A little above average boba place. Pricey. Crowded. But I still frequent this place plenty. I think the best part is that they offer to adjust your drink if you don't like it. I also shamelessly eat the free samples offered there from time to time (not excessively, maybe 3 samples tops(?)). Favorite drinks include: honey green milk tea & peach milk tea. read more

One of the best boba places in Irvine... BUT also one of the most expensive. Don't know if it's because it's near campus and they know a lot of students come, but omg $$$$$$. They usually have someone standing outside before you go in, giving you a small sample of a drink and either a popcorn chicken or potsticker. That's how they get you, cause it's so delicious!! I usually try not give in to buying it cause it's so expensive... for both, but sometimes it's worth the splurge. One time I got both a drink w/ boba and popcorn chicken, and the bag was less than half full... I was so disappointed for something that cost half a chipotle... The line moves pretty fast and they give you a small discount if you pay in cash! I usually don't come unless I get a coupon on campus, or I have friends from out of town who want to try it. read more

Been coming here since my college days Good milk tea options and I always get the popcorn chicken. I'm. It sure what the sauce they provide is called but it goes very well with the chicken. Service is friendly and fast. Limited seating though so coming here to study is a hit or miss read more

Cha definitely serves up quality drinks as many can contest, but we can all agree that if we were all Cha revealed - our wallets would have a field day! So I go here for specific drinks or if I'm too lazy to leave the comfort of the UTC (since it's literally across the street from the UC Irvine campus)! When I was a freshman, this was definitely one of my go-to spots. Since many of the employees are students as well (whether they go to UCI or other nearby schools), they're usually very understanding and patient. They also give out a bunch of samples! If they're not outside asking you if you want to try one of their drinks or snacks, don't you worry! They have samples inside as well. To sample snacks you have to ask because they're under a heating lamp, but usually for the drinks they have a little set-up where you can pour a little to try and see if you like them. Some of my go-to drinks are: the Mango Green Tea, the Almond Milk Tea, and the Honey Green Milk Tea. I have to say that I have tried to get my almond milk tea fix somewhere else other than Cha, but in my personal opinion no one else does it better! Or is have yet to find a place just yet! Drinks here lean on the pricier side so I don't think I could ever become a regular customer. They cost around $4-$5 depending on what size you order and if your drink has any add-ins! Oh, also if you've never been to Cha before and you order a hot drink WITH boba, it comes with a cute plastic green spoon. Random, I know. But I mean, the more you know Haha. The snacks and entrees here are a bit pricy too, but it doesn't hurt to try them if you're in the mood! I have only really had the popcorn chicken (snack and meal) and the dumplings here! The food was all quite good, but nothing too special (maybe I'm just ordering the wrong things - who knows?!), but they too were a bit pricey but I know that if I have a cravin' I'll definitely stop by to grab some popcorn chicken! So if you want quality drinks - yes, come to Cha! It's a little pricey, but worth it if you're in the area or if you're a UCI freshman with no car and therefore limited access to cheaper alternatives, but hey! At least you have the options right? And not sure if they still have them, but I know when I used to be on Ring Road more often they'd pass out flyers and coupon books with deals for yes folks you guessed it Cha for Tea! Woo, woo. There's also seating inside and outside that's shared with the other eateries in the UTC! You usually will be able to find a seat or two, but if you get unlucky and a UCI club is having an event - take your food or drinks to go. Save yourself the headache of trying to deal with large crowds and not having a seat - but this is only usually during evening hours and doesn't happen toooo often. It really just varies. Also, it's news to me because I was away doing an educational program on the other side of the country BUT they no longer do a discount if you pay with cash. Sad life. Crying Wallet. But yes folks, this means if you're going to pay with card - go forth because there's no discount (no matter how small) that makes it a necessity to pay with cash! read more

To be honest, this place is really overpriced. I only come here for food and never really for the drinks. They offer samples of popcorn chicken and dumplings and of various milk teas that are self-serve by the door as well. The workers usually always greet you when you come in. I get either the crispy dumplings (8 pieces) or crispy popcorn chicken. The dumplings are super crispy. There is a perfect amount of dough to filling ratio. The popcorn chicken is good as well. I don't get too much taste of actual meat and the pieces are a bit small. BUT IT IS SO ADDICTING OMG. You can customize the spice levels. And there is a shaker with some extra pepper by the water bin in case you need a little extra spice! Also, the dipping sauce is weird, pink, and jelly-like, but it complements the dumplings an chicken really well. The servings can be a tad bigger for the price :/ P.S. THEY NEED TO CHANGE FROM STYROFOAM CUPS TO PAPER CUPS. PLEASE BE ECO-FRIENDLY, CHA, PLS. read more

