Saint’s Alp Teahouse

A sign in the window says this one is actually closing its doors in a few weeks, which is a real shame because this is a supremely cool place to chill, enjoy casual conversation with friends, and suck down really tasty drinks. The bubble teas and non-​bubble teas astound in the sheer depth of selection. I had a lychee nectar with nata de coco and jelly and it was simply amazing – so cool and refreshing, not overly sugary… really perfect!
Best part of the place is the super-​accommodating staff, who allowed our group of 8 to linger for quite awhile as we enjoyed our beverages.

This past weekend, while enjoying a long weekend in the NY area, I finally poked around Brooklyn (finally!).
It was a really nice warm day and everyone was out with their kids and dogs. We were in search of refreshing drink and the first place we saw bubble tea advertised referred us to Saint Alp’s Teahouse, and I could not have been happier.
I had an inkling that it was Taiwanese place when I first saw their menu. They had the COMPLETE bubble tea menu, not just milk tea. The litmus bubble tea test for me is the green fruit teas. If you can get that and the bubbles right, you’re golden.
We ordered a passion fruit green tea with bubbles, and I have to say, it was definitely one of the better bubble teas I’ve had– including Taiwan. That is why is was no surprised when I flipped the menu over to see traditional Taiwanese snacks and food. Too bad I wasn’t very hungry, otherwise I would have definitely tried some of their food items.
If you are craving bubble tea in Brooklyn, go here!

The service underwhelms every time I come here for bubble tea. Honestly, just be nice and not rushy.
The bubble tea is amazing here though, so I understand why people keep coming back (besides the fact that it’s in Williamsburg, the land where service comes to die).
A mango slush with tapioca comes to $ 5! Regular (aka super small) size! *frowns down at wallet* sigh.

I have a weakness for bubble tea. And as a California gal, I am quite picky with my tapioca balls.
Saint’s Alp hits the spot. :)
You tell the host/​hostess whether you are staying there or taking out. You wait for your bubble tea or whatever else you’ve ordered. I’ve had the regular milk tea and the taro milk tea with bubbles/​tapioca balls/​tapioca pearls/​whatever the hell you call them.
Well, let me tell you… Saint’s Alp does not disappoint. Grab your bubble tea to go and head over to McCarren Park or East River Waterfront.

UPDATE: THE PAST 2 TIMES I HAVE GONE THE QUALITY HAS GONE DOWN! THE STAFF IS NOT FRIENDLY (NEVER WAS) I WANT TO GIVE IT ANOTHER CHANCE BUT IM NOT SO SURE.
Awesome coconut black bubble tea food not so good for me… I got the curry chicken over rice chicken chewy and fatty. But good for a weekly bubble tea run yummm

Last time I came to NY, didn’t know where to go to grab a milk tea. Just so happen I was walking around Bedford Ave and saw Saint’s Alp so decided to check it out.
It was pretty packed early in the afternoon with lots of people on their laptops so I’m assuming they have wi-​fi like most Asian teahouses. Decided to get the milk green tea with less than half sugar. Wasn’t in the mood for boba since I just ate.
The milk green tea was good, milky, and made with the perfect amount of sweetness for me. You can still taste the tea too, which is good since the tea can get overpowered by the milk a lot of times!
The only thing that was sorta lame is that… wth is up with this «jumbo» size??? Isn’t that just a regular at most milk tea spots? They also don’t provide you with regular straws so if you use the boba straws to drink the drinks, then you better have super good control at using the straws cause I finished half of my drink within 2 – 3 sips, then I had to slowly portion it out so the drink can last longer. At $ 4, their «jumbo,» aka regular-​sized-​milk-​tea-​everywhere-​else, is a little expensive and their normal size is just ridiculously small.
Saw people eating here as well and the place did smell pretty good. Hopefully one day I’ll get to grab a bite here.

**Before being a VEGETARIAN and VEGAN pledge**
I have been here several times in the past, and can’t believe I forgot to Unilocal the place.
I came here years ago when I was wondering in Billyburg and remembered having lunch here. I think at that time, I was still eating meat and I ordered pork chop over rice. This is a quintessential Taiwanese dish. If you screw this dish up, please relinquish your ROC passport now. The pork chop is fried and diced into small pieces and placed on a bed of rice garnished with a tea egg and pickled radish. The portion size is large here, and I remember this dish fed me for 2 meals. It wasn’t the best pork chop dish I have ever had, but it passed the mark. Too bad I won’t be eating this dish again, but for you meat eaters out there, this dish is SOLID.
I came here recently a few weeks ago on date night and it was really fun. We had dinner down the street at Cadaques, but didn’t want to go home just yet. This place is very casual and a great place to sip on some interesting drinks and just chat.
We ended up spending 2 hours here and I had a hot milk tea while my date had some agar drink x 2. Honestly, the menu is insane. They have way too many options. My head was swimming in craziness. I mean, how many different ways can you serve up tea? With bubbles, with fruit jelly, with pudding, with agar, with taro powder? I am a MINIMALIST and this place was making my brain OVERHEAT.
But besides the complexity of the menu, I do like this place. It reminds me a bit of Taipei and on some days when my heart feels lonely, I need a place like this to take me back to beautiful Formosa.

