Happy Lemon

253

382

435

8 years ago

I am skeptical about this "cheese" foam thing but honestly it is pretty delicious. It is very rich but not overly sweet and has a slight tang. It's much tastier here than the "crema" you get at other places. The regular milk tea is also surprisingly good. They charge an extra $0.50 for hot drink. I had the classic milk tea and I didn't think it would be that good but I was happy to be proven wrong. They don't have a very extensive milk tea menu; in fact their menu overall is on the smaller side. Don't come here and expect to find all the different varieties of milk tea you can get at other places. That being said the cheese thing is definitely worth trying as are their other items! read more

Happy Lemon - Classic black tea and cheese black tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Angel A.

138

185

427

8 years ago

My 100th Yelp Review and I am specifically giving it to Happy Lemon. Happy lemon serves one of the best cheese tea and it is the best one that I have ever had. The first time I tried cheese tea I had it with their regular green tea over at their Fremont location and it was amazing. I wanted to try something different over at their Berkeley location but I ended up getting the same thing but different tea base, oolong and it is 50x as better than the green tea. The oolong tea with the topped cheese cream was so amazing. The oolong tea itself was crisp and not as leafy or bitter as your typical green tea. Such a sweet and fragrant drink and I wish I ordered more than one so I can bring it back home to Sacramento! read more

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晓甜

7 years ago

tasty very well， without the rate difference of China, the price is worthy the quality. Like the cheese salt drink,like add boba. Not too much sugar. The drink is good read more

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William G.

Elite 20

360

178

305

7 years ago

Salted cheese is kinda just caramel. It definitely pairs well with tea but the issue is that it's way less dense. As a result, it clumps at the top and that makes it hard to drink with boba and even tea. read more

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Alex T.

Elite 15

1358

1097

7705

8 years ago

After a weekend dinner we decided to walk and find a boba tea place to catch up. . Before coming here they were like have you been to this spot. I said no, they said its becoming popular in the bay area so made me more motivated to try this spot out. . I didn't know what they were famous for so i ended up with a kumquat lemon green tea with less sugar. It was so sweet i didn't like it much, but still finished it. As well i like how they put a preserved sour plum inside to make it more authentic. The drink was more citrusy and tangy sour but sweet at the same time. . Lots of seating and music wasn't too loud. So while we were catching up it was great. As well bathroom was clean and spacious. . I had a good experience and maybe i ask what they are known for before ordering. But just fyi parking was a bish, parking is tight and hard to find meter parking. Also lots of bum in the neighborhood and street at night so ya. But they don't bother you much but do ask for change. Thanks for reading and enjoy. Have a yelptastic day. read more

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Elaine K.

8 years ago

Happy lemon makes me super happy! *_* This is my favorite boba spot. Its always consistent, the boba always had a nice chew, and the staff is very friendly! My favorite is black milk tea with salted cheese, extra 25% sweet with either boba or grass jelly. This was the first place I've tried salted cheese and I'm hooked! The savory saltiness of the cheese goes so well together with the sweet drink, mix it together and it's this nice creamy concoction of deliciousness. When I'm craving something a bit lighter, I go for the jasmine lemon slushy, its very refreshing and tart. The lychee jello is also delicious. The manager here is also the sweetest lady I've ever met in an outside establishment in which I know no one from. I always feel very welcomed whenever I enter the store :) I've had various "favorite" boba spots that always seem to rotate because they fall short on consistency with the strength of their drinks or the boba but happy lemon has never disappointed me. Highly recommend! read more

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Eden S.

Elite 18

494

327

305

6 years ago

Oh my gosh!!! Sooo yummy. They are staying open during these difficult times with the coronavirus. I tried their dragon fruit drink, mango fruit drink, and then their black milk tea salted cheese drink. The salted cheese drink that I had was soooooo amazing!!!! I totally recommend for people to get one of the salted cheese drinks, they are absolutely delicious. Go and try out this awesome boba place! read more

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Amy Z.

260

114

272

8 years ago

Love Happy Lemon! I was really happy to see this brand opening up more stores in the Bay Area. The quality and flavor of this location is consistent with the other locations. Ordered: - matcha milk tea with tiramisu crema, 30% sugar. This sugar level is enough for the milk tea drinks on the menu, the tiramisu crema adds a lot of flavor to it. - Lemon green tea, 50% sweet. I find 50% to be perfect for its lemon tea drinks. read more

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Michelle M.

