Thang’s French Coffee & Bubble Tea

My favorite place to come with the wife. I usually order the Thai Tea and the wife has the Honeydew. The only thing bad is the parking situation. Since it is in busy City Square where you have to fight for your spot, it can be challenging. Also, on a hot day, good luck, as you may have to wait in a long line before you get hydrated. Don’t worry, it’s worth the wait!

«Thang, Thang, Thang, Thang, Thang.» Can’t believe that I haven’t done a review for you. So, sorry that it took me this long to do one. You deserve all 5 stars. Yes, you do. No other bubble drink is as good as you are. I’ve tried many bubble drink establishments, but you are «The Best!»
You are the one and only place that I know of that uses FRESH FRUIT. The fresh fruit that you use makes the drinks soooooo yummmmy. I can tell that you use fresh fruit. It doesn’t have that powdery taste like the other places do. I can tell the difference. Yes, I can.
My family is cray cray over you. We crave for you all the time. Thang’s, you’ve become part of my family.
Our favorites are… strawberry, watermelon, taro, honeydew melon and peach.
Thank you for all you do for my family.
We love you, Thang’s.

I love that Thang’s uses fresh fruit! I typically get Honeydew but yesterday I decided to mix it up a little and add green tea to my honeydew! Both are amazing! I’ll update if I try more flavors!

Is this the real life? or is this just fantasy?
Have I dreamt of this elusive «Thangs» YES! However, I have never had the chance to even look for the place or attempt to drive into Kalihi due to their high volume of traffic and bumpy roads.
I’ve heard so many great things about this place, that their drinks are as fresh as it can be! It was my senior year of college, oh 2 years ago. and my friends from Kalihi would rave about this amazing place called Thangs, everyone seemed to enjoy everything and anything about this place.
It was a nice gloomy saturday, when my church friends and I were serving at the New Hope Metro, then my friends were talking about how close Thangs was to the church. Automatically I checked to see if I had cash on hand (just in case they only accept cash), praise! I found 6 bucks in my cluttered wallet. Besides the mission to serve others at church, it was my mission to accomplish savoring the elusive Thangs!
It was the end of the conference so a group of us gathered to trek down the road to thangs. It only took 2 minutes to get to thangs, right next to Kam Bakery and Sugoi!!! How did I not know this???
It was pretty busy when we got there, and by word of mouth it gets pretty packed most of the time.
Inside was so beautiful, my friend called it «The Garden of Eden» haha! crazy, but true, above our heads was a whole sealing full of greens and fruits (fake of course) and on the window pane were a variety of fruits being showcased.
Ordering was easy, the employees there were so friendly and amazing, although it was cramped and busy they still had such an amazing smile on their faces! :D
I’m pretty basic when it comes to boba drinks, I hardly get boba in my drinks only because some shops don’t get the consistency I really enjoy! And I always get fruity drinks like Green teas, lemonades, and sometimes Milk Teas.
I took a bold step and decided to go with the Taro/​Avocado WITH Boba!!! I was hesitant in getting it, but might as well go all out. Btw the price was outstanding for fresh fruit. $ 5! I couldn’t believe it. but it was truly reality!
It took about 10 minutes for all of our orders to come out. The first taste… basically a party orgasm in my mouth. The boba was perfect, the contrast of sweetness and the balance of the two flavors melted into an amazing creation!!! However, it was a bit too hearty for me, kinda like a meal, but overall it was the best experience ever, my standards for this place was more than I even expected!
I hope to come back soon and try all their drink creations! Im eyeing that Thai Tea: D

This is my first visit, but I will definitely need to return (hopefully soon)!
I was in the area looking for the DMV when I stumbled upon this place. The pictures look simply delicious, so I had to go in.
It’s a small shop with a couple tables and chairs. A little noisy, since the drinks are blended, but the staff is friendly and the service is quick!
For this visit, I purchased a banana and chocolate flavored drink with pearls. They use real, fresh fruits in all their drinks and the cost is extremely reasonable. Having working for Jamba Juice is the past, this is WAY better and much healthier.
They have a multitude of flavors to choose from. I highly recommend anyone to try this place out!

