This is my go-to boba spot in San Mateo/Foster City! I encourage yall to try the cheese foam! I know it sounds weird but it gives an interesting tang to your normal boba. I find their flavor to be richer and less "watered down" than other boba shops. Service is always quick here :) [this review was made in connection with a Toast promotion] read more

We ordered the boba milk tea & the boba milk tea puff with less sweetness, but it still felt very sweet. Service was fine, there was only two people working at the time and they were doing their best. Our stomach unfortunately started hurting afterwards and not sure if it was from the milk. Dont be discouraged reading this review, maybe just get something different. There's only a few tables inside if you wanted to sit and chill there. There's a large free parking lot too. read more

Happy Lemon - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

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Pretty good location, plenty of parking in the lot. Store itself is pretty small though, only a few tables inside. I got the mango matcha smoothie this time around. The matcha flavor isn't super strong but it's still refreshing and tasty overall. I think this location is pretty consistent with all the other ones I've been to. Happy Lemon always a reliable drink spot! read more

Happy Lemon - Mango matcha smoothie - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

Fantastic location but a bit hidden in this particular shopping area. I do like the fact that there's plenty of parking. That's a plus! The drinks are consistent and quite delicious! Great service! I love this franchise! read more

Happy Lemon - H5. Mango Lemon Slushy - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

We stopped by to order a milk tea with cheese top. The drink was good! However, there were maybe 2 orders before us, and someone came after us. We were surprised that everyone, including the party that came after us already gotten their drinks, and our drink was still not ready. When my husband asked about it, they said they actually never got the order from the self-ordering kiosks. What a mess and waste of time! Please keep an eye on your order when you visit! We also saw the servers giving someone else their egg waffle order to someone who showed up after. read more

Happy Lemon - Milk tea with cheese top - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

Love the mango matcha and the egg puff. It's always freshly made and comes out super fast. There is a self order station if you wanna look at pictures when ordering or you can also order directly with the staff. There's a few tables inside to sit while you wait or sit and hang out with your friends. I always come here when I'm craving a sweet treat- even more so than Tpumps down the street! read more

Happy Lemon - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

This is my local Happy Lemon, as you can tell by the copious amount of photos associated with this review. I have seen all the employees come and go. All of them are errant teenagers, really. I used to have Happy Lemon often enough that I've tried almost every item on the menu. Over the years, I've noticed a change in their ingredient sourcing. For example, there was a point where the grapefruit green tea tasted very fresh with chunks of grapefruit, but now it definitely just tastes like canned grapefruit juice. Thus, I'm not too fond of them anymore - the only thing we like now are their blended whole lemon drinks, since they of course have to use fresh lemons, their namesake. The difference between the blended whole lemon and squeezed lemon is actual lemon blending versus lemon squeezing, so the squeezed lemon has more tea flavor than lemon. Their slushy is good too if you want a frozen treat, and we also like their bubble waffles that take about 10 minutes to cook once you order, assuming their waffle makers aren't backed up. The tea strength is okay. They are known for their salted cheese drinks, but I'm not a fan of those at all. They taste like a heavy whipped salt cream, and the dairy lingers in your throat. Toppings are really expensive now at 75 cents to $1 each, and their boba is not always consistent - it usually has a harder chew, but it's never been horrible. Anyways, come here exclusively for their lemon drinks (or salted cheese if you're a big dairy and cream fan). I will get a fruit tea if I'm feeling bored. They have an app if you like accumulating reward points. Their only other competitor is Tpumps, so I guess they are technically the bubble tea winner of Foster City at the moment due to using some real ingredients. read more

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Near the end of a visit with family in Foster City, I thought to myself, "I wonder if I can find a delicious sugary drink to enjoy on the long drive home" and saw that Happy Lemon was nearby. I looked at their menu and was very intrigued by the salted cheese drinks. I went to the store and ordered a salted cheese milk tea with boba. If I recall correctly, the price was $7.75 which is crazy for a drink, but many people are willing to pay it, including me... As I waited for my drink a few other people came in and ordered. The shop is small, lots of windows, very modern looking with white walls, white counters, the menu displayed on a TV screen, and a self order kiosk so the employees barely interact with you. My drink was ready quickly. The milk tea was delicious, the boba was nice and chewy, and the salted cheese topping was light and sweet with a hint of salt. The one thing I didn't like was the cups. They're the kind that has an opening that is nearly the exact same size as the boba straw, so when you lift the straw higher (when you want more drink and less boba), it kind of makes a mess on the top of the lid. Oh well, minor inconvenience. I attempted to save some of the drink for Husband to try, but it was gone within half an hour of the two hour drive home. When I got back to Santa Rosa, I realized a Happy Lemon just opened in the Santa Rosa mall. I guess I'll have to buy another salted cheese drink so Husband can try it! read more

