Boba tea has gained a massive following similar to the pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. But is all this hype over boba deserving? I decided to get my first-ever taste of boba tea, a drink with a tea base that is mixed with fruit or milk and contains chewy tapioca balls or fruit jelly. My review of boba is my opinion and is only representative of my personal tastes. 

For my very first boba, I went to 7 Leaves located at 14845 Jeffrey Rd. My first impression as I walked into this establishment was the long line and bland sign. After looking through their selection of teas, I decided to try the classic thai tea with foam and boba and the classic thai tea by itself. The first drink, which was thai tea with boba, tasted like watered-down milk with rubber balls in it. The boba had a chewy texture, but the quality of this boba felt very poor.

I found that the tapioca tasted like burnt rubber that was surrounded by mashed sweet potatoes. I chose to get the plain thai tea so I could determine the quality of the tea. I found that the quality of this tea was very poor because there was no effort to ensure that the drink was a unique item on the menu. The teas unintuitive look also makes it indistinguishable any other tea.

The decor and atmosphere at 7 leaves looked like they did not know what kind of look they wanted. The seasonal but uninspired decor such as the bland pumpkins that were put on top of wooden barrels and flashy signs showed that it was caught between both wanting to look fresh but could not resist wanting to look old fashioned so it is stuck in a mishmash of styles.

Overall, I say in my personal opinion that boba is overrated because of many factors, such as the poor quality of the tea and the terrible lines as well as the constant barrage of the complex flavors clashing for control of the drink.