This is one of my favorite boba spots in Alameda. We recently stopped in on a hot afternoon to quench our thirst. Tried the Matcha Iced Smoothie (matcha, ice, and milk) and the QQ Passionfruit Green Tea (includes coconut jelly and boba), both in Medium size. Substituted herbal jelly for boba in the QQ Passionfruit Green Tea drink. Both drinks were refreshing and satisfying. I like the variety and changing specials that Gongcha has throughout the year. Service is always prompt and attentive at this spot. You can order at the counter or in one of the kiosks. Definitely sign up for their membership rewards for discounts off future purchase and members specials that they run. Plenty of seating inside too for locals to bring their laptops and work remotely. I also love that Gongcha uses biodegradable boba straws (made from sugarcane pulp), which hold up really well. Note: sadly, they no longer offer their happy hour drink special after 6pm (BOGO half off). But still have various seasonal specials throughout the year. If you get hungry, there's a Peppermint Baguette food venue (which I also recommend) inside the same shared store space (different order counter) with tasty and good priced Vietnamese dishes, snacks, and banh mi sandwiches too. read more

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I should expected something was off when it was completely empty during peak weekend time. Staff didn't greet us... which yknow -- if the drinks are good, I can overlook. But you could see that the one person who was making drinks didn't really care much. The drinks were very watered down and powdery. The matcha was so light green and tasteless. Given all of the ingredients it feels like it would be impossible to taste flavorless but it was. I've been to other Gong Cha's before and they were way better. read more

I am not sure how long they have the Harry Potter promo but I love it. For 9.99 you get the plush and the theme drink. You cannot get this at the kiosk but have to ask the cashier. She was really nice as I was indecisive and showed me all four lol. read more

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I ordered a drink with 100% sweetness but when I tried it, it just tasted like water with a pinch of sugar. Didn't taste any tea or milk. I ordered it with light ice. I asked the person behind the counter if they could make it sweeter. He agreed and did so. When I tried the drink again, there was no difference. I believe there was only one person working the drink bar and the kitchen. I had to wait a few mins before he was back to the drink bar area as he had went to the kitchen right after giving me my drink the first time. The first time he gave me my drink, the top was super overflowed by the drink. He looked at it before placing it down on the counter and calling my name. Didn't bother to clean it. Seemed careless and bothered that I asked for an adjustment on my drink as well. I'd be the same if I was the only person working although the place was empty. I definitely shouldn't have tried this place and went with my usual spot that never lets me down...T4. Never again. read more

The drink I got was okay I'm still not sure how I feel about it. They do have a wide selection of other drinks I'd like to try though. Service was fast and easy through the kiosk, and there's a big seating area that's great for large groups. read more

Gong Cha - Dragonfruit oolong tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

Best restaurant ever would come back 1 billion times definitely come straight atmosphere

Large seating areas with huge counter space. Bright and big interior. Perfect for reading a newspaper. Buy one get one half off at 6pm. The ambiance is a highlight here. It isn't as comfortable or cozy as a Starbucks but it is a pleasant place to be in. Very clean and big windows and good lighting. Countertops are the biggest I've ever seen. Usually if you sit at the window its a small one foot counter or table - here it is 3x that width. Perfect for reading a newspaper or spreading out a lot of paperwork. Convenient as there is an old school news stand nearby. Buy one get one half off at 6pm. I like the concept. It is moving inventory before they close instead of probably dumping it down the sink. I'd like to see bakeries do this too at the end of the day. If I buy a donut that is 12 hours old at 6pm half off would make sense - its no longer fresh and it probably keeps it out of the trash. Park Street has metered parking and there is a garage. Not the best situation but if you park your car and visit a few different points of interest its a pleasant experience. read more

Gong Cha - Happy hour - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

Parking here is near impossible. Service is extremely impersonal. You order from a machine, they don't speak to you and barely make eye contact. read more

I love mangos and this mango milk tea is so delicious! the service was super quick and he hooked my drink uppp BOMB! read more

