Boba Near FIU: Build Your Own From Loose Leaf Tea

If you're searching for boba near FIU, you've probably noticed most menus give you a short list of flavors and call it a day. specialTEA Lounge does it a little differently. We're about two minutes from campus at 10766 SW 24th St on Coral Way, in the Columbia Shopping Plaza, and because we're a tea lounge first, the menu lets you build your own boba with any tea on our loose leaf list. That's 60+ premium loose leaf teas sitting behind the bar, so your boba can start with a real tea you actually like instead of a syrup.

This post is about that build-your-own side of the menu: how to pick a tea base, which texture to go with, and how to fit it into a day of classes.

Boba near FIU, starting with the tea

Every cup here is brewed from premium loose leaf tea, never bags, and the list covers a lot of ground: Chinese green tea, Taiwanese oolong, Indian spiced chai, South African rooibos, Egyptian chamomile, Darjeeling and Earl Grey, among others. Any of them can go under the pearls. If you already have a favorite hot tea, that's honestly the easiest place to start, since you already know you like the flavor.

A few directions people tend to go when they build their own:

• Rooibos boba if you want something smooth and a little naturally sweet that you can drink late without thinking about caffeine. Rooibos is a South African herbal tea, so it's a good pick for a 9 PM study break.
• Taiwanese oolong if you want a toasty, rounder tea flavor that still tastes like tea once the milk goes in.
• Chinese green tea if you like your boba lighter and more refreshing, especially on a hot afternoon.
• Indian spiced chai if you want warm spice in a cold drink.

Not sure what any of those taste like? Ask at the counter. The staff will happily walk you through the list, and you can scroll the whole thing on our menu before you leave campus.

Pick your texture: pearls, popping pearls or jellies

Once you've got a base, the next choice is what goes at the bottom of the cup. We carry classic tapioca boba, popping pearls and fruit jellies. Tapioca is the chewy original. Popping pearls burst when you bite them, which works really well with fruitier or lighter teas. Fruit jellies sit somewhere in between, softer than tapioca and a little more playful.

Then there's the format. The boba menu comes as milk teas, slushies and cremes, so the same flavor can go creamy, icy or somewhere in between. And if you skip dairy, we offer organic soy, almond and oat milk on every drink, which matters a lot when you're building a milk tea from scratch.

Taro and the house favorites

Building your own is fun, but it's not the only way in. Our boba menu has over 10 flavors, including taro, thai tea, matcha and honeydew. If you've been searching for taro boba in Miami, the taro boba cremes are the move: smooth, nutty and a bit dessert-like, and the purple color is half the appeal. The thai tea lattes are bold and spiced, and matcha boba is there for anyone who'd rather have their matcha with something to chew on.

A good rule if you're torn: go with a house flavor on your first visit, then come back and build your own once you know which textures you like.

Fitting a boba run into a class day

The practical stuff is what makes us easy to work into a schedule. Parking is free in the plaza lot directly in front of our door, so you aren't circling a garage between classes. If your window is tight, order ahead for pickup on Toast and your drink will be waiting when you walk in. Can't leave the library at all? Delivery runs through Uber Eats and DoorDash.

Boba also works as part of lunch near FIU on Coral Way. We make signature chicken and brisket sandwiches, wraps and salads fresh daily, and mornings are signature breakfast sandwiches on butter croissants with organic eggs. The bakery case has vegan cookies in six flavors baked daily, if you need something sweet to go with an unsweetened tea build.

And if you'd rather stay, you can. The WiFi is free and high speed with no password and no time limit, there's a full board game library on the shelf, and the outdoor patio gets fresh air and natural light. Our WiFi and study guide covers how people make a long session work here.

Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Saturday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. We're open until 11 PM six days a week, so a late rooibos boba after your last class is a pretty realistic plan. Regulars should sign up for the Tea Circle, our rewards program, for exclusive deals, new menu drops and birthday treats.

Next time you want boba near FIU that starts with real loose leaf tea, swing by specialTEA Lounge, Miami's Original Tea Lounge. Directions and parking details are on our visit page, and if you have a question before you head over, call us at (305) 554-TEAS. Come for the tea, stay for the vibes.