Matcha Cafe Maiko
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My cousins and I got dessert here after KBBQ across the street. The service was good, but you may have to wait for your dessert... but it is well worth it! I ordered the sticky rice and mango with ube and vanilla soft serve. It was delicious! The ambiance is pretty neat, there is a bathroom, and half of the store is a ramen joint. You can sit on either side.
We came here in the middle of the day during the week and it was easy to find parking. Im sure on the weekends and at night its packed. All orders are via self order kiosks. It doesnt appear they take cash here. It was our first time here we got the Maiko Special Parfait Waffle with Ube and Matcha Ice cream with the moochi and corn flakes for toppings. It was delicious. What I liked about it was the quality of the matcha ice cream and the waffle batter was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. We liked it better than somisomi fish cone. The cornflakes added an extra crunch that was a nice texture addition. We would definetly come here again and try some of the other creations they have. Theres plenty of tables and it seems to be a shared space with a ramen place that looks cool to hang out and play boardgames and kick it.
08/01/2026 Back to get my fix! I was away in Southeast Asia for a month and a half, and I really missed my favorite matcha. Today, I deserve a treat! It was $8.35, including taxes. Delicious!
I tried their Matcha Mango Rice Latte, and it was absolutely delicious! The café is LGBTQ+ friendly, and you can definitely feel that welcoming energy when you walk in. The ambiance was chill and relaxing, making it a great place to sit back, enjoy your drink, and unwind. The customer service was also friendly and attentive. I'd definitely come back to try more of their drinks!
I love everything about this matcha place! It's so fresh! The bubble waffle is so good, and you can taste the freshness of the matcha! Super cute place to study in! And also it feels so cozy! I love how there is a ramen station right next door to this place. Ube coffee 10/10 Ube matcha 10/10
Disappointed in the matcha latte and banana pudding matcha latte I got for me and mom. Matcha was bitter. The banana pudding part saved it a little bc it made it sweeter but still. Mom agreed with me. Also, prices are unreasonable. It was $1.50 to add oat milk. And $1.00 extra for no ice. Maybe it's this economy we live in. It receives 3 stars vs none though bc service was fast and the cafe/place is pretty nice.
Came here ok a Friday evening for an art night with my good friend. Ordered a hot matcha with whipped cream. It tasted decent, albeit not hot more like luke warm. Atmosphere is chill and I really love the music that they play. It's trap music. Good stuff! Service is average. Takes about 10-15 for your order--at least it did for mine.
A pretty cool, straightforward matcha cafe in Kearny Mesa next to Brothers Mexican and Chaba Thai Kitchen. When you enter, you're hit with the cool A/C, medium-loud contemporary playlist, and a usually vacant interior filled with small tables. You order at the kiosks in the front right of the store next to the counter. It's pretty much self-service matcha. I've only had the matcha latte and the matcha tea. Both are really tasty, smooth, and reasonably earthy. The matcha latte is best iced with 50% sweetness and whole milk. Super refreshing without being overly sweet or masking the flavor profile of the matcha took much. For some, the self-service aspect of this place might be a turnoff, but for me it's kind of a nice reprieve from your typical monotonous service-worker interactions. Overall, really good matcha latte and matcha tea, a bit pricey (but that's matcha in 2026), and pleasant atmosphere.
