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    Purple Kow

    3.4 (2.7k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Purple Kow Photos

    Business Info

    PURPLE KOW ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Purple Kow

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    D7
    Allie C.

    The best Boba! Boba is warm and fresh. I had Tcho chocolate and it's creamy and delish. Staff is very nice and friendly. Unfortunately, their kitchen is closed so you can't order the amazing Tobango wings.

    Lychee Green Tea with Boba
    Anh T.

    I tried Purple Kow recently on a weekend night, near closing time. The service was accomodating towards us and other customers that were ordering near this time. Their cups are unique and wide, which were fun to drink but I can imagine difficult to bring around and place into cup holders. I ordered their lychee green tea and boba. It was a nice, refreshing drink, and the lychee flavor tasted like and fruity without being overpowering. The boba was okay and not too sweet.

    Roasted oolong milk tea
    clarissa c.

    This has been a family favorite for years. I got the roasted oolong milk tea with boba. The tea itself is really nice. The drink had a nice foaminess proving it was well shaken. I like how they use fresh milk here rather than milk powders. The taste is nice, clean, and good quality. And they have lots of boba! Their wide cups seem to hold an extra scoop of boba in comparison to other boba stores. Very generous so every sip has lots of boba!

    Nancy D.

    Purple kow is a decent place for boba and have a wide selection of crema, slushies, milk teas and brewed tea. We got the pistachio with matcha pudding which was so good and the plum lime green tea with low sweetness. The plum tea was so refreshing and definitely love this place for late evening boba.

    Ms X.

    The food and drink are good but the store is so run down - especially outside. Can the owners just pick up the trash in front and fix the windows so it does not look abandoned from the outside? Other businesses look great out front. Why does Purple Kow care little about its storefront. Any effort would go a long way.

    Matthew C.

    Calm lil spot. The milk tea is pretty good, super creamy, kinda thick. Definitely felt like a whole meal on its own. Boba was aight, chewy but didn't have structure. Overall chill.

    roasted oolong milk tea w/ boba
    Rini C.

    I came to Purple Kow a couple times in the past three weeks. This is one of the few boba shops in the Richmond district., so I wanted to try it out. The first time I went was Friday after work, and it was very busy since it was after school hours, so there were plenty of students and families ordering. It definitely took longer before we got our drinks. My sister and I ordered the honey milk tea at 100% sweetness with boba and fresh mango green tea at 25% sweetness. I loved the fresh mango green tea and the fact that there were some small mango chunks was nice. It was refreshing and you can taste the strong tea flavor and lightly sweetened mango flavor. I have never seen such cute chubby cups for boba tea; it was so cute! The second time I went was on a Sunday afternoon. There was only a couple people ordering. I ordered through the website and waited until the time for pickup. When the time came for pickup, the website didn't update to say that the drink was ready, but my drink was already sitting there. I ordered the roasted oolong milk tea at 25% sweetness with boba. This drink didn't have a strong tea flavor and was watered down, unfortunately. The boba was on the hard-chewy side. The third time I came was Friday during lunch. I was the only person there since the place just opened less than an hour ago. I ordered the honey milk tea at 50% sweetness with boba. My drink was ready in around 3 minutes, so that was pretty quick. I could definitely taste the honey in the drink, so next time, I would go for 25% sweetness instead since I prefer lightly sweet drinks. The boba was also on the hard-chewy side. This drink had a good black tea flavor, and I love the fact that they use organic fresh milk since the default for many places is non-dairy creamer. They offer oat milk as the non-dairy alternative. I really wanted to try one of their snacks but all the snacks were out of stock, possibly since I came too early? The place is a cute little place with some tables and seating. I think most people were doing boba runs, so there's plenty of seating. The next time I come, I would definitely go for their fruit teas instead since they have a stronger tea flavor than their milk teas. The honey milk tea was really good too, but I would try a different topping instead of boba since I prefer soft-chewy and chewy boba. I like how the portion size for the drinks are huge, but I would prefer more drink and less boba since there was still 10-15 boba pearls left by the time I finished my milk tea.

    Purple Kow Iced Milk with Caramel & Pudding & Boba
    Joseph A.

    April 30 was National Bubble Tea Day. I have gone past The Purple Kow, endless times but this was my 1st time going in. My order was an Iced Milk with Caramel, Pudding & Boba. The item was far more substantial than I had anticipated, and in retrospect I'm grateful of not ordering the large size. It was rich in caramel flavor, and generous with both pudding and Boba. The staff was prompt, and courteous. The space busy but at mid afternoon not crowded, and my treat quickly produced. It's a nice interior with seating, but I opted to enjoy it at the beach. I look forward to going back.

    Thai Tea & Milk Tea
    John N.

    Good tea with hefty serving of boba. Very clean shop with ample room, clean bathroom, and friendly service. Street parking only, and difficult to find parking even on a slow day so order in advance for pickup.

