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    Em-Tea

    4.2 (406 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Joy J.

    Legit boba spot in Merced that has come through for me in times of need!! Lol You KNOW I can't live my life without boba every once in a while.. okay, sometimes more than that, but whatevaaaa!! Haha! My friend recommended this place when I said, "Let's get boba!" She's a sucker as much as I am, although she doesn't admit it. I have been happy with the service and products here. They can make you a hot milk tea, which I absolutely LOVE!! So far, my fave has been their Earl Grey Tea (light sweet) with Oat Milk. I have had it hot and iced, and was happy both times. Not super sweet, but just enough! I also like that they have the surprise cups here. You know me, always falling for those surprise cups even at the risk of getting something PINK!! Blechhhh, lol! So far, I've had 2 pandas, and only 1 had a pink bottle. I'd call that a win! The surprise cups are $4 extra, but I am extra sometimes, so I don't mind it. Em-Tea is a casual spot that's open late to satisfy your boba cravings. Pricing is average, with a good selection on their menu. They have a kiosk you can order from, but I have had to place my order with a cashier for the hot drinks. Hope you like it here as much as I do!

    Refreshing drink (50% sugar)
    Victor L.

    Sure it's a little pricey for a boba, but they brewed the tea fresh. We had to wait a few minutes but well worth it. My wife got us a fruity drink with refreshing aloe Vera chunks. After days at Autocamp, this drink is like a sip of water after being in the desert. The ambiance is standard for your typical boba store. We got ours Togo and the large form factor of the drink hid a special surprise for the kiddos.

    Pomegrante Hibiscus with Chia
    Astrid M.

    The staff is incredibly friendly with questions and if you don't like your drink they'll remake it for you. The inside is a little small but cute place to hangout with friends. I like that they added a point system for perks like a free drink because I'd always lose the punch cards. I like their macaroons & fruity teas the most, very fresh !

    Regular boba milk tea large with extra boba
    Khai W.

    I got a large boba milk tea with extra boba. The taste of it was different from the usual because I tasted a hint of cinnamon in the drink which I don't mind. But it's not common to have in most boba milk teas. It's a nice environment and setting. Worker was nice and friendly! Super fast too. Would come back to try different drinks.

    roasted oolong with cheese foam
    Karyn P.

    the menu/ordering process is extremely confusing. and why is the cheese foam at the bottom...it tastes weirdly artificial as well i wouldn't recommend it at all. they gave me almost no ice so that's probably why it sunk to the bottom and made the drink very cloudy. the roasted oolong tea is good though and probably tastes better without the foam. i hope the owner can reflect on this as constructive criticism.

    Wall decor
    Katrina F.

    Was in the area visiting a friend in Med school. Super glad she found this place on Yelp ranked top boba places in Merced! The flavors were strong and amazing. Servers were kind and provided great recommendations. Scenery inside the store was beautiful and clean. It was properly a/c'd inside as outside was super hot. One customer returned a drink and said to remake as it was super sweet for her. We had no issues with our drinks. (5/5) Lychee Iced Black Tea -- super refreshing on this scorching hot day. (5/5) Taste of Love --- amazing drink that was blended and kept us cool. It had Yakult in it with raspberry purée and taro. We also added Taro Boba. We 100% will definitely be back if ever we're in the area on our way down to SoCal from SF. Keep making them dranks ---EM Tea! My boyfriend and I had a convo that 2 EMTs/paramedics opened the boba shop up together. Cool name!

    The service was bad. The lady wrote "cunta" as my name on the cup. She wasn't very friendly at all. This was my first time there and it was horrible and not to mention the matcha milk tea is disgusting and to watery. I will never be coming back here!

    Menu
    Dennis X.