Boy did I find a gold mine! I was looking for a place to try good-quality ceremonial-grade Matcha's and I originally started at another place which had a line out front. I was thinking no way I am not in the mood to wait in a long line outside the cafe. So, I went online again to see what else was available . I came across Cafe Maiko SD. I was able to park in the parking lot in front which was not difficult to find parking because it was later in the morning . I walked in and noticed it was decorated with a cute Asian aesthetic. The music was playing in the background which was upbeat and happy. They also play hip hop songs that I loveI ordered a Strawberry Matcha latte. The girl behind the counter told me it was made homemade daily the preserves. I also asked about their ice cream out of curiosity. They told me they make it homemade daily, and they have so many flavors too. They said I could try a float if I was interested in which is the ice cream flavor of your choice on top of the Matcha latte. I decided to get the Dole Whip Pineapple. They have a big ordering system that tells you your order is being processed and also when it's ready. It took about five minutes and it was already ready! Once I tried it, I was so impressed because the Dole Whip Pineapple ice cream was so delicious and creamy . Then I was sipping on my Strawberry Matcha latte which was so good, but I am in a sugar coma now . I forgot to take a photo of it because I devoured it so quickly. So, I had to order a banana pudding matcha to have a few sips and then take home because I was not going to worsen my sugar coma! They also have a DIY Ramen station whereby they have offend types of Ramen packages from China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia to select from . Then after you select your Ramen, various toppings already prepared stored in a refrigerator, and drink selection from their beverage refrigerator, and or snack options too you then proceed to the Ramen station where it instructs you how to cook your Ramen . Then, they also have a small bar area that you can sit at and order beer, sake, and or other alcohol beverages as well. They have happy hour daily from 3-6 for those that are interested in that. I was fortunate to meet the owners who were so professional and kind just like their workers. One of the owners gave me a complimentary Matcha snack, but I am so bummed out I accidentally left it behind. This place is perfection with everything! They are at the top of my favorite places! Whether you are a local or visitor, this is the place to be!
Quality every time. Their matcha flavor is authentic and never feels artificial. I love the Dalgona and Classic Matcha. The banana pudding soft serve is also amazing as well. It's clean and comfortable inside. I would say the staff are a quiet nice. I'd like if there was more welcoming and helpfulness from staff especially when walking in to order.
Absolutely obsessed and now have a new addiction. The service was so friendly and comfortable and the ambiance is cozy and cute. Perfect spot to come study or catch up with a friend. They also have a build your own ramen station that was amazingggg. I tried their mango sticky rice matcha and was absolutely amazed. Soooo delicious. Will definitely be coming back here and bringing friends. Such a hidden gem.
Matcha Cafe Maiko (MCM) stopped the carousel of Asian dessert places that occupied this suite in the Mercury Village Shopping Center of Kearny Mesa when it opened several years ago. It's the OG location in the San Diego area as there are now more branches of this chain across the county. When it first debuted, there were enough tables for about two dozen customers. Now that the owners have opened the left wall to share the adjacent space with a do-it-yourself ramen concept, the seating capacity has increased by 50% Before matcha products became a viral sensation, MCM was where you came to enjoy green tea creations. A menu sheet was posted on a stand outside the entrance. What's interesting was that those prices were obsolete as the menu screen behind the service counter showed an increase of at least $0.75 per item. The staff should reconcile the differences and not display a sheet that is no longer applicable. Two self-service ordering tablets were to the right of the service counter. The business was short-handed so they didn't have any workers staffing the counter. All of them were in the back kitchen assembling orders as they rolled in from the kiosks. The menu had numerous serving styles... soft serve, parfait, bubble waffle, tea, latte, cheese foam, float, fruit, frappe, soda. Strawberry Matcha Lattes were the rage, but lately I have seen Banana Pudding as a new twist. The Banana Pudding Matcha Latte with regular milk, less ice, and 100% sweetness was my order. The item was prepared fairly quickly which was the good news. For $9.75, it didn't have the intense matcha taste as I had hoped because the banana pudding obscured the green tea flavor. They advertise the use of first harvest, single origin, ceremonial, A1 organic matcha. How much of that is marketing, especially the ceremonial part when no such grading standard exists? Google it, if you don't believe me. For this visit to MCM, I gave a three star rating for my drink.
A cute cafe for a wide variety of matcha and hojicha desserts. The matcha and hojicha powder they use tastes authentic and high quality, and you can't go wrong with their lattes. If you're looking for a more decadent dessert that can be shared, the soft serve and parfaits are perfect! The ube soft serve was light and not too sweet, but still had a lot of ube flavor. The store uses a self serve kiosk to order, and our order was brought out quickly. They also offer a variety of prepped goods, such as coconut pudding, ice cream pints, and cookies.
