I don't usually write yelp reviews but I had to cuz they are the best!! All of the drinks here are hot yoga flames. Shout out to the awesome bobaristas- They are so kind, sweet, and patient with all of my questions about their huge menu. I've become a fan and addicted to the drinks here. If I could give 10 stars I would. Also, I gotta say, their popcorn chicken and macarons are A1 AMAZING! Straight fire- Please do yourself a favor and 'go treatyoself' today. You definitely won't regret it! read more

I attempted to try this place a try. I ordered a taro milk tea. Sad to say this is the worse taro milk tea. It's definitely hot water with a bit of taro. I do not recommend. read more

Jillian and gisel are phenomenal workers. They're so so kind and generous. I love coming here and seeing them!!!

Had a vegan Oreo snow bubble today! Shared it with my daughter. Tasted like a milkshake. I haven't had a milkshake since I became lactose intolerant 15 years ago The drink was delicious! Great service by the young lady that was there. The place was easy to find in the shopping center. Large parking lot. They had a couple tables inside and outside. read more

Vanitea Café - Vegan Oreo snow bubble and unicorn macaroon - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

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First time coming to this boba place and it was so damn good! I'm from OC and tried sooooo many boba places and the boba here hits different! I ordered two drinks and both were very delicious! Boba was sweet and cooked perfectly, menu has so many good options, and most importantly, the employees were SUPER HELPFUL AND FRIENDLY! Store is very clean too! read more

Vanitea Café - Strawberry Slush with Boba - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

My new favorite boba place! So many milk alternatives for us non-dairy and vegan people! Also, I was hesitant about clear boba as I've only had brown tapioca pearls but they're so good! Perfect tea to milk ration, can't recommend enough! My favorite is strawberry milk tea with black tea and so soy milk! read more

Vanitea Café - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

I was having a hard time deciding between all the drinks and the worker, KJ, was so nice and helped me decide on a Green Tea KitKat snowbubble :)) it is now one of my fav boba drinks! read more

Really enjoyed our first visit here! They have so many options, definitely a great spot to go with lots friends (we're getting there right???) So everyone can get something that suits their tastes. The prices are reasonable and they get you your drinks quickly! They are a little hidden in the parking lot so just keep an eye out. We tried the "matchata" with honey crystal boba - Good but a little on the blander side in my humble opinion. The honey crystal boba is AMAZING please try it with whatever you order. We also tried the 'vanitea original' (I think that's what it was called? ) - I enjoyed this one much more... again especially with the honey crystal boba. Our friend tried the taro slush and was happy with it! The salted caramel macaron was also very tasty. I wouldn't order it again but I would and WILL be back to try other items on the menu! I'm certain I'll have a favor here, I can just feel it. read more

Vanitea Café - Matchata, vanitea w/salted caramel macaron, taro slush - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

Molly was amazing, very attentive and answered all my questions. She helped me pick out the perfect drink! Great service!

Tessa and KJ were soo sweet I loved their vibe. Drinks were amazing too. Definitely coming back

The management here is amazing and so are their drinks. Highly recommend this place for boba! Very happy to have them in RSD

Great Milk Tea. I had the Haikkado with no boba at 1/4 sweet. The tea was slightly creamy with a subtle caramel flavor. For my the 1/4 sweet was just right: not to sweet but not to bland either. The milk tea was refreshing and delicious. The staff at this location were all informative and quite friendly. They offer a good amount of space and tables for study group. Free Wi-Fi is also available. Next visit, the Tiger Milk Tea! read more

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Lovely Café! Very clean and cute! The drinks are amazing! I recently had the Mango Slushy with Mango Popping! Super delicious Highly recommend! read more

Vanitea Café - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

This is a really cute place! I enjoyed the birthday cake and blueberry lavender macarons. I tried the fruity pebble snow bubble with Boba and it was delicious. I can't wait to try other drinks. read more

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Best Chamango is San Diego!! But get 75% on the sweetness. And the staff are the best. I'm sure they know who I am from this post!!! read more

Vanitea Café - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

Wow!! Came here on a boba craving and was not disappointed! Facility is clean and the staff is super friendly :) Ordered 3 drinks (Strawberry Banana snow bubble, Rose black tea, Three Shades of Grey milk tea w/ boba) and 3 macarons (fruity pebble, strawberry, and ube). Flavor is on point! The boba is soooo soft and not overly chewy. The macarons taste like they were freshly done/ made. My personal fave is the fruity pebble. This place has definitely been bookmarked to visit again! read more

