I've only tried the Peach blossoming tea here and it's enough to keep me coming back whenever I'm in town. They have a wide selection of teas to choose from, and when you've made your pick you bring it to the counter. I don't know why everyone says the employees here are mean, the lady was super nice when we were there. I'm guessing it might be a cultural/language barrier issue, but clearly the employees mean well. read more

CK Cafe - Peach blossoming tea (Iced) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

The drinks are wonderful and they have a huge variety of tea drinks! They are owned by Pong who owns a few other restaurants in the area. I know people get hung up on the customer service, but it's straight forward and the drinks are worth it. read more

I'm not going to lie and say that this place is a Disneylandesque place with smile plastered on your face service, but you know what? Who cares. This place rules simply by the fact that it is one of the few coffee shops that has some character without making me feel out of place. Yeap it's a bit dingy, and yea it's not sparkly clean, but the flower teas more than make up for it, plus they are served in these awesome beer jugs. It's prob the best tea around, you don't want to miss out - trust. he Wi-FI can be spotty at times, but I always come to this place to get away from people and relax. I love coming here to write, and to read. I love how there's various characters that frequent CK Cafe. They always seem to linger there on quiet evenings, and you can smell the cigarette smoke occupying the air around you, particularly if you are on the patio. CK definitely is one of the only tea/coffee places I wished were close to home. Currently the owners are renovating , so I will have to update on any changes, since the piano seems to be gone now and I didn't see the board games in their usual place. There might be exciting changes, so stay tuned. read more

CK Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

See all

Okay so you have to come here knowing that the staff (specifically the older man) isn't going to be the nicest person. And no Yelp review or person is going to make him care and change his attitude. But honestly , I don't mind at all. At first it might shock you a bit but you just laugh it off after a while. I don't think he intentionally means to be like that, and I prefer it over some fake personality and smile. His wife on the other hand was super sweet and helpful! So basically how it works is you get to pick from a vast selection of different teas. Find the one that you want and bring over the entire jar to the person at the register. They'll usually just ask if you want it sweetened or unsweetened and then hot or cold. The tea is AMAZING! My personal favourite is the peach blooming one that blooms once it's placed in the tea. The hot tea comes in this giant clear jug ! Its almost hard to finish it because the quantity is so big. The place inside is really cute and cosy. A good amount of seating ,indoor and out. There's a selection of a few board games , connect 4 , etc. That you can play with. It can get crowded at times and seating can sometimes become hard to find. Overall , I would definitely come back ! Love this place so much ! read more

CK Cafe - Peach blooming tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

Finally made it to try the blooming tea! It was really cool, but I think next time I will try just normal tea. If your going to try this place you must know.. A. It's hidden in the back lot & B. The man behind the counter is not your friend. Haha, I already knew these coming here so it was easy to find. The man pointed to the tea to pick from then made a gesture to give it to him. He obviously doesn't speak English well. When I went to grab it I thought he meant pick it out, so when i did that he slapped my hand. Lol He freaking slapped my hand and said "AY!" I was like oh snap. Didn't take it personal. So the tea was cool, but didn't have much flavor for me. And then it started getting busy, and loud. And we just wanted to enjoy quiet tea. It was a younger crowed too, so they were a little rowdy, so we left. We wanted to sit outside, but evvvverrryyone was smoking. It kinda sucked. It's like a hangout for the younger crowed I feel like where they get boba and smoke. Even being inside the door is wide open so you can smell the smoke at times. All in all We probably will be back, but maybe in the day (we went at night) time with iced teas and a less crowed. :) read more

CK Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

Don't go for the coffee or the food, go for the tea and the ambiance. This is a cool little coffee shop with a nice patio, an eclectic crew of regulars, and a grouchy-but-sweet owner. They are super serious about making minimum purchases and not bringing in outside food or drinks, but they're also really cool about letting you hang out for hours and chill. All of the teas are wonderful. Pros: Tea, patio, hanging out, free wireless. Cons: Coffee, somewhat limited seating, somewhat irregular hours. read more

CK Cafe - A huge selection of wonderful teas. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

I never write reviews but I LOVE Cks! I've been going since I was in High School! Even when I got married and moved out of town, every chance I get I'll go get their Blooming Tea! Honestly no place could ever compare to the amazing tea and over all vibe of the place! I love going there and playing chess and Connect Four! It's so cute and I made maybe special memories here! Go support your local business and get their tea to go! It's just as good! I also get one to go before I go back home to Ventura! read more

