Looking for a good ol’ hot cuppa tea? Or for the more youthful, bubbly twist? Buffalo Niagara has many great spots that cater to both.
by Max Fisher
To bubble or not to bubble?
Explore the World of Tea
Have you ever had a piping hot cup of tea, taken a few sips, and suddenly the world becomes a bit clearer? Like for a brief moment your body feels so calm and warm inside that you’re able to process things a bit more thoroughly? There’s a reason why tea has been used not just for recreational purposes but also medicinal ones in many cultures ranging from those found in Asia to the Middle East for thousands of years. I’m no botanist or a scientist, but I believe that tea has a lot more properties than calming you down and warming you up. Some teas can boost your immune system. Others can help increase your awareness (without caffeine). You’d need an entire Excel spreadsheet (and a Harvard business degree to work the damn spreadsheet because those things can get frustrating real quick).
And on the other hand, we have a newer form of tea in bubble tea, which is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. It most commonly consists of tea accompanied by chewy tapioca balls (“boba” or “pearls”), but it can be made with other toppings as well. Although this type of tea doesn’t hold a candle to regular tea in the category of longevity, it’s all the rage nowadays. People (myself included) absolutely love it.
So how about we pick a few places in the Buffalo Niagara region and discuss what exactly makes these particular tea and bubble tea establishments shine? Let’s find out.
Award-winning Pulp 716
Cup of Communitea
In my view, a great place to get tea should be both knowledgeable about all aspects tea, as well as be a comforting place to drink it and enjoy yourself. It should be a place that you go into, and for the duration of your stay, time seems to all but stop. It should be a place where you can sit down and read a newspaper without feeling like the oldest person in the room (print media may be dead, but inside a good tea shop it’s alive and well because time has stopped). It should be a place that sets you at ease, and the people working there should be so knowledgeable you should wonder to yourself, “do they have a degree in tea? Is there even a degree in tea? Is there, in fact, a tea university?) If you think what I just described is nothing more than mad musings by a blog writer, think again. (I may be mad, but sometimes I know what I’m talking about). Cup of Communitea is precisely the place I have just described (although I don’t know if they carry the newspaper, you should bring your own just in case).
Opening its doors way before 2009, Cup of Communitea has been teaching people in the Buffalo community for 12 years now about the many different kinds of tea and their uses. According to their site’s mission statement, “Tea is an art-form. From the aroma that rises from the tin, to the colors that blend as it steeps, to the flavors we taste in every sip, each step awakens our senses and adds to the experience. In-store, we can guide you through this experience starting with our sample wall. Here you can smell and explore the teas before picking your favorite to steep at home.” Their tea is also sourced from around the world and transported by the freshest means possible. They also take great pride in educating people about the entirety of the tea process from all origin and ingredient information being available, along with instructions on how to steep each cup to perfection. So not only will you get some of the freshest tea around, but you’ll also get a complete understanding of its benefits and what it takes to best take advantage of those benefits. If you fancy yourself a tea connoisseur, prepare to have your knowledge tested because those at Cup of Communitea are the real deal!
Teaxpresso Cafe
Where a good tea shop has to be calm and relaxing, a bubble tea establishment should be a bit more lively. I’m not talking about a rave with flashing lights and kids hanging off the ceiling, but since bubble tea, by default, caters to the youth, it should subtly express that. That’s why if I’m looking to get some Bubble tea, I like going to The Teaxpresso Cafe. When you walk in there, you instantly feel as if a 20s something designed it (which in most cases would be a glaring red flag to bolt it to the nearest exit, but in this case, it actually works). The inside looks like a minimalistic hardwood cafe, with some booths and chairs and a few neon signs outside. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t scream out, “WE HAVE BUBBLE TEA HERE. GET SOME NOW!!!” Instead, its bareness reflects a confidence in its product that says, “yes, we know what we offer is good; why don’t you come and try some?” Its menu is full of youthful abandonment. Meaning it’s got odd stuff like choosing your ice and sugar level on a chart or getting a hot chocolate milk tea (In many other places this would be considered blasphemy. No one drinks a hot bubble tea that’s breaking the rules!) But The Teaexpresso Cafe doesn’t play by the rules. Instead, it bends them slightly just to see what will happen, and what’s more youthful than bending the rules?
Tai Chi Bubble Tea
Old School & New School
Tea and bubble tea are polar opposites. Ones been around since arguably the beginning of time (don’t quote me on that because on top of not being a botanist and a scientist, I’m also not a historian), while the other has been around just over 40 or so years. Yet despite their many differences, one thing that is easy for anyone to take away from looking at these two side by side is the fact that people will always love tea, and it’s so incredibly versatile.
So if you’re looking for a good old piping hot cup of the tried and true stuff or you’re looking for a bit of a youthful twist on the old formula, the Buffalo Niagara area has many great spots that cater to both.
Tea/Bubble Tea Shops In Buffalo Niagara
choose any location to view menus, get directions, & more.
Aera Tea Co.
Buffalo
Boba Stop
Buffalo
Cinnamons
Buffalo
Cow Bubble Tea
Buffalo
Cup Of Communitea
Williamsville
Cuppa Culture’s TEAporium
Clarence
Elizabeth’s Gourmet Coffee and Tea Shop
Hamburg
EM Tea Coffee Cup Café
Buffalo
Equi Tea
Buffalo
EvilTea Co.
Buffalo
Golden Cup Coffee
Buffalo
Goodrich Coffee & Tea
Clarene
Icha Cafe
Buffalo
Kung Fu Tea
Buffalo
Milk And Tea
Buffalo
Pulp 716 Coffee, Comics, Bubble Tea
Multiple Locations
Roots Coffee and Tea
Buffalo
Spices and Teas by Millie
West Seneca
Taichi Bubble Tea
Tonawanda
Taste the Tea
Buffalo
Tea Leaf Cafe
Multiple Locations
Teaxpresso Cafe
Tonawanda
What do you think of our guide to tea/bubble tea spots in Buffalo Niagara? Have a favorite? Know a great one that we missed? Let us know.
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