Being born and raised in the Bay Area, I'll admit that I'm a bit of a boba snob. I love trying new places and giving my unsolicited advice on them, so here's an entire listicle dedicated to exactly that!
1. Teaspoon
Teaspoon is my absolute favorite boba place I've tried thus far (and I've tried a lot). They have a wide range of different teas, toppings, and specialty drinks to choose from that never disappoint! Their tea is well brewed and their boba is soft and chewy. Some of my favorite teas are their rose, lychee, osmanthus, and roasted oolong both with or without milk, and my favorite specialty drinks are the virgin mojito and classic Thai tea.
2. Monster Boba
This place kills it with the ambiance. Not only is the interior super cute, but the drinks (and food) are also delicious! This place doesn't have the variety that Teaspoon does with the teas and toppings, but the tea is solidly tasty and their boba is A+. It's very soft but still has a nice chew to it without being overly gummy. I like their rose, strawberry, mango, and lychee teas with or without milk as well as their dessert waffles and popcorn chicken.
3. Tea Era
This place brings back so many memories from my senior year in high school. Their menu is VERY extensive, they honestly probably have any tea you could imagine! But the crazy part is that they're all so delicious and their boba is top notch. I don't really have a list of favorites since I change up what I order whenever I go, but their jasmine and guava milk teas are some of my go-to's.
4. Createave Cafe
This place is pretty cool because you can customize make your own drink with as many toppings as you like! There is no barista shaking the tea, which could be a complete turn off depending on how you like your drink made. Honestly, this isn't my favorite place, but it's a super fun and cool experience and the teas are yummy!
5. TPumps
This place is also cool if you're new to boba. You can pick from three teas (green, black, or non-caffeinated) and add up to three different syrups to them to customize your own drink. I personally am not a huge fan because I personally like drinks with more tea than syrup, but this is a fun place and is a great way for people to get introduced to boba tea!
Some of my other favorites include TeaTop, Happy Lemon, Verde, and Ten Ren, but I didn't want to include them separately because my reviews on them would be repetitive. There are SO many wonderful boba places around the Bay Area, and if you're a fanatic like me then feel free to check out the Bay Area Boba Directory so you can start creating your list on what you want to try next.