I was so excited to come here with my son because I came here as a teenager and I know they have blooming tea. Used to always be a nice old man. I couldn't decide on a tea flavor and the guy was annoyed that I couldn't pick a flavor but didn't offer help or suggestions. The teas all have numbers and i was reading the names and he snapped at me "i just need the number!" I ordered a hot tea and asked for it in a glass mug to drink there and he asked if I was gonna finish it before they close. It was 10:15 and Google says they close at midnight. He said they told everyone that who ordered after 10:30. Whatever guy. I took my tea and sat down and maybe 10 people came in after me and ordered and I NEVER heard him give any of them a hard time about ordering after 10:30. My son wanted snacks and ramen and I said no way are we giving them any more of our money. Sad because I definitely wanted to become a regular again like I used to. Go anywhere else but here unless you want to be treated like dirt. read more

Apparently we are not in the twenty-first century. I thought the days of being racially profiled were over. After reading all of these threads it is apparent that my hands are seemingly tied. A couple was sitting in the place having what seemed to be a date and she picked up their empty mugs and told them to leave. I walked into CK cafe today at around 7:40 the lady was so rude from the moment I walked in. She picked up my bag and placed it at the door and told me to leave. Screaming for a matter of fact. The only reason I did not order was that the owner did not know how to assist me. I brought her tea to the front... there was already an initiation. She already saw me try to order. I just did not want to have miscommunication. I decided to wait for one of my Asian friends to possibly translate my order in their native language (Vietnamese and Mandarine) and that is when I was told to leave. I am truly hoping that I was not asked to leave because I was speaking Arabic on the phone. My classmates, unfortunately, were not willing to leave with me because we had a deadline and our professor was already meeting us. In a second attempt to place my order she called me dumb and chucked the pen at me. I was humiliated, hurt and disgusted. I am a professional person who treats everyone well. I could have EASILY MADE A SCENE. However, I did not want to satisfy her and leave. My family has been living in Claremont since we came to this country. We have never witnessed this here. Also, friends and family members of mine are business owners in the area. This is completely unacceptable behavior. I will be contacting the city of Claremont on this matter, alongside the better business bureau. Customers should not feel this way. read more

Regardless of what I write service won't change but I'm going to write my review anyway. CK's is a tea house that serves a huge variety of tea, milk tea & boba, as well as some other snacks. Their milk tea with boba is below average, boba balls do not have any taste (most places sweeten w/ honey etc.)Tea selection is great but that is the only redeeming factor (plus they're open late which is nice). I've been a few times but overall, the cons outweigh the pros. The service is awful, awful, awful much like what other yelpers have written. I'm pretty sure it is family owned and the man who takes your order is rude and yells at you if you don't know your order. The woman on the other hand is nicer but still curt and short. There is indoor and outdoor seating and you are allowed to smoke there which is the selling point of the place. Don't come here if you have asthma etc. because they will NOT close the doors to the indoor area so you'll probably die if you stay a little too long and have respiration problems. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I've asked the woman if the doors could be closed because I was there studying with a friend and the smell was getting overwhelming. She said "No. It's too hot in here." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Parking is a mess in the village and the parking lot in the back nearly never has space when most people go. Not their fault, just an FYI. Like, 1/10, would only go if I had no other choice. read more

*Before you read this, I want to make a note that as an Asian American immigrant, I am not blaming the language barrier on my negative experience. As someone who has struggled to learn English and with parents who cannot speak it well, I am patient to listen and do my best to understand others who did not learn English as their first language. However, it is this woman's lack of kindness, patience, and customer service that makes me never want to return or support her business. Visited this cafe with a friend to do homework since I am a college student. My friend had bought a drink, and I didn't since I happened to not see the rules that are written on a tiny piece of paper in the corner of the room saying that every single customer has to buy a drink to sit in the outdoor area. (Keep in mind the place was practically empty, so it's not like I was taking another potential customer's space) After about 10 minutes, the lady comes out screaming at me to leave the place violently pointing at the paper with the rules. She was incredibly rude for no reason - she could've asked me politely to leave or buy a drink myself. I would understand had she been reasonable, but I will never return to give business to someone who is rude, aggressive, acts as though customers are people she can yell at, and has draconian rules of who is allowed to sit in an OUTDOOR area. Definitely don't recommend this place if you're trying to have a good day. read more

Love the vibe and tea. However, the customer service is severely lacking. I wish they would be bought by someone else already.