A little out of my way for tea but Vanitea is my new favorite place for lavender drinks. Staff is always super friendly and fast, they have a huge selection of varies teas with sweetness levels and the honey boba is amazing! I have only tried the lavender, matcha and vanilla milk tea and can't wait to go back and try more out. read more

Vanitea Café - Order area - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

Vanitea Café was a great spot to grab a drink while getting a little work in. Very busy spot especially as the nearby schools were getting out. Delicious macarons (salted caramel and Nutella). Thanks to the ladies at Vanitea read more

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Stopped in for a milk tea on my way out of Rancho. Super clean, airy and welcoming vibe. I was instantly greeted by the cute gal behind the counter. I did grab her name but she was very chipper and had a smile! She suggest a drink for me and then even offered a small sample, which I thought was super cool! I just got the basic Milk tea with boba. It was $4.45 and I tipped her a dollar. Drink was up in 60 seconds! I'll definitely return! read more

I'm always on the look out for a good boba spot and this place is another one to add to the list! I liked the options of flavors since I saw some things that you don't normally see. For instance I got a Chocolate Banana with boba. It was delicious! And tasted exactly like a chocolate covered banana. Some items on theIr menu also have a leaf next to it Indicating that it's made with fresh ingredients (for instance immune was made with fresh bananas versus other places that may use frozen fruits). This place also has a very modern and simple feel. No huge decor or overpowering paintings etc. Definitely a place you could sit and read a book, work on some homework, or catch up with an old friend! read more

Vanitea Café - Chocolate Banana with Boba - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

We just came to Vanitea because we were craving some Boba and we were nearby. I've just got to say, Wow! I never knew all the things you can do with Boba! There's so much available on the menu that it got really confusing for me. I tried an 'earthy' drink, Dragonfruit, it sounded fun but it taste like a funeral plot. O' I won't do that again. My daughter had cotton candy with whip cream and It was amazing, the best Boba I ever had besides my favorite, Taro. We'll definitely be back to this place and next time enjoy some of their Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse cookies. If you can think of it, it can be made at Vanitea. This place is amazing! read more

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This update review is well over due but here today again and must say another pleasant experience. 5 stars and beyond if I could. I like that fact that even if it's busy or not, they take the time to explain the menu and make recommendations. I been looking at others reviews of the melon snow bubble and omg tried it today with recommended almond milk and it's super smooth and creamy. It's .50 extra for almond milk and .35 extra for light boba. It's super refreshing!!!! Today's server was Danica. Super nice and excited about sharing the teas experience. I know the recipe says telegraph canyon road but my location was in El Cajon. She also recommended the melon and strawberry snowball- secret menu item and have with almond milk. She gave me a lil sample and it was delicious . She also gave me a sample of the rainbow and grass jelly. So good. I wanted to try the grass to see what it pairs well with and we both said out loud the lychee tea!!!! It does not taste like grass but has a refreshing flavor. Next I'm have to try the passion fruit black/green tea, winter melon black/green tea and chamango slushy!!! These were highly recommended. As always one can adjust the amount of sweetness from 100 to 25, but they cannot say that there is a zero sweetness. ... unless one might get plain tea but I'm not so sure that an option so one really had to ask. I learned that the regular boba (Black) alone is anywhere from 250 to 500 calories. What the what!!!! Lol that add to waist line fast with just boba. But they have a lighter option for 50 calories a serving called the honey crystal boba- it's all they serve. I was told the standard boba (Black) is not really healthy and made with chemicals. I'm typically not a boba or jelly fan in my drinks and been trying something new but now I know all them additions equals more calories in the end. Nevertheless, the possibilities are endless what one can make and its good to know the that and ask the ones behind the counter. read more

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So rude, my 5 years old dropped her cup at the register because she was trying to put the straw in and he is asking me to pay for a replacement and he was looking at me weird because of what happened. I never had this service in any where else bad customer service. read more

Beautiful place, I really liked the decor. I got the taro tea with cream foam. The taro was great, but the foam tasted too much like caramel and was too sweet for me. Their strawberry b/g drink with milk was fantastic on the other hand. The employees were nice and helpful. read more

Unlike regular boba that I've ever seen, Vanitea Cafe's boba is white/clearish boba with slightly different texture. Almost not as chewy but very similar to regular boba and it isn't popping boba. Facility was clean and appeared well kept. They're equipment and storefront was really loud though, I couldn't hear the clerk very well. They were having trouble with their register/tablet as well. Their drinks are on the pricier side in comparison to other shops in San Diego. Really good flavors aside and quick, relatively friendly service. Ordered a vanilla chai tea with boba, I'd most likely go again. read more

