Covid Review: The drinks here are good and fresh. My go-to drinks are the mango pomelo sago and the pink lady! Both drinks are as solid as they come. Parking here is right out front with plenty of spaces. At the time of my review, they did not have dine-in available. As for now, everything is takeout. Hay Tea is a very solid boba shop where you don't have many options. read more

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I'm glad mango pomelo sago is becoming more popular at boba spots now! It's one of my all-time faves from Hui Lau Shan (specifically the Hong Kong locations), so I like that I can track down iterations of it elsewhere. At $5.25 for a small (one size for this drink), I'd say I was satisfied. Hard to complain about prices these days when boba everywhere is getting more expensive. You can adjust sweetness for this one, but not ice since it's blended into the drink. Interestingly, I'm not sure if they use a different type of sago or maybe there was a mix up, but I didn't get any of the typical small sago balls usually seen in this drink/sago desserts. Instead, it was more like small jelly chunks. Popcorn chicken ($5.95) was good. There's a self-serve station to customize levels and types of spice. Admittedly, watching everyone touch the same condiments is not my favorite thing during COVID. Additionally, since you're adding your own spice, it's hard to get the chicken at the bottom coated. I wish they'd pre-portion some chili powder to go. Fruit teas could use some work. Huge chunks of lime and lemon in the tea we ordered, so the tartness overpowered everything and left the drink on the smaller side. It looked like they had some cheap but robust milk tea options, which is originally what I came to try. But when I saw their mango pomelo sago special, I changed my mind. Hopefully I'll be in the area again soon to try one of those. read more

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Exterior: it is like any other store that is in the plaza, it's close-by the drive in towards the parking lot. There is half frosted window at the bottom and the other half is just a regular window. 2 doors but just go to the door that is in front of the cashier or the kiosk. The one at the back is locked. Interior: I remembered they had tables up against the windows the last time I came over. I thought it was really cool, however they changed that and removed it. So it is less cool. The area is pretty spacious to bring a group of people over to talk, meetings, and family friendly space. As for the working station, you can be able to watch the baristas make your drinks and I think it's cool. My experience: DRINKS I tried some of their Matcha drinks and it's not that great at all. If I would recommend a drink, go for whatever they just freshly cut up like the (D5) Watermelon & Orange Green Tea, (H2) Strawberry Lover Slush are the most refreshing beverage during the summer. (D9) Mango Pomelo Sago is really good as a dessert beverage and you could never go wrong with it since it is a staple Asian dessert. (A1) Pink Lady is also a really good, refreshing, cold for the hot weather and the perfect sweetness for those who do not have a sweet tooth. FOOD I would honestly get their salt and pepper tofu, popcorn chicken, takoyaki, waffle fries, curly fries and regular fries. Those options are the safest options to go for here. My thoughts: Unfortunately, I did spot a roach in the bathroom, which is bad and hopefully the owner addresses it soon. This place could have been better, it is a little shabby since CURRENTLY, as I am writing this right now, they are manager-less and the owner are doing their own thing/system. I assume after a while, they will eventually find someone. Like any other Asian Cafe, once they get consistent local customers and regulars. The business will still be running without doing further improvements in the future based on how the interior looks. Other than that, this place is your neighborhood boba shop that is close-by and nothing too special. Get the roach situated please. read more

This boba tea location used to be a Quickly, but changed over a year ago (opening a few weeks before lockdown). I finally made my way to check it out on a Saturday afternoon. The decor is much cleaner and classier than the previous incarnation (Quickly's furnishings are very stark and busy), with the drink preparation area in full view of the customers (separated by clear glass). It was a nice, clear day out, though I was surprised how busy the place was. There were 3 large orders put in before mine, so my 2 drinks took 20 minutes to make. But I didn't mind, since the staff were working very hard to get all the drinks made (2 of the large orders had at least 10 drinks each). To me, that's a good sign, since there are several competitors in San Leandro. My wife ordered (D1) Fruit Fusion Tea) while I got (B2) Matcha Milk Tea with Fresh Taro, Red Bean & Purple Rice (say that 5 times fast!). The Fruit Fusion Tea was very flavorful, and not as sweet as my wife thought, even though the sugar level was 100%. My drink had a lot of different textures with all the different toppings, which I enjoyed. I did see my drink being made, and this place uses a liquid non-dairy creamer (not the powder, which can leave a weird aftertaste if not mixed thoroughly). One note: all the fresh fruit teas are already the large size (presumably since they do put pieces of fresh fruit in the drink), but all the other drinks can be upsized. Despite the long wait time, we really enjoyed our drinks. I'm really curious about their "Secret Drink Contest," which I might try the next time. read more

