Folks need to take a step back and realize that we're talking about an eatery on a college campus- gotta cut it some slack. For the few times I've eaten here and gotten boba during meetings, I have to say that I've enjoyed my experiences and considering the slugs lucky to have a spot like Iveta. There are two sections to the restaurant- one which focuses on actual food and the other a cafe that serves boba and beer, two of my favorite things. My take on the boba is that it gets the job done. It's nothing special and the boba pearls are not the best, but if you're craving some, then they are totally fine. Plus, their catering staff is great and are able to accommodate large boba orders if needed. As for the food, I got a chance to try their poke bowl which is incredibly massive. I'm used to ordering poke from other college campuses that come in very small portions, so the fact that they load you up here is great. Only gripes are that they don't add more toppings vs. the rice ratio in the bowl, and you aren't able to order just toppings as a side. My colleague wanted just seaweed salad but they had no way of ringing it up. Overall, Iveta is a solid campus eatery for students and one that I see myself stopping by again, if at least to get my boba cravings out of the way. read more

Iveta Campus - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

The scones are superb! Breakfast sandwiches are not bad, either The coffee is decent. I think they use Illy brand, read more

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A colleague and I stopped by yesterday for lunch and each ordered some burgers and fries. We each asked for a well-done burger w/ cheese, and I asked for no pickles/tomatoes on mine. When we got our food it looked great! I saw that they had forgotten to take out the pickles/tomatoes, but no big deal, it happens. It wasn't until I took my first bite that I realized that the burger was way undercooked (basically raw), so much so that we couldn't help but toss them. For a 10 dollar order of burger and fries, it felt a bit lacking to say the least. I was in a rush and didn't want to make a big deal, but I probably won't be back for their food. The only reason I am not giving cafe a one-star review is due to how our server and the folks at the coffee bar were very kind and their drinks were pretty solid. read more

Iveta Campus - I ordered a well-done burger w/ cheese and no pickles/tomatoes and got this little buddy ? - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I usually order a poke bowl or a drink from the bar when I come in here. I would advise against the banh mi, I was expecting it to taste close to how it should be made, but I believe there was a twist on the recipe which is why I didn't like it too much. I do like the poke here, however they always put way too much sauce in it. The portions are great and timing isn't that long either. Drinks here are usually good, I just wouldn't recommend getting the tapioca pearls since they aren't very flavorful and sometimes a little hard. read more

Iveta Campus - salmon, hamachi, seaweed salad, sesame seeds, poke sauce, fried onions, and imitation crab. The base is half salad half rice. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

The burgers are really good. They don't need cheese or ketchup to be amazing. Just a simple burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and aioli (basically garlic mayo, it's surprisingly good). I really like getting poke here too, despite it being more expensive than the poke in San Jose (where I'm from). The milk tea is just alright, but then again I am from a city where you can't go a block without seeing two boba shops. The food is on the pricey side but you're paying for the convenience of having a whole restaurant on campus. Their rent is probably sky-high so I can't really blame them for charging $8 for a burger, and I appreciate being able to walk here from my dorm, class, or OPERS. read more

Not really that great. Service isn't good and the food is mediocre . Employees don't really seem like they know what they are doing . Menu is all over the place. read more

My Hot tea was basically cold and they only put one tea bag in it. It tasted like flavorless lukewarm water.

I decided to stop at this place while visiting a friend in college. Absolute waste of time. The service was god awful and my burger was grilled dry. I do not recommend this place. Try McDonalds next time read more

It's pretty good but it's a bit pricey in my opinion. My favorite items are the BLT and the Thai tea. There not much seating and they take a while to hand u your order. However the customer service is pretty good. I also really like that they use buzzers to notify you when you're order is ready is more convenient than them yelling ur order number out especially because bit can get a bit loud. read more

Amazing food! I come here at least twice a week and the food is always fresh. There is so much to choose from and it's all great! All the servers are super nice. I would definitely recommend this place to all my friends! read more

Prices are a little high, but food quality is strong. Spicy egg biscuit, EGG ON TOAST, and breakfast burrito are all great. Also, I feel like they serve the best boba in Santa Cruz county. read more

They're really trying to deliver a high standard. They can't always pull it off based on what is probably a very small profit margin (college kids are not famous for being big spenders!) but they try hard. Grateful for their presence on campus. read more

Simply amazing. The scones are to die for. The spicy biscuit is my favorite though. We were just in town for a visit and ended up going for breakfast 2 days in a row. It was that good. read more

I went here on a tinder date - had a Banh mi sandwich and it was pretty good! Being half Vietnamese, I approve. It's a pretty nice establishment and has a nice aesthetic. 10/10 would do again! read more

Located right across from the Bay Tree Bookstore, Iveta hosts both a cafe and a restaurant that serve an array of food choices for all people. However, there prices are a bit on the higher side. Nonetheless, despite the price, the food is good enough if you want a break from dining hall food. But If you live off of campus, I wouldn't recommend eating here because you simply have better options in the town. read more

