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 Charleston tea guide.
Charleston's boba is on the peninsula, a few blocks either side of King and Meeting streets. Vivi Bubble Tea on King Street is the one dedicated shop; Ha Long Cafe, Poke Tea House and King Street Foods each pour bubble tea next to pho, poke or Thai food. West Ashley has King Acai and Bubble Tea in a food court on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard. Most other boba in the area has North Charleston, Mount Pleasant or Summerville addresses and is outside the city.
5 Charleston 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 5 Charleston bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Vivi Bubble Tea (Downtown (King St)), Ha Long Cafe (Downtown (Meeting St)), Poke Tea House (Downtown (Spring St at Meeting St)), King Street Foods (Downtown (King St)) and King Acai and Bubble Tea (West Ashley) (West Ashley (Sam Rittenberg Blvd)).
Vivi Bubble Tea, King Street Foods list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
Vivi Bubble Tea, Ha Long Cafe, Poke Tea House, King Street Foods 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.