I don't understand the racist comments. I am a brown Asian lady and the Asian lady in the front was nice. She did hurry me but I know that's how people work. I got the number 12, a throat tea. I was hot, because if the weather, so I did get it iced. Despite the tea being cold, it did help my throat from the sore throat I have been dealing with. What I wish she would have told me was that it has boba included. I'm glad to have found a tea place that doesn't consist of it being a boba shop, masquerading as a tea shoppe. read more

CK Cafe - #12 throat tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

This tea shop's atmosphere is quaint, cozy, fun, and feels very much like a co-op (from the entrance and the tea-sipping area). The entrance is a little hard to spot as it's not like a typical store front, it's more of a hut, with straw walls that you need to identify to go in. The outdoors section is covered by an awning and the indoor tea-sipping area has deep set couch-like chairs. Several events are hosted here like poetry readings, and it's lovely to see the community that shows up here. The selection of tea is very fun to shop through--there are different sections like medicinal to mood-based teas (I've uploaded a few that I found quirky and delightful). You can buy a packet of the tea leaves, or find the flavor you want and then tell the counter who'll brew up a cup for you (hot or cold). My gripe here (and why I removed a star) is that they don't explain what the notes/composition of the tea are, and when I asked the server, he said he didn't know either (which felt odd given how expansive this tea shop is). I recommend parking anywhere in the Claremont village and then walking over, as it's a little hidden and few spaces in the lot adjacent to it. read more

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I was having a rough day and was looking for a place to unwind and relax my mind. During my search this tea place came up. First it was very hard to find because it is located in an alley behind Some Crust in Claremont. When I walked in the ambiance was really quiet and peaceful. The tea display was set up so nicely. When I first walked in the lady at the counter was so rude. I mentioned I wanted a cup of loose leaf tea and she yelled at me "WHAT NUMBER". I mentioned I never been here before and if she could suggest a tea to relax my mind. She seemed frustrated and marched over to some teas and pointed at them. I ended up searching myself. Once I ordered she asked me if I wanted it hot or cold. I told her hot. I went to the restroom and came back to ask if my tea was done, she said "in a minute" . She had her had down reading something and she seemed as if I interrupted what she was doing. She mumbled under her breath and handed me my tea, which was COLD. I told her I asked for hot, to keep from going back and forth I said, "It is okay, I will take it". Overall the tea is good, but I won't be back. Especially after looking at the rest of the reviews. I don't care how good the product is. If the customer service sucks you lost me as a repeated customer. read more

CK Cafe - #122 Mind relaxing tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

Food and drinks have always been great, flavoring and affordability! Me and my friends have been paying customers for multiple years, but unfortunately, there's a lady in the front that was extremely rude towards my POC friends, which was super disheartening after coming for so long. read more

Such a cozy spot in Claremont! I tried the Peach Blossom tea and highly recommend it. Watching the tea bloom in the cup is a beautiful experience, and it tastes just as good as it looks. Will definitely be back. read more

CK Cafe - Peach blossom tea. Pretty. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

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This was a unique experience a woman directed us on how to order! There was so much to choose from I grabbed a peach and Lilly blossom tea it was great iced with honey! My mother loved the environment everyone was so relaxed lots came in to lounge and socialize with their friends. read more

Terrible service , terrible " strawberry matcha " which came out BROWN no matcha in it or strawberry& was very rude the older man who was at the register. read more

Hidden gem! Never knew this place existed since it's tucked away! Plenty of outdoor and indoor seating. A huge range of teas that help with different things! Over 100 teas to pick from!! The woman in the front was super sweet! Will definitely be coming back! read more

CK Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

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Drinks are fine but one of the workers/owners is VERY pushy. I went with a group of friends to talk and out of the 4 of us only one had bought a drink since we had recently started talking/arrive. Suddenly the worker/owner came up to us interrupting our conversation saying we HAD to buy an item there, one item per person.... Obviously we were going to but it was just so weird for him to go out of his way to pressure us? During the rest of the night he just kept going to every table telling people they had to buy an item in order to stay. I understand things are expensive and business is probably low but by doing that it just makes guest uncomfortable and go to big chains like coffee bean instead... read more

Terrible service , no places to sit . Need more help. The owner was really rude to me and my friends .

