Amazing. This is the best team in San Diego. So sorry that they are closing this location. 5/5, no notes. read more

Got a mango smoothie and it was delicious They also had macaroons that were really good Staff was super helpful and nice If you can't find parking, there is parking upstairs as well Would definitely go again read more

Stopped by here for some boba and would definitely be back to try more items. The avocado smoothie was really good but the Thai tea was ok. Boba could've been a little softer but taste was great! Staff was super nice, drinks took about 5-10 minutes to be ready read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Thai Milk Tea & Avocado Smoothie - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Unfortunately, I dropped my drink just moments after walking out of the store! I went back in to get another, and was not offered a discount... but what was frustrating was that the second version of the same drink I had just ordered was a good two inches below the fill-line! Great product / less than satisfactory service. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Vietnamese Milk Coffee - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Calitea is located in the Las Cumbres Square. This is small and busy plaza - the lot is a bit tight and awkward to navigate through. Poor service - the employee was not friendly or welcoming, I stood at the front counter for a bit while the employee finished making all the drinks without giving any acknowledgment to me. I ordered a jasmine milk tea with boba. The milk tea tasted more cream / milk with a lack of tea taste to it. It was pretty watered down and it was not that sweet either. It was a little over $7 for a drink that tasted like milk water. read more

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. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Hokkaido milk tea. - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Hibiscus tea with light pomegranate syrup, fruit tea (unsweetened) - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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 ! read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Brown Sugar Vanilla Frappe - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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My boyfriend and I are very lucky to live near this boba spot because whenever we are craving a smoothie or boba we just walk right over. They have a cute little seating area inside and have a few seats outside. It's a nice place to catch up with some friends or even do a little computer work. The workers are always so friendly and their drinks are good! We rotate between cali milk tea, strawberry banana smoothie, avocado smoothie, taro smoothie and watermelon slush. Great spot if you haven't tried! read more

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! read more

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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.

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! read more

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Was on my way to drop my brother off to the airport and found this gem! Teas are brewed fresh, boba was warm upon first sip and staff is super friendly! Highly recommended and looking forward to coming back. Thank you CaliTea! read more

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. read more

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I wasted $9 on a flavorless drink & disappointing service. It's a shame that I didn't have a good experience like others. I ordered a cookie butter cinnamon frappe. It was lacking flavor. So I asked if I can get more flavor of it to be added. They tell me they can't add more or remake it but they can give me more of the cookie butter on the side with another cup. However, I can tell they were displeased with me speaking up & not wanting to redo it. So I asked if I can just get a refund instead. They said they're not allowed to. I chose to not get any on the side, let it be & start heading out. As they noticed I was about to give up, they insisted they'd remake the drink. It was odd because they told me THEY COULDNT REMAKE MY DRINK in the first place. They couldn't give me a refund nor remake the drink. So I just took a big L with $9 down the drain. I barely drank the drink because it was bland. I would've appreciated if they could've just given me my refund but I got nothing back in return. So there was nothing good about the place & experience at all. This was my first time coming but I will not be coming back. read more

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. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Brown sugar oat milk & Jasmine oat milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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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. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Hibiscus Cooler Tea and Cali Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Strawberry banana smoothie with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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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. read more

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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. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Cali Milk Tea - Matcha Milk Tea - Osmanthus Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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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! read more

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Very extensive options on tea selections. They had so many good tea options I didn't know what to go with, and they even offer coffee and smoothies. A lot of optional additions that you can add into your tea as well. Service was really nice and helpful with recommendations. I ended up going with one of the employees's favorite the Hibiscus Cooler which is really good. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Hibiscus cooler with Aloe Vera - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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 read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Lemon green tea with aloe - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Wanted to try a new boba spot today and discovered this place that just opened up. Tucked away in a little restaurant corner between Fashion Valley and USD, but very easy to get to and there's a parking lot (next to Round Table Pizza). Staff was very friendly and welcoming, and their menu was pretty expansive (plus make your own options) so it took me and my boyfriend a little while trying to decide what to try. Decided upon the peach cantaloupe fruit tea since I don't usually find cantaloupe on the menu and I love it. Didn't take too long for it to get ready and the price was very inexpensive. Saw that they brew their own tea per order, so that was a nice added touch. The drink ended up being pretty good and refreshing (yay for crystal boba). Would love to come back again soon to try their milk teas, as well as to try their honey boba. Thanks once again! read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Peach cantaloupe fruit tea with crystal boba. - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I love this place! I used to come here all the time, but I moved so I don't come as often. The fact that their tea is brewed to order definitely makes a difference, and their earl gray is amazing! However, in the last few months, I have noticed a change in their taste and consistency as they've hired new staff. Their flavor has tasted a bit diluted and the boba has been too soft the last few times I've gone in. Overall, still one of the best boba spots in SD and definitely a hidden gem! read more

