BOBACUP

By far the best bubble tea place I’ve been too, it’s addicting, delicious, and worth the drive!

Absolutely love this place. Love it so much I pretty much go everyday. The staff are friendly and they take their time explaining all the different drinks they have.

Milk tea is boss customer service good made fresh comes out fast. Bathroom clean cute little spot as most likely your just grabbing you drink and leaving. If you decide to stay about three tables saw a group of kids with some uterus guessing they may have WiFi but not sure call about that one. But It was clean good and I have been back 4 times.

Nothing bad or extraordinary about this place — it’s your run-​of-​the-​mill boba place. The boba was fine and the taste was fine — nothing bad to say about it, but also nothing to write home about. I had an almond milk tea with boba.
I was super excited to try their egg waffles, which was the primary reason I went, but unfortunately they do NOT make them anymore. Such a bummer! :(They make Japanese crepes instead.

I wanted to give this place a higher review. However, yesterday was my first time coming here and it was around 1−2pm on a Sunday (not busy at all). They had already run out of Passionfruit so I couldn’t order several of the items that peaked my interest on the menu. So that was a disappointment.
I ended up ordering the royal milk tea with boba — it was so good! In comparison to Green Island milk teas and boba, I prefer Bobacup! Chewy, sweet, soft boba — yum!
The place was clean and had a fun atmosphere. Very few tables. The menu was extensive. They had Japanese crepes which I’ll give a try next time I visit.
I got my drink very quickly. Service was fast and friendly. Even though they ran out of Passionfruit, the associate apologized.
On my next visit, I hope more of their other flavors are in stock/​available.

I love this place. I am stuck on the Raspberry Lemonade, but I’ve taken sips of a variety of flavors. The only downside is not being able to combine your punch cards. I left one at home one day, and now have to start over. The dining area is small, but they are fast so it’s easy to take it to go. I haven’t tried much beyond drinks, but they do sell macaroons and gelato.

My all time favorite boba place in tampa. The boba is perfect. The teas are all amazing. The crepes are to die for. Everything is amazing.

Asian tea houses and cafés are very popular around the Tampa Bay area, and it seems as though each neighborhood has one or two nearby options. Bobacup is one of the preferred choices for students from USF, though it’s not my favorite spot in town.
Bobacup can be found in a large shopping center at the intersection of Fowler Avenue and Bruce B Downs. It is one storefront in a line of many along this leg of the shopping mall.
The length of the store is taken up by a long counter, with a few tables and chairs nearby. Most folks place their orders and then take their tea to go as there is not a lot of seating room inside. The menu is displayed on a dizzying series of panels behind the counter — fruit teas, milk teas, slushies, snows, shaved ice, coffees, ice cream, and now they even have some dessert food options. Chris W’s favorite thing to order is the chamango, made with slush, diced mangos and spicy sauce. I asked for it, but they were out of mangos, and so I had to make an alternate selection.
Instead I ordered the peach green tea with boba, and instantly regretted my decision. The peach syrup was overly sweet and the boba tapioca balls were doused with honey. As a result, it was like drinking Southern sweet tea with little sugar balls in the bottom of the cup. Wayyyyy too much sugar for my tastes, and not a pleasant experience.
It was nice to try some place new, but I think I’ll stick with what I like and leave these overly sweet houses of sugary concoctions for others to enjoy.

Bobacup has such a good fan base that I would assume their bubble tea would come out decent. I’m familiar with the one in Orlando and enjoy them very much. I usually get their durian boba, but sadly they were out of it here.
Firstly walking in, you’re hit with this disgusting humidity. I have no clue what that is about… It is a very tiny place with not much room to move around before knocking other people’s drink off the table.
We tried the taro boba which was average and nothing extraordinary. My friend got the chamango which was awful. She said it’s never been this bad, but today they decided to add 80% chamoy and it was just salty. You can tell how dark it in the photo that this chamango looks strange. We asked if they could possible add more mango to fix it, but there was no fix.
I was excited to try their bubble waffle I kept seeing photos of, but they didn’t do it anymore. They are making Japanese crepes filled with fruits, cream and ice cream.
We tried the «Will you berry me». To be honest, I just did not like it. The crêpe was flavorless. The filling was really lacking as fruits were lightly placed on the top of the cone. The one small scoop of ice cream was also a little disappointing.
It looked great for photos but I didn’t care much for it in taste. Almost a waste of money :(
Soo… There’s way better bubble tea places near by. I suggest doing some research because I was really disappointed.
Oh and the macarons are okay… They taste better room temp, but they store them in the fridge. I’ve had better though…