5 years ago

Really amazing drinks! My favorite is the matcha mango smoothie or the jasmine green tea with cheese cream:)

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Matchitin D.

5 years ago

Order ahead and pick up a mango matcha! I like the Lemon Slushy drinks as good alternative to the boba burnout. can't really complain about good solid boba at reasonable price considering how expensive bobas been getting read more

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Shafqat D.

224

325

434

7 years ago

This Tea's Salt is CRAZY!!! I was one happy lemon after the last midterm and decided to check out this new Boba place in downtown Berkeley with my lab partner. Now, the special thing about this place is that they have "salted cheese" in their drinks. I got the milk tea with salted cheese and boba, and I have to say it's quite unique. They gave some particularly specific instructions on how to best drink it--start off by drinking straight from the cup at a 45-degree angle, then, later on, drink through the straw. I found the former to be helpful for really tasting the salted cheese creamy foam (which I don't recommend mixing with the drink, as some might recommend)! I wouldn't say it tastes like cheese but it is quite reminiscent of sea salt foam. There is just a hint of cheese in there...anyways, the rest of the drink tastes more or less how typical milk tea tastes. More or less, give it a try if you want something different! read more

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Teri C.

Elite 22

135

879

8 years ago

Salted cheese is here and it's good! Yes, like all the other reviews, it's not the same cheese you're thinking of. More like cream cheese. It doesn't taste too different to the crema versions you can get at purple kow or sharetea. It's the salt that changes it up a bit. I got the oolong salted cheese and it was great. Kind of what I expected it to taste like. My friend got the chocolate salted cheese and he said it tasted like a frosty from Wendy's. My other friend got the mango lemon slushie and it was extremely sour, even with normal sweetness. He didn't like it. Service is quick and you can see how many people are in line in front read more

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Shwe L.

790

156

311

8 years ago

Very unique boba branch. When I first tried it, I did not like it. I was very confused on why you would add salted cheese to a boba drink. But the more I drank it, the more of a fan I became. Now, I find myself craving salted cheese milk tea. I've tried their regular milk teas and their salted cheese milk tea. Definitely get their salted cheese. The regular milk tea was okay. BUT the cheese on it, game changer! I am not a huge fan of sweet so I tend to get 75% sweet and normal ice. Definitely will recommend to my friends and will be coming to this chain a lot to get my boba craving satisfied! read more

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Ming Y.

303

8 years ago

Personal favorite: BLACK MILK BOBA TEA. My favorite place to pick up a quick boba. The black milk boba is one of the best I've ever had! Sweet Happy Lemon, I love you so much. read more

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Viii N.

8 years ago

The salted cheese line is so good!!! You will be addicted. I personally love the Black tea with Salted Cheese, Green tea with Salted cheese, and Milktea with Salted Cheese the most. read more

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Jonathan N.

1570

472

559

9 years ago

Happy Lemon means happy Jonathan. Picking up on the salted cheese hype, Happy Lemon is here to deliver you some tea realness. If you were like me, you were incredibly skeptical at the idea of salted cheese being mixed with your tea. At one point, I had the mental image of a slice of Kraft cheese just floating in my drink. To put your mind at ease, think of it more as a light and airy cheesecake-filling that's been foamed up and topped on your drink. The combination works incredibly well and you'd be glad you tried it. My go to order is the oolong tea topped with their salted cheese foam. I've also had the coffee with salted cheese which was more of like a chocolate milk with a kiss of coffee flavor. The drink cup has a sippy spout conducive of the "optimal" way to drink your cheese drink where if you drink it at a particular angle, you get just the right amount of cheese to tea ratio. I just want to note that the staff here are absolutely adorable to chat with while you're waiting to get your drink served, definitely nice when you're there for a while since it can get busy here! read more

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Ángela J.