I like this place. I actually like this place a lot. I like it even more than the Manhattan location.
Although the look of this location is similar to the one in Manhattan the vibe is different. In Manhattan I feel rushed to get in and out without enjoying the meal. Here I was able to sit for as long as I wanted with my friend. I love the service here. They give you plenty of time to look over the menu and make up your choice. Sometimes its so hard because everything seems wonderful. They have a section for teas and other interesting beverages and another section for food. You can get snacks or an actual meal. The staff is always ready to answer questions and never have I gotten any attitude, unlike at other tea houses (I’m looking at you Teariffic).
I’ve gotten a few things from here. My go to tea is usually black tea with coconut milk. Can’t go wrong with that. I’ve also gotten this berry slushy like drink. I like their selection because they cover the spectrum of flavors. They offer both hot and cold teas. Its has something for everyone. I really dont know what to say except try it for your self.
The food is not spectacular but it is well priced and I get my money’s worth. I’ve gotten the toasts, usually with coconut butter. Its nice and sweet, almost like a dessert. The spring rolls are really good, but occasionally I gotten them a tad bit greasy. Careful they are piping hot though. I also recently got their new chicken sliders. Really good stuff. Its a fried chicken cutlet with a spicy slaw on top. It was well balanced. Their fried chicken snack is also really good.
If hungry, translation big appitite, do go for their noodle dishes. I’ve had the curry dish and would compare it to masamam curry from thai restaurants. It is on the spicier side though so be careful. I also had the minced beef with noodles. Biggest complaint is that when you get it, visually it is not appealing and a bit reminiscent of dog food. But when you eat it the taste is far from it.
Summary: Just go when you want a drink, snack, or inexpensive meal.

First time I had Saint’s Alp Teahouse was last summer in Brooklyn! It was awesome!
I remember having taro bubble milk tea that has more tea flavor to it. I also tried the bread with peanut butter on it. And then also had the waffle with chocolate ice cream on top. All the items were flavorful and interesting.
Amazing! :)

Came with Unilocalers Hans H., Nga H. & Andrew H.
Décor: 3.5÷5
–Much smaller than the St. Marks location
–Still has the same Saints Alp vibe
Service: ⁴⁄₅
–Good service, she made sure our water cups were full even when we all ordered boba
–I agree with Shuo L., this place has better service than the St Marks location
Food & Drinks: 4.5÷5
–Yummy Taiwanese chicken chop with rice ($ 6) won’t disappoint as it’s a signature choice of Saints Alp.
–Deep fried chicken chunks is another dish that never fails. Ask for the spice shaker on the side so you can distribute it to your taste bud’s liking.
–Taro sorbie with lychee jelly ($ 3.65) is amazing. This drink never fails to satiate my taste buds.
–Wildberry sorbie is one of Saints Alp’s signature choices and after sampling this from Hans H., I couldn’t disagree. If you want a fruity drink, definitely try the Wildberry!
Even at this location, they STILL don’t have the giant chicken breast. What the heck?

I’ve been here several times now, and really enjoy the fact that I only have to walk a few blocks from my apt to get some delicious bubble tea.
In terms of drinks, I have tried the GREEN TEA WITH MILK, SESAME BLACK MILK TEA, and the GREEN TEA RED BEAN SORBET, which were all very tasty. They are generous with the tapioca balls so if you are into that, you will be pleased with the amount that you get in your drink.
In terms of food, I have gotten the supreme toast here. It looked very promising but it was a bit too sweet for my tastes… especially when accompanied by one of their sweet drinks.

What a treat to find a half-​full St. Alps right after stepping off the L-​train! :)
We were on our way to a friend’s birthday but bumped into St. Alps and I was hungry so we all stopped in. I was shocked to see that there were plenty of seats and it was not too loud. If I lived off Bedford, I’d be here every day. I love my Asian tea shops. :)
Order: Minced pork over rice, tasted okay as usual and I enjoyed it.
Fried tofu: always one of my fave apps. perfect crispness and piping hot!
Such a nice quiet St. Alps compared to Manhattan’s loud version.

Let me start by saying: I LOVE THIS PLACE! Did you all here me? OK, so… let me start by saying that this place serves great food at great prices. Me and my GF go there at least once a week. They have the most delicious dumplings I ever had. I also love their pork chops with rice. You defiantly have to have there Bubble tea! mmm. you NEED to make sure you have it wit tapioca. Yummy. Truly delish!. Well all I can say is that I have nearly tried everything there and there isn’t anything that I don’t like. There food is really tasty & fresh. There is never a long wait for it either. Everyone that I have taken there to eat, truly love it and end up going back. WITHOUT ME! lol.
Also, their bathrooms are clean. Definitely a plus for me.
Try it you will not be disappointed.

