machi machi Boston 麥吉 - Allston, Massachusetts

Jea Kim

Creative drinks with layered sips but a bit overpriced.

When Machi Machi first opened, it felt like they were getting all the boba business in the area. I still remember braving the hype last December, only to retreat after facing an hour-long wait. Fast forward to summer, and I finally returned to try their hyped signature drinks.

Machi Machi’s drinks come in sleek plastic bottles, artfully layered with toppings that range from minimalist to downright complex. Some have just two layers, while others are stacked with four or five. For simpler panna cotta-based drinks, their “don’t mix” recommendation works beautifully. But for the multi-layered ones, the experience is a bit disjointed—the flavors and textures seem to operate independently.

While the aesthetic appeal is undeniable, the overall flavors felt like a missed connection in the more intricate drinks. Still, there’s something undeniably charming about Machi Machi’s playful approach. Not sure I would go for another one of their bottled drinks, but I might come back for their regular boba.

Pagnar Meas

I have had a wonderful experience every time I go here. My favorite drink has to be any of the bottled drinks with the Panna cotta. The best part is getting the chunks with your drink. The service has always been fine for me. It's easy to order with the kiosk or the worker. Drinks come out pretty fast unless they're super packed, in which case, of course, there would be a wait. The place is very small, with not a lot of space but it has a cute interior design.

Raj D.

First, I want to point out that many of the negative reviews seem to be about slow service rather than drink quality. The drinks and the employees are great!

I absolutely love the Crème Brûlée Milk Tea—it's perfectly creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness. It’s always been my go-to drink. The Matcha Latte with Crème Brûlée is also good (not a fan of Adzuki topping that comes with it).

Today, I tried the Matcha Latte with Panna Cotta, and it was delicious! I’d definitely get it again. Pro tip: don’t mix the content so you can get the perfect balance of sweetness.

While there can be a bit of a wait, I think it’s worth it. For those who prefer not to wait, they do accept online orders.

Genevra M

Have been a couple of times now, and every time the wait for your order can be long (>30 min). Drinks are also on the pricier side for the size, but overall very tasty and not too sweet. First time going I ordered the cream cheese jasmine tea which was bitter. My favorite items so far are the jasmine tea with plum jello, or the strawberry latte with panna cotta.

Maya S

Came for the first time with a few friends, we all enjoyed our drinks! The berry slushy is very refreshing, option for a salted cheese foam it’s a great dessert combination!

Their standard milk tea with panna cotta came in their signature bottle, the milk tea was smooth and not artificial, the bottle’s very cute but functionally, it’s not the most practical container, you must use a straw if you want to get to the panna cotta, then once you break it up, it can look a bit gross from the outside, white irregular shaped pieces floating around in brown liquid…

Their matcha with custard and adzuki bean is my favorite among the few we tried! The custard has great consistency, very milky and creamy; matcha is good quality, not too sweet and def not bitter, wish they put more adzuki beans in it tho.

Biggest downside so far is their price, likely the most expensive boba place in Boston, every drink we had totaled around $10.

Sachi Shastri

I’ve had a lot of boba in my life, but this is by far the best. The tea is such high quality and tasty. The boba is perfectly flavored and the texture is just right. It’s worth the price, I promise.

_

I love the minimalistic aesthetic of the interior, though the lack of seating goes against the norm of boba shops being hangout spots. There is a kiosk for ordering, but much to my disappointment after looking at the paper menu, I learned that the kiosk only offers a subset of the drinks. Not sure why they decided to do that.

I ordered the matcha latte with panna cotta ($8.45). Also to my disappointment, the signature bottle that it comes in is actually plastic, not glass, so it is not reusable. The price was already high, but the fact that you can't reuse the bottle makes the price even more unreasonable imo. However, the drink was pretty good. I liked the smooth/velvety texture of the panna cotta, though it didn't have much of a flavor. I would come back to try other drinks, but I definitely wouldn't get a panna cotta drink again because I don't think the price is worth it.

Nick S

Machi Machi has been around for almost a year, and it still attracts a decent crowd every time I have visited, and for good reason.

The interior has no seating, which is sorta detrimental if the place gets crowded or you're waiting a long time for the drink. There is a small area for a photo spot, and also a self-service kiosk as well as a counter to order.

The first few times I went, the drinks took around 15-20 minutes to get, however some times I had to wait longer and other times I waited less.

I've tried multiple drinks from this location. The Panna Cotta drinks are my favorite, although the price point deters me from coming here every time I want a boba. The bottle is a bit smaller than other locations, so the drink does go a bit too quick than my liking, but I also do drink really fast so YMMV.

I would also recommend the Brown Sugar Latte and Creme Brulee Black Tea. I really enjoyed them and their size is more standard to other boba locations.

Overall I really like this place, one of my top choices for Boba in the Boston area.