Bamboo Boba Brings Bubble Waffles, Boba Tea, Smoothies To Glen Ellyn

GLEN ELLYN, IL — Bamboo Boba is now open in Glen Ellyn, offering classic and specialty boba tea, fruit refreshers, bubble waffles with sweet toppings, smoothies and more.

Rafay Siddiqui, who co-owns Bubble Boba with Irfan Safvi and Hitham Nakleh, told Patch he grew up in Glen Ellyn and loved popping into the shops and restaurants downtown while attending Glenbard West High School.

That experience was a big part of Siddiqui's inspiration to bring Bubble Boba to Glen Ellyn. The eatery, located at 531 Roosevelt Rd., hosted its soft opening in late February and is planning a grand opening in spring.

"I always loved trying different bubble tea flavors and desserts from different cultures, Siddiqui said.

The teas at Bubble Boba include traditional flavors like Thai milk tea, brown sugar milk tea, taro and white chocolate boba tea and matcha drinks.

Bamboo Boba also offers their own specialty drinks, which include fruit teas and a rotating menu of seasonal drinks.

Bubble waffles are a street food originated in Hong Kong, Siddiqui explained. The waffles are not flat, but feature a crispy outside with round bubbles formations that conceal a soft, warm inside.

At Bamboo Boba, the bubble waffles are made fresh and can be topped with ice cream, candy bits, chocolate, Oreos, Biscoff cookies and other goodies at the build-your-own bubble waffle station.

Customers can also order the eatery's signature bubble waffles. The pistachio black forest waffle tops a bubble waffle with pistachio cream, crumbled pistachios and ice cream, lending it a "nutty, slightly sweet flavor that pairs really well with the waffle texture," Siddiqui said.

Bamboo Boba also features smoothies that can be made with dairy milk or nondairy milk and are available in flavors that include horchata and birthday cake.

Siddiqui said the Birthday Cake smoothie is a "fun specialty drink that includes vanilla base, sweet cream flavoring, and colorful sprinkles to give it that classic birthday cake taste."

Siddiqui is happy to be bringing a new spot for Glen Ellyn residents to enjoy just as he did when he was a student.

"We felt it was the perfect place for a dessert and drink shop where families, students, and friends can come together and enjoy something different," he said.

He added, "Having ties to the school systems here, I really wanted to make this a place for college aged kids, elementary students, and parents."

Bamboo Boba is open Sundays through Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.