1 month ago
Nice atmosphere. The mango sticky rice pineapple dole whip was good. The rice had good texture. The mango chunks where good. The only thing I didn't like was the basque cheesecake because it was over cooked and dry. I wouldn't buy it again. Everything else was good. read more
1 month ago
Both drinks were soo good the matcha was rich and the tiramisu cake on the top was some gooddd tiramisu too! The employees were so nice and welcoming. Definitely coming back! read more
17 days ago
Amazing matcha and a wide variety of options, lots of seating (good for conversational cafe hang rather than a remote work situation) Great location in Clairemont with awesome parking The shop next door has a cool ramen station and other fun food items read more
3 days ago
My cousins and I got dessert here after KBBQ across the street. The service was good, but you may have to wait for your dessert... but it is well worth it! I ordered the sticky rice and mango with ube and vanilla soft serve. It was delicious! The ambiance is pretty neat, there is a bathroom, and half of the store is a ramen joint. You can sit on either side. read more
We came here in the middle of the day during the week and it was easy to find parking. Im sure on the weekends and at night its packed. All orders are via self order kiosks. It doesnt appear they take cash here. It was our first time here we got the Maiko Special Parfait Waffle with Ube and Matcha Ice cream with the moochi and corn flakes for toppings. It was delicious. What I liked about it was the quality of the matcha ice cream and the waffle batter was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. We liked it better than somisomi fish cone. The cornflakes added an extra crunch that was a nice texture addition. We would definetly come here again and try some of the other creations they have. Theres plenty of tables and it seems to be a shared space with a ramen place that looks cool to hang out and play boardgames and kick it. read more
I tried their Matcha Mango Rice Latte, and it was absolutely delicious! The café is LGBTQ+ friendly, and you can definitely feel that welcoming energy when you walk in. The ambiance was chill and relaxing, making it a great place to sit back, enjoy your drink, and unwind. The customer service was also friendly and attentive. I'd definitely come back to try more of their drinks! read more
4 months ago
I love everything about this matcha place! It's so fresh! The bubble waffle is so good, and you can taste the freshness of the matcha! Super cute place to study in! And also it feels so cozy! I love how there is a ramen station right next door to this place. Ube coffee 10/10 Ube matcha 10/10 read more
Disappointed in the matcha latte and banana pudding matcha latte I got for me and mom. Matcha was bitter. The banana pudding part saved it a little bc it made it sweeter but still. Mom agreed with me. Also, prices are unreasonable. It was $1.50 to add oat milk. And $1.00 extra for no ice. Maybe it's this economy we live in. It receives 3 stars vs none though bc service was fast and the cafe/place is pretty nice. read more
Came here ok a Friday evening for an art night with my good friend. Ordered a hot matcha with whipped cream. It tasted decent, albeit not hot more like luke warm. Atmosphere is chill and I really love the music that they play. It's trap music. Good stuff! Service is average. Takes about 10-15 for your order--at least it did for mine. read more
5 months ago
A pretty cool, straightforward matcha cafe in Kearny Mesa next to Brothers Mexican and Chaba Thai Kitchen. When you enter, you're hit with the cool A/C, medium-loud contemporary playlist, and a usually vacant interior filled with small tables. You order at the kiosks in the front right of the store next to the counter. It's pretty much self-service matcha. I've only had the matcha latte and the matcha tea. Both are really tasty, smooth, and reasonably earthy. The matcha latte is best iced with 50% sweetness and whole milk. Super refreshing without being overly sweet or masking the flavor profile of the matcha took much. For some, the self-service aspect of this place might be a turnoff, but for me it's kind of a nice reprieve from your typical monotonous service-worker interactions. Overall, really good matcha latte and matcha tea, a bit pricey (but that's matcha in 2026), and pleasant atmosphere. read more
