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Nice clean place to come and get a dessert. It was good variety of toppings to choose from. One thing I recommend getting more ice option because regular I thought it was going to be full but it wasn't.
I attempted to order via DoorDash on a Sunday around 5pm and got a message that they were not accepting any orders until 5:30pm. Since I was in the area I decided to order in person. When I arrived, there was a short line but it was clear they were being swamped with phone orders and in person orders. (It was a very hot day.) I stood by the cashier a good 5 minutes before I was told to order at the kiosk by the 1 staff that took the previous customer's order at the cashier who then went off attending the waffle maker and other orders. There was no one stationed at the cashier and more customers came in and I had to tell them to use the kiosk otherwise who knows how long they would be waiting. Bambu is the only shop in SF that offers a variety of Che combos. It's perfect on a hot day. Prices are fair. A scoop of ice cream is only $1 to add in. My go to drinks is the Summer Delight, Fruit Addict and Avocado Smash.
My daughter raved about Bambu in Stonestown, so she had to try this one on Geary Blvd... On a warm day, it felt familiar like we were transported into a city in Asia. Order at kiosk and a nice lady will call you out to pick up. My passion fruit jelly tea was quite sweet at 50% sugar because I didn't shake the cup before inserting the straw! (Amateur move!) The basil seeds inside the drink was fun to sip through the straw. Very solid tea drinks here w/ a large variety!
Absolutely great place for Vietnamese Chè. There are many varieties of Chè. Anything from traditional Vietnamese sweet beverages, puddings, or dessert soups served hot, warm, or cold with ice, depending on the variety and region. Bambu serves them cold with ice and very colorful. I personally prefer them cold with pandan. We also like their pandan waffles. The service here is super friendly and the ambiance really welcoming. Located on Geary and 25th Ave.
Walked here for dessert after a late lunch at nearby An Chi. I could smell coconut and pandan from a block away, so even though I was pretty full from lunch, I still wanted to try the dessert here. The ordering process is convenient with an in-store kiosk, and the service was surprisingly fast even with multiple orders for both dine in and take out in the queue. We got the coconut combo dessert, which was super yummy, refreshing, and not too sweet. The coconut jello strands at the bottom of the cup were a bit difficult to scoop up with a spoon so had to use a straw to slurp up the remnants.
Awesome! The Che is good. I felt like it was better than socal. I ordered the #3. Awesome Trio - 绝妙三重奏 and it was a nice amount of sweetness at 0%. Is it a drink or dessert? Both! It's delicious!
This review is long overdue (and I should have written it much sooner because YUM but I forget some details whoops!) The most important thing to me was that this place, this delightful delicious unicorn, offers pandan waffles, my greatest love! And there aren't many places that do (I have found; please direct me to them all!!). Hot, tasty, perfectly crunchy/chewy pandan waffles. Well, they only have one waffle maker and they are made to order, which takes some time. So maybe pandan waffle singular unless you love them as much as I do! I also had a tasty drink, and got great advice when I was having trouble deciding on that part. So many drinks to choose from! I am not an expert on these so I can't compare but...it was delicious and perfectly sweet at 25%. They were out of coconut pudding (around 5 pmish) when I visited so I still need to try that. Super friendly patient service. There was a line that didn't move all that quickly but a really hot day (so likely not always the case?). I haven't been back only because of travel/time/why can't this place be next to my apartment? Pretty please?
#13 Coconut combo regular size. Remember, you can adjust the sweet level. I almost forgot. Mine was no sweet. The amazing thing, I got real coconut meat. 6 lychee. Green pandan jelly in coconut water and shaved ice. It was good. My friend got #10 halo halo with ube ice cream. Expecting real taro, it was not found. Red bean yes. Coconut Milk yes. Oh well.
