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    CaliTea - San Diego

    4.4 (83 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    CALITEA - SAN DIEGO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Hokkaido milk tea.
    Jonathan D.

    I was visiting San Diego for a conference, and I was looking for somewhere not too far from my hotel to get some work done. While initially I'd been hoping for a coffee spot, my best nearby option appeared to be CaliTea. This is an adorable little tea shop in a small shopping plaza. After some discussion with the helpful counter worker, I settled on a Hokkaido milk tea. I don't like my drinks too sweet, but I do like boba, so I tend to get something with low or no sweetness and then let the boba add the sugar. My milk tea was the perfect level of sweetness, and it was one of the better milk teas I've had in a while. There are five indoor tables, mellow music, Wi-Fi and a number of outlets, so it proved a good spot to get work done for a few hours. There are also some outdoor tables to take advantage of San Diego's beautiful weather, though I was perfectly satisfied looking through the large windows. I'd definitely come back if I were in the area.

    Hibiscus tea with light pomegranate syrup, fruit tea (unsweetened)
    Ginger P.

    Every tea order is fresh-brewed. I had the caffeine-free fruit tea (unsweetened) and the flavor of the tea was very strong (love!). My husband had the hibiscus tea with a little bit of pomegranate syrup and he liked his drink as well. I like that there are 3 caffeine-free options for tea (the other one being rooibos). The employee who worked there wasn't very helpful about answering questions about the menu. I just ordered a fruit tea with no frills, no sweetener from the build your own. I think the special menu creations would probably taste better. If I return, I'll try one of those and report back.

    Brown Sugar Vanilla Frappe
    Rangoli K.

    I like Cali tea. I love the brown sugar vanilla frappe, which is the one that I ordered here you can make your own tea and they have a lot of customizable options. The staff is very nice and generous. However, the making time is a little bit high around 15 to 20 minutes, in case you walk in, so be ready to wait or you can definitely order in advance. But I still definitely would recommend you to try this place out !

    Roasted Oolong Milk Tea w/ Pudding
    Jessica S.

    After grabbing some tacos/burritos, my boyfriend and I walked over to this boba shop since it was right there. Because why not? It's located in between Los Panchos Taco Shop and Round Table Pizza in this small plaza on the corner of Friars Rd and Via Las Cumbres in Morena(?). There's a small parking lot with ample parking stalls. I could see the lot being filled during rush lunch and dinner hours. I got the Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with egg pudding and 50% sweetness. The egg pudding add-on was relatively expensive ($0.99), and it was just eh. Note taken not to get the egg pudding next time LOL. The drink overall was relatively good. It had the nice light roasted oolong tea flavor I was looking for but wished it was a little more bolder/stronger. It did its job in quenching my boba thirst tho! The menu is quite extensive with teas, coffees, and lemonade options. They also have a build your own tea drink option. I believe there aren't many boba places in the area, this place is a great place to stop by for that boba fix!

    Risto K.

    Excellent boba tea shop with some extra donuts! I came here due to great reviews. Living up to the hype CaliTea is really good. I am not a caffeine drinker anymore and they had options for me. Service was good and they just opened up. AmbienCe is that of a small neighborhood coffee shop. Small and cute. Special points go for small donuts they carry.... I am not a fan of boba so I cannot really fully appreciate CaliTea, but I can say it's better than any other boba tea I had!

    Jessica S.