Poor customer service, host wasn't very welcoming at all. Had a huge attitude the minute me and my partners walked in. And had an issue with my girlfriend taking a nap and came to wake her up ? She wasn't disturbing anyone at all, we all bought tea here. So it wasn't like we were just laundering. Vibe wasn't nice at all. He was stomping around a lot and overall made my experience here today the worst. I had been here before and I really enjoyed this spot but now it's questionable if I'll enjoy spending time here. read more

Everyone always complain about the owners. Get the stick out your butt because they aren't rude. If you sit back, observe and get to know them. They aren't from here and the culture is different and so is the social scene. Stop being so butt hurt because they aren't trying to personally come after you. They are here to sell tea, not to make sure you're Pampered. read more

Great little tea place. It's tucked away and easy to overlook. The selection of tea is amazing but it's be nice to see a few more varieties of pu erh tea. The ambience is cozy and peaceful. read more

CK Cafe - Enormous selection of teas. I love this little place. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

My first time in this cadre and it was a horrible experience. I witnessed an employee (not sure if it was the owner or manager) telling a customer that the bottle of water he purchased was now empty so she wanted him to purchase another item or leave. I was in such disbelief at what was going on...I got there around the same time as this young man and he'd only been there for maybe 10 minutes and was apparently waiting for other friends to meet him which he tried to explain but this employee refused to listen and started raising her voice. Unacceptably poor customer service. I don't care if they gave me a free cup of coffee every day for the rest of my life, I'd never step foot in a place that treats their customers like that! read more

HIDDEN GEM! I love coming here because it's one of the one places to get some really good tea around here. There is always one lady that works alone but she's amazing! Side note... people smoke outside so if your not a fan of the smell of cigarettes, I recommend you sit inside. read more

CK Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

My girlfriend I come here to study and find it a great place to do so. There is no loud music playing inside which makes for an ideal study environment. The drinks are delicious. On our last visit, I ordered a thai iced tea with boba and my lady ordered a iced green tea. Thai iced tea was very sweet and the boba was perfect in texture and my lady's tea was great (a bit too much honey, but still good none the less). The owner is a character. He comes off as very rude, but it is because he projects his voice very well and is blunt. He is actually pretty humorous. The time we were there, he was cracking jokes with us and some other customers. read more

CK Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

Me and my friend went to this place to have some tea and do our hw. First we asked for WiFi and they were so rude. Then we sat down to get settled and I pulled out my water and they were like no drinks. And then we weren't even settled yet and we we're gonna order and they said we can't just sit there without ordering in a super rude way. Then we decided to leave since he was so mean. And I said please don't be rude to your customers and he yelled " you trash don't come back here ever again I DONT LIKE YOU" . It was so SHOCKING. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I wish I could give this place 0 stars!!!! read more

This place stinks. Not talking about the smell but the management. I didn't have time to even unpack my things. My friend goes to the car to get my wallet and his jacket comes back to one of the ladies saying, "you have to buy something" & had the audacity to say "when u going to buy ?" 3 minutes in. At that point, I was not wanting to purchase anything because I felt uncomfortable. After that, another lady walks out and started screaming at me saying "no, no, out" with a dramatic arm gesture. They both didn't even give me the chance to unpack or buy anything. Then , I told the other lady, "I know she told me" and then changes languages, I bet she was talking crap. LOL I wasn't born yesterday sweetie. Never of the many times I've gone there did I have to face something like that. Rude people and a dysfunctional management. I don't think they deserve to have a 5 star or not even a 4 or 3. read more

Honestly the RUDEST ILL-MANERED OFFENSIVE DISRESPECTFUL owner and person I've ever had the displeasure of running into. I was there for less than 5 minutes barely unpacking my things to settle in with my friend, to note we are both Black, and she comes up to me and says "You no order you get out! Yeah, get out now!" And I promise you she was yelling this in this quiet cafe like I couldn't understand her. Dont support this business until there is a change of management. read more

I kept hearing that the two owners are very unprofessional and unfriendly and I got to see that in person today (it was my first time there). The lady yelled at my friend and hit him with a pen because he was verifying his order. Will never come again. read more

I've loved this place since my undergrad days and I'm always sure to come back whenever I'm in the area, which really says something about the quality of this tea. There's a massive variety of flavors and each tea comes with a really good amount for the price. The owners are a little strict about having to buy something before you can use the patio/wifi, but anyone who complains they are not clear is horribly mistaken as there are signs all over saying purchase is needed. To the people complaining about the employees' English speaking ability, I honestly don't know what to say except maybe go somewhere else if that's such a big deal to you? Honestly I've never gotten bad customer service here even if the employees only ask a few questions during the ordering process. Overall the lounge/patio areas are nice and relaxing and a great place for students who need to take a break or zone in on studying. The tea tastes great and the blooming teas offer a fun little surprise. Definitely worth checking out if you are ever in the area. read more

