OG boba place. I feel like this was the transition point between lollicup and quickly back in the 2000s. Half and half took boba to the next level. I feel like this company is a mid level boba spot that rarely disappoints. I always get the almond milk tea. Perfectly tea taste with the perfect amount of milk. I feel like if you adjust the sugar level it does make it more watery? So I always get 75% sweet. I really do enjoy this type of crushed ice where it doesn't overfill the cup but there's still a lot of the drink product that you get. TARO PUDDING- I just recently discovered this and it's a game changer!! You definitely taste the taro flavor in this and it works so well with the almond milk tea! read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Almond milk tea with taro pudding - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Half and half overall is one of my favorite and go to boba place, period. This review is mostly for this location. I come here lot since it's on my way to my parent house and the place is close to many restaurants. Good to grab lunch and drink together. What I like the most about this location is they make the order pretty fast! I got here right when they open and literally get out within 10 mins! Anyway, My usual drink are the caramel ice milk with pudding and jelly or the Longan black tea. They always make it perfect each time! read more

Would you believe me if I said Half and Half charges more in SGV than most boba places in the bay? Yeah I wouldn't either but here's my receipt for a single drink. $7.56. This place is a joke now. I came back to see if anything's changed and it seems like the owners are just playing jokes on it's customers. Unacceptable price for what they serve. read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Always a favorite whenever I need a boba drink. My favorite drink options are: strawberry slush, strawberry milk with pudding, almond milk tea, black milk tea with ice cream. I haven't had a drink here that I didn't like. Staff is always super fast and friendly. Sometimes the line looks really long, but whoever is at the register always keeps the line moving. Drinks get pushed out so quickly too that I'm sure behind the walls, their staff works so efficiently together. read more

Cashier gave us a free upgrade to large! Haven't had half and half in years and I'm so glad they have the same quality and taste! read more

As far as I know this is the most popular Half & Half left standing. I remember going to the OG shop in San Gabriel back in 2008, back when the owner Momo was still manning the cashier and telling all the customers that her boba is the best. Turns out ol' Momo was right; Half & Half set off a boba revolution in Southern California, to the point where Ice Milk with Pudding and Honey Boba served in ice cream pint-sized cups have become an iconic feature of the food culture here. While tons of Taiwanese chains are popping up all over LA and OC on a regular basis, I'll always have a soft spot for Half & Half and how it transformed boba life for the 626 and beyond. Just blocks away from the Pandemic-thrashed Atlantic Time Square, this little stretch on Atlantic Boulevard is a murderer's row of boba spots: Sunmerry, Macchiato, and Half & Half. It really comes down to what your preference is, but if I'm on the go, Half & Half is the spot. Currently the Brown Sugar Milk Tea made with Black Tea is my drink here (no toppings, super light ice), but I would caution against ordering the large size for an additional 88 cents... while in the past the regular and large sizes were rumored to hold the same volume of liquid, it's kind of a struggle to finish this drink because it's so BIG; I got it Saturday afternoon and I'm still drinking it on Sunday! With Ten Ren's Tea Time and Tokyo Shabu Shabu both closed on the same street, it makes me sad these days to drive through Monterey Park... the Pandemic really did a number on this community. No matter what winds of change and trend come to pass, please support your local businesses so that Half & Half Tea Express never has to close! read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Brown Sugar Milk Tea - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Tried Half & Half for the first time. Absolutely no wait at all walked in after 6 pm. I tried the green tea no boba and the girls each had a milk tea and a Thai tea with boba. The size was good for the price. Spent $18 on three... where we normally go it's buy one get one free. read more

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Great and fast service! I got the almond milk tea with Sea Salt and Pudding 50% sweet. It was delicious and provided huge portions! The shop itself had great ambience and was very clean. Would come back read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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I bought the mint milk tea, wintermelon milk tea, and brown sugar milk tea. The teas were very good...makes sense why Half & Half is so popular! read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Wintermelon milk tea - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Heard good things about Half & Half but it was kind of disappointing. Maybe I didn't choose a good drink. Their options are excessive and nothing on the drinks on the employees' choice really caught my eye. I had their milk candy milk tea / hokkaido at 75% sweetness. It was okay. Wouldn't get it again. Also said easy ice but still got a lot of ice. Parked nearby and didn't use their parking lot but it seemed like there was an ample amount of parking available. With boba (85 cents?) it was around $6 for a medium drink. Maybe if I had gotten a different drink it would've been satisfying but with their milk candy milk tea...it was disappointing. I'd suggest getting sometime else than that drink! read more

i came today hoping to enjoy wonderful boba . But damn the boba was rubbery and the drink was watered down.

