Best Boba in Berkeley

Hello!

Welcome to my personal top 10 ranking of my favorite boba shops in Berkeley!  Let me start off by saying that this is obviously not the gold standard ranking, and it is just my personal opinion.  Berkeley is full of great boba spots, and I could easily make a top 20 list if I was so inclined, but that would take too long and doesn’t have a great ring to it.  One last thing before we get into it, how the hell is boba so expensive!?  Tea should be something that everyone can enjoy and should not cost $9 with tax!  Make sure you read all the way through to find my tips on finding cheap boba!

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10.) Nomni Tea (Score: 7.4)

Nomni has lots of great fruit teas, slushies, milk teas, matchas and even spritzers.  I really love the milk teas but I would stay away from the Coffee Milk Tea.  It is made with folgers instant coffee which they strangely advertise and frankly is not very good.  I would however strongly recommend the Oreo Milk Tea that is blended with yummy Oreo cookies. 

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Best Drink: Oreo Milk Tea ($6.50)

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9.) Wowwow Lemonade (Score: 7.5)

Okay, so this one isn’t entirely a boba spot,, but I wanted to put it in here anyways because it deserves a nod and seems to fly under the radar.  I am not sure how long it has been around, but people don’t talk about it much and I dont understand why.  If you like any of the lemon or fruit teas out there than you will love this spot.  Lots of yummy frozen drinks too!

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Best Drink:  Butterfly Mojito $6.00

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8.) Happy Lemon (Score: 7.8)

Happy Lemon is a classic Bay Area tea joint that serves consistently refreshing drinks where you really cant go wrong.  As the name suggests they specialize in lemon teas.  They are big on the salted cheese foam stuff which really isn’t my thing (no hate tho).  I’m a big fan of any drink under their Fresh Lemon Series.

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Best Drink: Lemon Honey Jasmine Green Tea ($7.65)

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7.) Sweetheart Cafe (Score: 8.2)

This Boba spot is close to campus in the infamous Asian Ghetto on Durant Street.  Its a pretty unassuming spot with some of the best tapioca pearlsI have had.  They are a perfect texture and don’t have that grainy feel that many tapioca pearls have.  Any of their milk teas are a great pick, but I tend to go with the 

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Best Drink:  Jasmine Milk Tea ($4.00)

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6.) TP Tea (Score: 8.7)

TP Tea is a popular spot amongst Cal students for good reason.  Its conveniently located on Telegraph Ave, right by campus.  They have a large menu with tons of boba tea options.  All of their milk teas are amazing, but you simply can't beat any of their milk teas.

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Best Tea:  Tawain Classic Milk Tea. ($6.95)   

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5.) Shengkee (Score: 8.8)

Shengkee doesn’t have as many options as some of the others on this list, but they are more of a bakery, so they get a pass.  I do have to say that their pastries do in fact go hard, but this is a boba list so we can discuss that another time.  I’m a big fan of their Passion Fruit Green Tea as well as their Tiger Milk Tea!  They also get bonus points for being one of the cheaper spots in Berkeley. Great prices and great drinks are what slots Shengkee at number 5 on my list.

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Best Drink: Passion Fruit Green Tea ($5.50)

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4.) Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea (Score:9.1)

Yi Fang’s fruit teas simply slap.  They have some of the more unique teas which I can really appreciate.  I like to mix it up with fruit teas and slushies and all that good stuff!  Yi Fang tends to get up there in price, but all of their drinks are well worth it.  Speaking of expensive, but delicious drinks, Yi Fang might have my favorite drink in all of Berkeley.  Let me introduce you to the Mango Pomelo Sago.  A delicious must try for any Berkeley students that does come out sweet so get it at 30% sweetness. 

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Best Drink: Mango Pomelo Sago ($8.95)

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3.) Asha tea House (Score: 9.2)

Asha Tea House has fantastic boba as well as matchas.  Their matcha is where they really stand out to me.  I love their classic iced matcha, but the blood orange one is right up there with it. 

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Best Drink: Blood Orange Matcha Latte $6.75)

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2.) Chai Tai Tea (Score: 9.4)

This Tea place is a little bit further from campus as it is located a few blocks away on Shattuck Ave.  I personally love this restaurant and all of their unique teas.  They focus more on tai teas as their name might suggest.  For a first timer you absolutely should get their Chai Tai Tea hot or iced whichever you prefer.  The second time I went, I wanted to spice it up, so I got the Mango Coco and it was phenomenal!  Haven’t looked back since!

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Best Drink:  Mango Coco ($9.00)

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1.) Tibear (Score: 9.5)

Tibear is a true boba spot through and through.  They really have it all and they do it well which is why they are deserving of the number one spot on my list.  A feature item on their menu is the mochi milk teas which are fantastic, but I personally go with the Strawberry Genmaicha Latte! Tibear does a phenomenal job on both taste and presentation, with a large menu equipped with something for everyone. I feel it is well deserving of my number one spot.

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Best Drink:  Strawberry Genmaicha Latte ($7.75)

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The Issue

Let’s be real—boba, matcha, coffee, and everything in between has gotten way too expensive. If you’re looking to discover new boba spots with trusted reviews, amazing flavors, and a way to earn money while doing it, check out the Quill app! Take the risk out of trying new things by seeing where your friends shop and earning cashback for trying out new restaurants and shops!