I haven't been here for a long time but this place is still an oldie but goodie! Prices are reasonable but the parking can be a pain at certain times. We got lucky and got a spot right away. I tried the new dish - Fish Fillet with Rice (mild), it comes with Jasmine Green Tea. The combo includes veggies, fried egg, and minced pork on top of the white rice, all for $7.98!! My friend got a milk tea boba and popcorn chicken appetizer! Ranch is my personal favorite as a dipping sauce! All really delicious on a hot day in San Diego! I recommend this place especially if you want something quick and yummy! read more

Tapioca Express - Fish Fillet /w Rice (mild) - $7.98 Comes with free Jasmine Green Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Yeah, this place sucks. Workers look like they're on of quitting their job. Thai tea taste like a**. If you can't make a decent cup of Thai tea.. then you shouldn't even be in business. Terrible customer service.. guy just stood their w/o a greeting or any type of interest about taking my order. Someone buy this place and fire everyone. read more

The first time I had Tapioca Express was at this location years ago, and I thought I fell in love. Coming back to this place over the past two or so years is definitely not the same, though. This place used to always be crowded, but it has died down so much. It isn't the same as what it used to be in regards to multiple things. First of all, the workers don't have any customer service. They look like college students who would much rather talk to one another and joke around, than actually do work. More recently, when my friends and I were here eating and just enjoying each other's company, we felt like they wanted to kick us out because they started closing down at 11:30PM on a Friday (when they close at 1AM.) We weren't even the only ones there. I understand preparing for close, but putting all the chairs up and cleaning around us doesn't make it seem otherwise. Their boba drinks are still good, but for some reason, the food has gone down in taste. The calamari is pretty much the same, but the chicken isn't. The popcorn chicken is always chewy, and the chicken wings have too much pink/red in them sometimes. Also, they don't ask you if you want sauces anymore, you must ask them. Their sauces are pre-packaged now, as opposed to the ones they would put in clear containers. The old sauces were much better... their sweet and sour sauce is reminiscent of McDonald's, and I don't want to dip my calamari in that. I'd probably only come back for some boba drinks and possibly their calamari late at night after work with some friends; otherwise, I don't see myself coming here. read more

How long does it take to make drinks at this place. Literally waited 30 mins and the drinks were just sitting on the counter. We ordered food and ended up canceling. The manager was A-okay having his employees standing around. Asked about our dumpling order and was told he doesn't work and the kitchen and didn't bother to check. Never spending a dime here again. read more

I like tapex, the drinks and the food. I always get spicy popcorn chicken with rice and veggies and although it's not the best popcorn chicken, that combo will always be my go-to. If you order any rice plates I believe you get a free drink, one option being green tea which I love! This place is kind of messy depending how busy it is. Everytime I try to sit, the table looks sticky or theres trash somewhere, bathrooms need some work as well. Food is good though, and customer service exceptional. Will always come back when I'm craving. read more

Tapioca Express - large green tea (love how subtle this tea is) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Downgrading to 2 stars because despite ok drinks (barely better than tea n more), their wifi rarely works and the booth seating has torn chairs. An employee apologized and said the exact words "sorry, our internet isn't good for public use". Thanks for the tip, management may just want to remove wifi access in general then? For anyone looking for decent parking and a good place to get tea/coffee AND be productive, please go to kungfu tea down the street. I should've learned my lesson the last couple times this happens at tapex :( read more

:// I love tapex but I feel like the management needs to be nicer to their workers or the workers needa kick their attitude. Not so much attitude but they always seem pissed to serve me. Who even cares tho right? If the food/boba is good I could really care less. But today I'm not gonna look past it. Why was it ok to serve me fried tofu with chunks of other shit in it?? This is disgusting also the tofu was so gooey and not crispy at all. Also the boba was old... cuz it was all goopy and no body at all. Overall disappointed and I probably won't be back for a while until I forget how annoyed I am lol. read more

