Dish & Drink KC: Dino-mite bubble tea at Tea Rex Boba and wild WingStand by Jefferson’s

Piñacosaurus at Tea Rex Boba. // Photo by Lauren Textor

Tea Rex Boba is a blast from the past

You’ll want to try-ceratops this one for yourself: Tea Rex Boba is a small, dinosaur-themed bubble tea shop in Mission, Kansas. 

Bandana-wearing owner Clay Griggs has cool uncle vibes. He grew up with a science teacher dad who took him to dig for fossils in cut-away highways as a kid, like his own personal Bill Nye. Now he has dinosaur figurines lining the windows of his store, staring out onto Johnson Drive.

Tea Rex does not have a bathroom, but it does have indoor and outdoor seating, and all of the drinks are fresh-brewed. The chewy tapioca is made in-house, as are the two-for-$5 Taiyaki (Japanese fish-shaped cakes filled with your choice of corn, red adzuki beans, sour gummy worms, chocolate chips, caramel, or vanilla chips). 

Griggs also serves mochi and the popular meteors (grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon and ham). 

Taiyaki at Tea Rex Boba. // Photo by Lauren Textor

The Jurassic Special-Teas menu has dino-saur many fun options. First, choose between a juicy or creamy drink. Then, pick your bubbles (the traditional brown sugar tapioca, the popping mango, strawberry, blueberry, peach, kiwi, yogurt, and green apple, or the coffee, passion fruit, lychee, and tropical rainbow jellies). The Mangolodon (mango and passion fruit) and the Tarodactyl (taro milk tea) are customer favorites, but I opted for the Piñacosaurus (pineapple with coconut milk). 

Paired with the red bean and corn Taiyaki, the bubble tea was sweet and refreshing. The brown sugar tapioca boba was fresh, flavorful, and obviously made with care. 

In the past, Tea Rex has also partnered with a local elementary school for a fundraiser and hosts Code Café, an introductory programming course using the gaming platform Roblox. 

Come for the T-rexcellent theme and stay-gosaurus for the thoughtful recommendations, the stories, the snacks, and the opportunity to make terrible puns. 

Tea Rex Boba is located at 5832 Johnson Drive in Mission, Kansas 66202. 

Boneless wings with Asian Zinger sauce at Wings by Jefferson’s. // Photo by Lauren Textor

WingStand by Jefferson’s clobbers Buffalo Wild Wings 

In 2021, WingStand by Jefferson’s opened its first location in Mission, Kansas. There are more than two dozen franchised Jefferson’s locations across the South and Midwest, including one on historic Massachusetts Street in Lawrence. WingStand is a more streamlined, quick-service version of the original, but the signature sauces are just as tasty, 

On a summer’s day, beat the heat with a hand-squeezed lemonade or a cherry limeade, enjoyed on the patio for maximum indulgence. The limeade is—dare I say it?—more satisfying than Sonic’s with better ingredients and flavor. 

Fried pickles at WingStand by Jefferson’s. // Photo by Lauren Textor

The boneless wings are served with well-seasoned, crispy fries or thick, juicy fried pickles that deserve their own sauce (try the KC Q or the Honey Sriracha). The Asian Zinger sauce is a sweet chili masterpiece. The Honey Q is a simple, effective best-seller as a candied barbecue sauce. 

The loaded mac and cheese comes in three flavors: buffalo, Honey Q, and Stingin’ Honey Garlic, all of which are drenched in white cheddar sauce and topped with chicken and green onions. 

If you have room for a decadent, ultra-American dessert, you can choose between deep-fried Oreos or funnel cake fries, both dusted with powdered sugar. 

WingStand by Jefferson’s is located at 5428 Johnson Drive, Mission, KS 66205.