Happy Lemon - Salted Cheese Milk Tea with boba - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

This Happy Location is extremely convenient for the Foster City folk, as well as San Mateo. The parking is free and is easy to be found, not to mention a great location surrounded by lots of food choices. Service is quite fast and you get your drink pretty quickly. I still like their lemon slushies and feel they have been quite consistent over the years. I have been coming here since pre-Covid and they know their lemon-tangy drinks well! Very refreshing on summer days, hot days, or even...cold days :) read more

I'm always on the hunt for a good boba place and since my last visit at a Happy Lemon (not this location) I was disappointed so it's taken me awhile to try one again. But this place in Foster City is actually pretty good - strong flavors (the drink was a tad too sweet at 50% sugar but nothing deal-breaking), quick service even during a holiday, and I like the clean and simple design of their interiors and cups. I got the passion fruit mango green tea and my friend got the mango yakult. Found my drink very refreshing and though the service was nothing special, it was prompt and efficient even with several people ordering at the same time. I left Happy Lemon a happy customer. read more

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Came by for an after-dinner sweet treat, ordered my usual salted green tea wit cheese, 25% sweet. The drink was perfectly made with the matcha powder sprinkled on top, if you want it. There was no line so the service was pretty expeditious. read more

The only reason to get a drink from Happy Lemon is for their salted cheese. This branch is located in a quiet strip in Foster City with ample parking near a bunch of residential buildings -- today we tried: Ube milk tea w/puff cream and boba Strawberry green tea Matcha latte w/ tiramisu salted cheese Forgot to take a picture of the matcha latte and I added mango boba for extra $1 Prices were fairly reasonable and drinks were made very quickly. They even gave us samples of the salted puff cream because I wasn't sure how that would taste in a drink. However I didn't think the matcha latte tasted all special so I'm going with a standard 3 star rating for an average visit. There are way too many boba places around and being average just doesn't cut it anymore. read more

Happy Lemon - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

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Solid boba, can't go wrong with happy lemon! Always fun to try something new every time I go.

Well, they had a lemon slushie with yakult on the menu so we ordered that with some of their foam on top. I was quickly informed that the milk curdles quickly in this drink and "does not look or taste good". It was strongly suggested that we change our order. It's strange that even if it's on the menu, it's not recommended or available. Although they were waiting for our updated order, the person behind the register clearly didnt care and just was annoyed at our presence. Rolling her eyes and such at the fact that we had to look at the menu again. After ordering, we saw our drinks were mostly made but just sitting there on the counter for 10 minutes, unfnished, while the staff were chatting and staring off into the distance. After those 10 minutes, it's like they just remembered that they were working and finished up. When they called us that our orders were ready, the one drink we ordered with boba didnt even have the boba and they had to fix it, and gave us an atittude about having to fix it. The way they dumped out some of the drink and added the boba left the whole outside of the cup wet and sticky. They didn't bother to fix that either, which wasnt a surprise at this point. Additionally, another customer had ordered an oreo waffle before us but was left waiting longer than us because they made just plain waffles. Other than that, the place was just a mess. Sticky tables and floors, overfilled garbage cans that were spilling liquid out onto the floor, trash sitting on the counter, on tables, on the floor. The music was also extremely loud for such a cramped and already loud space. I get it, this isn't necessarily a dream job, but the bare minimum amount of effort and standards would make it more bearable for both customers and employees. read more

One of my favorite spots to grab a drink when I want something refreshing. I usually get a mango lemon slushy or a yakult green tea for something light! Be sure to get your drink 50% sweet if you don't like your drinks too sweet. This location now serves popcorn chicken and egg puffs(waffles)! I love how crunchy it is on the outside but soft and fluffy inside. Will definitely be back to try new things on the menu :) read more

Happy Lemon - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

My Niece made me take her here recently. We both got the milk tea with pearls I forget what number it was. Greeted by staff immediately, and the store is overall clean, and welcoming located in a quiet strip mall. With a few people ordering ahead of us we got our drinks pretty quick. 50% sweetness, regular ice. Yum! read more

Always a nice way to start a?refreshing morning with a whole lemon green tea. Great free drink with 10 stamps on the app.

