Boba had a good texture, though it could be chewier, and was barely sweet, which is my preference.You can get drinks without sugar and ice, and they don't give you less liquid.They have cold brew coffee and coffee milk teas.I was excited that they had drinkable mochi but it was way too sweet and a little grainy/gritty. Sadly I will have to go back to Ume for my drinkable mochi cravings.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: The Cloud
Paige Riola
This place has been my replacement since Cup of Blooms closed. They have easy ordering and a nice selection of non caffeinated drinks. I especially love their "Feed me Ube!" which is chock full of Ube creme and Taro chunks... ☺️ I also love their Black Sesame with drinkable mochi.Some of their drinks are fairly sweet, so would recommend <70% sweetness (70% is their default) if you don't have a sweet tooth.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jordan Mohan
Got the Bae Sil and it was very refreshing!
Amanda Hu
Get their seasonal drinks! We tried the HK milk tea and it was not very good but their rice milk drink was so good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Judy Margaret Chen
A solid boba milk tea store for milk tea lovers. I tried a couple of their drinks and so far, I liked the Matcha latte. You can taste the matcha flavor.Today, I tried their new item called Tofu Fa with less sweetness. It’s basically tofu pudding with ginger syrup and one more ingredient but I forgot. The drink was delicious. Love the tofu, and good thing I ordered less sweetness, so the ginger syrup did not overwhelm the tofu taste.It’s bean a while but they seemed to change to much more environmentally friendly cups and straws. These are all compostable ?Parking: Free garage parking lots nearby (after 6pm and on Sunday). Otherwise, paid parking lots.Kid-friendliness: Kids will love milk teaWheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair entrance and roadside
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Matcha Toffee
Melanie L.
After lunch, I was off to find a boba spot. There are many choices in the downtown area, but I recently learned of Urban Ritual in SJ and decided to give this San Mateo location a try. When you walk in, there's a small seating area along the right side of the room and ahead are two tablets you can place your order on, unfortunately the counter wasn't available.Urban Ritual is known to have seasonal drinks and their regular menu. I ordered a Tofu Fa (seasonal) and the Creme Brulee specialty drink. After paying, my drinks came out within a couple of minutes. This location stands out from others because they are committed to sustainability and are exclusively using compostable cups in accordance with the San Mateo county ordinance, which includes the cup, lid, and straw. I support businesses going green but I was really looking forward to seeing the contents of the drink (i.e., the crystalized sugar at the top and the honey boba at the bottom) and having soggy cups and straws hasn't been the best drink experience. You end up needing to finish your beverage quickly and not fully able to enjoy it at a pace you'd like. One work around is to "borrow an Okapi cup." This is a reusable cup that helps to reduce single-use waste. Review the details on the walls but essentially you'll need to download the Okapi app, type in the "URBAN" promo code and you can be a member for $5 (reg $10) to start borrowing cups. You can borrow up to 2 cups at a time as long as you return them to any cafe in network within 2 weeks. Any lost cups will be fined $15.The Tofu Fa was pretty gingery and it ended up overpowering the drink - 4/10 rating. The Creme Brulee - 8.5/10. It's hard to go wrong with this drink but because the crystalized sugar was very minimal and the pudding wasn't much, it didn't get a top rating in my review. If I'm in the area again, I'll probably try another boba place but would visit Urban Ritual in SJ next time :).
Kim Ann T.
Flavors and taste profiles are a preference, and I'm not the biggest fan of the flavor combinations they have here. They're doin the most, but with so many boba and milk tea shops with the same drinks, someone's gotta be different and Urban Ritual is that girl.That being said, the honey boba here is cooked to perfection and I wish everywhere else has the same texture. Tea quality is great. The Hong Kong milk tea is simple and delicious. My friends got the matcha toffee which they really enjoyed, but like I said - not for me.Also, cups and straws are compostable.
Christina P.
Solid boba tea, I very much enjoyed the toffee bits in the drinks that offered it, so unique to have a bit of crunch in the drink along with the tapioca pearls. I heard if you take it to go that they put the toffee is out on the side so that it won't dissolve in the drink before you get to have it!I also got the pear pandan tea to try as one of their seasonal items. The pandan flavor which I was most excited about doesn't hit you till the end and even then it was pretty subtle. I might get it a bit more sweet but it otherwise was mostly like a regular clear green tea drink, I would probably just opt for the milk teas.The space was a bit small but really cute. This location was pretty popular after dinner so it was a little bit of a wait to get out drinks. Luckily there were 2 tablets to order from if someone else was taking a bit longer to decide on what to get.
