If you're a boba fan, this spot is definitely worth a stop. I tried their Thai tea brown sugar boba and the strawberry matcha boba, and both drinks were packed with flavor. The Thai tea had that rich, creamy tea taste with the perfect amount of sweetness, and the brown sugar boba added a warm caramel-like flavor that made it even better. The strawberry matcha boba was super refreshing. The strawberry added a sweet fruity layer that balanced the earthy matcha really well, and it wasn't overly sweet. The boba itself was soft and chewy, exactly how it should be. Both drinks felt really well balanced and not watered down, which is always a win. If you like classic milk teas or fun matcha combos, these are definitely worth trying. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is NOT for fruit tea lovers!!! If you are craving fruit teas, go to HN Tea down the street instead. The shop is cute on the outside, staff are friendly, and all is clean. I was fooled by that as well as the pictures (of non fruity drinks) and reviews... Actually the second worst teas I've ever had in my 15+ years of drinking boba. The quality of the tea is terrible and the fruit used doesn't taste or look fresh at all. I tried the strawberry green tea and the lychee green teas. The lychee tea I threw away after one sip, the strawberry tea I struggled with and couldn't finish either. !!!! Take a look at pictures people post of the strawberry green - it looks brown with a few chunks of soggy fruit. Let me tell you it tastes the way it looks. Anywhere else the same drink is naturally red with fresh fruit. I've also tried other fruit teas multiple times across several years since they opened in case I came on bad days. It was just as bad a week ago as it was when they first opened...Never spending a single penny more here. Perhaps the milk teas are decent, but I honestly don't know how they could be when the fruit teas are such a miss... read more

5 star because service. Drinks alone are a 4 however the 2 girls working on the day i came made my experience outstanding. It was hot, I was shopping and needed some boba, looked for a spot near by and this popped up, however the maps lead me out to the streets - not sure why lol but i found it and yeah, its by the movies LOL I really like the brown sugar w/boba. Boba was so nice and soft with a perfect chew. read more

I was so surprised by the different varieties this place offers in terms of smoothies and teas. I came here with my coworkers during lunch because they were raving about this place and was pleasantly surprised. The portion is huge and boba is super chewy, drink was also not overly sweet despite it being their "default", and I really loved the ube/sweet potato paste in the drink. The service was also quick! The boba shop is located in the spectrum center in irvine so you have plenty you can do as well as different places you can sit. The boba shop itself feels open, but I wouldn't say its really a place you can sit down in as it gets busy and crowded inside. Highly recommend to come try if you are a boba fan or just want to hang out at the Spectrum :). read more

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We ordered a Brown Sugar Boba Crème Brûlée Milk and Ube Taro Brown Sugar Boba Milk. The drinks came out really quickly. I've been a fan of The Alley for quite some time now, but I rarely visit because I hardly go to the Spectrum. Both drinks were good, but overly sweet. I don't remember them being that sweet. read more

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The employee recommended the Royal no. 9 black tea for a non-milk tea. I found it refreshing tea flavor with a hint of blueberry. It's a tea variety I can't get at most other places, so it was a nice change. On a weekday, it wasn't busy. The employee was friendly and efficient in taking orders and making drinks. read more

love the fact that they have a mobile app because they can get pretty packed outta nowhere. I was post brunch and needed a sweet treat and this was the perfect place to stop! i got the ube crème brulee brown sugar and it was a dessert and a drink in one! I looooove their boba. it always tastes so fresh! read more

The Alley - UBE Crme Brle Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

One of the higher quality bubble tea shops around. Their drinks are on the sweeter side so better to get less sweetness level. They have a very big selection of drinks and toppings. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. Clean and spacious interior in a superb location right beside the Regal theater. read more

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I crave boba from time to time and today was the day. After having lunch at the Irvine Spectrum we walked pass The Alley. While this wasn't my first choice I wanted to try something new. I ordered the strawberry green tea with lychee jelly. The tea was good and refreshing but this place is a little pricier than others I've been to so value wise I had to bring my rating down a star. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

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I ordered one Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea and one Jasmine Green Milk Tea this evening. The total came to $14.90, and there wasn't even an option for different cup sizes. When I paid, my card was charged over $18. I was never given the option to choose a tip. After I left, I realized the Hispanic ？male cashier had added a 22% tip without asking me. Shouldn't customers be the ones who decide how much to tip? I was never given the opportunity to choose. This is completely unacceptable and feels very dishonest. read more

