This place is an absolute godsend. The boba prices feel like they were pulled straight out of the 1980s. Seriously -- I got a small for around $3-something (the exact prices are on the menu board), and the medium and large are only about a dollar more each. Check out the picture -- all three sizes are lined up together. And if you're thinking, "Okay, the boba must be cheap because it's low quality," think again. It was actually so good. The flavor was delicious, and the tapioca pearls were the perfect consistency: sweet, soft, chewy, squishy, and perfectly sunken to the bottom the way good boba should be. To be totally honest, my husband and I had walked in and back out of this place several times before finally trying it. The inside is very dark, and with the huge screen right when you walk in combined with the dark floors and tables, it's not the most inviting atmosphere at first glance. It could probably use a remodel -- but honestly, if remodeling means raising the prices, please leave it exactly as it is. We finally went in with friends, and the staff ended up being incredibly kind and polite. On top of that, they have a ton of add-in options: popping boba in different flavors, milk pudding, regular pudding, and so many other customization choices. Photo: Cookies & Cream - Strawberry Truffle - Thai Milk Tea read more

Boba Cafe - cookies and cream milk drink, strawberry truffle milk tea and thai milk tea. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

I think the Boba Cafe is consistently the best boba in the UCR area, hands down. I love the Thai tea with classic black boba pearls specifically, and I seriously appreciate that its default is soy milk and there is no upcharge for non dairy. Service is always friendly and helpful, and there is usually plenty of seating. I have to say the ambiance is a bit more cozy and mom and pop style, nothing crazy or special with the decor like some trendy boba shops do. That being said I truly appreciate the reasonable price point for consistently quality boba. read more

Boba Cafe - Thai Tea with Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

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have gone here for years. always top tier always great, it is a usual for a lot of the high school and college kids for a reason

The popcorn chicken is off the chain and I absolutely love the udon noodles. My husband always gets the wings ...I got the mango tea with mango popping pearls Mmmm so refreshing I love this place.... read more

This place is small, but delicious it's open late due to proximity to Riverside University & surrounding shops, and restaurants. I try to get something different every time, but I have a go to dish that has bok choi. Service is fast, but good luck finding a seat most people order take out, and the parking can be full during peak hours as there is also a moving theater in the same area. If you happen to be in or around Riverside stop in & try this small well known gem. read more

My Favorite Mom-and-Pop Boba Spot! If you're looking for a quick bite or a late-night snack, Boba Cafe is the place to go. I'm obsessed with their very spicy popcorn fish--it's packed with flavor and absolutely delicious. The boba drinks are so good, they're downright addictive. The ambiance is cozy, the service is always welcoming and polite, and I come here so often they practically know my order by heart. It's the perfect mix of friendly vibes, great food, and consistently amazing drinks. I'll definitely be back for more! read more

The air felt stagnant and not fresh. The customer service was disappointing--the employee at the counter didn't engage with me at all and came across as if she didn't want to be there. Her attitude made the experience uncomfortable, and she even slammed my drink on the counter. With so many boba spots near UCR, I won't be returning. I'll be taking my business elsewhere. read more

The food was not good, as well as the Boba. I got their Popcorn Chicken and it was dry and there was mixed pieces of white chicken and brown chicken that you could just tell was days old. Nothing was fresh, definitely used old food to serve. read more

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I'm very familiar with this place as I use to frequent this place often during my college days, I figured it's time to leave a review after all these years and seeing I am revisiting this place while I'm in town. This is a perfect go to place if you want cheap Asian eats and bubble tea and very hang out friendly. Their menu includes noodles, rice dishes and snacks that are pretty reasonably priced. They even had a honey dew slush snow that's non-diary which is hard to find and it tastes pretty amazing. The girl providing service was very sweet and polite despite it being almost closing time and the guy making the bubble tea made it quick and efficient. They are open till 11 pm which I was glad for seeing that there were limited options to go to when every place was closed. Perfect for college pulling an all-nighter or for those looking for a late night snack or to just hang out. read more

Boba Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

pretty solid boba spot! i would say their thai tea is actually really good! their fried rice is also seasoned well and has a nice texture. their popcorn chicken is really good but i would say that there is some funky pieces. as a person sensitive to that kind of thing, it was really disappointing because the batter was perfectly light and crispy and the chicken was authentically seasoned. the meat itself had a lot of tendon and fatty and crunchy (?) bits that were off putting. more than half the bag had strange bits. other than that the popcorn chicken is really good read more

The iced drinks are just okay, but their Asian dishes are fantastic--freshly cooked and flavorful. Highly recommend!

