This review has been long overdue. This place was one of my go to places when I use to live around the corner. They have split cups so if you can't decide between two drinks, you can have them both without having to get two full sizes. Foxy Brown & White Winter were my favs. I use to feel like I was at a club because of the lighting and decor. They use to also have game competitions as well. Definitely check it out! read more

Pekoe is a great milk tea spot in San Jo with a decent selection of drinks you can choose from. I've been a loyal customer for this business ever since I was 13 years old and I would remember the Foxy Brown as my to-go drink, but nowadays I typically get the Pretty in Pink and Manly Melons flavor, which are some of their top sellers. I would say the service could be improved, because I work in a business like Pekoe where top-notch customer service is the standard, and I usually notice the employees putting the drinks out after shouting the number and walking back to the tea stations afterwards, so a "You're welcome" or a "No problem" would be greatly appreciated. Another thing I notice is that the music they play is too loud to where it's a bit difficult to communicate with the cashiers, but it typically happens at night, which are their busiest hours. Besides the music, the inside of the shop is well-decorated with a club like style, best experienced at night. In conclusion, I appluad Pekoe for their longevity and creativity in the milk tea game, and how they became more popular over time. I feel like customer service needs to be worked on, but it's one of the best Boba places out there. Below is a photo of my first Pekoe drink back in 2017 which was a Foxy Brown :) read more

Pekoe - Foxy Brown - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

I had foxy brown and it was not good! Though their honey boba was nice and chewy but I didn't like the drink at all. It was plain strong Ice tea. I've tried Pretty in pink last time I visited that was way much better. read more

Pekoe - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

I used to think pekoe was overhyped but NAH I would drive 40 mins down just for it. If im full I'll still make room for some pekoe. Mario and Lui-ychee has my heart fr. I don't ever dine in tho because I don't like the vibes. But good drinks and service is always great. read more

Pekoe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Always good drinks and fast service. This place has been a go to for me and my friends since opening.

Their drinks are okay, but I think that there are better boba stores out there. There's a lot of variety regarding their drinks and they have split cups where you can buy two drinks in one. I usually order the Pretty in Pink and Manly Melons split cup. Yet, something was off when I ordered. The Manly Melons drink was very sour compared to when I would buy it other times and the Pretty in Pink drink didn't taste as sweet as I remember. Inside, there are seats and tables for people to sit at. It has a nightclub-type vibe since the inside is pretty dark. The customer service is friendly. It's not what it used to be before all of these other boba stores started opening up around the same area. read more

Inventive menu with non standards. Nicki's Queen on rotate at volume 11. Friendly team read more

Pekoe - Coffee with coffee jelly - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Night club vibes and aesthetics, and my go to spot for late night boba or if I have to satisfy my sugar addiction. You even have to yell your order if the music is really loud, I always find that entertaining. I always get the Kawaii if I need a fruity syrupy drink with less ice and 0% sweetness. Only those who are brave and not afraid of shocking your system should get 100% sweetness. Even the 0% sweetness is really sweet, I assume it's the syrup and the mango stars toppings. Foxy brown or pretty in pink is a good option for a milk tea, but must get 0% sweetness. If there's not many people, the drinks come out so fast, almost suspiciously fast, but that's fine with me. It's a nice spot to chill and hang out if you like loud and dark. It can be a sus area at night, but there's plenty of parking. read more

Pekoe - Kawaii - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Place used to be good , wish they kept their nightclub interior . It's now self serve with limited staffing . Despite customizing my drink (original pekoe which I used to love ), they've made it super milky and sweet by default . Bring back the original pekoe which taste read more

I had a sudden boba craving around 10:30pm on a weekday and Pekoe was the only few spots open nearby. I decided to take my chances again after a disappointing visit the last time and as expected, 'twas another disappointing experience. The establishment wasn't busy when I visited so my drink came out quickly, but perhaps too quickly since my order came out wrong. I had ordered a split cup: Emerald w/ boba instead of lychee jelly and Jasmine Milk Tea with Boba, both half sweet. Of course, they gave me lychee jelly. Second, I know I asked for half sweet but the Emerald tasted watered down while the Jasmine milk tea tasted so bitter. It's as if they over-steeped the tea. It was gross. I didn't even bother drinking the rest, which sucked because they definitely increased their prices. Overall, with $1 tip, I paid $8.50 which is insane. Also, hate the tipping option, not sure what exactly I'm tipping for (??) Pekoe used to be poppin' for years when they first opened up but seems like the quality of their tea and their customer service has gone down throughout the years. I hope this establishment will consider providing great quality drinks again because I do used to like their unique drinks. read more