Been going here for about 10 years they have such great tea and the vibe is very mellow and they have board games great selection of tea to pick from! read more

Been to CK Cafe several times now and I've never had a bad experience. The teas that that blossom are really good. I always have a lot of fun watching my tea blossom lol. My favorite is tea is the Flower in the Sea with honey. I tried the Boba Milk Tea here and surprisingly, it was really good. I've read several reviews here complaining about the bad service but I haven't experienced any so far. The lady that too my drink was pretty friendly. It's kind of hard to find this place because it's in an alley behind several restaurants. read more

yea the service isn't what you'd expect at a cafe nowadays but that's part of the experience here the tea is stellar especially if ur a tea person the patio is great especially if ur a smoker good place to read or write or play a game with a buddy i brought my family members here once and i can image it only goes well if you go earlier read more

I really enjoy the atmosphere of this place minus the cigarette smell and extremely dim lighting. It's a decent place to study, and the drinks are pretty good...when your order is correctly fulfilled that is. The lady who takes orders can barely speak English, which is fine-to an extent, except that she will get mad at you for not understanding what she is saying. I was very stressed out about a paper I had due soon, and so I came here to finish it in a timely manner. All I wanted was a drink and a quiet place fo work. Well, I got my order wrong, which was understandable until I addressed the lady's about it. I said extremely politely that I had asked for #39 and she immediately argued with me saying I asked for #37, iced. I, again explained that there must've been a misunderstanding or miscommunication saying "sorry" several times. She yelled at me saying "you said iced" in a very heavy accent, to which I was unsure how to respond. Somewhere in the conversation she got fed up and simply stormed off. Like a 2 year old, she shuffled her feet noticeably loud and went back to work. I was confused and asked my friend a couple minutes later if it seemed like she was fixing my order to which she responded no. I went to check myself, and sure enough she was not. I walked up, and again, extremely politely addressed my wrong order. I did not once even ask for a new drink. I was sort of assuming that was insinuated by explaining my incorrect order. She was so upset, she left the customer ordering, yelled at me (again) and again tried explaining why I was wrong in her very thick accent. I even tried to understand what she was saying, which I suppose is my fault. What I gathered from her repeating herself several times was that she asked if I wanted honey with my order, meaning I obviously ordered a tea drink (which I received) instead of a blended chai drink (which I wanted). I was not aware that I was supposed to know that by asking if I want honey obviously means ordered something else. The girl ordering, who was left standing there awkwardly because the cashier woman had gone over to yell at me, even looked very sorry for me. Essentially, she got so fed up with me and told me to go away. It's not even a very big deal to mess up a drink or have your drink messed up, but it upset me very much due to the way she handled it. After having sat down, I heard her get upset at other people as well who could not understand her. She yells very harshly, and it's not very pleasant to listen to. The last thing I heard her yell about was the time they closed when someone asked her about it. Next thing I know, shes telling us to leave because they close at 9 even though it said they're supposed to close at 10. Again, a simple misunderstanding/mistake, but she got so upset over it. Not very good customer service, and the wrong drink I got wasn't great either. I paid $5 for a tea bag in water, nothing else because I declined the honey-AKA the indicator that I got an iced tea and not blended chai. I think she needs some Rosetta Stone as well as a lesson on customer service and patience. The customer should not be having to be patient with you. Hopefully they hire someone who can properly communicate with customers soon. I would love to return with an employee adjustment. read more

My dudes, this tea is so good for real. And they have games for you to play with friends!! Such a good place. read more

Rude customer service. It took less than 1 minute to be kicked out. That was fast :0. Not even a chance to buy something.

Expired milk in my drink, absolutely disgusted, it tasted gross and went back and asked for a new one and they gave us the same drink and again tasted the same thing and this time there was white chunks of milk or i don't know what it was in there. Never going back here again. read more

CK Cafe - Expired milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

This is my go-to tea place, been coming for two years now. Rosey Black tea is my ride or die. The people who run this joint have always been nice and always do an incredible job. The atmosphere is laid-back, a friend taught me to play chess here. Wifi's good. I don't understand these negative reviews, but I do understand a lot of people do not check their privilege at the door when they walk into an establishment run by people who did not learn english first, and this perceived inconvenience turns into a shite review. Please check your privilege at all times everywhere you go, I guarantee you you'll have less shit to talk and more good times in the future. Anyways yea this place rocks 10/10 read more