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Hate to leave bad reviews for mom and pop shops but roach, just roach. After seeing that my wings felt a little more roach crispy at each bite. read more

I order popcorn chicken Waffle frys and salt n pepper tofu!!!! I wish i took a pik the chicken tasted like fish not chicken, the waffle frys were ok but not fried enuff, the tofu wasnt fried all the way either just look thrown together no effort at all!!!! So for food i give 0 stars Now for the boba i ordered the tato which was gud i also got the dragon milk tea was koo!!! I think the my should stick to making boba not food!!!!! read more

Decided to give this place a try since I was nearby. It was in a little plaza with a small parking lot which is great! Not busy at all on a Friday afternoon. I ordered the mango latte with crystal boba and popcorn chicken. The mango tea latte with crystal boba came in one size only for $4.75. The cup size was small and is about the same size as a small/ regular in most boba places. I appreciate the fact that they used real mango to make the drink and not artificial syrup or powder. However, the mango used was not ripe so the drink was unfortunately a bit too tart for me, which is why I knocked off a point. Would've been nice if they asked me for the sweetness level bc I would've picked 100% sweet! Haha The popcorn chicken ($5.95) was hands down one of the best I've had! It was extremely flavorful and juicy! They make the popcorn chicken once I order it so it was nicely cooked to perfection and hot. The chicken didn't taste oily at all and no old oil taste! The outside was nicely crunchy from the batter and it was then sprinkled with fried basil leaves which tasted so good together. Only wish the portions were larger! I would come back to give this place another try and hopefully the other drinks on the menu won't disappoint me! read more

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Popcorn chicken, very tasty, marinated, soft, good crunch not too thick batter. B17, high mountain milk, tea, 50% sugar, boba decent soft, fairly sweet. read more

Hay Tea is a small shop located in a small plaza with limited parking. It is not the best, but it is nice that San Leandro has more options. Not much customer service, but you are not here for service. I had tried multiple drinks that I did not like in the past, but I do like their regular classic boba milk tea. Surprisingly, I prefer it over their jasmine milk tea, which is my usual go to. The jasmine milk tea tastes a bit like old milk and does not taste like milk tea, but more like sour milk with a weird orange aftertaste for an unknown reason. The classic milk tea tastes like a sweet black milk tea with a good creaminess and tea mix to it. read more

The taro milk tea was mediocre, and they messed up my matcha drink. However, the regular milk tea was alright, bubbles had good texture, and the purple rice was delicious read more

Hay Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

Randomly happened to pass by this place so we decided to check it out. For the two of us, we got the brown sugar boba milk tea, kumquat lemon green tea, and popcorn chicken. The brown sugar milk tea was not overly sweet, and the boba had the perfect soft chewy texture. The milk tea was more on the creamy side. I recommend getting the Kumquat lemon green tea at 50% sugar so you can taste more of the sourness. The popcorn chicken was amazing! It is juicy inside and crispy on the outside. I love the batter they use on the chicken, it is very similar to the tap ex one. They also hooked it up with a huge portion. Def worth the $6 imo. I'm really happy I found this little gem. read more

Hay Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

Very cute and cozy spot. Everything looks yummy. Fast to order everything. We ordered the mango pomelo sago and popcorn chicken and salt and pepper wings. read more

Hay Tea - Menu for drinks - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Drove by and saw this new boba spot. Must try. Lol. Hay Tea took over Quicklys and shares the small plaza w Pizza Guys, 9Round, a barber shop & more. Bayfair Bart station is nearby. They had some pretty awesome deals during the soft opening. I tried 2 drinks (Mango Dreamer Green Tea and Fresh Watermelon Orange Green Tea). The Mango one (can't adjust sugar) is more of a slushy and was way too sweet. For the watermelon tea, I did 50% sugar and it tasted watered down. I do appreciate the bits of real fruit they put in there though. Might go back to try their snacks. They have ramen & baked rice plates too. read more