Pekoe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Really good drink variety, I think there's something for everyone. The tea tastes like it's high quality. The staff is friendly and the awards are easy to accrue. I am too old for the nightclub vibe but it's not a big deal cause the drinks come out fast read more

It's disappointing for me to write an update and have to drop Pekoe's ratings down. Pekoe used to be my all time favorite place for milk tea, but something has changed. I come here for the #1 - Pekoe Special, which is an earl grey milk tea with lavender and citrus notes. It comes with grass jelly and honey boba. When they first opened, this was the best milk tea I had ever tasted. Upon returning, the #1 is just not the same anymore. I got it at 25% sweetness, which is considered as "half sweet" in Pekoe's standards since 50% is their "starting point." And at 25% (or half sweet), it was far sweeter than it used to be. The honey boba was slightly overcooked, which made it more mushy than chewy. And although I could taste the lavender, citrus, and earl grey tea notes, it was much more diluted than before. Unfortunately, it was pretty lackluster and to my lose my favorite drink is disheartening. However, I'm keeping an average rating of 3 for them because their fruit drinks are generally pretty good. I haven't had any complaints about them thus far and I like that they continue to create new combinations to offer. I recently tried their Mario and Lui-ychee and the taste of the lychee tea was fresh along with real lychee fruit pieces. I can't say it's my #1 favorite milk tea spot anymore, but I'd return for their fruit teas if in the area. read more

There are a bunch of tea shops in San Jose, but this one stood out to me in particular. It is located off of Aborn and White and has a vast amount of parking. There was no line when I was there, so I was serviced rather quickly. They only allow one person inside at a time to allow for social distancing and everyone was wearing a mask. The lady who helped me was very kind and friendly throughout the entire process. I ordered the Kawaii with no adjustments to the drink and the total was $5.50, which I find to be a very standard price for tea. There is only one size, but it feels like a 24 oz drink. The tea itself was very good. I taste the guava right away, and the mango stars complement the passion fruit and guava flavoring of the tea. I got the standard version of the drink, with no adjustment to ice or sugar level. It was not overly sweet, which I feel shops tend to add too much simple syrup in their drinks. Only thing I would change is to add less ice. By the time I finished my drink, I had a 1/3 cup of ice. But at least it kept my drink cold. Overall, I would recommend going here. Friendly staff and decently priced tea for the size and content that goes inside of it. Wondering what drink I should try next time. read more

Pekoe - Ordered the Standard (no adjustments) Kawaii. Little panda guy was excited for it. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

After hearing various friends talk about this boba shop--like how everyone goes here after concerts/raves--and the cool drinks that they have, I decided to check it out with a couple people to see what it was really like. Since we went there in the evening, the store was decently packed and we had to wait a bit to order our boba drinks. The interior is pretty dark and is just like a nightclub, with various sofas and colorful lighting all around. The entire place is very aesthetic, with popular EDM music playing in the background (they know their target audience well). Even the tables there for boba were light up in neon colors, with cool light bulbs from the ceiling to dimly light everything. For the drink, I got the Manly Melon since I heard that people recommended it. For the taste, it was alright although not anything super spectacular. However, I really like the design of the drink since I thought it was pretty creative. If you pay a bit extra, you can get your drink in a light bulb shaped cup that is lit from the bottom. Although it is kinda pricey this way, if you really want a cool photo of your drink then I think it's worth it to get it at least once to try! I haven't seen any other boba places do this, so it was a very unique experience! I do think that this is a pretty good place to go to if you're into the night-club/edm scene since you'll feel right at home here. The drinks themselves are alright, although I do like the visual presentation of the store! read more

Pekoe - Manly Melon in a Light Bulb Drink - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

