I am writing this as I sit at CK Cafe and there is not anywhere else that I'd rather be. A few common courtesy suggestions before you arrive: do not bring outside food or drink, do not loiter or linger (especially as a non-paying customer) and know what you want before you walk up to the counter. They have teas in jars. Each tea has a number. State the number, hot or cold or order off the menu. Enjoy the vibe. I love it here. read more

Wonderful tea cafe in Claremont. They are kind of hidden in the back as entrance is in the back parking area. The best part is they are open late. We came on a Sunday after dinner and wanted to grab some coffee. This was the only location open. They do serve coffee but tea is their thing. They have boba too and you can smell the loose teas first before deciding what you want. There is a wide variety plus teas for a purpose. I wanted a digestive aid tea which they had. It was great read more

CK Cafe - Inside cafe - 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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The owner or the guy that helped us is extremely rude seemed so over it like he hated what he was doing. Me and my friends were just trying to study and get some work done. Avoid this place. read more

Update: I did not make that review. My ex boyfriend Anthony Paul Bravo hacked my phone and he had made changes to my phone. He also had control of my devices at times. I'm so sorry for this review. I promise it wasn't me. Last time we did go there together but I would never make a bad review or say something like that to hurt an establishment. I believe bad reviews like this especially a 1 star can affect a business so I'm sorry again. As far as my actual rating, I'll have to say that the teas were always good and they had a patio outside and it was all very cool so I'm not sure why he would make such a hurtful review. read more

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

Absolutely HORRIBLE experience. I genuinely cannot believe someone thinks this is an acceptable way to treat customers. I walked in with an outside drink and, instead of simply telling me it wasn't allowed, the guy immediately started YELLING at me and kicked me out of the store. Seriously? Over a drink? I would've taken it outside immediately if he had just asked me respectfully. There was absolutely ZERO reason to be aggressive, disrespectful, and make such a ridiculous scene over something so small. If this is how you treat customers over an honest mistake, you seriously need to rethink how you run a business. Completely unprofessional, unnecessarily hostile, and easily one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. ZERO stars if I could. read more

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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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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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

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 , 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

HORRIBLE SERVICE!!! Was outside in the parking lot having a drink and the owner comes out and tells me I can't be here and drink so I have to go behind the dumpster and finish my drink so I come in and watch the comedy show (which says on the flyer you don't have to purchase anything to attend) and i was sitting there for five minutes and got kicked out for not buying anything but it was a free event so i thought the service was rude and my entire party left. Very rude no consideration and will not be coming back 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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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