It may not state it on the record, but I am a regular here at Thang’s. I used to walk over every day from HCC to get me a midday snack. Quality bubble drinks are hard to come by (in my personal opinion) and I can confidently vouch for the quality that the folks here at Thang’s dish out on a regular basis.
The pros…1) FRESH ingredients! Due to the flavors they offer, Thang’s uses fresh fruit in all of their drinks. 2) The boba pearls are cooked just right most if not every time. Just the perfect texture & flavor because there IS a process to cooking boba FYI! I love it so much I order extra for $ 0.50. 3) The employees at this venue are always very friendly. This is probably because they know that during a lunchtime rush customers can get antsy about the wait. But nonetheless, friendly smiles are what I can typically expect. 4) Prices range from $ 4-​$ 6 depending on what flavor & additional treats you want to add to your drink. 5) FREE PARKING
The cons…1) No calling to order ahead. I’ve tried a number of times, they don’t pick up. 2) Parking is free, but limited around noon. 3) The wait during a rush could be up to 15 sometimes 20 minutes. I’ve come on a few occasions where parties ordered 7 or 8 drinks at a time. Perhaps the issue might be the finite number of blenders they can have going at a time.
Wrapping it up, Thang’s is not my #1 bubble drink joint on the island but when I’m in the Kalihi area I’ll stop by with a $ 5 bill and quench my thirst.

Living that boba life, one place at a time. Yup pretty much the joy I have now days thanks to summer school. After working in Kalihi, there’s so many times I’m tempted to get boba right after work or run off during lunch breaks. Parking is okay but can get pretty crowded especially during lunch time. Located near Kam bakery and Sugois, ta daaaah you have found it!
Drinks are made of real fresh fruit and not that powder fru fru thing. I’ve been there multiple times but after the first two times were the bubbles were kind of gross, I decided to skip it from now and just get the smoothies. Smoothies ranges in all different flavors like strawberry, taro, coconut, durian, mango, and more. I really like their pineapple. If you want two flavors, it’s .50 cents extra. Drinks range from $ 4.00-$ 5.00 depending what you get. For the price you receive a large cup. Definitely worth it! They also sell Thai tea and coffee as well!
Keep in mind, cash only! I couldn’t find an atm near by the last time I went so make sure you have some cash on you. Overall drinks are great! Everyone says their bubbles are good but after the first two experiences I just don’t want to chance it. Smoothies for the win!

Fresh fruits and many diverse types of bolba drinks, my favorite is the mung bean. Heard they increased their prices so might check out the downtown one. I think it’s still one of the best drink places out there

Vietnamese iced coffee w no pearls and stronger plus less sweet and less ice for $ 4.
A few co-​workers were so great to grab drinks on a Friday. They recommend the avocado smoothie… yum that’s next to try!
Give this place a try if you’re in the area. The owner is very no frills but nice!

We came here while waiting for another friend to fly into HNL. It’s located in some industrial looking neighborhood. For a second we thought we were going the wrong way…
Friend got a Thai Tea with Pearls (boba.) She said the boba could have been cooked better? Not a big boba drinker so I couldn’t tell you how it was supposed to taste. I got a Lychee smoothie and it was pretty good. Not too sweet.

Game changing boba. The taro is legit. Dare try the mix of coconut, banana or strawberry taro. Wow. Delicious. Cash only.

Best bubble drink on the island! This place is definitely underrated. My favorite drink is the lychee with tapioca pearls.
Bring cash!

Thang is hands down my favorite bubble drink shop on the island!
Imagine a hot and humid day, and quenching your thirst with a fresh fruit smoothie. Then, you get a textural surprise, a frozen boba! Each time I visit Thang, I am amazed by their great product, quick service and consistency. That’s what keeps me coming back over and over. Their flavors are innovative, and you can mix and match depending on your tastes and liking. My all time fave is the strawberry taro. My BF adores the orange milk which is kind of similar to a Jamba Juice Orange Dream Machine, but I’m sure their version is healthier. Fresh orange and milk blended to perfection for a delicious and refreshing treat.
Thangs boba are so fresh, and cooked to perfection. I’ve had my fair share of bubble drinks, and I’ve been through it all. Overcooked, undercooked, sweetened mush — you name it! Thangs boba are always consistent, with the perfect amount of springiness and softness. Words do not do their boba justice. Try it yourself!
Be sure to stop for cash at the nearby 7 – 11, they do not accept credit/​debit cards

