I used to come here relatively frequently to get my boba fix, since it wasn't the worst I've ever had and was walking distance from USC/where I used to live. But this last time I went in would surely be my last. I ordered two drinks, a large size for me and a regular for my friend. I was charged about $9 for the two drinks, which for some reason, didn't strike me as being excessively overpriced for what I had ordered as I was paying. But when my order got called, they had given me my large drink and a chubby size of my friend's drink instead of the regular size. I explained this to the guy who rung me up and kindly explained that he must have heard me wrong, but he tried to argue with me before finally agreeing to refund me the extra $3 he had charged me and said he would remake it for me. Sounds reasonable right? Well, on top of giving me attitude throughout this entire exchange, he straight up offered the larger drink they made by mistake for FREE to another group of guys sitting at the table right next to the pick-up counter, right in front of my face as I was walking out and even glared at and made straight eye contact with me as he did it, as if I did something wrong. I don't know what this guy was trying to prove except his stupidity, since he could have just admitted his mistake and let me keep the large size, letting me walk away as a happy customer, but instead he made an all new one which means he ended up losing even more money anyway. Well, sir, if your intentions were to piss me off (but also laugh at your sad attempt to make a statement), you certainly got what you wanted, and I won't be coming back again. read more

I like the boba from this place, it's more consistent than Bobaloca on the other side of campus (look at the staff if you wonder why). The only knock I have on it is that it's cash only; this can be amended by the ATM machine right next door. They also haven't sold out to try and be a pseudo starbucks; the extra goodies they offer besides drinks are pretty standard to say, an LA Chinatown boba place. Their mascot, Mr. Boba, can be bought at a price-- I think Mrs. Boba got purchased, or she's in hiding! I recommend their popcorn chicken-- a small packet of fresh and piping hot spicy chicken bits breaded and ready to be skewered. There was a lot of adjectives in that sentence, but that's just how good it is. Parking can be tight during primetime, but it's just the fast food joint that really competes for the spots. They also have frequent buyer cards where you get your card punched every time you buy a drink there-- my friends and I are known to the staff as the crazy kids who save up cards until we can all qualify for a free drink, haha. read more

Oh the countless times I've made the trek to Cup O' Joy - either to procrastinate on starting work, or acquire provisions to get through work. This unassuming little boba shop has truly witnessed some of the most decisive nights of my college journey. Favorites: MILK TEA: Oolong Milk Tea, Jasmine Milk Tea, Rose Jasmine Milk Tea - great selection, great price, above satisfactory taste. I usually ask for half sugar The boba (aka tapioca) is typically not too bad either FOOD: Popcorn Chicken: every time I even so much as consider ordering the popcorn chicken, I feel my self-control waning to a pitiful level, but the satisfaction is worth it - literally the best popcorn chicken I've had in LA Crispy Tofu: always get this when I'm 'trying' to be healthy but still want something tasty; fried to perfection, I'm a fan Meals: Popcorn Chicken Meal (self-explanatory), Pork Chop Meal, BBQ Beef Meal - awesome value, tastes just like home (I grew up in Asia), love the marinated egg on the side, I'm never disappointed As an avid boba drinker and lover of Chinese/Taiwanese food, I frequent Cup O' Joy so often it's almost embarrassing. Most of the time I'm too lazy to make the trip (since I've moved to the other side of campus), so I find myself wishing that my food will magically appear on my doorstop. Lo and behold my go-to food delivery app (RushOrderrrr) has added Cup O' Joy to their list of restaurants!!! ((Btw the code HUNGRY3 gives you a couple dollars off!)) Must say I couldn't quite contain my excitement :') Looks like Cup O' Joy will continue to be my cherished late night companion. read more

basically just like any other boba place. powdered shizz. nice ambiance for sc.

I love this place. The owner is such a sweet heart. There are so many good boba places in LA, what differentiates this one is the service and the selection of different jellies and custards. Not to mention the classic Taiwanese dishes that are cooked very well. This is definitely my regular place. read more

The best part about attending USC was I had a lot of options when it came to food n drinks. But I always return to cup of joy great place to study too. Love the chocolate milk with mini boba. read more

I don't drink boba too often, but when I came to try Cup O' Joy with a few friends after dinner, boba was better than I remembered. I ordered the regular sized Jasmine Tea with large boba; it was pretty large for a medium sized drink and the price was reasonable. The drink I ordered smelled really nice and was really good too, much better than other boba teas I have tried in the past. The atmosphere was so-so. I liked how it was small and cozy, but the interior is a bit old and bland. For students, it is located close to USC, but not conveniently close enough that you can grab a cup between classes. read more

I literally come here like 4x a week lol. Can't go wrong with a milk tea with boba! Their popcorn chicken is super yummy too!

consistently good milk teas and other drinks around a place that does not have a lot. I love their: - original milk tea - jasmine peach tea with aloe - mango slush All in all, it is a place I don't mind frequenting and they have pretty good deals, when you purchase 10 drinks, you get the 11th for free - or something to that magnitude. So check in using four squares and save yourself some dimes. read more

Came in at 4:00 pm and the cashier was ver friendly. We order a cappuccino smoothie with milk tea and it was delicious!

