The most undrinkable bubble tea – Netizens overwhelmingly pick “these two”: Cheap doesn’t come without a reason

Taiwanese people love bubble tea, with shops lining every street and a wide variety of chain brands available—you could practically drink from a different shop every day of the week. But with so many beverage stores out there, which one do you think serves the worst bubble tea? Recently, a netizen shared their pick for the most undrinkable bubble tea shop. While everyone has their own favorites, it’s clear that two shops got the most mentions: Coco and Tea’s Magic Hand (茶的魔手)!

One netizen posted on the PTT Bulletin Board System asking, “Which is the worst bubble tea chain store?” Around 240 comments singled out Coco. Netizens feel that although Coco is cheap, its milk tea tastes so bad it “should kneel and apologize to milk tea,” or that “the milk tea flavor is genuinely off.” Some also complained that the tapioca pearls are rock-hard and unpalatable — “I don’t even know how hard those pearls can get” — and that the drinks lack any real tea flavor, with some even reporting stomach issues afterward. “Personally, eight out of ten times when I feel sick after drinking milk tea, it’s because of Coco.” “Coco really has no tea taste.” “I’d rather drink air than their tea.” However, Coco has expanded globally, with branches in places like Tokyo’s Shibuya and New York City. Their stores often feature special deals and promotions, which still draw long lines.

Tea’s Magic Hand is a common bubble tea shop in southern Taiwan, known for its low prices and numerous outlets. Around 160 netizens commented that it serves the worst bubble tea, criticizing it as overly sweet and unpleasant. “Tea’s Magic Hand is super sweet—terrifyingly so.” “The drink is super astringent, I really can’t drink it.” “I thought I’d try the pride of Tainan, Tea Magic, but I threw away my milk tea after two sips.” “The Southern Overlord—Tea’s Magic Hand—is sweet to your core.” “The unsweetened version is like muddy water—what even is that tea?” “Even one sugar is unbearably sweet—it’s definitely the worst.”