Great customer service. Love that they have samples so you could try anything before ordering. I ordered the honey tea milk boba it was alright. Their service is supper fast. I would go to this place again. read more

Cha For Tea - Honey milk tea boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

This is my go-to spot in Irvine and it's been a great experience every time. I always get the crispy chicken (you can customize this - more salad, no salad at all and more rice instead, etc.) and the black almond milk tea with small boba. Love, love, love. I've tried the rosebud tea once and was a little sad not to see little rosebuds like in the picture. I'd love to see this place start selling some blooming tea. The line can be long but it moves pretty fast. Seats can be limited but usually not a problem. Lovely shopping plaza with a ton of options, although the parking situation has gotten more annoying as the years have gone by. They should stop putting a time limit on so many spots. If you're in the area, definitely check this place out. read more

I was not a tea drinker but I was here several times before trying out different boba tea. I have to say that this place has changed my mind about tea, especial milk tea. And when I have a craving this is my prefer tea joint. I like the fact that you can customize your drink & usually tell you that they will fix it if it's not to your taste. Also they have sample of different flavor tea around so you can find out what some of these taste like. My almond milk tea half the sweetness was quite good. The chai tea is so so (had it better elsewhere ) - Mango green tea is pretty yummy. In short, we enjoy a lot of tea drinks here & strongly recommend. read more

Overpriced food, okay drinks. Never loved their food, it's bland and there's nothing special to it. It's not cheap either when there are so many other options in UTC. The drinks are okay, I don't love their variety but what they do have is pretty good. Similar and almost on par with Tea Station (which is also quite pricey but has a vast selection of drinks). I only come here as a meeting spot or when I really, really, really need boba. read more

My friend and i were In need of a good drink and had heard about cha for tea, so We figured we come check it out. The line was out the door but it went by so quickly and Rudy the cashier did a great job walking us through the menu and helping us out with orders. Barely had to wait any time for the drinks to be done and they taste amazing. Highly recommend coming here read more

Great management and service! Calvin went above and beyond to make sure my order was correct and even brought my order out to me in my car. Mango green tea is my daughters fav. I love the milk teas! We don't do the boba and the food is pretty decent as well. Check out Cha for Tea...you won't be disappointed. read more

Really nice place with the wonderful drinks. My favorite is "roasted brown sugar boba milk latte". I highly recommend it to everyone.

Seriously? I ordered 2 large honey black tea and none of them were filled full cups. This is not my 1st time happened to me . What is the point when Cha 4 tea charged me the large size, but could not fill full. read more

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

There are a variety of Boba options in Irvine and Cha is one of the better ones. I like how close it is to campus, making it the perfect mid-day or evening treat. Location Cha is located in the University Town Center, which is right across from the UCI campus. Beware that parking can be a little tricky in the evenings, but I still am usually able to find a spot close by. Taste Typically I am a fan of Brown Sugar Milk Tea, but Cha does not seem to have a version of this drink so I now order the Iced Boba Black Milk Tea and while the drink itself is pretty basic, it usually hits the spot. The drinks come in two sizes: regular and large with the large being the equivalent of a Sharetea drink. I like my drinks on the sweeter side and I feel that the Boba Black Milk Tea is the perfect taste in terms of sweetness, but you can also order it with less sweetness if you prefer. My only complaint is that I wish Cha put more boba in their drinks. Overall, Cha is a good option for boba. The wait is always really quick and even with a long line I am never waiting too long. University Town Center also has a Sharetea and I go to Cha and Sharetea equally. If you want to switch it up and try something different, definitely check out Cha. read more

Probably some of he best boba balls I have ever had! Location Cha for Tea is located in the UTC which seemed to be a pretty busy place to be on a Friday night. The place itself is incredibly small especially for the volume of college students it attracts. Atmosphere Literally, this place was swarming with college students almost to the point where it was unbearable. The place was run by a whole bunch of students and gave off a relaxed vibe. The employees were nice and cheerful but the small place and the overwhelming crowd didn't add appeal. Price I only got a regular taro slush with boba and it came out to more than $5. However, if you pay cash they offer a 5% discount. The discount is nice but I am sure they do it because they add a transaction cost to debit/credit card purchases. Even though I thought their boba was pretty good I didn't think a small drink is worth $5 unless it's spiked! Overall If you're at UTC and looking for something sweet I suggest stopping by Cha for Tea that is if you're willing to drop some money on drinks like it's a Starbucks. Tip 5% discount on cash purchases You can call in an order for pick up and avoid the wait. read more

