50 Best Bubble Tea near Albany

“I eat lunch here regularly and find the service to be consistently friendly and attentive. The food is fresh and tasty— I usually have one of their generous banh mi sandwiches. The atmosphere is warm and the other customers seem happy to be there. And it’s a great vantage point for watching the Solano Avenue street scene.“

“Really good bubble tea! I always get the Thai Tea, Less Ice, 25% sweet (50% if I really need a sugar rush). Order online via the web site (they take apple, google pay, and Cash App.) usually done much faster than they say it will take. The cups do seem quite recyclable, just wish the straws were too! If they had 100% bio-degradable/compostable/recyclable set up would be 5 Stars.P.S. If you are used to other bubble T's I would start with 75%-100% sweet and work your way down to 50%. I find 50% to be perfect but I don't eat/drink much sugar.“

“Highly recommended! Great food and friendly owner.“

“I enjoyed visiting Cha Thai tea! The employees are always very welcoming and helpful with their recommendations. I really enjoyed this drink (I think it was a coconut avocado special? I forgot to look at the exact name of the drink) and pandan custard toast. I also enjoyed the mango coco the previous time I came here. They have a smaller, simpler menu that's not too overwhelming but the ingredients seem very fresh and tasty! I'll definitely be back!“

“What a delightful place to stop and grab a delicious empanada or a boba drink. I just love the chicken adobo empanadas. The pastry is fresh, flaky, and crispy. The lightly spicy chicken and potato filling is tender and savory. So good. Be sure and try the house-made sweet chili sauce as well. For dessert, try the mango cheese cake empanada. It is tangy, fruity, rich with cream cheese and topped with a sugar-glazed crust. The prices are very affordable too!“

“Good Boba place in the area. There are a lot of options and many add-ons and flavors to make your drink taste wonderful. Workers are friendly and patient. Wish this place is closer to my home.“

“Such delicious boba tea!! The staff was incredibly helpful—we brought our kids and they helped us figure out what would be appropriate drinks to give them (no caffeine, no sugar level but added sweetness from the fruit). Great prices, too!

Kid-friendliness: Can adjust sweetness, ice amount, and choose a non caffeinated tea or sparkling water to use“

“Great tea and staff is super friendly… even the music playing was great…“

“Very delicious. The Pandan waffle had so much Pandan flavour! It was like traveling in Southeast Asia. Staff is friendly, the Banh Mi was great too, and I absolutely loved the Thai tea (they don't make it as sweet as other stores which ia great). Will come again when traveling bay area again.“

“Friendly service, very clean Love the passion fruit“

“Well priced drinks. Came here years ago, and I'm glad they are still around. Got a 25% sweet pear tea drink, and, personally, I would get it sweeter next time. The 25% sweet lychee tea drink, though, was the right amount of sweetness for me.

Overall, I will come again when I am around the area again. The place is small and has no restrooms.“

“I've been here for a long time and for whatever reason my original review is not here. Nonetheless this place is amazing. A diamond hidden in the rough, an oasis for those who need a boba fix. It's a local store filled with anime goodies and is a TCG haven for Magic, Lorcana, Yu-Gi-Oh, and of course POKEMON! This is the place to be. There are different nights for specific TCG's and they have pokemon trade nights. I recommend joining the discord. Come by and enjoy a drink made by Em, or the guys talking about all the TCG's. The owners a nice guy to boot!“

“I’ve been visiting this boba shop regularly to pick up drinks for my wife. It’s one of her favorites, and over time one of mine as well. The quality keep us coming back. I’ll be sure to capture better photos next time to do the presentation justice.

Since I started coming here, the menu has undergone a few changes. Some longtime favorites have been retired ( I still miss the banana milk tea) but they’ve introduced new specials that continue to impress.

On this visit, I tried the Cocoa Volcano Brown Sugar Boba, White Peach Oolong Tea Latte, and the Durian Coffee Latte. The Cocoa Volcano is one of our staples. The White Peach Oolong, topped with fresh cream was a standout, but not in the right cup for my preference. The Durian Coffee Latte was unique. There were a good amount of durian chunks that I ended up blending, and added a bit more coffee to suit my taste, and the result was great.

Our usual picks also include the Matcha and Coffee Volcano, as well as the Lychee, Passion Fruit Tea, and Hazelnut Milk Tea. All consistently well-executed with fresh flavors and high-quality ingredients.“

“I’ve definitely been gatekeeping this place for too long and i want it to do well so here goes my review! BEST BOBA /TEA IN OAKLAND!

