I saw Great Tea vending at a recent Oakland Chinatown street festival, so I decided to give them a try. F2 Fresh strawberries tea with rainbow jelly: I really liked the real fresh strawberry bits and the jelly. It was sweet and fruity. If they weren't premade at the festival tent, I would've liked to adjust it to a lower sweetness since I think it still would've tasted good and I would've been able to make out the tea a little better. CB6 Purple rice burrito: I liked the egg inside and the purple rice, it was savory, and the different components inside made it more interesting flavor-wise. I really hope they will add a vegetarian version to their menu where they can replace the pork floss with something else. read more

Great Tea - Purple-rice burrito - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

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Best boba ever! I have been to all of them and definitely better than the next door iTea! So go here instead, and get better quality ingredients without the line! The owner Kacee uses fresh fruit and best products, such as premium ceremonial matcha and real taro!! I don't know any other boba place that cares as much as this one about what they use that is healthy and authentic ingredients! Never knew til I tried their drinks how that makes SUCH A DIFFERENCE! read more

LOVE IT HERE! C3 - Lychee tea with sea salt cream and lychee jelly is my fav!! I haven't tried anything else but I don't want to risk it lol Extra sea salt caramel makes it even better. It's a really small place in Chinatown.. You order on a screen and it's ready in 5ish min. read more

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There's no shortage of milk tea shops in Oakland, particularly around Chinatown Oakland. Great Tea opened earlier this year and their tea drinks are pretty great. This shop is not a sit & linger as there are no tables/chairs, this is more of a order & go shop. They've expanded their offerings with more signage/photos on the door/walls, or just scroll through the tablet at the self-ordering kiosk. They use real fruit for the fruit drinks as I've seen firsthand, a lady (probably the owner) chopping up fruits and organizing fresh fruits. The result is amazing, no additional sugar required as I've hada few sips. My usual drinks rotate among the milk teas. Most recently, I ordered the taro mochi milk tea. Taro puree and mochi really enhanced the chewing experience while drinking the milk tea. No additional sugar added. Prices are competitive for the area. I'll be back again soon. #43/2025 read more

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Great teas with fresh fruit. The reason I came here though was for the fan tuan, or purple rice burrito. It's a Taiwanese speciality, with purple rice wrapped around pork floss, pickles, egg and you tiao (fried dough stick). Delicious and could easily be a full meal for under $10. read more

Great Tea - Purple rice burrito - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Great Tea opened recently in Yomie's Rice & Yogurt's long vacated space. Just order & go. No seating inside or out. No posted menu. Just ask the aunties on duty what was best seller. She pointed it out on the ordering kiosk. Offerings (boba tea, fruit teas): fresh milk tea, handcrafted organic tea with fresh fruit, fresh fruit organic tea with cream, handcrafted organic tea with fresh fruit. Didn't see snacks.. Sips: Pomelo with Mango & Coconut Milk(6.95) no sugar, less ice -came out in 6ish minutes. Could easily see the various layers: pomelo fruit on top, coconut milk with sago pearls in the middle, mango fruit on bottom. -didn't see/taste ice, must have been blended with fruit or coconut milk. Sugar natural taste. Definitely no sugar added. Small sagos tender. A + *advisory of cup: "consume in half hour". Saw it a few hours later. **only shook it a little. Probably would have tasted a more nuanced. 4.5 stars Worthy! Quantity: 24 oz. Great value. Quality: better than other boba shops. Fresh fruits used. Not juices nor purées... read more

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Golden Tea is still my go to but I love this on too. It's total Auntie vibes with the little cluttered counter and tiny space. The tea is strong and brewed fresh. I am currently sipping on my jasmine tea with sea salt cream (0% sweetness) and it's just perfect. Strong jasmine flavor with a hint of sea salt. Mm. My son wanted a fruit smoothie and there were at least five fresh fruit options. We chose pineapple (again with 0% sweetness) and it was very refreshing. They added fresh chunks of pineapple on the bottom and every sip tasted like biting into a fresh pineapple. I bet this tastes even better in the summer during peak pineapple season. Prices are low compared to the surrounding shops. Parking is tough but if you find yourself near Renaissance Plaza, I highly recommend this shop! read more