266

197

2846

8 years ago

What a great tea spot!! I have been here a few times now and all of the drinks I've tried are delicious. My go to was always the freshly squeezed lemon green tea (super refreshing on a hot day), but I recently decided to give the other drinks a try. -Their milk tea is really good and one of their top drinks. -I finally decided to go for their black tea with salted cheese (another one of their top drinks). It was amazing! It gives the tea a creamy texture and a salty taste. I didn't know that there's a special way to drink it(they actually have pictures to explain it, oops!) without a straw so I ordered bobba with it. It was still really good, but next time I will make sure to drink it by itself. -The yakult lemon slushy and the lemon slushy are also really good and refreshing, and they have no added sugar. I love that the yakult slushy comes with lychee jello. I'm used to tapioca but this paired perfectly with the slushy. One of the cashiers mentioned how this one is his favorite too. I have seen a lot of people drinking the matcha latte and plan to try this one next. Their staff is very friendly and they have stamp cards/ rewards program. Their service is fast and they time how long your drink is going to take on the screen (they're accurate!). The interior is also nice and good to chat and spend time with friends. read more

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Sam K.

Elite 18

339

480

2370

9 years ago

Happy Lemon is now in the East Bay! The same drinks we fell in love with at the Burlingame location are now here. Staff is friendly and very accommodating. read more

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Neenz Z.

204

8 years ago

I never knew that salted cheese + tea complemented each other so well until I stumbled upon this place. After having gone twice this week (so far), I can safely say that Happy Lemon is quickly becoming my new go-to place for drinks! Their most popular drink is their green tea drink with salted cheese and let me tell you, it is to die for! The cheese is ever-so-slightly salted and sipping it together with the sweet green tea adds a whole new level of dimension to the drink. The flavors are unique, savory and sweet at the same time! I've also tried it with their boba and although the boba was perfectly made and sweetened, I think it's an unnecessary addition to their salted cheese drinks, partially because of the design of their cups. I could hardly move the straw around the cup, so I was left with most of the boba still inside the cup, which is kind of a waste of $$. All in all, I LOVE the concept of their drinks, think that boba isn't a necessary add-on (even though it's fantastically made), and can't wait to come back again to try some of their other drinks! read more

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Linde H.

384

233

210

8 years ago

Knowing that theres a happy lemon near me in the east bay has changed my life. I gym more often, i eat good, but more importantly, the green tea with salted cream is what i NEED in my new lifestyle at least 3x a week. Parkings a bit annoying but all you need to do is walk 3 blocks- part of my new healthy lifestyle. Super fast, not packed, and so clean! Theres always a good amount of people working-but I didnt think there was a location near me till my friend said it. Good happy lemon consistency read more

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Julie N.

687

281

1185

8 years ago

When I first came into this store, I did not realize they were in their first week since their grand opening! All the employees were spot-on and very courteous. I didn't have any problems with the line; though there were a handful of people in front of me, it moved quite fast. There are some seats & tables with free wifi available, so I do see some people studying here at times! I've also tried Happy Lemon in San Jose in the past but it wasn't until I visited this location that they had reward cards! Definitely ask for one if you will be a regular customer. I am a fan of the salted cheese! It's essentially milk foam with a tinge of cheesey flavor - as you would expect. I personally prefer my drinks without boba since I enjoy sipping my cold milk tea with salted cheese as if it were a hot drink. It's hard to get both boba/toppings, salted cheese, and milk tea all in one sip. My favorite drink is the matcha latte with tiramisu salted cheese! The tiramisu flavors mostly come from the dusted powder that is added on top of your salted cheese. Happy Lemon is my current favorite boba place! I would recommend visiting here to friends. :) read more

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Sara O.

4 years ago

Honestly I love happy lemon but this one is not the same. I've been to 5 different locations but this one is the most disappointing. They are stingy. I ordered sides of puff cream and they're $1.20 each so I expect what I pay for. Each happy lemon I've been to gives me a pint size container filled to the top with puff cream for that price--all locations. This one gave me a 2 tablespoon size container with puff cream and charged me that amount. After I told the employee that all other locations give that cup (I pointed to the cup) and fill it to the top, the manager walked over and agreed the size as wrong. Well, this guy went and got me the correct cup but put the same amount of puff cream. My cup isn't even half full and I paid a dollar each for these... stingy. Safe to say I will not be returning to this one. It's just not worth it to pay for something and then repeatedly be cheaper out. I actually just want a refund. read more

Happy Lemon - It's literally not even half full. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Jay M.

