I was visiting since I saw they had Hong Kong Milk Tea! The place is pretty small, so it's more of a grab and go place. I haven't seen many places offer Hong Kong milk tea, so I was excited to try it. I ordered at the one kiosk and my drink was ready in less than 5 minutes. Staff was friendly and service was super quick. The drink itself was perfectly sweet since I set it to 50% and less ice was the perfect amount. It had a stronger tea flavor and wasn't very milky which I love about this drink. The boba was soft chewy too and stayed that way for the next hour while I sipped on the drink. I would get it again when I'm in the area! read more

Black Sugar - Hong Kong milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

cute little shack boba shop, order on the touch screen. pretty straight forward. mango matcha with boba: not too sweet, matcha was strong, and the boba were chewy in a good way! mango sago with boba: the clear winner, also not too sweet, chewy boba, and the cup was a perfect size. quick service - no line, and it was a sunny day in downtown :) read more

Black Sugar - Mango Matcha Latte and Mango Sago - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great boba spot! Small space with a counter and 2 stools. Very unassuming and clean white space! Very easy to miss - that's how small it is. I think it's only drinks here, no food at all. No worries, lots of good eats nearby! It's between a Japanese restaurant and the big parking garage. We took the bus so getting here was a breeze! You order the kiosk unless you're paying cash or need to get somebody to help you. They make your tea quietly in the back. I had the Lychee Green Tea with less ice and 50% sugar. I added boba. Boba was very fresh and perfectly chewy. Very small cup though, only 1 size - 14 oz cup? $6.60 before 6% healthy mandate tax and tip. It was fine, not great but not bad either. You're in a very busy area and there's an upcharge compared to the more residential area. And when we were walking around afterwards, we saw Gong Cha! Will go there next time! read more

Black Sugar - March 2026 - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

A veteran to the brown sugar boba scene and a longstanding favorite for me when it comes to milk tea and coffee. Black Sugar has a prime location within Union Square in the city and being just across the street from the Hilton hotel, has the opportunity to flourish with locals and visitors alike. The tiny storefront isn't much for a place to hang out but great for people on the go to work or site seeing. Despite the lean staff and small workplace, they make their drinks relatively quick and consistently good from its tea boldness to its boba texture. The boba, although not made from scratch here, are prepared with consistent quality. The balance between softness and chew is perfect and the proportion of boba to their drinks is ideal. The brown sugar content makes it sweet enough for me that I usually opt out of sugar completely in my drinks. The tea is organic and steeped to bring out its flavors. Whether you're getting the milk tea or matcha, you can rest easy knowing your cup is filled responsibly with good quality leaves. If you're looking for something more fruity, their fruit teas are made with fruit purees including strawberry, lychee, pear, and mango. And for those who are decaffeinated, you'll have a choice of whole milk, oat milk or almond milk flavored with strawberry, mango, black sesame or taro. The drinks are priced reasonably in comparison to other tea and coffee shops in the city and the portion renders a pretty good value. You do have to pay extra for toppings (boba, crystal boba, aloe, lychee jelly, red bean, herbal jelly) unless you get their signature black sugar milk or tea latte which both come with boba. Staff are also very welcoming and friendly. The open kitchen gives you full transparency to the drink preparation, which gives you reassurance of its cleanliness and efficiency. Overall, Black Sugar is the boba shop to conveniently get a delicious, well-priced boba milk tea, fruit tea, fresh milk or coffee. Its long-standing history here is a testament to its quality, value, and commitment to its customers. If you're looking for boba, Black Sugar will satisfy that craving and hopefully will be around the next time you're in the city again! read more

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Quite a cute little space! Compact, but clean. I ordered on the kiosk had just had to wait a short moment as there was only one person who had ordered ahead of me. I very much enjoyed the brown sugar milk tea, I didn't get boba this time, but if I visit again I'll have to try it! read more

I was visiting from the South Bay and not too familiar with San Francisco, but I stopped by Black Sugar since it was nearby and had great boba reviews. The ambiance is clean, minimalist, and gives off a "no frill, just good drinks" vibe, which I really liked. I tried the Thai tea and could really taste the spices in the blend as it had a nice depth of flavor that stood out from other spots. The house black milk tea was also solid and well-balanced. Overall, if you're in the area, Black Sugar is definitely a great alternative to the big-chain boba shops and worth a quick stop for a quality drink. read more

