Such a cute little spot in downtown San Diego, and hands down the best açai bowls in town. I can confidently say that because I've officially tried every single flavor they have, and not one misses. Everything tastes fresh, perfectly balanced, and not overly sweet. Bonus obsession: their brown sugar matcha It's my absolute favorite, so smooth, rich, and comforting. This place is now a go-to whether I'm craving something refreshing or a cozy drink. Highly recommend if you're anywhere near downtown! read more

Came here for tea and a place to sit to drink. There was a Mac who kept walking in and out of the cafe with a cigar. Unpleasant smell filled the small cafe been the windows were open. Worker didn't seem to mind. Eventually he went outside. read more

Bon Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for comic con and it wasn't too busy on a Friday. I got the Flamingo smoothie and it was soooooo good. Usually I don't get smoothies because they are either too sweet or too bitter. This one was just right. I loved the blend of strawberries, pineapple, and dragon fruit. The staff were quick with our drinks and nice. The ambiance was nice as well and the music was chill. Cool interior and hangout spot. Coming back soon! Highly recommend for smoothies and açaí bowls!!!!!! read more

Bon Cha - Flamingo smoothie - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Jazz music, cute cafe. I was shocked that the tea itself which is $7 doesn't come with boba so it's an extra $1.25 plus tax - almost $9!!! I get that $7 is the new price but that usually includes boba. The cafe is cute and open late, which is a nice plus. The boba itself was just ok but they did have lavender which I rarely see at bubble tea places read more

Stop by this cute little hole in the wall coffee shop. It was a really quaint and cozy place. I really needed some creamy Boba right after a spicy meal. The waitress at the front was so nice. She explained all the different drinks to us which I really appreciated so that we knew exactly what we would get. She even offered to give us a slight taste of one of it so we knew exactly what to get. This type of hospitality and Customer Service goes a long way. It was definitely a great choice of the drink. I got it with the mango pearls, which gave it an extra sweet taste as she explained. It's definitely something I would go back to. read more

Bon Cha - Drink - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Cute ambiance!! Board games make for a fun hang out spot with friends! The Bon Cha Acai was DELICIOUS! Perfect for the hot weather read more

Bon Cha - Bon Cha Açaí Bowl - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I was in desperate need of some milk tea. I wasn't gonna travel far out of the Gas Lamp District. Thankfully I found Bon Cha! I was pleased to see how late it would be open until. A lot of places in this district is open late. I wish San Francisco could be like that! I walked in at night to see a nice place. There's a good amount seating. The menu is clear and easy to read. The person at the register was pleasant. I ordered a brown sugar milk tea with boba. The liquid itself was wonderful. The boba did taste a little old though. But I still consumed all of it! Overall, not bad of a place! read more

Bon Cha is one of the limited options in downtown if you are craving a bubble tea. The suite was just west of the Gaslamp Quarter but for all intents and purposes, it's a part of the Gaslamp. There's a passenger loading zone in front of the business for drop-offs, however if you are seeking parking, then good luck with the hunt for a metered spot. The inside had ten small round top tables for seating and four more outside in front of the entrance. Two menu screens hung behind the service counter. The left one listed the beverages while the right one displayed the food offerings that consisted of acai bowls, bagels, and sourdough toasts. Milk teas and flavored teas came in a 24 oz serving for $6.25. Toppings ranged from $1 to $1.25 each. It surprised me that regular boba pearls were priced at the higher amount because this was the only place I have visited in which that topping incurred a surcharge of greater than $1. My selection was a Mango Green Tea with 50% ice and 100% sugar. I passed on the boba pearls because I had not eaten dinner yet and did not want to feel full from ingesting them. The drink quality was so-so as the tea flavor wasn't strong while the sweetness was fine. The ambiance was quiet with one other customer seated during my visit. If you are looking for a bubble tea while downtown, then Bon Cha can meet that need. read more

See all

Forgot to take pictures! But really loved it tbh , Imo I like this shop when it comes to the boba way more than the other ones. I tried the Hokkaido with boba and oreo bits, it was DELICIOUS. Will for sure be coming back to try out the açaí bowls next !. The service is really awesome too and we even asked a little of recommendation and it was not disappointing!. It's a really nice cozy place and even for a coffee date you can go!. One of the best parts is they are open late AND if you're inside I love the fact that they have little board games or even tic tac toe, jenga, or connect four for you to play either while you wait or spend some time in there read more

