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    Cha For Tea - University Center

    3.8 (2.1k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Cha For Tea - University Center Takeout or Delivery

    Cha For Tea - University Center Photos

    Business Info

    CHA FOR TEA - UNIVERSITY CENTER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Helen Y.

    The drinks are pretty decent here. I got the peach green milk tea and the almond black milk tea with bobas. The bobas was nice and chewy. I got the drink less sweet and the amount of sweeteners was perfect. Had I came here before ordering food prior, I would have been down to get their combo food deal where it comes with a boba drink. The price was reasonable and the service was quick. Place looks clean and inviting. They have small seating area inside but plenty of outdoor seating with the nice weather.

    Phuonganh P.

    Solid spot for boba!! Although I only really ever get 2 drinks here--honey green milk tea and mango green tea, both with boba!!! LOVE that you can order online

    Melissa C.

    Delicious drinks at great prices! Cha for Tea is typically my last stop when I'm visiting my daughter. Our favorite is the mango green tea. I recently tried their honey green milk tea at the little tasting station and now I leave with not one but two drinks! As with most tea shops, you can adjust the level of sweetness. The employees are friendly - open late, fast service.

    Jamie M.

    This place is so good. We got the extra spicy crispy chicken appetizer. It's a good amount for just $5.75! We also like getting the almond milk tea too. We noticed ordering from their website is much faster since lines can be insanely long. They offered many self-serve samples at the front by the register. It was a nice treat after waiting so long in line. The next time we visited, we did an online order. I saw on the online ordering that you can pick from their standard crushed ice or cubed ice. I'll try their cubed ice next time because I don't think I like crushed ice for boba drinks haha. Their sweet and sour sauce is an additional $0.20 charge, but it's pretty good! It looks and tastes different than most popcorn chicken places.

    Outside
    Stella W.

    my GO TO boba spot in OC due to quality & price & location. food/drink: I ALWAYS get the Honey Green Milk Tea with boba. each and every time I've visited (20+ times over the years) the boba is alway Q (chewy, perfect, warm) and the tea is the same sweet tasty quality as the last. I've never been disappointed. PLUS before toppings, a large is under $5... where can you find this nowadays for this size and quality service: standard, nothing special or bad. ambiance: the outside area is nicer than the inside. inside needs a renovation but it's a standard looking boba shop. inside & outside both have more than enough seating. good area to walk around too. parking: SO much parking.

    Elisa N.

    CHA FOR TEA @ UC Irvine's University Center As a student, I was wowed on how close this was to UC Irvine's campus! My friend brought me here in the center telling me how amazing the boba here is. Parking is free for 2 hours and there is plenty of space in the lot. This place is my favorite, during my time in Irvine with my friend's family, I came here all three days straight, no joke and got the same thing. Their best seller Mango Green Tea with boba. It is FANTASTIC, and I cannot rave more about the pricing and how fresh their boba is. The price is no argument, with it only be less than $6 a drink, it's amazing. The service is great, there is samples for you to try and the workers are always kind and get your order so fast! The ambiance is bright and clean, so I'd highly recommend stopping by, this is by far my favorite place.

    Quinn K.

    love cha for tea!! such a great spot in university center and the drinks are super tasty!! i love the lychee green tea with jellies

    Inside
    Grace F.

    Outstanding experience and boba here. Upon entering they have a stand where you can sample some of their best selling drinks. This was a great way to try before committing to an entire drink. They have an extensive menu with many toppings to chose from and their prices are very reasonably priced. I ordered the lychee green tea with light ice and it was around $5 for a really great size. The drink wasn't too sweet, but if you prefer it less sweet you can also order it with 50% sugar as well. The location is in a very vibrant complex right on UC Irvine campus so it was nice being around a college campus and seeing it so lively. I would highly recommend this place to friends if you're in the area and looking for boba!

    Large mango green tea w/ boba
    Reine N.

    Came here around 3PM with a group of friends and the line wasn't too bad at all. We probably waited about 5-7 minutes before placing our order. I was craving something refreshing so I went with the mango green tea w/ boba. While you're waiting in line, they have pitchers of some of their top drinks along with small sample cups. I tried the warm almond milk tea and the mango green tea - the almond milk tea tasted a bit too similar to almond jello for my taste. The mango green tea was solid, just a bit sweet, so I opted for 75% sweetness for my drink. The boba had a nice chewy consistency and the mango green tea was the perfect drink for a warm day. Will definitely return to Cha for Tea if I'm in the Irvine area again!

    Iced Almond Milk Tea
    Winn H.

    Nearly 15 years later, and I still find myself coming back to this GOAT every time I visit Irvine! What's to like about Cha for Tea? Well, for starters, it's easily accessible from UCI, and... those free samples! You know a cafe is great when they offer free samples; it's the quite, unspoken "Yes, we know we're good" that gets me. What's impressive? Their almond milk tea! You'll know a place is good when they can make a refreshing almond milk tea; very few places can do this right! (iykyk) It's the perfect blend of nuttiness and sweetness (I prefer lightly sweet.) In summer, I get this iced, and in winter hot... both versions are equally amazing. Of course, they have a variety of other remarkable drinks such as mango green tea, but almond is by far my favorite. They usually have a few up to try while in line, so sample as much as you'd like! I also enjoy their lighting and shelves of product. The bright wood showcases all their teas and accessories - why yes, I'd love to take some home, but I know that this will send me into another financially unsustainable hobby... may the next time though!

    popcorn chicken
    Lynn L.

