There's a million boba tea shops all over California. The Bay Area is oversaturated with the next big hype. This small shop is not hyped up, they don't have long lines, there's no influx of influencers trying to take advantage of getting free drinks in exchange for advertisement. Just pure locals, IYKYK. See I'm not big on overly sweet milk tea that gets washed out from the milk and has minimal tea. I love the strong tea flavors with the hint of milk just to complement the tea. I love ordering their Tieguanyin Milk Tea. It's probably one of my favorites because of the floral hints. Even as a milk tea, you can still taste the tea itself while adding a hint of sweetness. As a hole in the wall in Chinatown, this is literally one of the good ones. read more

OVERALL: This place is gnarly. I think it's receiving rave reviews because of its uniqueness in and variety of offerings. Price point wise, it's slightly cheaper than other tea shops (slightly!). I gave it 2 stars because: 1) you don't come across "healthy" "medicinal" as well as massive choices very often at boba shops and the drinks ordered didn't give me the runs and 2) the location. DRINKS: I ordered 2 of the "blended" tea drinks (aka with goji berries, longan, etc aka replenishing, tonic, etc). They tasted like nothing. Very dilute. The one with ginger...all you tasted was the ginger. The boba was disgusting... rock hard with ZERO sugar or honey coating and ZERO chew. The clear boba is actually crystal boba aka store bought aka the usual crunchy texture you get at any other boba shops that offers this topping. SERVICE: I think due to ordering unusual drinks aka drinks that are obviously not very frequently/regularly ordered, they took FOREVER. I was third in line. People ordering after me were already receiving their drinks. I was there at 1:14pm and finally left at 1:58pm (if this tells you anything). VIBEZ: Indoor seating provided. Very intimate and a tight squeeze. Located in the Oakland Chinatown near the vast plaza comprising of Bank of America, the Oakland library, etc. Can park at this plaza or street metered parking. Free street parking on Sundays. Would I come back? Heck no. read more

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So it's both a bubble tea spot and a tea shop. You can go in and buy loose leaf tea. You can also go and and buy bubble tea. There are so many options to choose from. I ended up getting a matcha latte with boba. It was pretty good! From the tea shop, I bought a fifth of a pound of gardenia green. My cousin already had some at home so I knew before going into the shop what I wanted. But they will let you smell it before you buy it. And they will let you buy any quantity. The folks who helped us were super nice and welcoming. There were so many options of both loose leaf tea and bubble teas. read more

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I've been here a few times, and they always take forever, even when there's no one there. I was MORTIFIED when I saw them wringing out the tea from the filter with their BARE HANDS directly into the drink to be served. Even more gross knowing those hands had just handled cash. read more

I cannot say enough great things about this spot, it's a mom and pop shop with friendly customer service and delicious drinks for a great price! I've had 1/3 of the menu and every drink is good quality. This time I tried their mango sago(old) and added boba, it was so so refreshing! It's such an extensive menu that you can always have the excitement of trying something new. It's a casual play with two tables and a few bar seats, cozy! I'll be back for more most definitely. read more

Golden Tea Shop - Mango sago(old) with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Tablet in the front to put your order in. Workers in the back making your drinks. I got the roasted oolong with boba, 50% ice & 50% sugar. Decent oolong tea flavor. If you get overwhelmed by choices, you might want to look at the menu online, other wise you will be OVERWHELMED! First world problems haha. Straightforward spot. Friendly. Seating inside, but not too much, maybe just take your drink & roam the Chinatown treasures. Caution: last time I got a 50% sugar, the drink was still pretty sweet. read more

Golden Tea Shop - Oolong - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I've definitely been gatekeeping this place for too long and i want it to do well so here goes my review! BEST BOBA /TEA IN OAKLAND! You know the tea is good when it literally has a tea leaf shop. All the drinks are made with the same tea leaves from the tea shop which makes this place so special. Prices are still reasonable (but even if they raise it I won't be mad). I usually get their dragonwell milk tea and finally ventured into a pineapple fruit tea and it was just as delightful. Menu is massive but I doubt you can go wrong with anything. They also serve cute Hong Kong style street snacks like curry fishballs and fish siu mai as well as rice noodle rolls in sauce. I got a drink, noodles and siu mai today and it was $18 with tip. Cannot praise this place enough! The only somewhat downside is that it can take a while for your drink to be made but I like to believe it's because they brew each drink with fresh tea leaves, none of that instant powder or pre brewed large batch of tea! It's a tiny little spot tucked away in Chinatown so easy to miss if you're more looking carefully. read more