    Honestly the best boba shop in Merced! Conveniently located in Raley's plaza so that you can grab some boba to sip on while grocery shopping and open relatively late so that you can do some late night studying! It's a very cute vibe: I like the wall decor, they play lively pop/kpop music, it's well lit, it smells amazing, and the staff are very pleasant. They have a huge menu for their drinks! My usual go to are the iced Thai milk tea with boba, iced rose milk tea with boba, and (if you're looking for a non-caffeinated dessert drink) a coconut mango slush with lychee jelly. If you're not much of a sweet-tooth, they have the option for you to add light syrup so that it's not so sweet. I also really enjoy the boba. The texture is very soft and chewy: this shop hands-down makes the best boba pearls around! Aside from the drinks, they also have other desserts, like the macaroons! I really enjoy the macaroons, especially the vanilla and pistachio flavors!

    Nice environment
    Alyssa T.

    The atmosphere is awesome. I wish this place existed when I was in college. It had plenty of room to set up for studying. It has a corner with games, which makes it a cool little spot to meet with friends. I deducted one of the stars because we were looking really forward to getting Mochi donuts - the whole reason for our trip- and they were out! (With no information on the frequency in which they are made/sold) The teas on the other hand were delish! (It was 29.66 for our 4 drinks today)

    Rose tea with Taro Boba and cheese foam.
    Duane N.

    In the middle of Merced, we found a great Boba tea place. I consider myself a boba connoisseur, and this place was a surprise find. Their teas have great flavor and they have a wide variety of toppings. I got a standard black tea with their cheese foam and boba. My wife got their rose tea which is specially brewed with their taro boba and it was on point. They have many flavors and specialty teas that they brew fresh. In the middle of a hot Merced summer of 100 degrees, these drinks hit the spot! We will definitely be back when we visit our daughter who is at UC Merced.

    Mango Peach Green Tea, normal sweet

    I love Em-Tea so much!! I come here every time I'm in Merced. Great service! It's a cozy place with great vibes. It's got board games too.

    Peach with green tea and guava with green tea love it favorite been coming here since they first open
    Rosa V.

    The owner is so kind and friendly and the service is fast and efficient and the environment is beautiful our favorite flavor is peach and guava with peach tea

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Delicious boba tea! I got a large Thai tea with cream and boba. It was so yummy and I drank the whole thing.

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    6 years ago

    The BEST boba in Merced so far! I always order the matcha milk tea with no sugar and it's AMAZING!

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    8 years ago

    The cups were huge. I loved the shape of it and the bobas were perfect!!! Great atmosphere. Loved the honeydew.

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Best place In Merced to get a premium tea iced. Also their mango pudding is so bomb. They are so quick and productive.

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    8 years ago

    Needs more decaffeinated options. Thats why i stopped going. Tea should have decaf.. better break down of menu, large one overwhelming

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    The green milk tea was great! Perfect amount of sweetness!

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Love the tea! Come here all the time. I like it better than Quickly.

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    8 years ago

    My daughter loves this place!!! We go here about 5 times a week! And the staff is super polite!

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    8 years ago

    This place has a large variety of flavors, wonderful ambiance, and friendly staff. The taro slush is amazing

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    8 years ago

    Best in town. Quality product and service!!! Highly recommend and will come back for more.....

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    8 years ago

    The environment of the place is pretty chill but the drinks are definitely overrated. They're not that great.

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

    I love this place! It has so many options to choose from and all the flavors are good.

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    6 years ago

    Great boba drink and great variety for everyone. Great safety precautions during Covid!

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Delicious tea! Not a lot of room to sit so perhaps not an ideal study spot, but the tea is spot on!

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    Page 7 of 11

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    Ask the Community - Em-Tea

    Is their creamer non dairy?

    Yes, they use non-dairy creamer as the standard "milk" option. They also have other milk alternatives like soy milk, coconut milk, whole milk, and almond milk.