The food (drinks just wanna use my words) was so good & sweet. The boba was not super chewy but still kinda chewy (just how I like it.) the service was really cool & the people that worked there were funny & kind. The place has such a cozy & chill Ambiance. I definitely recommend going there! read more

Vanitea Café - Honey dew boba with black tea base, Matcha green tea with cheese foam, and Brown sugar milk tea - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

Came to try this place for the first time ! Love the place !! Customer service was on point ! Lucien was very nice and helpful! I let him decide what i should have. Definitely recommend this place ! The drinks are soooooo good !! read more

Vanitea Café - Perfection !! - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

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We loved it. A great selection of delicious fresh options with a cute modern environment. This has become a staple Sunday night spot to just sit and enjoy while chatting with friends in their dining space. We recommend the avocado, mango, and taro bubble teas. Soooo good. read more

I got the match green tea with crystal popping peaks and it was super good. I also got the Nutella macaroon and the birthday cake macaroon they were also super good! The staff was super nice and understanding, and the place looks amazing. read more

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I was so glad to hear that RSD finally has a boba shop! My friends and I always make our way to Convoy or College area to get our boba fix, but we don't have to anymore! I had the Wintermelon Green Tea with 25% sugar. It was so refreshing and the perfect amount of sweetness! Wintermelon has been my favorite flavor tea for a while so I'm glad that they had it here. Their menu has a lot of options so I think everyone will be able to find a favorite here. I noticed a lot of the younger teen crowd here would order the one of the fruit or candy flavored snow bubbles. The store itself is aesthetically pleasing and definitely "instagram worthy". It's about time there is something like this in the area! Will come here again. read more

Vanitea Café - Wintermelon green tea, 25% sweetness, regular size - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

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This experience happened a while ago and I haven't had time to write this review! My friend and I used to go here ALL the time - there's great options for vegan boba, and the staff (all except for when we went the last time) have consistently been creative, friendly, and welcoming. We will not be returning after the last time and the subsequent experience talking with the manager! We went in and ordered our usual drinks and took them to-go on our way to work. We didn't discover until we got to work that my friend's drink wasn't blended all the way; it was mostly chunks of ice, with visible chunks of powder and separated ingredients, and a quarter scoop of boba in direct comparison to mine. It was simply not blended - not a problem! We've called them before over similar issues, and they've handled them with ease. Once, there was a hair in my friend's drink when we were taking them to-go. I called in once I got back home and let them know what happened. They apologized profusely and said they could write down a name by the register since I had paid in cash that day. I said that was great, they apologized profusely again, and I told them don't worry about it, because it happens. Which it does! The other time, one of our drinks was made incorrectly and they remade it right away with no problem while we were still in the parking lot. So, we called them regarding this issue and were friendly about it, not expecting there to be any problem. The girl we talked to immediately denied there being anything wrong with the drink, and stated she would not be able to do anything about the issue. We asked for the manager's information as we had different experiences previously, and wanted to know if anything could be done about an $8-9 drink being undrinkable and having to be thrown away. Apparently, she had informed the manager that we "called them names" and were acting rudely to them in the store and over the phone. Tommy, the manager, had a prior assumption that their version of the story was correct, and stated: "If the drink was icy or blended incorrectly we would have fixed it right away for you but be rest assured that all our staffs are well trained not to give out drinks that are not well blended anyhow. With that being said, if you still felt that it wasn't blended well enough the staff that day would have happily remade it for you, however, by pushing them to give out the number for management and called them names because they refused to do so is not a proper approach. We are always open to hearing out our customers but they need to be respectful and within reason. We regret to inform you that we can't help you with your incident at this point." Unfortunately, Tommy, 1) Your staff may be well trained, but they DID hand out a drink that was not blended. 2) They may have been able to remake the drink for us, but when we asked them - and you - if that were an option, we were told, expressly, "no", and that nothing could be done. We were consistently respectful, and acted well within reason, on this occasion and on every other occasion we have interacted with any employee from this store. To be treat your customers with suspicion and scorn without hesitation and without considering that an employee might lie in an attempt to avoid responsibility is shameful. As a side note: they do consistently run out of their boba and fresh ingredients like bananas (including first thing in the morning). read more

Got the Wintermelon milk tea. The boba is very chewy and the drink is delicious. The drink is not too sweet, it's just the right amount of sugar levels. Cute logo here too! They give a perfect amount of boba. Will definitely come back. read more

Vanitea Café - Wintermelon milk tea - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