Gong Cha - Marble Mango Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

I'm very mixed about this place, but I think it's closer to "may come back" vs not. I'd say the biggest draw is sanitation & food (aka waffles). Let's start with pros: - Large seating area - Good number of outlets available - Fast free wifi - Great happy hour deal (6-8pm everyday) BOGO drinks This place has all the qualities of "Good for Working" except the music is pretty loud so maybe bring noise cancelling ones or jive with the music (got lucky last time, the playlist was just like mine). Okay, cons: - my experience with mochi waffles I was about the 2nd person out of a long line as soon as happy hour began at 6pm. I heard all the hot foods coming out but my mochi waffles were never called. So after 15 mins of waiting, I went up to the counter. Took them a minute to tell me that they will call my name when it's ready. When I added it's been 15 minutes, they said we'll check on it. It comes out soon after - I receive two modest size waffles that clearly looks undercooked and burnt bits sprinkled all over. I assume it was sitting in the machine for a while cause it was also not warm. - gloves or no gloves? This might be cause I just learned about food safety and became a bit of a germophobe after taking a microbiology class, but I think using one's phone in between work WITHOUT changing gloves pretty much defeats the purpose of wearing one? I guess it protects ones hands but not the food or drink. I think the items I am consuming I didn't have too much of a gross factor (drinks, for instance, the touched part is usually just the cup), but just to note. read more

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The drinks are usually made really well, but it seems like they're always out of something. I've gone at different times of the day when I'm visiting, and every time they're missing something. This time it was XL cups and crème brûlée topping. I'm not sure what the issue is, but it's something that needs to be fixed. Also, sometimes the boba tastes old and is hard to chew, which it really shouldn't be. Also, the drink I received this time tastes really watered down. read more

Great experience great food really good environment very clean the food. There's a grilled pork sandwich and very very very good. The Boba and drinks they have mango smoothies if you like mango they have cotton candy Boba they have so much Boba jelly pearls like anything you want so good would go 1 billion times. read more

Great food great service very clean good environment. Good prices would come back 1 billion times so good.

Gong Cha is that girl when it comes to boba. I got the mango green tea with pearls and it was so refreshing. The boba was soft and tasted fresh. You can customize everything like the ice, sugar, toppings, and all of that. The inside is clean, modern, and cute enough to take photos. The cups are super aesthetic so i did in fact take photos. The staff were quick and chill even with a line. I was in and out in 5 minutes which is super rare for boba spots nowadays. read more

I got the taro tea which was good but the boba was a bit warm and I guess I got low ice (I got whatever the cashier recommended) so together it made it so the drink was kind of lukewarm. I enjoyed the drink and experience but I'm not sure if I'd come back, at least for the full price of ~$6.50 for the small. Maybe I'd return for the BoGo. The ambiance is fine, very clean but a bit empty and sterile. Not a negative experience by any means (I enjoyed my drink), but I'm not sure if I'd return. read more

Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

The staff is always so polite and quick. It gets pretty full and loud in the evenings so I don't consider it an ideal work/studying place, but it's always good for a quick drink & bite. They do however have plenty of outlets available to connect your charger to. Can't say much about the food cause i've only tried the fries, but the fries are always fresh and crispy and well seasoned! My fave spot for brown sugar boba! read more

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Best deal in town bar none! Gong Cha's bogo happy hour deal from 6 to 8 pm every... single... night just can't be beat! As a matter of fact, during these hours, while Gong Cha is busting at the seams on the daily, all other boba shops in town are swatting flies (Chinese slang for having a lack of business). In addition, the elaborate corner location in an older building makes for one of the fancier designs for a boba establishment I've seen anywhere. With that said, normally corner units with the entrance facing the actual street corner are a feng shui faux pas, however... lucky for Gong Cha, there is a outside pillar deflecting all of the negative juju. The high ceilings also provide amazing acoustics, as the beats are always slamming. There is even a TV below the front counter showing K-pop videos. Service is exceptional. The young staff here is always polite and super efficient, considering how inundated they constantly are. Oh, and the drinks? Always on point and consistent. All of these factors combined easily place Gong Cha as the clearcut Gong Champ of Alameda! read more

My favorite place for milk tea! The boba is always fresh and the space is big and cozy. Perfect for studying or catching up with friends.