Surprisingly better than I thought it would be! The matcha was decent and regular sweetness is not too sweet. I got less ice and it was perfect. After mixing the mango in, there was definitely some mango flavor but it wasn't strong. The chunks of mango didn't fit in the straw though and I could tell it was frozen chunks that were defrosted. read more

Great Tea - Mango matcha - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I walked in and ordered on the screen. I got a regular milk tea with boba, 0% sugar and light ice. After you pay, the owner or staff comes out to greet you and start the order. The owner was working today and she was so nice as we conversed. I asked her for more tea and less milk ratio. She made sure that I was okay with 0% sugar because it won't be as sweet. Which is good because I am trying to limit my sugar! The drink was prepared quick and with care. It was DELICIOUS. The boba is so soft and chewy. The drink had sweetness from the brown sugar from the boba so trust me you don't need sugar. She gives a good amount of boba! Yay! The owner is so kind and understanding as we conversed about other things. Definitely give this place a try!! read more

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When I heard another boba shop had opened in Oakland, I was honestly very skeptical. The city is definitely not lacking in boba shops, and with Golden Tea shop being very close by, I had high expectations going in. However, I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the drinks. The lychee drink was freshly blended, and I could taste the lychee bits as I consumed the drink. The crema also paired pretty well with the drink, and it felt fresh. I would say the boba was a little less flavorful than I would have preferred. The osmanthus drink was my personal favorite. I really liked the purple rice (reminded me of a traditional Malaysian dessert), and the tea flavor was strong enough to balance out the milk. We did get a puffle waffle as well (as part of their grand opening deal), but this unfortunately fell short. The waffle was pretty mushy (not as crispy waffle texture), and oddly over-salted but under-sugared. It was also really eggy tasting. It wasn't my favorite, but if some modifications are made to the flavor and length of time cooked, I am sure this will also be a hit! read more

Great Tea - Left: Fresh Lychee Tea Right: Osmanthus Oolong Purple Rice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Saw someone walking around Chinatown drinking something that caught my attention. I asked where they got it and they told me to try the fresh mango pomelo sago from Great Tea and so I did. Looks a lot better than it tasted. The sago was a bit tough and the drink had almost a bitter taste to it. Initial sip was good but as I kept drinking it felt like it was lacking something. The mango flavor wasn't as strong as I'd hoped for either. read more

I came across this place on my way to the bus stop. The woman who was working there was so kind and helpful with placing my order. It was my first time there, and didn't know what to get. She gave me in-depth descriptions about how some of the drinks were made, which made it easy for me to pick a flavor. The place is small, but their quality of their drinks can't be beat! They use FRESH FRUIT for their drinks-- she even showed me the fruits they had on rotation that day. I think it's very easy to tell when a shop uses powders so this is something I really value. I'll definitely be back to try more flavors! read more

Great Tea - Seasonal Drink: Taro Bliss - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The place smells like egg puffs in the best way! Very fresh and a short wait. Less than 10 minutes. A new drink place in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza Shopping Center in the heart of Oakland Chinatown. read more

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I'm sorry, Oakland Chinatown, but how many more boba shops do you need? I was honestly shocked when I heard that yet another boba shop was opening within a mile radius of about three other boba shops in the same area. That being said -- I fully went in knowing that this place would have to be SUPER special if it was to blow me out of the water. Admittedly -- it did not blow me out of the water but I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and the overall bang-for-your-buck of Great Tea. They have some pretty nice flavor combos (lychee teas and dragonfruit teas are pretty good!) -- nothing absolutely unique -- but the price, for the amount of topping + beverage you get is definitely on the better end for a city saturated with boba shops. The staff here has also always been super nice and inviting whenever I visit. I'd definitely go here if I'm looking for something outside of my usual Golden Tea Shop run -- and hey, I'm not complaining if there's more options to choose from! read more

