Green Grotto Tea Room

This is my first review. I go to this place with my gf on Feb14, yes, it was Valentine’s day. Omg i wait for this time so long. the witness recommend us the special crêpe cake, it taste so good and beautiful, drinks taste fantastic also. we have great Valentine’s Day there. Thank you Greengrotto

Tapioca was bad, stuck together, and over cooked. All the drinks were placed in take out cups so they were smaller. Servers didn’t understand English.

I used to go to the warden and steeles green grotto. I came to the hwy7 quite a few times but this time was the worst experience that i have ever had.
At first, the waitress had troble to remember the order for two drinks. She could have picked up the pen and paper and dropped it down but she didn’t. She needed to ask us for three times to verify the order.
Moreover, after ten minutes waiting for my order, then she told me they didnt have anymore tapioca left. It was 11:50 pm on a weekday and there only two tables left which they already had the drinks served, and they were pretty much just needed to make my takeout. But how could they not know they didn’t have any tapioca left when she took my order.
The worst thing was while i was drinking my drink at home, i started drinking plastic pieces inside my drinks. It looks like plastic wraps. If it’s not because they are closed right now, i would have drove back and let them to explain what were those pieces inside my drink!
I totally do not suggest this place to anyone (and this is the first review on Unilocal i have ever made to a restaurant!), and will definitely tell people who i know about the bad quality of the drink that i have had tonight!
I don’t even want to give them ONE star if there’s a choice.

A typical bbt place. It is a nice place to chill with friends. Tried their iced black milk tea, oolong tea and some of their fruity bubble tea (mango is my fav). Not too sweet, which I like.

Come here very often because it’s pretty close to myself. Bubble tea here is average usually powdered tea for what I get and you don’t really taste the tea but you do taste the sugar. The popcorn is often stale or over salted, and it shocks you sometimes how bad the popcorn is.
The service is pretty bad here as well, waitresses don’t really care about you and they make it obvious. The staff is always chatting and sometimes it’s hard to get a hold of them. It’s still a good place to come with friends because it’s a good environment to relax and get a drink.

I’ve gone to this place a couple times. For a bubble tea place, it’s alright. The drinks are quite unique and delicious. I personally love the sugar cane fresh milk with grass jelly (though it’s a bit on the sweet side). They’re also decently sized for their price. Obviously, the free popcorn is a great bonus (though it’s also a great tactic to make you more thirsty and order more drinks…). They have a good variety of food that ranges from snacks, to rice bowls, to cake.
What I have a bit of a problem with is the layout. No matter where you sit, you always feel a bit cramped. The tables are pretty small so you have a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance of having a table leg where your own legs are so you are awkwardly turned to the side all the time. The bar area where they make the drinks is somewhere in the middle of the place and is only facing one direction. If you’re behind it, you pretty much have to get up and go find a server on your own or just wait and hopefully wave one down when they’re serving a table on the front side of the restaurant.
It does get pretty loud in here, especially in the evenings. It’s a good place to play board games (bring your own) or have a conversation with friends.

I’ve been to the better green grotto down warden and steeles so coming here I was pretty disappointed.
It was quite on a Tuesday night but servers are slow and inattentive. Yeah sure we got the quite pretty server but it took years for the pancake and condensed toast to arrive. Also took 3 reminders for her to be given water which was (gasp) served in a flimsy plastic cup. I had the raspberry almond pistachio cake which was plated well and served quick but it took over half an hour for my friends sweet potato pancake. Also ordered the Hokkaido milk tea which isn’t worth in my opinion. $ 6 for a large lol.
But hey free popcorn!

Service is either great or terrible. Food gave me a stomach. Ambience is nice.

Came here for a social gathering after work. Not the best place for dinner but I guess if you’re a student their rice special is a good deal for budget conscious peeps! The meal consists of a small minced pork rice bowl plus a choice of one snack to choose from salt & pepper fried chicken, crispy shrimp, fried squid & fried oysters plus a small drink for $ 9.99. I believe this special is only available between 2−6pm on weekdays except holidays! The rice bowl was good but not great as I’ve had better. As for the snacks we ordered ¾ of the dishes so the only one we didn’t order was the fried oyster. The best dish of the three was the salt & pepper chicken. The fried squid tasted too oily and chewy. The crispy shrimp tasted like it was only fried batter and left us wondering «where the shrimp went?!». My Fuji Apple Green Tea tastes like apple juice combined with tea but it has a more stronger tea taste. Not bad but I still love their Hokkaido Milk Tea the most! I wish it was offered in the special!
For desserts we ordered a white chocolate amaretto cheesecake and a pistachio chocolate mousse cake. Both cakes were good. The cheesecake was rich while the mousse was light, airy and the taste was mild. The little chocolate balls on top of the mousse made the cake!
Overall, we enjoyed put night chatting away and our bellies were full too! Service was so so but we didn’t expect much from a BBT joint!

