Teariffic Cafe

UPDATE:
Walked by and it was CLOSED by court orders… Landlord evicted and forced to hand over all possessions. Sad news guys :(

Came here for a snack and pot of tea while waiting for a friend. We had been coming here on and off over the past few years when we’re in town. I was tempted to purchase the Groupon a while back but didn’t because the food was already cheap as it is. At check out I presented my stamp card but our server said they will no longer accept them because they’ll be closing soon! It’s a darn shame because it’s a cute café and the ginger black tea is way better than St Alp’s. I will miss this place!

Teariffic is a terrible name… but it’s one of the few places in Chinatown where you can actually sit down and enjoy your bubble tea since the new trend is to just have grab-​and-​go spots. This is a big plus because well… I enjoy sitting around and just chatting while enjoying a nice big cup of dessert drink.
The thing that makes Teariffic stand out the most is that their tapioca pearls (bubbles) in my opinion are the best quality available. They are the equivalent of al dente pasta; essentially, not overcooked, or undercooked. Firm, but not too hard with the ideal amount of give when you bite into it, and definitely not disgustingly soft and mushy. There is the right amount of sweetness as well. That being said… I generally get my drinks with lychee jelly instead of tapioca, which is the same everywhere.
Their tea and flavor quality on the other hand is okay, and not among the best. Oftentimes I find their drinks a bit too sweet, but it’s not too much of a problem.
Also, their mango slushy drink is great for the summer months!

It’s either this or Cha Chan Tang. This place has more desserts though and snacks. I also like their hot teas though the Sesame Soy Milk tea is sometimes too sweet for me. Toast or any variant are winners. Their Sorbet is a fairly descent value as they give a generous portion (Red Bean and Mango are always good)
Teariffic though seemingly crowded, you will still feel seated comfortably as theres good spacing betweens seats and tables and its a good place to hang out.

Teariffic is a great sit-​down spot for drinks and snacks!
Drinks that I highly recommend here are: Romeo Special, Juliet Special from the Exotic Drinks menu. Hot Milk Tea and Dragon Pearl Jasmine Tea from the regular menu. The Exotic Drinks menu is a variety of different fruity drinks, take your pick! They make the drinks pretty sweet here but nonetheless very refreshing!
Toast with Condensed Milk is pretty good too. Fries, chicken nuggets, curry fishballs are standard. I would not recommend any entrees such as any noodles or rice dishes. You cannot expect a touristy café to make authentic Taiwanese food and expect it to be good, unless you are hungry.
Why 3-​Stars? I have been coming here since my High School years. I would like to see Teariffic improve the quality of snacks to stand strong against competitors. My favorite Toast with Condensed Milk used to be more big, fluffy, and soft but now, it really taste like a hard toasted Wonder Bread.
Overall, I would still come here for the drinks but probably not the snacks anymore for now.

After some MSG-​laden dim sum, some friends and I walked over to Teariffic Café for bubble tea in hopes of quenching our thirst.
My buddies ordered the black sesame and I had a plain milk green tea bubble tea. The good thing is that the drinks are not overly sweet. That’s pretty much the only positive thing I can say.
The tea itself was not too flavorful and seemingly overshadowed by the milk. It was also a little too frothy and too much ice was used for my liking. The tapioca was chewy and lacked the hint of sweetness that I enjoy.
Overall a below average bubble tea experience.

With the rise of bubble tea, every corner in town seem to have some quick option to grab some bubble tea in a plastic sealed cup. Where does one go to sit down, drink, and socialize?
Teariffic has been around for quite some time now and it serves that purpose. With square tables and stools all around, it’s a great place to just chill for a while with a drink by your side.
Be warned — there are no hooks on the wall or tables for your items.

My friend and I came here after eating at Black Tree, because we both kind of craved something sweet — dessert, if you will. After walking from Black Tree to Chinatown, he recommended that we go here, because they served a condensed milk toast that he really enjoyed.
I don’t really think that there’s much to say about this café — it is a nice space for friends to come, grab some drinks and maybe some food, and hang out for a bit. My friend ordered the condensed milk toast that he wanted while I ordered a bubble milk tea (classic!). The service wasn’t bad, as our drinks and the toast came out at about the same time, so no one was left thirsty.
Given that I don’t stray from bubble tea flavors, I don’t have anything bad to say about Teariffic Café’s bubble milk tea. I’ve definitely had worse, in terms of tapioca and taste, but from what I can recall, their bubble tea was to my liking. Furthermore, the condensed milk toast was also pretty good — not too sweet and perfect for two people to share.
Downsides: Cash only. UGHHHHH

Stopping by a random boba/​bubble? Place in the area.
Not one of the best boba places I have tried compared to ones in California. I got passion fruit green tea with boba and it was kinda bitter. Maybe it was from the tea, but I was really feeling it. The boba was chewy from what I remember. Wasn’t too bad.
Probably wouldn’t come back.