Bobacup has pretty much converted me into a boba tea fan. Before I could take it or leave it but now I find myself craving it all the time. If you’re unfamiliar with boba it is chewy tapioca balls that are put into flavored tea. When I first started going to Unilocal events I had no idea what people were talking about when they said «bubble tea». So young and naïve back then. I’ve been working my way through Bobacup’s milk teas. So far the chocolate milk tea is still my favorite and the honey boba is my regular choice. Their milk teas don’t contain lactose, which is great if you’re a person that can’t drink regular milk. You can also adjust the sweetness level to a lower amount if you would like. I get mine 50% sweet and I can’t tell the difference from full sweetness.
They also have a large variety of shaved ice and slush drinks. My favorite of these is the chamango. It’s got slush, fresh mangoes, and a spicy sauce added to it. Definitely a unique way to beat the heat. When I’m in California it’s not hard to get one but that’s not the case in Tampa. It’s nice having a place that offers them. Be aware that this is a seasonal item and isn’t offered when mangoes aren’t in season.
The thing that frustrates me about Bobacup is that they can’t seem to decide what they offer. My first visit I read about the food choices and had decided what I wanted. When I got there I was told they no longer sold food. Oh, ok. For a while they were offering Hong Kong egg waffle cones. Brett, our Unilocal Tampa CM, said it was one of the best desserts he’s had in Tampa. When I finally got around to trying one I was told they don’t sell them anymore. Sigh. Now it’s Japanese style crepes. I really need to try one before they’re yanked.
They do offer a loyalty card so ask for one so you can earn a free drink once in a while. This is the type of business where social media is huge. It’s a tiny place in a random strip mall with nondescript signage. Hell, there’s even another boba place in this strip mall. I found Bobacup through Unilocal and am glad that I did. Don’t forget to use the Unilocal check-​in offer for a 10% discount every visit!

Bobacup is getting a bit slagging today. A few week ago I find out after 9 pm they don’t cook the Hong Kong waffle and we turn away. Last night they completely remove from the menu. Don’t understand it. Their reply is not popular item.
Now they serve crepes with fruit and whip cream. I have order the one with strawberry and banana. Not my liking. When they roll the crêpe and try to pack in the fruit in cone shape. It doesn’t work. I would rather they lay it flat fold three folds with the fruit inside. It turn out they give out their best product and go to somethings they are not good at.
Although the boba menu is still there, but the service with no smile, and the quality is not there. A drop of star from my previous review. I wonder some time what define their identity.

They make tasty tea drinks, and they have basil seeds!
I have discovered my happy alternative to bubbles — basil seeds. They are more healthful, and they have a cool texture.
I like the sweetness options, and I like that they have so many types of jellies and other add ins.
I will have to return during mango season because I love mangos with chili.

I’d seen Bobacup on social media channels and was set on trying them out when I was in town a few weeks ago. The interior was very bright and cute, and I was quickly greeted as I looked over the menu.
The rose bubble tea I ordered came out very quickly, and I also purchased a wedding almond macaron. Not quite sure why they’re selling macarons at a boba place but I figured I’d try it.
The rose bubble tea was VERY bitter at first, but at least I could taste the rose in it. I chalked it up to my inexperience with ordering these things. I’m used to bubble teas being sweet right out the gate, though, so I was still surprised. The tea sweetened slightly the more I mixed the boba around. They told me that the boba had been soaked in honey so that might explain it. The macaron tasted as expected. I’ll definitely come back and try their HK waffle cones.
(Update: Got a message that helped clarify the macaron mystery for me!
Here it is–
Mark P: hi there… saw your review… just a note… many boba shops (and Viet bakeries, restaurants) sell macarons if the owners are Vietnamese or if they have many Viet customers. Because Vietnam was colonized by France, their cuisine, language, etc has French influences. That probably explains the macarons at Bobacup. I think they’re Viet-​owned.
Thanks Mark!)

