The Honey Green Milk Tea, one of their signature milk teas, is to die for! You can have them adjust the teas to your taste. The quality is excellent...and the prices are reasonable for the quality you get. Open late and always crowded, this place has prompt service and excellent boba teas. read more

Cha For Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

This review is mainly for the milk tea and the service. The line was out the door almost the first time I went there but they had people in and out. I honestly thought the price was a little steep and the taste of the milk tea did not hit the spot. I prefer lollicup and no one can beat lollicup's taro milk tea. However, I would try this place one more time. A lot of my friends love this place. read more

I'm not sure why Cha only had 3.5 stars, but in my opinion Cha and Tea Station have by far the best teas in Southern California. The quality of the teas are stronger and way better than the likes of other places like Tapioca Express, Lollicup, etc., whose teas are bland and taste of fake powdery flavorings. I like Cha a bit better than Tea Station because of their food, friendly staff, and willingness to fix any problems that you have with your drink. For those of you who complained about the drink being too sweet, get it less sweet! You can get it 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 sweet, or with no sweeteners at all. They also let you substitute sugar with fake sugar, and non-dairy creamer with soy milk. My usual is the crispy chicken meal with rice, medium spicy, and the iced honey green tea, no boba. The grilled chicken and almond milk tea are also excellent! I come here weekly! read more

Great popcorn chicken. Free samples of some of their milk teas. Pretty people. read more

Cha For Tea is pricey for me. Honestly, I get my money's worth at other boba businesses. It's nice and convenient for people who live nearby since it's open till 1 on most days unlike other joints that close at 11:30 or 12 am. The highlights of this place are -Strawberry Colada w/ boba: I had a sip of it from my friend who ordered this, and it's on my list of guilty pleasures. So sugary, yet so sweet and yummy. -Popcorn chicken: Oh man. Unfff. So good. It's hot and at the right amount of spiciness. The sauce that accompanies the chicken is pretty great too. read more

I was excited there was a cha close by now! I've always been dedicated to the cha 4 tea in long beach! My favorite is the almond milk tea with boba! YUM! their popcorn chicken isn't bad either! Service is fast and friendly. But for some reason, my heart is still with the long beach location. I really like how this location is part of like a "food court" if u will. U can chill outside on the tables and hangout. read more

Cha for Tea has high-quality teas and drinks. Because of this though, it can be on the pricey side of boba so I only come here when I'm really craving some good drinks. I love their green tea cooler which has a snow-like consistency. It's really good. They also put boba in their hot teas which is so good. The boba itself, however, has became noticeably smaller which is kind of a bummer given that their prices are on the higher end of boba quality. They do give 5% off your purchase if you pay cash. The food is meh. Their snack crispy chicken is most crumb-like fried pieces with little to no meat. I wouldn't recommend it. I prefer the crispy chicken from MJ's. I guess all in all, Cha for Tea is worth paying for when you want good quality boba and special drinks. I wouldn't go here every time I have a boba craving but it's worth it when my boba craving wants something better than Lollicup. Give it a try, it's a worth a shot. :) Side note on the atmosphere: There are so many kids who come here on the weekends who just come in act like they're so cool buying boba and specialty drinks. It's just annoying to see kids buy caffeinated drinks and they act like they're so cool. It's a personal thing but hey, I thought it was worth mentioning. read more

I like their almond milk tea! + Open until 1 AM, great for late night boba runs! + 5% off if you pay with cash, saving money is always a plus. + Conveniently located near UC Irvine. read more

This place offers variety of free tea sampling. It's located near campus, so waiting is a must but considering how many orders they have to cook up, I'm very impressed with the wait time. We had 4 drinks and we got them fairly quickly. read more

Cha For Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Love everything. Usual drink: strawberry colada Usual food: crispy chicken entree Some servers are rude but most of the time, I have a decent experience and good food. read more

I've been coming here for a while now and I've never had a bad experience. They have a great tea great Boba and decent popcorn chicken. Everybody that works here is friendly and they will make the tea to order exactly how you like it. Great place to go, we love it! read more

Cha For Tea - Rosebud Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Used to go to this place all the time, and honestly, the quality of the drinks, boba and food is a quite a bit better than a lot of tea places around. That being said, it's also much pricier for the portion you receive. Unfortunately, that's a big turn off for many, with myself occasionally included. This can definitely be made up for a little by asking for less ice when you order. Their service is pretty fantastic, and drinks are stupidly customizable. I always go less ice and less sweet on pretty much all of their drinks. read more