You know the tea is good when it literally has a tea leaf shop. All the drinks are made with the same tea leaves from the tea shop which makes this place so special. Prices are still reasonable (but even if they raise it I won’t be mad). I usually get their dragonwell milk tea and finally ventured into a pineapple fruit tea and it was just as delightful. Menu is massive but I doubt you can go wrong with anything.

They also serve cute Hong Kong style street snacks like curry fishballs and fish siu mai as well as rice noodle rolls in sauce. I got a drink, noodles and siu mai today and it was $18 with tip.

Cannot praise this place enough! The only somewhat downside is that it can take a while for your drink to be made but I like to believe it’s because they brew each drink with fresh tea leaves, none of that instant powder or pre brewed large batch of tea!“

“This place is incredible! Not only is the boba amazing they offer three different non-dairy options, including lactose free, which is my favorite because it doesn’t change the flavor of the milk tea! Most boba places do not offer this option.

This is my fourth time coming, and my partner is hooked on it and she never liked Boba before! (She hated it) They are that good.

I usually get the Thai tea or the honeydew with honey Boba and the cheese milk foam - don’t knock it till you try it💯

If you’re unfamiliar with Boba, this is the place to go. The guy who is usually at the cash register (with the cute blonde highlights) is really great, super kind, patient, knowledgeable and doesn’t treat you like you are supposed to know how to order Boba cause that’s BS (And honestly, typical of most Boba places). The menu is extensive and there are many different options and it might feel like a labyrinth, but take your time and ask questions because they answer them all. You can also order from the kiosk and they have pictures doesn’t get easier than that.

This is a fantastic place for first timer‘s who are new to Boba as well as people who been drinking it long before it got hype (like me).

The food is bomb. I usually get the meatball sandwich with egg and the char sui banh mi. I can get two drinks and two sandwiches for under 40 bucks. They’re not trying to rob you here - they just serve great food.

Also, the restrooms are clean, and my dog can chill in there while I down a sandwich.

So go see them, but don’t blow up the spot because they’re already busy enough.“

“Soooo delicious you must try!!!! The strawberry one is delicious. I ask for the condensed milk on the side cause I like to pour it once in make a little volcano hole in the middle. Hahaha I’m hooked! And they are super nice and fast service.“

“love the vibes! the food is great and the atmosphere is so welcoming. my go to drink is the mango coconut boom with regular sugar — not too sweet and DEFINITELY tastes like mango. the croissant sandwich and the bagel sandwich are also really well made and tasty 😋😋 would def recommend!!“

“Very clean and open space. I ordered the grapefruit tea with lychee jelly which was delicious but also too sweet so next time I will tweak my order to have less sugar. My daughter ordered the milk tea with boba and puff cream (I think that is what it was). She loved it! We received our drinks promptly. Located near Fenton's“

“This boba tea spot is fantastic! They offer a wide variety of refreshing drinks with all the traditional boba tea flavors you’d expect. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic milk tea or something more adventurous, they’ve got plenty of options to choose from. The boba is perfectly chewy, and the drinks are consistently delicious. A great spot to satisfy your bubble tea cravings!

Kid-friendliness: Plenty of options for kids“

“This is my go-to boba shop at Berkeley! Out of all the shops I've been to, the quality here has been the most consistent. Always has a quick service, tea is perfectly balanced, and boba is the perfect sweet treat to celebrate the end of another week :)“

“Delicious. Wonderful staff. I was visiting from out of town and made it a point to visit this place again.“

“Wonderfully authentic milk teas etc..boba perfect..always remember you but now Yvonne is down in financial district shop..have not been there but here on Geary..it’s the best tea around..try the salty whip cream as well..very well done! Recc. highly..“

“A little hidden but once stepping inside it was very cute and well decorated. Ordering was easy and worth the money (we got a passion fruit smoothie [75% sugar] and a strawberry smoothie with strawberry popping boba [25%] both were delicious).“