Walked in on a weekday afternoon and no line was present. Inside has some tables but it is a bit dark. Quick and easy to order. Got the #1 and it definitely hit the spot as a refresher. Pieces of coconut, pandan jelly, longan, and basil seeds in coconut water with shaved ice at the top. It could be seen as a bit pricey for a drink/dessert but it's worth it when you're craving something not too sweet but satisfying!
Drive from Oakland because I wanted a Vietnamese bean dessert cup (Che ba mau). 10/10. The menu has many options and it was very fun exploring.
Tried the summer delight drink. Really good. Interesting red tapioca which is crunchy like chestnut pieces. Panda waffle was very good. Crunchy on the outside, chewy inside.
#10 Bambu Favorite w/ Red beans, taro, coconut jelly, and coconut milk was a fantastic order for my girlfriend. Presentation is great! I also go the thai iced tea with boba, both adequate. Friendly and quick staff.
Best Ché and the freshest smoothies! I would love to try everything on the menu if I could. This would be such a cute place to do homework, there's a bunch of space to sit. We came right before closing I felt so bad, they were out out Smashed Avocado :,) but thats our fault. They were still super nice besides that, and our stuff still came out relatively fast. My Order: Smashed Avocado - They were sold out when I came but that's literally the best thing on their menu I swear. Strawberry Smoothie - Super fresh tasting, especially since it's strawberry season! Pandan waffle - I almost can't leave without getting at least half a waffle, it's so chewy and crunchy at the same time.
3 years ago
In the mood for Vietnamese Che? Stopped by before heading out to the beach, and ordered their top two popular drinks. The owner was incredibly nice and helpful, since this was our first time trying out Che. Will definitely come back! read more
This is my favorite place for fresh taro drinks! Boba places typically have the artificial taro powder for boba drinks, but here you can get fresh thick and creamy taro! I ordered a boba drink with fresh taro, pandan jelly, boba, and coconut milk. Super fresh and super yummy! I was so bummed when I found out the Daly City location closed down, but I turned that frown upside down when I found this location in the city! My dad ordered their mango dazzle smoothie which was super creamy and delicious as well! They have a huge menu with many different selections. The taro is my favorite, but I can just imagine ALL of their drinks are absolutely amazing! A++ boba drink!! read more
Oh man! I forgot how amazingly delicious this place was! I was also looking for a restroom and apparently none of the restaurants in the Sunset District have restrooms open for customers. Lol perhaps it's because of Covid?! Nevertheless after I gave up, my friend and I found bamboo and decided to get a Boba. Yes, I know, I couldn't go to the restroom so that I'm going to drink some thing! Lol makes perfect sense I know! To my surprise, they had a restroom open for customers! Lol their Bobo was delicious and I completely forgot which one I ordered but it was so beautifully colored and bright! It was just plain coconut milk so it actually tasted better once we stirred everything up! Their freshly made pandan waffle was delicious as well! Soooooo sticky and gooey with the perfect amount of rice and flavor of pandan!!!! We got a spot at Land's End to watch the ocean and enjoy our desserts! read more
3 years ago
Must try: their che ah of course Why visit? Their menu has a huge variety and honestly it's a bit overwhelming, but overall I think you can't go wrong Protip: just choose randomly and you'll probably like it read more
Great place for Vietnamese Che dessert drinks! They have a variety of dessert drinks, coffee drinks and fruit smoothies. I love how you can adjust the sweetness level as well for your dessert drinks. I got the bambu favorite drink and added red bean and mung bean. Do note that their red beans are actually pinto beans and not adzuki beans. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
This place is amazing the smash avocado is the best i tried for a drink its the best. The service is very kind and they great the costumer really well with a big smile. the place also look very demure and classy totally clean and very professional. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Bad experience the lady was very rude. She was only nice with white people so don't go there. You're not white. My order was really messed up. read more