Cha For Tea - Self served counter - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Honestly one of the best boba places with a great price tag. When you wait in line, you get to taste samples of their popular drinks. Which I think is one of their selling points. The honey green milk tea is addictive and the one best of milk teas I've had. I think this is a great place overall. Beware, it is by UCI so around 8-10pm it does get pretty crowded. Just call in and place your order 10-15 mins before you arrive and skip the line. The interior is open, clean, and bright. There are lots of seats to sit in, approximately 30 chairs/ seats I believe. Great place to just sit and hang out. read more

Not bad. Inside a college/university center. Lots of parking but PACKED. Lots of college kids and families visiting. Pretty big and spacious for a Boba place that has food. [Ordered] -Almond Milk Black tea + Boba. The balls were very warm and fresh. The drink was okay, it had a big cinnamon taste. I enjoyed how they had samples in the front instead of requesting for some at the register. Saves time. **Wow, the MANGO GREEN TEA SAMPLE WAS DELICIOUS. NOTE TO SELF- GET THIS NEXT TIME!*** read more

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I decided to check out the boba place since I was near UC Irvine. It's a cute and convenient place for students to go to during breaks and the boba is pretty delicious! I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the crispy chicken and the earl grey milk tea. The chicken was not worth it. There was only a few pieces and each had very little meat and it wasn't all that crispy. Compared to other chickens I've had at places like Qcup, this just wasn't up to par. Hence I am taking a star off. The boba was divine though. The earl grey is one of my to go drinks when I try new places and this place didn't fail my expectations. The boba was soft and chewy to a perfect consistency and the tea was perfectly sweetened. I would definitely come back for the drinks here. read more

Cha For Tea - Earl grey! Must try! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

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Cha for tea, this place continues to be crowded and stay open purely because of its prime location in the UTC. As someone who didn't have a car in Irvine, I came here A LOT. That doesn't mean that it is good however. I remember I used to get the almond milk tea from here and sometimes it would be super powdery so I switched to the strawberry milk tea for consistency. The boba would sometimes be ok, sometimes overly smushy. The food left a lot to be desired...but hey, it was the closest thing I could get to Chinese food without a car and it wasn't terrible (I think they had crispy dumplings that were actually really good.) All this and the fact that it was more expensive than an average boba place gives it a solid three star rating. But if I was living in the dorms again would I be here all the time? Probably. The service was always really good and they would give out free samples and let people chill without feeling rushed. I think it is a great college hangout spot. read more

Cha For Tea - Cha for Tea and the Dip: A pretty standard UCI student meal! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Had the worst experience here we ordered 2 drinks , got charged for 3 drinks. The cashier said that he could not refund me a and told me that we had to wait 30 minutes for his manager to come back from lunch!! They told me that we would be refunded after waiting and we were never refunded!! Do not recommend coming here!!! read more

Boba drinks are one of my favorites here. You can order your drinks at different levels of sweetness, which I appreciate. The matcha latte is my regular go to, but I have tasted their Thai milk tea and honey milk tea as well and would definitely go back again to order them. If you are lactose intolerant, I would mention that, as they have alternative options. The boba is fresh, tender, and warm when served. Service is friendly and welcoming. I have yet to try the " amazing"crispy chicken which I hear is a must have, I shall be back for an update on that! read more

Cha For Tea - Cha, cha, cha One of my favorite boba stops in irvine - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

is business that bad that they can't even cover the credit card transaction fees when accepting coupons? it doesn't even say under the disclaimers that only cash is accepted (something smells shady)... most of the young kids they employ have 0 work ethics. of the 8 employees in the back there are only 4 people working on drinks and taking orders. others are f*ing around on their phones meanwhile getting paid. the other location is just as bad. so glad there's a sharetea in the same plaza to offer up some competition. hopefully cha can get their acts together. read more