Tapioca Express - If anyone has ordered their spicy tofu you know it's not supposed to be wet or have other stuff with it. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Classic boba spot! My friend and I wanted to study at a boba spot that had boba and crispy chicken. I haven't been here in years ever since new boba spots started popping up left and right down Convoy. However, most new boba spots don't have good crispy chicken, let alone snacks. We decided to try TapEx out as a study spot and it did not disappoint! Food: - 2 crispy chicken x medium/spicy +ranch - 1 large thai tea snow bubble w/ mini boba - 1 large matcha milk tea w/ boba **The total came out to be ~$20. - I forgot how delicious their crispy chicken is! Crispy but not drenched in oil, and still moist. I like the bits of thai basils too. Spicy adds a good kick but not enough to make your nose run. - I appreciate that they let you get 2 sides of sauce! Double the ranch please. - Snow bubble = smoothie, it's not ice-y or really slushi at all. Study spot verdict: I think we ended up staying here for 4-5 hours to finish our work and it was extremely productive. Even though their wifi info on their receipt, the wifi didn't work for us for whatever reason. We ended up using my friend's hotspot. There are a lot of outlets for your phone and laptop chargers. - If you plan to study here, then make sure you bring a pair of headphones because it does get pretty loud with the blenders going off in the background - Not sure if wifi actually works so plan to use your phone's hotspot - bring a phone charger Overall, I would recommend this spot to anyone who wants to study. - Wide drink selection - Spacious, clean seating area - Snacks to refuel your brain read more

Tapioca Express - Thai tea snow bubble and matcha milk tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Parking: Limited parking. Took about 3 minutes to find parking at 845pm on a Wednesday evening. Ambience: Social Service: Fast. And friendly. I did not feel rush at all Food: I ordered the Spicy Crispy Chicken Overall: my go to place when I have the craving for spicy chicken. read more

Today my girlfriend & I celebrated our 2nd Anniversary here, we also came here on our first date! Her favorite is the Tapioca Milk Tea w/ Boba, mine is the Strawberry Bubble! This location is bigger than others we have been to, staff is very friendly, great place to hang out! The only down side is the parking, it shares the lot with about 9 other pretty busy places, try the lot a couple times if not always parking not too far away(exercise)! read more

Tapioca express is a very popular boba spot with countless locations. I am a fan of all their snow bubble drinks and their peach is my favorite. I also always order the popcorn chicken as it is the perfect snack while drinking boba. This Tapioca Express has great service and is open late night. If your in Kearny Mesa and you want boba check this place out! read more

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Still a solid place for boba drinks and a quick meal. With a plethora of boba places to choose from, TE stays consistent and affordable. Even after the explosion of boba shops in the area, I still find myself back at Tapioca Express. read more

I went last night about 12:30AM, 30 minutes before Closing. As I was going to order the cashier mentioned that the kitchen is closed and that they can only make milk tea and no snow bubble drinks. I understand that before closing they have clean up and such but 30 minutes before closing and not offering grill menu is ridiculous. I would understand if they ran out of your products to make my order but this is just annoying to go to a restaurant and not even be able to order. read more

I don't understand the bad reviews this place is awesome I have always loved their chicken steak bento

This has to be my favorite Tapioca Express in San Diego, one it's open really late and serves food through out that same time. I've been going to one closer to my house and it closes at 11 and stops serving food at 10pm. I came here Saturday night with my fiance Bryan, I had been craving crispy chicken and knew this one was still open. My fiance doesn't really care for boba drinks but when we saw that they had watermelon icy's he needed to try it! We ordered crispy chicken rice combo, mini corndogs, cream cheese wontons, a regular watermelon icy and a large lychee icy with lychee jelly. The cashier was really friendly, when she called our names for our food I was stoked, they had ranch and sweet chili sauce, not available at the one we typically go to! When Bryan got up to get extra sauce, I passed him 50 cents, I had read on some reviews that they charged extra, but the cashier was nice enough to give it to him for free. Their crispy chicken is better than anyone elses, plus they include a fried egg! I love eggs, the one closer to our house only offers corn and edamame. No, thank you! The wonton was perfectly crisp and didn't leave any flakes and Bryan was so excited for the mini corn dogs. BTW, that watermelon icy is the best, it's so refreshing even at 11pm! I need to make a trip out here to get my boba fix, the service is friendlier and the food is better. read more

I got the pistachio snow bubble - I think it was decently made and had a good amount of chopped nuts in it. I also got the fried tofu as a snack...this was also made pretty well and had a nice seasoning to it. The staff is alright and get the order out quickly. read more

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Parking can be horrendous but I've loved coming here since 2012. Their snacks (crispy chicken, fish cakes etc...) are always super tasty. They open late which is a plus to satisfy the late night cravings! read more

They keep closing their kitchen earlier and earlier when it's not even time for their kitchen to close. I've been coming here for 9 years and it's only been happening recently. Peter, please regulate. You're losing business. read more

Boba drinks with hot snacks as a possible meal too! Their calamari is superbly spicy, but the rice helped with soothing the spiciness down. Adequate seating. A great spot to grab tea drinks with munchies! read more