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This review comprises 3 different visits: Strawberry mango tea, black tea, 0% ice, 25% sweet: It took the workers nearly 20 minutes to make it since some people ordered a bunch of drinks ahead of us. It was very fruity, and included star-shaped jellies and popping boba, so it was still very sweet even at 25% sweetness since I assume the sugar was also partly in the toppings themselves. Rainbow guava green tea, modified to have oolong tea, 25% sweet, 25% ice: It was very fruity and had strong flavor. It tasted a lot sweeter than I would expect for 25%, not sure if that's partly because of the rectangular fruit toppings again which were in the bottom of the drink. Mango dirty tea, 25% ice, 25% sweet: The ordering kiosk asked us to select milk type so we picked whole milk, but I didn't actually taste milk in this drink so it might've just been an error in how the customization was set up for this menu item. I liked that it had actual mango bits in it. Overall, the drinks have been solid and would be good if you have a sweet tooth and like fruit teas. I have not yet tried 0% sweet and am curious how that would turn out with the drinks that have sugary toppings like jelly in them, or if it's just not feasible in that case to make it low sweetness. read more

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1st time there and it was incredible definitely recommend for a chill spot i had the stress relief tea with 25% sugar with oat milk and honey and it was so yummy i would definitely buy again and they're prices are reasonable for a good size read more

Golden Tea Shop - stress relief tea with oat milk and honey 25% sugar - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Hole in the wall boba spot that serves delicious drinks and soft boba. I ordered the boba milk tea w/ almond milk and creama and my husband got the strawberry matcha with green tea and boba. Drink ratings: - boba milk tea w/ almond milk + creama: 4/5 - strawberry matcha w/ green tea + boba: 3.5/5 (we love sweet but the strawberry jam or mixture was way too sweet even with adjusting the sweetness to 50%) read more

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A must when visiting Oakland!!! They have the best drinks in town! I got the hong kong milk tea 75% sweet with boba, my bf got the boba milk tea 75% sweet! Both were less than 10$ total, which is not bad! They also have a tea shop next door that I recommend visiting if you want to buy your own tea leaves! Great small business that I definitely recommend if you are in chinatown! read more

Golden Tea Shop - Hong kong milk tea and boba milk tea! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I have been drinking boba drinks before they were even popular in the 1990s, so I've had plenty of different types and styles. My go to drink has always been red bean smoothie with boba. If you don't have this basic drink, then your shop probably doesn't cater to serious milk tea connoisseurs. I went to a shop in San Jose that used red bean POWDER!? I asked for a refund before they even made the order. I was in Alameda today and was craving my usual refreshment. I yelped "boba" and this shop came up. Checked their menu and sure enough, my favorite was included in several different drinks, so I headed over ASAP. Their menu is very extensive with a few different options with red bean, but I settled on the Fresh Taro (no purple powder here!) and red bean milk with boba. I ordered on the kiosk and noted to please add ginger milk for my order. 25% ice and 50% sugar. Minus 1 star due to service fee for using my credit card. I could have paid cash, but thought everything was through kiosk only. I selected 50% sugar, but my drink was much sweeter than 50% from other places. I think they add a bit more sugar to their red beans and thus a sweeter final product. Note for next time for sure. This was absolutely the best drink I have had in a long while and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg. It was made with fresh and real ingredients and the bonus of the ginger made it super special! I will definitely be back for much much more!!! THANK YOU! read more

Golden Tea Shop - Look at all the fresh ingredients! This is only what's left from what I already ate!!! Lots and lots of goodies!!! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Definitely not your averaged boba shop in Chinatown, a downside is that there isn't any parking near the store unless you park a street down. I've been coming to the establishment for about a couple years now and their prices are so affordable! Their drinks are also good, I got the Dirty Strawberry Tea (definitely recommend to lower the sweetness to 25-50%) and it was good! read more

My friend bought me a milk tea with red bean and tofu pudding. I forgot to ask for less sweet but the sweetness is still acceptable. Their tea base is very good too. Please give them a try. read more

I came to visit some family on Sunday and stopped by this place for a milk tea drink.There was a small wait less than 5 minutes very fast service. Don't be fooled by how the outside looks this small milk tea store in China town of Oakland is very tasty. I personally love strong flavored tea over sweet ones and this store fit my tastes. They have a wide variety choice of milk teas and different drinks. I love to drink oolong tea and they had 4 different options. Since it's my first time here I got the roasted oolong with 50% sweet and 75% ice it was really delicious. The oolong was strong and the boba was soft. If I come to Oakland again I will definitely stop by to try other oolong drinks! read more

