Positioned on Lee Drive near LSU, BesTeas Sip & Bite is a spot to hang out, study, play games, sip and snack.
“BesTeas: like, bring your best friend,” says owner Vanessa Le.
The new boba shop boasts drinks like brown sugar milk tea and strawberry matcha; food like banh mi, tornado potatoes, egg rolls and spring rolls; and desserts like gelato, taiyaki and bubble waffles. Its grand opening was Dec. 28, 2024, but it has been long in the works for Le.
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She took a leave from her job as a nurse at Ochsner Health for the opening. Her plan is to work part of the day at Ochsner and the rest at the café.
“I’ve always wanted a café or bubble tea shop,” Le says.
The idea for Besteas was born before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the stars didn’t align until recently when she was able to acquire the space on Lee Drive that was previously home to Jamaican Vibes Cuisine.
The interior is awash in blush pinks and rich greens. Le sourced decor herself online, and her favorite pieces in the store are the chairs she picked: plush rose velvet lounge seating and pastel dining chairs.
“I like to decorate,” Le says. “I like cutesy stuff.”
Le had a lot of support from her family and friends in the creation of BesTeas, and for the opening she received several gifts for good luck, including plants and household ornaments like a porcelain cat figurine.
Even the food in the café is made in-house by her mother. For Mardi Gras season, she stocks king cakes from Hi-Do Bakery in Terrytown. She also carries an assortment of locally made Japanese cheesecakes from EM’s Bakery. The artfully decorated cakes are airy and not quite as sweet as American cheesecake, available in flavors like classic cheesecake, ube, strawberry, Fruity Pebbles and coffee.
But the drinks are the mainstays at BesTeas, and customers can choose between bubble tea, milk tea, fruit tea, smoothies, coffees, sparkling bevs, frozen hot chocolate and ice-blend slushies. The lychee rose sparkling drink is a favorite of Le’s. Carbonated and refreshing, it’s studded with jelly and juicy popping boba.
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The collection of Taiwan-style bubble tea consists of either black tea, oolong tea or green tea, with milk and flavored syrup added in. BesTeas’ bubble teas are non-dairy, but can also be made with regular milk upon request. Le makes the chewy, starchy tapioca pearls with a machine. The process generally takes about half an hour, she says.
BesTeas Sip & Bite is at 1082 W. Lee Drive, Suite B. It is open Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. For more information, visit besteasbr.com.