    It's quite dangerous to have a good boba shop so close to home. Like, literally within walking distance. It's taking all my willpower to not suggest stopping by every day, twice on Sundays. We'd never heard of CaliTea before moving into the area, but knew we had to at least give them a try. Because if they were any good, it'd save us the trip into Convoy, you know? And if they weren't, well, we still have our go-to's down the road. They are that good! I mean, not all of their drinks are winners so far - which is part of the reason I've knocked one star off (the other being the staff isn't always friendly, or trained to help...). I love that they have more than one chamango-type drink. I had to try the spicy lihing lava, the strawberry version with boba, of course ($5.99) on my first visit, and my husband got the lychee slush with boba ($4.59). Both were instant winners based solely on drink flavor alone. The fact that they have quality boba is a bonus. Our second trip we both ordered the Vietnamese Coffee frappe with boba ($6.29). This one wasn't quite as strong as the other drinks - the frappe was more ice than frappe, and the flavor was kind of weak. The next trip had me going back to try the pineapple version of the spicy lihing lava series, and my husband ordered the Rose Green Tea with boba ($5.49). Unfortunately, the rose drink was not a winner, and my husband had to end up dumping it. The flavor was way too perfumey, which is always a danger with rose-ish drinks. Still, we know they can make good drinks and that their boba is quality, so we'll definitely be back.

    Brown sugar oat milk & Jasmine oat milk tea
    Samantha W.

    Our first time here, tea was great but the boba was undercooked and firm in the centre. Second time, boba was cooked better but it was so insanely sweet...disappointing that they keep missing the mark with the boba or we've just been very unlucky the 2 times we visited. I always get 0% sugar with my jasmine oat milk teas because the boba adds enough sweetness for me. I thoroughly shook and vigorously mixed the boba with the drink to distribute the sweetness but it wasn't a matter of "washing off" the syrup - the boba itself had absorbed so much sugar that you'd get the sweetness when chewing the boba. It was so overly sweet, I'd never had boba balls that sweet before. Someone must have added too much sugar to the recipe or they changed the recipe since last time? Again, I am aware that the sign says if you are unsatisfied let us know and we'll remake it. But I don't particularly like wasting food/drink if it's not totally inedible and I just don't know how they'd suddenly have perfect boba ready to go. Liked that they used real passionfruit in my husbands passion fruit green tea though. That was nice.

    Hibiscus Cooler Tea and Cali Milk Tea
    Diana A.

    My husband and I wanted to try a new boba place and stopped by CaliTea. My husband ordered the Hibiscus Cooler no boba and less ice, I ordered the Cali Milk tea which my understanding was a mixture of green and black tea. I don't like overly sweet boba tea and was originally going to order 25% sweetness but the barista recommended I order 50% sweet- and it was perfect! I really enjoyed the flavors of both drinks. You can really taste the richness of the tea, which is exactly what I want when drinking boba. Unfortunately, at other establishments I've had the experience of the drink being straight up sugar or way too milky (it doesn't even taste like tea). But at CaliTea both the drinks were made to perfection. I can't wait to go back!!! I wish this place was closer to my home so I could go more often.

    Strawberry banana smoothie with boba
    Curt T.

    Got the strawberry banana smoothie with boba and it was good. The boba tastes fresh and I loved the chunks of strawberry in the smoothie. The taro smoothie was good but tasted a bit milky but good. Service was quick and friendly. They did make a mistake and did the taro tea instead of a smoothie but quickly fixed and remade it so service was spot on. Check this place out if I'm the area.

    Cali Milk Tea - Matcha Milk Tea - Osmanthus Milk Tea
    Sarah B.

    Yelp brought me here! And they offered something different, every cup is brewed to order. The place was clean and ordering was simple. Had the Cali, Osmanthus and Matcha milkteas with 50% sugar and no toppings. ALL were tasty and refreshing. The Cali is their namesake, it had a nice nuttiness taste to it. Which I enjoy. The matcha had some floral flavors, it definitely tasted different from others. Osmanthus, is a new tea for me. This one also had nice floral notes as well, there was also a nice sweetness to it. You can definitely tell the difference of freshly brewed tea. The aroma of the teas being brewed too just really makes you feel like your in a tea house. No obnoxious loud music too! The owner, did not catch her name :( She was very helpful and explained the different teas we ordered. I really appreciate receiving some education on what I am ordering. She really knows her teas. She also gave us a sample of their honey boba. Ooh, they were yummy! Not too sweet and not too chewy. I normally don't like boba because most are hard. I definitely will request some next time. I am a fan! Looking forward to my next visit, I want to try their lemonades.. ooh and their coffee options as well. Parking was limited and spots are tight, we went during lunch time.

