Updated for 2026. Bubble tea shops can change hours, menus, ordering links, and seasonal drinks quickly, so check the current shop page before making a special trip.
Bubble tea is one of those small outings that solves more problems than it should. It works for a casual date, a post-movie stop, a teen hangout, a treat after errands, or the rare grown-up plan that does not require reservations, parking strategy, and a weather backup.
Howard County is especially useful for bubble tea because the options are clustered. Columbia has easy stops around Merriweather District, The Mall in Columbia, and the Stanford Boulevard area. Ellicott City has a deeper concentration along Baltimore National Pike, plus a sweet Old Ellicott City option that pairs well with a walk.
This guide is not trying to crown one universal winner. A brown sugar milk drink, a fruit tea with popping boba, a matcha latte, and a pastry-and-tea afternoon are different cravings. Start with the kind of stop you want, then choose the shop.
Quick picks: For Columbia, start with Kung Fu Tea in Merriweather District, Kokee Tea at The Mall in Columbia, or Shuyi Grass Jelly & Tea when you want something a little less ordinary. For Ellicott City, look at Tea Top, Tiger Sugar, Gong Cha, TeaDo, Kokee Tea, BenGong’s Tea, and Sugar Plum Tea & Pastry. For an Anne Arundel outing, Sweet Bamboo Boba in Severna Park lets you build your own drink and play games.
Short Version: Where To Start
| What you want | Try first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Columbia date or pre-concert drink | Kung Fu Tea, Merriweather District | Walkable with dinner, Color Burst Park, and Merriweather plans. |
| Bubble tea while shopping | Kokee Tea, The Mall in Columbia | Simple stop before or after errands, especially with teens. |
| Most serious Ellicott City tea outing | Tea Top | Taiwanese-style tea, slushies, snacks, cakes, and plenty of choices. |
| Brown sugar boba treat | Tiger Sugar | Known for its brown sugar drinks and tiger-stripe look. |
| Polished chain with lots of customization | Gong Cha | Milk teas, fruit teas, milk foam, sweetness levels, and toppings. |
| Tea plus snacks | TeaDo | Drinks, smoothies, and casual snacks in Ellicott City. |
| Fruit and cheese foam drinks | BenGong’s Tea | Good for people who like creamy fruit slushes and layered drinks. |
| Old Ellicott City walk plus dessert | Sugar Plum Tea & Pastry | Tea, pastries, cakes, and a Main Street location. |
| Matcha drinks and desserts | Kyo Matcha | More matcha dessert cafe than classic boba shop, but useful for tea lovers. |
| Grass jelly and more unusual toppings | Shuyi Grass Jelly & Tea | A Columbia option built around grass jelly, fruit tea, yogurt drinks, and generous toppings. |
| Make-your-own bubble tea outing | Sweet Bamboo Boba in Severna Park | A further-drive Anne Arundel stop with build-your-own drinks, free toppings, arcade games, and board games. |
1. Kung Fu Tea in Merriweather District
Kung Fu Tea in Merriweather District is probably the easiest Columbia pick if bubble tea is part of a bigger plan. You can pair it with dinner, a walk through Color Burst Park, a show at Merriweather Post Pavilion, or a low-pressure date where nobody has to commit to a full meal.
The Merriweather District page describes the shop as made-to-order, with fresh ingredients and a brewing process behind the drinks. That matters if your group includes people with strong opinions about ice, sweetness, toppings, or whether classic milk tea beats fruit tea.
Best use: Date night, concert nights, adult hangouts, teen outings, or a dessert stop after dinner in Merriweather District.
Good nearby pairing: Walk around Color Burst Park, get dinner nearby, or check the RingJing adult events calendar for a show or event in Columbia.
2. Kokee Tea at The Mall in Columbia
Kokee Tea at The Mall in Columbia is the practical Columbia option. It is not trying to be a destination date all by itself. It is the place that makes a mall trip, shopping errand, movie-adjacent outing, or teen meetup more pleasant.
The mall directory lists Kokee Tea as a bubble tea shop with fresh tasting tea, and the location is near JCPenney on Level 1. That makes it easy to find, which is underrated when you are meeting someone who is already wandering around the mall texting, “Where are you?”
Best use: Shopping breaks, teen hangouts, a small treat after errands, or a bubble tea stop that does not require a separate trip.
