Came here on 4/15/26 to grab drinks with the kiddos, and while they thoroughly enjoyed theirs, my experience didn't quite hit the mark this time. I ordered a chai, and unfortunately it was so watered down that the chai flavor was barely there. I really tried to stick it out (I'm not one to ask for remakes), but it just wasn't enjoyable--honestly felt like I was drinking cold milk. That said, the young man at the front was incredibly sweet and attentive. He didn't hesitate at all to offer a remake or let me choose something different, which I appreciated. I decided to try a strawberry matcha with clear boba instead. It was a bit better, but still not quite right--too much ice and boba, and not enough matcha flavor coming through. This visit didn't meet my expectations, but I still have love for this spot and will definitely be back. Next time, I'll probably be more specific and ask for more balanced proportions upfront. Overall, I still recommend stopping by--I think most people will really enjoy it. read more

See all

Wow! First time trying this place and it was delish! I was craving a boba and popcorn chicken. The two gals working that day were super helpful and patient as I asked my questions before ordering! I ordered two popcorn chicken and two bobas to go. When we ate the chicken at home, we paired it with rice. TBH, one al a carte popcorn chicken would've been good for two if eaten with rice at home. The popcorn chicken wasn't as tasty as others I've had before - I was thinking it'd be more like Taiwanese style. It was crunchy and there is some mild seasoning. For drinks, we got milk tea with boba and taro smoothie with boba. The milk tea wasn't super flavorful. On the contrary, the taro was a little too sweet. But at least the boba was nice and chewy! Would come back and try other things. Nice to have more boba spots in the area! read more

Boba Joy - Two popcorn chicken - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

Greeted upon arrival midday and staff were very friendly. Ordered two drinks and the store was clean with indoor and outdoor seating (wasn't too busy). I got the signature milk tea with boba and a passionfruit green tea both 50% sweet and felt they adjusted it correctly. Music playlist inside was great while we waited, parking in the lot was easy. Prices were fair, would come back thanks! read more

Boba Joy - Signature milk tea with boba and passionfruit green tea with jelly - April 2026 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

Nestled in the back corner of Mission Gorge is this little gem. Good pricing. Tasty Drinks and treats. Service was good but my gf who does not drink caffeine was asking about the menu and they assured her that her drink didn't have caffeine and that the menu print must be wrong. When we went home we double checked and it sure did have caffeine. We should have checked that but we were trusting of the workers. But that doesn't take away from the good service they still provided and the drinks again were made great! Just miss communication. Place is very clean and well lit once inside. We will be back! read more

See all

I have been looking for somewhere that sells spicy popcorn chicken as my go-to place raised the prices and reduced the portion. So, I decided to come over and try the popcorn chicken. Since my son was with me and didn't want chicken I ordered him an Oreo bubble waffle. First of all, the employees seemed very nice. I had no issues ordering. The store was very clean. They told me it would be a 20 minute wait for the waffle since the machine needed to heat up, I told them that was not an issue and we would wait. After about 25 minutes, they bagged my orders of popcorn chicken and the waffle and tied the bag close. I walked out to my car and decided to open the bag to get my son his waffle. Well, this thing was beyond burnt. It was charred completely. I tasted one piece to make sure it wasn't just oreo giving off that color and, nope, it was burnt and each piece was hard and brittle. There was nothing reminiscent of a soft bubbly waffle. I took it back in and told the girl this was beyond burnt and she told me "yeah the machine was really smoking and it burnt it". I told her how come you just put it in a bag hoping I wouldn't notice, that is not okay. She offered me a cash refund for the amount, but did not give me the amount of the tax back. I asked again why they thought that was okay to serve that to me and not tell me and she just said sorry. I really wanted to like this place and the chicken is decent, but wow, I am surprised at the terrible service and lack of care. read more

See all

We came in today to Boba Joy, and as a first time customer Lauren was very patient with myself and my 7 year old who knew she wanted to have Boba but only had it with her older sister who loves it. Lauren made our birthday trip a success with her positive attitude and great vibe. The atmosphere was amazing! read more

Boba Joy - The brown sugar milk tea no boba. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