Miki M.
My favorite bubble tea spot in The Bay Area so I had to check out their location in San Mateo. Interesting thing about this location is that they are very eco friendly and use all compostable materials when serving their drinks, hence the paper cup, lid, and straw. I commend them for their efforts towards a green planet.We ordered the Matcha Toffee and Mango Sticky Rice. The Matcha Toffee was delicious! I love how perfectly balanced the bitter matcha is with the sweet toffee crunch. The Mango Sticky Rice was great too, it was surprisingly not too sweet even with all the mango in it. I continue to be amazed by the craftsmanship of their drinks here, I have had nothing but great experiences here.
Ezen C.
Unique menu offering. I find myself ordering most of their non-tea drinks since they sound so interesting. The other night I got the Lychee IPA which is non-alcoholic and sparkling, with no toppings. It was refreshing and a great choice for nighttime since I wanted to avoid caffeine, yet still feel hip with a "boba" drink. Props to them for having compostable cups and lids. Feels a little odd at first, but the cup holds up.Inside has an earthy cozy feel with fun art on the wall. Not much seating, but ordering is pretty quick especially during off hours.
I love their creme brûlée drink and their boba is very soft & chewy! I also recommend their mango sticky rice drink if you love mangos, it's not too sweet. I got to try their new seasonal drink called Hotto Chokoreto which is an Asian twist on Mexican hot chocolate. This drink was nothing special, it just tasted like a regular a hot chocolate you can make from a packet. This boba spot is quite small, there's only 2-3 tables inside. They now put their drinks in compostable cups. I do miss the plastic cups since you can see the different layers of the drinks.
Gretel Y.
Every hot pot meal must be followed by boba! No matter how cold it is. Had dinner at a hot pot restaurant nearby and decided to stop by Urban Ritual for dessert.Urban Ritual's space is small. There's a few tables, but it's really designed for to-go orders. The staff was friendly and helpful. I asked a few questions, and they were patient with me. I ordered the creme brulee milk tea, and my son ordered the Thai tea. Both drinks were great and satisfied our craving. If I get a chance to come back, I would love to try the matcha toffee!
Joshua H.
The store itself is kind of hard to find since the entrance is quite small and narrow. The surrounding area is nice since it's just shops and the street is closed for pedestrians only. This is my second time at this store and basically just self service at the kiosks so almost no interaction with the workers.Unfortunately, this is the second time I have requested regular milk in my drink and i've went home to discover that they put in rice milk. I think they are just used to it being rice milk (since it's the default) and don't check that hard. I should've done my due diligence to check myself but I was in a rush and forgot. I personally am also not a fan of the paper lid and paper straw since it makes it harder to drink (but i'm not docking points for that since i understand the environmental awareness). Honestly i'm just frustrated that they messed up my drink both times i've been here. The drink itself is fine, id probably come again but next time try and remember to check before i leave
Eunice T.
Urban Ritual is definitely up there whenever I recommend drink places to people. BUT! There are only a couple things that I'd regularly get from here, and that is Matcha Toffee and Feed Me Ube. I took a sip of their coffee option too and it was pretty good. Note: do NOT substitute their milk. Their house milk is what makes their drink taste better than others lol. Tip: feed me ube tastes GREAT w/their boba, but it is definitely a girl dinner.I do love their new environmental friendly cups. It's super cute. I do not like that I can't see my drinks though - the layering of their matcha/milk teas was what drew me to this place in the first place. Also, it's kind of a necessity to have a see through up for the matcha toffee drink. There are ALWAYS leftover toffees on the bottom of my cup. Can't let it go to waste! I used to be mindblown every time I tried their drinks, but the last two times I tried it (after they changed the cups) were just "good". I also do not like their choice of straws. It makes it difficult to drink things that are "stickier", like the creme brûlée. I'd have to remember to bring my own straws every time I come here.