3. Tea Top in Ellicott City
Tea Top MD is one of the stronger choices if you want the bubble tea itself to be the point of the outing. The shop says it is located at 10030 Baltimore National Pike D-160 in Ellicott City and offers bubble tea, slushies, snacks, and cakes.
The appeal here is range. If one person wants a classic tea, one wants a fruit drink, and someone else is hungry enough for a snack, Tea Top is easier than a tiny drink-only counter. It also fits the “bubble tea and board game” idea better than some grab-and-go spots, although I would still keep the game small and be thoughtful if the shop is busy.
Best use: People who care about tea flavor, groups with mixed cravings, and casual hangouts where you want more than one round of choices.
4. Tiger Sugar in Ellicott City
Tiger Sugar Ellicott City is the pick when you want the treat to feel rich, sweet, and a little dramatic. The local site describes Tiger Sugar as known for brown sugar bubble tea, fresh cream, tiger-stripe drinks, and an 8-hour preparation method for syrup and tapioca pearls.
This is not the shop I would choose when I want the lightest drink in Howard County. It is the shop I would choose when someone says, “I want the one that looks like dessert and tastes like dessert.” There is absolutely a place for that.
Best use: Brown sugar boba, an after-dinner dessert drink, or a one-drink splurge.
5. Gong Cha in Ellicott City and Fulton
Gong Cha is a major bubble tea brand, and the DMV location page lists Howard County-area locations in Ellicott City and Fulton. The national site emphasizes freshly prepared tea, customizable sweetness, ice, toppings, and rewards through the app.
Gong Cha is a good choice when you want a polished menu with familiar categories: milk tea, fruit tea, milk foam, smoothies, lattes, and toppings. It is also helpful for groups because most people can find something even if they are not bubble tea regulars.
Best use: Customization, first-timers, groups, and anyone who wants a familiar bubble tea chain.
6. TeaDo in Ellicott City
TeaDo lists an Ellicott City location at 3355 St. Johns Lane. It is a good stop to consider when you want tea, smoothies, and casual snack energy rather than a pure dessert drink.
This is the kind of place that can work for a relaxed afternoon, a quick catch-up with a friend, or a teen outing after another activity nearby. If you are building a low-key date, the snack options also help keep it from feeling like you drove across town for one cup and then immediately had to leave.
Best use: Bubble tea plus snacks, casual meetups, and groups that want more than sweet drinks.
7. BenGong’s Tea in Ellicott City
BenGong’s Tea is another Ellicott City option worth checking if you like fruit-forward drinks, cheese foam, taro, grape, mango, and creamy slush-style drinks. Current local listings place it at 10045 Baltimore National Pike, close to several other tea and dessert stops.
I would put this in the “try something fun” category. If your usual order is always the same black milk tea with pearls, BenGong’s may be a good nudge toward something a little more layered.
Best use: Fruit slushes, cheese foam drinks, and people who want to branch out from the usual order.
8. Sugar Plum Tea & Pastry in Old Ellicott City
Sugar Plum Tea & Pastry is the most walkable-date option on this list because it sits on Main Street in Old Ellicott City. The Old Ellicott City dining directory lists Sugar Plum at 8191 Main Street.
This is useful when you want bubble tea to be part of an outing, not the whole outing. Walk Main Street, browse a little, get tea and pastry, and maybe continue to dessert somewhere else if nobody is ready to go home. It is also a good alternative to coffee if you want a quieter afternoon plan.
Best use: Old Ellicott City wandering, dessert dates, Main Street afternoons, and tea plus cake.
9. Kyo Matcha in Columbia and Ellicott City
Kyo Matcha in Merriweather District is not a classic bubble tea shop, but it belongs in the conversation because plenty of people who want boba also want matcha lattes, mousse cakes, soft serve, and tea-based desserts. Kyo Matcha’s own locator also lists locations in Columbia and Ellicott City.
This is a good choice when one person wants a drink and another wants a dessert that feels more interesting than a cookie. It also pairs well with Merriweather District dinner, Color Burst Park, and the RingJing ice cream guide if you are comparing frozen-dessert stops.
Best use: Matcha lovers, dessert dates, and people who want tea flavor without committing to classic boba.
10. Shuyi Grass Jelly & Tea in Columbia
Shuyi Grass Jelly & Tea Columbia, also listed as Shuyi Grass Jelly & Tea Columbia 书亦烧仙草, is one of the more unusual Columbia options. The shop says it specializes in refreshing tea-based drinks with fresh fruit, natural ingredients, hand-cooked toppings, and all-natural grass jelly as its signature topping.
