Taiwan Cafe

The food here is awesome! Lots of variation of authentic homemade taiwanese food. I got combo for $ 7 that comes with steamed rice, soup and three entrees! It’s self service and a bit traditional café. I enjoyed the food and will definitely come back!

The most affordable Taiwan style cafeteria tray experience in Plano. Quite a variety of home style dishes including 3 cups chicken, Lion head meatball, string bean and eggplant to name only a few. Meals come with free soup to boot. If you’re coming on the weekend, a selection of Chinese breakfast items like salty soybean milk, egg n scallion pancake and pot stickers will put a smile on your face.

Inexpensive and flavorful. I have had a lunch or two and find the place very nice, clean and service is good. As noted, this is not Tai style but more China taste and very traditional homemade. I have had and like the pork there. It is not American Chinese food. If you are visiting and want real Chinese food, this is the best place. Bathroom is clean!

Very cheap and yum !!! Everyday I come here to have a lunch. This is not Taiwan style, more like north China taste but very traditional homemade. My American friend like the pork there. It is not American Chinese food. If you are local people and wanna try sth real Chinese food, this is the best place to come.

It’s a gem! Best value and delicious too. Chinese home cooking style — steam rice plus 3 entrée selection combo for $ 6 all day. Awesome!

*business closed*
Arrived at 8ish on Friday night…
The place is closed and doesn’t feel its in business

The worst experience ever… Waited for more than an hour for «to go», while there were only one other table besides us in the restaurant. There were two tables of seniors playing card games?! Cannot understand…

This review is only on the bubble tea, but the food at the price point looks pretty darn fantastic too that would definitely interest me to come back.
But yeah. $ 2 for a boba. It’s dairy rich and milky which makes for great texture. enough tea taste to get you perked up and not too much sugar. Aka best $ 2 bubble tea I’ve had in a long time.
Hope to come back soon!

I think that the reviews on THIS SITE from 2009 or so were actually for the Taiwan Café 2… just across the parking lot. And, since 2009, owners for both of these places have changed — so my opinion is that TW2 is the winning option these days.
Confused? This place has a sign in English that says Taiwan Café. Their front door faces WEST.
I just prefer walking a few steps across the parking lot to Taiwan Café 2 for more complete food choices, Shaved Ice, Chinese Breakfast on the weekends — with more consistent quality.

Damn, their noodles are oily. It gave my husband really bad heartburn that lasted for 2 days. Well, I guess what can you expect for five dollar noodles.

This is Taiwanese/​Chinese home food. Not gourmet and the steel metal pans reflect that. For $ 6, you get 2 scoops of rice and your choice of 3 entrees. Dishes are hit and miss. Some are great and some, you need a good Thai Tea to wash it down.
Don’t expect fancy décor. This is mom & pop, minimalism.
A lot of their business is take-​out. For the Chinese community, this is the fast food option. Beats cooking it yourself.
As for their Bubble Tea and Thai Teas, I give it a big thumbs up. Why? Because they use REAL condensed milk. Most of the Bubble Tea places have replaced milk with non-​dairy creamer (read: cheap man-​made substitute). That stuff will kill you. Seriously. Non-​dairy creamer is a trans-​fat and is already banned in many cities and in Europe.
If your first experience with Bubble tea was at one of those big franchises, then you’ve had the non-​dairy version.
Yes, they have a couple of wall mounted tv’s blaring Chinese shows. Can be annoying, even if you understand the Chinese.
Go to Taiwan Café when all you have is $ 6 and need a fairly nutritious meal that beats McDonalds or any American fast food.

I am not sure why this place has so many stars … I haven’t tried the boba here, but I will review the food/​experience I had.
I went with my friend and honestly I felt like I was in prison. The metal trays, and the way she plopped down the scoops of rice/​food with this no nonsense furrowed brow; I felt like I did something wrong!
The food was mediocre; either very bland, or very salty. The place was not the best, and the mexican worker boy kept staring at me the whole time I tried to choke the food down. It sounds harsh, but it was really the worst food experience I’ve had for $ 5.50. I’m sure I would have had a better experience going to the McDonald’s drive through and getting 5 dollar menu items or going to Chick-​Fila, getting an IceDream cone with cash to spare (Can you tell I really hated it here?) I would never ever go back. I’ll find some other place for good boba. It’s just not worth it.

Had the all you can eat breakfast and it was decent. I would have to give it a four star for the food but a 2 star for the atmosphere. That is why the three star is given because of the whole experience. $ 6 and you are given a plate and shown the bowls and water glass. It is self service along with Taiwanese TV playing the latest news channel. Free Wifi and the password were given if asked.