RUDE! The tea was not good enough for me to return. From the first sentence we spoke the man treated us horribly. Even followed us to where we sat and harassed us for sitting where we did. Totally uncalled for. read more

The atmosphere is amazing. It's a very unique and quaint spot with an unparalleled selection of teas. The prices are fair, and it's a wonderful place for studying/reading! It really feels like a hidden gem in the area. read more

The tea selection is expansive. Had an ice tea and enjoyed it much. The portion was substancial. read more

CK Cafe - Hanging out chit chatting sipping on an iced tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

The woman at the register was so rude. I used to come a few years ago and I asked if they mixed teas and in a loud voice, she said 'no.' I asked if they used to do mix them and then she said she didn't speak English. read more

would recommend the tea from the jars. get it iced with honey. best thing you can get

Sadly, for the tea being so good, the guy with glasses that runs this place is super rude and honestly cold to talk to. Seems like the type of guy to curse you out if you don't leave a tip. I honestly just didn't like the vibe but I'll always go back for the tea. read more

Tea selection is phenomenal! They always prepare drinks perfectly the way you ask. Also, the inside is cozy. You can smoke in the patio!

Cool, homey lil loose leaf tea spot hidden in Claremont for smokers and jokers alike. The tea selection is on point, they have something for every occasion. They have a couple employees that seem to all be from the same family--the older gentleman is definitely not gentle lol. So if you're sensitive to that, may not be the place for you, but I usually just give him some shit back and earn that respect back. They have Wi-Fi and patio, what more could you ask for? read more

CK Cafe - Happy tummy tea #29 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

I read these reviews right now just to see them updated since I had been coming here since high school. The new owner is super rude. Like beyond rude. I was asking him about the original owner & he talked to me like I'm stupid. I literally wanted to not pay or order anymore. There's no need for him to be so aggressive or rude. So sad this place went to shit since I've been coming here for years. read more

The feel of this place is very homey and comfortable; there's plenty of seating inside and even when you walk outside with your tea there's even MORE SEATING, it's like the place is inviting you to stay and pleading with you haha Authentic tea !!! Fun surprise in each cup :) Great for a friend date! read more

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Note that the shop is on the backside of a building! I could not find it off the street it's in the back parking lot. I really like this place, it's my first time there since moving to town. I don't agree with the other comments the shop owner is very nice and talkative. I was able to ask him various questions about the teas and have a conversation with him about bikes and he was neither rude nor cold. He informed me of upcoming events at the shop which was nice. Overall very pleasant experience and the number 85 in iced serving was delicious! I will definitely recommend this place to anyone in the area! read more

CK Cafe - This is the board with the months activities - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

I thought this tea place was interesting and cool. They have blooming teas which mean that a flower bloomed in your tea after it was hot enough. They have a wide variety of teas but a select few for the blooming ones. I tried the peach blossom with honey. I thought the tea flavor was average. It didn't wow me but I was very interested in the blooming flower. read more

CK Cafe - Peach blossom - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

0 stars if I could. Hospitality was HORRIBLE. We walked in & some older guy was working & didn't greet us. We had questions on a drink & he totally ignored us even though he was standing in front of us doing nothing. Then we asked for the wifi & all he did was point to a sign, no words even though he spoke good english. Then I was drinking my WATER from home & he said "no outside drinks", I said "not even water?" He said "the sign says no outside drinks" in such a rude tone then he started arguing with me. Don't even waste your money coming here. If you can't treat your customers with RESPECT then don't even bother working a job that deals with people. read more

Awesome cozy place to chill with friends or study. Great selection of tea with good prices. I've seen some reviews mention bad service but I've never had an issue. Calvin is always nice and he's really funny too. Just don't bring any outside food or drink and you'll be good. read more

This well hidden gem (and I mean hidden) is worth your trouble to find. They make some of the best teas around and it's a proper tea shop with more than 100 teas to chose from. I prefer the honey oolong (#73) and it's absolutely the best I've had this side of Taipei! read more

Giving this place one star. Let me start out by saying that my friend and I's experience started out rather well. We were smelling the teas in the jars that they have once you enter and finally decided on our teas. We got them Iced and added honey. The girl working the counter was patient and not rude at all. Smiled and told us our cold teas were going to be ready in five minutes. That's pretty quick! So my friend and I decided to look around and caught a cute corner table at the entrance. We sat down and started chatting it up with the intention of going in to grab our teas. A minute or two must have passed when an Asian guy wearing an apron passed by and asked us VERY rudely "DID YOU BUY SOMETHING?" & my friend said "yes. Two teas." And he continued to look at us as if we were doing something wrong. My friend proceeded to get up while saying "they must be ready now" and went to grab them. He proceeded to walk around the patio and visited another group that was sitting at the far end of the patio. When my friend came back he stated "we're they ready?" And she said "yes. You could have gotten them for us if you were so concerned if we bought something." At this point my friend was heated. He had approached us very rudely and with extreme attitude. Didn't apologize. When he proceeded to explain that he had just clocked in(still with attitude)... my friend then said "I'm not talking to you anymore. Thank you" and then he went to tell the cashier and we got kicked out. Teas were okay. Not bad. But if you're going to approach someone on the open patio outside your restaurant... maybe find out first if they bought something and not come up to customers rudely and with attitude. Will not be coming here again. read more

