Alberta’s Tiki Tea appears like a run-of-the-mill minimalist boba cafe, but the commitment to high-end ingredients is immediately noticeable in the taste of the cafe’s drinks. Tiki Tea uses an incredibly concentrated tea, making it a great spot for customers who want a more aggressive tea flavor. There is currently no indoor seating and all drinks are made to-go.

A newer addition to the Boise neighborhood, Ding Tea is known for their cocktail-style drink-making methods. A particular highlight on the menu here is the Hokkaido milk tea, available with a black or oolong base, which gets a touch of caramel-y syrup best tempered by ordering it “less sweet” — that way, the quality of the tea base can shine while also benefitting from the rich, molasses-y sweetness. The cafe space feels really open and boasts a colorful pink and blue mural that’s ideal for a photo op, boba in-hand. Ding Tea on Williams is currently offering takeout only with no seating inside.

Known for the beautifully minimalist interiors and cute mason jar drinks, Tea Bar’s prolific expansion and chic aesthetic make it a common hangout for Portland boba enthusiasts. Tea Bar’s menu ranges from vegan matcha soft serve to vanilla rose bubble tea, but the latter shines thanks to the quality of the cafes’ grade A tapioca pearls. The texture is always balanced in its chewiness, swirling within sweet-not-syrupy teas. Tea Bar is currently offering some indoor seating and dine-in space.

A California franchise and Asian-Hispanic fusion cafe, Zero Degrees is known for its fun takes on classic drinks from both cultures — the chain’s most famous beverage is the mangonada, which is a combination of mango, Tajin, and chamoy. The cafe’s colorful boba gets into inventive territory: Any drink can come with honey or crystal boba, which means drinks like strawberry limeade can get the bubble tea treatment. Purists, however, can still get the traditional milk tea or the fragrant peach blossom green with honey. While the menu has a wide variety of drink options, customers who have room for a snack should try the popcorn chicken. This location of Zero Degrees offers plenty of outdoor seating for on-premise dining.

Known for its use of fresh ingredients and handcrafted Vietnamese frozen yogurt, Boba Milk has become a destination for top-tier fruit drinks and froyo. All the tea here is cold-brewed for 24 hours and items are all made without artificial ingredients or powders. Standout items include drinks like the strawberry matcha latte or the ube milk tea. Customers who are hungry can also snag a killer bánh mì here, as well, made by the folks behind Fish Sauce and Short Round. Boba Milk is currently takeout only, with counter service at the door.

Although Bubble N Tea has a small drink menu compared to other cafes, the move at this Beaverton cafe is to go for the seasonal specials. Staples like classic black, matcha, and Thai tea anchor the menu, while seasonal drinks like strawberry jasmine and hojicha latte keep things fresh. Customers should be warned that Bubble N Tea only has one size, and comes in an unusually wide bucket-type cup. The space is small and seating is limited, but the yellow bench out front is decently inviting on a nice day.

Mia & More brings sugarcane juice and boba to Beaverton, tucked inside of the new House of Ramen. Mia & More is the first fresh-pressed sugarcane cafe in the area, offering both pure sugarcane juice and blended fruit and sugarcane smoothies. Mia & More also offers a good mix of classic boba drinks and Vietnamese desserts. Customers looking for solid desserts might be interested in ordering the ginger tofu pudding or sweet durian Chè. Mia & More is takeout only and offers no seating inside.

Hailing from sunny Los Angeles, Milk + T stands out with an unlimited self-serve topping bar: While most cafes will charge you around $0.50 per topping, Milk + T allows customers to go topping-wild with no extra charge. Milk + T also strives to be more sustainable, providing glass jars for customers and a 10 percent discount for those who bring them back. Customers can also enjoy multiple hand-painted boba murals along the cafe walls while they wait for their to-go drinks.

Yi Fang has opened a new location on SE Foster, bringing no-joke fruit tea with it. Fruit tea is often overlooked in the world of boba, mostly because it’s never quite as fresh or visually pleasing as the milk-based drinks. Yi Fang does things differently, leaning heavily on fresh fruit instead of cloying artificial sweeteners. Yi Fang also offers a variety of top-notch blended drinks, including mango or red bean smoothies with sago pearls. Yi Fang has very limited dine-in seating within its tiny space.

A well-known Taiwanese franchise, Sharetea provides consistently top-notch drinks and one of the best classic milk teas in town. Sharetea also allows customers to turn their drinks into a “creama,” which gives the drink a salty whipped cream top. Though Sharetea does provide some seating for small groups, the flow of the cafe is built for customers to take their drinks to-go.

One of the larger boba franchises has finally landed in the Portland area, with one location at Bridgeport Village and another near downtown Beaverton. Happy Lemon is most known for its freshly squeezed lemon teas, but also has a variety of classic drinks and uncommon drink toppings. Here customers can add anything from Oreo puff cream to taro balls, adding a little intrigue to the standard milk tea. Happy Lemon is designed for takeout orders, offering very limited indoor seating.