As my list of great boba places continue to shrink due to temp/permanent closures as a result of this pandemic, I have found myself in a quest to build my list of go-to spots back up. Thanks you Yelp's sponsored recommendation which placed Bambu as the first search option for boba near me, I decided to swing by and give them a try. Upon arriving, there was 2 other individuals waiting outside for their order, but otherwise the establishment was pretty quiet on a Thursday evening. I ordered a Passion Fruit Juice which came with combo jellies for a total of $5.50, along with a Hazelnut Mocha (hot) w/ boba for $4.75. The passion fruit juice was a bit small quantity wise, as they did not fill up the cup. However what was lacking in size, more than made up for in taste. The ingredients were clearly fresh, with quite a few passion seeds and bits of passion fruit floating within, as well as delicious jellies which combined, made for an incredibly refreshing drink. The Hazelnut Mocha I decided to surprise my parents with apparently was also quite delicious according to them. Service was friendly and COVID-19 measures seemed to all be in place. Would definitely recommend Bambu for all boba-loving fans out there! read more
Although it was a confusing maze to order my drink, I was happy with my oolong milk tea (light ice, 75% sugar, light boba). As you can see from the shop being kind of blocked off inside, it's a little confusing to know where to go. I stood next to the little table and the cashier took my order there. I later saw other people go on the other side of the pillar to order. Although there is a limit on how many people can be inside, it's hard to see from the doorway how many people are waiting since there are some seats. I went here two weekends in a row and the cashier was super nice (same person both times). And the oolong milk tea I got was delicious. 75% sweet was the right amount of sweetness. read more
After making my own Che Thai vietnamese dessert, I started having these vietnamese drink cravings. First of all, I love that the desserts are so appealing to the eye; lots of colors and things all squished together in one drink. It's been a while since I've had Bambu (since college), and suddenly I was just having these cravings. It was a quiet Saturday, and there weren't a lot of people in line thankfully. I decided to order the #2 Bambu Combo which was a drink with jellies, boba, beans, and coconut milk. It was delicious. The sweetness was perfect and all the toppings inside made this drink super fun to drink. I also ordered the pandan waffle and it was really good. The entire waffle was crispy on the outside and inside was chewy, warm, and comforting to eat. I would definitely order it again. I knew I made a good choice by coming back here. I'm usually not a sweet drinks person, but it was an exception when I came here. The drink again was stellar and I will definitely make another trip to get my fix here someday. read more
6 years ago
Parking in the area is not the greatest, so I usually only drop by for a Bambu fix when I'm in the area. This time, I called in beforehand to place our order as we happened to be in the area. The #10 Bambu Favorite is my go to as it includes all the things I love - pandan jelly, grass jelly, and red tapioca. Like how I can customize the sweetness level (50% is just about right for me). Hubs likes to order the Vietnamese coffee. He ordered it as a "regular" sweet despite me telling him to get it less sweet, and only later wished he ordered it less sweet (maybe 50% or 75% sweet). During previous visits, we've also ordered the pandan waffle. They make these fresh, so I'd suggest calling ahead to place an order so you don't have to wait. Our drink order was ready in about 10 minutes. Good thing we called in our order as there was a line. Unfortunately, there were only 2 staff so still had to wait to let them know I was there to pick up my order and to pay. read more
The green coconut waffles were freshly made and delicious (not pictured). The drinks were pretty good as well, but nothing that wows me. Everything took at least 25mins to make it was very frustrating. I would leave a 3.5/5 rating for that tbh. read more
Business owner information
Paul Y.