What a pretty, modern looking boba shop located in San Jose. This place reminds me of some of the boba spots in SoCal. It gives off a chill, cocktail bar vibe and the interior design is beautiful (check out my video recording on my IG foodie/traveler blog @explorewithmocha to view the interior design). The drinks all have a unique name. I personally thought the fruity drinks are a tad too sweet for me even though I adjusted the sweetness. I tried the Pekoe Special which is black earl grey milk tea infused with lavender and orange bergamot. Pretty unique. The other one I tried is the Manly Melons, a premium jasmine green tea infused with mango, lychees, strawberry, and watermelon. The fruity drink tasted better than the milk tea since it is refreshing, but again, it is very sweet. Overall, it is worth a try if you are down in San Jose. On a side note: their homemade dairy cream is non-dairy, vegan, lactose and gluten free. read more

I was here over the weekend with my cousins. At first glance, everything seemed pretty chill. The cashier was very nice and the store itself has a nice atmosphere. However, we waited 25 minutes for our two drinks. It was a little crowded so we didn't think too much of it at first. Then we noticed that multiple parties that came after us were getting their drinks first. We were kinda confused at first and then realized that these people were friends of the people working there. The drinks themselves were pretty good. They weren't the best I've ever had, but they definitely weren't bad. I just don't think they were worth the 25 minute wait, which definitely could've been a 10 minute wait. read more

Pekoe - Amber and Kawaii - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Been going here to get the Thai-tee-whites for years and they have been consistent! They have great flavors but this has been my go to

Classy ambience. Organic tea. And open late nights!!! Creative Milk Teas, Flavor infused teas and Naugh-Tea signatures or you could create your own from scratch. Be prepared for extremely long lines though. Try off house like Sunday night to get drinks faster. Some of my favorites include - Limited signature teas - Golden Lychee is totally yum. Oozes with lychee goodness - Oolong tea infused with Lychee was and topped with lychee jelly - Highly recommenced if you are a lychee fanatic. Life's a peach is a cool tea infused with white peaches and nectarines. Strawberry Hearts toppings is great too. A tad tangy and super sweet. Pairs well with Honey Dew flavored Early Grey Mill Tea. Tip : They have some fancy Boba flavors like Mango Stars, Egg pudding and Strawberry heart - do ask for a sample and they will be happy to provide one for tasting. Cool Boba Tea joint with some cool interiors. read more

Pekoe - Beautiful lights! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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This was my first time coming back to Pekoe in a while, and it used to be my favorite boba spot in San Jose. The environment and hype around the business always made me want to come back. My drink of choice has always been Pretty In Pink! However, the price of drinks has substantially risen since the last time I visited. Each drink now will run you at $6-$7. I ordered Gold Mine ($6.25), and they added way more ice than they usually do. The boba lacked flavor, and it was too soggy for my liking. Overall, I am disappointed with my experience and the price increase. read more

We got the half n half drink: pretty in pink & white winter. My favorite of the two is the white winter, it has a malt-like flavor and is creamy. However, both were extremely sweet despite being 50% which is their standard sweetness so I'd recommend 25% or less. But we got no ice and were charged $1... for not getting ice. The total for not getting ice and the half n half drink was $7.50. We were not told that we'd be charged for that, she just asked if we wanted less ice but I wonder if we would've been charged for getting less ice lmao. read more

Pekoe - half pretty in pink & half white winter - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

I was indecisive on what I wanted so I ordered a split cup. I got Thai Me Up with boba and a Jolly Rancher (tea infused with strawberry & raspberry topped with green apple jelly). I really like the jolly rancher a little more just because the flavors really complimented each other. read more

Thought this place was a hair salon at first after driving by but found out it was boba The vibes are almost like that of a nightclub, lots of music and lights especially at night. Cozy sitting area too The drinks aren't bad but nothing crazy. The honeydew drink I got tasted pretty artificial though and it was like 32% ice :( Drinks are also like $6-7 so that felt like a lot for some regular boba read more

Like this place alot for grabbing boba and chilling! Came here on New Years with friends and got the Pekoe Special in the reusable bulb container. I like this place bc it has lactose free dairy and a reusable container option for $1 where if u bring it back u can save $1. One thing i noticed was they put alot of ice.. so next time i would ask for less ice. I like the couches and music here! Will def be back with friends when in the area! read more