Tiffany Yu
Classic milk tea with almond pudding is amazing!!Arguably better than teaspoon and boba guys.Rich flavors.They also have 100% compostable cups and straws. Love it
Boba had a good texture, though it could be chewier, and was barely sweet, which is my preference.You can get drinks without sugar and ice, and they don't give you less liquid.They have cold brew coffee and coffee milk teas.I was excited that they had drinkable mochi but it was way too sweet and a little grainy/gritty. Sadly I will have to go back to Ume for my drinkable mochi cravings.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: The Cloud
This place has been my replacement since Cup of Blooms closed. They have easy ordering and a nice selection of non caffeinated drinks. I especially love their "Feed me Ube!" which is chock full of Ube creme and Taro chunks... ☺️ I also love their Black Sesame with drinkable mochi.Some of their drinks are fairly sweet, so would recommend <70% sweetness (70% is their default) if you don't have a sweet tooth.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Got the Bae Sil and it was very refreshing!
Get their seasonal drinks! We tried the HK milk tea and it was not very good but their rice milk drink was so good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
A solid boba milk tea store for milk tea lovers. I tried a couple of their drinks and so far, I liked the Matcha latte. You can taste the matcha flavor.Today, I tried their new item called Tofu Fa with less sweetness. It’s basically tofu pudding with ginger syrup and one more ingredient but I forgot. The drink was delicious. Love the tofu, and good thing I ordered less sweetness, so the ginger syrup did not overwhelm the tofu taste.It’s bean a while but they seemed to change to much more environmentally friendly cups and straws. These are all compostable ?Parking: Free garage parking lots nearby (after 6pm and on Sunday). Otherwise, paid parking lots.Kid-friendliness: Kids will love milk teaWheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair entrance and roadside
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Matcha Toffee
After lunch, I was off to find a boba spot. There are many choices in the downtown area, but I recently learned of Urban Ritual in SJ and decided to give this San Mateo location a try. When you walk in, there's a small seating area along the right side of the room and ahead are two tablets you can place your order on, unfortunately the counter wasn't available.Urban Ritual is known to have seasonal drinks and their regular menu. I ordered a Tofu Fa (seasonal) and the Creme Brulee specialty drink. After paying, my drinks came out within a couple of minutes. This location stands out from others because they are committed to sustainability and are exclusively using compostable cups in accordance with the San Mateo county ordinance, which includes the cup, lid, and straw. I support businesses going green but I was really looking forward to seeing the contents of the drink (i.e., the crystalized sugar at the top and the honey boba at the bottom) and having soggy cups and straws hasn't been the best drink experience. You end up needing to finish your beverage quickly and not fully able to enjoy it at a pace you'd like. One work around is to "borrow an Okapi cup." This is a reusable cup that helps to reduce single-use waste. Review the details on the walls but essentially you'll need to download the Okapi app, type in the "URBAN" promo code and you can be a member for $5 (reg $10) to start borrowing cups. You can borrow up to 2 cups at a time as long as you return them to any cafe in network within 2 weeks. Any lost cups will be fined $15.The Tofu Fa was pretty gingery and it ended up overpowering the drink - 4/10 rating. The Creme Brulee - 8.5/10. It's hard to go wrong with this drink but because the crystalized sugar was very minimal and the pudding wasn't much, it didn't get a top rating in my review. If I'm in the area again, I'll probably try another boba place but would visit Urban Ritual in SJ next time :).
Flavors and taste profiles are a preference, and I'm not the biggest fan of the flavor combinations they have here. They're doin the most, but with so many boba and milk tea shops with the same drinks, someone's gotta be different and Urban Ritual is that girl.That being said, the honey boba here is cooked to perfection and I wish everywhere else has the same texture. Tea quality is great. The Hong Kong milk tea is simple and delicious. My friends got the matcha toffee which they really enjoyed, but like I said - not for me.Also, cups and straws are compostable.
Solid boba tea, I very much enjoyed the toffee bits in the drinks that offered it, so unique to have a bit of crunch in the drink along with the tapioca pearls. I heard if you take it to go that they put the toffee is out on the side so that it won't dissolve in the drink before you get to have it!I also got the pear pandan tea to try as one of their seasonal items. The pandan flavor which I was most excited about doesn't hit you till the end and even then it was pretty subtle. I might get it a bit more sweet but it otherwise was mostly like a regular clear green tea drink, I would probably just opt for the milk teas.The space was a bit small but really cute. This location was pretty popular after dinner so it was a little bit of a wait to get out drinks. Luckily there were 2 tablets to order from if someone else was taking a bit longer to decide on what to get.
