So unique! I love their name. Goolu Goolu is the sound pronunciation of chugging a yummy drink to quench your thirst; might be a Mandarin Chinese thing since I grew up hearing this. Their store is located in the massive plaza near Castro Valley BART station. What makes them stand out is their lime tea! They're tactfully made to ace the flavor profile, and I've enjoyed every drink I've ordered so far. Not brave enough yet to get the Hand Squeezed Lime Drink ($6.50). My sister first told me about this place, and she dropped off a Phoenix Lime Tea ($8) for me that was refreshing and not as sour as I expected from a drink with a lime ingredient :P It came in a tall, sturdy plastic cup that I reused a couple times for iced coffee at home. Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Milk Tea with Lime Cream Cold Foam ($8): Shoot that's good. I already love oolong milk tea, and the addition of creamy lime was smooth! Not too tart and didn't ruin the taste. It came in a smaller size cup and I was sad about less drink :( Durian Smoothie with Sticky Rice ($12.50): I hate that I love durian, and it's hard to find durian drinks. Because look at that price tag!! In this economy!! I also hate that I loved it. The durian was potent (not iced down) and the sticky rice was warm, didn't harden too quickly from the cold smoothie. Gosh darn it. Durian Lime Tea ($12.50): Comes with coconut noodles as a topping! Excellent combo as well with durian bits. Can opt to have lime slices in your drink or not. Can also hear the staff hand-pounding the limes for the juice! They have 2 ordering screens, and I've seen someone order at the register as well. I like the big screen that displays orders in progress and completed ones. They have WiFi and indoor/outdoor seating if you want to work from there. I saw a lot of students flooding in during after school hours. Boba is so competitive these days and I love their drinks, so please come so they'll stay open LOL I'm curious about the Rice Mochi Milk Tea ($8) and Mango Coconut Matcha ($8.50). Thank god they're a bit of a far drive, otherwise I would have a monthly Goolu budget. read more

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After having hand-smashed fruit tea in China, I have been looking for somewhere in the US that has it too. Goolu Tea answered that quest! I ordered the pineapple lime tea and added peach jelly to it. The peach jelly flavor is just rich, doesn't taste artificial, and complements the tea flavor well. The fruit tea itself is wonderfully flavored: pineapple and lime complement each other so well! The drink comes in a thick plastic cup -- so I will be reusing this for cold drinks at home. Service was super quick (although the store was empty when I went at a very off hour on the weekend). The inside has ample seating with green-themed seats/deco. It's located in a plaza so parking is pretty easy! I will definitely be adding this place into my rotation for post-Lake Chabot refreshments read more

Goolu Tea - A4 - Pineapple Lime Tea with peach jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I've been dying for a hand smashed lime after coming back to the US and goolu hits the spot. They always use fresh fruit and every lime drink hits. Chinese matcha is lighter than Japanese matcha, which pairs great with the fruit! The mochi drinks add a fun texture while drinking. The interior is a chill spot and they've had a local artist sell super reasonably priced cat crafts! The workers are all super nice and helpful. Service can be slow if there's a lot of orders so be nice! Every drink is hand made :) read more

Goolu Tea - A10 - Tangerine Lime Tea E3 - Guava and Strawberry Matcha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I was excited when I saw a place that specializes in citrus tea. The cups are pretty big. Drinks approx $7-9. We ordered: Tangerine lime: 5/5 with extra lime this was very good. I got it less sweet but it was still a bit sweet but had a nice citrus tart taste. Oolong lime: good oolong flavor. Guava lime: daughter liked it but had a gritty texture. Passionfruit lime: good tart taste read more