$ 5 flat! Cash only.
I’m Asian I love bubble drinks. End of story. This location is near the DMV. Parking is better compared to their first place. in Chinatown and close to home for me. Woo!
Ok now the flavor… I’m sorry I’m that weird person who goes for the exotic flavors. I haven’t found much places who will serve the Asian flavors. like jack fruit and soar sop…
I love durian… if you haven’t had it before (you’ll hate my breathe, I’ve heard people say durian smells like pooop. it’s a acquired thing) so think of having garlic breathe but durian.
I always come here for their durian boba and It usually satisfy my craving. The tapioca is a little chewy and sometimes frozen, that’s the only thing I don’t like.
They are kinda busy… wait is around 10mins but it’s worth it! They have tables and chairs that you can sit if not to busy. Small shop.

My coworker spoke highly of this place and recommended I give it a try. I explained that I did not like tapioca pearls but he still recommended that I at least give it a try here stating that the pearls here are different than most other places.
They are located in Dillingham Square, the same lot as the DMV and Chuck E. Cheese but on the other side of the lot towards Kam Bakery side. When we came there was a lot of parking but seeing as there’s a lot of places in the area I can imagine parking can get pretty crazy around peak times.
There is only one size available and it’s huge especially for the price. Honestly, I think I would have been better off sharing one rather than trying to take it on myself. I tried the Strawberry Taro since I saw it was one of their popular items and my friend tried the Avocado with pearls even though he doesn’t like avocado… Weird, I know. Surprisingly he liked it though although neither of us were able to finish our drinks. I tried the pearls, and I admit they were really soft and chewy unlike the ones I had tried before. However, I came to the conclusion that I just don’t like them, sorry!
I like that they use real fruit for their drinks since a lot of places use powder and real fruit makes me feel like I’m making healthy decisions. All in all, I would definitely come back if I am ever in the area and I’m craving a smoothie.

Atmosphere is a 10, perfect for grab and go. Very clean! The owners are usually behind the counter smiling and very welcoming. They are very consistent in the way they make their blended drinks. Best avocado and taro shake ever!

This bubble tea shop has legit boba and tea drinks. They use real fruit ingredients in their drinks unlike other places who use flavored powder. Located in Kaliha city square plaza across from Pancakes and Waffles BLD.
I ordered one of my usual and typical boba drinks: taro with big boba. The size looks like a large size and especially for $ 4.00 without paying for tax. Yes they do not add sales tax to your order!!! Great deal for a boba drink. Most drinks cost over $ 4 to 5 depending on additional boba, pudding or small boba to your order. And there is sales tax.
The menu is simple to follow and order. They got strawberry boba, avocado, lychee, honeydew, papaya, coconut, mungbean with boba and so forth. All drinks are $ 5 or under. It appears they all got the same size drink not a variety of sizes for a higher cost.
I will come back and try the avocado and lychee boba drinks.
Can’t go wrong with boba :)

Taste good, fast, and clean place, worth your money. Very good flavors. Fast service and friendly.

Love this place! Have tried an assortment of their bubble drinks and it has always been consistently fresh, yummy and oh so refreshing! My favorite is the mango (when in season). I also love their watermelon and iced coffee (#21). I usually get their drinks without the tapioca and I usually ask them not to add the sweetener. This place easily gets busy and the parking is crazy, especially during lunch hour.

A very decaffeinated guy led us to Thang’s as our last stop before heading to the airport after our vacation. While this place isn’t really what we had in mind for a coffee shop, we ended up walking away with something much better — fresh fruit smoothies!
THE HIGHLIGHTS.
+ Fresh fruit, blended into smoothies of your own creation (I recommend papaya-​pineapple!)
+ Friendly, easy-​going staff
+ Huge selection of fresh fruits for custom drinks
~ Decent parking outside (but some terrible drivers)
— Cash only (something you should be used to on this island, I’d think)
The guy and I ended our last morning in Hawaii very enjoyably with two ice cold fruit smoothies on the shuttle to the airport. I’d definitely hit this place up again on the way to/​from the airport. Worth checking out!

The best watermelon bubble drink I’ve ever had. They are always busy every time I go so be expected to wait. Also is cash only.