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Small tea and snack shop In the heart of china town, can be easy to miss unless your walking directly in front of the store. Large teas, smoothie, slushy, selection. They also offer sweet and savory snack. Their prices have increased but are reasonable in comparison to other shops in the area. They have a few tables and a bar area where you can hang out and enjoy your tea. I ordered #3 flat tummy on the scented tea menu. It was recommended for digestion and metabolism. It's very earthy if you choose no sugar, which is how I like it. Pros: Tea selection Cost Snacks Friendly staff Cons: It's a good 20 min walk from me Shop can be easy to miss Once diecisiete dos mil viente tres read more

Golden Tea Shop - Scented tea selection #3 flat tummy tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

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Good value for the shakes. Strawberry banana shake is my husband's go to drink there. I change my drink from fruity boba or taro milk tea.... read more

Ordered 3 drinks, all terrible. Roosted oolong milk tea, oolong crema, and jasmine milk tea. For a place that has an actual tea shop selling leaves, their drinks barely taste like tea and just watered down. The only thing that was decent was their egg puff. The people who gave this place 5 stars have no taste. read more

This place is, in my opinion, the only good boba shop in the Oakland Berkeley area. It all starts with their tea, their tea is outstanding! They even have a shop next door where they can direct you to the perfect tea, what service! The shop is small, but the owner is a character and is very entertaining. The prices are standard, but the boba is superior! You will not find better boba in town! read more

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Has a great variety of choices! The boba was cooked perfectly. The owner was nice and easy to talk to when I had questions about the menu. I ordered the matcha with brown sugar and the regular milk tea with brown sugar and both were delicious. I also ordered the curry fish balls, which were very tasty as well. read more

After lunch we looked for a place to grab drinks. This place got good reviews so we walked over. The menu is extensive and has some interesting and funny sounding drinks. We ordered: Kumquat tea: 4/5 it was still sweet at 25% sweet. Otherwise it was good. Oolong hot tea: 5/5 really tasty and the boba was chewy and soft. Strawberry smoothie: kid liked it. Peach smoothie: omg way too sweet. I think my kid chose 50%. This hole in the wall makes some pretty good drinks but make sure you have time to wait around for your drinks. Prices are less than most at approx $5 a drink (and they give tall cups). read more

Small boba shop in Oakland Chinatown that looks unassuming from the outside but actually is quite good! They have a large selection of drinks as well as some small bites such as curry fish balls, tofu pudding, egg puffs and waffles, etc. There is some seating but it's limited. The technology here is pretty advanced for what looks like a small mom and pop shop. You can order on the tablet and customize everything directly on there. I wasn't looking for anything fancy and went with a basic boba milk tea with pudding for $5.25. Got it with 25% ice, 50% sugar, and whole milk. My drink was prepared quickly, as we were the only customers in the store, and soon we were on the way. Overall it was a solid drink, and I'd come back here again the next time I get a boba craving. read more

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This little tea shop has all the others beat! The secret is they use freshly brewed real tea to make their drinks. One side of the shop is a true classic Chinese tea shop with fragrant expensive and rare teas sold by the pound, the other is a bubble tea shop with snacks, bubble tea/boba. What I absolutely LOVE about this shop is that it is the only one in Oakland that makes tofu-fa (silken tofu dessert) by hand the old fashioned way - UC dessert has tofu-fa but it is not as silky and served with all kinds of sauces and syrup whereas here eating just the plain tofu-fa tastes better than even with the ginger or cane sugar syrup. This is a true hidden gem! Also I'm going to spill the beans that this place makes the best egg waffles in Oakland Chinatown, they are served the old fashioned way - in a brown paper bag, and super crispy outside with a chewy center. I'm so glad I found this place! I hope they never stop making tofu-fa here! Be sure to call and ask if they have it before you head over, they don't always have it on hand or they may have sold out. I love the health drink menu too - if you want a refreshing beverage that is both delicious, perfect for summer and gives you a pretty complexion check out their health conscious Scented Tea menu! read more

Golden Tea Shop - Scented tea menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

This is my go to teashop when I am in the area. I placed an order for my work yesterday and picked up today. Got 2 free drinks. Very happy with this shop. Drinks are always good & Owner is very accommodating and friendly. She even comes to make drinks on Tuesday which the shop was supposed to closed for our work order of 20+ drinks. I would refer this shop to all my friends. read more