Hay Tea - Classic Boba Milk Tea (and inspirational words). - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Hay Tea takes over the old Quickly location on Hesperian in San Leandro. I've had my eye on this location ever since Quickly closed. When I saw the logo / signage go up, I was ready to dropped by. I missed the Grand Opening lines, as it was relatively quiet when I entered the establishment (3 groups/tables). The staff (which appeared to be fully staffed) were welcoming and ready to serve. I looked over the menu and decided on my standard go-to drink -- Grapefruit Green Tea (with Grass Jelly, to change things up). While waiting for my drink, I noticed their Snacks/Ramen/Baked Rice menu. I soon got my drink, which was smooth and tasty. After finishing my drink, and since it was relatively quiet, I went back to order another drink (Strawberry Lover Green Tea) and a Popcorn Chicken. The second drink was ready first, and it was refreshing and tasty with Strawberry bits. The Popcorn Chicken was bought to my seat. It was hot and delicious. I'll definitely be back to sample out more of their menu items. This is a welcome Tea place where there isn't one close by. read more

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They get 1 stars bc the drinks were ok. The service was meh . The girls there don't really have customer service skills at all. Can I mention that their signs are with super tiny letters and can barely be read !!! And they rush you when taking your order. The ambiance, was dirty. Tables were not cleaned & the floors were sticky and dirty . Not coming back again , recommend to go to the one in the Safeway plaza. read more

I left a review a year ago really enjoying this place and the drinks, so yummy. I would always get "mango Pamela sago , add purple rice" it has always been my order and I have loved it. I know they have made some changes to the menu but I still enjoy it and going there UPDATE: today was a different experience so I am now changing my review. Young kid was at the register and he wasn't friendly and a bit condescending. I asked for my usual and he said "ummm.... You sure?" I told him it's what I always order and he said "uhhh...okkaaayyy" I feel like this place has changed a lot and the staff and service as well read more

Looks like Hay Tea updated their menu and prices went up :( I ordered a grapefruit green tea 100% sweetness less ice. I would def go a little less on the sugar next time, but still satisfied my craving for a fruit tea. They still have their Tuesday's chicken + tea deal read more

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My friend Eric told me about this place, so naturally I had to come and see what it is all about! Hay Tea is located in a small strip mall near Bayfair Bart in San Leandro. It's located inside a very small plaza, and there isn't a whole lot of parking. I would say that the place is not bad at all, I've tried a few drinks here and for the most part, they are pretty good. They also have a few combos, and I've gotten the Hong Kong Style Egg Puff Combo for $10, which includes the egg puff and a 16oz drink. The egg puffs here are freshly prepared and made to order, so it will take a while for it to be ready. The Hong Kong Style Milk Tea is pretty decent as well, not bad! I have also tried the Dirty Brown Sugar Pearl Latte, and that one was a miss because the boba was not good. It was not soft and chewy, rather it was hard! So, for now I'd recommend not getting the boba. The customer service here is friendly for the most part, and they do speak Cantonese here in addition to English of course. For some reason, they don't take Credit Cards, only CASH and Venmo at the moment. They have signs stating that their credit machine is broken, and not working...seems a bit fishy! They do have a rewards program as well, via Loyalti. Once you buy 9 drinks, you get the 10th one free! I would recommend giving this place a try if you are in the area. Would I go out of the way for it, probably not. read more

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There's a lot of tea shops these days and it's hard to make a selection based on what you're in the mood for. This place has bites and drinks so there's a win for me. I hate having to go to multiple places to satisfy my food and beverage cravings. There is a private parking lot with many stalls right up front. That's another plus. But the biggest plus for me is the delicious combinations they have up front with their daily specials. I love the happy family drink with the coconut milk base. There's very few places who do coconut milk drinks so I make sure to make note of those who do. I'm a big fan of the red bean popping boba. The idea of beans in drinks used to freak me out but now I can't get enough! I also love their fruit teas and passion fruit anything so I get a nice variety of sweet and creamy as well as crisp and refreshing. read more

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The Bay Area is saturated with boba shops but Hay Tea is able to set itself apart with their toppings. I got the house special dragon milk tea which has popping red bean instead of boba and glutinous balls. I've never had any toppings like this before! It's chewy and I feel like guilty getting this than tapioca boba balls. Extra points for the nice strong tea flavor. read more