244

7 years ago

This is the first boba shop I've had in Berkeley that I would say is consistent with the quality in chains in Asia (of course they have this chain in Asia, and depending on the country and shop can differ in quality). The boba here was chewy and not too small, though not as large and chewy as Gong Cha. The creamer did not overpower the taste of the tea. The tea was prepared well, not over-seeped like many stores. The one thing I did not like was that the boba had some kind of starchy after taste. The price for a large boba milk tea was $4.25 for takeout and $4.64 for dine-in. read more

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Johnny C.

Elite 24

615

9 years ago

Berkeley just doesn't stop popping out more boba shops! But I'm not complaining, especially since the newest is Happy Lemon. I came at around 10:30pm on a Saturday night during their soft opening BOGO promotion and I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a really long line that moved at a glacial pace, but they were able to get the line moving fairly quickly and they were also able to pump out drinks at the same rate as well. I ended up waiting in line for about 10 minutes and waiting about 5 minutes until I got my drink as well. I thought the staff was very efficient and really helpful with their menu choices as well. Since it was BOGO, I ended up getting two drinks, the Bubble Milk Tea with Puff Cream and the Classic Milk Tea, the latter of which I saved for the next morning. Because I was saving it for the next morning, I asked them for no ice and I was really happy to see that they didn't leave a huge gap at the top of the cup to make up for the space that the ice would have occupied. I know a lot of places do this and it makes sense, but it's always a perk when they don't. The Bubble Milk Tea and the Classic Milk Tea are essentially the same drink, but the Puff Cream definitely makes the drink less sweet. It's not the greatest since the drink itself isn't as sweet as most milk tea locations already, but if you're looking for a more mild sweetness, I would go with the Bubble Milk Tea with Puff Cream, or you can even modify the sweetness of the drink. The milk tea is one of the better ones that I've had in Berkeley, it's sweet, it's creamy, and it even tastes good the next day. It's located in Downtown Berkeley right down Addison Street, so it's pretty close to campus. You can enjoy a nice drink for dessert after you eat at one of the multitude of restaurants in Berkeley. Happy Lemon is easily one of my favorite fast boba spots in Berkeley and I will definitely come back in the future to get my boba fix. read more

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Dion L.

Elite 18

918

8 years ago

Yum! I love this place! The salted cheese tea has nice contrasting profile and is unique to the surrounding boba scene. I would give this place a solid 4.5, but I bumped up since this place holds some good feels for me - sorry I'm biased :) read more

Happy Lemon - Shoutout to AFX Allies 2017 - I still wish my life was sponsored by boba xD - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Happy Lemon - When boba's his baby - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Jennifer S.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

713

104

6 years ago

Great location in the center of downtown within minutes of the Berkeley Bart station. The line here is never too long and now they give you a card with your number when you order to claim your drink. I love the drinks with the cheese toppings because it is unique compared to other boba shops. read more

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Page 6 of 10

2106 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
Downtown Berkeley
Directions
(510) 984-0074
Call Now
Order Takeout or Delivery
Start Order
Visit Website
http://happylemonwest.com

Full menu

Hours

What time does Happy Lemon open?

Happy Lemon opens at 11:00 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, Friday and Saturday.

What time does Happy Lemon close?

Happy Lemon closes at 9:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.Happy Lemon closes at 10:00 PM on Friday and Saturday.

Mon-Thu, Sun 11:00 AM - 9:00 PMFri-Sat 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Payment methods

Does Happy Lemon take credit cards?

Yes, Happy Lemon takes credit cards.

Food & Alcohol

Does Happy Lemon have catering options?

No, Happy Lemon does not have catering options.

Indoor Amenities

Does Happy Lemon allow dogs?

Yes, Happy Lemon allows dogs.

Outdoor Amenities

Does Happy Lemon have bike parking?

Yes, Happy Lemon has bike parking.

Does Happy Lemon have parking?

Yes, Happy Lemon has parking options. Street Parking

Other Amenities

Does Happy Lemon have free WiFi?

Yes, Happy Lemon has free WiFi.

