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Estea Beverage Club
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Taiwanese Food Juice Bars & Smoothies Coffee & Tea, Taiwanese, Juice Bars & Smoothies [Edit]
6401 KingswaySte 120
Burnaby, BC V5E 1E1
(604) 438-0186
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 1 am
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 2 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Estea Beverage Club
22 reviews in English
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Review from Diana L.
3/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Parking is a good start. There's a parking lot in the back and free parking on the street.
The restaurant has had a makeover since I was last there. It looks quite nice, and the seating is comfortable. The washroom is still unclean, but I am not entirely surprised.
The food itself is typical of a bubble tea house but not outstanding.
I give this restaurant a three because it is comfortable and parking is easy. -
Review from Amy T.
4/28/2012
Like so many before me expressed, Estea lacks service. I walked into the place and wasn't greeted for a few minutes. Standing there like idiots, my friend had to go look for someone to seat us.
When we were finally seated, it took a while to get a waitress to take our orders. For some reason, my drink took an extra 25 minutes to make. My friend had his drink and all our food had already come out. I understand if it's a 5... maybe 10 minute difference, but 25 was too long in between.
The food and drinks were typical BBT items. Nothing out of the ordinary. -
Review from Ellen L.
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mango Yogurt Slush ($4.75) - ummm, where was the advertised premium yogurt?! I was tempted to ask whether they just gave me a regular mango slush. Otherwise alright for your generic artificially flavoured BBT/slush.
CASH ONLY. -
Review from Edward L.
Even though it doesn't compare to Asia, Estea does have one of the better bubble teas in town. They're run by authentic Taiwanese people, and best of all, their product is consistent. After the latest round of renovations a few years back, this one looks very similar to the Richmond chain.
Parking is available on the street. There are also a few spots in the back in a small private lot.
Today my waitress looked like a porcelain doll. It was actually a bit freaky. Normally they're dolled up (no pun intended), but this one was like something you'd find in a horror flick. Not sure if this is a turn-on for FOB guys, but in Canada, this don't fly.
They have the typical snacks you'd find in other Taiwanese places. The snacks are, to be honest, quite mediocre. Sometimes the food is soggy too. But the good news is that they won't kill you.
It's the drinks that generally stand out. I like how they don't make them too sweet (common problem with other places), and that there is at least the choice to have certain drinks made with real fruit - some other places use nothing but cancerous powder.
There are other choices in this area (such as The One and Pearl House), but this one easily has the largest seating area. Something to keep in mind if you don't want to fight hordes of Asian kids to get to your seat. -
Review from Andrea L.
Vancouver, BC
11/23/2011
It's not bad, service decent, the bubble tea sizes can be kind of skimpy, I remember the first time I came here, I absolutely hated how I paid $5+ for bubble tea that was FULL of ice, service in a dinky brandy glass.
I'm not sure if they're realizing that people appreciate regular sized drinks, but I see they use the brandy glasses a little less now? Or maybe its just me. The food portions are not too bad either.
The only pain is sometimes when you are wanting to pay, it takes a few tries or you walking up to the till.. -
Review from Henry B.
Vancouver, BC
6/28/2011 11 Check-ins Here
Another typical Taiwanese bubble tea place in Burnaby. The food is average and the bubble tea is not good quality. I tried their curry beef with rice and it's just not up to the standards of a good restaurant. The rice seems under cooked, very sticky and the beef is small portioned and needs to be more tender.
Their service is the worst part as the customers are just being ignored. You can see customers waving to get attention to get their orders or bills but the staff just plain ignores everyone. I only come here for bubble tea on the run. -
Review from Maria W.
Vancouver, BC
6/28/2011
I used to go to Estea a lot more many years back, but haven't been in a while...mainly because there are so many good bbt places around now.
Going back again, the place is definitely nicer after the renovations.
I didn't have any food this time around, but some of the friends I was with did. One got the pickled veggie soup with glass noodles...she didn't give it the thumbs up, but did mention that the peanuts, which came as a side dish, were pretty good - "roasted to perfection"
Another friend had the grilled cheese sandwhich...which looked to me more like a club sandwich than grilled cheese. It came with fries, which I heard weren't great either.
So overall I got a feeling of two thumbs down on food.
For drinks, we got a japansese green tea, a chocolate mint bbt, and a honey green milk tea. I'd say overall the drinks were pretty standard, nothing spectacular.
I give the place a 2 star review overall because there's a lot more bbt joints out there now that have much better food and drinks. -
Review from Cyndi H.
Vancouver, BC
4/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The space is clean, bright and happy--as many HK cafe's are. The brisket was tasty (thanks for the recommendation, Trina) but my bubble tea was a zero-star. Those pearls just shouldn't have been served: mushy and old. I awkwardly tried to sip through a straw without catching the slime. No easy feat.
Come here for a quick bite with friends... but pass on the tea unless you can sample a pearl first.
*sigh* I wish Dragon Ball would release their perfect-pearl-secret to the world, then boba's everywhere could be delectable! -
Review from Fritz S.