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It was an unseasonably warm spring weekend, and I was looking for a different boba spot that didn't just serve the usual drinks. Goolu Tea came up during my search and I was immediately drawn to their lime teas. Goolu Tea is right off Redwood Rd, across the parking lot from Peet's. Upon entering, the AC was blasting and the smell of limes strongly greeted us. There are kiosks to order from. The tiny shop was pretty busy, given the heat wave, but we managed to find a table to sit down at, since I had some photo editing to do. I went with the guava and peach lime tea, while my husband went with the phoenix lime tea. It didn't take too long for our drinks to be made, considering the staff were very busy processing fresh limes and brewing tea. I was instantly enamored with the cups our drinks came in! They were sturdy and quite well made. Definitely cups that I brought home to wash and reuse. The little tabs on the lids were genius. If you wanted to seal your drink, you simply moved the tab over to cover the straw hole. Goolu was the absolute best choice for that afternoon. It was refreshingly delicious and so satisfying. I had no idea mine came with a jelly, so that was a nice surprise. The lime flavor was prominent and so different from anything I've had. I wish they would open more locations elsewhere, because this is definitely something I'd see myself coming back to often. Since we strictly came for the lime teas, I can't speak for the other items Goolu has to offer. But I will say that I for sure will be back the next time we are in the area. What a unique little spot! If lime-flavored drinks are right up your alley, you will definitely love Goolu Tea. read more

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I was excited to try their drinks after seeing a few videos on TikTok, but it was a bit disappointing. I do think they have the potential to be 4+ stars (maybe other drinks?), but the drinks my wife and I got were just ok. Two kiosks inside were easy to use and order from. Small tables to sit but I'd say it's more of a to go spot. Mango coconut matcha - got it less sweet and less ice. Couldn't really taste the matcha that much, and did get a hint of coconut. The drink itself looked good. I think what really ruined the drink was the mango. It was very tart and not really sweet at all. The tartness overpowered everything else. Matcha jasmine - not a strong matcha taste on this either. Better than the mango coconut matcha though. Not sure I'd return when Boba Bliss is right across the street. read more

Goolu Tea - E4 - Mango Coconut Matcha E2 - Matcha Jasmine Green Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

One of the stops for my NorCal boba pilgrimage for places that don't exist in SoCal. I was a bit deterred by seeing the default pic for the business being this super long line coming out of the business and all the way out of the parking lot, but it's been awhile since they open and we went later on a Friday night, so the hype has died down a bit. It's attached to a much larger plaza, so parking is readily available. You can order ahead from pick up or you can order from their kiosk there. They text you when your drink is ready and they have mochi donuts there too. There's a couple of tables and seats inside but when we went almost all of them were occupied (some people enjoying their drinks, a lot of people waiting). Restroom door was locked the entire wait I was there so either someone was blasting their guts out or maybe it was out of order. I've noticed a lot of Chinese chains work like a human machine with the staff quickly pumping out drinks, but this one seems to have a bit more personality? I think it's the Polaroids of the staff and the funny pictures of staff on the TV. Love the Poke'mon spread picture random staff! The ONLY hand smashed citrus species tea place in SoCal closed (RIP), so I was surprised that they had this Chinese chain here. Definitely had to try. There's lots of unique drinks on the menu and it takes some time for the drinks to come out because they do hand smash them here. And when I sent the picture of my drink to the group chat, was informed that the style of the cups are similar to what they use for lime drinks in China, nice. I got their Strawberry Lime Tea with Hawthorn Sauce, 2 familiar flavors and 1 slightly more unique one. I got this with less sugar (don't want it too sweet but also don't want it too tart) and with less ice. You can also ask for no lime in the cup if you're saving it for later and don't want the potential bitterness from the peel. I got it with the lime inside so I can smash it more for flavor. Drink comes with the actual fruit inside and with pulp, so grab a bigger straw to enjoy some vitamin C and other fruit goodness. Very refreshing and is a perfect balance of slightly tart, sharp lime taste, and sweetness of the strawberry and hawthorn. Yummy in the winter, I'm sure super refreshing in the summer. Would love to visit again. read more

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Perfect drink on hot day! I got the passion fruit mango lime tea and it was super refreshing. The lime and tea flavors are strong which I really enjoyed. There was a generous amount of passion fruit and fresh mango. Service was fast and staff were all very nice. read more

Goolu Tea - A6 - Passion Fruit Mango Lime Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

You order through a kisok and wait for your name to be called. I got the golden turtle lime tea with regular sweet and less ice. The drink was super refreshing! Not sure what golden turtle tea is, but the tea flavor was prominent. The lime was also super fragrant as well! They also have this challenge where if you can balance a quater on a lime in water, you get a free drink. It's harder than it looks, but fun to try. read more