    Menu
    Jolens V.

    Perfect Boba chewy and sweet. I got the Mango tea and enjoyed the tangy and sweet taste. The drink was delicious and satisfying. It was a big drink. The service was a bit slow but it's worth the wait. The place is clean and well lit, lots of young people. It's a little far from me, but I recommend you check it out.

    Menu 4/18/25
    Tiffany T.

    Was craving some popcorn chicken and fries so we decided to try Purple Kow. My friend and I ordered a hazelnut milk tea with boba and almond milk, popcorn chicken (labeled as salt and pepper chicken nuggets) and sweet potato fries with plum seasoning. There's not a variety of drink/flavor options and the drink we did get was pretty disappointing. Would definitely not come here for boba. The one thing that keeps me coming back is the sweet potato fries with plum seasoning! The consistency of their sweet potato fries is just perfect and the flavor is solid. Their popcorn chicken is good too, but I personally don't like the size of their chicken. It's awkwardly kinda large and not bit sized. This spot is near a high school so while we were there, a whole group of students shuffled in and took over the place. With that said, most people don't stay too long here and just grab and go.

    Joyce T.

    Long line on Saturday afternoon, they don't have kiosk for contactless order, everyone has to wait in line to order. This slows down the process. Overall the drinks are awesome and I like their super cup which is gigantic and can't fit into our car cup holder. Che iced milk drink- pandan jelly, lychee jelly and red bean, its overly sweet even I asked for half sugar Milk tea with boba is great, especially the boba. It's soft and not too sweet Will comeback to try their snacks later.

    Pudding & boba fresh milk (left) and roasted oolong milk tea with boba (right)
    Holly J.

    I always stop by Purple Kow when I'm hiking at Lands End and it always hits the spot after a hike! I love their fresh milk drinks (make sure to lower the sugar level though because it gets pretty sweet!). The baristas work fast and get drinks out fast (although they do get swamped from the amount of orders they have). The little shop area is also very cute and well decorated, a very good space to sit and chat!

    11/25/24 Interior

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    Page 1 of 67

    Ask the Community - Purple Kow

    What is the logo supposed to be?

    Dude, it's a purple cow. The word Kow makes up the face and the purple circle in front of it is the body. The K is the ears and the outline of the face. The O is the eye. The W is the mouth and nose.

    How do you redeem your points when you order online?

    There seems to be no way to redeem revel points online. We went in-person and used our points to order.

    Are there vegan milk tea options?

    Their milk teas now come with a choice of fresh milk or oat milk, so they should accommodate most dietary/allergy needs

    Does Purple Kow have taro milk tea?

    No they do not

    If you place your order online, can you just walk in? Or do you also have to wait in line?

    You can just walk in.

    What is the brand of the spicy mayo they use?

    What are the non caffeinated bubble tea options here?

    Fruit smoothies

    View All 12 Questions

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    Wonderful Dessert & Cafe

    Wonderful Dessert & Cafe

    4.2
    (1.4k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    One of my former best friends, Thomas, was actually the one who introduced me to this place years…read moreago. The funny part? He low-key had a crush on one of the employees, so naturally he started bringing the entire friend group here. Looking back, it was basically a long-term marketing campaign disguised as friendship. Every visit felt less like getting drinks and more like him trying to impress his girl. XD The owner has probably seen the whole saga unfold from beginning to end and is still here doing what they've always done - running a great local business. That's honestly something I respect. Businesses come and go, trends come and go, friendships come and go, but some places just keep showing up every day and serving their community. To this day, I still stop by for their watermelon juice. Sure, I could make it at home for less money, but sometimes that's not the point. Basic economics: support local businesses that provide value. They earn a living, customers get products they enjoy, employees keep their jobs, and the community benefits. Everyone wins. The watermelon juice is refreshing, the memories are hilarious, and it's always nice supporting a local establishment that's been around long enough to witness entire character-development arcs. Highly recommend with my utmost respectful regards.

    Solid boba spot, fair pricing. The boba shop itself is very cute and clean. Really enjoyed the boba…read moretexture and brown sugar with fresh milk flavor. Ordered off a kiosk and service was quick.

