Boba House

Located at 332 Tate Street, Boba House specializes in teas and vegetarian fare. The menu offers soups, salads, entrees and noodle dishes. Many selections can be prepared vegan. A selection of beer and wine is available and there is a different special for each day of the week.

“It doesn’t taste like meat.” Such was the verdict pronounced by a friend on Boba House’s tofu chicken and beef substitutes. It’s a valid point – for meat eaters, nothing compares to the real thing – but the faux flesh is an acquired taste rather than an inherently off-putting one.


Once you get past that, there’s a fair amount to like here. The Asian influenced menu offers everything from satay (not bad, but lacking in texture) to spring rolls (small and nothing special), but you’re better off trying something which won’t inevitably suffer in comparison (though the cheesecake can actually hold its own). Case in point: the mixed bowl, a vermicelli/vegetable stir fry with a tangy sauce and your choice of topping. The salads lean toward the exotic (avocado and calamari are among the options) and feature a complimentary blend of flavors. Whatever you get is likely to be good for you – or, at the very least, better for you than that burger or pizza you forsook by coming here.


Boba House is a small space, but not a cramped one. It’s rarely packed and bar seating ensures you won’t be waiting for a chair for long. The intimacy of the surroundings and a two-person weekend special make Boba House an attractive date destination, but you’re just as likely to run into families with little kids as you are college-aged couples.


Service is very prompt and the wait staff is personable, though you sometimes get the sense they are trying too hard to be outgoing. Pricing is plenty reasonable. Though the portions aren’t very large, just about everything on the menu runs under $10.


Better options exist for non-vegetarians, but Boba House still offers a healthy, affordable meal in a comfortable space. At the very least, it presents a compelling challenge to the notion that meatless cuisine is bland, boring or insubstantial.


7.25/10