Goolu Tea - Menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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This review is for Door Dash delivery. I heard of Goolu Tea on IG so decided to bookmark it until I finally wanted to try it. Since it was raining, we decided to stay indoors and got our drinks delivered. The drinks were well packaged and didn't take that long for them to arrive. They are known for their lime based teas and free of artificial flavorings. We ordered their Phoenix Lime Tea and both the tea and lime paired well together. The Guava and Peach Lime Tea was my favorite since it had the chewy jelly inside the drink, and the combination of guava and peach was refreshing. The drinks are on the pricier side since whole leaf teas are used but well worth it. Would love to try other drinks on their menu next time I stop by. It's nice that there is a place in the Bay Area that serves these types of drinks. read more

Goolu Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Decent tea. But it's way to sour and the matcha was to matcha couldn't taste the fruit flavor read more

Goolu Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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WOW, another top chinese boba spot I ABSOLUTELY LOVE They had a pop-up at a sunnyvale event (during the summer) and I was deathly craving boba because it was hot, lines were long everywhere, and I just needed a nice and refreshing drink Saw this little boba spot all alone... away from all the craziness.. and decided to take a chance, and so glad i did! got the strawberry lime tea and ohmygoodness, all the flavors you would want to refresh you on a hot summer day! the cup was pretty big so im glad I was able to finish this and feel so satisfied. so fruity, tangy, and that touch of acidity just made it taste delish! i wish there was a closer location in south bay! read more

Goolu Tea - Strawberry Lime Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

finally getting around to trying this place! love that there's a ton of matcha options around me. their mango coconut match was yummy! got less sweet/less ice with oat milk. definitely coming back again to try more from their matcha series!! read more

Goolu Tea - E4 - Mango Coconut Matcha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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It's my go-to Boba place at the moment. I've tried several different drinks from this shop and they're all good. I especially love their cold foam. It's different from the other boba places. I also can't get enough of their water chestnut topping! Prices are a bit steep in comparison but their quality is better. I'm also not much of a lime tea person but I was curious and tried their Phoenix Lime Tea and Strawberry Lime Tea. They were really refreshing. read more

It you like limeade, you should try this place. They have quite an extensive menu. They muddle limes, then add whatever fruits or syrups. Very refreshing !! They also have matcha drinks. The one I kinda want to try is durian limeade. Durian and lime?? I am still on the fence for that combo! They also sell mochi donuts. The owners must like green, lots of green in this place. Fast service, you can order at the register or on the ordering kiosks. There are lots of tables in case you want to relax and take time enjoying your drinks. I like the drinks, so I shall be returning. read more

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We came here over the weekend and they had some of the most refreshing lime teas I've had. We ordered the pineapple lime tea. However, the downside to this place is the heavy use of plastic. The cups that they use are not just normal plastic cups. They are thick "reusable" cups. However when I asked them if I could bring back the cup to be used at the store, the staff member said that the cups were for us to reuse them at home, but the store does not reuse them if you bring it back. Sadly, I saw most of the customers throw these thick cups away as they walked out. This is unfortunate because plastic is already killing the environment and I couldn't come to a store like this in good conscience if they are not going to at leas use less thick plastic cups. It's very wasteful and not great for the environment. Additionally, a pineapple lime tea with boba cost about $9 so the drinks are on the expensive side. Hope they will reconsider their business model use of plastic which might also affect their higher prices with such use of thick plastic. read more

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Came here this past weekend after an occasion meal. There isn't a boba topping option for all drinks. ^ Kiosk ordering is not my cup of tea, but no boba for a lot of the drinks - defintely depleased for those who favor toppings. We walked across the street to Boba Bliss for my partner's drink. We came here specifically for boba. My partner was going to get something regardless and I said no, we're getting you boba and we're getting you something you want. - I ordered the Matcha Latte with Rice Mochi here - I didn't like the rice mochi very much. My partner liked my drink more than me. I'll opt for one of the lime drinks when I'm not on my nearing my period. read more