i came in the other day thinking half and half drinks would be decent, but it was far from tasty. the boba was mushy, the ice milks were so watery and diluted. absolutely disgusting. especially for the price ($9), i could get way better quality right across the street from heytea. and the fact that there's a service charge to use a credit card... are we in the 1900's? i don't know how this place is still in business. the only thing saving them is nostalgia. read more

It's been a minute since I've been here but their customer service was great and the staff was friendly as well. They all had smiles on their faces which I appreciated. read more

This Boba shop is so good and totally worth the money. They have bigger cup sizes compared to other boba shops and I got a regular size for only $5!! Thats insane. I also got this cute little boba USB it was so . Definitely coming back to try other flavors. read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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I have wanted to try half & half for so long and never got around to it. I have only been once but was really happy with my drink even though it was on the "more expensive" side of boba, the size is worth it. After looking at their top drinks list and reading reviews, I had to try their iced milk with egg pudding and honey boba! I don't usually get egg pudding but it basically is a sweeter version of what is in the center of an egg tart. I actually really liked the drink and thought it was well-balanced. Their cups are HUGE but heard that they used to serve even larger drinks. Not too sure if that is true but if you cannot drink too much - maybe it's better to share. I would definitely come back to try other drinks! read more

Super awesome experience today with my family at this tea house! Their kumquat lemonade, milk tea with honey boba, and the match smoothie were absolutely delicious and their regular size is like a large at most boba place!!! Love it!!Will definitely come back often!!! read more

5 years ago when this place barely spread its wings, the line would always be out the door; even today, the lines are still out the door. That's when you know its a good boba place. I have honestly seen so many boba places come and go in the past 5 years, to keep their name and not close throughout these time and keeping theier customers like me is impressive. While many boba places have decreased on their quality, Half and Half is place that promises quality and to sustain that, they slowly increases their price. which is reasonable since all the boba places now are at similar price. This was my go to place back in high school, and now its still my go to place post college. When my friends from out of country asks where I'd recommend for boba, i'd always point my fingers over here. If you don't know what to order?Don't worry! They have a top 10 chart that changess every so often;basically tells you their top 10 order/fan favorites. I honestly have not had a bad drink at their place. All time favorites: iced milk drink!!! They began their business because of them, and they're still known for them now despite many boba places trying to copy their technique. I always order iced milk drink with brown sugar, boba, and grass jelly. It is sooooo good! Parking is a little hard/compacted but there is about 4 floors of parking space, so it shouldn't be a problem. There isn't really a set of seating area, many people just take them to go. There are bar stools facing the window and two tables outside, but generally packed. Don't really recommend for hang out spots due to that. read more

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I honestly don't know why everyone's raving about Half and Half's bobas. There's nothing special about their milk tea. Just mediocre. Nice to have tried tho but just mmmeeehhh. read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Brown sugar with boba and pudding - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Half & Half has been one of my go-to boba spots for a while, since high school, but somehow, I have not written a review. Today, my friend and I went here again as they are one of the first to spawn the concept of honey boba, and they are known for relatively constant promotions like free size + topping (except boba) upgrade. I tried the brown sugar milk tea with boba + lychee jelly (to take advantage of the free topping) and for around $6.50, it is similar to the price of a typical boba drink these days, but the size here is much larger, so you get more for the money. Unfortunately, this place is a bit more on the quantity over quality, as while the honey boba texture is perfect - chewy and sweet, the tea itself is a bit underwhelming. The tea fragrance was not too prominent, though I was able to taste the brown sugar which is mostly carried from the boba itself. Overall, this is still a classic, but with many boba places around the area, there are better options out there, depending on what you like to get. read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Brown sugar milk tea with boba and lychee jelly - IG @bougiefoodieboi - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Wanted to see what drinks I couldn't get back home in the bay so we stopped by half and half. We got a number 1 which comes with honey boba, and grass jelly. Initially we ordered it less sweet but found it still too sweet and the staff was nice enough to add extra milk in for us. We also got the kumquat green tea with basil seeds and aloe jellies. The second drink was perfectly refreshing and not too sweet. Would recommend the green tea! read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Love this place! Automatic upgrade to their huge cup on the weekdays and it's super affordable for the amount that you get. Conveniently located so I can get groceries at he same time and sometimes if it's busy service is slow because there's only one worker but they're always super nice. read more