Drinks slightly pricier than at other tea shops but very worth it. My taro milk tea was perfect! Very creamy yet still impossibly light and refreshing — how many times in food history have those three adjectives happened together. Just the right amount of taro flavor too, definitely noticeable but not overwhelmingly strong or artificial-​tasting (Vivi, take notes). One caveat: I asked for ½ sugar since I’ve been traumatized by the Vivi sugarbomb that one time, and it was already very sweet so keep in mind when ordering.
Service is just a tad intimidating because they all bunch together at inner counter where it’s so dark it feels kinda sketch just being in their general vicinity, but the tea more than makes up for it. So far my favorite tea place!

Cash only
I ordered an almond milk tea boba and it was watered down. Wasn’t that great. I also ordered the lunch special that included the katsu plate with minced pork. It was just ok. Other items we ordered were the curry fish balls and black sesame balls. Both were just ok. Of all the things I ordered, I enjoyed the black sesame balls the most, but like I said, it was just ok.
The service could have been better. It took a long time for us to receive our food especially with how small our plates were. It was disappointing. I wouldn’t go here again, to be honest.

Teariffic is always the bubble tea café that my friends and I go to whenever we finish dinner near or around chinatown. They always try to come up with new food items on their appetizers menu; such as curry fish balls. I usually order the mango slushie/​smoothie with lychee. Their tapioca used to be good back in the day, but now i feel it just doesnt add any spice to my drink.
They do have some noodle dishes as meal options, I havent gotten around to try those because usually people come in here for the drinks and in the summer for the AC; and somewhere to get away from new york scorching heat. :)

Teariffic is terrific wih their cute bear logo. I love bears. This is just one of those hot spots in chinatown where young people gather sitting around chatting and swilling different variations of creamy and sweet coffees or milk teas like my favorite coconut, almond or taro which for some reason is purple and tastes of cake batter and fruity creations like citrus, strawberry, mango, or passion fruit green teas and even frosty slushes or smoothies with or without yogurt. Lots of yummy gummy additions can be added like tapioca, large round balls of boba, nata de coco jelly and aloe vera the consistency of which reminds me of the flesh of a grape. The drinks can be served hot or cold and the sizes come in regular or small. A small gets you a tall glass and a regular is a large mug that would make popeye proud filled to the brim of your choice of drink. My favorites are the juliet or sunrise delight both are like a nice cool punch but are on the syrupy sweet side. If you get the coffees or teas served warm the larger size might come in a nice individual teapot for pouring. Thankfully they have a bathroom in the back so you can go after all the liquid you have downed in one sitting. Don’t forget to get a stamp card at the end of the meal to earn yourself a free drink after 10 stamps.
They also serve typical taiwanese food or street eats like minced pork and pork chop over rice or noodle soup, deep fried chicken chunks and sweet treats like some jiggly mango pudding or a stack of toast with condensed milk.
This is definitely one of the more popular spots to go to after dinner and a group of more than 4 can be difficult to seat. Be prepared to sit on a short round stool and share a tiny table with your group– very little elbow room here.
Definitely a nice hangout in the middle of Mott Street chinatown to wind down the end of the night.

wOw, I’ve been coming to Teariffic for how many years now? Oh, I lost count! And why have I not written a review yet? Oh, I have NO idea!
OK, first things first, CASH ONLY! Be prepared to bring a few extra bucks just in case.
Food & Drinks — The tasty snacks and delectable drinks are consistent and still very good over the years. My friend got me into drinking the freshly brewed traditional Oolong Tea!
Service — Quick and courteous.
Atmosphere — Nice and casual.
The busiest and most crowded days would have to be from Friday nights through Sundays. The line goes out the door sometimes because there is not enough room to stand and wait inside. The tables and chairs have not changed — still the same dark wooden square tables and the stools without backs. A wintertime downfall would be not enough room to put your jackets.
Nonetheless, it is still a great hangout spot when you cannot think of anywhere to go with friends in Chinatown. My friends and I always find ourselves ending up in Teariffic. It is our norm haha
Oh yeah, they give you a stamp card when you pay for the check. Don’t lose it!
Note: For Cheesecake lovers out there (like ME), they have Eileen’s Cheesecake too! Flavors include. Original, Strawberry, Blueberry, and Cherry. #yummers