Tl;Dr. Service was absolutely terrible. Waitress was rude and disrespectful to customers. McDonalds provided better service (not meant as a knock on McDonalds)
At the beginning, service was decent (nothing out of the ordinary. Sit down, order drinks, etc.). However, when the drinks began to arrive, it became evident that the waitress was inept in regards to her occupation. She was unable to recognize the drink that was being delivered and had to return to check (normally, this would be okay. I personally understand that some people mess up… But with her attitude as detailed below… That was not acceptable. If you want to act as if you know more than other people. Don’t just say it… Prove it).
Things were fine until the bill arrived (It should be noted that we didn’t ask for the bill… Nor was our allotted time up). As we noticed that the bill was combined, we asked if it was possible to split the bill (available in most service industry establishments, especially restaurants such as this one). Upon inquiry into this relatively minor issue, we were informed that it was «not possible for them to split the bill».
Although most establishments are expected to be able to provide this service, it is understandable that this may not always be possible… So we did not pursue the issue. Following this incident was what led to this review.
Upon payment of the bill (along with the tips that we believed was ample relative to the level of service provided), we were informed that the amount provided was not sufficient. At this time, we were brought to the attention of a «mandatory 10℅ tip» which was not mentioned anywhere around the store or menu (this is not the primary issue). The issue was the manner in which this was brought to our attention.
The following is a paraphrase of the waitresses’ statement
«…This is not enough. It’s 10% tips. I assumed you knew this»
Despite the confusion that took place, it was the attitude in which the statement was made that attracted our attention. Her attitude can be described simply as «rude and «snarky».
In Canada, although it is socially accepted that tips should be provided… It should reflect the level of service provided. The service provided was not sufficient to the level where one would expect a 10% tip. The cashier at McDonalds provided more quality service than the waitress mentioned (to the extent that I considered giving him a larger tip for our simple exchange than the one provided to the waitress)
In conclusion, the service provided at this location was deplorable (I am not in a position to speak about other stores). The lack of information provided to a consumer was unbelievable. However, most importantly was the attitude and sense of entitlement that was displayed by the waitress.
As stated in an infamous saying, «you reap what you sow». The tips provided should be a reflection of the service provided… Not what the waiter feels she is entitled to. If you are considering food and drinks (with decent/​good service)… Go to the McDonalds at the nearby intersection.
P. s. My review states one star… That’s due to the fact that it is not possible to provide a zero star in this review.

Okay, as you probably already noticed with other reviews, I will keep this short.
Have been here a few times over the years, but it seems to be getting worse and worse. Location is really small, and with an odd interior layout, it hinders the service they could possibly provide. Last time I came with a friend as a last minute decision, and every time we needed something, I actually had to get up from my seat and get a server.
The one redeeming quality would be that the food/​drinks are decent. I got the Kumquat Lemon Green Tea, which was quite delicious and refreshing. The Pork Rice was also quite filling, which was a pleasant surprise.
All in all, not the best bubble tea place in the neighbourhood, but also not the worst.

Not my favourite place to get bbt but I come here all the time anyways just because it’s a convenient place for me to chill with my friends.
I like the atmosphere here because it’s quite relaxing, the perfect study place! Except for when there are students screaming and laughing everywhere –_​-​‘
Service depends on the workers that day. Sometimes you’ll get a nice pretty lady taking your order or you could get a sassy frowning lady that throws food onto your table.
Food wise… you’d be better off just getting a drink LOL xD
Their food is not so horrible that it’s inedible, but it’s just not very good quality food. Their bubble teas are not bad and I like the hokkaido milk tea! It takes FOREVER for them to make food though so if you’re hungry, just order a slice of cake. Most of their food is over priced too…
ANYWAYS, what I’m trying to say is when you come here just order a drink because it’s not worth it to buy food from here.
(Tbh I only gave this place 3 stars is because of the free popcorn lol)

The drinks here are at most mediocre, service is bad. Very bad. Please consider hiring better management. At food establishments that get busy very quickly and often, it is imperative to have an effective leader who can utilize a team of employees in the most efficient and stress-​free way. I waited for approximately 47 minutes for a simple drink that could have taken 5 minutes or less to make. I have worked in a similar industry making smoothies when I was younger and it isn’t hard to make drinks in order, in a rush!

I’ve always liked the atmosphere at Green Grotto chains but must say service here is quite slow. As per usual, must try is the Hokkaido milk tea. It is always very nice that popcorn is given on the house. I would prefer the Warden and Steeles location which is larger and has better service.

