Magic Cup Has More Than Boba Up Its Sleeve

Bubble tea is in the midst of a beverage takeover. Nearly every strip mall in the suburbs has a shop that specializes in plastic cups overflowing with the stuff. Frozen yogurt companies have jumped into the game, too, adding the sweet beverages to their already saccharine lineups. Magic Cup is...

By Scott Reitz

September 9, 2015

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Bubble tea is in the midst of a beverage takeover. Nearly every strip mall in the suburbs has a shop that specializes in plastic cups overflowing with the stuff. Frozen yogurt companies have jumped into the game, too, adding the sweet beverages to their already saccharine lineups.

Magic Cup is a relative newcomer, opening this year in Richardson in yet another mixed-use development, and the place seems a lot like most boba joints until you walk through the door and start asking questions. What kind of tea do they use for their drinks? It's steeped fresh each morning, unlike many places that use a tea concentrate. Magic Cup's drinks are sweet, to be sure, but they're not cloyingly so, and remain refreshing.

Smoothies and other beverages are available too, and each can be blended and garnished to your liking before you grab a seat outside on the patio and enjoy the coming fall. It's coming ... right?

There's more to the place than bubble tea. The menu boasts a number of snacks, most of which emerge from the deep fryer encased in a crunchy, not-too-greasy crust. My favorite by far was the voodoo chicken with a cinnamon-kissed crust. It's served in a basket with skewers for nugget-stabbing and a sweet dipping sauce. Other snacks, including fried dumplings and chicken wings, are nearly as good, and all of them hover around $5, making a pit stop here an affordable one.

Magic Cup, 901 N. Jupiter Road, 214-812-9693, magiccupcafe.com

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