One of the best boba places in Riverside! It's a little hidden shop, often overlooked by popular boba places surrounding it but I must say, that they provide the best quality bobas at such a great price. Their flavors, consistency and serving sizes are unbeatable. They have a range of slushee flavors that would be such a great challenge to complete as well! Overall, I recommend this 100%! I am looking forward to visiting the shop again to try some of their food items. read more

Boba Cafe - Lychee, Honeydew and Passion Fruit Slushies! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

I love the food options and snacks they have here. I am a big fan of their popcorn chicken and beef udon! I love that they have a deal where you can make it a meal and get a drink for $1.50. I don't really like their milk teas but their fruit teas are so yummy and their boba is pretty soft and warm. The pricing is reasonable for the yumminess of the food. However, they don't give big portions. The ranch I got tasted sour and expired (most likely old or not refrigerated). Something that kind of throws me off is their service. The workers are pretty rude. It is in the UV and right by UCR so it can get pretty crowded later at night on the weekdays. Lots of seating but can get filled quickly with all the college students. I would definitely recommend getting the food more so than the drinks! read more

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The service is good and the food portions are excellent for what you pay. It's also yummy :)

Now one of my fav boba shops! I tried their rose milk tea and it was delightful! It actually tasted like roses. I thought the taste would be subtle and had low expectations but it was actually so flavorful and fragrant. On top of that, the prices are affordable. read more

I love the boba cafe... reasonable prices and great food! Great little spot to get a quick bite to eat

My favorite go to place to eat in Riverside. Even after college, whenever I pass by I WILL go to boba cafe. -chicken fried rice, -chicken rice cake is my go to read more

Boba Cafe - Chicken fried rice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

Boba cafe. Aka my life source all throughout my days at Ucr. I was back in town after 3 years and of course I had to stop at boba cafe for my fix. If you haven't been here in a while they really slimmed down the menu since Covid - that means no more popcorn chicken chow mein. Genesis took our order and she was so kind and sweet. She deserves an A+ for service!!!!! She def made my night. Come for quick, hot, cheap, yummy food for a late night fix! read more

HAIR IN MY FOOD if I could do zero stars I would. Definitely check your food before you leave . Will be going back tmrw and bringing this to get my money back. Ain't no way there's THIS MANY hairs in my shit. TWO different types at that read more

Boba Cafe - HAIR ALL THROUGHOUT MY food - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

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Usually like going here, but twice now they take 30 minutes or more to make a drink. They either disregard you waiting or just talk in the corner. read more

Love this place, have been coming for years. The popcorn chicken is fire. The boba has always been delicious.

The Thai tea was good & the boba was a bit hard but had a great after taste! The shop was ideal for quick to-go orders, I received my drink almost immediately. However, I wouldn't enjoy sitting in to eat because the ambience wasn't the most inviting. read more

Boba Cafe - Thai tea with boba and mango slush with popping boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

Used to go there a lot since I was in college 10 years ago. Always got the same dish pork bean curd on rice. We still always drop by once a while to get it couple times a year after we left the area. The great taste never changed. read more

I use to go here in college 10+ years ago. I came back to get their crispy fried tofu which still slaps. Happy to find out this place hasn't changed, brought back so many good memories. read more

Boba Cafe - Crispy Tofu Fried Rice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

The food is delicious, the drinkies are refreshing and the hours are convenient. My husband and I love coming here for a quick affordable delicious meal especially after everything else is closed. We have tried the fried rice, chow fan, knife cut noodle, and rice noodle. Our favorite is vegetable fried rice and vegetable chow fan with chicken because it has lots of veggies and it has protein. The appetizers are also delicious! They are very generous with their sweet potato fries and regular fries. The food is cooked relatively quickly. My favorite drink is jasmine milk tea which comes at a discounted price when you get food. The environment is super chill and cozy! The tables and bathrooms have been clean the times I have been there. The restaurants around boba cafe have come and gone but there is a reason why boba cafe has been at the university village thus far. P.S. It is very popular on Thursday and Friday due to being walking distance from UCR so wait time might be longer than usual but it is worth it :). read more

Boba Cafe - Location - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

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ever since college till now still one of my fave places. I love their singaporean rice noodle!!! Super tasty and they really pack it with chicken, shrimp and beef. Their drinks are great! Service is fast with the drinks... for food a little bit of wait but it is all worth it!!!!must try! read more

I came for food but didn't expect much. The beef noodles are actually really delicious surprisingly. Their boba was good too. If you're craving thick drunken style noodles I would definitely come here. read more

This small, hidden boba cafe is located right next to the Slickables ice cream sandwich shop & Mad Platter record store. When you first enter, the interior is pretty small, little space to move around, the tables & chairs don't look the nicest to be in a cafe, but let's talk about the drinks. The menu selection has a good variety of drinks and food items. There's a good amount of different toppings you can choose for your drinks. I tried the Matcha Slush with boba, which was about $4.25 for a small. There was one lady working there on a Sunday afternoon so I patiently waited for five minutes once my order was called out. The drink itself was good, very sweet tasting, the matcha had a good flavor. The bobas were very sweet too, but were a little hard in the center, making it very chewy. For a small size, it was pretty good for your buck, I was actually very full and glad I didn't go up a size. Overall, i would say it's your typical mediocre boba place but what makes this place stands out is that it's open until 1am. Perfect if you're in the area because most places don't open that late. read more

