Among the many shops and restaurants on Lake Blvd. in Pasadena, Tpumps is well known for their many flavorful combinations — and their enormous lines.
People wait for their customized tea beverages at Tpumps, located on Lake in Pasadena on Friday May 5th 2017.
Tpumps has four stars on Yelp and over 700 reviews. A majority of customers claim it to be one of the best boba shops in Pasadena, so there are some high expectations.
I’ve driven by Tpumps many times and have always wondered why there is such a huge line for boba. What was the hype about? Classmates of mine would always tell me that I need to try Tpumps because it’s the best and the boba is to die for.
I got in line at the infamous Tpumps around 1:30 pm on a monday. It was pretty long, but not as long as I’ve seen it other days. There were roughly 10 people in front of me, plus another 10 still waiting for their drinks.
The shop itself is very small on the front side, so there isn’t much space for customers to be inside without feeling trapped in a box. There is one side for customers in line to come in and order and another side open for customers to wait. If the place gets too packed, there is an outside area where customers can also wait. Since it’s outside, it is a bit hard to hear when they call your drink.
If you are a returning customer , you may be familiar with their menu and drink options. If you are a new customer, all the different options may be a bit overwhelming .
Fortunately this was not my first time at Tpumps, but I came in with the mindset of a new customer. It was hard to avoid my usual drink that I’m so used to, the rose vanilla green milk tea with honey boba, but I was determined to try something new.
The Tpumps staff is very friendly towards new customers, as they can often tell what customers are new. The staff will then recommend their personal favorites or something off the customer favorites menu.
When it came my turn to order I asked the cashier what he would recommend for a first timer. He proceeded to ask my sweetness preference and what kind of milk, tea, toppings and size I wanted.
Tpumps offers a variety of choices for each customer to get exactly what they are craving for.
I ordered the mango strawberry black tea with honey boba in the normal Tpumps size. I got my drink and proceeded to get a straw.
After popping the straw through the top, I anxiously took the first sip. It was better than I expected really good. I wished I had gotten the larger size.
The tea was sweet but not too sweet, both the strawberry and mango could be tasted equally. The honey boba was better than I expected. Most boba claims to be honey boba, and ends up having a plain taste. Not this honey boba, the taste of honey was there. The flavor of black tea added a kick that I loved, it even made me consider it my new favorite.
When you get your drink the staff makes it known that if you don’t like what you ordered they will make it again to your preference.
Overall, the tea was very good and I would get it again. The pricing is very reasonable considering you get to customize everything. It may be worth it to get the largest size, because you get more tea for a reasonable price difference.
Every Tuesday, Tpumps has what they call “Tpumps Tuesday,” where you get a free upgrade to a large and pay for a medium. Who doesn’t want an extra 8 oz for free?
Rating: 4.5/5 bobas
Two plush Tea beverages sit on the counter of Tpumps cash register. Tpumps is located on Lake in Pasadena.
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