A chain Bubble Tea shop located in the Irvine Spectrum that has a serene atmosphere on a hot summer day! Offering variety drink specials of milk teas, fruit teas, yogurt drinks and as well as smoothies!!! I got the most popular snd my old time favorite BROWN SUGAR Bubble Tea. They also have several seasonal drinks as well plus several selections of toppings like boba, tapioca, jelly as well as cheese foams!!! Sure did quenched my thirst from the long walk out the footpath of stores read more

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We knew we had to stop in and grab a milk tea and add boba! They had so many options that I wanted to try them all but decided on the brown sugar crème brûlée milk tea and the ube brown sugar milk tea and both were so delicious! It is a cute place and the service was quick! The employees were all polite and friendly! read more

The Alley - Ube Taro Brown Sugar Boba Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

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Both drinks we got lacked tea flavor, but we're still good. The boba is chewy, and the brown sugar syrup is sweet. Staff were nice and got the drinks out quickly. Inside was clean and trendy. We enjoyed the coconut mango smoothie drink the most. read more

The Alley - Brown Sugar Boba Crme Brulee Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Lowkey hot in the store, long ass line but everything is 7-9$. Aw HELL naw! 8$ for a tea, you got to be out of your mind. read more

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Wow this is one of the best boba places I've been to. All their drinks are good. I highly recommend coming here. The staff is super friendly as well and the wait was not too long. read more

The Alley - Ube Brown Sugar Boba Crme Brulee Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Line was long but wasn't long wait after you order. Friendly service. I was really excited to try their Matcha, but unfortunately they had ran out. No coffee just boba or tea. read more

The Alley - Snow Velvet Peach Oolong Tea & Brown Sugar Boba Crme Brulee Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I love boba drink and when I'm at the Irvine Spectrum, I'd stop by here to get a boba drink. Today, at around 6:00 pm, while in line waiting to order, I was thirsty and the line was quite long, I was going to grab a quick sip of cold water in their cooler. There was no small paper cup left for the water except for one. I picked it up and looked inside and it appeared to have been used and dirty. I looked up and there was an associate (short-hair, tomboy'ish like) right by the counter. Kindly asked her if she can put some paper cups out for water, she gave me an attitude and said "there's no paper cups!" I got back in line and after a second thought, I decided to not order and left. I didn't like her attitude and how she treated a customer. Will never be back to this store. There are so many tea stores out there, they are growing like mushrooms ‍ everywhere. Back to my other favorite Tea stores or The Alley in Fountain Valley. read more

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i dont wanna be exceedingly harsh on my first visit cuz maybe this drink just wasnt for me. i got the tiramisu milk tea slush, but it was nothing but ice and some pearls. maybe i shouldnt have gotten it in the first place considering how cold it was today but even then, i still wish it tasted like something. i hope this was a one off thing, cuz i love tiramisu. ill probably try a different drink next time im at the theaters. was eyeing the creme brulee brown sugar, but i think i have to be in a really sugary mood for that. read more

The Alley - Crunchy Tiramisu Milk Tea Slushy - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I was with some friends around the area and were early for an appt, so we stopped by for some tea. I ended up getting the milk tea with boba. The milk tea had a slightly different flavor than I'm used to - maybe stronger than what I'm used to? The boba pearls were sweet and soft - a softer consistency than what I usually prefer - but not bad. Just preferences. Service was great and friendly - I had some questions about the menu and they were all answered. The atmosphere in the shop was quiet (earlier in the morning, so not many people around the area in general) and there was cute decor. I really liked some of the items being sold, but decided I didn't need any more knick knacks at home. Overall, a good experience. I would be willing to try some of the other items if I were around again next time. read more

Pretty below average for a mango smoothie. Would not order again. Doesn't have deep natural flavor of real mango. Suspect it may only be mango syrup. read more

The Alley - 3/5 below average for mango smoothie - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

We were at the Spectrum and wanted some boba. We stood in line waiting for the worker to help us for a few minutes before we noticed that we had to put in our orders ourselves at the counter. It was a weekend and he was working there by himself so he was a little busy. Cashless and cashier-less. Prices were a bit high but I think maybe it's because it is in the Spectrum and rent must be high too. The drinks took awhile to be made since there was only one employee so didn't go here if you're in a hurry. The bobas were chewy and soft. And fresh! I ordered a grapefruit tea and my friend ordered a coffee milk tea. We both liked our drinks. read more

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This was the closest boba shop to me after eating lunch at the spectrum center, so I decided to give it a try. I got a passionfruit tea with coconut jelly and no boba at 50% sweetness. The drink was roughly $7.50. I liked the passionfruit taste plus being able to taste the coconut jelly and texture. The 50% sweetness still felt a little bit too sweet for me though. Overall, the tea was decent. Now compared to other nearby teaspots, this one loses in terms of cost. A drink over $7 is quite a lot compared most other places that hover around $6. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

