The line may be a little long but the ice cream is worth it. The matcha flavor is better than the vanilla, but both taste good together. I'd recommend getting a water bottle or bringing one with you to balance out the ice cream. There aren't many seats and the place is small but the location is right in the heart of Chinatown. Perfect place to grab a sweet treat and explore the area. read more

When I saw this familiar soft serve shop on Grant Avenue in Chinatown, it gave me pause since I was used to the original Japan Center location. Given the escalating political tensions between China and Japan, perhaps the owners felt a cup of soft serve sprinkled with matcha could serve as a wreath of peace between the two nations. Or maybe it's a slam dunk to know Asians can't live without their soft serve. I just know from similar ice cream shops in Chinatown that this represents a fresher suite of flavors than most. On my first visit here, I went for the $6.90 Boba Sundae, a matcha-vanilla twist with kuromitsu boba drizzled with a matching syrup (Photo 6). I liked it because it possessed the uniquely Maiko combo of sweet flavors. I went more generic on a follow-up visit and ordered the standard $6.40 Matcha Vanilla Soft Serve (Photo 5). Not as tantalizing but it did the job. Someday I'll get ambitious and order the latte float or cheese foam, but I'll see how peace negotiations go before committing. FOOD - 4 stars...uniquely Maiko but generic soft serve works, too AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...clean space but no place to sit SERVICE - 4 stars...attentive enough TOTAL - 4 stars...a refreshing sweet option in Chinatown RELATED - Exploring SF's Chinatown? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/0bITd49TyB read more

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I'm no stranger to Matcha Maiko but this was my first time trying it in SF Chinatown. There was a bit of a line on a Friday afternoon. Service was quick and efficient. The place is small with simple decor and while there's a small counter seating area it'll get crowded very quickly with people ordering and waiting. We got a boba sundae (matcha + vanilla) and a matcha coffee. The matcha coffee was surprisingly smooth and well mixed. The soft serve was perfect. The chewiness of the boba was satisfying and the ice cream was creamy. Definitely recommend stopping by for a sweet treat as you walk the streets of Chinatown. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Boba sundae and matcha coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lovely matcha cafe and ice cream spot! I typically don't *love* sweets, but I was super impressed by this spot. I came by for dessert after grabbing dinner with a few friends in Chinatown, and it certainly lived up to all their recommendations. I got their matcha ice cream, which was super creamy and smooth, and it had a lovely matcha flavor without being either overly sweet or bitter / herbal. I think I would've preferred even less sweet, but this seemed like a great balance for the average set of tastebuds. If you want it to be a little extra sweet, you can get it swirled with their vanilla. Very randomly, they also have the best waffle cone I've ever had -- it's super crunchy and crispy, has a good amount of sweetness, and is remarkably thin for how good its structural integrity is. They also have a fun rotating duo of seasonal flavors -- jasmine and ube for our visit -- that the staff is more than happy to let you sample before you order. The ube didn't have a particularly strong ube flavor, but I loved the refreshing and floral flavor of the jasmine -- if I could've swirled the matcha and jasmine together, I absolutely would have. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Matcha soft serve - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ice cream/ soft serve and beverage shop located in Chinatown that specializes in matcha - specifically Uji matcha from Kyoto. It's a small corner shop and there are some counters where you can eat at, but it's mostly an order and takeout type of place. The people here are very friendly and the service is really quick. Came here after our late lunch with my parents. We walked the neighborhood and found this spot. We each got some matcha soft serve and I got that bling looking gold cone lol. Delicious soft serve with decent prices and quicker. Such a great place and it's a great treat. read more

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I've been to another location for this chain so I knew what to expect coming in. This spot is not too different from other stores, but not a lot of seating here and it felt more like a grab and go spot because of it. The menu had a good selection of desserts and drinks and post lunch, we stopped by for a sweet treat. My cup was fine and the portion was decent. Service was a bit slow as we were the only ones in the store but it still took quite a bit, but otherwise, the experience was fine. The matcha flavor is on the sweeter side, but delicious nonetheless. Overall, if you're looking for a matcha dessert, this spot will satisfy your craving easily! read more