This place is a little gem in Claremont. I understand the customer service isn't the best, but the husband and wife barely speak English. I have yet to have a bad experience and I'd consider myself a regular. My friends and I always come get a cup of tea and play games or chat. Just follow these steps and you shouldn't have any issues: 1. Pick a jar of tea (feel free to open and smell them) 2. Approach counter and say whether you want it iced, hot, with or without honey and for here or togo. 3. Pay 4.38 and return jar 4. Sip and enjoy There are games in the shelves in the corner. There's wifi. There's indoor and outdoor seating. There's an entire menu of you don't want tea. Also, if the weather is nice you can always take your tea to go and explore the Claremont area on foot. There are so many boutiques and good finds in that are. *I've tried several flavors and my go to is lavender jasmine with honey* read more

Worst experience of my life. The owner rushed me to order, and then gave me attitude while I ordered. There is a variety of teas offered, but I didn't get to see all of them. When I did get my tea, there wasn't boba in it like I ordered and when I asked them to put it in they refused. They still charged me for the boba. Will not be returning. read more

isnt how it used to be. mrs.pong is now hateful twards my friends and i because we were short 50 cents. we all have been coming here for years and we always buy their teas/boba/ramen bowls every time. but one day i was short and my friends and i were searching our pockets and wallet for change and she was watching us and scoffing when she told us its okay nevermind, she eventually stormed off and made our drinks. this time we came back and she overcharged me on a small espresso. not coming back. this place has changed and the people arent what they used to be. rip cks read more

This lady wouldn't let me choose my own cookie. It was in a jar and she gave me the smallest of them in the jar. I pointed at another cookie in the cookie jar and she said no. Most importantly... The tea leaves are in jars which you bring to them for them to brew tea. Some of them have NATS IN THEM!!!! NATS IN THE JARS... This place does not seem sanitary at all. read more

Owners are extremely rude. I basically sat down at a table to get situated and wait for a friend so we can order together. A few minutes later the lady came and I smiled at her because I knew she was the owner (I've been here several times with no bad experience until now) the lady said loudly "you need to order" and pointed at some poster board she had on the wall and then proceed to try and speak in Spanish assuming that I didn't understand. I also understand that it's one of the rules, but maybe she shouldn't have been so rude about it. There are cafes all across Claremont AND Pomona that are 10x better than this place of a service. read more

It's so worth the drive for me just love going and having a cig as I drink a tea and the area is just so relaxing for me I could spend all day drinking teas and typing away on my computer. read more

RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL, and HATEFUL! I've been coming to CK CAFE with friends since I was 8 years old. I've grown up in Claremont my entire life. My skin color has never made me feel uncomfortable there. Until this last time...My friend was in town so showed him the place, they started tripping as soon as we walked in about ordering. After Mrs.Pong started rolling her eyes (like her and her husband always do, it's like they don't want business anymore) My friend ordered a Thai tea boba, and we all walked outside. We weren't planning on staying long at all. We sat outside and watched my friend finish, I didn't plan on ordering anything, and I already know their policy but we were not going to stay long. It was like a scene of a movie, Mrs.Pong came over and scowled at us about 3 times,making us feel really targeted and uncomfortable, after finally coming outside and BLATANTLY disrespecting us invading personal space. (I know full well that they speak English) they pretend not to,to continue to provide BAD customer service. Harassing us pointing to the sign five times, I told her why wasn't she harassing anyone else? While the other two Asian patrons went unbothered, saying nothing. HHmm maybe because they weren't of color? Now, I normally don't have to pull the race card, but this was different. I could feel the hatred vibes coming from her. I told her we wouldn't be back, and she shook her finger at us, and I told her I'd review this, she did not give two shits. She continued cussing at us in whatever country they are from. . Never have I ever, or my friends been treated like this. In my hometown of all places. Seems like they are going thru, over having this business, and hate their lives. Come here if you like being disrespected and racially offended. They also don't have any other vegan milk, and when they put soy they really don't. read more

Great hole in the wall. Go to the packing shed and local eateries all the time. Hit the farmers market on Sundays and never knew this tea place was here. Great place to get any kind of tea you can imagine. The gentleman working sure helps make the atmosphere. The blooming tea with honey is awesome. Love the lychee black tea is to die for. Our new hangout spot. read more

CK Cafe - CK Cafe hole in the wall tea worth the visit. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

Great tea/smoothie hangout. I always get the peach mango smoothie and it is the best one I have ever tasted. Whenever I go to claremont, I make sure to stop by this place. Make sure to check when they are open because I believe they open in the late afternoon. read more