Best boba (bubble) tea in D.C., Maryland and Virginia

At this point, boba tea is a familiar sight: colorful drinks with black bouncy pearls of tapioca starch floating at the bottom of a plastic cup. But this drink, which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, has come a long way from its humble milk tea roots. Now, it's a global billion-dollar industry, and D.C.-area shops are serving up luscious variations that border on full desserts. A sip of the strawberry matcha combo will remind you of earthy strawberry sorbet. Then there are the slightly savory cheese foam teas and freshly squeezed juice teas that can come with as many as six fruits.

Growing up in San Francisco, I consumed boba nearly every week like a rapturous kid in a candy store, much to my mother's irritation. This slurping was not in vain; I now know my way around this tea-soaked world. The best boba shops tempt you with the aroma of freshly brewed tea, ripe fruit and milk options, and, most importantly, warm and pleasantly chewy boba. I admit it: I am a boba snob.

This summer, I set out to find the best boba tea in the DMV. I went to 20 shops (skipping the more established chains Gong Cha, Kung Fu Tea and Sharetea) and discovered that to sample the best boba — or bubble, tapioca, whatever you want to call it — you might need to take the Metro or grab a car and head to the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Here are 10 spots worth a visit.

How to make bubble tea — boba included — from scratch

AunTea Boba: Where can you have boba with a side of barbecue? Only at AunTea. Owners Jeremy Canlas and his dad Juan opened a location of this local chain alongside their Truxton Circle restaurant Supreme Barbecue in 2021, marrying two of their favorite foods. Treat yourself to the most decadent drink on the menu, the "halo-halo" smoothie topped with blended ube, red beans, coconut jelly and flan, which was inspired by one of Canlas's favorite Philippine desserts. Or try the freshly brewed teas and combinations like cereal milk, strawberry matcha and Vietnamese coffee. If Texas-style brisket with boba doesn't suit your fancy, AunTea's popcorn chicken and lumpia (which includes veggie options) provide a nice salty crunch. The original AunTea location can be found inside Gigi's Kitchen in Fort Washington, Md., and the duo plans to expand to Annandale, Va. $5-$8 for one drink. Locations in D.C. and Maryland (Lanham and Fort Washington). aunteaboba.com.

BeauTea: A full day of shopping in Georgetown can leave you parched, but BeauTea's wonderfully fruity and milky drinks can ready you for round two. BeauTea came to fruition in 2019, when Shandong native Leopold Liao sought to introduce a taste of his homeland in a boba market saturated with Taiwanese and Hong Kong flavors. Behind white marbled walls and counters, workers scoop your choice of a dozen toppings into slim, sturdy cups, which can come with a shot of tequila, rum or vodka for an additional $3. The best drinks here are the passion fruit green tea with sliced fruit (tart!), royal pu’er tea (earthy!) and blended fruit drinks (dragonfruit!). $4-$8 for one drink. 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. beauteadc.com.

Ben Gong's Tea: Founded in 2014, Ben Gong's Tea dishes out fruity and creamy drinks made fresh to order in China's major cities and a handful of overseas locations. Mango pomelo sago is the top fruit tea: It harmonizes pulpy tart pomelo with slick sweet mangos and creamy cold slush. For those who prefer something creamier, try the special boba milk tea and burnt caramel cheese tea. Ben Gong's has four locations in the area, but I recommend the Annandale location because of its convenient food options next door: Tea in hand, you can hop over to the K Market Food Court for a mouthwatering Korean feast. $4-$7 for one drink. Locations in Maryland (Ellicott City and Gaithersburg) and Virginia (Annandale and Centreville). bengongstea.us.

Bobapop Tea Bar: Even if you haven't heard of Bobapop, you’ve probably seen its mascot on cups all over town: an adorable French bulldog raising a cup of tea. Bobapop sources its teas from Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam and brews drinks in small batches. Gaithersburg resident Sam Lin and his wife, Susan Hsu, were inspired by Bobapop's philosophy and opened the first Bobapop shop in the United States in Kentlands in 2018. Now you can treat yourself to drinks like Japanese brown rice milk tea, Korean banana milk and grapefruit guava with made-in-house toppings and matcha latte art at four area locations. $5-$7 for one drink. Locations in Maryland (Gaithersburg, Germantown and Rockville) and Virginia (Falls Church). bobapopdmv.com.