I've been coming here for almost 15 years! I love the almond milk tea and crispy chicken and the staff is always polite. This place stands the test of time for a reason read more

first time back in almost a year. the lines were still the same, out the door, but it moves pretty quickly. They have a station for free flavored tea samples while you wait in line. unfortunately, by the time i reached this point all of the samples were gone. However, the cashier was very nice and informed me that if i didn't like the drink i ordered that I could let them know and they would happily make me a different drink. Which came to be the case, but the barista was very chill about it and made me a new drink. I ordered the regular honey milk green tea and it was very delicious and the boba was perfect! I do recommend however, if you do not like too much sweetness, then when you order your drink ask for half sweet or even 3/4 sweetness. Overall, the customer service was great and the quality of the drink was amazing. Will definitely come back the next time I am in the area. read more

Cha For Tea - Regular iced Honey milk green tea with boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Cute little spot but service was pretty slow. My sister and I ordered 2 drinks, one customer ahead and one behind. Looks like there was a manager, a seasoned employee, and possibly 3 newbies (?) in different phases of training. Took 10+/- minutes just to get our drinks but not before the girl who ordered behind us, got hers. There's a decent variety of drink options but not a whole lot. Drinks themselves were just ok, nothing memorable. read more

BEST boba ever I've been to a lotta boba places and lemmie tell ya -- incomparable to Cha. I love their squishy and moist pearls that I can chew ("That's what she said!" - Sorry, too much?) as I drink my green milk tea or honey green milk tea. By the way, their tea drinks are caffeine boosters because every single time I gulp my drink down and suck the life out of that plastic cup, I won't be able to sleep for hours...it's ridiculous; especially when I always drink it late at night. No wonder I'm always tired for school in the morning! Anyways, I would highly recommend their teas with milk in them; that is, if you like tea. It's not too sweet and the tea flavor doesn't have an overpowering bitter taste that it typically has when you drink it alone. read more

Cha For Tea - mmm...Honey Green Milk Tea....yum - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

5% Off if you pay with cash. WIN. VERY friendly service! I always get asked how my day was and that makes me feel... good. lol. Quality is pretty da*n amazing. I love their tea. The only bad thing is that it's not very cheap. It's about 3.50 & above. Crazy stuff. Especially if you're.. Not as money stable as you'd like to be. lol. But definitely worth it... If you take into account everything: service, rent, atmosphere, location, etc. read more

Ahhh Cha For Tea definitely brings back a lot of memories for me. My first tapioca pearls/boba place that I've experienced when I was in high school. Back then, it was the Westminster location and I remembered the days of anticipation where my friends and I would be excited to go there directly once school let out. Because it's rather pricey, I have stopped going there ever since Tastea opened a few years ago. However, my sister reintroduced me to Cha For Tea recently and I'm hooked! They have some pretty great teas that you can't get anywhere else. Thing is, I will not be coming here too often because of the price, but it's worth it from time to time whenever I want to spoil myself. :) Their staff/employees are extremely friendly and awesome! Cons: I don't know if it's just me or not but their drinks usually come out super sweet!!!!! Toothache, diabetes, cavity kinda sweet. However, the good part is that they always tell you if you need to fix your drink they'll be gladly to do it. :) Nowadays I would just request my drinks to be less sweet times 2. :) read more

I am definitely a fan of cha for tea. BEST customer service in Orange County. Yes, I know it's a boba store, but the coolness of this place just wouldn't be there without the smiling, peppy teastas (tea-barista). Also, it's open until 1AM which makes it a great place to go after parties, movies, etc.. Finally, the crispy chicken is AMAZING! It's so delicious and pairs perfectly with whatever tasty boba (or aloe) tea drink you decided to get. Cheaaa for cha! They also offer a discount if you pay in cash! read more

Good if you're in college (or like being around ppl in college) + fast service + open late + samples! + lively environment - food is not good - busy/crowded - loud (do not study or try to have a relaxing dinner here) read more

Cha For Tea - Crispy chicken, beef noodle soup, beef curry - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

My friend and I came here for a late lunch...place was still pretty busy and packed! I noticed that they had some carafes of their more popular teas for people to sample. Really liked that little touch. I decided on their mango green tea with pearls. The mango flavor was good! I think I'd lower the the sweetness level next time though. My friend had the earl grey milk tea. I really enjoyed that as well! We ordered their basil chicken and crispy tofu to much on. Overall, the food and drinks weren't outstanding to me. But I would come back again for the drinks if I was in the area! read more