Best boba spot ive found so far in LA. Me and my boyfriend go here about 3 times a week because its just sooooo bomb. I suggest mixing your own flavors. No matter how many flavors, they make sure to make it taste amazing. My personal favorite is the strawberry raspberry slush with boba. Oh yeah, AND their boba is always so sweet and fresh tasting. The one thing i can say about this place is that their popcorn chicken is too gelatinous and their fried tofu isnt really all the way fried. Fried tofu should mean crispy, not just dipped in oil for 1 second then served. Overall, boba is amazing, food can do a little more work. read more

This is my go to spot for tea and snacks. I always love a good value and this place screams it. It's always full of college kids from USC, and you know poor college kids are suckers for a good deal. They have a wide selection of Taiwanese style food and everything is made fresh to order. My favorite is the Popcorn Chicken and it always comes fresh out the fryer and onto the table. It's a good place to snack and study. The staff is always friendly. read more

stole my order money and when i called ive been answered with weird confidence... dont trust

The only thing I've tried here is the popcorn chicken and for the price, they give you a big takeout box full of it that is enough for a meal. Budget friendly and perfect for late night study snack! read more

its ok for an emergency boba run, but honestly i can tell the difference in quaility with the other boba shops. Not bad though

So, I am an avid avid boba drinker. Since it became super popular here in California a few years back, I love boba tea and smoothie shops. And if I'm going to be honest, this place might not be 5 stars all the time but I've been here so many times I find it, to be worth these 5 stars. Their milk tea boba is one of my favorites in L.A. I am on a goal to try everything on their HUGE MENU, they have lunch plates which I've never tried but they look good. Most of their drinks are delicious and basic bobas, a few things on the menu are different and good but you need to order them on the right day. I sometimes order the drinks without boba, drinking boba so many times I get sort of tired of it. Theirs is pretty good not too sweet or hard but eh. They have random pink boba days !!!! Those are so cute. The snacks vary they can be good , or sometimes it lacks, maybe its the type of day they're having. They change cashiers constantly, which is fine but I always wonder why. They have the best boba card stamp deals, after ten stamps you get a free boba drink, after 20 you get a free boba drink with a snack, or two free boba drinks. I have filled up a few of those cards already, I sometimes think the owners hate me when they see me with the card! But they're never rude about it, they always are helpful when I try to claim my free drink. Which matters a lot, because a lot of the places that offer these card stamp deals get grouchy when you want to claim your free one! I'll keep going to other boba shops, but this place is always an option for me. read more

Best boba in town hands down I have tried many places but this spot takes my rating at number one spot they have a variety of boba from exploding mango to coffe flavored boba check them out read more

The bad thing about this boba is that they do not put extra sugar in your drink, so it taste watered down. I really like the popcorn chicken meal though. read more

I just love this place located by USC they actually do the slushies for me sugar-free I get banana almond or almond chocolate and they also have some really really good spring rolls, the employees greet you as soon as you walk in the door and the service is very quick they also have a reward program for the drinks or you can use their star rewards that they're connected with I've been using the card. I go there every time I head down to Los Angeles to see my good friend! read more

milk tea with boba is so good. i usually get the chubby cup size cause im a pig haha. the mango pineapple smoothie w boba is yummy too. out of all the snacks the popcorn chicken is the best but they dont have sweet n sour sauce :(. its always packed but you can always find parking. make sure you get your stamp card! read more

There has to be a boba joint in every college campus! This one just so happens to be USC's, and I cannot complain. The Combination A food is good enough for me although the tempura was not good and tasted more like rice cake (4 pieces of tempura, popcorn chicken, 4 pieces of squid balls). For that amount of food and $6, I was not too mad. Otherwise, the drinks are what you would find in regular basic boba shops such as Quickly's or Tapioca Express. If you want a quick fix of boba around the area (you know who you are), then there is not much else of a choice. Otherwise, be patient and travel onto the San Gabriel Valley area! read more

the tea is meh. boba is even more meh. i could make better boba with a pot of water, honey and frozen store bought boba. as for the tea, it was still powdery. i took a sip through my straw and wanted to spit it all over the table. the only positive thing i can say about this place is they have really good popcorn chicken. read more

Drinks are grood, nothing like sawtelle n olympic though. Plan on waiting at least 30 min for a drink, 4th experience here and waited forever each time. The guy at the register is the one who makes the drinks so if people keep comin to the counter your drink will never get started on. read more

Love this place!! They have so many drinks to chose from, can never get bored, always end up with a delicious drink.