Oh my, Thangs, I’m in love! I requested a milk tea (on the menu) that is not too sweet (not on the menu). Wanted it to be like those adjustable sweetness milk tea places. (I usually get it at 25% sweetness). The manager or owner was happy to comply. I typically shy away from bubble drinks because of the sweetness and ridiculous calories but will indulge sporadically if I can have it concocted to my tastes. This. Was. Heavenly. Blended ice not too sweet milk tea w/​boba! Delish! The tapioca balls were so soft and pleasantly chewy — but more soft than chewy. Boba perfection! A Kalihi hidden gem.

I tried this place after I was discussing my experience at Shaka Shaka with a coworker. Thang’s seems to be run by a Vietnamese family whereas Shaka Shaka is run by a Chinese family (Taiwanese). The service here is not very good as they get quite impatient when you ask about what they put in their smoothies. The older man very impatiently stated, «We only use fresh fruits! How can I help you!» And this was at about 10:00am on a weekday when no-​one else was in the store. I ordered the Avocado with Taro smoothie.
It was very good, I must say. BUT I am very skeptical about the Taro. The drink was very sweet and they refused to show me what they used for the Taro. Was it actually fresh boiled Taro? Was it frozen? Was it mixed with some type of syrup? I strongly suspect it was mixed with some type of syrup or sugar because that was the only thing I noticed that they put in the smoothie that did not look like fresh fruit at all. They could have put other things in there but I could not see the smoothie well since two people were blocking my view of it. (kinda like they were working with some specimen in a lab)
Anyway, some people don’t mind if what Thang’s use is really only fresh fruit or not. I decided to give them three stars for the simple fact that when I asked if they would make me a customized smoothie they said no problem. So, they are rough around the edges but they seemingly just want to get you in and out the door so it seems like they will accommodate any quirky requests you may have. For now, they get three stars from me.

Bubble tea smoothies are on point!!! I ordered Taro&Coconut also Pineapple&Mango both with pearls! The taro was amazing it wasn’t sweet but the flavor was so onolicious, the mango tastes like Hayden mango RIPE mango not sour and it was so good!!! I’ll be back before I head home for the mainland

Ain’t no thang like Thangs!
This location is conveniently located close to my workplace so my coworkers and I frequent it all the time. Usually one of us picks it up, so it’s not often that I’m there.
Among the delicious array of smoothie and drinks alike, my favorite thing to get is mango smoothie and Vietnamese iced coffee with regular sweetness. I don’t prefer boba with smoothies, so I usually opt out.
There’s a great selection of things to try and they are all fresh and delicious. If you find yourself in the area and craving a sweet, delightful drink treat, stop by Thangs!

I’ve only tried two items here over the past few years, but once you find a good thing, you just don’t mess with it. This place makes some of the most Thai-​tea-​flavored Thai Tea ever. Their green tea is also really good too, but occasionally that can be on the powdery side. The bubbles here aren’t that great. They’re actually overcooked and mushy on a fairly consistent basis. That being said though, the Thai Tea more than makes up for it. An added bonus here is their price: $ 3.50 for a drink – basically unbeatable. Remember that they’re cash only. Definitely stop by after going to the surrounding DMV and Satellite City Hall; everyone deserves a good drink after having to deal with their garbage.

The best place to get fresh fruit boba is thangs! I’m glad my cousin introduced this place to me because I can’t get enough. Especially on a hot day! Whenever I’m on this side of the island I have to stop by thangs!
It can get crowded in mid day when it’s the hottest, but the service is good and it doesn’t take long for them to make it. I’ve tried a few different things. My favorite is the green tea, milk tea, or piña colada, all with pearls. I’ve tried the taro, but I’m not a fan of it. In my opinion, it’s a little bland. I also tried the strawberry banana, and lychee flavored ones.
Great place! Parking is a little tight and sometimes it can get really busy, especially on the weekends. But parking isn’t going to stop me from getting my Thangs fix! :)