Black Sugar - Thai Tea & House Black Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Drink was way too sweet. Asked if the guy if he could remake it and he said all he could do was add milk. Unfriendly service and not welcoming. Have never had an issue with getting a drink remade at most places if I have an issue but this was clearly an exception. read more

I was staying in Union Square and this was one of the boba shop options near my hotel. It's a small shop with barely any standing room, and no tables. It's a to-go shop. I ordered a milk tea drink. However, I didn't realize they got my order wrong until I walked away a couple blocks from the shop and started sipping my drink. By then I didn't want to walk all the way back for them to correct my drink. They gave me some seasonal ginger milk tea drink, which tasted fine. It was very gingery, and I wasn't feeling it. For someone who loves the strong ginger taste, this is probably the drink for them. I get that order mistake happens, so I just let it go. This place isn't bad. I just wish I got the drink I ordered. read more

Black Sugar - Ginger milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very close to Union Square. Very small spot indoors so it's mainly an order and go boba spot. I wanted a drink with boba already included so I ordered the black sugar latte ($5.95 before tax). The drink comes cold and I picked less ice, medium sweet, and in a paper cup (they offer this as the sustainable option). The straw is also compostable commercially so yay! My drink was sweeter than I anticipated, given I ordered medium sweet (which is the less sweet option), but still delicious. There's minimal interaction with the employees. You order at the self serve kiosk (unless you want to pay in cash. I didn't see a discount mentioned for paying cash) and then they bring out the drinks and call out the name of the order. Also didn't realize that SF has a healthy mandate of 6%, which looks to be separate than the SF city employer mandate of 5%, so my order was applicable for the 6% mandate, but not the 5% mandate. read more

Black Sugar - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Black sugar is an okay option around the Union Square area, and it's small and minimalistic. It's mostly just an in and out type of place for your boba fix! I recently ordered a roasted oolong milk tea with boba, and I did enjoy the pearls. You could taste that they were cooked with sugar! What put me off, however, was how sweet the drink was. I asked for 50%, but it tasted closer to a normal sugar level at other boba shops. read more

Strawberry Lychee Green Tea + Boba ($6.73) Rating: 5/10 - the boba itself was the perfect texture and sweet flavor! - The strawberry/lychee flavor was WAY too sweet (even at 75%) felt like I was drinking syrup ): - I think due to the sweetness I can barely taste the tea at all The worker was super nice and efficient! The store was small but super clean. Maybe will give it another try and see if their milk teas are better... read more

Black Sugar - Order area - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We're so lucky to have so many great boba cafes here in San Francisco. And Black Sugar is one of them. It's a small spot at the edge of the Tenderloin near Union Square. They have a few caffeine-free choices and I got their mango sago, which is a mango puree with grapefruit bits and coconut milk. Since it already had sago, I didn't add boba, which is good btw. Its has that qq bounce and is softly sweetened with brown sugar. The mango was so refreshing! The coconut added a creamy texture and the grapefruit bits added a pop of tartness. The sago added another layer of texture that was both soft and chewy. I usually like to take my time with boba drinks, but this one was so good that I drank it pretty fast. I usually order mine online for pick up. But service is pretty quick after ordering. Though I can imagine it's busier on weekends. I've had several of their drinks, including their popular black sugar fresh milk, and they are all good. Definitely take a detour when you're in Union Square when the boba craving hits. read more

This place is just one person operating behind in the kitching. Order taking is done by an electronic kiosk. Sesame milk was excellent. I also went for a mango matcha drink with bubble tea. That was an excellent drink as well. Bubbles were cooked nice. Mango flavor felt natural. read more

Black Sugar - Black sesame milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Still my absolute favorite place for black sesame latte and they added a hojicha! Earthy and roasted and absolutely delicious still. Our drinks are out so quickly, and the flavor is always consistent! I will always come here whenever I'm in the city! read more