A solid 4 stars!
There are a looooooooot of choices here, from slushy to milk to hot items. The flavor combos are not just your basic Taro, Chai, Pineapple — instead they have numerous combinations, as well as a variety selection of inclusions, boba, mini boba, grass jelly etc… A lot of choices to keep you interested for your next visit.
Seemingly I chickened out and did not go as adventurous — instead, i went basic, staple, safe, familiar… I got the Matcha Green Tea Snow with Boba and Lychee jelly. Very good slush, well blended, no ice chunks — flavor — was a bit commercial. I thought it would have a bigger HIT of matcha and grassy notes. But it still was enjoyable overall.
I definitely bookmarked this place to come back and try their desserts!

Leaving Gainesville, I was definitely devastated because I was leaving my favorite boba place: Lollicup. Don’t get me wrong, there are some good boba places around Tampa but none of them quite hit the spot for me… That is until boba cup opened up! What makes it better is the owner is the same owner as the boba place I use to go to!
It’s a small little place with very friendly staff. The drinks are very customizable. You can mix and match, adjust the sweetness level to your liking, and of course add different ingredients to the bottom.
There’s a variety of different drinks: slushes, milk teas, bubble tea, (the usuals at a boba place) etc. so there’s a bit for everyone. However my favorite is the tastea fruitea. It’s teas with a lot of different things in it other then boba! Often times there’s about 3 – 4. For example it may have strawberry bits, boba, and basil seeds. And the flavor combo is great.
What really makes this place stand out is the small snacks and desserts they carry. The shaved ice is very smooth and not too sweet. There are macaroons shipped straight from New York and the flavors they have are super yummy. But the newest desert is a Hong Kong waffle. If you haven’t tried it yet, make sure you get it! It’s a semi sweet waffle with little balls instead of your usual squares. Its crunchy on the outside, but soft and airy when you bite into it. You then can chose one of the four ice cream flavors they have and a topping (the mango sorbet with fresh kiwi is my fave).

I hate to do this, but I’ve been to Bobacup several times to give it a chance and each time (except for the time I ordered the Chamango) I was let down. It only deserves 2 stars as I don’t think I’ll waste my time going back.
The place isn’t terrible. You get friendly service. They have variety and some drinks that you can’t get anywhere else that I know of (again the Chamango). That’s what gives this place 2 stars.
I have to compare this boba joint to the others I’ve had especially the ones I frequent: Kalesia Tea, Got Tea and Kung Fu Tea. The teas and smoothies just aren’t good on a basic level at Bobacup. The taste is off, mixing is off and the boba is too hard.
I expect at least the boba to be right from a place with boba in their name.
The other issue I find with this place is that they used to serve mediocre Asian fare. I was fine with this because sometimes you just want quick a rice or noodle bowl. They even had Filipino Friday’s where they would serve a mediocre chicken adobo. I come in for the last time and the food was gone and they were serving cookies and macarons. The macarons were all wrong and the matcha green tea macarons were disgusting.
On this last visit I also ordered a matcha green tea snow smoothie. If you’ve ever had one of these you know how green the smoothie should be. There was so little matcha in the smoothie and so much milk that it was actually yellow with light green spots. Now in this day there were cute little kids working behind the counter with the adult, so I’m not sure intuit had a hand in making my tea or those gross macarons, but there should be some quality control.
I know after I started coming here (I try not to review after 1 bad visit unless it’s a complete zero stars) a lot of my Unilocal friends have also come and I’m sure there 5 star reviews are warranted in some way… maybe new to bubble tea, maybe ordering only the exotic drinks, etc. etc. I just had a 2 star experience and wouldn’t recommend it… unless you want to try a Chamango.
By the way, I think the Chamango is an excellent drink for the taste buds to try… but it’s overload for me after a few sips and bites.
Just being honest.

