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    Black Sugar

    4.4 (1k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    BLACK SUGAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Black Sugar

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    one black sugar fresh milk with oat milk, one black sugar fresh milk with regular milk
    Thien H.

    Still my favorite boba place in SF. The boba have a nice bouncy chew. When this store first opened the boba was super bouncy which I loooved. It's still good overall though. The black sugar fresh milk has a nice caramelized sugar flavor hence the name of the shop "Black Sugar." They charge $0.50 for either oat or almond milk, so it's no longer free fyi. I can't drink caffeine often so I can't speak about the milk teas. I really appreciate how clear the menu is regarding dairy free and caffeine options. The taro milk is also good, they use real taro. They have a nice variety of fruit based fresh milks, fruit teas, matcha, black sesame, and ice blended drinks.

    Hong Kong milk tea
    Rini C.

    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!

    Sherman T.

    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!

    Thai Tea & House Black Milk Tea
    Kayla L.

    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.

    Ginger milk tea
    Alice T.

    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.

    Grace C.

    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.

    Order area
    Elise H.

    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...

    Black sesame milk
    Sho R.

    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.

    Black Sesame Milk & Hojicha Latte
    Izzy T.

    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!

    Mango Sago
    Lanette L.

    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!

    Pear Green Tea (0% Sweet, No Ice) with boba
    Rose T.

    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.

    Boba

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    Page 1 of 26

    Ask the Community - Black Sugar

    Can you make your Spiced Ginger Latte hot? and can I make it with Oat milk? Thank-you.

    Hi Susana! It can be made hot and with oat milk. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks!

    Is the lychee jelly and grass jelly made out of agar? Also for milk teas and lattes can almond milk be used to replace dairy?

    Hi Amelia! Our lychee jelly and grass jelly do not contain any agar. We have almond milk and oat milk as dairy substitutes. Thanks!

    I've seen that the drinks themselves can be made Vegan but does anyone know if the boba pearls have gelatin?

    Hi Lexi! Our boba does not contain any gelatin. It is vegan-friendly.

    Where is the best place to park?

    The shop is located underneath a parking garage (15 minute grace period) but there is also limited street parking.

    Do they have Thai tea here?

    We don’t!

    Will they let you use your own tumbler/mason jar instead of using their plastic cups?

    Yes! We'd be happy to serve your drink in your own cup as long as it's cleaned!

    How is the seating here? I've looked through reviews and photos but can't seem to find a definite answer/number. Looks like there's a bar by the window with 4 seats, is that it?

    Hi Christy! Yes, we have four sets by the bar open!

    What are the non caffeinated bubble tea options here?

    Hi there! All of our drinks are caffeinated except for the Fresh Milk series, so the Black Sugar Fresh Milk, Taro Milk, Mango Milk, and Black Sesame are all decaf beverages.

    What drink has no milk included?

    Our fruit teas and cold brew have no milk! We also have almond milk as a substitute.

    View All 10 Questions

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    This was a solid coffee stop and I definitely enjoyed my drink. However, I don't think it's the…read morebest coffee spot in the city, especially considering how long the line gets. We waited quite a while, and while the drinks were good, I'm not sure they completely justified the wait. If you can come during off-peak hours, I think you'll enjoy it much more. Overall, it's a good café with quality coffee and a nice vibe. Just be prepared for a line if you visit during busy times.

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