I’ve only been to Thang’s twice, but it’s easily one of my favorite spots for boba on the island.
I like the drinks at Thang’s because they’re more like smoothies. Even if you get one of the fruity ones, you can rest assured that they make the drinks with fresh fruits.
During my first trip to Thang’s, I went with my best friend. I didn’t realize it was in the same plaza as Pancakes and Waffles, which I’ve been to and enjoyed twice so far.
There has always been a crowd of people whenever I visited Thang’s … I guess that’s just testament as to how legit or great the place is. When I came to this small shop for the second time with my cousin, it was a particularly warm day, and I was appalled at how many people were squeezed into that small store!
Here’s what I’ve enjoyed on my trips to Thang’s so far:
«Mocha Coffee»: At first, I was griping at how much this drink cost, but when I saw the portion, I realized that I neeed to stop complaining. You definitely get your money’s worth here. I usually finish any cold drink really quickly, but at Thang’s, I was content to sip on my «Mocha Coffee» flavor because it was really cold and because the smoothie was thicker, I couldn’t drink it quite so fast. I really appreciated the strong, mocha flavor … and there must have had a good amount of caffeine in there because I drank this drink in the early evening … and I stayed up all night after that. If I ever get this refreshing option again, it will be earlier in the day!
«Taro»: My friend really likes the taro drink from this place, and she opted for hers with boba (I got mine without). The taro drink definitely had that signature lavender hue and my friend said she could aptly taste the flavor. She likes the boba from this place because it’s chewy, but not overly soft nor overly firm. She says that taro drinks are her go-​to so the version from Thang’s was right up her alley.
«Strawberry»: My cousin really liked the strawberry smoothie from this place because it truly tasted like fresh strawberry. She said it was one of the best strawberry smoothies she’s ever had and she would order it again in a heartbeat. Strawberry tends to be her go-​to option, but she was really impressed with this Thang’s smoothie.
«Chocolate»: I got this drink on my second trip to Thang’s. I really did like my «Mocha Coffee» drink, but I wanted to try something different on my second trip. The chocolate option was definitely chocolaty and it was very refreshing. I have a high sweets tolerance, but this drink had a light chocolate flavor, so it wasn’t as sweet as it definitely could have been.
«Iced Coffee»: If I just want a plainer drink and need caffeine, I would go for this simple iced coffee option. All of the drinks that I’ve had from Thang’s so far have been delicious, and I’m curious to see what their iced coffee tastes like. Here’s to hoping it’s like a sweet, Vietnamese iced coffee that I usually really like.

Perfect for this HOT weather.
Thang’s has been my GO TO place when it came to bubble drinks. The thing that sets them different from everywhere else that I go is the fact that they use fresh fruit and their boba is the best… so far that I have tasted. It CAN get busy here, so be prepared to wait which would most likely consist standing due to the small space. But don’t be fooled, it’s ultra yummy!
I like to get a combination of my two favs: chocolate & strawberry w pearl. OMGAHHH!!!

Wow! I decided to visit this place after I came across the rave reviews. Bubble tea is my thing! I couldn’t decide on what fresh fruit I wanted as a smoothie with boba, so I decided on a Thai Iced Tea with boba for $ 3.50. What a great price for a drink in a venti sized cup. It’s ice blended with the tapioca pearls added. OMG. They definitely know how to cook their tapioca right! I normally like my tea shaken on ice, but as a blended drink it’s still pretty good. Wow. I’m chewing the pearls as I write this and I’m still amazed at how well the tapioca came out. Even when they’re placed in a frozen drink! Kudos to the staff blending the drinks. AWESOME!
Went back just 1-​day after my first visit and tried the Mango Pineapple with pearls for $ 4.50. Sooooo good! If you love mango, you will love this drink. Not too sweet and a perfect drink after a good workout in the morning.

I came here on my last trip to Hawaii and I was impressed!
Being from southern California which has too many boba shops to count, my standards for boba are pretty high. However, Thang’s definitely lived up to my expectations. Normally I’m not a huge fan of fruity boba drinks since they don’t taste that fresh back home *cough* some of them use powder instead of real fruit *cough*. Thang’s drinks were some of the freshest tasting boba drinks I have ever had in the USA. Being that it is super hot and humid in Hawaii, this place is a must go!
I ordered their blueberry banana boba and it was amazing! Normally this combo is sort of a miss for me since often times all I taste is banana, but Thang’s version was delicious. I also tried their mango smoothie with boba and that was tasty as well. Majority of their drinks use REAL FRUITS with some exceptions like coconut I believe. Portions are big and good value for your money. Boba was just right, not too gushy and not too hard. You can also get no boba if you’re not a fan of it. It cost $ 0.50 to mix two flavors and $ 1 to mix three flavors.
Service is good, they’re not slow about making the drinks and quality was good. Don’t forget to bring cash as this place is CASH ONLY.
Location is in a shopping plaza on Kalani Street. There is a good lunch place called Sugoi that serves lunch plates so what I would do is get lunch at Sugoi, then go to Thang’s for a boba drink, and then head to the beach to feast.
Definitely will be coming back when I’m in Honolulu!