I was in the area and saw the great reviews so I decided to try it out. I will have to say that this was the most expensive boba drink I've had in SD, but I can't even lie and say how delicious the drink was. The teas go for $6+ and with boba I paid $7.60 which is a lotttt. I got the rose green tea and it was soo fresh and refreshing. I was really impressed. I don't think I would go back unless I was in the area, but I do recommend a try because the tea was sooo good read more

we tried CaliTea for the first time and oh my goodness! its our favorite Tea Shop from this point on. from our 14 year old up through the adult members of our family, we loved our tea choices so much we will make CaliTea our go to. The ingredients are fresh, tasty and did not taste fake, heavy or too sweet. There are lots of choices on the menu and the tea shop is very clean and pleasant. the gal who helped us, Katherine, is very kind, knowledgeable, and patient. she went the extra mile to adjust the sweetness on one of our drinks and just all around kind and helpful. please please come give CaliTea on Friars Road ( corner of Via de las Cumbres) a try and support this awesome business. There is a parking lot and it's very easy to get to. read more

Ordered the Almond Milk Tea. Asked for green tea but was recommended roasted tea. Asked to switch tea but cashier said they were unable to accommodate. The Almond Milk Tea tastes more like water down TEA. read more

We live close by and was really excited to have a boba/milk tea place open nearby! We usually get milk tea 2-4x a week. This was our first time at CaliTea and was curious how the quality of brewed-to-order might be. I already anticipated a longer wait than usual, but it took about 15 mins... That's a little too long to wait for a drink while the store was pretty empty. We got the taro milk tea and Cali milk tea. 25% sweet for each and less ice for both. The Cali milk tea had half a cup of ice and tasted super watered down. The taro milk tea did not have the taro powder mixed well and was super chalky and tasted really artificial. Both drinks cost $12 total. Too expensive for the result. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - My Cali Tea with "less ice". Tasted very diluted - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I am so happy this placed opened by my house. No more long drives for boba. I am grateful I got to meet the owner Kat. Very kind lady and super welcoming. They brew the tea right there and have many various tea leaves to smell before ordering. Often times I choose the basic black because I don't know how the others may be so this was a nice change. It's also cool that you can make your own drink, choose the sweetness and toppings. It is kind of tucked away so I hope more people make their way to this hidden gem. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Hokaido Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Soft opening review~ Saw that this place recently opened & gave it a try! Service Neutral/10: Walked in and it was super awkward - the employees were quiet (but I guess they were shy). Went up to the register & made our orders, at first they were very quiet when they spoke - had to ask them to repeat themselves. After our order I went back up to order another drink for someone & stood there - employee just looked at me then came to get my order lol. Jokingly said to my bf that we intimidate them (but we aren't scary!). First day typa nervous? On a brighter side they did say goodbye to us haha Drinks 9/10: We got the classic black milk tea & ocean blue lemonade. The milk tea was pretty good - probably should've lowered the sugar level but we know for next time! Bf was a fan & I liked that the tea flavor was strong - big fan of strong tea flavor. Ocean blue is pineapple coconut syrup with lemonade - I wasn't able to adjust the sugar much since it was syrup based but the overall flavor of the drink was pretty great! It was super blue & looked like alcohol or Gatorade haha (hopefully there's no super artificial colors added). Overall will definitely be coming back to try more drinks & with an updated review :) read more

I actually came to this complex to get some grub next door but once I saw this place, I had to test out their milk tea. First off, boba everywhere is super expensive nowadays. This place is no exception. Fairly pricey, but I'll cut them some slack since prices are high everywhere. They seem to pride themselves on no premade mixes. Pouring the tea directly from their tea container/kettle/thingamagiggy directly into your cup. And it DID make a difference! Great tea flavor that stands out. I got mine half sweet and it was perfect for me. The cashier lady/owner was also super friendly offering tips on her favorites and stamp cards. Since we only come to this area a few times a year, didn't accept. I do hope this place survives though cause we'll be back to get more tea and boba! Good job! read more

So refreshing and delicious!! Best bubble tea in the area and amazing customer service read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Lychee slushy - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Both smoothie was delicious. The lava smoothie is basically a pina colada + strawberries. The topping was fairly priced. The smoothies were a bit overpriced but it was worth it. Parking was easy. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Pina colada and lava - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Looking for an amazing place for bubble teas and boba ? Then Cali Tea is the spot for you. They have a huge selection of milk teas, fruit teas, lemonades, Slushies and much more. Check it out especially if you are in USD area read more

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I really like there Watermelon Slush. I also really like there coffee drink. CaliTea has all kinds of different teas, smoothies, and all kinds of bakery goods also. I really like the service. All the Employees there are so very friendly. CaliTea has plenty of seating there also. You have to try CaliTea it's a really great place for a drink. read more

Order the Tropic Osmanthus Tea and thought it was okay. Was hoping for it to be a bit more fruity but the tea definitely tasted fresh. Don't think I would order from here again and would search for another boba place to give a try. read more

CaliTea - San Diego - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Honestly some of the best boba tea I've had to date, which is saying a ton obviously. Just such good flavors and options to at least customize with soy, almond, or oat milk. Can't say whether it's a substitution but jee, the flavors would be worth the stomach ache regardless lol. SO yummy read more

I like the quality of the tea and boba but for a bubble tea (including honey boba) I paid $7.60!!! They raised their prices so that the tea alone is $6.25 and to add boba is $0.80. Wow. I've heard people throw around inflation and it has been tough. I still think this place is at least 15% more expensive for comparable places. Unfortunate since it is tasty. read more

It was my first time here.The inside is so cute.I got the pineapple chamoy and overall it was pretty good.We also got other drinks as well and all of them tasted good.only 4 star because one of them was missing a Tamarind candy stick. read more

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