4/2/2011
OH HEELLLZ NO
Last week i needed Boba BADLY!! i was too lazy to hit up bubbleworld (the only place u should get boba in my opinion.. ) so i decided to hit this place up. I immidieatly regreted my decision to come here!
First off, it took forever to flag down a server
second, the food took way too long
third, the boba was WACK! and also took so long to make..
"Excuse me miss? i believe i ordered the honey milk tea without SLIMEY BUBBLES!!!" !!!
I went home later that night with an upset tummy. oh man! never again..... -
Review from Lucinda C.
Vancouver, BC
1/8/2011
I remember coming here when I was in highschool and after graduation, I kind of stopped because of other bbt places that have popped up closer to where I live.
I came here last night with 20 other people. We ordered our drinks and each person's drink came half and hour later. It didn't feel like half an hour because we were all chatting away about our upcoming weekend and other things that were coming up this year. All our drinks came except for 3 people's drink. They waited and waited, and waited. By the time their drinks came, we were ready to leave.
While my 3 three friends were waiting for their drinks, I asked the others how were their drinks. The people that sat around me all said the same thing. It was too sweet. One even said that I think I'm going to start sweating because it's so sweet!
The drinks are pretty to look at. The owners should really try the drinks out before he/she puts it on the menu. -
Review from Dru C.
3/19/2011 3 Check-ins Here
A typical Taiwanese Bubble Tea Restaurant.
A place to grab mediocre priced drinks and food. It is a little bit far away for most students, but I don't come here anymore due to the lack of service.
Their food is like most typical Taiwanese places, so it is nothing special. I am kinda happy they recently added Free WiFi (March 18, 2011 visited). As they are trying to grab more people to come.
The people that work there are plenty, but does not pay attention to customers. I was very disappointed. All the staff talk with each other all the time, and sometimes ignore customers. Yes the place is huge and maybe you need a lot of people on staff, but must you have like 11 employees behind the counter and talk loudly in Mandarin that you can hear the conversation across the restaurant?
I like the decor and the interior design. But, with that alone can not get any points if the staff are useless...
I can only see this place to grab take-out bubble tea drinks and that is it. Sorry to say guys, gotta improve your service and don't make the place so obvious. Something special is always good. -
Review from Trina A.
Coquitlam, BC
1/6/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Solid bubble tea and food. I always get the curry beef brisket and omelet. The bubble tea is good no matter what I get. My usuals are either passionfruit slush with pearls, or hot green milk tea.
The staff is horrible though. Don't expect great service. If they make a mistake with your order, you have to fight with them to get it corrected. And if you want water, specify that you want it COLD. Yes, they will give it to you warm. -
Review from Marc Daniel E.
Surrey, BC
I like the food at this joint, portions are big and price is cheap. They also have a wide selections of Bubble Tea (I recommend any of the Calpico drinks). The place looks kinda nice as well, especially after the renovations they did a few years back. There's tons of parking around as well, if their lot in the back fills up, park in front on Kingsway or beside A&W.
Unfortunately the staff is most definitely horrible, they're either really rude or just really slow or just seems like they hate their jobs. This place is no exception to poor service and Asian establishments. They also seem to make a lot of mistakes with your orders, so make sure you say what you want clearly or they will give you something totally different.
The other upside to this place, which is why its an "A-OK" with me, is the fact that they accept debit at this establishment, something very uncommon for a bubble tea cafe! -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
12/2/2009
* Mediocre Taiwanese drinks and snacks *
This was my first time visiting Estea, but based on previous reviews it no longer is what it used to be - the quality just wasn't there.
The Taiwanese chicken nuggets were not well seasoned, and had too much breading. The rice with meat sauce had very little meat in the sauce, and the rice was mushy. The sides of marinated soybeans and cabbage were both overly oily and lacked seasoning. The taro milk tea tasted overly powdery.
Service was very friendly and on top of things though at least.
But overall "meh!" -
Review from Jason D.
Vancouver, BC
8/20/2010
I have been here on several occasions. The Bubble Tea is pretty solid and is def. better than bubble world. The food is pretty good for what it is. I order the chefs special usually and it is satisfying.
On the downside the service is not top notch and very un organized.(being non asian I accept that) You often wait a while before being served and each order is brought at seperate times rather than all together.
However I would go back -
Review from Sophia M.
6/20/2009
One review? Seriously? Vancouver, darling, you don't Yelp! Or is it all about keeping a secret?
This place is packed in the evenings! And it definitely has the absolutely best bubble tea I've tasted in Vancouver. You know better? Really? Let me know, please! The variety, the quality, the abundance of bubble teas available from fresh fruit... Hot (mmm, milky sesame) or cold (lychee green tea, milky coconut, kiwi etc)! I love, love bubble tea! Thank you, the guy from college, who took me on a date to bubble tea! And I'm sorry that I do not remember your name.
If you are not a fan of bubble teas, get their slush! Red bean green tea slush made thick, from green tea ice cream, you are my God. Mango slush, no need to get jealous, you are very, very good too. Hungry? Their shaomai is very tasty too (takes 15 minutes to make though).
It's a good place to hang out with your friends, or do your homework (though it is kind of loud). People come, play cards, read, talk. Service is slow and the staff cares less about you, but who the hell cares when you got a place to study and sip the best bubble tea?!