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DISAPPOINTING. Used to love this place & would get a drink here every time we came to the Irvine Spectrum. Now, it doesn't seem like the staff care enough about the quality of the drinks they serve. Last time I visited, about 3 weeks ago, my smoothie wasn't blended well, had big chunks of ice & tasted really bitter. Came here again today giving them the benefit of the doubt, even ordered a new drink to see if I just had bad luck from the last visit, but AGAIN my smoothie wasn't blended thoroughly. It doesn't make the drink a smoothie if it has huge chunks of ice. Very disappointed cause this place used to be really good. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

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More of a quick personal note than a review- Got the Thai Milk Tea with 50% sugar - good flavor but thought it was way too sweet - need to order one notch down next time Royal No 9 Milk Tea, 25% sugar, organic milk was a good mildly sweet, drink for the morning. On the low end of the sweetness range I target. Buddy got a Mango Coconut Smoothie with 50% sugar - I'm in his range for sweetness target so I'll have to check this out next time read more

The Alley - Mango Coconut Smoothie, Thai Milk Tea, Royal No. 9 Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Stopped by earlier this month on a Saturday, and boy was it PACKED. I highly suggest ordering for pickup to speed up the process. Regardless, it didn't take too long to get the order (just super busy inside), even with only ~3-4 people working. I got the peach tea drink with boba. It was decent for a boba shop at the mall. However, being in Irvine and at The Alley, I was expecting a little more. I think if I was really craving a boba at the mall, I would come again. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I'm happy I walked this way and found The Alley since I was super thirsty and wanted some boba. I love the creativity and Ube is so interesting! read more

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I think I echo a commonly shared sentiment held by most when I say that the glory days of The Alley, at least this location, are behind it. Once a brand associated with quality, the consistency of the drinks here have gone downhill when they used to be considered a premium location. Ironically, as the prices of everywhere else has increased, their prices have remained about the same that now all things considered, they're fairly affordable, but it's probably at the same level as the price point would justify. I can't really explain what it is, just that their drinks don't taste as good, aren't as well mixed, and toppings are always a hit or a miss. It's really just the lack of consistency that makes me more often than not consider somewhere else, despite its incredibly close by location. I would rather walk all the way across the mall for my boba fix. Their rewards system is always wonky and never recognizes my number, and the kiosk is odd. Everything just seems suboptimal in some way and the overall service experience is rather cold. I don't crave The Alley like I used to, and that makes me sad since I used to love them so much. TIP: The Royal No. 9 is a classic and nostalgic, I may need to reach back for that. read more

Can NEVER go wrong with this boba, actually top tier! Inside of all of the locations are pretty chill and cute! Most of their drinks are good also, I typically get the strawberry smoothie also! The workers are typically always really nice! read more

The Alley - Creme Brown Sugar Boba Crme Brulee Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Great boba shop if you are walking around the Irvine Spectrum. This spot does get pretty crowded, so I recommend ordering on the QR code at the door so you don't have to stand in line. Also, during the time I went, they seemed under staffed, so expect a longer wait. Brown Sugar Deerioca Creme Brulee Milk: Good drink. The milk, brown sugar, and creme brulee go very well together while also not overpowering one another. The boba is the perfect texture which made this drink great. read more

The Alley - Brown Sugar Deerioca Crme Brle Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Stopped by this boba spot and got the creme brulee brown sugar milk tea with boba. The custard at the bottom had great flavor, and the boba itself was perfect--chewy, soft, and not overly sweet. That said, I think I personally prefer creme brulee drinks where it's swirled around the cup rather than sitting as a chunk of custard at the bottom. Just a texture thing for me, but again, the custard flavor was on point. As for the drink itself, the brown sugar flavor was pretty mild, so it leaned more on the milky side and wasn't super sweet compared to other brown sugar milk teas I've had. Still, it was a solid drink overall and really refreshing--definitely hit the spot on a warm day. Based on the menu, I probably wouldn't come here unless I was specifically craving a milk tea, since they didn't have a large fruit tea selection. But if milk tea is what you're looking for, this spot is worth a try! read more

First time visiting The Alley. I got the passion fruit green tea. The boba was good, but the tea was unfortunately too bitter for me. It's just a preference thing. That said, they had so many things that looked tasty and it's so nice to have a boba shop at The Spectrum, so I'll definitely be back to give the other options a try. read more