See all

Got a bubble waffle tonight 11/18/25 with a Taro milk tea. The teen guy working gave a burnt bubble waffle & you could tell the grill wasn't cleaned properly with all the burn pieces on the waffle. Why did it take 15 min to prepare a *burnt bubble waffle & taro milk tea? We were the only customer inside too. read more

My drink was so bland no flavor of taro whatsoever. I tried giving this place a third chance just not for me read more

Boba Joy - Taro slushy - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

Wow. Today was soo slow. Legit still here in my car reviewing. 4 drinks and we have been here for 30 minutes. What is going on? Also I asked what is the difference between the flavored teas and the juice tea and was given a bit of attitude. So disappointing. 30 minutes for 4 drinks?? read more

This drink is really delicious and sweet is which is what I like and strawberry flavored. Can't imagine having this now. I'm gonna go back a lot for this drink very friendly and customer oriented. The ambience was nice. Light lighting was really good and easy to read the menu. Very friendly staff. Now I'm back again. read more

Boba Joy - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

See all

Tiny little boba shop tucked away near the Walgreens and glasses place. It's cute with only a few tables. Prices are moderate, service was moderate. Rose milk tea with boba was not too sweet. But our greatest takeaway was the crispy tofu and rice. The tofu by itself had a lot of seasoning and was almost a little too salty, so I'm glad we got it with rice. Price was about $10 but the portion was fitting - lots of tofu pieces. Wish we ate it there so it was for sure crispy but we took it home - still good though! read more

See all

Really delicious strawberry milk tea boba from Boba Joy! After driving past this place so many times, i'm glad i finally gave it a try. Their menu is extensive and they also have dairy free alternatives (the soy milk is great!) The place was quiet on a Friday night so I got my drink quickly. The boba was cooked to perfection, however the drink itself was REALLY sweet. If possible, I'd do half sweet or even 25% next time. read more

See all

I was in the area and I always look out for any new Boba shops to try out. This place was tucked in the corner of a small parking lot. Place was cute on the inside, the staff was very friendly and attentive. I got 3 drinks: Thai Tea with Boba, Passion fruit-Green tea with grass jelly, Strawberry lychee tea (oolong) with grass jelly. I was surprised to find out they make their own grass jelly. 1. Thai Tea: standard typical flavor, I was not sure if this was freshly brewed or not. The boba were pretty good, seemed bouncy and chewy. I commonly get this drink so I have had it at a lot of other places. 3/5 2. Passion Fruit Green tea: 3.8/5 My sister said it tasted pretty standard so that was good, but the grass jelly was honestly like maybe one tablespoon so they didn't seem to get a good sense of how good or bad it was, kudos for a place to make their own, but they definitely don't give hardly any. 3. Strawberry Lychee tea- My niece did not care for the Oolong tea in this drink. It is not that common to see Oolong tea so that is why we chose it but not a good mix. They noted the same thing about the grass jelly, hardly any given. 3/5 They did have other treats there. Hot food like popcorn chicken as well as Tofu, etc. I was in a rush so I didn't have time to try these small eats. I will say it took a little longer for the drinks to be made, but at least I feel like they were serious about making the drinks correctly. Service: 5/5 Food: 3/5 Ambiance: 4/5 read more

See all

Wow! So delicious, we ordered a Oreo Tornado with boba and it did not dissapoint, we have ordered Oreo bobas at other places and this one is our favorite! read more

Boba Joy - Oreo tornado - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

We came in on what they refer to as National Boba Day and advertised it on their Instagram account. They were promoting a BOGO free boba drink. However, it's not referenced anywhere that we would need to mention the promo. Pretty disappointed. We've frequented this business in the past and had no issues with them, but we won't be patronizing them again. read more

Boba Joy - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

This our new favorite Boba spot. The boba is top notch . And the service is outstanding as well . We also love the atmosphere They serve food . The menu looks good. I have not tried anything food yet . I'm looking I'm looking forward to soon. read more

Boba Joy - Peach Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

Cute and nicely deco boba shop with snack menu. After reading other reviews, I decided to go with basic boba drinks. We ordered day n night, watermelon, and matcha. Nothing outstanding, but not water down drink. Service is quick and efficient. Price is right. There are tables inside and outside. Restroom is clean. Parking is plenty. read more