Happy Lemon Reviews in Other Languages

Chinese
2 Reviews

Ask the Community - Happy Lemon

Does this location sell gift cards?

Yes they do!

View question details

Hi! I read a review that this place refuses to sub soy milk for dairy in the milk teas, is this true? I'm skeptical because every other boba spot can sub for non-dairy milk since a lot of ppl are either vegan or lactose intolerant.

Yeah some of them they won't sub because it's already mixed in and some of them they will. RareTea will always sub, they're my go to!

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Chicha San Chen

4.6(300 reviews)

0.4 mi•Telegraph Ave

This spot just became my favorite Taiwan tea place. From the moment I walked in, I could tell they…read moreput real thought into the experience. The decor is clean, modern, and warm, making it a great place to study or just hang out with friends. I especially liked the kiosk ordering system--quick, efficient, and no pressure while deciding. The drink packaging is honestly next level. It feels premium and thoughtful, not just another basic cup. You can tell they care about presentation just as much as taste. And the drinks themselves? Smooth, refreshing, and high quality. Service was excellent--friendly, attentive, and fast without feeling rushed. The space was spotless, including the bathroom, which is always a big plus for me. Overall, this place nails atmosphere, quality, and convenience. I'll definitely be coming back regularly. Highly recommend if you want a chill, aesthetic tea spot.

Expensive but good! Minus 1 star for the ridiculous wait time for drinks. Otherwise 100 stars for…read morethe great quality, carefully brewed teas and amazing flavor. After a few visits, the drink I'm hooked on is the Taro Milk tea + taro paste + taro balls. It's just so loaded with taro and it tastes like taro rather than taro "flavoring". Drink after drink, it's easy to see what this tea shop has won so many awards. Plus, their cup carrier is super cute, eco and creative! I almost wish this place wasn't so good because they're pricy and addicting!

Dong Ding Oolong Tea Latte, Cassia Black Tea With Mousse

Inside area

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HH signage

TP TEA

4.3(379 reviews)

0.6 mi•Telegraph Ave

Located right next to UC Berkeley. On the busier side, with a TON of online orders. They have 3…read morein-store kiosks (card/Apple Pay only) or you can order ahead on Snackpass. There's some indoor seating (5 tables). I ordered their Velvet Lychee Milk Tea w/ tea jelly ($7.50) and it was really good! I was a bit skeptical at first because I didn't know what "velvet" meant, but I liked it (more of a richer milk/flavor than regular milk tea).

Easy to order and drinks are made quickly (Even on a busy Saturday afternoon)…read more Great variety of drinks and fresh and chewy boba and they offer other great toppings as well. Not fully customizable with sugar levels and such, but they do have milk alternatives and you can make adjustments to some drinks. The velvet snow jasmine fresh milk and it was delish! Will be back.

C4. Taiwan Classic Milk Tea C6. Strawberry Milk Tea

C6. Strawberry Milk Tea Osmanthus milk tea

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Boba Milk Tea

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

4.0(448 reviews)

0.6 mi•Telegraph Ave

We found this spot by accident because we were looking for a store nearby. I LOVED IT! Cutest place…read morewith the nicest employees. I had a lot of questions and they sweetly answered them before I did my order. You order online or on the screens in the store. Pretty self explanatory and easy. There are just a few places to sit inside, so probably want to get it to go. I ordered this heavenly mango/grapefruit concoction with pearls. 15/10. It was so hard to choose what to order because everything looked so delicious and refreshing. My drink was ready in less than 10 minutes. I definitely want to come back and try some different drinks!

Tried a few more drinks at Yi Fang:…read more Multi-floral honey mountain tea, 50 sweet no ice, large: The drink was done in about half the time that was estimated (Snackpass estimated 15 minutes, but it was done in 7). It was barely sweet, 50% is the lowest sweetness you can set for this drink. I was disappointed by this one as I felt the tea and floral flavors could've been stronger, it really just tasted of honey. Large chocoberry bliss, warm, 50 sweet (which was the recommended sweetness): It's a non caffeinated drink and can only be hot or warm. It tastes of dark chocolate with strawberry. It reminded me of hot chocolate but with a strawberry milk flavor, I liked it and would recommend trying it when it's in season if you enjoy sweets and chocolate in particular. Cheese creamer black tea, no ice, 0% sweetness, large cold: The tea is truly bitter when at 0% sweetness, which is what I intended. A generous thick amount of creamer on top. It doesn't mix easily with the tea. Note that on Snackpass, they add another $0.25 onto the price of your drink for "city cup fee" - referring to City of Berkeley's fee charged for plastic drink cups. I have found they're usually pretty fast at making the drinks and they may be done earlier than what Snackpass estimates. Sometimes you may need to get the attention of one of the workers as they can be occupied working and aren't always at the counter looking at you.

Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats

Mango Pomelo Sago

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Plentea

3.9(233 reviews)

0.5 mi•Telegraph Ave

•$

My favorite is the mango smoothie. It's sooo refreshing and tasty…read more I always get mine in a glass jar and I just really appreciate like the quality of this place to offer that, you know?

Bad experience. We ordered for pickup, and upon arrival, we asked the employee if it was ready. She…read moretold us 10 minutes. There were no customers, we just watched her wash a ton of dishes for 10 minutes before starting on our drinks. I got the avocado smoothie, which came with a sweetness level request. 100% was recommended, so I picked that. I watched her literally just put milk, avocado, and ice into a blender. No sweetener such as condensed milk like I expected. As expected, there was absolutely no sweetness in the drink, just milky avocado slush. My husband got a house milk tea with boba, and it was extremely flavorless. Tasted really sweet, but you couldn't really taste the tea at all. Honey boba wasn't bad, not the worst we've tried. Overall, considering there are tons of other boba shops in Berkeley, we definitely will not be back.

Takoyaki and Plentea boba

Fresh taro with egg pudding, lactose-free milk, less ice

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Inside

Hui Lau Shan

4.5(399 reviews)

0.2 mi•Downtown Berkeley

I absolutely, truly love this place. I got their mango sago drink and mango mochi, and both were…read moresuper high-quality, they did not skimp with any of the mango pulp or mango fruit pieces in the drink and it was so absolutely delicious. It tasted super fresh and was made with care and attention. The mango mochi were soft pillowy pieces of thin crepe skin filled with cream with a little bit of mango in the center. It was barely sweet, which is the Chinese way and I absolutely love that. I think its super rare to find a quality drink shop where the drink and snacks quality are so high when it comes to mango. I think a lot of boba places in the Bay Area use still raw, unripe mango pieces and also dilute their mango drinks with tons of ice and still charge premium prices for them for little pieces of mango, but here they do not skimp on quality or quantity, while maintaining affordable prices. The quality is so high and the prices are so affordable for what they provide. So absolutely delicious, I will be back here as often as I can.

The durian boba was pretty good. I could smell the durian from the cup. The durian is not super…read morestrong, to be expected from a boba that isn't like really expensive. But I liked the taste and mix of textures. I ordered on the ipad and sat at the table inside which is nice. Though I guess they're probably filled up quickly when the place is more busy.

A8. Mango Sago

F3. Pomelo and Mango with Sago

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Asha Tea House

4.1(1.7k reviews)

0.1 mi•Downtown Berkeley

Smooth Hong Kong milk tea in a cozy tea-focused café…read more Stopped by Asha Tea House in Berkeley and ordered the Hong Kong milk tea. The milk tea was smooth, rich, and well-balanced with a strong tea flavor that wasn't overwhelmed by sweetness. I appreciated that it tasted like real brewed tea rather than a sugary milk drink. It had that classic silky texture and bold tea aroma that makes Hong Kong milk tea so satisfying. Service was friendly and efficient, and the staff were happy to answer questions about the menu and tea options. The vibe is calm, cozy, and welcoming. It's a great place to relax, study, catch up with friends, or simply enjoy a quality cup of tea. The minimalist space and focus on tea make it feel different from a typical boba shop. Overall, a great stop for tea lovers looking for something beyond standard milk tea. I'd definitely come back to try more of their specialty tea drinks.

Asha is by far my favorite spot for fruit based tea drinks! I love their season fruit teas, but the…read moreconstant stars are always the HK milk te (literally such a good strong tea taste, and not too sweet!) and for those who love yuzu- their new seasonal matcha latte with yuzu is GOOD! my partner went and got it twice in one week! And if you're just craving a sweet treat, I really like their soft serves! The matcha is soooo strong and not too sweet!