The Alley - Passion Fruit Green Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Better pray they make your order right the first time because if you let them know your order is wrong, you'll get a bad attitude for it! I ordered two mango coconut mochi milk teas with lychee jelly. I had the same thing at the fountain valley location last week and it was great! The mochi here is SO thick that it's hard to drink through the straw AND they didn't include the lychee jelly in BOTH drinks. After debating, I decided to let them know it was missing in both drinks. The server said they can put it on the side for me. I asked if they could just open it, put it in and then re-seal it for me since I was bringing the drinks for a friend. She said no and offered to remake it. I felt bad for wasting the drink and even suggested that I can open it and they just have to reseal it. She said that she couldn't and said "I'll just remake it." with attitude and walked away before I could respond. I'm typically not THAT customer that would complain so to be treated that way made things so much worse. I watched her remake ONE of the drinks and filled 2/3 of the cup with lychee jelly, mango bits, and mochi. The rest of the cup was the blended part of the drink. She threw it on the counter and walked away. Mind you, she didn't even give me the coconut jelly for my second drink. I was so angry, I left without even trying to fix my other drink. read more

The Alley - Mango coconut mochi milk with lychee jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I ordered the brown sugar milk, Boba and it was just a cup of milk with a few Boba at the bottom. Like there was no brown sugar. I mean it was a good cup of milk I guess? But I could've just bought a carton for five bucks from the grocery instead of 9 bucks for this. I also got the mango coconut smoothie, after a review said that it was really good. I don't know what I was expecting. But I had some mango sticky rice the other day and the velvet mango paired with the subtly sweet coconut milk was doing it for me so I thought of thinking get that in a drink that would be great. But I don't know, it wasn't velvety. There was no real mango. I couldn't taste the coconut. It just was tasted like fake flavoring. Not what I was expecting from an establishment that charges nearly $10 drink. I don't understand what we are paying $10 for. read more

Have visited this location many times over the last 2 months and while it is a far drive, it's always worth it. Their Royal number 9 milk tea is one of the best black milk teas I've had...and that's all I really drink from boba shops. Their handmade boba is also great, with a nice sweetness and a unique, soft and chewy texture I've had a hard time comparing to others. Also really like that their boba can come with brown sugar syrup too. The owners are awesome and nice guys. Everyone in our group really likes the Alley! read more

The Alley - Royal No. 9 Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I really miss The Alley in NYC! Their Jasmine Green Tea with Rainbow Jelly hits just right -- not too sweet and super refreshing. The service is quick and chill, and honestly, they deserve way more attention. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been a fan of the purple rice yogurt here -- when it's made right, it's delicious and super satisfying. They usually blend the yogurt with purple rice and add some extra unblended rice into the cup, which gives it a nice texture. But unfortunately, the inconsistency has really turned me off. Last week, my drink had some extra purple rice (not much but it was there). This week, there was no extra rice at all. I had a friend pick it up for me, so I couldn't ask them to fix it -- which was frustrating. I want to keep coming back because I genuinely enjoy the drink, but the lack of consistency is making me think twice read more

The Alley - Purple rice yogurt - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

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I'm honestly surprised this place doesn't have more 5-star reviews. They offer a great variety of bubble tea drinks. I first discovered The Alley while in Italy and have been hooked ever since. My go-to drinks are the brown sugar crème brûlée and the ube taro brown sugar. The staff here is fantastic, and the location is perfect--grab a drink and enjoy a walk or do some shopping nearby. read more

The Alley - UBE Taro Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

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Steep Thoughts: Florence's Quest for (Her) Perfect Black Milk Tea Black milk tea: 1.5/2. I got The Alley Assam Milk Tea, 25% sweet, less ice. This is a solid black milk tea for me, with malty and toasted brown sugar notes. It's slightly creamy but not too rich, although it might be a little sweet for 25%. I've gotten this drink many times and it is consistently good. Other drinks: 1/1. The menu selection is a little smaller / more curated than many other shops, with milk teas, milk-based drinks with brown sugar boba ("deerioca"), fruit teas, and even some yogurt drinks. Good variety of non-dairy options. Ambiance: 0.5/1. This location is in the Irvine Spectrum. The shop is cute and small but can get pretty crowded, especially at peak times. Limited seating with a few tables. Service: 1/1. Order at a digital kiosk or at the counter, although the kiosk sometimes breaks. Drinks come out quickly even when accounting for larger volumes of orders. Total: 4/5 read more

Busy place, prices are a bit high due to it being placed in the spectrum probably. The boba itself was good, not too sweet. read more

The Alley - Signa Brown Sugar Deerioca Crme Brle Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Irvine, California

Hey owners, when you tell your employees when they're on break to sit in the back instead of eating in front of customers and after they're done eating once you tell him to wash their hands read more