Black Sugar - Black Sesame Milk & Hojicha Latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I don't know if the owners changed or what but I'm pretty sure I paid extra for dairy-free milk last week. I got a taro slush with boba and I would not recommend it. It was grainy and not that flavorful compared to the regular taro with milk or non-dairy milk, ice, and boba. Stick with the regular taro drink. The black sugar milk with boba in my opinion is still their best drink. The black sesame drink is good too. I don't drink caffeine often, but I heard their milk tea is good. Not sure this place is my absolute fav in the city anymore as the boba texture has changed. They used to have the nicest, bounciest boba that was still cooked all the way through. Now it's just super soft like everywhere else. I always get iced or blended drinks, so if you wait a good 5-10 minutes then the boba will firm up. Back in the day, the boba was awesome immediately upon serving. There used to be more of a wait as they must have made boba in smaller batches. Our drinks were quickly served last week, but the dark dark "black" sugar flavor in the black sugar milk is not as apparent, and the boba is still good but not as great as it once was. read more

i love this place! the drinks are so yummy :p it's my first time here but we tried the mango sago with ice cream added and a brown sugar milk tea. the drinks were made to perfection! read more

Black Sugar - mango sago with ice cream & a brown sugar milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Black Sugar was my go-to spot when I used to go to school in San Francisco! Got to try their mango sago and it was a 5/5! Not too sweet at all for 100% sugar which is perfect! read more

Black Sugar - Mango Sago - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

We tried Black Sugar recently and I thought it was not bad. We got roasted oolong milk tea with 25% sweetness and oat milk. The boba was very chewy and I thought it was nice. I think it tasted a tiny bit watery but it might be more due to the oat milk (I normally get whole milk but my spouse wanted oat milk). I guess next time I would try whole milk! There is virtually no seating in this store so plan on grabbing and going! read more

The drinks here are overpriced and not special tasting. If i am paying $7 for a drink I expect it to be at least decent. We got the Strawberry Matcha and there was barely any matcha. Even then the matcha tasted muddy and the drink overly sweet. Drink: 4/10 Service:7/10 read more

overall: 0/5 came on a friday afternoon after work, inside looked clean, ordered online so drinks were ready to be picked up when i arrived. drinks were not good and couldn't go back to request a refund as we picked it up and left before trying it. we got the black sugar tea latte and four seasons milk tea. the tea was ok ... not the best but not the worst i've ever had. my biggest gripe is how terrible the boba and aloe was. boba like mush and aloe had a weird taste and was an oddly disintegrating it was ? like no chew or flavor to it. it def made the drink worse. paying almost $15 for 2 drinks that are this horrible is actually super outrageous. this is very disappointing as we came here before and thought this place was good. i wouldn't come back as the quality has gone down read more

This is a small boba shop, or as they call themselves "boba bar" that's located next to the Mason O'Farrell Garage and across from the Hilton Union Square. It's definitely more of a to-go spot because there are only 2 stools inside. Limited human interaction since you order on the kiosk. I was debating between a couple fruit teas, but I ended up choosing the Pear Green Tea ($5.25 + 6% Healthy SF Mandate) at 0% Sweet and No Ice. I added boba for an extra $0.75. +Strong green tea flavor +Boba was perfectly chewy and tasted caramelized +Cup & straw were durable -Pear flavor was hard to detect, and it gave the drink a sandy texture. *Verdict: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I enjoyed the boba and tea, and wouldn't mind returning to try another drink if I was in the area. read more

Black Sugar - Pear Green Tea (0% Sweet, No Ice) with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I stopped by again while I was in the area and decided to try the house fruit tea- passion fruit oolong tea with pineapple compote- 50% sweetness and less ice, and the mango matcha latte, 50% sweetness and less ice. The house fruit tea was very sweet and contained watermelon. Unfortunately, the environmentally friendly paper straw was too weak and broke on the fruit so we had to figure out how to eat the rest of it without utensils. As for the mango matcha latte, it was pretty good too but I wish it had been a large quantity. Both drinks came in paper cups. Unlike most boba places I've been to, they have opaque cups so you can only see the color of the drink if you take off the lid. read more

Who knew matcha and mango would go well together? Black Sugar sure did! We had them cater a work conference for a lil snackie treat and it was the energy boost we all needed in the middle of our day. They had a lot of different flavors to choose from but of course I had to get a matcha. Deriving away from my usual, I got the mango matcha and was pleasantly surprised. I've heard of strawberry matcha before but mango matcha might be the combo I never knew I needed. The right amount of sweetness and had a great flavor profile. I'd love to visit their actual location the next time I'm in SF! read more

Black Sugar - Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing options if you want tasty teas and quick service. My favorites: Roasted oolong - perfectly roasted and creamy. I get 75% sweet and it's still pretty sweet. Matcha latte (iced) - earthy and milky. If you like earthy and slightly sweet, you can get 50% sweet or even less. Strawberry matcha latte - amazing! Get less sweet if you want the focus to be the strawberry and matcha. Overall, great, consistent place with a lot of attention to detail. read more