Bon Cha - Inside - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I ordered a berry smoothie and it was absolutely delicious !!! Service was on point and I cannot wait to come back to try an acai bowl. Thank you!! read more

Great hours - open late. Great location: right outside the hustle and bustle and the chaos of the bar and restaurant scene ... a great respite. The service is polite and fast. They boast a good variety of choices - the hot drinks are really great. It's a great place to sit and get some work done - which, unfortunately, will eventually be too well-known a secret - but the business deserves a hat tip for what it has going for it. read more

Bon Cha Boba is a gem. Derin went above and beyond helping me pick the perfect boba, breaking things down and making spot-on recommendations. You can tell he actually cares about the experience, not just taking an order. The drinks were top-tier, fresh, balanced, and exactly what I was in the mood for. Add in genuinely great customer service and a welcoming vibe, and this place is an easy favorite. I'll definitely be back. read more

Bon Cha - Classic milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Honestly kinda disappointed.. was out a little late with my sister and decided let's go get a "sweet treat" just happen to come across this place on Apple Maps such a pretty boba shop very cozy and cute for pictures. I ordered a Thai Tea w/ boba and a biscoff cookie and my sister ordered a strawberry matcha w/ boba and a açaí bowl. Cookie and the bowl tasted good.. now the drinks very very disappointed my Thai tea tasted just like milk no Thai tea flavor boba was kinda hard and didn't have a pleasant taste to it and my sisters wasn't any better the strawberry was just too overpowering didn't taste any matcha flavor in there and same as my other drink the boba was just not tasty. I don't know if it's due to being there an hour before closing and maybe the girl just wanted to clean up and go home which I get it was late but the drinks where just not worth it especially for it being a "boba shop" read more

See all

Bon Cha is located in downtown San Diego - a bit difficult to navigate through this area. Parking is a bit hit or miss in this area as well - we parked on the street nearby (paid parking). Only 1 customer ahead of us, but we were not even given a simple acknowledgement while waiting at the front counter. Definitely not the best service - the employee working was not that friendly or welcoming. I ordered a jasmine milk tea with boba. There was a good floral jasmine tea taste to the drink. The milk tea had a decent creaminess, which I like, but it was super gritty, which I did not like. The boba texture was a bit a hard as well. Just a decent drink, but a bit pricey for what it is for about $8. read more

I will say the matcha was pretty decent! I typically like boba pearls to be sweet and these ones were bland and not covered in any syrup, which threw me off. Plenty of seating available inside but honestly wish we waited outside because there was a funny stench inside the place. Come to find out it also doubles as a lounge at night so makes sense why the smell was so off putting. Personally wouldn't want to come here again. read more

Bon Cha - Matcha with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

In a nutshell; not the most appealing place and the boba isn't anything great, but if you need to satiate a craving for boba this place is alright, ordering take out is best. Got here just as they opened and unfortunately there was a homeless person rather sitting by the entrance which kind of makes you hesitate but nonetheless the employees were nice enough to still welcome their customers. The place did not seem to have air conditioners so if you choose to hang out here , do take note of that. The games are classic ones, chess/checkers, scrabble and nothing really modern. The couches/benches made me hesitate to sit at them at first as there were very visible big holes on them. Nonetheless I brushed those off and enjoyed my ok boba. Overall ok place but not what the top of my list of places to go to. read more

Bon Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Two stars because boba was indeed provided to me for nearly $10 including tip, but might have been the most disappointing boba I have consumed. Thought about just not consuming it, but hey, I paid $10 so I better enjoy as much as I can manage. I think this is more of a review of the city of San Diego for having shit options for boba (read: nearly non existent to the point a hookah bar that happens to sell boba is the ONLY place I can obtain some on a Sunday afternoon). Edit to respond to owner: indeed, I was not forced to purchase anything or to tip. I don't think I implied either of those things. I did purchase a drink of my own free will and am telling others about my experience: the business does provide boba, but it's not good. If the establishment is no longer a hookah bar, I suggest the owner changes the POS coding so credit cards don't tell the customer they purchased boba from "SMOKINN LOUNGE" (see photo) read more

Bon Cha - Screenshot of purchase notification - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