After our disastrous lunch at HL peninsula (you can read about it on their page), I decided that we needed to get some redemption boba, so we headed to goolu tea. I first tried it a few months ago and quite liked it! At that time, I got the one of the black teas with smashed lime and got the bf a mango coconut drink. I can't remember the names of the drinks, but the smashed lime tea was decent and the mango drink was amazing - as good as the mango coconut boom at hey tea! I think it had some q noodle topping in it that gave it such good texture~ Anyways, I was so excited to go back to goolu tea and get that mango drink again but it was not on the menu anymore T____T must have been a seasonal item when mangoes are ripe. So sadddd! Anyways, I ended up getting the jasmine milk tea with lime cream cold foam. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was intrigued by the idea of lime flavored cold foam. The flavor was interesting... verdict is that I don't think lime foam and jasmine milk tea are a good match. The lime flavor was just too overpowering, and you could not taste the flavor of the milk tea at all. So disappointing. The bf's orange passion fruit lime tea was also just okay. Guess no redemption boba this weekend. read more

Goolu Tea - Jasmine milk tea with lime cream cold foam, Orange passion fruit lime tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

NICHE BUT I LOVE IT Four seasons lime tea 10/10 - hand punch lime flavor just hits different - good tea flavor and perfect sweetness Strawberry lime tea 10/10 - Hawthorne syrup is just the perfect touch - fresh strawberries and lime tea - tea flavor is perfectly strong I think this place is very niche and only a certain group of people will like it. It's definitely a hit or miss. Hand punch lime tea is trending in Asia and I'm so glad the Bay Area has their own little store tucked in CV. I hope this place never closes. I love it so much! read more

Goolu Tea - A2 - Strawberry Lime Tea (Incorporating Hawthorn Sauce) and A5 - Four Seasons Spring Oolong Lime Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

An existing boba shop (Te'Amo) now converted to Goolu Tea seems to have a more unique Asian infused menu with a focus on Lime based fruit drinks. There are a variety of lime drinks to choose from like the Kiwi & Kale Lime Tea $8 or Durian Lime Tea $12.50, Pomegranate Lime Tea$10.50 or even Jasmine Coconut Lime Tea $7.50 just to name a few. The price point is quite high bc they use whole leaf teas free from artificial flavorings. After splurging on my Kiwi Kale Lime Tea, I have to admit the refined & natural essence of this drink really shone through with a very pure lime taste & slight hint of kale. This is an elevated tea shop that is a nice treat when you want high quality drinks. read more

Goolu Tea - Kiwi Kale Lime Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Surprise find that exceeded expectations. Was around the area when we looked up boba and came across Goolu tea. This place is similar to what we had in Taipei, for the lime teas. Tried the Phoenix lime tea (what a name!) and the rose oolong milk tea with cream too -- both were really refreshing and good in their own way. Would definitely come back again when in east bay. read more

Goolu Tea - Phoenix lime and rose oolong milk tea with cream - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I got the warm phoneix tea w taro and it was quite good. All the drinks are $8+ and kinda pricy, but it's too not bad to try it out. The store has tables and seats so it's good for hanging out. read more

Goolu Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Just like how they make it in China! Freshly crushed lime with ice and then mixed with tea to make a refreshing, low carb drink to enrich your day or pair with your meal. Goolu Tea, located in a well visited neighborhood shopping center, serves up lime infused drinks to mainly locals but their unique emphasis on lime has certainly garnered some interest from afar. There aren't a whole lot of places crushing limes (and thirst) quite like Goolu Tea around here and their special lime foam has people raving for the refreshing tastes paired with classic teas. We came here for a quick pickup (thanks to easy parking in the huge shared lot) and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of craft in their drinks and the cups they are served in. The cups were sturdy plastic and had screw-top lids that had releasable openings for straws or sipping. Great sustainable container for more drinks to come! As a first timer, I decided to go with their signature phoenix lime tea and was not disappointed. The drink was rich in tea flavor yet, with the crushed lime, was also light and vibrant. Next time, I'd like to try their lime foam and milk tea to get a fuller bodied drink. This time around, in the remaining heat from the tail end of summer, the lighter chilled brew was the perfect sipper. Overall, Goolu Tea is your place for some old-fashioned tea with a dash of citrus from lime and other tropical fruits. The work put into making your drink will surely help you appreciate the art and immerse you in the mood to savor a fresh, traditionally handcrafted, brewed and mixed tea. Perhaps on your next visit, you'll also experience the "gulu gulu" sounds from happily sipping your drink - the same that inspired the name of this lime infused tea house! read more