Why 5 stars? Because this is now my go-​to boba spot in Tampa Bay!
— — —
A big thank you to the co-​President and founder of the «Frozen Sugar Fan Club,» Chris W. He let me know that BOBACUP needed to be placed at top of my to-​do list, with an *URGENT* note attached. He was right.
The choices for frozen, (or just regularly cold) sugar and endless here. But Chris had a particular treat already picked out for me ahead of time: the might Chemango.
I don’t really know what it was. It definitely have mangos, and it was unbelievable. My straw was coated with something that was actually a little spicy. It did mix well, but I am not a spicy eater, so I only took a couple of bites.
Just a heads up: mangos are going out of season, so don’t expect this to be on the menu year-​round. My visit was on 8/​29, and they told me that they were getting toward the end of being able to serve it. It actually wasn’t even on the menu when we visited — think: In-N-Out’s secret «animal style» menu.
I cannot wait to return. Anytime I am craving Boba from now on, I won’t even think about going somewhere else!

I must admit, I was a boba virgin. You may be wondering what the heck a boba is. It has the texture of a gummy bear. It is actually a tapioca ball that becomes sweet when cooked.
The menu consists of a humongous amount of options. Luckily, the very nice usf student working at the time had the patience of a saint. I found out that most of the fruity ones have added sugar so I finally opted for a matcha tea with a bit o honey and just a beginner amount of boba. Gotta go into new territory slowly. The combination was perfect for me.
Several of the options come with a mystery milk product. All he could tell me was that it is lactose free and like creamer that you put in coffee.
They also sell macarons and Otis spunkmeyer cookies.
With the plethora of drink combinations offered, you could probably come back for 6 months before you tried every one and by that time, I’m sure they’d invent some new ones to tantalize your taste buds.

I think I found heaven at Bobacup. My first impression was how am I, Queen of Indescisive going to decide on what to get not just for me, but for my hubby?
There are snow and slush boba drinks, milk teas, fruit teas, drinks with different types of milk, different teas, so many types of jellies and mini boba, & custard pudding (things to go with the drinks. This is intense. Not to mention, I must look through fb, Unilocal,and instagram to look at pics. What do I do? What should I get? The guy behind the counter eased my anxiety. Now I just wanted everything!!!
I picked the cococado snow. Coconut & avocado flavors — yummy, creamy with rainbow jelly. Love it soooo much!!!
I also picked the California dreamin. That was strawberry, mango, & peach with rainbow jelly for my hubby. He loved that, so Bobacup sealed our night with a cherry on top! Perfect perfect.
They do not have food anymore. I asked on that one. No flip Filipino Fridays, but maybe again in the future they said.
We will definitely be back with flying Bobacup colors on! Maybe I will buy Bobacup T-​shirts for all my friends for X-​Mas. If you are reading this, you watch out, you’re next!

I am a big fan of boba cup! I went for their grand opening about 6 months ago or so and have visited them several times since then. My favorite drink would have to be the Jasmine milk tea with boba. They have some cool deals from time to time like 10%off if you check In on fb or Unilocal.Most recently they had a deal for 2 medium sized drinks for $ 6 with the choice of taro, royal or thai tea. I tried the taro for the first time and I really enjoyed it. A little too sweet for my taste but if you like sweet you’ll love it! I enjoy their milk teas more than the ice drinks. Their boba is also one of the best I’ve tasted in this area. It’s perfect chewy. :)
The reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 stars is because of their stamp card policy. They don’t allow you to combine stamp cards and it’s clearly indicated. But it’s a huge inconvenience when you forget your card for some reason. I have about 4 or 5 half filled stamp cards and it bothers me to know that I can’t redeem their drink offer just because it’s not all in the same card.
Other than that I’m glad boba cup opened up in the usf area :)