More like «S’OK» As in acceptable. I’ve been to two Saint’s Alp Teahouses in the US (Chicago too) and was very S’OK about the entire experience. Definitely far from the best bubble tea with tapioca I’ve ever had. That honor goes to House of Chå in Lawrence, Kansas, of all places. It’s true.
I ordered a red bean frozen bubble tea on a recent visit and was kind of dismayed to find chunks of red bean coming up through my straw in addition to the tapioca. This is a warning to the texture phobes I know (I’m kind of one of them, yet I adore tapioca. Go figure). And there was a lot of it. I didn’t hate it but I wasn’t going to be running back any time soon for more. I would definitely pick something different next time.
That there’s been a fair amount of hype over this place (and its Manhattan location) for about a decade now makes me even more inclined to be stingy with my stars. It was packed when I arrived. Service was lackluster.
But, all was S’OK and I’d probably return if desperate for some tapioca pearls (it’s been known to happen).

Have to say I did have better bubble tea… and it is def. not it Willy Billy Burg. If you like sitting in a window watching hipsters gawk at you to see if you have the next to new beard and drink the so called «jumbo» size bubble tea, this is the place for you.
I understand the «cute» factor of small things… but the food in physical matter was almost missing the grabbing of my chop sticks. It had an alright taste but was rather hard to catch.
What surprises me is that since there is no starbucks in the area, you would see more hipsters in this place on their computer and trying to be all artsy… Least I forget, they are in the «cool» café‘s.
Oh Saint Alps Teahouse… why can‘t you be like the once legendary Green Tea Café in Chinatown.
Thank you.

I love Saints Alp Teahouse. I find that this location is the same if not better than the 3^rd Ave location. Bubble tea is a strange passion of mine, so I am lucky to have found a franchise in my city that does it better than any other. They have different specials for different seasons. Right now, during summertime the best items are the Grapefruit Black Tea, Lemon Jasmine Green Tea, and Apple Lemon Slushes. I have been known to skip a meal and drink three teas here in one sitting.
All of them are very refreshing. Their tea eggs and brick toast make excellent snacks as well. They are a HK franchise, but I would stick to their Taiwanese themed dishes more like their ground pork or pork chop dishes. Their chicken dishes tend to be a little bland.

Meh.

I was just looking for a place to kill some time, and Saint’s Alp looked like just that. I sat in the window and admired the low-​key, colorful atmosphere before opening my book. The countergirl offered a menu; in a half-​hearted attempt to distinguish myself from the freeloaders, I ordered the $ 5 appetizer sampler.
It arrived quickly, and consisted of two wings, two shrimp balls, and tea eggs. The shrimp balls were solid, although I would’ve appreciated a dipping sauce. The wings were glazed with honey, and moderately tasty. However, they left my fingers with an inescapable stickiness, which I suppose can’t even qualify as a complaint. Tea eggs, it turns out, are not my thing.
I sat and enjoyed my book (as much as one can when worried about getting stickiness all over the pages). Periodically, I tasted the tea eggs to remind myself that they repulsed me, and then berated myself for doing so. A woman walked in. She stutter-​stepped toward me. We locked eyes, and hers asked, «Are you my blind date?»
I gave an barely perceptible shake, and she seemed a bit relieved. At least until her actual date arrived. The man was 6’8″ and hairy. An enormous, awful human being. The fact that she mistook me for him leads me to believe that either the date truly was blind, or he grossly misrepresented himself on the internet. Unfortunately, his insistence on bellowing out awful anecdotes quickly ruined the pleasant afternoon in the tea house, and I was forced to move on.

I know that St Alps is no Ten Ren when it comes to Tea, but I always enjoy this place. I’ve been going to the one on Third Avenue for 7+ years, since it opened. I love the snacks, tea eggs, fried spring rolls, fried tofu, and all the other good stuff.
If you’re going for desert, try the herbal jelly, it’s sweet red kidney beans in this jelly stuff with tapioca as well. Also I always like the black tea with jelly, or with tapioca. There are the milk teas too, almond and sesame are a couple favorites of mine.
This new outpost in williamsburg also has a more hip, creative even artsy feel to it, so I like it a bit more than the third avenue incarnation…

** Review for take-​away bubble tea**
I stopped in briefly to get a bubble tea. Their tea selections are very large, including lots of variations of agar. The bubble tea was made quickly, though my cup was a bit sticky because the liquid had been quickly poured in the cup. Also, I think their regular, about 12 oz. or 14 oz., is too small for the cost; I slurped it down in seconds! (Well, it was tasty! I got the coconut milk bubble tea.) Satiating and quick on a cold day, but it was perhaps not the best value.