See all

First off, the staff here are very friendly! I was unsure what golden boba was, but the boba-rista was able to explain it to me nicely and suggest adding it to the drink I ordered, so I did! They make theirs with brown sugar so it was a good addition to my brown sugar milk tea. It's nice and soft but not sticky like some other bobas can be. I do wish the drink was a bit sweeter, perhaps a brown sugar syrup would be a nice addition. But overall, it hit the spot and i'd be happy to return and try a different drink! read more

Boba Joy - Brown Sugar Milk Tea w/ golden boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

We stopped by for a boba fix when we were in the neighborhood and were disappointed. I wanted a taro milk with brown sugar boba, but they were out. The associate said they could add the brown sugar flavor to the regular boba. When a different associate brought me the drink (I think there was a shift change), there was no boba in the drink. When I asked about it, I was told that they were out of the regular boba. Confused, I left the store. Maybe I would have had more lick with Da Boba across the street? read more

If you're in Santee and craving boba, look no further--Boba Joy is it! From the moment I walked in, the place had a cozy, welcoming vibe. The staff were super friendly and patient while I browsed the menu (which has a ton of great options without feeling overwhelming). I ended up getting their Brown Sugar Milk Tea with boba, and it was perfection--the tea was rich and flavorful, the sweetness level was just right, and the boba had that perfect chewy texture. Fresh, not too soft, not too firm. I've also tried their fruit teas and smoothies on a few visits and they're consistently delicious. You can tell they use quality ingredients, and they really care about getting the drinks just right. The interior is clean, with comfy seating if you want to hang out, and there's plenty of parking which is a plus in Santee. Prices are super reasonable too, especially for the quality. Whether you're a boba newbie or a full-on addict like me, Boba Joy definitely lives up to its name--pure joy in a cup. Can't recommend it enough! read more

Boba Joy is located super conveniently off of the 125, and it's close to lots of other retail shops. It's a convenient location, so you can get your drink before you go run your errands in Santee. It's a small shop, but they have a big menu of drinks AND snacks. Today I ordered a large oolong milk tea with crystal boba and some popcorn chicken. When ordering, I noticed that they did not list their drink toppings on their menu. When I asked about what kinds of boba they had at their shop, the cashier was very kind and told me not only their boba types (brown sugar, crystal), but all of their fruit based toppings as well. In other words, they have really thoughtful staff members here. You can also see in plain site that they use real steeped tea here (e.g., not those instant teas made from powders). Their seating areas were all very clean too. The cost for my large tea (with a topping), popcorn chicken, and a tip was $14.33. I'd say that's a pretty fair price for a full meal in the Santee area. Their oolong milk tea: it has a robust flavor- it was not overpowered by the milk. I ordered my drink at the normal sweetness level (100%) and thought that it was less sweet than at other stores. This is a plus in my opinion. Their crystal boba, however, were not as flavorful as crystal boba at other shops. Popcorn chicken: it is made fresh to order so it took about 10 mins. Not too bad of a wait, but keep that in mind if you're in a hurry. They let me choose my spiciness level. At the mild spice level, it still had a good flavor. The chicken was not overcooked either. I would definitely come back again. read more

My kiddos loved their boba drinks! They really especially loved that popcorn chicken! You can get it spicy too! read more

See all

Tha associates at Boba Joy are always so thoughtful. Food is great especially the fries. Wonderful Boba!

I'll be moving to Santee this week. My initial experience at Boba Joy was terrible. Their Jasmine Green Milk Tea was mostly water, and the aftertaste was incredibly unpleasant, tasting like soap. Why does the aftertaste like soap? Who knows. Boba places like It's Boba Time or Boba at Plaza Bonita are much better than Boba Joy. And the boba itself was awful. I need to find a different boba place to go to. read more

Came today to get gift cards and was very surprised to find out they don't have them. Sucks when you really want to support local and not big corporations and then you can't. I like this place but definitely disappointed that they don't have GCs. read more

Friendly staff, yummy drinks and a clean store front. Plenty of great options to try. My personal favorite is the brown sugar milk tea with boba! We always make sure to stop by when we're in the area for a drink. read more