CK Cafe - a variety of spices in glass jars - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

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The owner was super combative and rude for no reason to my friend. Sucks because the tea was good. She simply asked for a recommendation and he shut her down very rudely. Insanely unprofessional behavior. read more

Visited after dinner, everything was just as before. The older woman who helped me was super nice and added extra honey to my tea because I like it sweet. This cafe has very small space so it's entitled for people to believe they can sit around for hours without purchasing anything- especially reviews who expect table service whilst their entire menu is at the front register. I honestly love this small family owned shop and it's a shame about the amount of stuck up people leaving bad reviews about their language barrier, it's racist. read more

CK Cafe - I got #6 the dragon blooming tea :) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

I have been coming here for years since I was was in college .. I invited my friend to come with me yesterday. She was visiting the area and it was her first time. As soon as we sat down to wait for our order a short Asian man started walking through the patio aggressively. He comes up to my friend and I, we are two young women of color. He then asked rudely if we bought anything. I said yes and went to go check on our drinks. They were ready. I come back to sit down with my friend with both drinks and he comes back to stare at us. I said if they were ready then why couldn't you just bring them to us.? It was very slow and we were the only table that was waiting on drinks. He then begins to shout that he hasn't clocked in yet. I said why that didn't matter to him when he came in policing drinks 2 minutes prior. He starts sputtering in anger and I say IM DONE TALKING TO YOU. He walks inside and has the lady cashier come out to the patio to tell us to leave. I asked her if he was the owner and she said yes. What a shame. $10 down the drain on a shitty business that looks like it's rotting from the inside out now. Dusty everywhere. And if the service is bad there's really no justification for coming back. read more

CK Cafe - Iced herbal tea with honey - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

I love CKs cafe! I've been coming here as a local for over a decade and every time it's the same welcoming aroma and ambiance as usual. It feels like home away from home. My favorite tea is the peach blooms but i highly recommend any of the teas especially if you're feeling under the weather. They never fail to make you feel like a normal regular customer which I appreciate but there is a sense of respect that should be honored with cleaning up and thanks to the host. It's always been a kept secret thanks to the turn over at the Pomona colleges but I think if people stayed longer it would definitely be a certified staple of the Claremont community despite it's contribution to new college students ever few years. My only downside would be shared bathrooms with a Mexican restaurant, although I will say I have NEVER in my 14 years of coming here felt like the smell was bad in those bathrooms. It's more of a space issue if anything with 24oz of tea on your diaphragm. read more

They will make you put away sandwich or soda from any outside establishment. They will make one exception if you bring food from their restaurant up the street. No organic tea options if you're looking out for harsh micro-plastics read more

CK Cafe - Multiple people on shift, contamination hazard - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

The only reason im giving this place one star is because of the teas but the new owner is extremely rude! Since my friend and I walked in, he spoke to us like if we were stupid but with other people he was so nice! Horrible horrible service! I wish I would of seen the reviews of the new owner before I went to study there. read more

This is not a boba place... it's a tea house. Get your pudding somewhere else. The guy working tonight was very kind and helpful, I see the many bad reviews but this was completely opposite of my experience. My boyfriend has been coming here since high school and I finally convinced him to take me! The tea selection is amazing!! So many to chose from it's difficult! Tea was great ordered the peach blossoming. One iced and one hot read more

CK Cafe - Small portion of tea selection - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

Took my friends here for a first time experience last night and was expecting it to be really great. Unfortunately the angry little old man at the counter had the RUDEST attitude My gf and I are trying to order at the counter and this man is cutting us off , talking over us , raising his voice at us for not understanding how we're supposed to order (since it was our first time) I hope this place shuts down because someone so hateful like him isn't going to last long in his business Don't waste your money or energy on this soul sucking place read more

CK Cafe - three jars of diarrine on a counter - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

Worker on August 28th at 10:00 PM was hostile to a girl for apparently no reason. I was sitting inside and saw the worker talking to costumers outside and the girl grabbed a cup to pour her tea to go and the owner came in hostile and started yelling at her to not reach behind the counter when the cups were IN FRONT of the counter. She was extremely polite the whole time and kept apologizing and the man kept yelling at her for reaching behind the counter. I will not be coming back to an establishment where the workers act like that towards costumers, it was extremely uncomfortable and disrespectful to observe. read more