    Suite front
    Emmett T.

    This boba tea chain decided to set up a shop in the Las Cumbres Square off Friars Rd in Mission Valley. The suite is near an internal corner which does not make it very visible from the roadside. Parking is not great, but the plaza is rarely full so an open space can be found in the lot. The inside is narrow with four tables and bench seating along the west wall. The menu was loaded with choices for both milk teas and fruit teas. Half of the selections were non-tea options like frappes, slushes, smoothies, and organic lemonade. What makes CaliTea unique is that their tea is brewed to order with eleven types of tea leaves. You won't find this setup elsewhere in town. All the other places prepare batches of tea inside large dispensers. The iced drinks come in one size of 24 oz while the hot teas have a 20 oz serving size. Toppings ranged from $0.50 to $0.99 extra. Because they are in a soft opening period and currently don't have a high customer demand, I think they can get away with the extra preparation time it takes to brew as ordered. This would be a concern if long lines extended out the door. On my first visit, I chose the Tropic Osmanthus which contained osmanthus tea, lychee, and guava. I have not seen this flavor before which was why I wanted to try it. The second time I came here, my pick was a Mango Kumquat from the signature fruit tea series. Maybe it's the calibration because for each of my orders, the volume of liquid did not fill up the entire cup (see photos). The fruit profiles were fine, however I had expected a stronger tea flavor. The boba pearls could have used more boiling. I gave CaliTea a 3.5 star rating for now.

    Taro Smoothie with boba! A MUST
    Calina N.

    OBSESSED! My new favorite boba spot in San Diego! I came across this shop while getting Los Panchos next door. I'm a boba lover so I HAD to try it. I'm so glad there is an actual good boba place in Mission Valley now and I don't have to drive up to convoy! The location is kind of hidden but it's close to USD and other shops that have a lot of foot traffic so I'm sure they will gain a lot of traction soon. They brew all their teas fresh to order which I think is really cool and I can definitely taste the difference compared to other boba shops. I love their taro smoothie. It's the best taro drink I've had! I absolutely recommend it! Shoutout to Gissel and Dylan for answering all my questions and the kind service! I'll definitely be coming back!

    Lemon green tea with aloe
    Grace C.

    Love this boba place! The drinks are so refreshing and the boba is perfect, not too sweet and just the right texture. This time I got the lemon green tea with aloe and it was super refreshing on a hot day. Other times I have gone and had other drinks and they have always been good. The service is great and the inside is cute. Overall good experience

    Hibiscus cooler with Aloe Vera

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    11 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Got the hibiscus tea with 25% sweetness and they didn't overdo it on the ice. it was perfect and so refreshing. I'd come back.

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    Hi Grace, thank you for your review. We hope to serve you again soon!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - CaliTea - San Diego

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    everbowl

    everbowl

    4.8
    (66 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    I started coming here more often and the service is always amazing and smoothies and bowls tasty!…read moreThe manager/owner of this place is a really sweet guy and prioritizes customers when it comes to the business. I can tell he tries to remember every face that comes in and he was kind enough to remedy the situation today when I was waiting for it and one of the other workers didn't know it was for me and put it in the fridge. I will continue coming back to support this business! They are consistent with their bowls and smoothies too which is great!