I've been going here for over 10 years and this place has really gone down the drain. Don't get me wrong, the drinks here are still good in my book. But everything else needs major improvement. 1. All the little young kids that work here need an attitude adjustment. They never greet you with a smile or happy face. They look stuck up and act like they don't want to serve you. 2. They don't use proper language. They don't say things like "What can I get you". They just stand there and stare at you until you say something. 3. Everytime I order on the phone, they always ask me "How long until you can get here?" Excuse me? When I say I can get there in 5 minutes, they're like "I don't think your order will be ready by then"..... Then how about instead of asking me how long it will take me to pick up my order, TELL ME WHEN will it be ready or how long it will take. Seriously? Dumb. 4. I swear the only good food item here is their crispy chicken. Everything else is mediocre, dry, flavorless or chewy. BBQ Beef ribs? Chewy. Rice? Dry. Vegetables? Plain. Chicken Wings? Small. 5. They STOPPED giving you ranches or dipping sauces with your orders that NEED dipping sauces unless you ASK THEM. It should be standard to come with at least one ranch per crispy chicken order for example. read more

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I've recently been turned on to Asian iced milk teas with boba. Holy goodness I'm addicted! I love grass jelly and boba with that tea and lactose injected milk! Damn good! My new spot on convoy.... read more

Tapioca Express - Milk Teas with boba and grass jelly - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

It always cracks me up when non-Asians say "OMG BOBA DRINKS EW FROG BALLS" or the like. It also cracks me up when non-Asians demand that we go and have a boba drink, because they usually want it more than I do. And that's how I ended up at Tap-Ex. My friend wanted boba, and even though I live amongst the land of Chinese people in San Francisco, I don't drink it on a regular basis, so I happily agreed and decided on a sesame milk tea with boba. Their sesame milk tea isn't as good as some of the ones I've had (Tea Era in Mountain View has THE best sesame milk tea), and it's a lot grittier than others, so it was kind of easy for my primitive little throat to swallow smoothly. It was just sweet enough, but I think they jipped me on the boba. My non-Asian friend got more in his almond milk tea (another one of my favorites). This tap-ex location is in the corner of the shopping center, and supposedly parking REALLY sucks, so grab the first spot you can. It's clean, very sparsely decorated, and has a large menu with a bunch of food items (like popcorn chicken, rice with pork, french fries) and drinks (snow bubble, slushies, milk teas). If you want to enjoy your delicious Asian food while surrounded by teenagers, you'll definitely love Tap-Ex. read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been here plenty of times before, but WOW, service today was BAD. I asked if it was possible to do a vanilla chocolate chai. The male cashier said, "Yeah I can do a half vanilla chai and half chocolate chai." I said, "Awesome, I'll just get a regular with no ice." The female employee in charge of making the drinks walked over to the register, looked at the screen, scrunched her face and rolled her eyes, then continued making that face as she looked back up and made eye contact with me. Then she walked off in a huff. I asked the male cashier, "Uhh whoa. Did I make things complicated?... because she just made a face." I swear to you, he made the SAME annoyed face, rolled his eyes at me and sarcastically said, "Uhh yeah. Juuust a little." Got my drink, no problem. It tasted good, but I'm still pretty upset by the way I was spoken to. :[ read more

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Great lounge area & boba! Snow bubbles are usually what I get since it's easy to finish the tea in two sips. I also really enjoyed their crispy chicken; they add a little spice so it has a kick. The downside (as many have mentioned) is parking. Might be best if you just skip over the mini lot madness and station yourself on the side street. They stay open late for a coffee type shop so that's a plus. read more

Tapioca Express - Crispy Chicken & Ranch - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I was craving boba and on Convoy so i turned into the first parking lot i saw that had something with the name "Tea" in it. There were a few other tea places in that center but im glad i picked Tapioca Express. I was the middle of the afternoon so i didn't have to deal with all the crazy parking and teeny boppers people keep talking about. The place was pretty empty besides a few tables of kids who stared at me as i looked at the menu. What, you havent seen a 31 year old white chick in a Bad Religion tshirt with a mean craving for snow bubble before? The menu is intense but i picked a large Strawberry and Coconut snow bubble with boba. I expected some blended shake type thing but what i got was this yummy layered masterpiece. it was a little over 5$ and even though that's a little pricey, it was well worth it. the layers of fresh strawberry and lightly sweetened coconut were AMAZING! It was also incredibly filling, almost too much so. i should have got a smaller one but it tasted so good, i was seriously a glutton for punishment! i wish i had someone who could school me in the whole "tea" thing. Jelly? Pudding? Egg? what are all these yummy things on this crazy big menu. The people behind the counter did not look helpful whatsoever and those kids eyeballing me by the front door weren't much better. Maybe i should come back and try something different? I think i just might! ps, the counter where they kept the straws and sugars and trash can was gross. im glad they straws are individually wrapped because that just looks unsanitary. read more