Golden Tea Shop - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

It's been a while since my last update and I'm glad they're still around and doing steady business. It was so crowded in there this morning - good for them! The menu has even more offerings now, including yummy snacks. They still offer their egg puffs and I'm currently snacking on their dried shrimp and radish egg roll. So good. Might be a bit of a wait since they make it to order but totally worth it. I'm excited to try their preserved mustard roll or dumplings next. And of course their HK tea is still good. I don't know how they keep their prices so low all these years but maybe the increase in business has helped. Let's keep this local shop open! read more

Got the roasted oolong milk tea half sweet, less ice with boba. Good tea flavor and boba was nice and chewy. Ordered at the kiosk and got our drinks in about 10 minutes. There's 2 tables and 3 seats at the bar. read more

5 stars goes to Golden Tea Shop for the creativity and effort put into their drinks! My family and I all ordered a different drink which we all enjoyed. I ordered the cake brûlée milk tea which comes with boba: the drink itself was very tasty, especially the crème that was brûléed to perfection! The boba texture was perfect: chewy and not too hard or soft, though it was lacking sweetness. However, I did notice how generous the workers were with the toppings. My sister ordered the mango sago drink which was filled with mango chunks, lychee jelly, agar boba, mango pudding, and sago! Overall, this is one of the better boba places I've been to in the area and it's nice to see each personalized drink! Would definitely recommend. read more

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I was in the heart of Oakland Chinatown, waiting for Lumpia Company to open up rather soon. I stepped into Golden Tea Shop, where they had 2 small tables, an electronic kiosk/cashier, and a kitchen barricaded by a plastic cover and a few baristas just chopping it up with another customer. I ordered a Roasted Black Milk Tea (75% sweetness; no toppings; default ice) at the kiosk. My drink took a little bit longer than expected but I'm not complaining. I appreciated the subtle taste of medium roast tea in my drink. Well done! read more

Golden Tea Shop - Roasted Black Milk Tea! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

My SO is a fervent tea enthusiast so we've been here a handful of times thus far and it's definitely worth at least one visit if you like tea as well! (Much as we love boba, this review is for the left side of the store where they sell loose-leaf tea! We've never made it to the other side yet, but maybe one day, I'll be able to update about the boba as well!) This is still the only place I've found thus far that offers quality loose-leaf Chinese tea in the bay. SO likes for me to be there with him because I speak Cantonese and it's a lot easier to ask questions ("Never have I felt more powerful than when I walk in here with you."). Oakland Chinatown businesses have been hurting, especially over the last couple years, so I like to support whenever I can + I happen to also love tea (my tastebuds are much less cultured though) -- win-win! We've asked the staff for recommendations and they've been great about giving us a variety of different tea recommendations that fit the bill. This can get to be a pretty expensive habit, so thankfully, you can choose to purchase these by weight (e.g. we sometimes do 2oz of a higher-end tea and 4oz of a more budget-friendly tea). Prices are very fair considering the quality of the teas they offer. (Please don't waste it and only steep it once! The taste often changes with every infusion!) They have a pretty giant selection of Pu-erh + Iron Goddess/tieguanyin (I'm sure there are other types but those are the ones we've focused on so far. Will update as time goes on!) There are also some flowers (e.g. rose petals, chrysanthemum -- I've also seen osmanthus + lavender), tea sets, teapots, tea accessories and other little gifts available. The teas come in loose leaf, "pearls/balls," and cakes. Most recently (aka yesterday) when we came in, one of the owner's relatives was helping out at the store and we inadvertently disrupted his late lunch. He waved aside our apologies and asked if we'd like to have tea with him, and what was originally a "we'll just stop by for 5 minutes to pick up more chrysanthemum" turned into a lovely 1.5 hour chat where we learned all about different types of pu-erh, what to look for in a good tea, the differences between raw (un-fermented) vs aged (fermented) pu-erh. SO was absolutely thrilled (he has been to 1 tearoom in Montreal where he got to do something like this and has been searching for a similar experience/place ever since). We had a really great time! :] I don't think I've quite settled on a favorite yet, but right now, I am partial to the pu-erh + the milk oolong (if you've never tried it, it's super cool--tastes milky + reminds of a unsweetened milk tea despite there being no milk in it!). I also really like getting the chrysanthemum flowers here to make my chrysanthemum/goji berry/date tea for nighttime (I am super sensitive to caffeine). They do accept credit card, but due to the service charge fees, if you can do cash or Venmo, they'd appreciate those forms of payment more. Sooo, in short, if you are a fellow tea enthusiast, you'll be super happy here! Stop by and check it out sometime! P.S. The aisles are narrow so if you're wearing a backpack, please be mindful of where that may go in space when you turn around, especially if you usually lack spatial awareness. Please don't knock out an entire aisle of tea! read more