Easy to miss and definitely should skip. Although I did not get a milk tea drink, I did order their mango pomelo slush with boba. The drink was watered down and the only flavor that came through with a very tart pomelo one. The boba didn't have a great chew and I felt like the drink was made in a rush. While I appreciate the nice service, I would definitely go elsewhere for your bubble tea fix. read more

Hay Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

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The last two times I have gone have been the worst service. First time they forgot to put the boba I paid extra for and threw half of my drink away and left mostly ice. Second time paid a large and put it a large cup and acted like they added more boba and did not, just gave me the drink like that. read more

They have so many drink options and they're all so good and high quality. I love their popcorn chicken! It doesn't have that weird fat that others places do. It's so crispy and flavorful. I always love to stop by here! read more

One of my go to spots for Mango pomelo sago drink. Not many places get this right but this place has been consistent and good every time. Haven't had a need to try any other drinks yet. Will be back again for the same drink. read more

I went washing and was extremely hungry and thirsty so I decided to check this place out. I came in right when they opened at 11am. I ordered a Thai milk tea added boba and their salt & pepper chicken wings . Honestly I enjoyed both items, milk tea wasn't hella sweet which was excellent for me but the chicken wings taste more like garlic wings than salt & pepper. I'd say hold out on the extra garlic next time and live up to the salt & pepper name lol.... Or just change the name to garlic wings on the menu. ‍ other than that I will be back for round 3 read more

Hay Tea - Salt & pepper wings - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

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I love this place! I don't live in the area but I have an appointment that brings me across the street monthly and afterwards I always stop by Hay Tea and get a mango dreamer and the salt and pepper tofu. I don't even like tofu much but I love love love the salt and pepper tofu. The popcorn chicken is pretty bomb too. The only thing I wish they had was aloe topping. But otherwise drinks and snacks are on point. read more

COVID REVIEW: Since moving to San Leandro from Fremont, this place has become a staple for me and my husband - it's such a great quick stop before we go home. Our order: usually the dragon milk tea, the matcha salted cheese, and an order of popcorn chicken. Pros: - This place probably has THE BEST popcorn chicken I've ever tasted from any boba shop, HANDS DOWN. It is ~$6 which may be on the pricier side, but pair it with their boba + popcorn chicken Tuesday deal for $10 total and it's pretty worth. We love that it's super flavorful, has a kick but isn't too spicy, is always warm. Probably the only popcorn chicken I don't eat with any dressing because it's just that good. I don't even mind when my car smells like it the next day (we often eat it straight up after we buy it in the car, because it's just that good.) - Really good boba - soft and warm, I HATE hard bobas LOL. - the toppings in the dragon milk tea are very unique and kind of addicting (we asked one time exactly what the barley bean looking things are and I forgot already what they are) - customizable ice and sweetness - matcha salted cheese is great - Fast service - Stamp card features for free drink after 9 - Easy parking in the lot right outside Cons: - NONE. 10/10 will keep returning. Some people may feel that it's pricier than places like T4, but you're getting what you pay for in quality. read more

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I'm not a critical person, but customers need to know Hay Tea's drinks are overpriced $7-8 and MISLEADING. Arrived at 11:07AM and store was not opened. Waited for the worker who looks like he just got out of bed to rinse a bunch of dishes from the day before then took my order. I ordered a kumquat green tea, but there was NO KUMQUAT in the drink. The drink tasted like water, lemon, and sugar. Why would I pay $7.50 for something that tastes worse than store bought lemonade? Will never return. Can't believe you can serve someone a drink like this that's listed on the "popular list". read more

Hay Tea - Kumquat tea but NO kumquat - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

Really good drinks! I love that they cut the fresh fruits right there in front of you. Everything tastes really fresh and I love their stamp card system as well. Definitely one of my go to boba place! read more

Hay Tea - Current new drinks menu! - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