“I was walking through china town and spotted someone walking with this boba in their hand, so I decided to find the shop. It’s located in an alley a few shops away from the fortune cookie store. It’s very well decorated and they have an extensive menu of boba & some other foods. I ordered the Brown Sugar boba milk tea, with less ice & 75% sugar. I was told that it’s usually 50% but I still stuck with 75% and wow it was SO GOOD! Honestly the boba was like a 9.5/10 level of good. The tapioca boba were part of the price, $6.75 for a large. I can’t comment on their fruit teas or food but I’m sure everything is just as tasty.“

“BOBA DRINKS, Chicken wings, spicy noodles. Social distancing, mask required, no dine_in, meter street parking, Great area near Veteran's Hospital and its across from Mr Banh Mi...“

“Taste are unique and Delicious What I like most is their best & friendly customer service ever Gonna enjoy Tp boba whenever I shop at westfield 😍 I really recommend Their classic boba & strawberry milk tea. Boba r fresh and chewy Their Mango cheese Cream is extreme good“

“When I visited, the store had no seating and had closed their restrooms to customers, not sure if this is a usual thing. I ordered from an iPad, I liked that it had photos & an in-depth description of all the different tea options. My friend got the Oreo Matcha & I got the Lil’ Giraffe. It was pretty good, I was surprise they didn’t already come with the traditional boba ($0.75 additional charge). My friend’s was better, I didn’t taste much of the cake batter maybe due to my 75% sweetness instead of 100%? I wouldn’t recommend the Lil’ Giraffe, I’m sure there other options are better.“

“I always get their matcha it’s pretty good most of the time

Except there have been a few occasions where the boba seemed like not done and had a tough texture which isn’t great

Service is usually super quick and friendly as well

Also they say the boba isn’t ready til 11:30 just a heads up if ur headed there when they open, although I’ve still ordered it as soon as they open and they’ve had it“

“Loved the mango boba with red beans ❤️So delicious and comforting, what’s more is that I paid the price of 1 for 2 with their special discount that day . Too bad there’s no branch here in the L.A. area .

Dietary restrictions: With the customized ordering, you can opt to reduce the sugar in your boba drink, I only had 50% of the amount of sugar for my calorie limit. So that’s really great and my boba tasted so yummy , my hubby had one too?“

“Service was fast and efficient. Food was good.“

“Amazing boba and super kind and helpful staff!“

“This place is PINK! There's a nice play area for little kids. They also sell a variety of mochi donuts. From the kiosk, we ordered Wintermelon Milk Tea, Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea, Phin Egg Coffee, and a Mochi Donut. The drinks were good. I liked the coffee. It had an interesting taste mixed with the egg flavor.“

“Wonderfully authentic milk teas etc..boba perfect..always remember you but now Yvonne is down in financial district shop..have not been there but here on Geary..it’s the best tea around..try the salty whip cream as well..very well done! Recc. highly..“

“I'm obsessed with the passionfruit green tea. One thing I love about this shop is the fresh fruit in their fruit teas, I think it makes a huge difference in the flavor. Passionfruit is hard to find in SF as well.

Staff is super nice and the drinks come out quickly.“

“They have a lot of choices and you can mix and match as you please. You walk in and order on the order pad. You put together your drink piece by piece - providing a lot of possible combinations. You then pay and wait for your drink to be made - which happens rather quickly. The end result is pretty good! Note: There is plenty of seating inside.“

“This place is SO SLEPT ON! This review is only for the popcorn chicken.

Ever since I moved from SoCal to the Bay Area, I’ve been trying to find a popcorn chicken spot that meets all my requirements: has to have basil, use chicken dark meat, super crispy, fresh, consistent, and reasonably price.

This is THE SPOT! And the pricing is so good especially in this economy. Half size is decent portion for $7.55 and Full size is $10.25.

The service is as good as it gets - people generally do takeout. You order on the monitor outside or can do mobile order, and they’ll text you when your order is ready, which really helps if you’re struggling to find a parking spot.

Parking is typical in Chinatown - it’s usually bustling and packed but no one is going to give you shit if you emergency park on the street haha.

The inside of the place has some snacks and candy. You CAN sit down and eat there but it’s not the best dining spot and there’s a lot of clutter.

In my opinion, drinks and boba are pretty mid. It does the job but nothing amazing.