This review is a little premature because I’ve only tried the lychee boba. It was the only thing in the case that was not fresh but I love lychee. Boba was very soft but it was consistently soft. I’m not sure how I feel about the very soft boba yet. Aside from that, the lychee was good and I love the clean seating area. I also like all the plastic plants on decorating the ceiling. The biggest challenge here was the parking. I ended up using metered parking Kohou street.
I’ll have to try the real fresh fruit next time.

Hands down, my favorite bubble tea place ever! They have another location in downtown but rarely do I find myself in Chinatown so thankfully they opened one in city square, by the Dillingham DMV, so much closer to home!
The most freshest fruit/​drink smoothies you’ll ever find, in my opinion that is. Living in Hawaii, to beat the summer heat we have all year round, this would be the best way to cool down. They offer a variety of smoothies, teas, and coffee flavors. The best part about it is that the fruit smoothies are made with real fruit ingredients and not your artificial flavorings. The coffee is always made with real coffee and you may have it sweetened also.
It surrounds other local food places as well so it’s a good sense of location if you want to stop by for lunch before refreshing yourself with a drink. The price for its portion is definitely reasonable. It can actually be so filling for even just one sitting because its such a huge cup. You can also have it in combo selection for 50 cents more if you want a mixture of different fruits. My usual go to drinks are either the strawberry/​banana combo or a sweetened coffee drink with boba. Their bobas are addicting as well and they sure are generous with their boba servings also.
CASH ONLY!!! but how can you not at least have $ 5 in your wallet to get a drink for yourself. Service and quality of the drinks has always been consistent for all the times I’ve been there. Depends on what time of the day you go, expect a line because it is a popular place especially on a hot day. Always worth the wait though.
The interior is always bright and welcoming every time I enter. Suits well with the product they serve as there’s fruit design decals on the wall as well as an overhead fruit decoration. Before you enter the store, there’s also the menu outside if you want to decide what you want to get before you go to the register. Definitely worth trying!

Some people need coffee. Some need tea. Others may need some kind of soda or energy drink to feel reinvigorated. I haven’t quite mastered the coffee taste buds just yet and tea is always a welcome treat but I seem to need something more. Since I discovered bubble drinks, I’ve discovered fresh fruit bubble drinks and have come to rely on them to reenergize both my mind and body after a long day of hard work. Thang’s II has become my perfect pick me up.
Find a good variety of the freshest fruit bubble drink smoothies at a very reasonabe price sold here. Add huge, chewy tapioca bubbles for a fantastic optional treat for a $ 4 drink total.
When I first began coming here, I set out to try every flavor. So far I’ve tried lychee, avocado, watermelon, papaya, honeydew melon, papaya, papaya, papaya, papaya, and hey, did I say. um, «papaya»? hehe Whoops, guess I got a little more than stuck on… papaya, huh? =)
You may not like papaya as much as I do but don’t be too surprised if you should happen to order the same fruit drink over and over. I am finding that no matter which flavor I select, I am sure to receive something cold, refreshing, thick, fresh, and delicious!
First heard about this delight thru fellow Yeeps, Tanya A., Dave F., Nick E., & Jarod H., and so glad I finally gave it a try. Kudos to these bubble drink expert Yeeps — my tummy thanks you! :)

Let me just start by saying that I am absolutely obsessed with their boba. I work nearby and despite the fact that they’re cash only, I always try to find time to come here (stopping by the atm beforehand of course.) They use the freshest fruits I’ve ever seen and it’s no joke because they have the most perfectly cut and sliced fruits displayed in their glass refrigerator. I swear the first time I saw it I thought they were fake.
Taste-​wise, I’ve found them to be totally on point too. Not too sweet, not too sour, but just right. My favorites so far are the honeydew and the watermelon, but they even have weirder fruits too like papaya and avocado and a whole bunch of things that I’m sure someone would wanna try.
Overall 5/​5, would recommend :)