Louisville’s best boba shops ranked
Hearts top the lids of boba drinks. Photo by Michelle Quan.
January 7, 2022
Anyone who knows me knows I am a fiend for boba. After trying almost all of the boba shops here in Louisville, it is time for a ranking of the best places to get boba.
3. Fun Tea
I was reluctant to put this place on the list for reasons to be stated later, but in terms of tea and toppings selection, Fun Tea is one of the best boba shops in Louisville.
Fun Tea is a locally-owned, boba-dedicated shop located in the Highlands, owned by a Taiwanese woman, Amy Hamburg, and her husband Michael Hamburg. It has a bright environment that is always lined with customers, and there are other desserts offered like bubble puff cake.
Fun Tea was the first boba shop in Louisville I had tried with consistently high-quality tapioca pearls and tea that wasn’t made by pouring half a bag of sweetener in, which is why I was highly disappointed by my last experience there when I overheard the non-Asian owner saying that some aspects of Asian culture are “weird” and “should be kept in Asia.” For that reason, I would say Fun Tea admittedly has the best boba in Louisville, but I would probably only go there exclusively for its specialty drinks since its non-milk teas and basic boba flavors like taro taste almost identical to other top-ranked boba shops.
Fun Tea is open everyday from 12-8pm on 1608 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40205.
2. Sharetea
Unlike Fun Tea, Sharetea is a franchise with locations around the world. In Louisville, there is one on Bardstown Road and a recently opened location in Middletown. The service and tea quality are fairly similar in both locations, although the newer location tends to be a tiny bit slower. Nothing crazy though.
Sharetea has a large topping selection with many flavors. Although the specialty selections’ range aren’t as bizarre as what Fun Tea offers, there’s still a satisfying amount that should find fit for all tastes. My favorite is the kiwi fruit tea with aiyu jelly. The quality is consistent, and the Middletown location’s decor is wonderful to look at as you drink your tea.
Both locations are open from 12-8pm.
Paris Banh Mi, as you can probably tell from the name, is not a place solely focused on tea, and its selection is not nearly as diverse as the other two. However, the quality of the tea that it does offer, combined with the overall atmosphere, makes it the top of the list.
The lighting and the vast spaciousness of the area makes this place the most calming of the three to enjoy a cup of boba. The tapioca pearls are more on the softer side and the sweetness is more toned down than some other boba shops, except for its specialty drink Paris by Night, which is similar to Sharetea’s Tiger Milk Boba. This allows the actual tea flavors to come out stronger in many of the drinks.
Paris Banh Mi is open the latest, until 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends, perfect for late night boba outings. It is closed on Tuesdays.
Overall, Louisville may not have the largest catalog of boba shops, but there are some gems out there. Fun Tea offers the most diverse drink options, Sharetea offers almost the same amount of options with more consistent service, and Paris Banh Mi offers mainly the basics but provides the best sitting-down experience and striking but not overly sweet boba. But no matter which of these places I go to, I’m going to enjoy the boba and I believe you will too.