This was a very cute tea bar! I got a green mango something with boba and I wasn't sure what to expect because I've been to quite a few boba places and some have surprised me with not being good at all. I'm happy to say this was very different from those. The line moves pretty fast. Menus are placed at just the right spot for you to pick it so you have time to think about it in line. Service was pretty good, prices are of decent range. I felt like I had only sat down for maybe thirty seconds when my name was called with the rest of my friends. The drink was great, the boba was great. It wasn't too sweet for me, but then again I like sweet. I like sweet but I know when something is just gross. The boba was soft and they weren't stingy on it. All of my friends said they enjoyed their drinks and we appreciated how fast we were in and out of there despite how packed it was. Thanks much! read more

Food is average and boba is just simply bad bad bad. There is something wrong with their milk tea.. I doesn't taste like it's made from real tea and real milk.. It tastes more like a cup of water with condensed milk and TONS of sugar. Else than the sweet tone, It's just blend. read more

I drive far just for their Earl Grey milk tea! Despite the use of high fructose corn syrup, it is my favorite drink from anywhere! I will sacrifice natural living for this drink. Lol. Sometimes I get two drinks bc I enjoy the chrysanthemum and Rose teas as well. The green tea drinks are good too! Very refreshing. The customer service can be super fast and nice too (depending on who you get of course). Bring cash to get a small discount. read more

Very sweet milk tea. The boyfriend and I ordered 2 regular-sized milk green teas with boba for about $4 each. The drinks are definitely on the sweeter side. We requested our drinks "less sweet" which is supposed to be 25% less sweet than normal, but the taste was still too sweet for my liking. The boba itself was good - chewy and not hard. What's nice about Cha is their self-serve samples. I sampled their rosebud tea which as "lightly sweetened" and quite enjoyable. I only wished that my milk tea was just as lightly sweetened. I would only recommend this place if you're a UCI student without a car and need a boba fix, or if you really enjoy sweet tea. Order less sweetened or even half-sweet to enjoy a more tea flavor. If I had known how sweet their drinks are, I would have asked for the latter option. The price you pay at this place is really for convenience; otherwise, I suggest driving to 85 Bakery for cheaper and tastier tea. read more

I normally ask for my drinks without boba, but whenever I come here, I seem to always ask for boba. Cha for Tea can be a little on the expensive side when it comes to boba spots, but it's so worth it. I've had their honey green milk tea and the other day, I tried out their Thai tea. I didn't really like their Thai tea as much as I liked their honey green milk tea, but it was still really good! I've also had their crispy chicken in very spicy and I don't think it's spicy enough for my taste! But as I said, it's still really good. I would say that Cha for Tea is my number one when it comes to where I want to get boba, but it's far from where I live so I only get it when I'm in the area. But definitely try this place out if you haven't already! read more

Drinks are fresh and high quality. Boba is perfect and chewy. Tried the honey green milk tea and the California green tea and they are both really good. The California green tea is possibly is the most unique drink I have tried from any milk tea place. I think they put orange juice in it. I absolutely loved it. Every time I go to LA, I make an effort to stop by Irvine just for it The cashier guy did warn me that some people don't like the California green tea, so just be aware. Maybe you can ask for a sample? read more

I've experienced better! There aren't much bolba teas in Irvine and apparently this is one that everybody talks about.. well I rather die! There was a huge line with only one register open. The person working at the register was Meh! I guess this is what happens when you provide jobs for bunch of students that probably study at UCI. I asked him to put honey in my Almond Milk Tea with bolba and he said no, we can't or won't do that. And the drink tasted awful with whatever sugar they've added to it. I won't go or recommend.. read more

Cha For Tea - I'm a bolba maniac and have had better! sue me! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

My new favorite snack/boba place. Ever since moving down to SoCal from the Bay Area, I've had many different types of crispy/popcorn chicken and have tried to find my favorite. Cha for Tea definitely takes the cake on this one. Perfectly cooked, perfectly breaded, and great seasoning. The sweet and sour dipping sauce that comes with it is bomb too! Kinda has a gelatinous texture to it which is kinda weird but really good! I've also had the fried dumplings which were fried to a perfection as well. The boba is very soft and always warm and fresh. The fruit teas and milk teas can get a little sweet but they do have sweetness levels you can choose from. The milk tea is really solid. Most places have more of a creamy, milky taste to their milk teas but Cha for Tea has a great balance of both! You can choose from either black or green tea. My personal preference is black tea and goes well with both milk tea and fruit tea. Service is great! Was greeted right as I walked in. Sometimes they'll have an employee standing outside providing samples of snacks. One time it was cold as hell and they still had someone providing samples and greeting. Talk about commitment. But I digress. Service is fast and friendly, as all boba cafes should be! read more

