Lily Bubble Tea and Smoothie

I like the powder mixes that they use for their bubble tea as they are not too sweet. I had the red bean and the taro flavor and they both are very good. The tapioca bubbles are nice and chewy. They ran out of the bubbles one time I went so I opt for a smoothie with the just the mix and I thought it was good as well. I usually ordered the small size (16 oz) which I think is plenty and the large size (32 oz) can easily be shared between 2 people unless you want it all to yourself.

It is literally so hard to find bubble tea in DC but this place is really good, just kinda hard to find if you’re not from the area or familiar with the metro (which I’m not at all) but it’s in the underground Crystal City section. The Thai iced milk tea I got was super sweet (but I liked it) and the bubbles were tinier than normal. It was $ 4 for a small 16 oz. which I guess is expensive if you’re used to getting bubble tea in Chinatown but it’s pretty normal price for areas that don’t have it.

I ordered the green milk tea boba. It tasted okay, but the green tea flavor was very muted. When I got my tea, it looked too light to be green tea. Not long after drinking the tea, I got really sick. I’m still feeling a little nauseous. Everyone else I was with didn’t get sick and they all got something different, so I am assuming that it was just mine. I tried my fiancé’s taro bubble tea and that tasted great. I can’t attest to anyone else’s bubble tea, but they all seemed to enjoy it. So if I were you, just don’t get the green milk tea. Otherwise, this place is just okay.

I was in Crystal City for a work event, and managed to go to Lily Bubble Tea and Smoothie twice in 2 days.
During my first visit, I ordered a large Taro Bubble Tea with Milk. It was great, but the presentation was super awkward and messy… The owner mixed it herself messily behind the counter, and it came in a huge non-​transparent styrofoam cup with a taped lid. The giant boba straw didn’t fit through the hole and ended up spilling everywhere. However, I can’t deny that it was some delicious bubble tea, with a strong taro flavor and soft, sweet, small boba.
My second visit, I didn’t repeat the same mistake, and I ordered a medium Mango Bubble Tea with Milk, which was absolutely incredible (better than the taro) and had the same bubbles. AND it came in a normal bubble tea adorable-​animals transparent cup, was mixed using the shaking-​machine (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it), and was sealed with the traditional clear plastic wrap.
TL;DR: Lily Bubble Tea and Smoothie is great! Just DO NOT GET A LARGE SIZE. I’ll definitely be back when I’m in Crystal City again!

price is higher than normal but size, quality, technique of making the bubble tea makes this place one of the best boba places.
they need to leave dc and come to nyc asap.

I’m originally from California so I’ve tried plenty of Boba places, but this shop did not disappoint. I would recommend the taro bubble tea! Also, if you like fun cups with animals, you can find them here!

The largest bubble tea I’ve ever encountered lives here. And I couldn’t handle it.
If there is such thing as a super-​sized bubble tea, you can find it here. It’s comparable to those jumbo sodas that you might find at a movie theatre that may not even fit in your car holder. It’s really that big and it’s considered simply, «large.»
If you’re not familiar with this area, you’ll quickly realize that the store is inside the shopping center so there is no visible storefront and you’ll need to go down one level to find the shop.
While I love the variety of their flavors and offerings, I find the milk tea itself to be a bit watery. I’m no bubble tea connoisseur in terms of knowing what is authentic, but I do know that’s my only complaint with the tea. It’s just not the best I’ve had, but it will definitely satisfy your craving if you have one.
Although they take cards, it might be helpful to bring cash. I’ve gone twice when the credit card machine was not working.
If you’re in the area though, it’s worth a try!

Don’t order the large unless you like your bubble tea in a giant non-​transparent styrofoam cup with the lid taped closed. B — on presentation.
The pearls are smaller than I’m used to, and not cooked as much as they should be. Crunchy, yuck. I agree with Ericka S.: this is not real bubble tea. I will just have to wait for my next NYC trip.

This must be the only place in the area or something. Though the people working there were nice and really followed instructions when we said less sugar, but the bubbles were too soft. Not QQ enough. Wouldn’t really come back… unfortunately.

You people have no idea what Boba is supposed to taste like. Because it’s not this.
I am sure all their other drinks, especially smoothies and desert drinks, are great. However, I came here specifically for the Thai Iced Tea Boba, a popular drink on the west coast. Let’s count off the strikes here.
1. Took forever to find hidden in awkward underground mall, then when I get there, there is a «back in 5 minutes» sign. It took 10, and I was stuck since I specifically drove from work to try this place.
2. Then, I run into yet another «Thai tea» that is made from powder. No TEA Drink should ever be made of random powders and chemicals. Period. Make your tea from scratch, sweeten it lightly, use REAL half AND half as your creamer. That’s it.
3. 5 dollars? Naaaaah.
Pluses? The Boba balls, while incredibly tiny for some reason, we’re well flavored. Sweet and chewy. And for a «tea» made from a powder, it didn’t taste like total crap. But that’s it.
Like I said. I have been on a mission for a real Thai tea Boba since moving out here. I’ve only found one place that get even decently close… And this is not that place. At all.