Small but clean shop. Nowhere to really sit and consume your beverage, but the tea was delicious, quick, and very customizable and we loved it. read more

I would dock a star for no parking, but that isn't Black Sugar's fault. This has been my absolute favourite boba stop in sf since high school, but insanely difficult to find parking nearby. My pro tip is to bring along someone else with you and make them run in while you look out vigilantly for a cop! Service is very quick and just a single counter inside--much easier to grab and go than attempt to sit at one of 3-4 bar seats. The tea itself is fragrant and fresh, the real strawberry and lychee make the whole difference, and the boba is always fresh and chewy. I'd be here literally every day if it was just a fraction easier to get there. read more

Black Sugar - Strawberry Lychee Green Tea and Spiced Ginger Tea Latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Stopped by Black Sugar on the way back from lunch. It was delicious looking and highly rated on their Yelp page. It's a small shop where you order from a kiosk. My order of Black Sugar Milk Tea with Boba (classic) came out quick and was the perfect level of sweetness and ice. No notes. Not a great place to sit and hang out, so come here to grab your MT and go! read more

Black Sugar - Black Sugar Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very solid boba spot in SF. Ordering here is straightforward through a kiosk machine. The worker was really nice and enthusiastic while making our drinks. There isn't really any seating in the store except two high chairs, but I'd assume most people would get this and walk around the city. I came here by foot after taking the Bart, but looking around, there isn't parking unless you are willing to pay to park in the garage it is next to. House Black Milk Tea (4.5/5): Pretty good black milk tea. There is a lot of tea flavor, which I like, and the drink was the perfect amount of creaminess. I would say I've had better tasting black milk teas, but this one isn't that far off from the rest. The texture of the boba was good as well. Jasmine Green Milk Tea (4/5): Just like with the other tea, the Jasmine Green Milk Tea was decent too. The jasmine tea does taste a bit too tea-y, which made the drink seem not as creamy. Otherwise, the drink itself was decent. read more

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The best bubble tea in SF. My favorite is their mango sago drink. I usually get it without boba because I find the sago is a great topping on its own! It's smaller, softer / less chewy than the honey boba. Definitely worth getting a drink with their boba sometimes as well, because they do a great job making chewy, smooth boba pearls. Service/ambiance are mostly not applicable since this is really a to go spot. There's 4 stools in a very tiny space near the counter for seating and that's it. Only downside is it's in a seedy part of town so my preference is to grab my drink and head up north east ish a bit to union square / chinatown! read more

Black Sugar - Mango sago - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

first came here 6 years ago and really liked their black sugar boba, walked by and happy to see they're still here. pear green tea 75% is very good. guy making the drinks was very nice, interior is bright. read more

Black Sugar - Pear Green Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

If any of you know me, I'm a big boba fiend. I feel like that's the one treat that if anyone asks, I'm down for. Black Sugar looked interesting based on the different flavors so I decided to give it a try while I was up in the bay! A cute little tea shop, I had to try it out :) ITEMS WE TRIED: - Pear Green Tea: I really liked this one! This tasted like actually pear, like if they blended a pear and mixed it into the drink, but it wasn't smoothie consistency either. Honestly very good. I recommend this one! - Strawberry Lychee Green Tea: this one was also refreshing! I still think I liked the pear better but overall I think it just depends on your mood. Wasn't disappointed in this one. SERVICE: very fast! We went in and then got our drinks in no time. PARKING: can be challenging - it's located in the heart of SF, so street parking. We did a quick pick up and go so we just parked on the side and had someone watch the car. PRICE: reasonable about $5-6 per drink. Overall, I'd recommend this place to others when they're looking for a boba spot to try! Quick service, good flavors, and refreshing for a summer day. read more

Black Sugar - Pear Green Tea with Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Tried the strawberry lychee tea with boba at 50% sweet and I was surprised how good it was! I usually don't go for a fruit tea as it can be too sweet but this was perfect. The strawberry tasted really fresh and the boba was really good! Perfectly chewy and bouncy with a subtle sweetness, the boba really made it special. Next time I'll probably opt for the milk tea to pair with the boba but this definitely makes me want to come back. read more

