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 Kansas City tea guide.
Kansas City's boba starts downtown: Dragonfly Tea Zone sells bubble tea next to a wall of more than 150 loose-leaf teas at City Market, and Fat Bee Cafe is farther south on Main Street. In midtown, Dragonfly has a second shop on W 39th St, and Bruu Cafe on the Country Club Plaza cooks its brown sugar tapioca slowly. North of the river, Yum Tea and Feng Cha cover the Northland. If you want iced tea without pearls, The Matcha Bar on Southwest Boulevard uses single-origin Japanese matcha.
7 Kansas City 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 Kansas City bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Dragonfly Tea Zone (River Market) (River Market), Dragonfly Tea Zone (W 39th St) (Volker / West 39th Street), Fat Bee Cafe (Downtown) (Downtown), Bruu Cafe (Country Club Plaza), The Matcha Bar (Westside / Southwest Boulevard), Yum Tea (Northland (Tiffany Springs)) and Feng Cha (Kansas City Northland) (Northland (Barry Road area)).
Fat Bee Cafe (Downtown), Bruu Cafe, Yum Tea list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
Dragonfly Tea Zone (River Market), Dragonfly Tea Zone (W 39th St), Fat Bee Cafe (Downtown), Yum Tea, Feng Cha (Kansas City Northland) 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.