chalk wall with beautiful drawings on it. Chairs are black and tables are a nice wooden brown. Theme flows throughout the dining space.
The ONLY thing I don’t particularly like is that there are smudges and hand prints on the wall. Now, I understand that customers can be rude and smudge the wall then add their handprint. But seriously? Someone worked hard on detailing the wall, then customers come along and tamper with it. It makes the wall less appealing. Now, I don’t blame the employees for the smudges, but is it possible to have it fixed? Maybe with a more permanent chalk market that can be wiped off with a wet cloth? I don’t know. Just a suggestion.
Anyway. Overall this is my go-​to boba joint and I recommend it to you if you’re reading this and like boba drinks.

As a new purveyor of Bubble Tea I was happy to know that Rustic is conveniently located. I ordered a regular size Rasberry BubbleSnow (smoothie) with kiwi popping pearls (juice bubbles). It was DElicious!!! The atmosphere is simple and clean. They have hames you can play while you sit and enjoy tour sweet treat. The staff was helpful and friendly and the prices are resonable. The menu is a little overwhelming, but that just means you never have to order the same thing… if that’s what you want to do of course. Over a great experience. Next time… I’ll try the chicken as I have heard it is good.

Ok, I’m too anxious not to write about my new crush! Seriously, as I was driving into the parking lot glancing at the store sign, it was as if I were to see someone I had a crush on face to face!
I’m so happy the family opened such a store in ABQ, saving trips to CA for this Asian lady! They offer most Asian staple flavors. I can ask for gentle ice, light sweetness and don’t feel like being demanding.
And I must mention grass jelly as one of the «add on» options. You know one’s got Asian in his/​her genes when he/​she orders that! It’d be probably frowned upon by those who don’t know what it is. Read some Wiki with me: Grass jelly is made by boiling the aged and slightly oxidized stalks and leaves of a kind of mint with potassium carbonate for several hours with a little starch and then cooling the liquid to a jelly-​like consistency. The jelly has a slight bitter taste, a light iodine and lavender flavor, and is a translucent dark brown or sometimes perceived to be black. Its name is waaaayyy more attractive in Chinese 仙草, which means «celestial grass.»

Solid, good strong teas with lightly sweetened boba, just the way I like it. Friendly staff and lovely, inviting interior. I’m looking forward to trying more of that extensive menu!

Alright– I’ll admit it. I have a problem. I go to Rustic a little too much. The owners even know me! This is the BEST authentic boba place that has come to Albuquerque! They do it just like in California! (Because they are from San Jose!) With the ability to get grass jelly in my boba, I’m sold!
Their jasmine milk tea with mini boba and grass jelly is my GO-​TO drink!

Abq, Local, N.M.
Shop and Staff
The location is great. It is on the east side of town. Well worth going the distance, and I can see one day they will open more locations in Albuquerque. Inside has lots of seating, and a few games to play. The art on the walls is made with chalk. Very unique, and I haven’t seen this before. The staff are so sweet, and kind.
Food and Experience
They have Boba, Popping Boba, and the flavor Gummy kind as well. I love getting this refreshing tasty drink, and will come as often as possible. This place is so much better then BTC. The drink I got was a green apple tea with all three bottoms. My favorite bottoms to put in the drink are the rainbow jelly. I would recommend trying the Jasmine milk tea with the yogurt poppers. They also have some really good food. I’ve tried the popcorn chicken and fried tofu. Both items have intense delicious flavors, and it is very difficult not to order that every time I go in for a drink.

I have never understood the whole allure of bubble tea until I tried this place. This is the real deal. My husband and I were riding around town on a Sunday around 2pm and he exclaims that he needs a snack! What a perfect time to take a leisurely drive down to Rustic to get a refreshing drink and snack. I had already peeked in the window a few weeks prior and checked them out on Unilocal and knew that this was gonna be a home run.
We walk in the atmosphere was very modern, simple, and inviting. The blackboards on the wall added such a cool vibe. They have some board games ready to be played sitting on their comfy couch or in a booth or at a table. Great place to relax with a refreshing drink!
Okay on to the Drinks! My husband Daniel is an expert at Passion Fruit. Having spent a lot of his childhood in Latin America he had access to the freshest stuff you could get. We ordered the Passion Fruit Snowbubble with Boba to share and an order of the popcorn chicken. The drink was so fantastic, it was the perfect consistency, super fresh, the boba had a great texture and flavor, and the passion fruit flavor hit the mark. It had the perfect balance of tart and sweet but not too sweet! The chicken took a little bit to come out but I know why, it’s because it was the freshest tastiest little chicken’s that one could ever imagine. None of that frozen deep fried stuff here. The outside had a thin beautiful coating of mild spices and flour. They were delicately crispy and tender and moist on the inside. It came with a nice little side of duck sauce.
I really really hope this business thrives. It’s really something special in Albuquerque and I encourage to everyone to go there! I can’t wait to go back and bring some friends!