Iveta Campus - Breakfast Burrito with a Yerba Mate. $9 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Warning: this was an assignment for my writing class. This is going to be long: The boba tea at the Ivéta Cafe at UCSC was mediocre at best. The Ivéta Café is located across from the bookstore at UC Santa Cruz. They offer boba tea, a selection of pre-prepared and reheated foods, and baked goods. Their target customer is clearly the college student looking for a quick, easy bite on their way to class. Although I did not expect mind blowing boba tea, knowing its location on the UCSC campus, the Tiger Tea with double boba at the Ivéta café fell short of my expectations. Once I arrived at the Ivéta Café, I thought it looked cute. I stood in a disorganized line, and browsed a chalkboard where their limited selection of drinks was listed. I was surprised when I didn't see sugar level options, since all of the other boba shops I have been to offer double sugar, normal sugar, 50%, 25%, etc. I guessed they would get my selection verbally when I ordered. After I ordered my Tiger Tea with double boba, I observed a row of large capsules holding various tea flavors behind the counter--this answered my question about the sugar selection: they made one batch of each flavor and didn't take notice of customers' sugar preferences. I was already a little bit disappointed, but I thought "I'll give it a try. Maybe it'll be good" as I waited for my tea. Once it was ready, the first thing I observed was its murky shade of orange with dark spheres swirling and peaking through at the bottom. This turned me away from the drink a bit, and I was not excited to try it. Once I did, however...I learned that its terrible appearance was not misleading, but in fact a complete embodiment of the drink. The tea alone was unenjoyable. I poked my straw through the film lining the top of the drink and took a sip. I instantly got an overwhelming rush of milky sweetness. It was followed by a few seconds of bitterness, almost like an unsweetened green tea. After this, it was time for the boba. While I attempted to chew on it, I tasted the tea's next flavor: milk. Just the taste of milk. The boba itself was no better than its unsatisfactory liquid carrier. Slimey pearls slid down my throat as I sipped on the drink. They squished down and mended, rather than breaking, so I could not bite on them. They were not chewy enough, so they slid around my mouth as I struggled to pin one down and bite on it, but found my only success was small indents in the pearls. This made breaking down each pearl a prolonged endeavor. After I swallowed the remains of boba along with the taste of milk, the pearls left a disgusting, mildly sour taste in my mouth for the next few minutes. I sighed in annoyance as I realized I would have to take another sip of this repulsive drink to gather more information for this review. read more

Cool place. Tables are sparse because there a ton of students studying and not eating, taking up too much space. The Peppercorn chicken is really boring, and too expensive. The BLT is pretty good, probably just because it has bacon. Place is alright read more

As a student I visit Iveta quite often. It's not because the food is anything special, more like there's really no where else to go nearby for full meals besides the dining halls on campus. Everything is over priced, and the last time I was there I bought poke and they charged me extra for protein and ended up forgetting to give me any protein at all. The food is mediocre, it's really just the pricing that is unreasonable. One piece of bread with some avocado smeared on it is $7. Save your money and make that with your toaster at home. Service is usually pretty good, and it's important to remember that if you are frustrated the workers are students too. However it is a bit aggravating that the prices are so high when college students often are on a tight budget. read more

So I'm sad to say the prices are too high for inconsistent food. I have been here a handful of times now because I work in the Quarry plaza area and have ordered the same thing a few times. Once they were out of most sandwiches. and when I asked to substitute another meat for my sandwich they said they couldn't do that. Why? Today I ordered a Turkey and Havarti and added avocado and onions. Well I finally received my onions that have been missing from my sandwiches a few times before after learning to request them but there was no cheese. Sometimes my sandwich comes pilled high with meat and sometimes there's hardly any on my sandwich. Today along with not receiving cheese, the bread was old and dry like it had been sitting out in the open air all day. My lettuce is usually wilted and slimy (yuck), but hey, the tomatoes have been the only consistent thing about the sandwiches. I would love to try their ham but they're usually out on the days I come by. Needless to say I don't believe I'll be frequenting here anymore. I'm too scared to waste more money on something else. I had high hope that because their priced so high that maybe it'd be worth it but so far it has not been worth my time or $. Not to mention I usually have to wait quite a while before anyone comes to take my order. There will be quite a few employees chatting in the back of the shop but no one will acknowledge you standing there waiting to place an order. This sucks because I'm not just on campus to visit but rather I'm trying to get in a quick lunch or snack break and am wasting half of my lunch trying to order and then waiting for the sandwich to arrive only to realize in the end something's wrong with it. Please look into these issues with you college employees. Because we deserve a great place to eat right here in the Quarry but so far it's not delivering quality or consistency. and please let your staff know its ok to be friendly and crack a smile every once in a while! read more

Iveta is great! The smoothies are great and their bolts are also fantastic. I think this is the best place to eat on campus. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do! read more

The menu is small and pricey. I asked for beans in my breakfast burrito and they charged a dollar for a literal tablespoon of them. Unless you want to spend the money on Poke, (which is fine, but not great), there is absolutely no reason to go here over anywhere else on campus. read more

Vetta is the best café in Santa Cruz. Their sandwiches are always great and I heard they start doing pokey recently. Thank you for your service! read more

Nice food. Semin my cashier was very nice and had great customer service and a great recommendation!