This is classic half and half. Long lines, salivating mouths, thirsty tongues. I love it when they have their specials, currently an upgrade to a larger drink that runs through end of August. (Gotta order in person-no phone orders to get it). Annie at the register was pretty cool, taking her time to explain stuff, including the specials. read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Half of a half and half extra large is barely less than a regular! - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

First off, the parking spots in this complex are absolutely tiny! Why they made these spots so small is difficult to comprehend...I noticed some cars literally just parking across two parking spots and totally ignoring the drawn lines... I've been here quite a few times and each time I come, there is always a bit of a line so I walk in through the back door (from the parking lot.) I've tried quite a few of their drinks and my favorite so far is the Osmanthus Milk Tea drink with honey boba. Their honey boba is the perfect texture with optimal chewiness! This time I got the Red Bean Matcha smoothie and loved it! It had strong matcha flavor and was sweetened by the red bean. I got 50% sweet which was still too sweet for me because there was extra sugar from the red beans, so just heads up on that. Overall, their drinks are pretty good and are generally a crowd-pleaser. Worth checking out if you haven't been here before, even if there are so many other choices in this area! read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Red Bean Matcha smoothie - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Half n Half used to be the sh*t back in the early 2010's and I still feel like it's been able to keep up with the same quality and drinks. The lines are still there at this location, but it seems to go by fairly quickly. Service was good and there is a bathroom at this location (key is at the front register) and I was in and out in a jiffy. There is plenty of parking behind the store front. Glad I got to stop by one of the OG boba places! read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Regular milk boba! - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I love going to this specific location because it seems more delicious and always consistent the past 5 years. My friends from out of town also prefer this location. Half and Half is always my number one place for boba and I almost come here weekly. The flavors are always so perfect and there are so many to choose from. My personal picks: Taro Milk Green Tea, 75% sugar, boba and pudding (it comes with a little bit of small bits of real taro-yum!) Almond Coffee Milk Tea ( extremely flavorful ) Ice Milk Drink with taro pudding and boba Rose Milk Green Tea, 50% sugar, boba Jasmine Milk Green Tea, 50% sugar, boba Also just choose from the top choices on the board when you walk in. This location is extremely small, hence the "express" with very few tables. You can also access the place through the back parking lot. Just don't forget to collect your stamp card, so you can get a free drink after buying 9 drinks! read more

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The one of the best boba shop. PERIOD!!! It is easy to find, located in the heart of downtown Monterey Park. You will find yourself enjoying the one of the best boba drinks in town or the SGV area. read more

Very pricey in comparing w/the bears by competitor SunRight. I see their business is not busy as of before. Drinks are descent, but not the prices... read more

First they eliminated the boba reward card and now charging a ridiculous % just to use credit card. Does anyone even carry cash anymore? Particularly in post covid times? read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Ordered a milk tea with taro pudding and honey boba. The tea was so watery and the honey boba was hard. To make things worse, the taro pudding tasted PLASTICY and like chemicals. Would not recommend tbh. Only redeeming factors were the barista was happy to add some more sugar into my drink after it wasn't sweet enough, and that there was a free weekday upgrade to the large size. read more

Half & Half is always a must when in this area of California. I'm not a huge milk tea person, as I always prefer the slushes. The boba was cooked perfectly, not too hard and has the perfect chewiness. Service was fast, the place was clean, and parking was easy on a Monday morning. I would definitely return when we come back to California. read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Lychee Strawberry Slush with Honey Boba - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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insaneee portion sizes and good menu options. fun little arcade with claw machines for cute stuffies inside. not much seating. worth it though! pretty good price for what you get. i recommend the peach black tea with boba read more