Thank you for your patience. We make everything fresh every 90…
1 year ago
Had the bambu favorite and was very yummy. Full of ice balls, grass jelly, coconut milk, tapioca (my favorite) and more sweet green stuff at the bottom. There is some seating indoors. One con was that the restrooms were not open. read more
BAMBU Desserts & Drinks is just one of many boba dessert shops that line Geary Boulevard in San Francisco's Richmond District, but what makes BAMBU stand apart from all of the rest is that their drinks are Vietnamese-based thanks to the authentic Chè dessert drinks that fill their menu. Chè is a Vietnamese word for traditional homemade beverages, dessert drinks, and puddings similar to that of traditional Taiwanese boba drinks, but with so much more. Here the difference is that instead of the traditional boba, grass jelly or cheese creams, their signature Chè drinks are drinks that are made to order using fresh cut & drained coconut water, along with house-prepared coconut milk combined with unique fresh ingredients such as mung beans, pandan jelly and basil seeds. We came to BAMBU on a warm weekday afternoon after a day of hiking in the nearby Land's End Trail, looking on our trusty Yelp app for alternative boba dessert and drink shops to get our boba fix satiated and BAMBU was a top vote-getter, thanks to looking at their expansive menu filled with their aforementioned unique ingredients. Parking on Geary Boulevard was super easy, no doubt thanks to the time of day that we arrived and when we arrived inside BAMBU Desserts & Drinks, we first noticed the abundance of drinks that were featured on their menu. Not only did they have their Authentic Chè Vietnamese Dessert drinks, but they had sections for their Real Fruit Smoothies, Premium Smoothies, Yogurts, Juices, Pandan Waffles, Teas & Milk Teas and Vietnamese Coffees. Beyond this, they smartly had images of some of their top selling drinks as just reviewing the menu at BAMBU can be overwhelming, at least it was for this tea lover. A number of the people in my party were intrigued by one particular image of a Chè drink that was posted along the bottom of their counter and that was their Smashed Avocado, which featured fresh cut avocado and your choice of boba and jellies. Another person in my party ordered their BAMBU combo which featured red and white mung beans, taro, boba, pandan jelly, combo jelly and coconut milk. Talk about throwing in the whole kitchen sink! This drink and a number of the other drinks under their Che menu were a little too intimidating for me, so I decided to go with a little more tried and true and one image on their wall was calling my name. So I ordered their Oolong Sea Salt Tea, which included their housemade sea salt and egg pudding, which according to their menu was made out of Tea Eggs. Whatever those are, I was down for that! Since we had so many people in our party, it did take a while for our entire order to come out, which we patiently waited for outside their store, but what was nice about that was everything was handcrafted and once we each received our drinks we could instantly tell the hard work that went into each and every drink and dessert. I loved my Oolong Sea Salt Tea as it was the first time that I ever consumed egg pudding and I honestly admit that it tasted great without being too overwhelming in flavor, especially since I adjusted my sweetness level to that of 50 percent. The others in my party liked their drinks all the same, but some found their avocado drink so thick it was more like a dip than actually drinkable beverage. Another person in my party ordered a simple Honeydew Smoothie and was immediately satiated by all of the blended freshness. A return visit is a must for BAMBU Desserts & Drinks, as this is their only San Francisco location, which in and of itself is remarkable, but to take a crack at this amazingly expansive menu is worth the multiple visits, especially since no drink is more that 8 dollars, with the average prices really being around 6 dollars, including extras. Although unique, their authentic Vietnamese Chè drinks may be intimidating to some, as the options of red beans, mung beans and pandan jelly, especially when combined all together may not be for all, but not to worry you can always order a good old smoothie or a simple tea or coffee drink without all of the extras and be completely satisfied. I know I became a fan when I finally got the chance to order a drink from this location BAMBU Desserts & Drinks, and be sure, you will too! read more
3 years ago
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3 years ago
Love the Che, it was full of ingredients and was a good size! Service was quite slow though, there was one staff member and she was doing her best. Recommend Bambu for a unique dessert in Richmond. read more
3 years ago
If you're looking for a vietnamese dessert drink in san francisco then bambu is the place. I love the variety in the menu! I got to try their halo halo (which ik is not vietnamese) but has a mix of almost all the toppings in the menu and I have to say its very great! The taopico is soft, and the sweetness even at regular isn't too sweet! The ice cream is also very creamy! The service is also very friendly and although the sittings are a little empty it makes up for how nice the place feels read more