Goolu Tea - A1 - Phoenix Lime Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Came here after a nice warm meal and it was so good! The service was very nice, everyone behind the counter was so sweet and made sure we didn't have any questions! They have 2 kiosks you could order from with a great menu selection! They have really nice music playing in the background too! Now for the drinks, omg I LOVED MY MATCHA JASMINE TEA it was soooo good and refreshing and you can taste the great quality! The Mango Passion Lime tea was also super yummy! Unfortunately they were sold out of mochi donuts but i'm sure it's because it was almost their closing time! I'm so happy I found this place and i'll most definitely be back again to try some of their other items! :P read more

Goolu Tea - Menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Such a great new healthy boba option in Castro Valley. Actually I'm not sure if it's actually healthier but their lime tea drinks feel light and refreshing. I ordered the strawberry hawthorn lime tea drink with coconut jelly and it hit the spot. Definitely on the pricier side but will still come back given they're a bit more unique. Now a fan of lime tea!! read more

Goolu Tea - A2 - Strawberry Lime Tea (Incorporating Hawthorn Sauce) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I recommend this spot if you like lemon or lime teas!! I got the phoenix lime tea w water chestnut boba and it was super yummy! the chestnut boba was new to me but I loved the texture that it added to the drink. We also tried the durian smoothie which was delicious if you like durian! The drinks were pretty pricey tho. read more

Goolu Tea opened where Te'Amo Boba Tea was. New decor, new seating, new menu. mochi donuts still available. Beat music in background. Lotsa parking on Sundays since Orangetheory Fitness is closed. Offerings: boba tea with lime flava & various fruit flavas. Ordered at counter, pd. Ready in 5ish minutes. Sips: Guava & Peach Lime tea (8.50) less sugar, normal ice. -not over iced which is cool. Forgot to order less. -maybe should be ordered no sugar. Lime not tasted. guava fruits present but not flavor. -peach flava is in the housemade jellies. Some lime or quava essence is clinging to peach jellies. *came in reusable plastic cup 4ish stars. Semi-worthy-ymmv. Quality:ok Quantity: good. unique drink. Unsure of repeat. read more

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This was a very expensive drink. However, if you frequently have tea with fresh fruit, this would be a good place. They used a lot of real strawberry versus powder. I did not try their boba because it was already $8.50 for their strawberry lime tea. read more

Goolu Tea - Cool top lid - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

place is quite spacious. you can place order through kiosk or even to staff. i will say the drinks are so refreshing and mostly the durian tastes so great but recommend less sugar cause their durian is sweet. love their lime tea collection mostly for: * orchid oolong lime tea * jasmine coconut lime tea * durian lime tea their great toppings: * coconut noodle * house made water chestnut boba quite pricey for me but still a recommended place for boba or tea lovers... read more

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I heard a new boba place opened up nearby and had to try it out. We made the visit finally and got 4 drinks. We initially ordered the Guava and Peach Lime tea and Jasmine Lime Cold Foam first to try it out and decided they were both so well made and delicious that we would get two more drinks for tomorrow. Guava and Peach Lime Tea - 5/5 - delicious, refreshing, has nice jellies and small pieces of fruit in them - minus as I requested low ice yet half of the drink was packed with ice... Jasmine Lime Cold Foam - 5/5 - this one comes in a much smaller cup - also well made with nice flavors of lime coming through and the tastes are fitting with the foam Drinks that were taken for tomorrow: Phoenix Lime Tea - 3/5 - refreshing, and tea tastes very high quality when it's first made - the next day, the bitter tastes were quite strong from the lime skin and from letting the drink rest the next day - ordered with no ice so they leave 1.5 inches or so of empty space in the cup Passion Fruit Mango Lime Tea - 3/5 - drink was 5/5 when we first picked it up - it became very bitter the next day from the lime and if it weren't for the passion fruit and mango, I'm not sure if I could have finished it - ordered with no ice so they leave 1.5 inches or so of empty space in the cup Overall, a cute place with metal furniture pieces and there's a decent amount of seating that is comfortable for lounging for a short time with friends. Not necessarily the most comfortable for staying more than half an hour or so. Also, the cups are made of quite thick plastic, so it seems very wasteful to not resuse them! Verdict - delicious and fresh fruit teas! Drawback is the exorbitant amounts of ice they add even when doing minimal ice and you'll get less drink when you do no ice. They are best to be had once they are made. read more