Tapioca Express - Strawberry coconut snow bubble with boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Came in at 8:40 and they said they were only making milk teas. What??? Is it cause they were 30 mins away from closing? The one in national city would never. read more

This location has one helluva parking problem.. but it isn't their fault. It's those who cannot drive. And every time I come at night? FORGET about it. Now onto the goods. This place has significantly better drink making capacity and service than the other TapEx locations I know throughout San Diego. I discovered their Snow Bubble selection (sweeter) to be remarkable compared to the location on UCSD's campus. Wow. Service was quick to ring up the order and complete the transaction - with a smile. :) I ordered a Avocado Snow Bubble. Yup. Embracing the Asian side. The boba was fresh (as fresh as you can make a boba; warm and chewy, the way a chocolate chip cookie is meant to be), and the drink itself was PERFECTO. No chunks of ice (like some places, ahem), nicely blended, filled to the brim, and very rich. Again, this review is based on the compared to the other TapEx locations (final product and customer service). PARKING IS HORRIBLE BUT NOT FACTORED IN THIS RATING (just in the content of my review). read more

I've been going here ever since my high school days. It's been a classic go-to spot for me so it's always been my first choice whenever I do go to a boba place. Back in my high school days this place was REALLY popular, kids were literally flooding the place, but now it seems to of died down a little bit, but still gets good business. Out of all the countless times I have visited this place it's always been pretty good! The employees there changes constantly, out of the years I've been going I always see a new face. One thing though that hasn't changed is the parking, always busy and hard to find a spot. I've been resorting to parking at the other plaza and take a little walk instead to save some time. But enough of that! Food wise, their selection of drinks and food is huge. I always go for the Almond or Taro snow bubble with boba + sealed lid. For food I get the spicy chrispy chicken or the spicy calamari. I never had a bad experience and it always tasted great to me. Their spicy food has a good kick to it. Sometimes it's a little too spicy and I drink all of my bubble tea without really enjoying it because of that; but they've been usually on point with their quality for me at least. In general though, great drink selection, medium size area, and good ambience. Nice spot to hang out with friends, board games are provided if you ask! Wifi is pretty slow here, bring a phone charger and hotspot if you plan to be there for awhile. Having a study group here wouldn't be a wise choice since inside is pretty loud. No complaints, i'll definitely come back again if I need a boba fix. read more

Tapioca Express - Chrispy Chicken Combo! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Always good. My go to for boba and their Thai curry meal. Yum Their Jasmine and Black Tea are also delicious which comes with the meal. Been goin here for years and lots of students used to study here pre-Covid. Not sure now ‍ but a nice atmosphere and friendly workers! read more

This review is long overdue haha. I've been going here consistently for years now. This is one of my favorite boba joints in San Diego just because the boba is good and the food there is just so yummy! Everyone knows that this plaza has the worst parking. I DESPISE parking here. It's very rare that I get lucky and find parking right away. I've come to the point where I give up even circling more than twice. I just try to find parking on the street or another plaza nearby. I always order the extra spicy chicken or dumpling combo (no rice, all veggies) with green tea boba. It's a bit unhealthy but it's just so addicting! The chicken and dumplings both have a very crunchy texture on the outside. The spice level just tops it off. It compliments the meat so well. The veggies and egg (sides) are also good. I usually eat all the veggies before I even finish anything else. Service is quick here no matter how many customers they have. It gets extremely crowded during the weekends but they are still attentive and quick. I used to probably be their number one customer because I came every week just for that haha. I would definitely drive to this tapioca express (convoy) if I'm craving boba rather than going to the tapioca express on college (which is closer to my house). read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this place I come here for my break every time I even have a VIP discount how cool is that lol Chicken snacks is my favorite or the combo People is not too friendly but food is really good so far no complaints The place is always clean and food comes out quick and warm read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

