Cocomero wins in Green Street beverage review

Green Street. Every Uni student has either visited or heard of the colorful iconic avenue, which is often considered the hallmark of on-campus dining options. From a bustling Target convenience store to easy-access restaurants including Chipotle, Jip Bap, and Noodles & Co, Green Street provides a plethora of choices to satisfy every student’s needs  

However, with a variety of choices comes the problem of choosing — what’s the best use of a thirsty student’s extra hard-earned pocket money? In this review, I’ll be sampling drinks from three attractive café-esque venues (Cocomero, Kung Fu Tea, and Teamoji) to give those who haven’t tried on-campus drinks an insight into what these locations offer.

Location 1: Cocomero (709 S Wright St, Champaign, IL 61820)

Located on the face of Green Street, Cocomero presents a menu that features smoothies, frozen yogurt, and bubble tea, as well as a wide selection of add-ons and additional toppings, including mango popping, fresh fruits, and chocolates. Because of the cafe’s addition of an upstairs work/eating area, their popularity is justified.

Beverage purchased: pineapple smoothie with mango popping ($6)

Review: The beverage and the add-on are an amazing combo, with the delicate, mango-flavored film singing harmoniously with the sweet and sour punch of the pineapple smoothie. Other popping flavors may substitute for the mango, such as strawberry; however, the mango seems to work best with the smoothie flavor. The price for the drink is not cheap, however, coming in at around $6.

Rating: 9.5/10

Location 2: Kung Fu Tea (707 S 6th St Suite 107, Champaign, IL 61820)

Kung Fu Tea is also a ubiquitous beverage location, nestled deeply in the outskirts of Green Street. Their menu composition is of a larger scale than that of Cocomero’s, and they tend to blend different fruits or ingredients to craft their signature cross-culture menu.

Beverage purchased: mango green tea ($5)

Review: Although a creative intercultural fusion of mango and jasmine green tea, this drink’s pungent ingredients do not intermingle successfully. Mango is an inherently smooth, low-hitting note in the flavor world whereas green tea is incredibly powerful, and the contrasting flavors do not mix. Order another drink if you’re coming to Kung Fu Tea.

Rating: 4/10

Location 3: Teamoji (617 E Green St, Champaign, IL 61820)

Teamoji is a more quaint bubble tea venue compared to the other two locations, but their interior decorations are more well designed, with hanging lanterns cascading from wooden-plated ceiling tiles. Their menu, which is organized into house milk teas, handcrafted teas, fruit drinks, and signature crafted drinks, is just as elaborate as Kung Fu Tea. 

Beverage purchased: Strawberry pineapple drink ($6)

Review: Another winner! It seems like because the pure fruit drinks aren’t going for more unique flavors and fusions, they don’t require as much of an acquired taste for others to enjoy. This drink is a simple blend of two pungent fruits, and they intermingle well — if you’re not going for milk tea or boba drinks in general, this is the drink to purchase from Teamoji.

Rating: 8.5/10

Final Thoughts

Clearly, the pineapple smoothie with mango popping from Cocomero had the highest rating out of all three drinks. However, each drink had its own nuances and acquired tastes, and because this review is merely subjective, each rating should be taken with a grain of salt. The locations sampled in this review are all holistically great to visit, and I recommend Green Street in general for those looking for on-campus food and beverages. Happy drinking!