Wowwww.....what happened to this place? The Tea used to taste so good! The boba used to be so chewy, the service used to be top notch! First of all, the employees, on 9/24/22 were so rude! They don't acknowledge you when you walk in, they don't even look up at you and have the courtesy to say that they'll be with you in a moment, but they will hang out, away from the counter and gossip about whatever it is they're talking about. Second, they can't make any recommendations because either they don't care, or they don't know the product. And third, sooooo disappointed in my selection! I should have stuck to what I usually get, or better yet, drive the extra distance for Kung Fu, or Meet Fresh...it would have been worth it!!! read more

Alessandra wanted some macarons and went to Vanitea Cafe. She stated "these are fat and yummy" and then ate 3 of them by herself. Employees are always friendly and helpful. read more

Vanitea Café - "They were fat and yummy" Alessandra (6 yrs old) - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

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I was disappointed in the boba drinks I bought here yesterday. First of all, I didn't get a good vibe at all from the girl working the front as it seemed like she didn't want to be there and it showed in the drinks. I bought a cantaloupe snow bubble and it was the palest tint of orange. The cantaloupe taste was so, so, so subtle. I wouldn't be surprised if she only put a few chunks of fresh cantaloupe in it. It just tasted of sugary milk. My husband had a peanut butter banana snow bubble, and he said he couldn't even taste banana. What's the point of indicating that you use fresh fruit in your drinks if you're barely going to add any in it? Oh, and the boba texture was so off putting! It had a jelly/slimy texture to it. Way over done and not even remotely close to the chewy texture that other boba places serve. read more

The employees are nice and helpful! They have a large variety of tea and boba drinks. You can choose the level of sweetness too. We will be returning! read more

Vanitea Café - Chamango with boba, Thai tea milk tea. - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

Found this place on a whim looking for some dessert one day. In the earlier menu photos they have churros. When I went I saw that they had taken them off the but that's okay, I discovered a great boba place. It looks like this place just opened in the spring and is one of a few locations. Cool interior and really good drinks. Each time we've been here, my boyfriend has gotten one of their cereal drinks (Fruity Pebbles & Captain Crunch). The flavors are spot on! They also use clear boba and the texture on them is really chewy, but not in a bad way. Good consistency and I actually prefer it cause sometimes when gone wrong can make hard black boba. I also really like that you can say how sweet you want the drink - full, half, or quarter. Check out the first table in the corner, they also have a daily board with a drink of the day. This place is great and whenever East County gets something good, we need to hold onto it! Where my people at! Y'all need to come out! Now I do t have to drive up to the Convoy area for good boba. read more

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I had a terrible experience. I ordered four drinks, but three were wrong, despite the waiter confirming my order. When I went to correct it, Becca who wasn't even the person who took my order, decided to step in and make the situation far worse, giving excuse that we should have confirmed our order.... (which we did) then kept saying that we are wasting. Saying the only solution is to pay, but wouldn't that still be considered wasting? I thought it would be like any other restaurant who would switch out an incorrect order, but instead Becca chose to be aggressive and not willing to switch out the order. She kept saying we should have verified on the tablet by giving this excuse. And we did confirm it when the waiter just confirmed by repeating our order, and that not an excuse for her to be rude. Becca had the audacity to gaslight me and my friends, insisting we were wrong when we knew exactly what we ordered. Her behavior was disturbing, as she tried to twist the situation to make us look wrong. This type of behavior needs to change immediately, because no customer should be treated this way. Once again, the verification on the tablet that she keeps using to back herself up should not be an excuse for her disrespectful behavior. read more

Parking easy 10/10 Located in a big shopping center. Customer service 10/10 Always a pleasure especially with Angelo! Over all a clean and great place to study or even just grabbing a drink on the go. Let's get down to the taste!? I have not gotten everything on the menu so I'm just goi ng to rate what I've been getting. Start busy don't have anything on the Caramel Cappucino Snow Bubble. Yes with tapioca and yes with whipcream. They serve soy, coconut and almond milk. Also vegan friendly. I been here 3 times with my wife and enjoyed it each time. read more

Vanitea Café - Desserts Near Me - El Cajon, California

I love the inside look it is very relaxing, the drink options are perfect they have the traditional milk teas, smoothie like drinks with a variety of options to choose from. I ordered the caramel cappuccino with soy milk and Honey Boba which was delicious. I also wanted to note that I believe their whip cream is made in house instead of from a can. I also ordered their blueberry vanilla macaroons which were light, airy overall well made. I'll be here more often!! read more

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