Big fan of gong cha. Lots of great options and they have great bogo deals! I usually get the panda milk tea (regular milk tea w/ agar and black sugar boba). There's a bunch of other boba spots nearby as well like Happy Lemon and iTea! read more

Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

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A regular spot for boba in Alameda. Staff is friendly and efficient. Drinks are also consistently good and of high quality tea. I've tried a number of drinks and all are great Tip: BOGO from 6 pm - 8 pm is the best deal so bring a friend or date!! read more

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Local Boba Chain Shop Decent enough. Nothing extra special about it. But boba was fresh and never had a London Fog boba before so I liked that one a lot. Went with some friends for their BOGO deal from 6-8pm daily. We love them deals! Check GC out! Enjoy : ) Drinks Pictured: Left - Panda Milk Tea Right - London Fog Cloud Boba read more

Gong Cha - London Fog Cloud w/ Boba Panda Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

OH NO! I love (or should I say loved...) this Gong Cha, and have been coming since they've opened. On my most recent visit however, the front desk cashier appeared to be picking their nose and flicking something off their finger afterwards! I was pretty grossed out especially since I have purchased drinks from this business in the past. Not okay! read more

Love that they have bogo at nights! We got the matcha and jasmine milk tea. They definitely did not skimp on the boba, which I appreciated. I thought the matcha flavor was on the lighter side, especially when the ice started to melt and water down the drink. The jasmine milk tea was good. With the bogo, the drinks were worth, but I probably wouldn't pay for both at full price unless I needed a boba fix. Service is quick, and the location is very convenient as it is close by to a lot of restaurants. read more

Gong Cha - Matcha Milk Tea with Pearl - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

Fast service, clean bathrooms, and pretty ample seating space with some cute boba themed chairs. Great for an easy quick in and out drink. The few downsides: - The menu wasn't the same full menu that I have seen at other Gong Chas so I was a bit sad I couldn't get my usual drink - There is only one bathroom so may likely have to wait read more

Gong Cha - Cute boba themed chair - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

I generally find boba tea places to be way too sweet for my tastes, but today I found myself needing a place with wifi and this was the best option. I like the self-order and self-pay kiosks. The tables here were sticky but the employees here were really nice and wiped them down for us with a smile. I liked the winter melon lemon tea with basil seeds. I dislike ice and I ordered it less sweet but it still came out 50% sweeter than I would have liked. It tasted pretty good though. Would definitely come back here if I was craving something sweet! read more

Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

Drink was very sweet even though less sweet was requested. Employee coughed while making my drink, didn't wash hands or wear mask.

This place serves up quality tea! You can taste the authenticity of the tea and flavors. It's not some cheap powdered mixture. And it's all about the BOGO any drink happy hour 6-8pm every day! Super amazing drinks. The only thing is, the tea is fairly strong. So, be cautious if you need to get sleep not to drink this too late, which is probably why happy hour is in the later hours :). Marble mango is my absolute favorite. It has plenty of REAL mango purée/bits with whole milk tea. It's not the healthiest and would love to switch out the milk choice which can't be done, but it is SO delicious! New London Fog series has 4 different versions. London Fog Eclipse: Basically has earl milk tea (also unable to switch out the milk), pudding, and brown sugar. If you've had hoikkaido milk tea before, it reminds me of this, but BETTER. Beware that this stuff is strong though! It will keep you up and may make you a little jittery. Because of the added brown sugar it was overly sweet. So, next time I'll order less sugar. I ended up adding some oat milk from home to my drink and it tasted much better but still a bit sweet. You can call ahead your order to reduce the risk of exposure and to cut down the wait time...takes about 10-15 mins. They also have Fivestars which is awesome for those who are frequent boba drinkers. It's street parking and a busy location so a bit hard to find parking close by. read more