My go-to spot for popcorn chicken though ❤️“

“This is one of my FAVORITE spots for Boba tea! Very clean and welcoming staff they have a unique variety of flavors as well as some organic Larry June merch available for sale. I had the Brown Sugar Milk w/ Crema 🔥🔥🔥 Good Job Larry & Staff. A Must Visit. I forgot to mention the prices are extremely affordable.“

“Stopped in and tried the Taro Milk Tea, overall the drink looked great with its pretty lavender color and a nice layer of foam on top. The taste was spot on and not to sweet with 30% sweetness. Additionally, the staff is super friendly, making it a perfect spot to hang out.“

“This is my go-to place for boba. I enjoy their variety. I normally have the taro with Almond milk, strawberry popping Boba and lychee jelly. It brings back childhood memories of strawberry milk. I also like the pineapple tea and the lemon one. However, I'm caffeine sensitive so I try to avoid them late in the day so that I can sleep. The inside is clean. I have never ordered food from here so I can't speak to that. I like that they have a stand where you can put in your own order and add your own extras.“

“The price and size were very reasonable, and employee's were super nice (although they asked if we were related to our cousin for some reason, kinda strange but friendly). The boba and teas were delicious, and they had plenty of yummy options to choose from. They also had some food options, although we didn't try the meat thing our cousin got, cause we're vegetarian. Made my day better, so glad I went. This place is so much better than Boba Guys, which is just down the street. Do not try to go there, it won't be good. great place to get boba at RareTea!“

“Delicious boba tea, and probably the best I've gotten while in San Francisco. They had so many different variations, bases, and flavors to choose from, so you were practically guaranteed exactly what you were looking for! This is also a women-owned and run establishment! So that's just another great reason you should go and support!“

“Anyways…. My aunt ordered a lychee tea and she didn’t like how sweet it was, some drinks here can be hella sweet but I’m like 50/50 sure that u can adjust the sweetness. I got a dirty fresh milk one time and I’m lactose intolerant it was so good but a few hours later I was regretting my decision so badly…
but besides that, the dirty fresh milk is a bit sweet with a slight bitter aftertaste like coffee. I couldn’t sleep that night the caffeine levels were high :( anyways I love this place“

“This is the best boba place in Berkeley. The lady working here is so nice and she even gave my friend a free drink for his birthday! If you ever pull up here make sure to get the grape sparkling or any of the Thai tea. Their sushi roll is also amazing. I swear you won’t be disappointed :)

P.S. this was the drink that my friend requested“

“This location has been a boba shop for well over 10 years now, It went through different owners and different names, but in general has always been good.

That is still true today, the drinks are tasty, popcorn chicken is very good here. and they also have other snacks such as fries, fishball etc.

it is pretty inside, clean and well decorated, you can see the pictures of the interior.“

“I never review anything , I have come to this place multiple times a week for weeks now .. I love their wings and seasoned fries . As a wing lover they are a step above wingstop Buffalo Wild Wings or any wing I have had. I appreciate the great customer service the food is soooooooooooo GOOD puts me in a good mood everytime I eat there.“

“Happiness in a cup. And a cone 😁“

“I ordered the strawberry colada smoothie with boba which tends to have the boba stuck at the bottom. This led to me shaking it to mix it up like most other boba places but the lid came loose and the drink spilled everywhere. The customer service was the best.

They offered to remake the drink and gave me plenty of things to help clean myself up as well as make the situation better as a whole. Best drinks in boba as well by far. Will continue coming here for the rest of my time here at Berkeley!“

“Best for their fruit teas (not milk teas) tho they run sweet. Some of my favs include Lychee bomb (which includes real lychee bits) and Ruby Passion (Guava, Passionfruit green tea with Aloe),

For non caffeinated options, I like their smoothies, such as peach passion

Also have great tater tots and decent popcorn chicken.“

“Chicken Tikka Masala (in a bowl, with white rice instead of brown) - The chicken could have stayed on the grill for an extra minute or two. The Tikka Masala curry was phenomenal - had the right spices, perfect amount of tomato sauce, and quite strong! The curry was contrasted with a white yogurt raita, which contrasted quite well with the umami-ness and the curry. Love the mints and cilantro, made it look very refreshing. The marinated and pickled cucumbers, I felt, had hints of sesame oil.

The pickled cabbages were a great addition to its refreshing dish. Overall, it was a great balance of the strong flavors of the curry and yogurt, and keeping the refreshing profile of the dish.

*I have had this multiple times. The pickling of the cabbage can be inconsistent. The white rice can sometimes be too soggy. The curry was pretty consistent throughout.

FINAL REMARKS: Would come here again for the aforementioned dish.“