We did a pick up order from this place in the afternoon on a Sunday and they were busy! We waited an additional 5-10 minutes for our drinks when we got there, not horrible but it might be a good idea to do a pick up order if you can so you don't have to wait in line. It's a very tight shop, no seating area for folks to enjoy their drink so it's a good grab and go boba location. I thought the menu had a good variety of unique and classic drinks you'd see anywhere else but I wanted to try the matcha series and got the matcha sesame mt. It has a good amount of sesame in it and I liked it! If I ever come back, I'll want to try something else. The boba had great texture as well. read more

Black Sugar - Matcha sesame milk tea with oat milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Mango, matcha, and oat milk all in one cup??! Not only was it absolutely delicious, but I loved the layered look through the cup. It really added to the presentation! This, among other colorful flavors, was delivered to our office during our conference. It was a delightful way to spend an afternoon break after having a few sessions. It was definitely sweeter than I would normally get, but hey, I'll have to try it my way the next time I'm in San Fran. It would be so nice if we had one of these in Maryland. Apparently the locals are already familiar with the spot, but if not... make sure you swing by for your boba fix! read more

This super cute boba joint is super small with clean lines and black and white decor. There is a counter with 2 bar stools but the place is obviously set up for take away. One polite employee on a Saturday morning holding down the fort at 12.30, soon after opening. The Black Sugar Tea Lattee and House Fruit Tea were expertly hand crafted and delicious - perfect refreshments for a Saturday morning! read more

Black Sugar - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Mango Matcha Boba with Oat Milk FTW. Black Sugar catered a boba afternoon break for a work conference and they did a phenomenal job. From my first interaction with Black Sugar - they were responsive, helpful, and on top of things. They were able to provide quotes quickly and they were great at answering any questions I had about the different boba options. The day of our boba break - Black Sugar arrived promptly and were proactive about making sure all of the boba drinks were set-up in a timely manner and that they all had the proper signage. The drinks were not only delicious but looked fantastic as well. I appreciated the simple and chic packaging of their boba drinks, which photographed beautifully. I also love how Black Sugar has options for any and all dietary needs and preferences. We were able to have an assortment of regular and oat milk based boba drinks, fruit based boba drinks, and we also had their Black Sugar Boba Fresh Milk - which was a great non-caffeinated option. The drinks were a big hit with attendees. There are a plethora of boba spots in the city - but if you're looking for a quality product - made with care - definitely check out Black Sugar. They not only deliver when it comes to their daily offerings - but they are also wonderful at executing big catering orders as well. And...remember Mango Matcha Boba with Oat Milk FTW. Trust. read more

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert when it comes to boba, but I have an informal way of judging it. If I notice it takes me a while to finish, it might be kinda meh. The quicker it goes down, the better and my matcha mango from Black Sugar was gone in a flash. We had these brought in for an afternoon pick-me-up during a work conference and they were really tasty. There were too many good options to choose from. I normally go with a milk tea, either taro or brown sugar, but the matcha mango one looked too good to pass up. It ended up being a great choice; a nice and sweet boost but somehow didn't veer into overly sweet. It was late enough in the day that I didn't really want any caffeine.. well let me rephrase, I always want a little caffeine, I just can't handle it later in the day. The energy I got from this one was perfect and balanced, and definitely low on the amp-up scale. Haven't been in the actual shop, but if you are looking for boba this seems like a really solid option to me. read more

Strawberry lychee green tea - 4/5, refreshing with a good strawberry and lychee flavor. Can also taste the tea, which I love. Would definitely like to come back and try the other drinks read more

Black Sugar - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Boba in SF is pretty mid and there are very few places I would recommend someone, but Black Sugar is at the top of that list! This is a pretty tiny shop located in downtown on the edge of tenderloin with very limited seating, so I normally just grab and go. Everything I've tried here so far has been really good and flavorful! You can tell they use fresh fruit and quality ingredients, and the boba is always really nice and chewy. My only wish is that they were closer to where I lived! read more

Black Sugar - strawberry lychee w boba (left), mango milk w boba (middle), Lychee Green Tea (right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Been a fan of Black Sugar for quite a while and was sad when they closed down for a while. First time trying them again since they reopened. Had the opportunity of experience them as a catering. Pear green tea - a classic for me and a drink I always gravitate towards. Great pear taste without being overly sweet. Even as a cater delivery, the boba still had chew and toothsomeness to it. A perfectly balanced fruit green tea. read more