We wanted dinner and I suggested Teariffic again. It was super packed on a Friday night.
My bf got the Taiwanese braised chicken over rice and I got the Spiced beef with condiment over rice. Both dishes were very good and were only $ 6.25 each. We almost could not finish our food. We just slowly ate it.
There were customers waiting for tables in the front… the problem is even though people were finished with their food or drinks, people were slow to leave because everyone lingers here… for a long time too. The girls sitting next to us were finished with their drinks and food before we even sat down! They were still there when we left. The customers were giving them the evil eye. There were several tables where the people would not leave even though they were done.
So if you come on a busy day, be prepared to wait. We got the last available table. What is interesting is the furniture is so super uncomfortable which I thought would prevent people from loitering too long. Well, it didn’t work. I’m coming back to try the other rice dishes!
Their exotic drinks are delicious.

teariffic drinks, teariffic service.
When looking for a café to do work at, wifi is the number one criteria, although drink selection is a close number 2. I was craving bubble tea and really needed to spend a few hours catching up on emails. This plus a list of errands led me to this Chinatown café.
For a Friday afternoon, there were very few people around and I had my choice of tables. I ordered a large hot green milk tea kettle with bubbles and got to work. Not only was I undisturbed during the three hours I stayed there, but the tea was actually pretty good. I’m picky when it comes to bubble tea and Teariffic’s had the right balance between milk, sugar, and tea. The bubbles were a little softer than I prefer but it fulfilled the craving.
Next time, I think I might try their food. Looking around during the lunch rush, they had quite a few delicious-​looking noodle and race bowls come out the kitchen. Grab a few friends, a table, and chat the afternoon away!

Walked my dog here tonight for another boba adventure.
I recently have been getting into boba… I usually get no boba throughout the years… but with that said I have tried a handful of bobas… and although I like the mini size of the boba it’s not the greatest… leading to minusing one star. $ 4.95 seems decent for a drink but you can def can cheaper boba that is just as decent in the same area.
I ordered the mango smoothie… I love the consistency/​thickness of the blended drink and it almost has a milkly taste to it.
If you love boba… and in the area, teariffic is a solid choice right in the heart of NYC chinatown.
— Miss Unilocal 2014

Came here with the family today to introduce them to bubble tea. Apple black tea and peach black tea… holy tapioca balls!!! :-)
We came mid-​afternoon and were able to snag the last available table. The café is small and always seems to fill up quickly. However, service has always been great despite the place being packed.
There are tons of snack and drink options. Drinks can be served hot/​cold and with or without tapioca. The prices are cheap, which makes this place a great place to go to if you are on a budget.
CASH ONLY!

Stopped in for a snack yesterday after reading the good reviews. The restaurant is small. I didn’t like the chairs. They were more like stools since they didn’t have a back rest. I only really noticed because I didn’t have somewhere to put my jacket once I had been seated. Wall hanger or something would be nice.
Teariffic has a wide selection of drinks, both hot and cold. I was feeling something minty so I ordered the iced peppermint green tea. Dark green and a bit artificial tasting, but it was definitely tea that was minty. Had a sip of my friend’s almond iced coffee, it was also good. I feel like the serving size is a bit small for the price though.
Ordered the shrimp balls and the fried baby octopus. I was pleased with the octopus but I feel like the shrimp balls you can get from the local dim sum places contain more shrimp, taste better, and are cheaper.
Regardless, I enjoyed the experience and I would go back to try some other drinks and maybe some other snacks.

My sister tried the black sesame milk tea with lychee and I had never heard of that flavor before. It was quite interesting to say the least because that thing had hella sesame seeds in there. It added a lot of this gritty texture to the boba and I actually liked the way it felt. Toward the middle of the drink, I was getting tired of all that sesame taste and I just wanted the straight up milk tea taste. If you are a fan of that flavor, then you will absolutely love what we got. I am almost certain if I got my usual jasmine milk tea with lychee jelly that it would have tasted delicious but I was still nomming on my lychee ice cream so I didnt appreciate it as much.
The restaurant reminded me of Class 302 in LA with the boba drinks in cute containers and food. If i lived near here, I would say this would be my poppin place to go with friends but as a tourist, I would say this is acceptable for some bobes.
**TIPS**
1) Cash only.
2) Maybe skip on that sesame and order one of their smoothie bobas or the classico milk teas.
3) Enjoy!

Teariffic is definitely the place to go if you don’t want to eat main dishes but just snacks. Their prices are very cheap. We ordered curry fish balls, fried wontons, mozzarella sticks, fried onion wings, french fries with chicken wings (4 pieces), and dumplings. The total only came out to $ 24!
I definitely want to come back to try their drinks since I heard it’s good.