5 years ago
I'll give it 2 stars for effort but the drinks and pandan waffle tastes disgusting compared to the previous owners. We ordered #4 and the cashier told us they ran out of the creamy coconut milk and they're using regular coconut milk. Which we were fine with. But the toppings tasted straight up like syrup candy. You can tell it was just off .. like it had been soaking in a tub of simple syrup. I've always loved their pandan waffles but there was just so much oil added to it, it was soaking through the bag by me just holding it. I took one bite and it was so hard and oily tasting i spat it out. Please do yourself a favor and skip this spot. read more
4 years ago
Best. Che. Ever. At least to my standards. Their Che is always tasty and refreshing and light and me and my mom actually prefer going to Bambu over the small shops in SJ for it. My favorite though has to be their Combo Yogurt! Full of sweet and tangy yogurt and fruit loaded to the brim. Another plus is because of the fact that I love that every time I go here no matter how long its been the owner always recognizes me. read more
This Bambu location is one of the best! They are super consistent with their drinks. I recently tried the #13 Bambu Refresher, and I highly recommend it! It was not overly sweet, and coconut juice very fresh. I recommend you go for their Che rather than boba/coffee drinks, which in my experience, are not the best. read more
I was never a fan of coconut milk of any kind til Bambu moved into the neighborhood. I don't live in outer Richmond anymore but my dentist is still there. I had a dentist appointment a few days ago and was so happy to see Bambu is still standing strong. I have been craving so much for their Pandan Waffles so I ordered two of those and a couple of their drinks, a modified #1 (coconut water + coconut meat + pandan jelly) and an Avocado smoothie to soothe my post dentist visit. Very refreshing! Parking is super easy now as the city has allocated 3 meter spots on the street next to Bambu for pick-up parking. read more
3 years ago
If you need a mid-day caffeine, PERFECT spot. I ordered the Hazelnut Mocha with almond milk BLENDED; if your heart desire it ask for extra hazelnut drizzle! The ambiance of the place is definitely small, feels more of a grab-n-go. read more
3 years ago
Excellent boba. Not the best customer service but it was great drinks. Definitely will come back. read more
4 years ago
Been coming here for years. The mature Asian lady was nice always has a warm, welcoming, friendly smile. I always get the hazelnut iced mocha with coffee jelly and pandan waffle takes about 10 minutes. Always consistent in the drinks and waffles. Has a nice crispy crunchy outside texture as you bite into it with a soft, chewy texture once you penetrate inside. Always satisfying! read more
It's amazing how Bambu has gone downhill. As a franchise, I would expect Bambu to keep up with customer service and quality, but it seems I got neither on this visit. I wanted to come and give it a shot since I used to work at Bambu in 2015, so I knew what flavors to expect. I ordered the number 6 (which has a bunch of different fruits, coconut milk, red tapioca, and ice). We were the only ones in the shop, and it took the staff about 5 minutes to notice we were there (they were in the back doing God knows what, and we didn't want to be rude by being loud and obnoxious to request to place an order). After we ordered, it took them 10 MINUTES to make my drink. No exaggeration. 1 drink took them 10 minutes to make, and they had the audacity not to quality check the drink for the strand of hair that they left me. I didn't notice it until I was outside, but I was disappointed and had to walk back in and request a refund since I didn't have the time to sit and wait for another drink, as I was visiting the city and was running on a schedule. Please. Improve your service, your quality, the effort. All of it. read more
3 years ago
Really rude customer service when ordering drinks the lady serving us had attitude for nothing when there wasn't literally anything to be rude for plus the drinks we ordered 2 of the number 1 specials and they didn't even include coconut they didn't even tell us that they didnt have any would not go here ever again the service here is a 0/10 don't come here unless you want bad service read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
I got number 10. It was authentic. Loved grass and pandan jelly. I plan to try other flavors as well. With they were little more friendly, it wasnt very busy but they were not very friendly with questions. read more
More info about BAMBU
6050 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94121
Outer Richmond
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(415) 379-4683
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