Great, authentic Taiwanese food. Cash only. This is a great place to go for lunch, 5.50 with no tip! Woohoo! I think it’s a dollar more to add milk tea, which I’ve heard is really good but have never tried.
For your money you get a couple scoops of rice (better than most places that only give you one!), and three sides. There isn’t any English that I can remember, and often the lady serving will only speak Chinese. So, unless you know a little Mandarin — just point at what looks good (it’s all good). They also give you soup on the side.
The environment is relatively clean. The TV is always playing something in Chinese, whether the news or a game show. This gives it that authentic feel (the fact that I’m always the only white guy also gives it that feeling).
Remember, cash only. GO GET SOME!

I used to LOVE this place and came here at least once a week.
I went back today and found that the café is under new management and is more expensive (still cheap but more than it used to be).
The take out boxes they give you are smaller than the ones they used to give you.
The reason I gave this café a one star is because:
1. The food doesn’t taste Taiwanese so if you’re walking in expecting «Taiwanese food»
2. Most of the dishes are pretty salty and less than mediocre at best.
I will never go here again!

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! THE BEST TAIWANESE FOOD EVER!!! REAL AUTHENTIC! NON OF THAT FAKE BETHANYS STUFF THAT YOU GET IN ARLINGTON!
I always get their basil chicken and it is to die for if you know what i mean! and their milk tea too! it’s different from other places because it’s not too milky or sweet. its just perfect.
sometimes you get a lady that doesnt speak english at all and so you just have to point. I have trouble ordering a large milk tea with no boba and with lychee jelly instead. But yeah everybody is nice and value you as a customer!

Buy three get one free! Great place for boba tea. Extra pearls – no problem. Free. Unlike other places. Their pearl is always consistent. Always good.
Thai tea is awesome here. My favs
–Written by Lenh N.

This was THE place I went to when I first experienced boba tea. Back then there weren’t many places that served it. I always got the pearl milk tea.
I dropped by today after lunch with the hubby and ordered some green tea with boba ($ 2.50 for a regular, $ 3 for a large) to take back to the office. The tea was a little too sweet this time and the pearls were sweet and chewy but a little hard in the middle. I also got some thai tea with boba for my friend. She said hers was really sweet too but really good. I got her a large so they put two scoops of the sweetener.
I don’t speak Chinese so there was some disconnect between how I ordered and what the lady understood. She had to remake the Thai Tea because she didn’t put any cream in it. She was very nice about it though. I didn’t get any attitude. That’s always a good thing.
There always seems to be a steady flow of customers in this place. Every time I go there is always at least one or two other customers in the place. When I left there was a line behind me. I’m glad I got there when I did.

I think I’ve died and gone to California. Not quite Taiwan, but close enough.
If you want the REAL DEAL for boba, this is as close at it gets (unless you’re in California, and in that case, unless you’re in Taiwan). People, people, people — stop going to those nasty chains where they use Torani syrup and hard pearls. I know you *think* you love Fat Straws and Boba Latte and all that, but you really don’t know what you’re missing. (Hey…no hard feelings… hear me out!)
I was SO happy to see that there’s not a single Torani bottle in the place — all of their syrups and powders seem to be imported straight from Taiwan, the Boba Motherland. YESSSS. Trust me, it actually DOES make a difference.
Taipei Café has delicious, expertly mixed boba teas. My taro boba was light and flavorful with a hint of fragrant green tea (mmm). My boyfriend’s plain milk tea was just «plain» incredible — nothing plain about it. (A-ha.ha…)
The pearls were so well-​cooked that even after our drinks had sat in the car for almost 2 hours (oops), they were still delightfully chewy. I do wish that they’d sweeten the pearls with honey instead of sugar (it makes a HUGE difference and is more authentic, but sugar is of course cheaper). That’s my only complaint, and it’s my complaint across the board for all boba places in Dallas. So since you can’t get any better in that regard, I really have no complaints at all about Taipei Café. Nothing but love. Love, love, love.
Service was friendly, and the place is attractive inside, with lots of bright colors and flatscreen TVs. (This per the rule that all authentic boba places must have at least one TV showing cheesy Asian pop music videos.) It can be pretty quiet some nights (at least it was on my first visit), but don’t let that stop you from venturing inside. The people behind the counter will welcome you with a smile and make you feel right at home, and there’s nothing tricky or confusing about the menu.
*Note: this review is only for their boba tea… they have a ton of other stuff on the menu, kinda like most traditional boba places in Taiwan, where they serve little snack food items. But man, this place even has hot pot. Say what?! Might try that next time, just for kicks. And yes, there will DEFINITELY be a next time. The employees here are going to be my new best friends… they just don’t know it yet. {grin}

I LOVE the shaved ice here!
Superfine snow ice + condensed milk + pick your fruits or other toppings like custard, red bean, etc., stir it all up, and it’s soooo refreshing!!! Normally I need help finishing it all.
If the food is as good as this stuff, it will get 5 stars from me for sure!