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 Charlotte tea guide.
Charlotte's boba runs along three corridors, not one district. Central Avenue east of Uptown has the Vietnamese counters, Central Tea House and Kim Anh Banh Mi & BoBa, that sell milk tea next to banh mi. South End has Milk Cha-Cha in the Camden Gallery building, and University City by UNC Charlotte has Tea Fusion Cafe and Tealicious. Boba Koala works from inside the Johnson & Wales campus Uptown, and out in Steele Creek, Moji Teahouse makes mochi donuts in rotating weekly flavors to go with its milk teas.
7 Charlotte 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 Charlotte bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Central Tea House (Commonwealth / Plaza Midwood (Central Ave)), Kim Anh Banh Mi & BoBa (East Charlotte (Central Ave)), Milk Cha-Cha (South End) (South End (Camden Gallery)), Moji Teahouse (Steele Creek), Tea Fusion Cafe (University City (near UNC Charlotte)), Tealicious Banh Mi & Boba (University City (Chancellor Park)) and Boba Koala (Uptown (Johnson & Wales campus)).
Central Tea House, Milk Cha-Cha (South End), Moji Teahouse 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.