Tea Magic
“I think what I like most about their bubble tea is that their bubbles are so soft and chewy and they stay that way.”
“I've never seen so many "topping" choices, which included tapioca, green jelly, red bean, and pudding.”
“I'm only giving it 4 stars because 1) they have soy milk options 2) its convenience to campus 3) their extended hours and 4) the fact that its better than Cafe East in Lerner Hall.”
Tea Magic
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Working: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Inexpensive
8 reviews
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*This review is for their Flushing location that's by the Main Street entrance of New World Mall*
I was really looking forward to trying their Blueberry Black Tea, but unfortunately this location doesn't sell it. I got the large passionfruit green tea and it was 32 oz of deliciousness!! I didn't ask for any toppings, but I some bits of fruit jelly at the bottom. I'm not sure what it was, but it was good. It definitely enough to share or fill you up if you're not in the mood to eat. I'll definitely be back to try their milk teas.
The worst bubble tea I've ever had in NYC. The black tea tastes weird and the bubbles are not real boba. Also I have to agree with others that the cashier is very rude and arrogant and apparently he doesn't care how customers think about him. Won't visit again.
Life uptown would be a little miserable if Tea Magic had not existed. This place has been my go-to spot whenever I crave boba. There's a wide selection of milk tea and other specialty drinks to choose from. My favorite is the Yogurt Green Tea with boba, which basically tastes like a cup of Yakult (delicious!). The consistency of the boba is pretty good, always chewy and fresh.
For regulars, they have a stamp reward card system (Buy 10 get $3 off your 11th cup). Service is speedy and there are a few tables for customers who want to have their drinks at the store. Their sizing is interesting in that their large is HUGE and their small is the size of a regular cup of boba. I made the mistake of ordering their large once and almost had a boba-overdose.
In summary:
– One of the best spots for boba uptown
– Get the stamp card if you're a regular!
– $5 minimum for credit card
This was near the Columbia University, the Seinfeld restaurant and was small place. It was really hot in here for some reason and the seating was limited. There was a large group of people who took up all of the seats and tables except by the window. The menu had a lot of choices and I decided on a medium Black Milk Tea ($4.15) with pearls ($0.50). The medium size here was a lot of other places' large size and they displayed the different sized cups below the menu to help you decide. The milk tea with pearls took a few minutes to prepare. It was good to me and I finished it fairly quickly. Stop by for some milk tea!
Let me start off by saying that, with a lack of other nearby options, this place will suffice. It may not be the greatest boba I've ever had, but it works.
They have a variety of options available. You can get yours made with milk tea, black tea or green tea, or as a slushie (for those who are lactose intolerant).
They have a $5 minimum for credit cards and a frequent buyer/ reward card. There is also this awkward area to stand around and wait for your drinks.
This place is good for when you're in the neighborhood and craving bubble tea, but it's not the best out there.
I've come a few times and have tried the taro and hazelnut bubble teas. The taro was a bit disappointing- it had a weird, gritty texture I couldn't quite get past. The hazelnut was much better. Order that one!
The shop itself is snug and usually full of Columbia kids unwinding after class. It can get a little rowdy and disorganized but it's never unbearable.
Overall, a cute spot for boba when ya need it!
After a long, refreshing late night walk through Central Park all the way from 59th street, I decided to see if there were any affordable places open to get something to snack on. With my good ol' pal, Yelperson, Tea Magic proved to be my destination of choice.
I ended up purchasing the honeydew slush. It tasted like those Japanese Melona pops (which I absolutely LOVE) in slush form. Obviously it was fantastic. It was milk based in case anyone was wondering. I know I prefer milk based powder slushes to tea based syrup slushes. The tapioca was probably the smallest that I've ever had. But that's fine by me. It was flavoured very well and was the perfect consistency. I also had a great amount in the cup. I hate being skimped on tapioca. Don't do that to me. Just don't.
My small honeydew slush came to $5.17 (on the menu, the base price is $4.00 and tapioca is $.50 extra then there's tax, I guess. Lame.) spending $5.17 on a small bubble tea slush is pretty extreme for me. Especially when my usual bubble tea spot is 1. More conveniently located 2. It's small slush is bigger than Tea Magic's small slush. 3. Costs $4.85. I know that's not a huge difference and most people wouldn't care but I do. When you're often on a dollar pizza for dinner budget, those things matter.
Anyways, too bad this place is out of the way of literally everything I do. Well, besides walk through all of Central Park. I guess I could do that more often, it wouldn't hurt. But having this bubble tea as my goal and desire will make me just run to the nearest train station 1/4 of the way there. It's that good. I haven't tried any other bubble teas or their snacks / food or frozen yogurt. I wouldn't doubt that they would be good but I won't know until I try.
But if you ARE in the area, and love bubble tea…heck even if you haven't tried it before, you MUST try theirs here. So good.
I swear I reviewed this place and for some reason Yelp says I haven't, so here we go …..
This is one of the first boba spots in the area that I'd go to at least twice a week to get my fix in the first year I moved to NYC. However, after Culture Tea opened, I went there more often. I now only come to Tea Magic when making a run to Westside or something else that is closer to it.
The store has one long bench against the wall with about 5 small round tables and a few seats. There is a counter on the other side of the store for people to place their drinks and lean on. They have free Wi-Fi in the store, so often you'll see students "camped" on the tables or side bench against the window.
Other than boba they have a variety of food: steamed buns, dumplings, tea eggs, snow/shaved ice desserts, etc. So definitely a good choice for a boba and a snack. The service is usually quick, however they do not like making any changes after making your order, so be sure you know what you want.
P.S. Don't forget a stamp card if you plan on making multiple visits.