A good place to get refreshing boba in Foster City. I usually get the Okinawa Milk Tea with Boba, but the Yakult drinks are good too. Experiences are sometimes hit or miss though, as sometimes the drinks are too sweet, or the boba undercooked, but very conveniently located in a plaza nearby many nice restaurants! read more

Happy Lemon - Okinawa Fresh Milk with Boba - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

Tried the C1 Lemon Green Tea and the D5 (Salted Cheese drink). Both were refreshing and well-balanced in flavor--C1 had a nice citrusy zing without being too sweet, and the D5 was rich but not overpowering. Solid spot for a quick boba fix, though not mind-blowing. Would return for a casual treat. read more

Conveniently located in the Foster Square plaza, so tons of parking. Never explored this area actually, only been to the 99 Ranch Market plaza down the street. This is one of the smaller Happy Lemons I been too but drinks are pretty consistent. As suggested by my sister, I went with the matcha latte but with the regular salted cheese. In my opinion, it was a good combo but not as good as my usual jasmine green tea with salted cheese. The matcha was not as strong as I expected it, slightly faint so barely can tell it was a matcha drink. Otherwise, service was fairly quick. If you're a Happy Lemon lover like me, I definitely highly recommend getting the loyalty card to accumulate points to redeem free drinks. read more

Happy Lemon - Matcha Latte with regular salted cheese - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

This is a good location. It's clean and smells like waffle cones as it should. Who doesn't love that smell? Hadn't tried the puff cream before but it was good however it makes it a little hard to get it all through the straw. Black tea with salted cheese is great as always. Next time I will try getting the cheese on top and bottom. read more

Happy Lemon - D5. Boba Milk Tea with Puff Cream and black tea with salted cheese - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

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Not the best not the worst. I'm not the biggest fan of happy lemon because the milk tea flavors are so limited and their biggest hit is the cheese drink which I haven't ordered. The service is quick and you can tell the boba pearl is fresh. Given it's proximity to where I live I might visit again. read more

Happy Lemon - D1. Boba Milk Tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

They don't offer ANY caffeine-free drink options. WHY? There are so many boba shops that have a wide array of drink options that include caffeine-free, I feel they're going to lose customers--considering they lost me. Look, I get it. Caffeine is great. In fact, I had 4 black teas already the day I went in and was so hopped up on caffeine I probably could've fueled a jumbo jet. Hence my search for caffeine-free. Anywho, with limited boba options in the Foster City area, this was a bummer to discover but I'll still go elsewhere for caffeine free options. read more

Matcha and mango! My two fave and Happy Lemon has both in a drink. It's creamy and refreshing! Also ordered original egg puffs but it was a bit burnt on the ends. For that, one less star read more

Happy Lemon - Mango Matcha and Yakult Lemon Slushy - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

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I really like the boba and snacks. The orders are always ready quickly. The bubble waffles are also really good, too!

My go to drink here is the mango yakult smoothie! Very addicting and I always miss it once I'm done. My bf and I have tried a handful of other drinks as well but that one stands out to me the most. They recently came out with new flavors and I tried the dragonfruit yakult smoothie. Pretty good as well but does not beat the mango one in my opinion. The dragon fruit is a lighter sweetness but does seem creamier. My bf tried the ube taro puff cream tea. It was ok! Definitely taste both but I think we're just not fond of the taro texture. We've also tried a cheese foam drink and it was salty, not a fan but I'm sure it's an acquired taste. read more

Happy Lemon - chocolate tiramisu salty cheese and hokkaido milk tea (no boba) - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

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Got the choco egg puff from the store. Very light taste. And their bathroom is not open to customers.