I like the Green Grotto chain, it’s cozy and I get the consistency in service and drink quality. The servers always change, probably turnover every month, so if you expect that and give them a little patience then it’s nothing to note. Free popcorn isn’t crazy, but it’s better than nothing. I always bring my laptop and spend a good afternoon here, after 5pm the place starts to pack and you’d have to wait until midnight when it starts to slow down.

This place has quite possibly, one of the most horrendous service imaginable. The staff just does not care if you are there. Literally, at least thirty-​five minutes went by before we had to chase and trap a waitress. The servers will not make eye contact with you! The servers won’t even acknowledge your «excuse me» if they are standing beside your table. Asian restaurants generally get a bad rap with respect to customer service, but this is just next level snobby, out of this world ignoring and passive aggressive rudeness.
Anyway, the good thing about this place is that their food is a decent portion and they have free wi-​fi. The bubble tea was okay, a bit watered down. Other than that, this is not a good place to relax, do work or study. It gets really loud and the wi-​fi conks out on you after an hour. They have a sign that limits the amount time you can stay there. However, you can probably stay there and have no server acknowledge you for the allotted time limit. It’s also a tight and crammed place.

$ 5 for a bubble tea that’s about half the size of my phone (Not kidding). So I thought this better be the best God damn bubble tea I’ve ever tasted, but nope. It was flavourless … But hey, the tapioca was good.
I must admit, the one at Warden and Steeles has WAAAY better tasting drinks than this location. Don’t get me started on the service .
So yes, one star for the tapioca.

Have to agree with all who said service is terrible here. Wanted to pay for the bill but all employees were behind the counter. What were they doing back there? There were only three tables being served and everyone got their orders already. Well we went up to the counter to find out. Waitress was on her cell phone. We just stood there waiting to get a response. And what seemed like an eternity we finally got their attention just standing in front of them just so that we can pay our bill. I’m pretty sure we could have walked out and they wouldn’t have noticed a thing.
As for the drinks they were also just okay. Their #1 seller according to the menu was the Hokkaido milk tea. It was okay but I would rather much have a regular milk tea. Also tried the taro milk tea. This flavour was also okay but I still prefer a standard milk tea.
Tried a slice of brownie cheese cake for $ 4.99 and it was also pretty average. The slice was smaller than average. Not all the cakes on the menu were in stock but it was better than my previous visit to another location where they had not even a slice in stock.
Overall
Service: below average
Food and drinks: just average

I’ve been to two of their locations: Warden & Steeles and Highway 7 & South Unionville.
Their Warden and Steeles location is always packed with people during the night and the service is really slow. When you get seated, you are served a bowl of popcorn. I’ve tried their green tea latte before and it tastes amazing! I absolutely loved it. You can also adjust your sweetener level by asking to make it less sweet.
The Highway 7 and South Unionville location is not the greatest either. The service is quite slow there as well. There was one time where I went in to get take out bubble tea and the guy there was just talking to the waitresses and totally ignored me standing there. I stood there for almost 3 minutes before getting a response! That’s a long time for someone to just stand there to get service. So I decided to get my Green Grotto Milk Tea with bubbles. After about 10 minutes (yes it was kind of busy), I saw the same guy shaking my bubble tea for about 2 minutes while talking to the waitress again! I almost wanted to tell him I was in a hurry to get somewhere. It really does not take that long to make bubble tea… right?
Anyway, I was kind of disappointed even afterwards that the bubble tea was just too creamy and too sweet.
On the other hand, I really liked their steeped teas. Their flavors can go from Rose to Chrysanthemum to the very traditional Oolong. Absolutely love their tea and would recommend anyone who wants just a simple tea to hang out and relax with their friends.
The place is usually quiet during the day time but at night, it can get a little loud. So if you are trying to study, you might not want to go there, unless you like the loudness (like me!)
Cheers!

1.5÷5, +.5 for service
Maybe this place is good for the average high school student needing a place to study. As a student who just wants to order a drink as a post-​dinner meal, I would look elsewhere.
The chairs, particularly the sofas look beat up. Some modernization really needs to happen here, because it looked like a 40 year old house without maintenance from the inside. I tried to look beyond that since I tend to judge on their food/​drink products more than the decoration, although it didn’t leave me with a good first impression.
I ordered the mocha milk green tea, after my friends pressured me to order something more expensive (one of them owed me money). The barista was quite fast in making the drinks, so I’ll give him credit for that. In fact, the drinks came before the popcorn… which was a surprise.
The popcorn tasted okay, but considering it was free I shouldn’t expect much from it. Perhaps that was why I didn’t rate this place 1 star.
The milk tea… was completely tasteless. It tasted like 0.5% milk, and had pretty much no mocha or green tea taste. The tapioca was okay, but considering the rest of the drink was not even close to okay… I’m not even gonna bother.
Service was good, although we were the only ones there. The wifi also worked very well, however I can find many other places with good wifi and good food/​drinks in Markham… and this isn’t one of them.