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    Mocha Boba - Coconut Ube, Strawberry Matcha, Thai Tea, and corn dogs

    Mocha Boba

    3.5(8 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    My sisters and I came here early afternoon and the line was quite long. We ordered 4 corn dogs, and…read more3 drinks. All drinks were a minimum of $6.xx for a 23 oz cup. We ordered coconut ube, strawberry matcha, and thai tea. The ube was not as strong as I would like. As for the Strawberry matcha, you can taste more of the matcha than the strawberry. Classic Thai tea was perfect and can tell they brew their tea leaves instead of it being powder. Food wise, we ordered 4 corn dogs. When they arrived, they were not piping hot at all. It was warm and kind of a disappointment considering we ordered the mozzarella cheese expecting a cheese pull when eating. I would have thought it was freshly made despite the long line but seems like it was sitting out for quite some time. We ordered 3 half cheese and half hot dog and they were cheap with the hot dog. It was 70% cheese and 30% hot dog. They messed up on one of our corn dogs. It was supposed to be 50/50 but instead got all cheese. It was hard to tell considering the fact that there was more cheese than hot dog. By the time we found out, it was already too late. Flavor of the corn dogs were good. Condiments to add were all self serve which I'm sure no one really knew about unless asked. There were no signs in the front. It would be great if honey mustard was added to the list. That's what is usually added on when buying else where. Service was great. Employees were welcoming and greeted you upon ordering. There was one rude employee that shouted at a family with kids requesting them to keep clear of order pick up area. They should have a sign out to let customers know to keep clear of the area to avoid this. Overall rating: Food - 3/5 Drinks - 3/5 Service - 4/5

    The drinks were great, the corn dogs were delicious, and the dipping sauces were definitely worth…read moretrying. The service was great they were fast and kind, and the ambience felt casual. It's a bit on the pricier side, but that's part of the novelty experience. I'll definitely be back a great addition to Merced!

    Photos
    Mocha Boba - Raspberry smoothie

    Raspberry smoothie

    Mocha Boba - Rose tea with kiwi boba

    Rose tea with kiwi boba

    Mocha Boba - Hot Cheeto & Potato

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    Hot Cheeto & Potato

    Patterson Cafe - Pork Roll

    Patterson Cafe

    4.7(206 reviews)
    40.1 mi
    $

    We stopped here while traveling and had such a great experience! The sandwiches were really good,…read moreand the drinks were delicious too. The customer service was amazing, and everyone was super friendly and welcoming. While we were there, we noticed that they knew and remembered so many of their regular customers, which was really sweet to see and says a lot about the kind of place this is. You can tell they genuinely care about their customers. Definitely a great little local spot, and we're so glad we stopped by!

    I was in Patterson for an appointment and jumped on Yelp to see where I could catch a sandwich…read more Patterson Cafe popped up with good reviews. Plus, I had always wanted to try a Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich. It's located in a small strip mall in view of the freeway. There are EV charging stations in the adjacent lot. The interior of the restaurant is bland with only chips and drinks displayed. A few small tables inside. The lady that helped me was extremely friendly. I asked her what the most traditional Banh Mi was and she said that it was the pork and ham. I ordered that and an iced Vietnamese coffee. The coffee is solid. Extremely flavorful. She said that they use condensed milk in the coffee. The sandwich was good. The flavor is interesting and the jalapeños give it a jolt. Good bread and I think it was slightly toasted. All in all a good lunch.

    Photos
    Patterson Cafe - Menu

    Menu

    Patterson Cafe - Strawberry Waffle

    Strawberry Waffle

    Patterson Cafe - Vietnamese Coffee

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    Vietnamese Coffee

    Dragonfly Tea Room - Three tiered afternoon tea tray

    Dragonfly Tea Room

    3.6(152 reviews)
    37.2 mi
    $

    We had a delightful time at their Alice in Wonderland themed Unbirthday tea. We met some friends…read morewho are already fans. Aside from hot teas, they had fizzy iced teas that had an array of flavors. I tried the peach fuzz and my partner tried the blue caterpillar. Both were delicious. The savories included a cheese bread, a strawberry sandwich with a heart cut out, and a broccoli salad. The ube scone was amazing and the clotted cream was very fresh. Service was friendly and helpful. The ambiance was well appointed and polished. Unlike other tea rooms in the Bay area this one made a point of having matching china.