Boy did I find a gold mine! I was looking for a place to try good-quality ceremonial-grade Matcha's and I originally started at another place which had a line out front. I was thinking no way I am not in the mood to wait in a long line outside the cafe. So, I went online again to see what else was available . I came across Cafe Maiko SD. I was able to park in the parking lot in front which was not difficult to find parking because it was later in the morning . I walked in and noticed it was decorated with a cute Asian aesthetic. The music was playing in the background which was upbeat and happy. They also play hip hop songs that I loveI ordered a Strawberry Matcha latte. The girl behind the counter told me it was made homemade daily the preserves. I also asked about their ice cream out of curiosity. They told me they make it homemade daily, and they have so many flavors too. They said I could try a float if I was interested in which is the ice cream flavor of your choice on top of the Matcha latte. I decided to get the Dole Whip Pineapple. They have a big ordering system that tells you your order is being processed and also when it's ready. It took about five minutes and it was already ready! Once I tried it, I was so impressed because the Dole Whip Pineapple ice cream was so delicious and creamy . Then I was sipping on my Strawberry Matcha latte which was so good, but I am in a sugar coma now . I forgot to take a photo of it because I devoured it so quickly. So, I had to order a banana pudding matcha to have a few sips and then take home because I was not going to worsen my sugar coma! They also have a DIY Ramen station whereby they have offend types of Ramen packages from China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia to select from . Then after you select your Ramen, various toppings already prepared stored in a refrigerator, and drink selection from their beverage refrigerator, and or snack options too you then proceed to the Ramen station where it instructs you how to cook your Ramen . Then, they also have a small bar area that you can sit at and order beer, sake, and or other alcohol beverages as well. They have happy hour daily from 3-6 for those that are interested in that. I was fortunate to meet the owners who were so professional and kind just like their workers. One of the owners gave me a complimentary Matcha snack, but I am so bummed out I accidentally left it behind. This place is perfection with everything! They are at the top of my favorite places! Whether you are a local or visitor, this is the place to be! read more
Quality every time. Their matcha flavor is authentic and never feels artificial. I love the Dalgona and Classic Matcha. The banana pudding soft serve is also amazing as well. It's clean and comfortable inside. I would say the staff are a quiet nice. I'd like if there was more welcoming and helpfulness from staff especially when walking in to order. read more
3 months ago
Absolutely obsessed and now have a new addiction. The service was so friendly and comfortable and the ambiance is cozy and cute. Perfect spot to come study or catch up with a friend. They also have a build your own ramen station that was amazingggg. I tried their mango sticky rice matcha and was absolutely amazed. Soooo delicious. Will definitely be coming back here and bringing friends. Such a hidden gem. read more
Matcha Cafe Maiko (MCM) stopped the carousel of Asian dessert places that occupied this suite in the Mercury Village Shopping Center of Kearny Mesa when it opened several years ago. It's the OG location in the San Diego area as there are now more branches of this chain across the county. When it first debuted, there were enough tables for about two dozen customers. Now that the owners have opened the left wall to share the adjacent space with a do-it-yourself ramen concept, the seating capacity has increased by 50% Before matcha products became a viral sensation, MCM was where you came to enjoy green tea creations. A menu sheet was posted on a stand outside the entrance. What's interesting was that those prices were obsolete as the menu screen behind the service counter showed an increase of at least $0.75 per item. The staff should reconcile the differences and not display a sheet that is no longer applicable. Two self-service ordering tablets were to the right of the service counter. The business was short-handed so they didn't have any workers staffing the counter. All of them were in the back kitchen assembling orders as they rolled in from the kiosks. The menu had numerous serving styles... soft serve, parfait, bubble waffle, tea, latte, cheese foam, float, fruit, frappe, soda. Strawberry Matcha Lattes were the rage, but lately I have seen Banana Pudding as a new twist. The Banana Pudding Matcha Latte with regular milk, less ice, and 100% sweetness was my order. The item was prepared fairly quickly which was the good news. For $9.75, it didn't have the intense matcha taste as I had hoped because the banana pudding obscured the green tea flavor. They advertise the use of first harvest, single origin, ceremonial, A1 organic matcha. How much of that is marketing, especially the ceremonial part when no such grading standard exists? Google it, if you don't believe me. For this visit to MCM, I gave a three star rating for my drink. read more
Business owner information
William S.
