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 Columbus tea guide.
Columbus boba follows North High Street. You can walk from Bubbles in the North Market to O Sweet Tea in the Short North, then go up to Vivi near Ohio State and Little Moon in Clintonville. The other cluster is on Bethel Road, where Mr. Tea makes osmanthus and Suchong tea lattes inside the Dayou market and Wali Dessert pairs milk tea with Hong Kong cakes. On the southeast side, Sweet Station runs a counter in the Saraga international market food court.
7 Columbus 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 Columbus bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Little Moon Cafe (Clintonville (North High St)), Vivi Bubble Tea (North High St) (Old North Columbus (near Ohio State)), O Sweet Tea (Short North), Mr. Tea (Bethel Road (inside the Dayou market food court)), Wali Dessert (Bethel Road), Sweet Station (Southeast Columbus (inside Saraga International Grocery)) and Bubbles Tea & Juice Company (North Market Downtown) (Downtown / North Market).
Little Moon Cafe, Mr. Tea list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
Little Moon Cafe, Vivi Bubble Tea (North High St), O Sweet Tea, Mr. Tea, Wali Dessert 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.