    Photos
    Strawberry smoothie with boba
    Strawberry smoothie with boba
    Best Popcorn Chicken @whaevaeats
    Best Popcorn Chicken @whaevaeats
    Wonderful Dessert & Cafe

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    Mew Tea

    Mew Tea

    4.5
    (23 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    I wanted a milk tea because the ones I was making at my father's house were not cutting it. I…read moredecided to check out Mew Tea. I walked about 30 minutes and arrived too early as the store did not open until noon. I walked out to Geary Blvd. and there was a lot of construction as I explored the area. I returned with only 14 minutes left before opening. The lady opening the store was raising the blinds on the windows facing the street. She unlocked the door shortly after noon and directed me to the kiosk to order. I knew I wanted the peach oolong milk tea at 75% sweet with no ice. It had been quite windy on the walk. Because of a coconut allergy in the family I had to ask if the popular mango pomelo sago had any coconut. Unfortunately, it has coconut (milk or oil?). As soon as I heard coconut, it was a no go. I wasn't familiar with pomelo and the lady told me it was like grapefruit. I still wanted to order a mango drink and went instead with the mango smoothie also 75% sweet with less ice. The customer following me asked about alternative milks which they do have. I overheard that they have oat and almond milk. Both drinks were excellent. The milk tea was not too sweet and I appreciated the peach bits in the drink. The mango smoothie was really creamy.

    Cute place. Can order from kiosk or call over an employee. We got a basic milk tea with boba, 75%…read moresugar and wanpee fruit tea, 0 sugar. The milk tea was good, not too much creamer and all around classic taste including the tea. Boba texture was perfect and didn't stick together. Wanpee fruit tea was perfect sweetness without any added sugar. Very refreshing. It took a while to get our drinks even though it didn't seem busy, but at least when our drinks were ready, the employee served them graciously.

    Photos
    Inside 8/20/25
    Inside 8/20/25
    Mew Tea
    Mew Tea

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    Heytea

    Heytea

    3.9
    (368 reviews)
    5.3 mi
    $$

    I was scrolling through TikTok looking for a good tea spot when I came across HeyTea, and…read more"obsessed" is honestly an understatement. I ordered the Guava Jasmine Tea, and it was chef's kiss. As a self-proclaimed guava connoisseur, I'm usually turned off by artificial guava flavoring, but this tasted incredibly fresh and natural. The guava was perfectly balanced with the floral jasmine tea, making it both refreshing and dangerously addictive. In fact, I had it three days in a row. No regrets. I also tried the Oolong Tea with Yuzu Cream, and the experience was just as memorable as the drink itself. The staff called me up when my order was ready and explained that they wait until customers arrive before finishing the drink because they freshly shave the yuzu on top. It felt like a mini show and made the experience so much more fun. I can totally see why it's become popular on social media--it's one of those little moments that makes the drink feel special. The tea itself was surprisingly strong too--it definitely gave me a caffeine boost and even kept me up one night! Between the quality ingredients, refreshing flavors, and thoughtful presentation, HeyTea has quickly become one of my favorite tea spots.

    It's been a while since they've opened and the lines can still be quite hectic. Save yourself the…read moreheadache, download their app and order ahead. There's a tablet off to the side that you can use to order your drinks. If the line gets too long, a cashier tends to jump in to help with orders. I do appreciate the screen in the corner that shows your order number so you're able to track it. I usually opt for their Coconut Mango Boom and it's never too sweet. Overall, I think the experience is decent if you order ahead. It seems less worth it when there's a long wait. There's also not a lot of seats inside so it feels more of a order and go kind of place.

    Photos
    Kale boost | IG: lisaeatsf
    Kale boost | IG: lisaeatsf
    Strawberry boom  | IG: lisaeatsf
    Strawberry boom | IG: lisaeatsf
    Coconut mango boom extra sago | IG: lisaeatsf

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    Coconut mango boom extra sago | IG: lisaeatsf
    BAMBU

    BAMBU

    3.9
    (697 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $

    After lunch, my mom was craving something sweet to drink, and this spot was conveniently nearby…read more The shop is clean, and ordering at the kiosk was quick and easy. We ordered two No. 4 "Summer Delight" drinks, which come with mung bean, red tapioca, pandan jelly, grass jelly, agar-agar, and coconut milk, a really fun mix of textures. Overall, the drinks were pretty tasty and satisfying. Service was a bit slow since it seemed like only one person was handling both the front and back, but it was understandable. The only downside was the pandan jelly, it clumped together and kept getting stuck in the straw and at the bottom, which made it a little hard to drink. :)

    I attempted to order via DoorDash on a Sunday around 5pm and got a message that they were not…read moreaccepting any orders until 5:30pm. Since I was in the area I decided to order in person. When I arrived, there was a short line but it was clear they were being swamped with phone orders and in person orders. (It was a very hot day.) I stood by the cashier a good 5 minutes before I was told to order at the kiosk by the 1 staff that took the previous customer's order at the cashier who then went off attending the waffle maker and other orders. There was no one stationed at the cashier and more customers came in and I had to tell them to use the kiosk otherwise who knows how long they would be waiting. Bambu is the only shop in SF that offers a variety of Che combos. It's perfect on a hot day. Prices are fair. A scoop of ice cream is only $1 to add in. My go to drinks is the Summer Delight, Fruit Addict and Avocado Smash.

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    Pandan Waffle
    Pandan Waffle
    Menu

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    Menu

    Purple Kow - coffee - Updated June 2026

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