Emmett, we stand by our matcha - its quality & description. We…
A cute cafe for a wide variety of matcha and hojicha desserts. The matcha and hojicha powder they use tastes authentic and high quality, and you can't go wrong with their lattes. If you're looking for a more decadent dessert that can be shared, the soft serve and parfaits are perfect! The ube soft serve was light and not too sweet, but still had a lot of ube flavor. The store uses a self serve kiosk to order, and our order was brought out quickly. They also offer a variety of prepped goods, such as coconut pudding, ice cream pints, and cookies. read more
This place is my new favorite matcha spot! The space is shared with the ramen shop next door and it's also a great area to study. There are self order kiosks at the front which I appreciate since I like to take my time to order. I got the strawberry matcha latte and it was delicious! I normally get 50% sweet less ice and this was perfect. Matcha is a nice green and tastes great. Will definitely come back again :) read more
26 days ago
The Matcha Frapp is sooooo good (I couldn't wait to drink some before taking the picture ) It is well balanced with the sweetness of the cream and the slight bitterness of the matcha. The people serving are always friendly and helpful whenever I have a question:) read more
Outstanding! Adored the banana pudding matcha iced latte with oat milk. The flavor and textures were incredible. Earthy, smooth matcha topped with decadent delicious banana pudding with fresh slices of banana. An absolute treat perfectly prepared and sweetened at 50%. Big shout out and thank you Annabel for the outstanding service! read more
I've had Matcha Maiko back in OC so this is not my first time, but it is my first time trying the items we ordered. Pros: - Consistent. For the price that you pay for, it's a good amount of dessert. We ordered ube/green tea in a cone, and banana matcha drink. - Self order kiosk for convenience. The place was small but clean. Apparently the matcha foam on matcha is their best one, so I'll try ordering that next time. read more
I finally understand the Matcha Craze !! This is my first time treating myself to matcha latte in a while so for me it was a very pleasant experience! When you walk in, the first thing I noticed is there's around 6-8 total tables. Three larger tables for big families up to 6 seats and around 3-4 smaller tables with two seats. The space is a bit small and can be hectic on a busy day like when I came on a Saturday morning. I assume during the weekdays it's quiet and a great place to catch up with friends or family! It's also connected to the ramen shop so you can grab a bite to eat if you're hungry too. The ordering is straight forward with two kiosks to the front right of the store. There's plenty of photos and menu descriptions to pick out flavors you want. The only downside is there's no staff up front since they are in the back making drinks (I assume it's because I came on a super busy weekend). Though it was busy, got my drink within 10 min wait even though it said the wait time of 20-25 min! (I would recommend just ordering online first for pickup-faster that way) I ordered the banana pudding matcha latte with 100% balanced sweetness and normal milk. Hands down one of the best matcha lattes I've hand! I can't wait to try other lattes offered here. Right away I noticed how smooth the matcha was blended and doesn't have that weird grainy texture or grass flavor. I don't prefer matcha because of this! Also, their banana pudding cream top was outstanding and packed with fresh banana flavor (not the artificial banana flavor). It's not too sweet for me and I loved how banana forward it was. If you aren't a sweet drink person, recommend 50% sweetness when ordering. I would 100% come back to try their matcha soft serves or other lattes! Stay tuned! Parking: 8/10 busy and can get filled up but easy to find or park Ambiance: 7/10 packed, smaller than expected but still able to find a seat and clean! Shares spot with instant Ramen shop next door. Food/Drink: 10/10 delicious and not too sweet! Will be back to try more. Service: 8/10 no one I spoke with but easy to order via kiosk and got my drink right away! read more