Scone was hard as a rock and the eggs were runny and smelled funny. I decided not to eat them and threw the cheap excuse for food they gave me into the trash. I would have asked for my money back, but the disorganized mob of students waiting for 'food' made it nearly impossible. Only go to this place if you plan on wasting your time and money. read more

This place is expensive and it doesn't have many good vegan options. the boba used to be vegan but now it's just lactose free, which is strange, why don't they just use soy or almond milk? the ambience is nice for studying but I never buy food here anymore read more

Food is good but service is just god awful. They are literally always just talking to their friends. Someone just handed me my food without even looking at me because she was having a conversation with her friend at the register. I get that they're college students but I'm pretty sure they're still getting paid... read more

I really wanted to give it one star, I really did. This is one of those places that borderline makes you angry. The biggest issue is the price, absolutely outrageous pricing. My buddy ordered a hamburger, with bacon and avacado, and "fries" and without a drink the price came to $22.50, I have seen better prices in Manhattan than that. The rub comes down to some mistakes he made in ordering, but even then the management should never charge that much. The staff should also be better trained and be able to fix customer complaints, which they cant. Turns out he could have ordered a 1/2 order of fries and saved 3 bucks, but that still makes it a $19.50 hamburger and fries. The only reason they get 2 stars instead of one is that the food is of good quality, The French fries are actually very good! I guess they know how to make a burger, they just don't know how to run a business. On a previous visit I ordered the fish tacos for 9 bucks, they were pathetic, two micro tacos with a pinch of fish on each, total rip off. The odd thing is this is what they thought a "college" audience would like? I don't know any college students that are looking for over priced food? I just kind of hope they go out of business quickly so something more affordable can move in. read more

Some of the food is good. The $9 item called "Brisket Bahn Mi" was terrible. The prices are high for an on-campus student cafe. $7 plus tax, for a beer on a college campus? It is too bad there do not seem to be any other places to eat nearby; it is surprising that the campus does not provide nearby alternatives. Most universities have food courts where students can choose between a variety of restaurants and cafes. read more

On the UCSC campus, facing the bookstore is a small cafe by the name of Iveta, this is where I went to quench my thirst with a cup of boba tea. Boba tea, a drink that originated in Taiwan (珍珠奶茶/波霸奶茶), that consists of milk tea-black, green, Thai or even chai- and small tapioca pearls called boba. It is a very classic Asian beverage, refreshing to drink during the hot summer. Inside Iveta, there is a glowing neon sign that reads DRINKS, I walk towards it and begin to read the Boba menu. There are very few choices, only six. And the teas are not the usual ones that you'd find in a normal boba tea shop. Such as tiger tea and white tiger tea, which is basically Thai or jasmine tea mixed with normal milk tea. "I'll have a classic milk tea with boba, please," I asked, and they replied that they wouldn't have boba for another hour because it wasn't cooked yet. This answer left me shocked. The shop opens at 11am, already quite late for a cafe. You would assume that with all that extra time, they would have their food and drinks ready for customers to consume. I settled for just a normal milk tea but was again disappointed when they handed it to me. "Excuse me, I think you forgot to put the film on it," I said to the workers behind the counter. "There is no film, you can grab a cap in the back of the shop," The woman said and then walked off, leaving me standing, gaping. Every boba tea lover knows that boba tea always comes with a film, it's part of the experience. I huffed and went to grab a straw. I took a sip of the milk tea, my lips puckering as the velvety drink touched my tongue. It was not at all what milk tea should taste like, if anything, it tasted like coffee. I left the shop that day discontented. A week later, I decided that maybe I should give it another chance. I went with a few friends of mine, one of which had never tasted boba tea in his life. We went later in the afternoon, this time I ordered a tiger milk tea, it came with a plastic film and boba. I was excited, maybe my experience would be different now. I received the light orange drink with black beads that had sunk to the bottom of the cup and heard the pop of the straw as it broke through the thin plastic barrier. The cold drink soon touched my lips, smooth and glossy with an occasional tapioca pearl that snuck its way up my straw. The tea was better than the first time I'd had it, but still not completely satisfying. The taste of milk and sugar overpowered the tea itself, and the shop didn't have an option to get less sugar because the drinks are all pre-made. The boba was very rubbery, unpleasant to eat and very hard to swallow. Overall, the cafe was not that bad, even though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. But if it's a very hot day, and you are 'dying' of hunger or thirst, Iveta would be a good place to go. P.S. This was written for a writing class I took. It only describes my experience of their boba tea, I have not tried any of their other food, because In my opinion it was overpriced. The environment is nice, and would be good for working. If you are not going there for Boba tea, please don't pay any attention to this review. Thank you. Also this IS my true opinion about the boba tea, so yeah. read more

It is not worth the cost. I know it's on campus, but $9 for 2 cabbage tacos with some fish tossed in just isn't worth it. I got a Chai with a flavor shot, and that was like pulling teeth. I will go again because of the location, and the food is tasty. read more