Cold matcha

Soft serve: matcha and hojicha swirl

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Hojicha Latte @lesminaddio

Boba Ninja

4.0(228 reviews)

0.6 mi•Telegraph Ave

•$

Parking: yes, but hard, street parking only Steps, stairs:…read moreno, but narrow doorway opening, if you're wheelchair bound, it will be difficult Seating: collective sharing common area for seating and eating outside Service: Minimum, order online and you pick up, but no issues so far Ambiance: Minimum, fast food, small decor, this is more a pick up and go spot Food: the only reason I've kept coming are their popcorn chicken, so good

Standard boba. Not bad, not great…read more You order from a kiosk and your drinks are ready in under 5 minutes. I ordered the taro milk tea with soy milk + boba and my bf ordered the tiger milk tea. I'm sad to report the tiger milk tea had no stripes. It was just a regular brown sugar milk tea and did not deliver on the "tiger" aesthetics. The boba was fresh but it's the kind you can buy from the supermarket to make at home yourself. Nothing crave-worthy. For what it's worth, it was well-made. For the area, there are certainly other places you can go for boba. At least the non-dairy milk swap only had a $0.50 adder, a bit less expensive compared to other places.

Inside order counter also has a separate electronic order kiosk too.

105. Popcorn Chicken

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Rare Tea

3.8(583 reviews)

0.5 mi•Telegraph Ave

•$

Great drinks here. The sweetness scale is truly Asian and 50% sweet is not very sweet at all, I…read morelove it!! Strawberry berry 2.0 - this tasted like it was made purely from puréed fresh strawberries. Delicious fruity flavor. Okinawa milk tea - great flavor and not water down at all. Boba - not bad, but a little soggy in texture. I probably just didn't get a fresh batch.

I ordered ahead for a dragon fruit tea, less ice, 30% sweet. It was done within 5 mins. It was…read morestill quite sweet, and had an acidic sour tang. While I'm satisfied with the strength of the fruit flavor, I do wish it would've been less sweet since that is not what I would've expected for 30% sweetness. They are on the SnackPass app, so there's occasionally discounts available on there.

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Sharetea

3.6(68 reviews)

0.5 mi•Telegraph Ave

Pro: fast, convenient, and opens really late. Perfect for after club meeting or late campus…read moreactivities. Taste is pretty good but nothing special. I recommend less ice and no sugar since the ingredients and topping are sweet already. Been there 20+ times in my Berkeley student era. Con: honestly kinda mid and pricy for what it is. Nothing is made fresh here and all from canned/powder ingredients. I wish they can lower the price or have some other perks. Ex bathroom, board game, etc.

I have been to a fair amount of Shareteas and I have to say this location is the weakest out of the…read morebunch. Boba was overcooked in all 3 of the drinks I ordered. The classic milk tea tasted like straight up milk with a whisper of tea. And don't get me started on the nonexistent parking.

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Mango & Passion Fruit Tea (@joeynht)

Heytea

4.3(129 reviews)

0.0 mi•Downtown Berkeley

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of tea and flavors! I tried the mango with jasmine mix and…read morealthough the combination sounds weird, it was delicious. Wait can be long since there's a lot of customers, but worth the wait.

Came here on a weekday around noon, and it wasn't busy at all! Ordering and waiting for my drink…read morewas super quick. The interior is very clean, modern, and bright, definitely gives off a nice "pick-me-up" vibe. There are a few limited tables, but still had a good amount of seating options. The staff were fast and friendly, which was great since there was no rush. For ordering, I recommend entering from the back, where you can easily order from the kiosk. Then, head to the other side to pick up your order at the window. Make sure to have your order number and receipt ready to show them! I ordered the King Guava Jasmine. It was pretty tasty and definitely lived up to the hype! As a big fan of guava, I enjoyed the flavor, though I would say it was more on the citrusy side than sweet, which I personally liked. The highlight of the drink was definitely the cream at the top - so good! My only minor notes are that it's slightly pricey, and they have limited non-dairy options. But overall, it was a great experience, and I love their drinks! I'll definitely be back to try more of their menu.