When a friend told me about this place as a good studying spot, I came to check it out as soon as I could. Now, my friends and I visit regularly. It is usually quiet, even when there's a bit more people sitting in the area, and many people are working. If you sit inside, it's quieter than outdoor seating and you can be away from any potential smokers sitting outside. Since the shop is mainly a tea shop, blender use is infrequent. There's a decent amount of outlets indoors though could use a bit more, and I don't think there are any outdoors (but may be mistaken). Wifi is fast enough. I really like the teas here. There's a wide variety from green, Japanese green teas, black, decaf, white, and even flowering teas and teas that have targeted medicinal uses (e.g., sore throat, etc). My faves are getting a Japanese green or a green tea, iced, with a bit of honey. I do think the tea can be a bit pricey... this order usually costs $4.25. I do agree with some reviews that the decor could use some updating, and it takes some maneuvering around the tables and chairs because they take up a lot of space. But with delicious tea, ample seating, and a quiet environment for studying, that's already pretty great in my book. read more

This is going to be a long experience but it's worth the read to know what you're getting into. This was truly the worst customer service experience of my life. I will not be returning. 0/10, do not recommend. If I could rate this place 0 stars, I would. I never leave reviews but I have never been treated this way at an establishment. This happened on 9/9/2024. My friend and I found this place on Apple Maps & didn't know you had to buy something to be there. Not even 5 minutes after sitting in outside seating, the manager Calvin came out with a horrible attitude / tone asking us, "can I help you?". We proceeded to ask him why he was so angry and he said we were breaking his rules by sitting there with outside drinks (IT WAS ICE WATER) . We kept a respectful tone and he just continued to berate us and told us to leave as he walked back into the cafe. A customer sitting outside told us that this is Calvin's usual behavior and that he had been kicked out himself before as well. We packed up our things to leave but I wasn't going to leave without speaking to him. We entered the actual cafe and walked towards the counter and I took a kind approach & warmly said "Hi, I feel like we started off on the wrong foot, my name is Ashley, what's yours?". He rudely told me his name. I told him I felt he disrespected us outside and that is not how to speak to customers. He spoke very condescendingly and said we weren't his customers and basically told us to f-ck off. During the back and forth, he yelled and said "how would you feel if I came into your house and did whatever the f-ck I wanted?". That statement was questionable considering we had done absolutely nothing but walk into his establishment and sit down. I stated that one day someone might not be as chill as we are trying to be about the situation and he proceeded to say "so what you guys are threatening me? you want to kill me?". That statement shocked us further because we never said or insinuated such a thing. Anyways, we eventually just walked out because he's a very irrational, unreasonable man who can't be spoken to. This same night, we walked to an ice cream shop nearby and mentioned the situation to an employee and he stated that he and many locals are aware of Calvin's disrespectful and condescending behavior towards customers. He also agreed with how unfortunate it is that Calvin can't really be reported to anyone since he is the manager. Calvin, if you're reading this, I hope you find peace & therapy for whatever you have gone through or are currently going through. read more

Honestly the guy who runs the place had me at hello, we joked about my girlfriend urinating on me to mark her territory, literally the most welcome I've felt , like my weirdness found a home ... I love this place to study, good WiFi , highly recommend. read more

I have so many check-ins to CK Cafe. I clearly have a soft spot for this place despite their shortcomings. Time for a Star increase!! This hidden gem in the Claremont Village is a great spot for students to come by for tea and study. You can get hot tea, cold tea or even tea bags to-go. With wifi and a decent amount of tables and outlet, this was one of the places I would come to study way way way back in the days. My favorite item at CK Cafe are the blooming teas. When my friends are in the area, this is one of the 'cool' places I like to take them. I have actually tried a majority of them to see the different variations of the blooming tea, but my favorite is still the iced Peach & Lily tea with honey. In addition to the pretty blooming teas, they also have jars of Chinese herbal teas labeled with the positive health effects. Recently when I was feeling under the weather, I bought a few tea bags of the "Headache Relief" that aids sinus congestion. That herbal tea was legit!! I felt a lot better after one batch. I will be sure to come back for other teas in the future whenever I am not feeling well. Whether you are looking for a place to enjoy a pretty flower blooming tea or a healthy herbal tea, CK Cafe is a great spot!! read more

CK Cafe - wide variety of tea to help or prevent with ailments - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California

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Y'all need to relax, CK's a small business run by immigrant Asians so of course they're not gonna be the most socially accommodating people--check your Eurocentric standards. I love this place, it's been my spot to catch up with friends or read and write for years. Their selection of tea is amazing, they are always efficient and timely, and the atmosphere is very peaceful and relaxing. I will say I doooo miss the ceramic mugs they'd bring hot drinks out before COVID. :,) read more

CK Cafe - Outside seating area - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Claremont, California