White female employee was very rude when telling us about the maximum capacity in the store. We weren't aware they were limiting it to 5, of which 3 were literally part of our group. Should have been said nicer, it was my first time here and I won't make the drive back. Drinks were good. read more

Cha For Tea sells the usual boba drinks for reasonable prices. Their most popular drink, the mango tea, is my personal favorite. The combos are great for college students in terms of price. The chicken curry plate I ordered once was almost similar to microwaveable dinners. read more

girl with GREEN hair made my drink, very COOL and best drink ever I loved it . I want MORE!!!! I love cha for tea read more

Cha For Tea - Thai Cooler - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I ordered the regular milk tea with boba and the boba was perfectly cooked. I highly recommend getting the drink with a lower sweetness with 4 being standard. I got a 3/4 sweetness and it was still pretty sweet so next time I think I will go with a 2. read more

The thai iced tea with boba is alright, this is one of the only places around the university this side that has boba. They frequently give out samples, which taste food if you're just having 1 or 2. However, I wouldn't go here for a meal, I've had their chicken it's dry and fried with too much oil and leaves a weird feeling in the stomach. read more

I love this Cha. The people working here are so friendly and I love how it is open all day so I can come early when it opens at 10am and late at night after my night classes. The honey Boba in the tea is probably the best boba I've had when compared to other boba places. There is also so much selection from fruit teas to milk teas to little snacks to eat there as well. I come here every week a little too often. Definitely my favorite boba place ever. I never get bored because of how many drinks they have. Looove this place. read more

my roommate swears this is the best boba place she's ever had, and as somewhat of a boba connoisseur myself i just had to try it (lol sorry friends i'm really not). you can actually taste the tea leaves in the tea here (no artificial flavoring!!) so you know it's the real deal. they have samples, kinda like tpumps, that let you try the most popular flavors like almond milk tea, etc. four stars because this place is pretty pricey: about $5 for regular drink with boba and the regular is pretty dang small. it was kinda difficult to find this place when i used google maps, but basically you have to walk inside the plaza into the center and it's around there. read more

Usually one of my favorite places to eat and get boba! I come here all the time and usually have an amazing experience! Today was not the case. They made my drink wrong and also gave us the wrong food and told us to get the correct one it was an extra charge even though we had already paid for it. Not sure what the deal was today, but I am not satisfied. read more

Three stars: Crispy chicken just wasn't that crispy. The skin was unremarkable. Although, the chicken pieces are substantial. Perhaps that's why it was not as crunchy? Medium spice level wasn't spicy at all and I can't even handle that spicy lol. I'd go for the very spicy next time. Also the sweet and sour sauce was disappointing. It's like the one that usually comes with Peking duck, except it was chunky. If you're really craving popcorn chicken though, it's alright place to go to. University town center has lots of places to go explore too so you can explore while munching on your snack. read more

Their "Carmel latte"and "honey latte" don't have any coffee/expresso. The Carmel latte was just milk and Carmel? Totally false advertisement. If you're looking for a caffeine fix don't come they don't they do have any coffee. Anyway, the workers were cool and gave me a refund. read more

It's the closest boba place to me, but I avoid it like the plague. Their food & drinks are mediocre and way overpriced. The service is energetic, but sometimes incompetent. The manager once told me they wouldn't accept a coupon of theirs I brought in because there was a typo in the expiration date. She didn't even apologize for it. For the love of all things good in this world, go to Tapioca Express, Tea Station, or any of the other nearby boba places. The only thing Cha has going for it is that it's open late. That means I can actively choose to NOT go there, even late! read more

I really like this place and it seems like everyone else does too. It's always busy. That said it's a bit pricy, so I don't go very often. Great selection of drinks, which you can customize- something hard to do in most other tea places. I usually get the honey tea with pearls or the coconut-strawberry drink (Coconut crush?) both "less sugar". Sometimes I get them with Splenda instead. depending on my mood. I've had the Basil Chickn once. It was pretty good, although I really go there for the tea. read more

