It’s Day 72 of eating at 100 Asian restaurants in Maryland, and this stop took me down to Southern Maryland for something a little different. Bubbles Bzzz in Lexington Park isn’t just a boba cafe, it’s a boba cafe where you paint your own pottery while you sip and snack, and I was here for all of it.
I’m low key obsessed with pottery painting, so getting to do that with a sea salt coffee in hand was such a win. The drinks and snacks are made fresh, the team’s the sweetest, and the whole thing makes for a really fun afternoon out in St. Mary’s County. If you’re anywhere near Lexington Park and you want boba plus an activity, this Southern Maryland gem is a must.
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What Makes Bubbles Bzzz a Standout Boba Cafe in Lexington Park
What sets Bubbles Bzzz apart is the combo: it’s the only spot I know of in Southern Maryland where you can order boba and snacks AND paint your own ceramic piece under one roof. The pottery cafe got added a few months after the boba shop opened, and the whole place is run with a lot of heart. Everything on the drink and pastry side is made fresh on-site, and the owner, Jib, built it as a relaxed space where anyone, even total beginners, could sit down and make something. So you’re not choosing between a cafe run and an activity, you get both at once, and that’s a rare thing this far out in St. Mary’s County.
What to Order at Bubbles Bzzz
Sea Salt Coffee
Let me put you on to the sea salt coffee first, because it was the standout of the whole visit. It’s espresso topped with a cloud of cream cheese foam, and that first sip was AMAZING. If you’ve never had a cream-cheese-foam coffee before, this is a great one to start with.
Bubble Waffles ($7.50)
Their bubble waffles are the other thing I’d tell you to grab, and at $7.50 with two free toppings, they’re a great deal. If you haven’t had one, a bubble waffle (aka egg waffle) is the Hong-Kong-style treat with those little round bubbles, crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. They come in original and pandan, and you can load them up with toppings or add ice cream to turn it into a full dessert moment. Perfect to nibble on while you paint.
Egg Custard Bun ($5.50 for 2)
The housemade buns are worth a look too, and the egg custard one was my favorite. At $5.50 for two, the egg custard one was such a yum little bite. Since everything’s made fresh on-site, you can really taste the care that goes into it.
A few other things on the menu if you want to keep grazing:
- Snow bingsu, the Korean milk-based shaved ice piled with toppings
- Fresh pastries like almond, chocolate, and matcha croissants, macarons, and even an ube cheesecake
- A big drink lineup: milk teas, fruit teas, fresh fruit smoothies, and slushies, with add-ons like cream cheese foam and crystal pear, lychee, and passion fruit jelly
If you’re a boba fiend like me, the DIY, unlimited-toppings setup at Sweet Bamboo in Severna Park is another Maryland boba spot I love.
Paint Your Own Pottery While You Sip
Okay, here’s the part I was most excited about. Like I said, pottery painting is my whole thing lately, and Bubbles Bzzz lets you paint your own ceramic piece while you drink your boba and snack, which is honestly the best combo. I painted a little koala piggy bank, and Nomtastic Foods did a tiny kitty in honor of his first cat, Oliver. The pieces run about $12 to $42, and that price is all-in, it covers the materials, the glazes, and the kiln firing, with no hourly fee, so you can take your sweet time. Walk-ins are welcome, and if you’re rolling in with a group they do party packages too.
Pro tip from my visit: swing by for Happy Hour Tuesday through Thursday from 3 to 6PM and you’ll get 15% off all pottery kits. It’s such a fun, low-key way to spend an afternoon, kind of like how I geeked out over the retro games at Crabtowne’s secret arcade in Glen Burnie, except here you end up with something you made yourself.
The Vibe and Experience
The team here cares so much about presentation, and you can really taste the love in the details. A HUGE thank you to owners Jib and her daughter Tanya, plus Ally and Jenel, for the warm hospitality, they made the whole visit feel special. Fun fact, Jib also owns Thai Inter, the incredible Thai restaurant I featured for Day 70 of this series, so this crew clearly knows what they’re doing. It’s a welcoming, family-friendly space, and it works for a chill solo afternoon, a low-key date, or a group hangout where everyone paints their own thing.
Good to Know
- Location: 📍 46921 S Shangri-La Dr Unit B, Lexington Park, MD.
- Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11AM to 7PM, Saturday 10AM to 7PM, Sunday 10AM to 6PM, closed Monday. Their website lists slightly different hours, so it’s worth a quick check before you drive out.
- Happy Hour: Tuesday to Thursday from 3 to 6PM, 15% off all pottery kits.
- Pottery: pieces run about $12 to $42, all-in (materials, glazes, and firing included). Walk-ins welcome, and group and party packages are available with a deposit.
- Ordering: you can order online, and they’re on Grubhub and Uber Eats for delivery too.
- It makes a great stop if you’re exploring St. Mary’s County and Southern Maryland.
If you want a fun little activity paired with good boba and fresh-made snacks, this is such a gem, and there’s genuinely nothing else quite like it in Southern Maryland right now. Is it going to be your everyday coffee run if you live far out? Probably not, but as a make-an-afternoon-of-it spot, it’s absolutely worth the drive. I’d go back just for that sea salt coffee, and that’s before we even get to the pottery.
Have you guys been to Bubbles Bzzz yet, or is pottery painting new to you? Tell me what you’d paint (and what you’d order) in the comments, Nomsters. Save this one for your next Southern Maryland day trip, and send it to your craftiest friend who needs to know about it. See you at the next stop on the 100 restaurants journey.
If you’re extending the day up to Solomons Island, The Ally Cat Walk is a colorful boutique there with gifts and cute finds that makes a fun add-on stop.