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Glad they're open still, this corner lot is always changing new owners. They are now connected to a banh mi shop but the shop was closed when I stopped by. It happened to be happy hour from 6-8 pm so we got a free drink. The boba was really soft and good today. Approved! There's no indoor seating for now because of Covid but it was nice to walk around park st and explore the other shops. read more

Gong Cha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

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WHEN: Tuesday @ 6:45pm The line was to the door for BOGO free drink before 8pm when the store closes. Gongcha was understaff with 2 bobaristas and 1 cashier to take orders. The bobarista took turns running the baguette food area as well, making baguettes. Cashier was very friendly and advised customers that it was BOGO free drink promotion when the customer only order 1 drink. WHAT I ORDERED Earl grey MT with boba, 0 sugar 25% ice $4.50 Black MT w no toppings, 30% sugar, 25% ice $4.50 I was ordering the panda MT wo toppings, the cashier advised it basically a black MT n it's cheaper than Panda MT so I'll take it. It took about 10min for my drinks to be ready. Took longer to wait for the drinks than to order. It's worth the wait for bogo free drinks. You can't find this type of deal anywhere else. read more

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5 stars. Gong Cha has amazing service and lots of seats. Lots of food/drink options. There's nothing bad about this place. For sure recommend. read more

Gong Cha - Brown sugar boba milkshakes! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

Stumbled into here while waiting for the the bus & found the Bogo deal for 6-8pm. Line was out the door and moderate wait, about 10min to order, but once you order it was pretty fast, got my drinks within 5min. The table I was waiting at was sticky, looks like it wasn't wiped down but I didn't mind since I wasn't staying. Overall , $7.32 for two large milk foam teas with agar boba is still a steal, will come back again if I'm in the area. read more

Gong Cha - Milk Foam Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

Hubby and I was craving for something to drink after getting our massages and decided to go give Gong Cha a try. I have been to the one in Palo Alto before and since seeing Gong Cha in Alameda, we've been wanting to go but never had the chance because we've been doing else where. Upon arriving we noticed that Gong Cha shares the space with a pho restaurant. I was so hungry I ordered fries to snack on, mochi waffle, and I had gotten the Lemon Wintermelon with Basil Seed and Hubby got the Mango Green Tea. Everything was amazing! The fries that I ordered from the restaurant that shares the space with Gong Cha does not skimp and gave a lot! I was so full, but it was amazing. Their snacks are a bit pricey, but I'm looking forward to coming back and trying other items on the menu. read more

Drinks: 4/10 Service: n/a (buy at the counter) Portion size: medium Wait time: no wait on a Saturday at 2pm I ordered the jasmine milk tea with boba.The milk tea itself was average and tasted how it was supposed to. The boba on the other hand was old. It was hard and not tasteful. Usually boba is soft and chewy. But this was you could tell was at least a day old. I did like how they have compostable cups and straws now. I like when places are environmentally friendly! But other than that I probably won't come back since there are other places in Alameda that always serve fresh boba. I used to like this chain before it got super big but now I feel like it's going downhill and there are better options for boba tea! read more

Gong Cha - Jasmine milk tea with boba. Love the compostable cups and straws! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

The milk tea is fresh and delightful. There's a large selection of specialty drinks with all the toppings available. I love the classics like oolong milk tea, but this last time got a matcha boba tea with foamed milk and was delighted! I Highly recommend Gong Cha, especially if you make it to their buy one get one free happy hour (6-8pm) while it lasts. read more

Effective: 8/1/2023 They changed their Happy Hour policy! Buy 1 and get the 2nd 50% off No more: 1 buy one and get one free read more

I usually come here during happy hour from 6pm - 8pm. Its no longer buy one get one free. There was a sign next to the register that said starting 8/1/2023 it's now buy one get one 50% off. Not that great of a deal anymore. Usually there's a line for happy hour but today there was hardly anyone inside. The cashier Ryan was awesome. He was very friendly and knowledgeable of the drinks. We got our drinks within minutes of ordering. Couldn't have asked for better service. Me and my friend both wanted the strawberry kanten jelly milk tea and it was delicious. I thought it was the perfect dessert after dinner. This place has a nice laid back atmosphere. Other than the 2 empty cups someone left behind on one of the tables I thought they did a good job of keeping the place clean. read more