MATCHA CAFE MAIKO @ CLAIREMONT Parking is available out in their plaza. It can be very busy because it is shared with other restaurants and stores. I have been to the Escondido location, so I was really excited to try this spot that is just right at Claremont. The line wasn't super long, but it was really packed. stepping in there was no workers in the front. It was just a bunch of kiosk that you would just order on your own so that was just a little bit off for lack of customer service. however, I decided to get the strawberry Matcha and I did 50% sugar and light ice and my boyfriend decided to get the Matcha and Dole whip. The total was about $15. The Matcha was about seven dollars and the doll whip was $6.50. The items came out very quickly and it was incredible. I feel like every single time I do come to get Matcha this place has one of the most highest in premium matcha. it is super authentic and has a really strong Matcha flavour so I definitely recommend getting like an extra flavouring the way that I got strawberry. The place is also split up in between another Ramen spot right next, so are able to go on the other side and sit down. Overall, I'll definitely stop by this place. I love the ambiance here and the environment. It is very clean! read more
6 months ago
The drinks were extremely delicious! No complaints from me! Service was good and timely I highly recommend. Definitely some of the better matcha I've had. read more
1 year ago
Upon walking in, you place your order at the kiosk on Snackpass. We got the Matcha and Ube soft serve with two mochi balls. When it came out, the matcha soft serve on top was melting quickly, but it was still delicious. They do give a good amount which we appreciated. The ube tastes coconuty, and went well with the matcha. The mochi balls were chewy but don't have much flavor, so you can skip on that topping. If you are craving a matcha soft serve, their quality is great and we would come back again! Matcha Soft Serve - 9/10 Ube Soft Serve - 8/10 Mochi Balls - 7/10 read more
2 months ago
I love matcha maiko, I think it's my favorite place to get matcha in SD by far and I'm super happy that they have a double matcha option now! This location is kind of combined with the ramen store next door so there's plenty of seating and you can enjoy your drink with some ramen if you want. The service is normally always pretty quick and the workers are very nice. This place never disappoints! read more
Haven't been here in a minute so we decided to stop by for some desserts earlier. The banana pudding was good: creamy, not too sweet, and had a nice graham cracker crunch. But the portion was really small for the price. I thought it'd be in a 16 oz cup, but it was more like a 10 or 11 oz cup. The matcha strawberry drink was bold, earthy, and you can actually taste the matcha flavor. I was hoping to get the matcha soft serve too, but they were sold out... bummer. The irony of a matcha cafe being out of matcha haha. The shop is cute but pretty small with limited seating. A little pricey overall, but the quality is solid. read more
5 months ago
Absolutely loved this parfait The matcha soft serve was rich, creamy, and not overly sweet. Paired with the hojicha layer underneath, the flavor balance was surprisingly smooth and comforting. The texture from the jelly and crispy rice puffs made every bite interesting. Also... this thing is HUGE One of the prettiest desserts I've had around Convoy lately. read more
This is the only dedicated matcha place i really found on Yelp while visiting SD so literally came here every day my first trip and once on my last trip! I enjoy getting the banana cream matcha, it is delicious. They also offer kokomelo and bread, the spicy curry bread was okay, and bf ate the hokkaido cream so didnt get to taste, and the kokonut he said is more firm/gelatinous than tong sui/cocomelo. Overall happy they have a matcha place i can go to!! read more
Came here on a weekday afternoon around 4ish.. a fair amount of customers coming and going, but plenty of tables to accommodate at the time of our visit. We ordered from one of the 3 kiosks and waited just a few minutes for our order. We got several things.. ube/vanilla soft serve - super flavorful, rich, and creamy. Bubble waffle with more soft serve!- the bubble waffle was yummy! Crisp on the edges, still a little thick in the "bubble" but moist and chewy. My friend got their chocolate matcha latte.. she's obsessed with matcha and loved it. They have several items prepackaged and available for purchase .. I took home their bottled hojicha latte to try letter. Clean overall with a comfortable chill kind of atmosphere. Looks like they will be sharing the space next door which will have self serve ramen! read more