Pros: * Super cute & clean shop * Staff was nice & patient while we struggled to decide * Service was quick * Delicious drinks; recommend the Taro Slush & Strawberry Lemonade black tea * Light fun atmosphere; you can borrow board games Cons: *N/A Extra: * Small parking lot by the shop, but it's connected to the Walgreen parking lot read more

See all

I love this place! Food, drinks, and service are all great. The popcorn chicken is so good. The drinks are really good too, and they have some unique flavor combos like strawberry dragon fruit and green thai. The atmosphere is nice and the staff is very friendly and helpful! read more

Juicy and crispy popcorn chicken! All the boba tea, coffee, and yakult drinks we have tried have been delicious. read more

I've been here a number of times, because it is conveniently located. Service is always slow. They don't offer any hot drinks, like most tea shops. Today they were out of black tea, which serves as the base for many drinks. Head to Kung Fu Tea instead. read more

Drinks are made well and taste pretty good without being overly sweet. The inside was kept clean with hip hop/RnB playing. I appreciate the person at the register letting me know the item I wanted wasn't available as well as the reason why and then offering me alternatives. They also offer a rewards program and just signing up gets you a discount so that was a bonus. Would definitely recommend to others. read more

Boba Joy - Mango oolong tea, Cajun Fries - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

Popcorn chicken is elite, brown sugar milk tea is great, good seating and size. Employee Noah Westfall is very knowledgeable and makes delicious popcorn chicken. read more

Boba Joy - Noah Westfall - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

Wow really delicious!!! Winter melon and strawberry slush.. can't wait to come back. The store is really nice and cool on a hot east county day. read more

Boba Joy - Winter Melon and Strawberry Slush's. WOW so delicious you definitely have to try this!! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

Ordered a Thai tea with boba. Got to my car and realized there was no boba even though it was on the label. I went back in and asked if they could add boba. The girl at the register was not friendly and definitely didn't apologize for their mistake. Got back to my car attempting to drink the boba through their tiny straw and it spilled all over my shirt to the point where I had to change into a sweater that was in my backseat. Now again trying to drink the boba through this tiny straw and the tea has once again spilled all over my sweater. The drink is average and the boba is a bit too gummy. The service was b*tchy and this tiny straw is problematic. Probably won't go back. After reading other reviews I see the same cashier girl is known for her b*tchy demeanor. Yes you with the rbf and the bangs. I get it maybe you're just not super friendly or outgoing but if you're the owner or manager of this business, perhaps don't make her the face of your store. Assuming b*tchy and unwelcoming is not what you're going for. read more

Was looking for a solid boba spot that offered some snacks to eat while I got some work done! FYI - Their hours are actually until 9PM, not 10PM but I believe they have been updated. The store is clean and spacious with outdoor seating as well! They had a variety of teas, smoothies, and snacks to choose from. I opted for a tofu + crispy chicken combo with rice. For my drink I ordered their Oreo Matcha Creme Brulee. It was a nice flavor and is sweetened by the oreo pieces. They were quite generous with the chicken as the box was full! The fried tofu pieces on top were delicious, but really salty. They included a sweet dipping sauce for the tofu and a spicy mayo mixture for the chicken as well. I thought the chicken was extremely crunchy to the point where it was a little too hard to eat, but overall made for a filling snack. I would come back if I'm in the area as there are few boba shops in Santee and give Boba Joy a 3.5 rating. read more

See all

Was in the area and decided to try this place out. Super cute and clean boba spot. Good customer service and tasty drink. read more

Boba Joy - Outside - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

See all

I've had a hard time finding yummy boba and this is the spot!! It's delicious and the customers service is just the cherry on top! oh I forgot to mention.. the bubble waffle was really good too! read more

I absolutely love the service here, the food and the atmosphere. There's always nice music and you get to play games while engaging in friendly but professional conversations with the staff. Boba Joy has been my go to spot for 2 years now. Team Boba Joy! read more

Boba Joy - Wintermelon Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Santee, California

Best boba in the world and their popcorn chicken is another level! Gives off a great vibe too. The workers feel like they have double the normal kindness. read more

i really like this place! they have a large selection of items and i especially like how many flavors of milk tea they have :3 their milk tea could be a little sweeter, but that's a personal preference. read more