The place looks clean and you can watch them make it in front of you, but its location is a little weird. No seating inside. I think the guy used a powder for my black milk tea. My bubble tea was good, but I wish it was sweeter. Maybe I should have asked for more sugar? The boba themselves were on point. They were firm and chewy. Pretty good for the area. Would go again.

The price point is a little higher than what I’m used to paying in CA or NYC for a decent tea, but this place literally has a monopoly for QUALITY pearl tea (going to use the CA term) the non-​car driving DC/​NoVA resident. The other places in the area that serve the tea in the DC area always seem to miss the mark by either relying on powders or making smoothie like concoctions, which as good as it is IT IS NOT pearl tea. Here the tapioca doesn’t taste like multiple days old batches, or over/​undercooked that give an off-​putting chew feel. The tea itself is a bit on the sweeter side, which makes me wish there was a customization option to bring that down a little, but no one should really be under the illusion of cup being any healthier (calories wise) than a can of soda.
Although the price point is a dollar more than I’m used to seeing for a small the marginal costs to go to a medium or large make it a value buy. Popping the extra 70 cents for a medium over a small got me easily 30%-50% larger cup. More than enough to satiate the weeks/​months of built up longing between trips to NYC or back to CA.
It is in the mall connected to the metro station, a straight line from the door, just barely out of your immediate sight line.

Coming up from a place in Florida where we were spoilt with a fantastic tea shop nearby, we are glad to have this not too far from us.
Agreed with others, it is not too easy to find and it is inside the Landing underground shopping strip, but the trip was worth it as they served up a cup of freshly brewed tea with boba cooked to perfection.
There is no seating inside but heaps elsewhere. The shopping strip itself is spacious and pleasant, so we would be happy to go back.

Great bubble tea and the size Large is HUGE! The size large literally comes in a huge styrofoam cup. The flavors are plentiful and the drink tasted delicious. Hidden gem inside crystal city shops.

The biggest plus for me with Lily bubble Tea is the convenience of the location (if you’re on foot, because parking can be a bit of a challenge depending on time of day and day of the week), the reasonable prices, and the variety of flavors offered.
If you’re in the Crystal/​Pentagon City area and have a sudden taste for bubble tea or smoothies and you’re not in the mood for something from one of the several chain establishments that specialize in this particular category (as I found myself one sunny spring mid-​morning), Lily’s is probably your best bet. It’s located within the shops at Crystal City so there is no way to park directly in front of Lily’s, but there are parking ramps, street parking, and I’m sure somewhere that you can park for free with validation in the area. I ordered a mango bubble tea which I found to be a little sweet and not as creamy as I prefer, but it wasn’t bad and hit the spot.

I am officially hooked on bubble tea/​smoothies because they’re all so good and the flavor selections are endless. This place is awesome and my family loves it. It’s great that now they have the reward cards for frequent customer like myself, so whenever you buy 8, you get one medium for free. How cool is that?

Four of us girls from California haven’t found a decent boba place in DC until this!!! The guy was so nice, it’s normally priced and delicious. Nothing like this in DC. It is a few metro stops from the hill though.

I’m sorry, but I was a bit disappointed after reading all of the reviews. Maybe it’s because there aren’t very many boba places to compare this place to. Maybe because I’m used to so many more options in New Jersey. Maybe because my tea is actually cold when I drink it from other places (it was actually lukewarm here). Maybe because I don’t have to ask about a frequent buyer card in other places. At least they had my almond flavor. I’ll give it one more go and hopefully the last time was just a fluke.

I’m a horrible creature of habit, so I always come here just to get a medium lychee bubble tea. Decent portion, price not too bad (coming up to around $ 5), and a fresh lychee tea with boba that’s soft, chewy, and actually fits up the straw (I’ve encountered places where this is sadly not the case).
Can’t say too much about the rest of the menu because I’ve never ordered it, but the lychee bubble tea is refreshing and has just the right amount of sweetness! Be sure to grab one if you happen to be passing through the crystal city tunnels.

My boyfriend and I went in search of bubble tea to satisfy my craving. There aren’t many places in PCity for it, so I found this place on Unilocal.
Having NO IDEA where this place would be, I figured it was proooobably in the Underground. I guess I should’ve actually READ the Unilocal reviews — my B. Anyways, we didn’t get lost finding it on a Sunday. Nothing else is open, and I stopped a couple who walked by drinking bubble tea.
I got the taro bubble tea, which was deliciousssss. My boyfriend said it might even be the best taro bubble tea he’s had. He got the lychee, which isn’t milky FYI (if you prefer milky). The lychee tea was a bit on the sickly sweet side. Had to bring it home and mix it with milk to soften the sugary flavor.
Anyway, the Underground is a big square. You’ll find it eventually. But chances are someone walking by will be drinking some. Just stop and ask for directions… unless you like walking in squares.