Gong Cha - Strawberry kanten jelly milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

Peach affogato that was made wrong in the first place. They reused the drink to fulfill my order. Icy drink is now watery. Was offer a remake again, but that's not the point. Should not have reused in the first place. Just want to give some customer feedback for further customer experience read more

Gong Cha - Peach affogato - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

Yet another average tasting boba place in Alameda. The best things about this location are + the cleanliness + plenty of seating & outlet access The drinks leave a lot to be desired.. - I've tried the brown sugar milk tea w/ boba, all 3 of their cremas, and their strawberry and matcha marble drinks. none of which are anything to rave about. -Brown sugar boba just tasted like any other boba, didn't have that layer of syrup or richness that other places do 3/5 -Crema teas had a very thin layer of crema. I got this during grand opening and the ice/sweetness levels were all really off between the 4 drinks I got. 2/5 -Marble drinks are HELLA sweet. tasted like 150% at 50% level. I recommend getting 25% but not sure if that will still be too sweet. Strawberry 3/5 and Matcha 1/5. the matcha tasted really off here. They do offer Happy hour buy one get one 50% off 6-8pm. They also have a lunch special associated with the Baguette place. read more

Gong Cha - Lots of seating and spacious location - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

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Both times I've been here now have been: - not packed/busy - clean - great service and friendly staff - delicious!! - on a weeknight However, I decided to come on a warm Sunday at 4pm and it's pretty busy. The echoing noice of both people talking (adults and kids) and pop music playing can get annoying. Bring headphones if you're trying to work. Here's what I've had: MILK FOAM MILK COFFEE - $4.75 I liked this! The thick milk foam milk made it fun and I appreciate the package design so I don't end up with a milk foam mustache! Great taste overall! LONGAN HONEY DRINK - $3.50 25% Ice. With this you can't adjust the sweetness, which is fine. It's not crazy sweet. But it sure is refreshing! Although there is no actual pieces of the longan fruit, the flavor is definitely there. EARL GREY w/3J - $4.75 Milk Early grey with 3 kinds of toppings: Pudding, Grass Jelly and boba. They are all delicious! I recommend this! I had it had this setting: 25% Ice. 50% Sugar. Yum! MOCHI WAFFLE - $5? Not sure where they don't display the price. This is made to order, so it may take some time, but it's quite worth it! This gooey snack is subtle in its amount of sweetness, but the texture is the best part. It has a nice crisp on the outside with that nice chewiness texture we all like in mochi towards the center. Although there is no flavor, just enjoy it for what it is. No toppings. The do have the options of have it with red bean and ice cream though. Get it early because twice now I notice that they sell out. This place definitely has that young vibe where you know families and teenagers would often come to hang out. There's lots of outlets here to use, which I appreciate. Wi-Fi is free, but doesn't really work. But this place opens late! Closing time is 11pm! Sure, there are many boba spots on the same street, but this place is spacious, very welcoming to work in, they have a very friendly staff, and they are consistently GOOD. Also, they have food on the side! Yeah I'll be coming back more. read more

Gong Cha - MILK FOAM MILK COFFEE - $4.75 - Bubble Tea Near Me - Alameda, California

I love gong cha! It has to be one of my favorite boba places of all time. To start with, the drinks are fire!!!!! The strawberry milk smoothie with salted cheese foam is one of my favorites and my friend's, too. Their foam is tasty and really creamy. The smoothie is very unique but also delicious! It has a strawberry milkshake taste but very different and even better!!! The workers are friendly and the service is really fast. My daughter and I went to the bathroom, came out and our drinks were ready! The ambiance when you walk in is very roomy and has clean tables. Haven't tried their boba yet, but I will. Definitely coming again. read more