(Oh, and there are lots of Aisan glamour magazines you can look at and giggle.)
They DO NOT accept credit cards.
And it's the Asian-Canadian crowd's favourite place so bring a friend to talk to - English is seldomly spoken here. -
Review from Lisa N.
Vancouver, BC
3/24/2010
Came here for the second time. I have a problem with this place, I'm torn about coming here for good bubbletea, but the people who work here makes me not want to go. Both times I went, there was just utterly terrible service.. and most of the servers don't understand half of what you're saying, and they screw up your orders too. And some of the girls dress.. inappropriately for work.
There's a limit of 2 hour seating. The drinks and food take a long time to arrive. And last time my bf's friend ordered his drink, they messed it up as a to go order, and asked all his friends to leave because you cannot drink a to go drink in the store. Wtf?! They messed up my friend's order of chicken with noodles, and took forever for the soya pudding with pearls.. which tasted so bland.
Why did I give them only a 3 for food? They're drinks are great, definitely above your normal Bubble World or Little Tea House, but the actual food isn't that great.
The atmosphere of the place is very cool, nice vibe. Really like it. Comfy chairs and stuff, clean, modern. Good hangout place with friends. Too bad there's a time limit.
I probably won't be back anytime soon, especially since I heard that Chill is better. We'll see. -
Review from Lauren N.
Updated - 8/17/2009
It breaks my heart to do this, but I have to. Okay, so I'm not really heart-broken that Estea's quality has gone down the drain. Actually, it's more like it's been flushed. To sewage depths.
I used to love this place -- like really, really loved it -- but my recent trip back to Burnaby has opened my eyes. The quality of the bubbletea has gone down, it's now runny and watered down. You have to specifically ask for pearls, otherwise you have to drink enough tea from your glass so that there's room to add the pearls. For reals. I was not too impressed.
The restaurant has been given a new look, looking more like a classy modern restaurant and less like the comfortable cafe hang-out it used to be. Probably new owner or something. Yeah, it looks nice, but what good is that if my waitress is telling me to chug down my bubbletea cause I was too stupid to specify that I wanted pearls in my drink?
The menu may also have expanded a bit, but quality is so much more important than quantity, a lesson Estea seriously has yet to learn. If you're really hungry and must get something, get the popcorn chicken stuff, although I think it's called deep-fried chicken strips or dumplings on the menu.
So overall, I was sorely disappointed. The best part about my visit to Estea? The hilarious messages on the girl's bathroom walls.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/23/2008 First to Review
This Estea location was my favourite hangout for my frequent bubbletea cravings when I used to live… Read more »
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Review from Wendy C.
West Vancouver, BC
3/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I remember coming here as a teenager cause it was the bbt place to be. But everything now is pretty average and the decor is pretty much the same. Considering the location, I'll probably drive to a better bbt cafe for the same distance.
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Review from Mark H.
1/4/2010
I don't know why some people tell me this place has the best bubble tea in Vancouver, because they sure as heck don't. When we went, it took over 30 min to get our tea after repeating asking. What really pissed me off was that a family who arrived much after us got their food before we got our bubble tea! Servers really didn't care and the tea itself was poor. Pass on this one.
Listed in: 1 Star 'Gems'
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Review from lafawnduh e.
Vancouver, BC
4/17/2010
the drinks and food is okay. i really like the strawberry yogurt or green tea slush.
service can be terrible sometimes, depending on the waitress.
ive had an idiot girl clean the table when i was not even done with the food yet. she picked up my plate without asking while, the fork in my hand is still digging at the food.
im pretty sure they recognize me because when i go in a group, im always the LAST to get my drink! or sometimes it wont come at all because theyre "out" of it. lol.
its a good day if the waitress speaks perfect english lol -
Review from Janet J.
Vancouver, BC
3/24/2011
Just like some other raters, I used to come to Estea all the time when I was in high school, they where THE place. I haven't visited this place much in the last few years because of all the other BBT places.
I went back there not too long ago and brought my husband with me. I was extremely disappointed with them and left feeling angry. The food and drinks were mediocre at best, definitely not even close to the quality they had in the past. What threw me off the edge was their ridiculous service. The service was slow and the waitresses were very unattentive. But this is notI went in there and spoke to the waitress in Mandarin but since she saw my husband who is Caucasian, she decided to respond to me in English when in fact I spoke in Mandarin to her first. I proceeded to speak to her again in Mandarin yet she persisted in English. I asked her if she does not understand Mandarin she then responded in Mandarin and said she did. I subsequently placed my order. Then, the next thing I realized is that they took away the standard chopsticks and replaced them with forks (I can see it on other tables that people were offered chopsticks). I then asked the waitress for chopsticks which she returned with one pair only and gave it to my husband. Can you believe it, not only was I discriminated, but I was discriminated by people of my own ethnicity, that is just absolutely ridiculous!!! I was livid.
I will NEVER go back t this place again and neither would my friends who knows my experience.
If I can give a negative star I would, if I could use foul language on here to express how angry I am, I would.