    I have been to over 20 tea rooms in the US and about 5 in the UK. I love the experience of High…read moreTea. I was so looking forward to this experience. I had wanted to come for years. My experience at Dragonfly was lacking compared to other tea rooms in the area. What was good: the cucumber sandwich and goat cheese and apricot sandwich were tasty.The okay; The coronation chicken was served in a glass cup instead as a sandwhich. This was done to save money and it showed. The bad: the scones was so sweet, too sweet. The lemon curd and the strawberry jam were watered down and running. This was done to save money and it showed. They were served in a bottle cap size dish that you had to share. They did not serve the traditional clotted cream but this weird very sweet "valley cream" which was more like whip cream. Clotted has a more butter texture and light flavor it is NOT sweet. Clotted Cream is easy to make however takes 12 hours, I doubt they had the skill to make it so was served the weird white stuff. The scones and clotted cream and lemon curd are my favorite things in a High Tea and these were extremely disappointing. This just made the already sweet scone not edible. The desserts: oy, the petite four was cut in 4th and I was served 1/4 of an already small dessert ot was the size of a pickle when traditional should be the size of a half dollar, again to cut cost on their end. It showed. They made this weird tartlet that fell apart crumbled and was filled with runny jam. There was a lemon pudding like dish served in a shot glass. This was decent. The tea: while it was well flavored it was served in a 2cup tea pot. Most tea houses serve you in a 6 cup. Again this was a cost cutting factor. They did not offer tea strainers. What tea house that serves loose leaf doesn't provide a strainer??? Again they probably couldn't afford one. The vintage tea pots were cute, but they were very stained inside. I have never experienced this and I discovered it only after drinking my tea. Tea does stain if not properly clean and the ceramic glazing of old pots do stain more but they are able to be cleaned. They didn't. Also they do not use any tea cozy to keep the tespot warm. By the second cup my tea was cold. The table setting. It was OK, nothing special. They used paper napkins instead of cloth, it felt cheap. No water was served. The tea set was OK a little plain compared to what they had on the shelves. There was no real charm or thought. It did not scream tea house High Tea experience. And we are paying for the experience. The vintage silverware was nice. However, I was only given a butter knife, dessert fork and single teaspoon. I had to use my teaspoon for my dessert. Again another cost cutting. Our 3 tier tray was super tall and we had to remove the top plate to get the items off them. I did see other 3 tiered were shorter so we probably just got the bad luck of the draw. I felt like everything was watered down or made cheaply as possible for the tea house to make money. I paid $87 plus tip for tea for 2. I have certainly paid more at other teahouses but I have paid less and recieved more. The staff. Our waitress was polite. She did her job but did not make us feel special, this was Mother's Day so I had hoped for more. The owner is extremely dry and wooden and not friendly. We tried to engage her but she wasn't interested in chatting.I work with the public you have to like people and the owner obviously hates people. It is so odd she choice to go into this business. It is sad as the hostess really does make the Tea House, teahouse are about entertaining, making the guest feel special and transporting you to another timeand place you pay for that experienceand we did not get it. She was very busy and it is because she is the only tea room in town. The ambiance was shabby Chic which was fine. It just needed a bit more charm. She is cutting quality corners and watering down her food to make money. Probably because rent is high cost. She had a lot of employees that were doing nothing. It did take a long time before we were served. The entire experience felt cheap and luckily my guest had never been to a Tea House so she had nothing to compare it to. Lisa Tea Treasures, Columbia Kate's, and The Hidden Tea Room are all superior to this place and with the exception of Lisa's Tea Treasures less expensive. Sadly this missed the mark. I would have gladly paid an additional $10 to have the charm, good food and experience instead I got a "Walmart style" thrift tea experience.

    Photos
    Dragonfly Tea Room - Teapots and teacups

    Teapots and teacups

    Dragonfly Tea Room - Tea room

    Tea room

    Dragonfly Tea Room - Themed decorations

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    Themed decorations

    Em-Tea - bubbletea - Updated September 2026

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