Pekoe - 2 Pekoe Special & Pretty in Pink in bulb containers! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Coming here almost 4 years later! Dropping down a star because the quality of the drinks went down, while the prices went up. +1 To being open late night! (Probably a pretty standard thing in SJ, but East Bay/MTV don't have places that open this late...LOL) +1 Creative drinks! Everything sounds so good! But does it actually taste good, is the question.... +1 Quick service! -1 However, the downside of having high volume is that they already pre-make majority of their drinks. Hence, no customization besides ice, really. -1 No "tea" flavors in their drinks. :( Everything tastes mostly like sugar water. +/-1 Boba was not bad- it wasn't entirely cooked, so the texture was a bit firm. But, better than most places. -1 Pricey! Wow!! What?! Overall, I enjoy Pekoe's creativity. While this wouldn't be my regular go-to spot, but the vibe and speed is always great if you need to pick a spot from the area. read more

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Ordered the #1 with Earl Grey tea without sugar. For some reason, it was very bitter tea. I drink Earl Grey as my morning tea, but never that bitter. Not sure what kind of Earl Grey they use, it just don't taste right to me. I just have to return it, and the lady replaced it with the standard milk tea that was much better, but too sweet for me. Not sure I will go back again. read more

I really enjoyed the drink I got here. I ordered the manly melons and it was very refreshing. It came with a variety of "toppings" that complemented the drink well. The ambience felt novel to me for a boba place, a bit more similar to a club (ultra large screen tv playing music videos, electronic/pop/dance music playing). A good place to get drinks if you are feeling a bit of a clubby hangout without the drunk people. read more

So the "hype" died down years ago as other shops opened up, but this is still my favorite boba spot in the bay. The milk tea has the right amount of tea flavor so you're not just drinking straight syrup and milk. Great rewards program as well. Pekoe is also not nearly as crowded as it used to be, so it's much easier to come in and out. Especially at night. I rotate through either a white winter half sweet or a pretty in pink half sweet, but I've tried nearly everything on the menu and they're all tasty. read more

To be honest, I was really thrown off by this place during my first visit. It just felt like a loud bar, but they serve milk tea instead. The line was out the door, and the wait was crazy. I forgot what I ordered that time, but it was when it just opened. I remember liking the tea, but not enough for me to make the trip out here. I started coming here recently, because I was in the area, and I remember it being pretty good. I kinda figured the line and the crowd would not be as bad during the middle of the day. Glad I came through! I really enjoy the drinks here or a drink here. Their creations all seem really appealing, but if ya know ya girl well enough, you'll know that I'm obsessed with strawberries and anything strawberry flavored. Naturally, I always gravitate towards the "Pretty in Pink," which is jasmine milk tea infused with strawberries that come with heart shaped jellies and boba. It is actually the prettiest milk tea I have ever had, and I LOVE that it tastes just as lovely! None of the flavors over power each other, and the strawberry flavor is not that fake syrup-y taste. Also I can't get over how cute the heart shaped jellies are! The pearls here are also made right, and aren't too soft or hard. I really do want to try everything here, but I just can't move on from the "Pretty in Pink." I'm obsessed... read more

Got my usual foxy brown and tried a new one called "gold mine". Their pretty in pink is a great drink if you like strawberry flavored drinks. read more

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Im from LA and i consistently drive up to San Jose to drink Pekoe's Pretty in Pink. i dont think i can find anything like it in LA/OC. the heart shaped coconut jellies are what sells me every time. so cute to eat i love it. i love a strawberry milk tea. i get it 50% half sweet and its perfect for me everytime. im scared the 100% sweet would be too sweet for me. i love it! alssoo... what is wrong with their packaging... they served these in generic cups and i think it lessens the value of the drink with these cheap cups. i need them to work on their packaging!! read more

Pekoe - pretty in pink - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

There's a good reason why Pekoe has over 2k reviews and 4 stars on yelp: it lives up to the hype! I'm from SoCal where we have all kinds of boba spots but NONE like Pekoe. This place gets BUSY but I promise it's worth the wait! What I love about this place is that they let you sample their drinks! My favorites are Foxy Brown & Pretty in Pink for the milk teas, and Manly Melons for the teas! They offer a split cup option which is perfect cus I can never choose lol. Service here is a hit or miss but the drinks make up for it! The seating kinda sucks here, wish they would open a larger location. Overall, best boba drinks I've ever had!! read more

Honey, dew u luv me. Chunks of ice and not a well blended smoothie. Not worth the $9 for this. And a blown speaker with super loud music! read more

