Many boba shops reside within driving distance of the university’s campus, leading some students to wonder which is the best spot for them to visit.
Due to boba’s increase in popularity in the past few years, more spots have opened near campus. These restaurants include Zen Cha, First Corner, Racha Tea and Sweet Station.
Reporters Megan Martinez and Sagel Gurreh set out to decide which is the best boba shop in the Bexley area, comparing the shops based on taste, environment and convenience.
ZenCha Cafe and Tea
ZenCha Cafe and Tea is a local spot to get boba, located just around the corner from Battelle Hall. ZenCha is only a three-minute walk from campus and is worth the trip. If driving, parking is trickier; the backlot is usually full and the side lot doesn’t allow ZenCha parking. However, there is always parking on the side street. ZenCha is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ZenCha has a 10% discount for students with their Capital ID.
Sagel and Megan decided to have their boba drinks while seated at the restaurant, which is a worthwhile option. For customers dining in, the drinks come in a mason jar with a wide straw. An employee at ZenCha gave insight on the creation of the boba.
“It starts with just the pearls and then we boil. It takes almost over an hour actually. We make it multiple times a day, we make four cups for each [flavor],” the employee said.
While the shop doesn’t currently have milk teas, they do have an option of green or black tea with the inclusion of milk of your choosing: soy, almond and whole milk.
Sagel Gurreh:
The ambience alone is enough to bring a student to enjoy the scenery of leafy greens and art decor, old expensive china and comfy leather chairs—with the side of complementary tea of the day shots.
As for the boba, Sagel said, “The boba is medium to hard chew, with a more milky consistency than a super strong tea flavor. The boba tea itself creates a more refreshing feel. The boba is far superior in taste than its neighboring shop First Corner.
Overall Rating: 7.9/10
Megan Martinez:
It was a nice dining experience due to the staff. It’s welcoming and calming. This place could be a mini treat in between classes or a busy day.
I ordered a Lychee with black tea base and classic pearls. The taste was more tea than lychee with a medium hard chew for boba and didn’t fall apart. It seemed dine-in boba was less tea so the order could fit the mason jar.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
First Corner
First Corner is next door to the ZenCha shop, which creates the same issues if driving. First Corner is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. On Sunday, First Corner is open from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. They may not have a discount, but they have a punch card reward system where 10 punches gets loyal customers one free boba drink.
Sagel Gurreh:
As soon as you walk in, you are wondering if your GPS took you to the right location because why is there a gym in here?
This drink was not very flavorful and frankly, it was honestly disappointing. With the lack of ambience combined with the unsavory flavor, I would not recommend the trip.
Overall Rating: 4/10
Megan Martinez:
The outside chairs may look uncomfortable, but they’re actually so comfortable, even for hours of studying. The environment is bright and the gym isn’t that noticeable.
The taro bubble tea wasn’t bursting with flavor but the boba was decent. I was chewing more than sipping, which I don’t mind, but the tea should still be a good part of the drink.
Overall Rating: 4.5/10
Since it’s such a short walk, Zen Cha and First Corner are the most convenient choices, but there are other options close to campus as well.
Racha
Racha was a pleasant surprise. This Whitehall boba shop is only a 10 minute drive from campus. Racha is a unique restaurant and is nothing like the ones that reside downtown. With an abundance of workers, friendly staff, many seating options and card games for patrons, this shop is a great option for boba. Racha has a big menu with extra authentic flavors and a build-your-own boba menu. There are even little corgis that can be seen waddling around behind the counter.
Sagel Gurreh:
Once I sat down at the establishment, I found a vintage game of Uno and played a few rounds while my drink was forthcoming.
I typically order a brown sugar boba at most locations, but this wasn’t an option, so I got an Oreo drink. If you’re looking for a sweet drink, this is the one for you. Bits of crumble pieces erupt as I drank, the drink was a full experience, as not a taste of the different flavor combinations held back. The tapioca balls were more slippery than usual, but provided a medium to soft chew. The drink was less than six dollars and I was surprised at the size for the price.
This is the closest boba drink I’ve had that comes close to my all-time favorite boba shop in Columbus, which is Kung-Fu Tea.
Overall Rating: 8.9/10
Megan Martinez:
It was a very comfortable ambience with games, a sleek aesthetic and a cool manga wall. As a commuter, parking is important and there’s an abundance here. It’s quiet, which is good for studying or escaping the day.
I ordered a Fresh Taro Milk Tea Tapioca, and this might be my favorite taro. There’s the slightest hint of graininess, but that is, personally, the only downside.
After I was away for a few hours, the drink was still good and the boba tasted the same.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Sweet Station
Sweet Station was last on the list and was only a 10 minute drive away. The shop is inside the Sargara International Market alongside a few other food shops. They had an extensive menu with many flavors, milk teas, refreshers, coffee, sugar cane juices, desserts and Italian sodas. This is a cute shop with games and toys available for purchase.
Sagel Gurreh:
This is the softest boba I’ve ever bit into and the most tapioca balls at once.”
The flavor was neither too strong nor too weak and neither too sweet nor too bitter. It was truly a sweet spot. I enjoyed the refreshing notes in the drinks. The employees told me the boba itself is pre-packaged, but the tea is brewed in house. This came as a surprise since it seemed freshly made and had a raw flavor. It was a soft chew, but very tasty.
Overall Rating: 7.6/10
Megan Martinez:
This is a cool little stop if you want to get food and boba or if you’re grocery shopping. It is not necessary to make the trip just for the boba.
I ordered the “boba lover” that had the most ease sliding the straw into the cup. Initially, I preferred the boba to the tea. While the cup was cold, the warm boba overtook and made the drink a warm drink. I am not sure how I feel about it, but I am not the biggest fan.
If you let it sit, it does become a cold drink and stays really cold, which I preferred. The cold drink allowed the boba and milk tea to complement each other.
Overall Rating: 7.2/10