Boba Cafe - Matcha Slush - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

It's been about 10 years since I was last here! It's not as crackin' as it used to be, but the popcorn chicken and crispy tofu are just as good as I remember! They also have pretty good portions and prices (especially compared to places out in San Diego). I also ordered a lychee green tea, which was pretty good. I can't believe I forgot about this little gem for so long! It will definitely be top of mind next time I drive through town! read more

Have not been here in like a decade! The food and drinks are much better now. I can see why they are still around (while many other restaurants and tea shops closed down). Food: 4 stars. Only had the popcorn chicken fried rice and it is not loaded with fatty pieces. Pretty yummy. Good portion size too not filled with flour pieces and not half a bag kind of rip-off deal. Honeydew boba milk tea is smooth and sweet not powdery like over 10 years ago. Lol. Price: 4 stars. Pretty cheap. Popcorn chicken fried rice only $5.95 for a half container size and you can pay $1 to get a full size container (pretty large portion). Also, you can pay $1 to add one of four drinks through the Make-it-a-Combo. $.40 extra for boba. So it does slowly start adding up but still good prices. Very affordable for an entire meal. That's like $8.40 pretax! Atmosphere: 3-4 stars. A little dark and old inside but I guess if they spend the $ to update then would have to pass on the cost to the customers. So, I'm fine with not-so-great looking orangey paint and old pics of food dishes on the wall. The food and drinks taste good with an "A" grade from Health Inspection. Music in here is not bad. read more

Boba Cafe - $1 more for full container - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

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Nothing special about the wonton soup, a bit turn off it was served in a styro cup. We ordered SOFT FOOD because family member just came out of surgery. SERVICE: 2 thumbs DOWN . Person behind the counter has ZERO customer service skills. We watched her do the same with 7 other customers who came after. I tolerated the service since we only needed nutrients. If BAO CULTURE was open we would have chosen to eat there rather than this Cafe. We don't get judged on what we order and we don't get frowned upon, neither we get called rather rudely. read more

Boba Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

This spot is the perfect spot to get a quick bite! I usually order popcorn fish fried rice, along with a lychee snow. It is absolutely delicious and I highly recommend for those of you who are picky with the way their fried rice is made. Definitely continuing to go here! read more

They rip off their customers!!!! Large and medium cups hold the same amount of liquid!!! read more

Boba Cafe - Large and medium cups hold the same amount of liquid. Ripping off customers!!! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

The food here tastes amazing. My husband and I order the shrimp udon, shrimp fried rice and the combination wonton soup it's so flavorful. And the prices are so reasonable. Sara S.W read more

My first time coming here was at least 15 years ago, so I grew up on this place. It's not like those trendy/aesthetic modern-era hipster boba places that have taken over these days. This is your singular location, hole in the wall boba place that thrives off of powder flavors and syrups and has a huge drink menu to choose from. That said, you can't come here and expect to have the best boba of your life (whatever that means to you), but when I come here I do genuinely think I'm drinking really good boba and I'm supporting a small and deserving business. This place has certainly evolved over the years, and I can't exactly pinpoint how much their menu has changed, but their all-star drinks are the cappuccino slush, the mango slush, and I also really like the strawberry milk tea. I usually order the milk tea with 2 flavors mixed in - so my go-to combo is strawberry rose. I haven't had the mango slush in years (I've converted to milk teas), but when I used to drink it, it came with cute little mango jellies that were shaped like stars and it made the drink so fun and delicious - I hope they're still doing that! Also don't skip out on the popcorn chicken here - it's super good. read more

Beef chow fan 1000/10! Thai tea boba 10/10! Egg rolls 4/10 (too fried and thick) but overall delicious, yummy food! Would definitely come back. read more

We love boba cafe, specifically the popcorn fish fried rice. We come here almost weekly and appreciate the consistency. Egg rolls are also really good here. It's nice that they are open pretty late, so we can fulfill our cravings anytime. read more

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Boba drinks are mediocre. The popcorn chicken was raw inside. Not a good place to study.

This tiny place really have a very good food. I've never tried Kung Pao Chicken as good as theirs. Beef chow fan is good too. read more

Boba Cafe - Kungpao chicken - Bubble Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

Pros: open late when everything else in the UV is closed. Busy, but not too busy, lots of late night foodies. Fish fried rice was good. Good service, nice and polite. Cons: my popcorn chicken was undercooked and some pieces were still pink in the middle. read more

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