The service was fine, and the employee who helped me was polite. I stopped by on a Saturday around 4:30 p.m., and there was no wait. It was a bit disappointing that the restroom was out of order during my visit. I ordered the passion fruit green tea with boba and found both the tea and the boba to be lacking flavor. At $10.50, I personally didn't feel the drink was worth the price, especially with so many other boba options available. That said, the menu looked interesting, and I'd be willing to come back and try something else in the future. read more

Great little cafe downtown, especially if you're a student! Definitely get the tiramisu, and their coffee blend is really good too. I come here to study quite often since it's close to me. The place always feels really cozy and welcoming, especially compared to a lot of places downtown where you feel like you're being ushered out the second you've got what you ordered lol. Would definitely recommend if anyone needs a place w/ really good drinks and snacks to get some school work done. read more

Amazing place for hang out. Superb service! Their Boba tea is out of this world. A must visit place :) read more

See all

My daughter's favorite Boba spot for an after school treat! Brown sugar milk tea with Boba and lychee add in!

Y'all need to try the brown sugar milk tea, it is soooooooo flavorful and if you want to try it, add some lychee jelly to it, the flavor is incredibly good. The service is quick and fast and the owners are always so kind to me. Love the vibe inside, when you go take the time to look at the artwork inside, it's so cute! read more

On December 20th I visited and I loved the boba shop. The lady who made my drink that night at around 11:30 pm made my drink really good. I came back January 26 at around 8:45 ish pm. It wasn't busy. But the girl seemed like she was in a hurry. I ordered lavender milk tea. At first it tasted ok. But after sipping a bit it was just pure cold. Couldn't taste any milk. It was like watered down. The boba was cold too usually it's supposed to be served warm or atleast room temp.. I asked her to remake my drink I thought it tasted better. But when I got outside it was the same thing. I was too embarrassed to go back again and ask for a refund or remake. I'd rather have someone else make the drink.. If you look at these two photos and compare the dec 20 boba drink looks better than last night and it's darker it was perfect ratio of milk and tea.. the way she was rushing it only took her like 30 seconds to "make the milk tea".. vs when i went in dec 20 the girl took her time and it took like a minute for the drink to come but it was great that night. I think the girl from last night needs more training or should just stay a cashier. it's also a bummer the upstairs isn't open. It seems like a nice space that can be used for customers. I thought this would be my new favorite boba shop but after my second visit I'm not sure anymore. read more

Bon Cha - Yummy drink - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

The drinks and boba are a no. Bland. Customer service is lacking. I knew it was a bad spot for boba when I walked in but it was walkable from where we went for dinner. read more

Absolutely loved this place! The coffee was delicious and their breakfast options were so good. Perfect spot to start the day read more

Bon Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Great açaí bowls and boba tea downtown. Convenient location and hours. Go to place on way to Padres games.

FOOD - Mango Milk Tea with Boba: this is probably the worst milk tea I've ever had. It tasted watery and it didn't have the mango flavor. My daughter who loves boba wouldn't drink it. 1/5 - Bubble Waffle: my waffle was burnt and not edible. I didn't see it until I got back to the hotel. I was astounded that this was served. It went straight to the trash can. What a waste of money and ingredients. 0/5 SERVICE: We ordered 1 tea and 1 waffle. We waited at least 10 minutes. There was only 1 other person before us. 1/5 FINAL THOUGHTS: I'm never coming back here. The boba was not good and the waffle was burnt. read more

Bon Cha - Mango milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

worst thai tea i've ever had. they used expired milk, wasted $8 and waited for 10 minutes. edit for the owners response: non-dairy creamer can expire. so you know nothing about food. also i waited 10 minutes. it was timed as i was doing a timed task on my phone at the same time. thanks for the feedback but please refrain from lying on Yelp. read more

Was surprise it was in a hookah bar, but the service was good and fast. The drink was well made and enjoy it! I was craving boba and was lucky to find this place. Def the brown sugar was a little sweet for my taste. But it was still good. Would def go back. read more

Bon Cha - Brown sugar milk tea Mango tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

There has been multiple times I've tried going into this business and ordering and they are closed although the sign says 10am. I went back another day and they were completely out of most things , we had no choice but to leave and get drinks/food elsewhere. I just went in , The lady who is usually there just screamed at me for wanting to place and order but she was busy and said she needs 15 mins. I said ok no problem and she gave me a dirty look then saying sorry, no and kept shaking her head pointing at the four guests in the shop. She said she's too busy and insinuated I leave. I left in shock. Needless to say I won't be trying this place again. The service is terrible. And the boba is extremely inconsistent. Hopefully other people have a better experience read more