Cha For Tea - mango green tea w/ pearls - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I was really looking forward to trying this place! I've seen a few of their pictures on Instagram and wanted to give it a shot. Hurried after work and got there around 1015-1020pm and it was pretty busy. Not super packed, but still pretty crowded. The service was nice and attentive though! They told us to take our time and that they'd help us whenever we were ready. My sister specifically said she wanted a large iced mango green tea less sweet, and I decided on going with a small hot almond milk tea with boba. Both were $9.46 if I can remember correctly.. I think it would've been $9.12 if I had paid with cash because they give you 5% w/ cash payments. Pretty pricey IMO.. Almost $10 for two drinks that weren't even both a size large.. Oh well. My hot almond milk tea was good! Not too hot which made it easy to drink, and the spoon is a cute touch. The guy who made my drink told me to let him know if I wanted it hotter or anything so that was nice too! The only thing that wasn't poppin for me was the fact that as I was drinking it, I felt something on my tongue. I touched it (don't ask me why, it was a reflex...) and it turned out to be some powder which dissolved on my fingers as I rubbed them together to see what it was. The almond smell and flavor was definitely strong so that's good! The mango green tea was okay. I had asked for it less sweet and it was still pretty sweet.. I could only imagine how sweet it would be with regular amount of sweetness.. My friend also got a peach black tea and she said it was good but a bit too sweet as well. Overall, it's a cute store with a large menu. I will be back to try their food items! --3.5 stars read more

Cha For Tea - Large mango green tea, small hot almond milk tea, small peach black tea. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I come here because it's conveniently near my home and my job as well as it being right by some of my favorite restaurants so when I need my boba fix, it's there for me, which is one of the reasons why it's getting 3 stars but there's not much else I can say to vouch for Cha, unfortunately. My biggest pet peeve at restaurants is feeling cramped and that's exactly what I feel every time I walk in there. The line is usually pretty long so I would definitely suggest looking at the menu online and ordering something over the phone (although that's also difficult because it's so loud in there it's hard to communicate with the employee). However, if you do decide to wait in line they have samples of tea and appetizers so that's definitely a plus. The employees are always super nice even though it's a stressful environment which I really appreciate. I usually get the almond black milk tea with bob and the appetizer size of the crispy chicken, it's a good size and the sauce is good. However, I would say that the size of the drink doesn't really equate with the price compared to other boba places that I've been to. I will say that the full size wasn't all that I anticipated. It comes with the crispy chicken, corn, noodles, and salad. The chicken was good, the corn was fine, the noodles are tasteless and the salad is very limp. With a place like this, you should probably just stick with the drinks and appetizers. The seating isn't really to my liking as well, a little too cramped for my liking so I prefer to sit outside. All in all, it's not terrible, but also not my first choice. read more

Cha For Tea - Chicken, corn, salad, and noodles - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Rude staff.. won't let you sit at the tables where they have their personal stuff laying around looking extremely unprofessional.

Best Boba in SoCal! They also have meals and their popcorn chicken is super yummy. I recommend this place to friends and family. Whenever I am in Irvine, I have to have this Boba. read more

The milk tea isn't bad but it's too sweet for my taste The popcorn chicken is disgusting though. Why is it chewy? I couldn't finish it because it was gross read more

I go here all the time with friends and I love it! I love the caramel milk latte with extra boba! Prepared so fast and so good! Hope you go soon! read more

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We ordered the peach mint refresher with boba, and honey green milk tea. I wasn't a huge fan of the peach, but I would definitely come back and try something else. However, the honey green was one of the best honey green teas I've had. Not straight sugar and milk flavored like many. The boba was great. The tea shop was packed and 9:30 pm and our drink came out quick. Limited seated inside. Will be returning. read more

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

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When I asked 2 days ago, their employee said their new Irvine Woodbridge location may open by end of the month. But can always change. The "explore the OC" coupon book has a buy one get one free drink and chicken! Works for both locations (University Center & Woodbridge). read more

Cha is a staple to the UCI and Irvine boba scene. It is affordable and delicious. My go-to drink is always the Mango Green Tea. It's slightly sweet, refreshing, and light. Cha does generally have a line because of its location at UCI but the line moves fairly quickly so I wouldn't worry too much. The drinks here are cheaper than many others in the area. I love coming here at night time with friends on as a boba run. There's a nice vibe around and the service is efficient and courteous. Check this place out! read more