Didn't really Half & Half Tea Express started the Boba uproots in the 626. Walking into this place I didn't think much at first but I'm glad I was wrong. The honey coated bobas are life changing. The Thai Iced Tea Milk Tea Boba had so much flavor it was great. Definitely my go to drink when getting boba. It's pretty neat you can add pudding as well to the boba and they have an extensive menu with multiple topping options. The regular size is large enough to fill you up but for .85 cents more you can upsize. No need to though. Found this place real easily and the parking lot is big. read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Boba - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

First time here and I tried the rose honey boba and it was very tasteful. The location is great because there is free parking in the back and east access to the business. Staff is friendly and helpful when trying to decide what to order. Staff also suggested different options for non caffeine and option for less sweeter which I opted for, that was very helpful and nice. Definitely will be back for boba read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Drinks here are yummy. They have promotion for free upgrade if you come during weekdays. Dock 1 star for charging a credit card fee and bag fee. I thought bag fee was only for grocery? read more

There's so much hype around half & half but I would rarely go to 626 so I didn't try it until now. I am so glad I finally tried it this past weekend because I understand why so many people love getting half & half so often now. There was a large parking garage here which was very convenient and you get in line by walking in to the back entrance. The line looked long-ish but it moved fairly quickly so don't be discouraged. Their menu is very extensive and the ice milk drinks looked very inviting, but I like to stick to jasmine milk tea when I'm first trying out a new spot. It was really nice they have a summer special where they give you a free upgrade to a large drink, which I happily got. The jasmine milk tea itself was super yummy and nice and creamy. It tasted amazing and just how I like it but my issue was with the ice cubes. They give a lot of really tiny ice cubes, which I feel like make it melt faster and dilutes the tea faster so drink it quickly! read more

Half & Half Tea Express - 8.05.18 Green milk tea and mango green tea - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Has half & half gone downhill or was it just this experience I had here? The boba shop wasn't too packed for a Saturday afternoon, so it didn't take long to order our drinks and grab them. I ordered my usual, iced milk with strawberry and pudding. I was seriously underwhelmed when I drank it. There wasn't enough strawberry in it, the pudding took up half the cup, and the whole thing tasted watered down. My sisters milk tea was bland and she didn't like hers either. Nor did my brother like is almond smoothie. 3 bad drinks in one trip? It's going downhill or the person making the drinks just didn't know what they were doing. I'm super disappointed with my visit because I usually love half & half, but this time I couldn't even get through half of my drink before dumping it. read more

This place always has a line but is always worth it. I got the green bean slush bc I was feeling nostalgic and not a lot of boba spots offer it. The only downside is that it's very sweet and it's one of the drinks they suggest to not lower the sweetness on. Customer service was good? They were fast in taking my order and repeating it back to me, and fast in preparing my drink. It was less than a 5 min wait after I ordered. read more

Half & Half Tea Express - Green bean slush and strawberry milk tea - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Bad service or company policy. I bought 5 large drinks to go. No bags or tray for me to carry it. I was asked to pay extra to get a bag when others in this food industry will give it to you for free. read more

I have been going to Half & Half in Monterey Park for years now and they are one of my favorite boba spots in the 626 area. The line is almost always out the door and it is definitely worth it. Their huge menu is intimidating at first but after many visits (I've filled up more than several stamp cards here), I have narrowed down my favorite few go-to drinks but my favorite is definitely the coffee/milk tea mix with both boba and pudding. My only complaint is their inconsistent hours even pre-pandemic. Been a few times early in the morning right when they open according to online and the sign on their door but lights are off and there's nobody inside. One of my favorite overall boba places and look forward to visiting again soon! read more

Obsessed with their strawberry milk drink! I either get that or their iced milk drink with strawberry (blended). It just has the perfect amount of sweetness to it and has been my go-to item ever since. Being a big fan of regular black milk tea as well, I was pretty disappointed with Half & Half's. The tea flavor was too strong for me and tasted more bitter than sweet. I suggest you stick to their strawberry drinks or other iced milk drinks! If you plan on coming during the weekend, anticipate a wait. It gets really busy, especially at nighttime. It's also a to-go your drinks kind of place, rather than a sit-down cafe. Don't expect to chit-chat with your friends here because not only are there no seats, it gets too loud to even hear your order being called. Overall, despite the wait & distance, I still frequently come back here because their strawberry milk drink never fails me! read more