Tried this place during my trip to San Diego and was craving boba after lunch so decided to check this place out. There are variety of flavored options and I decided to get honeydew. The flavor was somewhat bland to me but i liked the fact that it was not as sweet as other place at least. If you are near by, come check this place out! read more

Bon Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I came across this place on my lunch time and definitely do not recommend. There was one guy working and the was not friendly nor did he greet us. When tasting the drinking, the boba was warm and definitely through me off. The boba was gross and slimy. read more

Writing this as someone who would appreciate genuine reviews and nothing against the business itself. Coming far from orlando florida, this got to be one of the most bland, powdered-tasting boba. Not that I had any expectations, we ate dinner down the block and was looking for something sweet, but this just didn't hit the spot unfortunately. read more

Amazing, super glad to find boba so early in the morning before I caught my flight. Got a jasmine green tea with a splash of peach, regular boba balls. Perfect amount of sweetness and was crisp and fresh. Cafe is cute, owner was nice and prompt! read more

Bon Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Horrible milk tea. I ordered a 25% sugar milk tea, it's still extremely sweet. It tastes nothing like tea, or milk. It's just sugar water. I took one sip and tossed it! read more

Stopped in here for a smoothie. Got the mango pineapple smoothie. We stayed for about 45 mins just chillin and talking. Seating area is distressed all around. Worker was nice and welcoming. Overall a pleasant hang out. nothing more nothing less read more

New tea spot for meeeee! I was super excited when I saw Bon Cha pop up as I was looking for an afternoon sip. I like boba but I don't want to go too far to get it. Plus they're available to order through Doordash and UberEats. The cool thing about these kinds of tea spots is you can pretty much customize the hell out of your drink. You can adjust the sweetness level, choose how much ice, and select the boba variety for your drink. I've never been one for all that be it a coffee or tea shop, so I just ask for it standard. My Bon Cha order- Brown Sugar Milk Tea, large, regular ice, 100% sweetness, with coffee jelly, and the sea salt cream topping was perfect. It's very tasty. Too tasty really. I just had one, and yet here I am waiting for the next delivery to arrive. For me the 100% sweetness is the perfect level coupled with that salt cream top. Perfect amount of ice, like it's gone before I finish the drink, but the drink is still chilled and on the thicker side of liquids. VERY SCIENTIFIC reviewing over here. They also offer acai bowls, smoothies, bubble waffles, coffee cake, and other drinks to suit your preferences. I'll have to order an acai bowl soon, for science and to upgrade my review, but for now I'm enjoying the beverages. While normally I feel bad just ordering a drink, this boba shop, unlike most of them around town, is close to my work place. And, as an exceptionally extra special perk- it's open late! As you can see in pics Bon Cha shares space with a hookah lounge. I get it. Boba and hookah can coexist in this economy! Gotta pay those high SD rent rates. I love that I can get a tasty drink well into my evening shift! So far I'm still ordering before 6 pm, but you never know when the need for a bubble waffle will arise. Between the teas and the smoothies, I'm definitely looking forward to warmer months of cold & chewable drinks from Bon Cha. read more

Bon Cha - Brown sugar milk tea (with coffee jelly and sea salt cream added) - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

It was so watered down and the boba is $1.25 and it was not the right quality at all. Could not even taste the powder. Never again.

Unfriendly, cold atmosphere, tried to get change to tip in cash and was practically shooed out. Def purchased items that caused an extreme stomach ache. read more

On a late night when the craving for boba was real, I was shocked to see this was the only spot for boba in downtown that was open late. There's really no advertisement outside that it's boba on their street that's pretty dark and empty. Inside, it's a hookah lounge on one side with tables on the other. It was pretty dimly lit and there was no one at the counter when I walked in until one of the seated from the group smoking walked up. It was pretty confusing and already made me feel like the boba was out of place. I ordered just the basic brown sugar milk tea and strawberry milk tea with boba and for the price I paid I was extremely disappointed. I could even hear them preparing it and it was just like they had it premade and just poured a LOT of milk. The brown sugar was at least sweet but the strawberry was so artificial and milky I couldn't finish it. The boba texture and flavor were not good either. After that experience I won't be going back. read more

Bon Cha - Strawberry milk tea (front) and Brown sugar milk tea (back) - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Diego, California