Student atmosphere. The boba is good. It really just runs on the more expensive end. My favorite is the taro slush with regular boba(5$) or not. The love-at-first-sight is also another favorite of mine. It's mango-y topped with some sour green mango bits. mm yum! i kinda want one right now. A perfect time actually because Cha is open laaaaate. Another favorite of mine is the crispy chicken combo with rice. It's more doughy than chicken, but the crispiness just makes it so tasty and the sauce that comes with it is light and sweet. I brought my boyfriend here and he fell in love with the crispy chicken combo. ha. he'd go there everyday if it wasn't so expensive=] read more

This place is alright, the only thing is that the drinks are pretty overpriced. The only thing this place has going for it is the location and that is about it. With that said, the drinks are pretty good, but be prepared to spend around $5 for a drink you could spend $2.50 at like Tapioca Express. Bring Cash, it'll help read more

Very very convenient! Open late, lots of choices. Plus I really like the lavender tea :) Service is EXCELLENT! I always get my stuff to go though because I am old and don't like how loud it is ;) read more

I'm really upset that they discontinued their shu mai and har gow, because I really love dim sum food, especially pork and shrimp dumplings!!! *angry face* I don't know much about the rest of their food, since I haven't bought many other food items on the menu. I did try the calamari balls once (the appetizer). No bueno. Too salty and fishy tasting. I think those may actually be fish balls, you know, the type you buy in the Asian markets and put them in soup or other dishes? I don't think there's real squid in those calamari balls, but not my problem. I'm not purchasing those again! With that said, I think they are a bit pricey, and their drinks are really sweet, but maybe that's why their drinks taste so good? I personally am in love with taro black milk tea with the tapioca pearls, which brings me to another point: their tapioca balls are probably one of the best I've had - chewy and always tastes fresh (I don't know if fresh tapioca balls make sense but oh well). There's this place in Davis, CA called The Old Teahouse, and there tapioca balls are just as good as this place. I also like the California green tea, but with aloe, not tapioca pearls. They're always so chipper here! Makes me just wanna jump up and down, like I'm on a sugar rush.... "I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops...." ("Elf" movie...totally random). read more

This place is just a hangout for college students. I'll stop by here when I'm in the area because the teas are much better than Tapioca Express. Boy have the prices gone up considerably since I graduated from UCI. Those poor college kids. Anyway, anything that is a milk tea is good there, especially the melon flavored ones. I've never tried the food dishes, but I've told myself many times that I would, only to never come close to it. Parking is a pain, especially due to kids parking at the center and walking over to campus. read more

Two long years ago, when I first visited UCI, my orientation group went to UTC and had Cha For Tea, had my first boba, and then forgot completely about it until late last night (after midnight late), and, craving some kind of Asian food that did not involve cooking, asked Yelp, "late night?" near Irvine, and found Cha for Tea. Open till one AM--late late night for Irvine? On my way. I came in only with the intent of picking up the crispy orange chicken, but the boy and I got a sample of almond milk tea more or less thrown at us--delicious. So, two good-sized (like Starbucks grande size) almond milk teas, two orange chicken, about $25 total with the cash discount (5%)--not bad, but not great, for the food. As we waited, the customer service became increasingly aggressive, which was kind of tiring. Unsurprisingly, the place was still crowded at 12:45 AM, but as I've seen with Roscoe's in Long Beach, that is not always a good sign. Got the food, left, went home. Two stars for the food--definitely fast-food quality, but good enough. No one got sick. Definitely a little expensive for the quality, though. Both of us loved the tea, and it kept me well awake till 6 in the morning to finish homework. (Granted, I finished the homework at five, but at least I was awake, I guess.) tl;dr: Go for the tea, not the food, and bring cash. read more

This is my favorite place to get a drink! Honey mango green milk tea is to die for and green milk teas is worth killing for!!!! Ok, maybe not but the atmosphere is great, the drinks are great (a little pricey though), and the service is always welcoming. They are also open late and have some "board" games to play when you're "bored". haha get it? definitely recommend this place to those who don't mind spending a couple extra bucks for a fab drink. read more

I crave this place if I get within about 3 miles of it. But now...definitely To Go. I get the loud vibe...but I vote for more quiet and space. BUT...haven't had bad food from their yet and customer service is top notch. I'm a fan of the crispy chicken (spicy, and you don't need to sauce) and most of their Coolers and Green Tea derivatives with the boba. Can't emphasize the customer service enough. I got a drink that wasn't what I expected and they dropped everything to make a new one. Bring cash and save 5%. Also, I love the late hours and free wireless. read more