Knoxville has plenty of unique boba shops that are ideal for socializing or studying. These three shops, conveniently located near campus, are perfect for UT students.

Hello Tea House

Right on Gay Street, Hello Tea House is perfect for a day out downtown, whether you’re shopping, going out with friends or just taking a walk for fresh air. The cafe offers a variety of drinks, from Americanized to more traditional teas.

Strawberry, chocolate and even Oreo are just a few of the well-beloved flavors they offer in bubble tea form. The menu also features underrated recipes like red bean milk tea and golden milk tea, which is made with turmeric. Contrary to what you may expect, these are, in fact, very sugary drinks that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Nevertheless, the most remarkable drink that Hello Tea House makes is their cheese foam milk tea. The tea is topped with a layer of creamy foam, reminiscent of a salted cheesecake. Anyone who can’t decide whether they want something sweet or savory will find both cravings fulfilled by this drink.

The cafe also offers Thai-style crepes if you want something to snack on. They have many flavors, both sweet and savory, further solidifying this place as the spot for the indecisive. You can get one more akin to a dessert, such as the Chocolate Oreo or Blueberry NY Cheesecake Crepe, or something more filling like the Vegetarian Lover, Roast Chicken or Crab Meat Crepe.

Hey Bear Cafe — Kern’s Food Hall

Originating as a family business, Hey Bear Cafe first opened in Hardin Valley in West Knoxville. However, they have recently opened a second location at Kern’s Food Hall.

Hey Bear Cafe offers classics like black milk tea, brown sugar boba and Thai tea, but what what differentiates Hey Bear Cafe from other boba shops is its line of Galaxy beverages. If you’re not into tea-based drinks, these would be great for you, as they are more like sodas or juice. Fizzy and refreshing, these drinks come in multiple fruity flavors. They offer familiar tastes like green apple, lemon or strawberry, as well as flavors you may not have tried before, like litchi or red guava.

Unlike its Hardin Valley location, Hey Bear at Kern’s food hall also offers ramen, the quintessential broke college student meal. They also have small bites like onigiri, kimbap and steamed buns. However, if those are unappealing to you, the convenient location within a food hall means you can get your drink here and food from somewhere else. Thus, you can have your cake and eat it too!

Vols Boba Tea

If you want a bubble tea shop that shares your school spirit, then Vols Boba Tea is the shop for you! This location is fairly new and definitely a hidden gem worth checking out. With its quaint and relaxed ambiance, it is a top-tier study spot or place to chill with friends. Vols Boba Tea has a selection of snacks on its menu, featuring pastries like gourd skewers, egg tarts and egg waffles that pair well with their drinks.

One of the most notable aspects of the assortment of drinks served at Vols Boba Tea is that several of their drinks are named for their geographic inspirations. The Assam brown sugar and Okinawa brown sugar are named for their ingredients’ origins in India and Japan, respectively. The Mongolian salted milk tea is a hot drink with a long history as an important recipe in the early centuries of Mongolia’s nomadic culture. Lastly, the Hokkaido milk tea is a silk-smooth, buttery drink with a pleasantly subtle flavor. The taste comes from how cows raised in the mountainous Hokkaido region of Japan produce dairy with a distinctive flavor.

Percy Lockwood is an employee who has worked at Vols Boba Tea for a little over a year. Lockwood spoke about how the owner, Xiaojie Huang, is from China and imports products from there, which preserves the authenticity of everything Vols Boba Tea serves.

“It’s a little piece of the owner’s culture brought to Knoxville, and I know it makes her really happy to be able to share that with everyone,” Lockwood said.

These shops are more than just a place to get a fun drink — they are a testament to Asian and Asian-American cultures. The next time you’re looking for something to sip or somewhere to study, keep these spots in mind!