Pekoe - Honey, dew u luv me. Chunks of ice and not well blended smoothie. Not at all worth $9 for the this! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Bad night or is this place going downhill?? I used to love pekoe when I lived in San Jose. We loved to Hollister a couple of years ago, but still try to go have a tea every now and again. Tonight I got a raspberry beret and it was DISGUSTING. It was gritty and smelled/tasted like sulfur. Extremely disappointing as we don't live close enough for me to simply pop in and get another. :( read more

If boba clubs were a thing, it would describe pekoe exactly! The interior is always dimly lit with neon lights and there's usually a long wait to order. I've been to pekoe multiple times now and on average have needed to wait 30mins - though the wait's usually longer when there's an outdoor festival/rave nearby. You honestly can't go wrong with any of the drinks and if you're indecisive you can get a split cup to try two flavors. You do get less boba and its more expensive but its perfect if you just want to try out something new!.Their drinks all come with recommended toppings, and I usually don't feel like it's necessary to add on additional boba. My go-to's are white winter and pretty in pink. One of my favorite boba places in south san jose :) read more

Pekoe - Honeydew and Yellow mango - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Oh man, I forgot to take a picture of my drink and then it was too late... I guess that's a good sign of how good this place is. Fam ordered 3 drinks via Uber Eats and we were very well pleased with our order. If you're looking for fruity/mixed tea/boba drinks with different toppings, this place is way better than 7 Leaves. If you're looking for a pure tea/coffee, I'd still stick to 7 leaves. Pretty In Pink: Yeah I got it... as a defensive strategy hoping my daughter would want this instead of the Yellow Mango drink (what my wife ordered for her). While she did like it more, i was "stuck" with this drink. I put it in quotes because I thoroughly enjoyed it! I grew up LOVING strawberry Milk (NesQuick Chocolate is far inferior to Nesquick Strawberry) and this takes me back to that drink. It's not heavy (since it's creamy) and has a subtle tea taste that compliments the strawberry milk very well. The addition of boba AND jelly put it over the top. Yellow Mango: My daughter's drink was sweet. I mean SWEEET. I may not be the best judge since I water down my soda and gatorade, but next time I'm definitely asking for 50% ice. The mango flavoring is strong and very pleasant. I'd put this as my #1 drink of the 3 we got. Kawaii: Wife's drink. Also REALLY sweet. Overall a very passion fruity drink. I couldn't taste the guava or mango much, but for what it's worth, I only had 2 sips and both were overwhelmed with sweetness. Despite the drinks being sweet, they were very good. As mentioned we did this via Uber Eats and it's worth mentioning for 2 reasons. 1) They dont' give you the full customization for the drinks. You can add it in the comments section but you dont' know what they offer. "light ice" "Half Sugar" who knows what's valid? 2) No ice is $1. ONE FREAKING DOLLAR. On the online ordering, it's free. WTH UBER? The reason we did Uber is because we had a credit we needed to use. We're glad we chose here as we'll definitely be coming back. The major down side is that it's so close to home, we will probably get fat from the goodness in the drinks. read more

I've been going to Pekoe since it opened. I used to live right next door and it was such a fun place to spend time with friends and family! Always great vibes and the drinks are great! Sometimes a little on the sweeter side so if that's not your preference, I definitely recommend asking for lighter sweetness. Over the last couple years, I have noticed though that they give a lot more ice than they used to. I even asked for light ice this time and compared to my friends, it looked like I got double! Sort of a bummer because the service used to be so great. I tried calling them and reaching out over Facebook to which they ignored both my attempts at addressing the issue. Unfortunately, the ice issue has occurred more than once. I still come back whenever I'm in town but it's definitely not what it used to be. The split cup was added a while back and it's definitely a fun highlight! Pekoe is a South Bay MUST HAVE and I always feel at home when I'm there :) Side Note: if there's a long line, call it in and go pick up! read more

Pekoe - Vietnamese Coffee and Foxy Brown! Except I asked for light ice and they gave me double the amount of ice :( - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Came here to get my lightbulb fix and unique drink options. I really like the emerald. And got 2 for me and 2 for the hubz. So far no bad experiences. Also the inside is cute. read more

Pekoe - Matcha Sea Salt, Green Milk Tea, Emerald, Taro - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Dang what happened to this place?! The drinks use to be amazing but now it's a cup of water and syrup. bummer.. wont be back read more

My grand daughters love coming here for their boba drinks. The drinks are always good

Definitely the prettiest bubble tea store in the area. The tea is as great as other stores.