8 months ago
If you're looking for legit matcha this is the spot! Service is fast and friendly . Ambience is alive ! It small so it can be loud but that means it's the spot! read more
5 months ago
I'm honestly jealous that they don't have this closer to me. This is the most perfect spot to hang out with friends or even have a casual date. I love that you can get matcha soft serve here and that there's a fridge with bottled matcha lattes to enjoy on the go. Unfortunately there isn't much of an opportunity to experience the customer service because the ordering experience is so digital. The self-service kiosk was straight forward and user-friendly though, but there were so many options and I can see a line building up quickly if someone takes too long deciding between them. I was impressed by the wall of ramen packets organized by countries. I had no clue there were so many types of instant ramen. Guests are also able to add toppings, I only wish there was an option to have broth instead of water to elevate the experience. I also noticed they served alcohol which was surprising. I'm sure pairing that with the ramen is the perfect late night meal with friends. This spot seems big group friendly since it is so spacious. Next time I'm in the area I'm going to make it a point to come back! read more
I stopped by here after work to study and I'm glad I did! Matcha Cafe Maiko is a cute matcha-centric shop that offers a variety of drinks, soft serve, and snacks. I had the pleasure of meeting one of the co-owners, John, who I noticed was helping at the cashier, working on setting up the ramen-side of the shop, and talking with customers. He was very friendly and personable, and I really appreciate when owners are involved like this! It gave the place a nice local, community feel and I felt very welcomed as a visitor. *Matcha Soft Serve: Rich, creamy, and full of matcha flavor! I had been craving this (hence my visit) and I'm glad it didn't disappoint. The serving is big enough to share, though I finished mine while working in the cafe. I added a shiratama mochi ball, but at $0.80 for one piece, I might skip the add-on next time. *Banana Pudding Matcha Latte: Loved this one! I asked John what their most popular (and unique!) drink was, and he said this is original to this location, and they're the only Matcha Cafe Maiko to carry it. As a banana pudding fan, I felt lucky to try it! I've seen people recreate this in reels, so it was fun to finally have the real thing. The bananas and pudding were fresh and creamy, and I really liked the texture from the wafer crumbles. *Studyability: There's a bathroom in the back, free Wi-Fi, and a few outlets. I was able to work here for a couple of hours. Light music plays in the background and the ambiance is nice. There's a steady stream of people but it wasn't overwhelming during this mid-afternoon weekday. Parking wasn't an issue for me, and I like that they close rather late. Note: Ramen Station: The owners are opening an instant ramen station next door. There's no wall in between, so I ordered my matcha and then studied on the ramen side. As someone who loves both dinner and dessert, I think it's a smart idea to draw people in for both! Unfortunately, it was closed when I visited, but I wish them the best and hope to try it one day. This is one of my favorites while visiting the area, it's good for studying, a casual date, or introducing your family to matcha! read more
Currently under some construction with a DIY Ramen bar coming underway is the best that I can describe it right now. I love Matcha Maiko for the bold matcha desserts but especially the drinks. They've been around for quite some time but nothing much has changed except for the new additional space being shared and some self order kiosks. Ordering is easy, and due to high volume of customers I almost always experience a long wait for my drinks. Prices have gone up insanely within the past few years as a Banana Cream Matcha Latte is almost $9! The cups also have changed and I almost feel as if they are more skinnier than their old ones. The consistency of the drinks, however, is still the same and the quality remains high, so I'm glad they have kept up with it. They've started to also sell their matcha powder, so I will be purchasing when I am out of mines. Overall, Matcha Maiko will continue to be my choice of matcha here that's both convenient and consistent. read more
Business owner information
William S.
