Bubble-tea and iced-tea shops we checked, and how to cold-brew loose-leaf tea at home. For hot tea, tea rooms and loose-leaf shops, see the Austin tea guide.
Austin boba runs in three lines: Guadalupe Street across from UT, the Airport Boulevard corridor in Highland, and the strip malls of North Lamar and Research Boulevard. CoCo's Cafe closed its 25-year-old Drag shop in May 2026 but still runs on Research Boulevard. The Austin-based milk+tea brews from loose leaf daily and cooks its pearls every hour.
7 Austin shops, checked as open on 2026-10-01. Listed in no particular order; this is not a ranking.
| Tea | Leaf per Water | Example Batch | Steep and Serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green or white tea | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 6–8 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Black tea or oolong | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 8–10 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Taiwanese oolong, lighter batch | 7 g per litre | 7 g leaf : 1 L cold water | 2–3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge (Eco-Cha) |
| Herbal blends and rooibos | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 10 g : 1 L cold water | Fridge 10–12 hours for herbal (Rishi), at least 12 hours for rooibos (Rooibos.Africa) |
| Sencha, quick concentrate | 10 g per 210 ml | 10 g leaf : 210 ml chilled water | 15 minutes undisturbed, small glasses (Ippodo) |
| Where It Steeps | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator, 40 °F (4 °C) or colder | 6–12 hours by tea type | Green and white shortest, herbal and rooibos longest. The FDA puts a safe fridge at 40 °F or below. |
| Room temperature | 2–3 hours (Taiwanese oolong only) | Eco-Cha’s short counter steep; strain and refrigerate the tea once it is done. |
| Chilled water, quick | 15 minutes (sencha) | Ippodo’s method gives a small, concentrated cup rather than a pitcher. |
Sources: Rishi Tea & Botanicals, How to Make Iced Tea; Eco-Cha, How to Brew Oolong Tea; Ippodo Tea, Cold Brew Sencha; Rooibos.Africa, Brewing; FDA, Refrigerator Thermometers: Cold Facts about Food Safety.
Every tea type, with leaf weight and fridge time: Cold-Brew Tea Ratio Chart.
We checked 7 Austin bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Tapioca House (West Campus / The Drag (UT)), CoCo's Cafe (Research Blvd) (North Austin (Wooten)), milk+tea (Airport Blvd) (Highland / Airport Blvd), Terrazzo Tea (East Austin (East 7th St)), AUSTEA (South Austin (E Ben White Blvd)), Gen BobaBee & Coffee House (North Lamar) (North Austin (N Lamar Blvd)) and CHICHA San Chen (Austin) (Highland (Airport Blvd)).
Tapioca House, milk+tea (Airport Blvd), Terrazzo Tea list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
CoCo's Cafe (Research Blvd), Gen BobaBee & Coffee House (North Lamar) make fruit teas, according to their menus or listings.
Use about 9 g of leaf per litre of cold water and steep it in the fridge: 6–8 hours for green or white tea, 8–10 hours for black or oolong, 10–12 hours for herbal blends (Rishi’s guidance). Strain, then keep it refrigerated at 40 °F or colder.