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I decided to stop by for a drink since it was a warm day. Nice to see a place that sell slightly different type of Asian drinks than the typical boba spot. Their main drinks all have lime flavor, which is a nice twist. I ordered the guava and peach lime drink without tea and the guava flavor was good! The peach is slightly muted but wasn't too hidden. Would definitely try other drinks in the future. They also do mochi donuts in house. If you're in the area looking for a refreshing drink on a warm day, definitely give this place a go. read more

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Delicious lime drinks. Everything on their menu has lime though, so do not expect to find anything to get if you don't like lime. As they recommend, we kept our drinks at full sugar and it wasn't too sweet. We got the Oolong Lime Tea and the Jasmine Milk Tea with Cold Foam. Both very delicious and would get again. The place also very clean and has a good amount of seating. Service was really helpful in helping us pick what drinks to try. Their jasmine tea in the cold foam drink was also surprisingly fragrant which I really liked. Glad to see a new type of drink/boba shop popping up! Will definitely be coming back. read more

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My 3rd visit here. Drinks remain as good. Traffic seems slow down a bit. However they have changed their reward program from per cup to per visit. If I would've known in advance, will get all four of my drinks in 4 different transactions. read more

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The customer service is extremely pleasant and efficient with producing drinks. Very informative with customer questions. Ordered a variety of drinks- pineapple lime, peach guava lime, mango grapefruit smoothie, and avocado coconut smoothie. Drinks are a little bit pricier but that is due to the quality of ingredients used. They used REAL FRUIT and everything is made to order. Packaging is also top quality and can be reused. Price is very reasonable unlike what others have complained. Highly recommend the mango coconut smoothie. Mochinut- larger than most places and provides a very substantial bite. The texture is airy but satisfying. The sweetness is just right for the Asian palate. Preferably the chocolate was best. There was generous amount of seating, free WIFI, and air conditioning. Nice place to hang out while consuming the goodies. read more

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Adios Te'Amo (still one of the best boba shop names of all time), and hola Goolu Tea! With the BOGO special grand soft opening on 06/15/25 Father's Day, I happened to drop by, but lines were ridiculous, so I decided to go across the street instead. With the dust settled, I returned the next day to find the place completely empty, with the menu very limited. No smoothies, and no milk teas. I usually don't like tea without milk, so once again, I crossed the street. Third time's a charm, right? Tuesday I returned again, only to be met with a sign explaining that they will be closed both Tues and Wed for staff training. Then and there, I decided that Thurs 06/19/25 would be the day! I rounded up a posse, and determined we'd all collectively see what Goolu was all about. After a few days of high anticipation, once I arrived with my small group, once again, I was disappointed that the menu was still limited. However, since I already made the commitment, I was going to give it a try no matter what. Ordering is all done through giant touchscreen tablets. TVs likely displaying the menu have not yet been turned on. Prices are quite exorbitant, to be honest, with $7.50 being the base price, and some items in the $8.50 range! The one drink that caught my eye was Passion Fruit Mango Lime Tea, which does go for that cool $8.50. I ordered with zero sugar and no ice (which is whimsically labeled as "save for tomorrow" mode). Others in the group got Preserved Plum Lime Tea with less ice and regular sugar. So, what's the verdict? I actually enjoyed mine quite a bit. It is refreshing and flavorful, with fresh ingredients. The price still seems steep for what you get though. On the other hand, the Preserved Plum Lime group was less than impressed. They collectively didn't approve of the taste, and certainly not the overall value. Seating is decent for socializing, but not too conducive for studying, as there is only a single row of tables along the west facing wall. Bobaristas are decently polite, although not super friendly, but they get the job done. They are also a mix of various backgrounds. The Thurs afternoon crowd ebbed and flowed. At some points, it got decently busy, but never slammed. At other moments, they were swatting flies (Chinese slang for business being dead). Parking is ample, as the strip mall lot has abundant space. The location is wedged between Habit Burger and Orange Theory Fitness, at a 90° angle from the street, but with a building partially blocking visibility 90' or so in front. Goolu isn't exactly hidden, but it's not necessarily highly noticeable either. As more menu options become available, I'd likely come back to give them a shot, but as it stands, with Boba Bliss directly across the street, it is a tall order for Goolu to compete with. P.S. The cups they use are very high quality, and I kept mine to reuse in the fridge! Isn't it funny how just a few years ago, everything was supposed to be "eco-friendly," with paper straws and cardboard to-go boxes that disintegrated before arriving home, but nowadays we have gone full circle with packaging that is more robust than ever?! Unfortunately, I feel most people will still throw it all away, causing even more waste. read more