Thanks for your feedback. You're correct! We did change the cups to…
Banana Matcha Soft Serve (9.5/10): I loved how strong the matcha flavor in the matcha soft serve was; it was a little bit too bitter. The bitterness was slightly canceled out by the sweetness of the banana pudding, which made the whole dessert so much better. They don't use real bananas in the pudding (it was just an artificial banana flavored pudding), but they added real bananas and Nilla wafers to top the soft serve. I enjoyed this soft serve a lot, as many places do not normally add banana pudding on top of their matcha soft serves!! I would definitely come back to get this if they're still serving this. Banana Matcha Latte (7/10): The matcha latte was slightly too bitter, and it really wasn't anything special about it. The banana cream is the same thing that they use for the soft serve. The banana cream was pretty good, but everything else was pretty basic. Overall Thoughts: When you arrive, you can order at the kiosk in front. There are some tables and chairs that you can sit at to enjoy your desserts or drinks. The service is decently timely for the amount of customers that were in the store. The store is connected to another Ramen store, which was cool. I would probably come back solely for the banana matcha soft serve, and I would love to try the other soft serve flavors! read more
First off, this spot has an amazing Banana pudding Matcha. The best part is, there's banana pudding in it along with sliced bananas, just so de-li-cious! They have two kiosks to place your order. It can be time consuming because customers who aren't sure about what they want will read through every detail. The line got somewhat long. It's a small place inside however, it's split with a serve your own ramen station restaurant. I'm not sure if they are affiliated but there's seating on that side too. Can't wait to go back for more! read more
1 year ago
I forgot I had been to a Matcha Cafe Maiko before, but it was the Escondido location. This time I tried an iced matcha dalgona latte with soy milk and boba. It was a very good drink. To be honest, I'd skip the boba next time because I think it's better off enjoying the drink without the interruption of boba coming up the straw. Also, I love boba so I think i drank it too fast wanting more boba. The service is very unsociable. I know kiosk ordering is a thing, but I literally didn't talk to anyone! No one said hello to me, no one said thank you to me. With the cost of the drink ($10), and the only service being making me a drink, the experience is all the drink and not the store. It actually made me interested in buying matcha green tea to whisk myself at home. read more
Business owner information
William S.
Allyson - My apologies for the lack of staff interaction.…
Ecstatic to find out that there was a Maiko Cafe Matcha in San Diego, so we stopped by here thinking we were going to have the same amazing experience we've always had at the Rowland Heights location. Wrong!! There are 3 self-odering kiosks they want you to use to place your order. It took 25 whole minutes for our orders to come out, even if there eere only 5 people ahead of us. Service is non-existent. You will only encounter the staff when they call your number and hand you your order. There is no rewards punch card (at least we weren't offered one, if that did exist at this location). When our orders finally came out, i thought to myself what in tarnation is this?!?! The matcha-ube soft serve was not swirled/fused. The matcha was on top of the ube. The Maiko special was the same... matcha on top of the ube. Is this normal at this location? I was not impressed w the service nor the presentation of the soft serve. The long wait here was disappointing, to say the least... not sure if hiring more people would help. I love the product and quality of the matcha, just a bummer that this experience did not align w the Rowland Heights location :( read more
Business owner information
William S.
Faye, thanks for your review and comments.…
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More info about Matcha Cafe Maiko
8072 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
Kearny Mesa
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(858) 667-4597
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http://www.matchasd.com
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Ask the Community - Matcha Cafe Maiko
Do they offer dairy-free or vegan matcha options here? Curious about alternatives!
Most of our drinks offer non-dairy alternatives which include almond, soy, or oat milk for a minor extra charge. Thanks for your question.
Can i get the uji kintoki without the condense milk?
Absolutely you can! When ordering just ask for it to be made without the condensed milk. Thank you!
Are there any sugar free or natural sugar replacements (stevia, monk fruit, coconut sugar, etc.)?
Any vegan options?
Lauden, Any of our latte drinks can have non dairy subs with almond, oat, or soy milk. All the non…
Is there dairy-free and soy-free options?
They do have organic soy milk and organic almond milk now
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