TapEx is in one of the most poppin little areas of Convoy, so u can already assume, finding parking here on a Friday-Saturday night is pure HELL! I'm always comin here for Almond Milk Tea or the Crispy Chicken Combo. SPICY CHICKEN IS EXTREMELY SPICY. U SPEND MOST OF THE TIME DRYING YOUR TEARS W THE NAPKINS INSTEAD OF ENJOYING THE FOOD LOL! Lesson learned, get mild or no spice if you're weak like me. I rly couldn't hang TapEx is OG and I LOVE coming here bc it hits home with me. But compared to other boba shops around Convoy, sometimes it tastes so artificial or the boba is O.K. Sometimes u drink the drink and think, "I could've gotten a better drink/ boba down the street" Employees are always nice to me, u can also study here on weekdays bc it's quiet (and there's parking), and reasonable prices ~:*) read more

Tapioca Express - Spicy Crispy Chicken Combo is 2 Spicy~ - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this place! Real cute and the cashier was super helpful with the menu. Menu was a bit overwhelming but I feel like everything you could order would be amazing! Ordered the Ginger Tea and the Lychee Tea with Bobas. read more

F.Y.I: Calling all the BOBA addicts everywhere...this is the spot to be! I have tried quite a few boba spots and by far this is still my favorite place to get Thai Tea Boba (note: above comment excludes certain Thai restaurants because their Thai Tea is legit and sooooo freakin' good). Tapioca Express is always up and poppin' and you would think that this is place for gaming competitors. People are always playing Connect 4, Jenga, cards (probably 13 or Pusoy Dos), etc. Parking is always terrible and your lucky to find a spot in that lot. The line to get Boba is usually long but it moves pretty quickly and the service is pretty speedy. The place is nice and tidy and they often show music videos of asian pop stars on their flat screen TVs. The Thai Tea is always on point and have never been disappointed and the crispy chicken (mild) is quite yummy too! Overall, Tapioca Express is the BOMB.COM :) read more

Tapioca Express - Choose your jellies wisely.... - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I give it 3.5 stars I love that they have so many different flavor drinks and bobas to choose from. They also have snacks and appetizers as well. The drinks are always on point but the snacks are a hit and miss. Sometime it's good, and other times....not so great! Their passion tea is my go to!! read more

This place is A-OK to me. The boba is good but everything else isn't memorable. I ordered a Thai Tea with boba and fried tofu. The cashier put me down for Thai Tea Snow with Boba instead. It was too late when I checked my receipt and I was charged that extra dollar for the "snow". The fried tofu wasn't as crispy as the fried tofu at other boba eateries but it was still very flavorful. I ordered the mild on the fried tofu and it was still a little too spicy for my preferences. Isn't mild supposed to be no spiciness? Parking sucks. I circled for about 10 minutes and finally found a spot. read more

My review probably isn't going to influence anyone. If you want boba and you're around Convoy because that's where all the good Asian food is in San Diego, you're most likely going to end up here. Yummy boba and snack food. Decent price. Clean. Finding parking can be like winning the lottery here. It's a busy area and a busy boba place. It's where my chemistry group use to meet before or after meals to socialize. read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Before the renovation.... prices = $ After the renovation....... prices = $$$ I am all for the free wi-fi and cool stereo system however ever since they've renovated the place with new furniture and decor, their prices have also gone up. Gone are the days of getting a slushy drink for around $3 but now $4 to $5 drinks are the norm. What I'll also miss from before the renovation was the multiple 16 screen display that turned into a giant TV. Back when it was in working order, it was pretty slick watching K-pop music videos on a massive scale monitor. Nonetheless, their drinks are still the best in town and I won't mind paying the extra costs for their products. read more

Tapioca Express - The new decor - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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It has been awhile since I've been here. It was incredibly crowded and busy. Smokers infested the outside patio, but I guess that's better than them being inside. However, I did have to hold my breath to enter. Thai tea snow bubble with milk pudding and baby boba ***** Cream cheese wontons **** When I ordered my drink, the cashier looked at my strangely. "Am I the only who orders it like that?" She didn't respond. While I was waiting for my order, another girl working behind the counter was totally maddogging the girls that just picked up their order. If they did something, I completely missed it. With that said, I loved my boba and wontons! I just didn't feel the environment had a positive vibe, but I suppose I am no longer part of that demographic now that I am a mommy of two toddlers and a baby otw. read more

Tapioca Express - Large Thai tea snow bubble with milk pudding and baby boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Their MilkTeas are pretty bomb, I recommend the Taro MilkTea or Peach GreenTea. This new drink I tried is the honeydew snow read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California