Chill Zone Cafe: Origami cranes and flowers sweep you inside this Arlington cafe that serves drinks, Vietnamese food specials and impeccably chill vibes. Since 2017, owner Daniel Bui says, the family-run business has ensured that all ingredients are fresh and organic, including his mother-in-law's signature Vietnamese recipes, according to an interview with Connection Newspapers. Must-orders on the menu are the Vietnamese iced coffee, the mango frappé and the taro lattes. Chill Zone is also the perfect place to work — customers can kick off their shoes to cozy up on the cafe's floor seating while slurping their boba and Vietnamese pho. If you’re lucky, a worker will teach you how to fold a paper crane to add to the cafe's collection. $5-$8 for one drink. 2442 N. Harrison St., Arlington, Va. chillzonecafe.com.

Mr. Wish: As for fresh fruit teas, none has been more slurpable than the Wish special fruit tea, which comes with four blended fruit juices and chunks of fruit and boba to chew on. If four fruits aren't enough, Mr. Wish's colorful fruit tea packs six fruits into a chilled tropical sip. Try some other delights on the menu at this Taiwanese fruit tea franchise: sparkling water with homemade fruit puree, cheese foam teas and classic milk tea options. $4-$6 for one drink. Locations in Maryland (Rockville) and Virginia (Falls Church and Herndon). mrwishusa.com.

Pow Tea Shop: Customers order from large iPads and choose among teas with fresh fruit and blended frozen drinks in all colors of the rainbow at this shop tucked away in a Chinatown poke restaurant. Favorites I’ve sampled include the Guavicito, which comes with green tea, guava and fresh strawberries, and the Rocket Pop Frozen Lemonade, which includes frozen lemonade, strawberry, hibiscus and blue raspberry flavors guaranteed to turn your tongue a funny color. For those who can't get enough cereal milk, Pow Tea serves up fruit cereal and Cinnamon Toast Crunch milk with boba. Drinks come out sweeter than expected, so I recommend 50 percent or less sugar. $4-$7 for one drink. 806 H St. NW. order.snackpass.co.

SecreTea: Founded in 2017, this Foggy Bottom boba shop mainly caters to the nearby George Washington University students and dishes out signature drinks like Zangzang Cha (milk mixed with such flavors as Oreo or mango) and cake milk tea (cheesecake-flavored tea). You would think the signature Secret Tea would contain more than just sweetened milk, tea and sugar. But this sublime three-ingredient combination needs no addition. SecreTea serves up more than just teas and desserts, and the ice cream, boba sundaes and banh mi sandwiches will also delight. Fair warning: The shop's website is not totally up to date with the seasonal flavors and the drinks it no longer serves. $4-$6 for one drink. 1959 E St. NW. secreteadc.com

Spot of Tea: This mini-chain has a few traditional flavors such as classic milk tea and Kyoto matcha, but expect to find drink combinations that don't exist elsewhere in the city — this is not your mom's boba shop. Founded in 2017, Spot of Tea started as a pop-up at farmers markets around the city before finding two permanent locations in the Streets Market on 14th Street and Union Market. The trio of owners — Dillon Chai, David Cooper and Glenn Baginski — opened Spot of Tea after they started an on-campus boba shop at Rice University. Five years later, they’re dishing out drinks as vibrant as oil paintings: Blue Jasmine tea, pineapple Palmer and strawberry matcha blend complementary colors in clear cups and make for a striking photo opportunity. You can't go wrong with Spot of Tea's fresh ingredients, seasonal flavors and alternative milk options. $5-$7 for one drink. Multiple locations in D.C. drinkspotoftea.square.site.

Teas’n You: The strawberry matcha latte belongs squarely in the boba tea canon after Boba Guys popularized it in San Francisco. Teas’n You's version does not disappoint: Fresh strawberry pulp and creamy matcha whipped into "dalgona" top this standout drink. Other drinks to try include the Vietnamese coffee, the fruit-infused "SpecialTeas" and anything from the matcha and strawberry series. If the drinks alone aren't enough to lure you out to Tysons Corner, place an order for the crispy Taiwanese popcorn chicken with fried basil, cream puffs or mochi muffins. $5-$8 for one drink. 8032 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Va. teasnyou.com.