If you usually order the same milk tea everywhere, Shuyi is a good place to branch out. The menu lane is a little different from the standard boba-chain script: grass jelly tea, fruit tea, fruit Yakult, yogurt drinks, fresh tea, and more toppings than you may expect.
The current site lists the shop at 8865 Stanford Boulevard, Suite 127 in Columbia. That location makes it a useful stop near the Stanford Boulevard, Gateway, and Snowden River Parkway area, especially if you want a dessert drink after dinner nearby.
Best use: Grass jelly, fruit tea, yogurt drinks, and a bubble tea stop that feels more like a small discovery.
11. Kung Fu Tea in Ellicott City
Kung Fu Tea also has an Ellicott City presence. The current Kung Fu Tea Maryland location directory lists an Ellicott City store at 9210 Baltimore National Pike, Store W5.
If you already know Kung Fu Tea from Columbia, this gives you another useful option when you are closer to Route 40, Korean barbecue, hot pot, bakeries, or other Ellicott City food stops.
Best use: A reliable chain option near other Ellicott City food errands.
12. Worth the Drive: Sweet Bamboo Boba in Severna Park
Sweet Bamboo Boba in Severna Park is outside Howard County, but it deserves a mention because it turns bubble tea into more of an outing. The shop describes itself as a make-your-own boba place where you choose toppings and drink bases, control sweetness and ice, and build your own drink.
The fun part is that it is not just a drink counter. Sweet Bamboo says it has free toppings, free arcade games, and board games including classics like Sorry and Uno. That makes it a good choice for a further-drive date, a teen hangout, or a low-key Anne Arundel County stop when you want the activity to be built into the visit.
Best use: Make-your-own drinks, game-friendly hangouts, and a Severna Park side trip when you want something different from a standard order-at-the-counter boba run.
How To Order If You Are New To Bubble Tea
If bubble tea menus feel like homework, start simple. Pick one base, one sweetness level, and one topping.
- Milk tea: Creamy, usually tea plus milk or non-dairy creamer. Classic black milk tea is the easiest starter.
- Fruit tea: Lighter and more refreshing. Good if you do not want dairy.
- Brown sugar milk: Richer, sweeter, and often more dessert-like. Some versions may not contain much tea.
- Matcha: Earthy green tea flavor, often paired with milk or strawberry.
- Tapioca pearls: The classic chewy boba topping.
- Popping boba: Juice-filled pearls that burst. Kids often like these, but they are sweet.
- Jelly: Usually lighter and less chewy than tapioca pearls.
- Milk foam or cheese foam: A creamy, lightly salty topping that makes a drink feel more like dessert.
For sweetness, 50 percent is a safe starting point if you do not like very sweet drinks. If you are ordering for kids, consider smaller sizes, lower sweetness, and no caffeine when possible.
Bubble Tea Date Ideas
Bubble tea works well for date night because it creates a plan without overbuilding the evening. You are not trapped in a two-hour dinner if everyone is tired, but you are also not just sitting at home scrolling.
- Merriweather District date: Dinner, Kung Fu Tea or Kyo Matcha, then a walk around Color Burst Park.
- Columbia discovery date: Try Shuyi Grass Jelly & Tea, then compare notes on which toppings are worth ordering again.
- Old Ellicott City date: Main Street walk, Sugar Plum Tea & Pastry, then a bookstore, gallery, or dessert stop.
- Board-game date: Bring a tiny card game to a tea shop with seating and keep it short if the place gets busy.
- Anne Arundel mini-trip: Drive to Sweet Bamboo Boba in Severna Park for make-your-own drinks and games.
- Teen-friendly hangout: Kokee Tea at the mall or one of the Route 40 spots after food nearby.
- After-dinner treat: Tiger Sugar or Gong Cha when you want a drink that doubles as dessert.
What To Check Before You Go
Before making a special trip, check three things: current hours, whether the location has seating, and whether the drink you want is available at that specific shop. Bubble tea chains can have local variations, and seasonal drinks come and go.
If you are planning to linger, be considerate. A compact card game is fine in a quiet shop. A full table takeover during a rush is less charming. The best version of a bubble tea date still remembers that the shop is trying to serve customers, not host your living room.