    Everbowl -- Loma Portal, San Diego…read more Back in my natural habitat. Ordered the Large PB Everbowl because confidence was high and hunger was higher. Respectfully... the large fought back. Let's start with the good. Flavor? Solid. Peanut butter showed up like a starter, not a bench player. Ingredients were fresh, clean, and legit. Now the audit. The ratios on the large made mixing feel like a CrossFit session. I was excavating toppings only to discover a thick reserve of untouched açaí at the bottom. Structurally ambitious. Practically challenging. Professional recommendation: Order the medium. Better balance. Better blend. Less archaeological digging. The base leaned a little heavy for my personal preference -- not bad, just dense. Some people like that. I prefer flow. Now... the headline. The Staff!! 6/5. I don't hand those out casually. Friendly. Fast. Honest. Elite banter. The kind of service that makes you want to become a regular immediately. Would I go back? For the bowl? Yes. For the staff? Immediately. Rating 3.8 / 5 Açaí Berries Breakdown Taste: 4/5 Ingredients: 4/5 Ratios: 3/5 Service: 6/5 Vibes: 5/5 Current Status: Medium over Large Lesson Learned: Size matters. Mix wisely. -- The Açaí Guy

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    everbowl
    everbowl
    everbowl

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    LIV Juice Bar and Smoothies

    LIV Juice Bar and Smoothies

    4.5
    (670 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Delicious, fresh, and quality smoothies, juice, and food here. The service is great and consistent,…read moreI've been coming here since high school and it's been my favorite smoothie/ fruit place ever since. No chain açaí bowl place has been able to make me feel different. I'm so happy they have been in Hillcrest for so long and continue to provide their services. Some of my fav items are the Liv signature smoothie, the veggie sandwich, and the lentil soup. Even typing makes me want to go get some now. It saddens me to see some weird review complaining about the business when I've come literally over 100 times and have never had a negative experience what so ever. Some of these wannabe "top elites" are getting out of hand. It feels like bullying in the hopes of getting some kind of special treatment. Very weird behavior, I hope they stay far away so the rest of the customers/community can enjoy the shop because it's a gift to the block.

    This place was AMAZING! Fresh ingredients in everything, my order was so good and I definitely want…read moreto come back. The store is small with decent seating, but we opted to sit outside in their little dining area. The staff are nice and prices were decent. I shared an açaí bowl and turkey sandwich with a friend and we were both so stuffed at the end! I also got a smoothie and it was very refreshing. The turkey sandwich came with a side of fruit and it was all sweet and fresh. Everything just felt so fresh and delicious and I will definitely come back!

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    Roast beef sandwich!!
    Roast beef sandwich!!
    Roast beef sammich
    Roast beef sammich
    Jose, thank you for always putting the straw in for me, so I don't spill it. Hehe.

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    Jose, thank you for always putting the straw in for me, so I don't spill it. Hehe.
    Nekter Juice Bar

    Nekter Juice Bar

    4.3
    (120 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    I was going to go to Jamba Juice and I was shocked the location I went to wasn't open till 10am so…read moreI went to Nekter Juice bar instead and I am glad they are open 7am daily. For this reason I will now coming to this location more often. I ordered Tropical Cooler it took pictures of the menu so you can see all the ingredients and I added carrots for my heath and it tasted very good and the consistency was surprisingly thick in a good way because the pictures on the menu looked more like a juice. I tasted a chunks or real fruits in it which I appreciated because that means they aren't using anything artificial powders. I also ordered berry chia parfait with strawberries. It came with blueberries and granola. The chia seeds inside are my favorite and it's packed with lots of nutrients. The store here is spotless clean, cozy, with relaxing music to get you in a good mood and it definitely has made my morning better. My server was Samantha and she took care of my orders and made the drinks and my chia seed parfait. She was helpful with guiding me how to use the app for the first time and walked me through the menus. I will be back. Thank you Nekter for staying open early!

    Idk y'all I'm a wellness girly but this juice bar is expensive!! Great customer service and all…read more Call me brookie but this is not a place I would visit frequent. I ordered the mini PB Health Nut with Whey protein. Healthy and I'm here for it but I would rather make my wellness shots and juices at home thank you. There is plenty of parking. And a decent seating area. I appreciate the grab and go. The end.

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    Nekter Juice Bar
    Nekter Juice Bar
    Nekter Juice Bar

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    CaliTea - San Diego - bubbletea - Updated July 2026

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