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We ordered three drinks to get a well rounded opinion. The A1 Phoenix Lime Tea was a popular drink so I gave it a shot. It was a little bitter and I was slightly overwhelmed by a variety of flavors. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't order it again. The A2 Strawberry Lime Tea was pretty good. It was a nice refresher on a warm day. The B1 Avocado and Mango smoothie was creamy and satisfying. Not too sweet. The packaging was superb. I was very impressed by the reusable cups. I'd be interested to try other flavors. read more

Goolu Tea - B1 - Avocado and Mango Smoothie A2 - Strawberry Lime Tea A1 - Phoenix Lime Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Since I was in the area, I wanted to try a boba spot I didn't have near me. A few spots came up in my Yelp search, but I decided on Goolu Tea because I was intrigued with the somewhat unique menu featuring a lot of lime tea drinks. Upon entering the establishment, I noticed how clean it was inside. Even though ordering is done on the kiosk screens to the left of the door, one of the staff behind the counter welcomed me in, and I thought that was a nice gesture considering I would be placing my order myself. Although the lime tea drew me into the store, I eventually ordered the Strawberry and Hawthorne Smoothie since I was curious to find out what Hawthorne is; I ended up asking the guy behind the counter and he described it as "a Chinese fruit" and I guess that convinced me to order it lol. The drink was ready in less than five minutes. While my drink was being prepared, I did notice a lady pounding/mashing fruit in a cup so I assumed that was for my drink since nobody else ordered at the time; I'm impressed with the labor involved with preparing the drink. The smoothie was very good. I was able to clearly distinguish the strawberry flavor from the Hawthorne flavor and the Hawthorne had a nice texture to it (somewhat resembling popping boba with a denser outer skin) and reminded me of something that is added to Vietnamese desserts or drinks. Since the place is known for its lime teas, I wasn't surprised that there was a hint of lime in the my drink and I think it was a nice addition to add to the overall flavor. I noticed there were mochi donuts in the display case at the register so I decided to get a few as well. The mochi donuts were definitely fresh, had a nice bouncy texture I expected, and had flavors that weren't too sweet. The strawberry was my favorite, followed by milk chocolate, and lastly cookies & cream, only because the cookie part was very fine powder and I wanted more crunch from the cookie, but again the mochi donuts were all good. I wish Goolu Tea had more locations in the Bay Area so I can try more of the items on the menu. I did like that there was a parking lot with a good amount of spaces available for a Sunday afternoon. The next time I'm near Castro Valley I definitely want to come back to Goolu Tea! read more

Goolu Tea - Strawberry and Hawthorne Smoothie - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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We got the guava and peach lime tea, Mochi donuts and strawberry lime tea. The drinks were fine. The guava lime tea was a little bland. I couldn't take the guava or peach flavor. The strawberry lime tea was better. The mochi donuts were good. Service was fast and not that crowded. read more

Hands down the best hand crushed lime tea I've had!! I really liked the guava and peach lime tea, it wasn't too sweet! I would recommend ordering ahead since each drink takes a bit of time to make. read more

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Both of the drinks were very refreshing! The Phoenix Lime Tea has a slight bitter after-taste compared to the Four Seasons Oolong Lime Tea. I got less sweet for both drinks and I thought that it was a good balance. The drinks weren't too sweet nor sour. I usually hate sour drinks so I was worried about getting less sweet but this was good! The Phoenix Lime Tea tasted more bitter than sour. The Four Seasons Oolong Lime Tea was lighter and a little more sweet. read more

Goolu Tea - Left: Phoenix Lime Tea with agar boba Right: Four Seasons Spring Oolong Lime Tea with peach jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California