Wonderful tea shop with different drink and topping options! My favorite part of this tea shop is the quality of tea! They have real teas that are brewed perfectly! The tie guan yin tea was excellent. This is one of my favorite tea shops! The inside has limited seating, but the tea is well worth it! read more

Golden Tea Shop - New mango sago - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Golden Tea was recommended to me from a friend and I've been a regular since. You know the place is legit when they also own the tea shop next door selling premium loose leaf teas. They have an extensive menu offering teas outside of your typical jasmine, black, and oolong. I like their tieguanyin and my parents like their dragon well. You can taste the quality of the tea in every drink. The tea is freshly brewed and made to order. If you're a tea enthusiast, come check out Golden Tea when you're in Chinatown! read more

Awesome unique drinks and the lady working there (might be the owner) was so nice and accommodating. I got the mango sago and there were so many toppings that I ended up turning it into a second drink by adding more milk at home. My fam members enjoyed their drinks too - strawberry green tea, cake brûlée, ice cream panda milk tea, and red bean taro. They asked my bro what ice cream he wanted for his drink, which I thought was cool since most places only have vanilla ice cream. Really good pricing for the quality! The place is small and clean and welcoming. They have a tea shop that they own right next door. I would absolutely come again! read more

Golden Tea Shop - Panda milk tea with matcha ice cream and mango sago - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Walked by here after having lunch. There is an kiosk to order from or a live person. I ordered the new mango sago, dirty mango tea and the honeydew smoothie. The dirty mango tea was a surprise, it had all sorts of of toppings and we added tapioca to it. The tapioca was definitely fresh and chewy. The honeydew smoothie was passable. Hubby has his preferences. I really like the mango sago and with 25% sugar it was still very sweet. Tons of options and I saw that have some that helps relieves internal heat or stress reduction tea. Will definitely need to come back to try those other teas. read more

Golden Tea Shop - Mango dirty tea with added boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is my all time favorite milk tea store in town! Greats drinks & great service. Love the usual workers I see here every time I order my drink. They're always welcoming. The quality of drinks are also good, especially when it comes to the strong tea flavor. I usually order Jasmine milk tea or Oolong milk tea. The egg waffles & tea eggs are also delicious. The egg waffles are perfectly crispy. You can even add ice cream if you like to. But for me, I usually like to keep it simple. So if you're in Oakland (around Chinatown), check this place out! - Tip: Make sure to get their stamp card. Every 8 drinks, you get a free one. Also, i believe it's $10 or more minimum if you like to pay with card. I just do Venmo since it's easier for me. read more

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Amazing in every way such good tea and the price is right! Golden Tea Shop is the real deal

Excellent quality tea, good options, milk alternatives, amazing unbeatable price. Delicious!

I was walking in Oakland china town looking into each business because all the windows are boarded up. I then stumbled upon this shop due to the sweet aromas. Walked in and turns out to be my kind of place . It's cute inside. Ordered a mango sago smoothie with Boba and a taro smoothie with boba. The mango smoothie had baby chunks of mango just small enough to fit thru the boba straw. The cup and lid is reusable. There's a little heart that acts as a spill resistant cover. Cute addition. Similar to Starbucks green spill resistant cover/stirrer. The place is clean and neat. Staff are super friendly and nice. I definitely recommend this place. read more

Golden Tea Shop - Mango smoothie with boba and Taro smoothie with boba. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

This is my new go to spot when I'm in the area! Tea is strong and they give you a lot of toppings not like other boba spot! Cute little shop and they sell tea next door. Last time I ordered 6 drinks, and forgot to tell them one drink no sugar, the owner remake the drink and gave me the other one for free! I told her it's ok and she still made a new one! Great customer service! read more

Golden Tea Shop - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Hot Hong Kong milk tea- authentic- delicious!!! A1- egg puff with fresh strawberries and strawberry ice cream A2- egg puff with matcha ice cream and red beans with condensed milk Very very small shop with two workers, one at the cashier and one in the back. Two tables inside. Might be a wait. Worth it though! I can tell there are a lot of regulars. read more

Golden Tea Shop - A1- egg puff w/fresh strawberries/strawberry ice cream A2- egg puff w/matcha ice cream, red beans, condensed milk.Hong Kong Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Very delicious drinks and quick service as well. Parking is very tricky but good thing is you can order in advance and just pick up. read more

Golden Tea Shop - Rose Milk Tea with Coconut Jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California