My first Boba! I'm 71! I know, don't start! I thought I'd find the mouthfeel repugnant. I didn't. It was awesome. I got it to go so I can't tell you much about the place. My son went in and got it for me and brought it back to the car. Very positive experience. Medicare. read more

Pro tip-DON'T TIP THEM IF THEY ARE RUDE!!!!! Or just don't COME HERE at all. Came here on April 11th, there were rude little boys working there, around 16-18years old l. Who can even tell, they act so immature. When I walked to the register the cashier doesn't say anything he just stands in front of the register with emotionless face, mouth open like DUH, attitude as if I can read his mind. Basically he was like , "ok can you get on with it? I got to scroll on Youtube shorts to watch clips of BTS dancing" Like how tf am I supposed to know when to order when you don't acknowledge my existence. Left them a tip $2, no thank you from them. Got my 3 drinks, I say thanks, no reply. I'm never coming back. All those little high school boys there have the same attitude. Like the other reviews said, The place is dirty. Those little hs kids are sitting around, f-ing around and not cleaning. If the health inspector came they would for sure fail. I'm sure someone will call on them someday. My mom even mentioned about how dirty this place is when she went. read more

Came here at 2:45p on a Sunday. Young staff needs to be trained to be more friendly and personable. No greeting, no thank you, no hello, no personality. Young Asian guy with side swept bangs took our order unenthusiastically, & gave my receipt without looking at me/looked away without any thank you. More focused on chit chatting with their friends/other co workers. Seems like they need a manager there to supervise them to treat their clients better. pretty disappointing that this is not the first time we've received bad service from this location. Probably will not be back. The other happy lemon locations have better service, hands down. Or even Starbucks next door. Best of luck to management on better training (if there's any customer service training at all, doesn't seem like it). They're going to keep losing business, for sure. read more

This small local business serves good waffles. You can tell they care about the food, and that part never disappoints. However, the outdoor seating situation really takes away from the overall experience. The tables and chairs are rarely, if ever, set up for customers to sit and enjoy their food. On nice days, it feels like a big missed opportunity. Just taking the time to arrange the outdoor seating regularly would absolutely improve the customer experience and invite more people to stay and enjoy the atmosphere. read more

Drinks came with soy milk (no oatmilk or almond milk alternative) and was a little watery but accurate in terms of expected flavor. They did not have avocado matcha so defaulted to having mango matcha smoothie. Service was friendly, ambiance was casual and relaxed. Happy to know about the Monday BOGO 50% deal. I recommend this location! read more

Happy Lemon is one of my favorite bubble tea shops! I like their balance of milk and tea. 25% sugar works well for me too. I always get the boba milk tea and am always pleased. The boba is also quite chewy when fresh. Lately I have been ordering from DoorDash and if you have DashPass you can save significantly on delivery fees. I also recently tried their earl grey boba cake dessert. It's not bad although could be too sweet for some people. There is a layer of white cream which is delicious and the cake is quite spongy. They have boba sprinkled on top so you should eat the dessert fast since the boba won't taste good later (it gets too hard)! read more

Happy Lemon - Earl grey boba dessert - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

Love their drinks. Always consistent and always what I order. Favorites: A2 light ice and sweetness levels Grapefruit Yakult. Light ice and sweetness. My niece and nephew love the bubble waffle. read more

I order two drinks. One fresh milk with boba , one puff cream milk tea with boba , they make it wrong, remakes again! OMG' still wrong , still give me 2 fresh milk with boba , So Stupid!!! read more

Happy Lemon - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

The girl was so nice. Service was really good and I enjoyed my drinks. Her mango matcha is theee best. She was even kind enough to take a picture of me and my drinks!!! bobaaa read more

Happy Lemon - F2. Mango Matcha - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

The barista charged me for a taro milkshake when I ordered a taro milk tea. When I clarified my order she said they were the same price. Found out later they were not. Edit: Has been resolved read more

I ordered on their app. When I arrived at the order time, the guy at the counter didn't even start or print out the ticket and told me it would take an additional 20 minutes. Why bother ordering on the app? read more

Normally there is a line at almost every Happy Lemon location in the Bay Area. But with Covid-19 and shelter in place, I was able to pick up drinks in record time and also being the only person inside the store! Today I ordered Okinawa MT and the Dragonfruit lychee. Both drinks are repeats and I highly recommend. In fact I recommend a lot of their drinks :) If unfamiliar, the Okinawa MT is pretty much a replica of a brown sugar MT, with less syrup. Def a good go to for those who are watching their sugar intake. Dragonfruit lychee is very refreshing and light, it is powder but it's still very good. I know many people may not be going out for boba, but I just wanted to share they are on DoorDash ! read more

Happy Lemon - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California

** FLY in my drink ** I come to this location here and there. Today, I noticed that there was a fly in my drink after drinking almost half of it.... I'm probably not going to come here again but hope that the staff is more aware and careful of anything regarding sanitation and such so that this doesn't happen to anyone else. read more

Happy Lemon - Fly in my drink - Tea Rooms Near Me - Foster City, California