    ORDER popcorn chicken (3/5) mango green tea (4/5) the price here is unbeatable, but you pay for what you get. the popcorn is tasty, but the portion always catches me off guard since the bag is filled maybe 1/3 of the way... but again you pay for what you get. the sauce here has a light flavor and the consistency is super thick. sauce is an additional fee. the drinks here are pretty good and well priced. my favorite is the mango green tea (they usually have a sample of this). i get mine less sweet with boba. ive tried the green milk tea here as well and its also good. i always come back since the price is so good. SERVICE super quick service even if there's a line + you can order online AMBIANCE spacious inside, but usually busy. plenty of parking!

    Passion fruit cooler
    Kim I.

    Nestled in the UCI campus, I had no complaints about the service, especially the cashier he was very friendly. And it's very well lit inside as well as plenty of seating to do as you wish. The issue was just how artificial the boba drink tasted. My husband used to work at lollicup back in the day and even he said all they used was powder and syrup mixtures. I did used to love Cha but I think now that I've tried other boba spots that you can tell they have made their teas from scratch. My passion fruit cooler was just incredibly sweet that I couldn't finish it after a few sips. If you are looking for just a quick sugar fix then this is your place.

    Roasted Brown Sugar Milk Latte (Large), one with the orange straw
    Anna A.

    First off, my order was ready in under two minutes. I was shocked lol. I got their roasted brown sugar milk latte and it was so good! The prices are actually very reasonable as well!

    Organic Jasmine Green Tea, (Large)

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    2 months ago

    Very yummy boba. Prices were very yummy. The wait was very quick and awesome. Drinks came out very fast. It was very yummy. Yum yum yum

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    2 months ago

    Fast wait time, delicious drink, good prices, but hot as hell inside. Customer service was amazing.

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    Cha For Tea - University Center Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cha For Tea - University Center

    Can I purchase an e gift card?

    Hi Dorothy, Thank you for your inquiry regarding Cha Gift Certificates. I'm pleased to inform you… Read more

    In the online ordering system, why can't I add the lychee green/black tea to my care combo? The option seems to have been removed when selecting a drink for the combo.

    Hi Michael, Thank you for reaching out and providing us your feedback.… Read more

    Did they stop serving food entrees??? Just appetizers now?

    Yes, the Woodbridge location offers entrees if you're willing to drive a few minutes.

    Is this a good place to study?

    Most customers come here to hang out.

    View All 6 Questions

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    First time at OMOMO. Finally got to try this place after seeing so many posts & reels on Instagram…read more There was a small line inside. Waited about 10 mins for my drink. I ordered the Omomo Matcha & I got it 50% sweet. It's a delicious matcha blended drink with that swirly goodness. The matcha flavor was balanced very well with the sweet creme. The sweetness was just right for me. This drink is definitely a must-try. Ambiance of this location was small & the restrooms are closed to the public.

    2 words..PINEAPPLE ALICE!!! Lol If you haven't stopped by your local OMOMO recently, I highly…read moresuggest that you make a trip because their seasonal drinks right now are FIRE! I legit am on my second day (in a row..don't judge me) of stopping by to order the pineapple Alice. I love me some pineapple & coconut any day, so this drink was a winning combo for me. In a nutshell, it's Greek yogurt blended with fresh pineapple, and topped with their house-made coconut whip. First time I got 50% sweetness level, which is good, but being a fruity smoothie, I would have preferred it a lil sweeter, thus 2nd time around, I learned my lesson and got 80%..and it was perfect! Trust..it wasn't overly sweet at all. It was dreamy heaven. Thankfully, this Irvine-Walnut Village plaza location didn't have a crazy wait/line when I stopped by today around 3ish pm, on route to pick up my daughter from school. The store was clean, w/ minimalistic neutral decor..loved the chill aesthetic vibe. Service was great and efficient. OMOMO is highly recommended by this RxFoodie (and my 2nd fav boba shoppe in OC still), so def go check it out and become addicted like ME!

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    Sharetea - QQ Happy Family Milk Tea

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    4.2(233 reviews)
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    Great boba spot near UCI. My favorite is their signature drink the QQ Happy Family Milk Tea,…read moreclassic black milk tea with boba, mini boba, red bean, herb jelly, pudding, and lychee jelly. Love all the textures and the milk tea is soooo good, they use brown sugar as a sweetener. The employees here are very nice, mainly use the kiosk to order, so interaction is limited, but they are nice either way. The spot is modern and minimalistic, clean, nice, open and airy. Seats inside and outside. Great spot to hang out after shopping around the area. The prices here are pretty good, not too expensive and all the stuff you get in the QQ Happy Family Milk Tea is a great value compared to other Boba places, recommend you try it. Download the app to earn points and earn rewards. Enjoy!

    Good ambiance, you order from a kiosk and it's out in a few minutes. I come here often if I really…read moreneed to sit down and get some work done. It's not as busy as Cha, and way more expensive (all their drinks are in the $6.5-8 ballpark), but they do the fancy stuff where Cha serves simple teas. It's pretty good, I think of this in the same vein as an ice-cream place. Honestly, they need a little more shade around the building as half of their indoor seats are hostile on sunny days, but it's a nice little spot if you're craving some dessert. I really like a lot of their drinks. It's fancy, and if you get it at 30% sweetness all the toppings can be sweet on their own. They have a citrus drink with grapefruit and crystal boba that I get all the time, it's really delicious. I also like their strawberry and vanilla ice-cream blended drink. Right now in April 2026, they have halo-halo based specials up. Those are also really, really good. Come here for a sweet treat!

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    Cha For Tea - University Center - coffee - Updated May 2026

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