Tea Shop Coral Way Guide to Frozen Drinks and Smoothies

If you're looking for a tea shop on Coral Way that can handle a Miami afternoon, the hot pot of oolong isn't always the move. Some days you want something blended, cold and thick enough to need a straw with a little effort behind it. At specialTEA, the frozen side of the menu is built for exactly that, and it covers more ground than most people expect from a tea lounge: frozen coffee blends, a matcha freeze, the chilly vanilla chai, coffee-free frozen cremes, and boba slushies. Here's how to find your drink without staring at the board for five minutes.

What makes the frozen drinks at this tea shop on Coral Way different

The short version comes straight off our menu: the frozen drinks and smoothies are vegan-friendly, with no added sugar and non-GMO ingredients. That matters more than it sounds, because a lot of blended drinks around town lean on syrup to do the heavy lifting. Ours start from the same things the rest of the lounge is known for, which means real loose leaf tea, matcha, and coffee that's USDA organic, fair trade and locally roasted.

Every drink on the menu can also be made with organic soy, almond, or oat milk, so going dairy-free doesn't shrink your options. If you're vegan, or just trying to keep things lighter on a hot day, many of the frozen drinks and smoothies can be made vegan with no added sugar. Ask at the counter and we'll walk you through it.

Pick by what you're in the mood for

The easiest way to choose is to start with how much caffeine you actually want right now, then work backward.

• You need the coffee kick. Go for one of the frozen coffee blends. It's the same organic, fair trade, locally roasted coffee that goes into our espresso and cold brew, just cold and blended, which makes it a solid pick if you're heading into a long study block and want something that lasts.
• You want tea, but cold. The matcha freeze is the obvious one for matcha fans, and it's what we'd point you to on the hottest days. If you love the warm spice of a chai latte but can't face anything hot, the chilly vanilla chai gives you that Indian spiced chai flavor in frozen form.
• You've had enough caffeine for the day. The coffee-free frozen cremes are the answer. They're a good late pick, and since we're open until 11 PM six days a week, a lot of evening regulars end up here.
• You came for boba. Boba isn't only milk tea. You can get it in slushies and cremes, with classic tapioca pearls, popping pearls, or fruit jellies, in over 10 flavors including taro, thai tea, matcha and honeydew. The taro boba cremes are a crowd favorite if you've never tried taro before.

Can't decide? Tell us what you normally drink and we'll steer you. Coffee people who want to try something new often land on the matcha freeze, and tea people who want a treat tend to love the chilly vanilla chai.

Where to drink it: the patio, or a cozy corner inside

A frozen drink and a seat in the sun is a pretty good way to spend an hour, and that's what the patio is for. The Visit page describes it as a colorful, Instagram-worthy patio with fresh air and natural light, and it's hard to miss when you pull into the Columbia Shopping Plaza. Free parking is in the lot directly in front of our door, so you're not circling the block with a melting drink.

If the afternoon is too much even for a matcha freeze, head inside. The chalkboard room stays cozy, the free WiFi has no password and no time limit, and there's a full library of board games and card games on the shelf for anyone who wants a break. If you're bringing a laptop, our WiFi and study guide covers how to settle in for a long session.

Plenty of people also treat specialTEA as the coffee shop near FIU, since we're about two minutes from campus. Fair enough, but we'd nudge you toward the frozen tea drinks at least once. That's the side of the menu that makes us a tea lounge first.

Grab one on the way, or have it brought to you

Not every visit has to be a long one. You can order ahead for pickup on Toast and grab your drink on the way to class or work, which is handy on weekday mornings when the lounge opens at 8 AM. Delivery is available through Uber Eats and DoorDash too. If you're coming by often, join the Tea Circle, our rewards program, so your regular order starts working for you.

Our 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. That's a lot of room to fit in a frozen drink, whether it's a mid-morning matcha freeze or a coffee-free creme after dinner.

Next time Coral Way is cooking, swing by specialTEA, Miami's Original Tea Lounge, at 10766 SW 24th St in the Columbia Shopping Plaza. Pick something cold, grab a seat on the patio, and stay as long as you like.