It may be because of what i ordered: a green tea slushi with grass jelly. My friends got the green tea milkshake and the taro milk tea with mini boba. They ran out of regular sized boba so my friend decided to settle for the mini boba rather than wait 15 minutes for the regular boba. I tasted each of them and decided this place sucks. Mine looked green, but tasted like sugar water. The taro milk tea was weak. The mini boba was super soft (an indicator that it was either overcooked or reboiled too many times). The green tea milkshake had the taste of artificial vanilla, the kind you taste in fake vanilla ice cream. The only good thing about this place is that you see them making the drink. In other words, they put the powder in the cup in front of you. You see what exactly they put into your drink. So I guess the open honesty deserves a star. read more

I LOVE this place ! The employees here are super friendly, I ALWAYS get great customer service.

Disappointed about this place. I really liked here before especially for fried chicken bowl and boba. But the eel bowl I had yesterday was really a disaster! The eel was not fresh and tasted bad. The amount was really small and even I went with a boba I can hardly feel full. The eel made my stomach uncomfortable until midnight. Besides, the eel bowl costs me $9.9 plus tax and can't even give me a $1 comfort feeling. I think I won't go there again. read more

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My girlfriend and I stopped in here randomly while we were passing thru the area, and we're so glad we did. The girl behind the counter was so helpful and made really good suggestions on drinks and they checked and made sure we liked what we ordered when most would just leave us with what we got. The strawberry boba tea I had was delicious and I'll be back again for sure. read more

Been coming here for years!!! My usual drink is milk tea w coffee jelly. I love the owner nicole she us great w her customers! Love this place read more

Drinks Are Always Good, Strong, Consistent, Cold, Fast and Cheap. Can't really go wrong with this place. Fast in and out but if you do stay, don't stay too long or your buttock might get numb. This place is a must everytime am in the area. read more

Really good boba and a great selection of snacks. Close to campus, fast service, lots of tea flavors! Overall great boba spot.

Their oolong tea tastes a bit weird. Would recommend their boba over their pudding. Parking is a bit difficult as the lot is quite full.

Always a place I go to when I go to California science center. I usually order the assorted appetizer and my son orders curry. Nice staff.

1. Their service SUCKS!! Particularly the asian guy w/ the silver. glasses on August 04 2012, Saturday evening 6-7pm. 2. Crowded and noisy. 3. Internet is WORSE. read more

Food: Gross... Pork belly was inedible first bite I spit it out, my girlfriend barely ate a bite.. Popcorn Chicken... barely edible it was too squishy and all brown meat. Didn't try anything else on my plate. Tea boba: Bobas were really sweet, I liked them GF did too tea was flavorful. Service was just service nothing bad regarding it. read more

Food is great don't get me wrong, but I've been coming here recently a couple times and the service is horrible! Same lady at the cashier she's Caucasian/Latina, mid 20's, we've had her and every time she has an attitude! Horrible attitude! Only reason we come is cause the food is great but it's kind of annoying getting attitude all the time. I haven't even left a review on yelp in a while but this is unbelievable y'all need to hire nicer, more positive employees! read more

is it possible to give NO stars??! This place is naasty as hell.. Thai Tea was all watered-down and my milktea slush was made from powder and too sweet, tasted nothing like milktea -__-; boba was hella sweet too! the mexican girl taking my order kept staring right in front of me making me hesitate to pick something already. They said their teas are made from real teas but all their slushes are from powder... gross learn to make some boba! CLOSE YOUR STORE UNTIL YOU DO!! oh and another thing don't be charging so pricey for something that SUCKS! read more

I come here about once a week because it is great! Super close to campus, and their boba is always chewy and soft (which I love!). Their spicy chicken strips are bomb too. read more

Very delicious drinks. I had a strawberry lemon slush with strawberry jelly. It was very delicious. I like how you can literally create your own drink, even when it's not on the menu. Also, great service. I read more

The boba at Cup o Joy is probably the best out of all the local USC boba places. The prices are very reasonable, the drinks come out fast, and the boba itself is softer than other places. My favorite is the Almond Milk Tea. For a snack, try the popcorn chicken! read more