LOVE IT. I love coming here, it's my go-to drink place. I love all their drink offerings. And they use fresh fruit in their drinks! YAASS!! I have tried many of their drinks and all have been really good. My current favorite is the tiramisu slushie. SO delicious. I also love their taro drink. I love that you the drinks are set as they are. The drinks come with their own toppings already. Not a big fan of their food selections but I come more for the drinks. Chicken isn't that great I've had better and the mozzarella sticks is just string cheese cut in half, breaded and fried. The cheese could be more melted. Pricing I think is standard for any tea place. Though I feel like their food prices are on the higher side. Service is good but I feel sometimes I get the slow motion crew. So if you're on a time crunch or hate waiting too long definitely call your order in. I think there's an app for this place but I have yet to download it. In a shared shopping plaza. Parking is good. Very clean inside and very consistent with their drink quality. read more

Open during pandemic. Parking lot available. Interesting variety of drinks which is different. I ordered the dragon milk tea which contains barleys as toppings. 50% sweet was sweet enough. The barley topping was wild, actually bursts in your mouth, my first time trying it. Milk tea was typical, more milky. Would totally come back again! read more

Hay Tea - Dragon milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

Whoever is the owner needs to train their employees better. They are never consistent on taking my order. They stated I cannot order boba on the side, because they have never done that. In the past and ever other time I'm able to order boba on the side for my kids. They also charge for water here too! Unacceptable. read more

We ordered 3 drinks, popcorn chicken and fries for about $40. The drinks aren't the same as they use to be. Quality has gone down. Drinks are watered down. One drink didn't taste right and we tried to ask them to make a new drink or refund and they refused. My kid was unable to drink it and I had to toss it. Drinks are pretty pricey here. Not worth it. read more

I love you Hay tea. I can't bear to keep my review at 2 stars for a one time occurrence of a nasty drink (just make sure to watch when your jasmine green tea is made.. lol). Hay tea feels authentic, because of the wide variety of toppings that they offer, even though I've never been to Taiwan. Nevertheless, the workers are very genuine here. The boba is good quality and seems to be cooked around the clock. This month (december '20), they have a bogo 50% off on classic milk tea. Love you Hay Tea~ read more

Hay Tea - This is me trying to fix my jasmine green tea that is 500% sweet. - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Taro Milk Tea w/ Fresh Taro 1/5: got artificial powdered taro drink did not get the Fresh Taro Fresh Mango Coconut Milk Purple Rice 0/5: did not taste the mango nor the coconut purple rice taste old Service 1/5 Ambiance 3/5 read more

Their drinks and snacks are good but make sure to order early if you're in a rush. They usually only have 1 person working to take order and make drinks and the wait can get pretty long. I love their dragon pearls and would definitely recommend! However, one drink I would NOT recommend is the avocado smoothie, which tastes like nothing. But the store has a small parking lot outside and is right across from the Bay Fair BART Station so it's a pretty convenient location. read more

I've been to places that have only one size for cups, but usually they are a bit bigger than what this place. I got the dirty macha tea and it had a great taste, consistency, and a good amount of tapioca balls, but it was definitely smaller than I wouldk have liked for the price. Solid cup, and I could reuse it, but I'd rather pay for more drink and less plastic. Great service, clean, safe, and quick. Nothing wrong with it, I just would like more for my buck, and there are places around here that do just that. read more

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They have a menu at the entry door. The inside is pretty trendy as well. New drinks/snacks menu by the register. Dragon fruit with boba was sweet but good. Haven't tried anything like that before. It does come with salted cheese. The lady told me it a cheese foam but honestly I didn't try it wasn't sure how that would taste. The matcha fresh milk with boba was soooo delicious omg it's a must try. Thai tea was a bit too bitter for me. read more

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The drinks here are SO fairly priced! Living in San Francisco, I'm used to paying $6+ for one drink now so when I saw that they had drinks in the $3-$4 range I was pretty shocked. I got the Jasmine MT and I wish it had a stronger tea taste. The tea taste was a bit weak, it just tasted sweet. :( Their boba was really good and chewy though! read more

Hay Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

Dragon Milk Tea Salted Cheese & Mango Tea Latte~ late night grab. Drinks are not too sweet, so if you like your drinks not too sweet, this is the place to go. We like our drinks sweeter so minus one star. Also if you want to feel how it taste to eat dragon eggs, you must try the Dragon Milk Tea Salted Cheese. Never had any boba like it! It like popping boba but different...first tried it and had to take some out to look at it closely~ read more

Hay Tea - Dragon Milk Tea Salted Cheese and Mango Tea Latte switched out the crystal boba to aloe vera~ - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Leandro, California

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