Super kind service! Delicious drink. I got pomelo with sago at 0% sweetness and it was literally perfect. I will daydream about this place until I die, and certainly I will return. No seating provided but the location is convenient for finding seating if desired. Good vibes. read more

Boba under $6! Fast and friendly service. The drinks come in the tall cups, the ipad was easy to use, and it was a local family shop. The drinks weren't too sweet at half sugar, which was perfect for me. The secret egg waffles were hot and fresh to eat. read more

Great Tea - Tall cup, matcha creme brulee half sugar was enough sweetness - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The boba was good. It tasted sweet but not overly so. The employees were friendly and helpful.

Drinks made just right and the cashier were very friendly and helpful. She patiently explained each drink.

Amazing, spectacular, awesome service. Was given a detailed explanation on drinks, they're are rich with flavor and the toppings is fresh. The place is a little small, but the atmosphere is welcoming and clean. read more

I got a strawberry matcha with crème brûlée topping & it was too milky and didn't have enough flavor. Service was very quick though!

The workers here are super rude and tea is not good at all. It could just be the fact this is China town and everyone is rude here not sure but absolutely do not recommend. If I could rate it a 0 I would. read more

Really tasty! Real fruits in the fruit teas. Got the 2 drinks for 1 free egg waffle deal. read more

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Yummy milk tea with bouncy boba. On top they are just open with free egg puffs when buying boba drink. Nice owners and workers. Attentive and explaining nicely their drinks and ingredients. Look for Kaylee. She is exceptional! read more

Great Tea - Delicious tiger brown sugar boba with sea salt creamer and milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The smell of the waffle pulled me in. My daughter had the Thai tea, which I loved because we could select the level of sweetness. The waffle was fresh off the griddle, soft and sweet. Service was prompt. read more

Great Tea - Thai tea and waffle - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The people who run this shop are awesome, and the boba is so good! They opened up for us even though we arrived a few minutes after closing. Just what we needed after dinner! Shoutouts! read more

I happened to park in front of this little tea shop in Oakland Chinatown so I thought I'd give it a try. I ordered the osmanthus oolong milk tea with purple rice, 50% sweet, light ice, and I really enjoyed it. The ordering was done through the kiosk and the tea was made quickly. There's standing room with a bar countertop if you want to drink inside. read more

A good boba place with nice people! The Egg waffles are nice and soft and the drink is especially refreshing, will be coming back soon. read more

Great Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

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so nice drink and nice service! It is convenient to park near the road, and there is a machine to order in the store. It is convenient to be bilingual in Chinese and English. read more

Great Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

This little tea l shop is a cute little spot tog get some yummy refreshing tea. I love the whole family ran business model! The staff were super friendly and welcoming. read more

Great Tea - Fresh mango pomelo. matcha with fresh coconut. fresh strawberries milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The service was amazing, very nice cashier and also the people in the back making the drinks! The decor is cute and cozy vibes! They even make custom drinks if you ask and if it's not shown on the menu. The matcha creme brûlée is a good drink for the cheap price of 5 dollars! The watermelon slush is a good flavor as well. This may win over I-tea, amazing boba place for the cheap prices and long menu! Will be getting again. Not the mention the free egg waffles when you buy 2+ drinks for their grand opening! read more

Great Tea - Matcha creme brulee and fresh watermelon passion fruit tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The service was excellent, and the drinks were delicious. I love their taro and mango pomelo drinks. I highly recommend it for people who prefer their boba to be less on the sweet side and use fresh fruits/ingredients! I will definitely be returning for more! read more

service is fast, she gives free snacks out for 2 drinks for the soft opening, fun music in the background for a cool ambiance!! super friendly too read more