My favorite bubble tea spot in The Bay Area so I had to check out their location in San Mateo. Interesting thing about this location is that they are very eco friendly and use all compostable materials when serving their drinks, hence the paper cup, lid, and straw. I commend them for their efforts towards a green planet.We ordered the Matcha Toffee and Mango Sticky Rice. The Matcha Toffee was delicious! I love how perfectly balanced the bitter matcha is with the sweet toffee crunch. The Mango Sticky Rice was great too, it was surprisingly not too sweet even with all the mango in it. I continue to be amazed by the craftsmanship of their drinks here, I have had nothing but great experiences here.
Unique menu offering. I find myself ordering most of their non-tea drinks since they sound so interesting. The other night I got the Lychee IPA which is non-alcoholic and sparkling, with no toppings. It was refreshing and a great choice for nighttime since I wanted to avoid caffeine, yet still feel hip with a "boba" drink. Props to them for having compostable cups and lids. Feels a little odd at first, but the cup holds up.Inside has an earthy cozy feel with fun art on the wall. Not much seating, but ordering is pretty quick especially during off hours.
Restaurantji Recommends
I love their creme brûlée drink and their boba is very soft & chewy! I also recommend their mango sticky rice drink if you love mangos, it's not too sweet. I got to try their new seasonal drink called Hotto Chokoreto which is an Asian twist on Mexican hot chocolate. This drink was nothing special, it just tasted like a regular a hot chocolate you can make from a packet. This boba spot is quite small, there's only 2-3 tables inside. They now put their drinks in compostable cups. I do miss the plastic cups since you can see the different layers of the drinks.
Every hot pot meal must be followed by boba! No matter how cold it is. Had dinner at a hot pot restaurant nearby and decided to stop by Urban Ritual for dessert.Urban Ritual's space is small. There's a few tables, but it's really designed for to-go orders. The staff was friendly and helpful. I asked a few questions, and they were patient with me. I ordered the creme brulee milk tea, and my son ordered the Thai tea. Both drinks were great and satisfied our craving. If I get a chance to come back, I would love to try the matcha toffee!
The store itself is kind of hard to find since the entrance is quite small and narrow. The surrounding area is nice since it's just shops and the street is closed for pedestrians only. This is my second time at this store and basically just self service at the kiosks so almost no interaction with the workers.Unfortunately, this is the second time I have requested regular milk in my drink and i've went home to discover that they put in rice milk. I think they are just used to it being rice milk (since it's the default) and don't check that hard. I should've done my due diligence to check myself but I was in a rush and forgot. I personally am also not a fan of the paper lid and paper straw since it makes it harder to drink (but i'm not docking points for that since i understand the environmental awareness). Honestly i'm just frustrated that they messed up my drink both times i've been here. The drink itself is fine, id probably come again but next time try and remember to check before i leave
Urban Ritual is definitely up there whenever I recommend drink places to people. BUT! There are only a couple things that I'd regularly get from here, and that is Matcha Toffee and Feed Me Ube. I took a sip of their coffee option too and it was pretty good. Note: do NOT substitute their milk. Their house milk is what makes their drink taste better than others lol. Tip: feed me ube tastes GREAT w/their boba, but it is definitely a girl dinner.I do love their new environmental friendly cups. It's super cute. I do not like that I can't see my drinks though - the layering of their matcha/milk teas was what drew me to this place in the first place. Also, it's kind of a necessity to have a see through up for the matcha toffee drink. There are ALWAYS leftover toffees on the bottom of my cup. Can't let it go to waste! I used to be mindblown every time I tried their drinks, but the last two times I tried it (after they changed the cups) were just "good". I also do not like their choice of straws. It makes it difficult to drink things that are "stickier", like the creme brûlée. I'd have to remember to bring my own straws every time I come here.
Classic milk tea with almond pudding is amazing!!Arguably better than teaspoon and boba guys.Rich flavors.They also have 100% compostable cups and straws. Love it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5