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Quick service and great quality drinks. I got the matcha strawberry tea and you can taste the freshness of the fruit. The matcha was well blended and aromatic. They didn't overflow the cup with too much ice which is what I liked read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Review #983 Posted on 1.6.26 We came here for some matcha tea after dim sum for lunch on New Years Day after spending the night in the City on New Years Eve. This is a tiny little spot on Grant Ave SF, right in the heart of Chinatown. The place is essentially a takeout/togo spot, no places really to sit at inside. The menu is deeper than you'd think walking by it or seeing the inside. We tried a few different things. I got the matcha fruit tea with Boba, it was good. My kids tried the soft serve, one ube, the other matcha/vanilla mixed. Wifey got matcha tea. All items were good. Try out this local spot. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Perfect matcha ice cream with boba. The sweetness is also suitable and the matcha flavor is pretty strong. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - ma ch Catering New Boba Sundae - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've never had boba in ice cream/soft serve, this was one of the best things I've ever tried! Matcha and vanilla mix with boba, and a black sesame latte. 10/10 I would risk diabetes to eat tubs of this stuff. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Sesame smoothie - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here and tried both soft serve swirls. Matcha and vanilla and sesame and hojicha. If it wasn't raining I would have ordered four of them but it was cold so two swirls is what we ordered. The soft serve was perfectly creamy with the perfect balance of savory and sweet. Will definitely come back and try the flavors individually read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Street parking only Small establishment but service is very quick and friendly Clean neat small decor like the green plants but nothing much inside Got a Hojicha latte and a mix matcha vanilla soft serve swirl So thick so creamy so good, should've got more haha No restroom no seating Just in and out so you can continue your tour around Chinatown read more

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Love Matcha Cafe Maiko, it's always been a reliable hit for me and my friends. My mom and I stopped by here for a sweet treat and their September 2025 Flavor of the Month was Thai tea and milk tea!!! I had to get the swirl to experience both. The soft serve here is so creamy and yummy. One thing I will say about Matcha Cafe Maiko is that it does tend to err on the sweet side, especially for Asian dessert. I'm a big fan of their drinks here, but the same can be said for them compared to other more local mom and pop shops. This spot has the perfect location in the middle of Chinatown- I'll be sure to be back! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Vanilla and Thai tea/Milk tea swirl - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came here on Saturday afternoon and it was packed! I feel like this matcha chain is really poplar and the drinks, ice cream, floats are all really good. I usually get their ice cream but I got their seasonal banana matcha latte this time and it was really good. It was pretty flavorful and I can taste the banana and matcha. However I wish the service was a little faster. But overall a good matcha spot in SF! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Banana matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very lovely spot to keep energies up as you walk around Chinatown. Long line during the Mid autum festival but they were still very kind at the front desk with many orders within one tab and they came up fairly quickly. Really wanted the ice cream as it looks amazing but for non-dairy option, I got the latte with oat milk instead and the boba was great for the sweetness quick and nice chewiness! Came with a big group and they were great. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Matcha Latte with boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Delicious and strong matcha flavor! Soft serve on a cone, drinks, soft serve sundaes This spot is very small so it can get crowded inside and everyone is in each others way because you don't know who ordered already or who is just waiting for their order No seats inside just take it to go and eat elsewhere read more

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For the Matcha lovers. Located in Chinatown at a corner street, hard to miss. The Matcha was top tier. The inside was small and only have countertops to drink or eat your floats at. Place gets busy, was there on a Saturday morning right at opening. The line gets long and there was only one worker doing everything. Worth the wait! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Matcha Tea Float - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Everyone here is just so nice and helpful. The matcha is amazing! I had the ice cream too with boba pearls and it's so good! A bit crowded but that's how you know the Tea is TEA LOL lighting so good here! read more

Ooooh matcha soft serve, you got me! Randomly when on an afternoon walk, I had a craving for matcha ice cream. Yelpers, you led me here and it was worth it! Fortunately, I was only a few blocks away at the time so strolled right over and joined the queue. I probably had to wait about 15 minutes; this place does a great business! The matcha soft service w/ flakes comes as a very generous portion. Perfect consistency and so delicious! It made for a lovely walk around Chinatown and North Beach. But do be prepared to wait! Very popular spot! 2025: 60/100 read more

Came in on a Friday at 6:25pm. There was no wait at all. I noticed they had some new items such as banana matcha frappe, banana cream lattes and the seasonal soft serve flavors were calpico and mango. I decided on the mix and in a cup for $6.40. I thought they would go well together but I just didn't like it. The calpico alone would have been fine but the mango tasted too artificial. Definitely can't go wrong with their matcha soft serve though. read more

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My go to matcha spot in the city! I'm in the city once a month and this is always my first stop! It's located in Chinatown! Parking is always tricky there I recommend parking in the nearest parking garage. Don't get intimidated by the long line. It's worth the wait! The employees are quick! It's very small inside it's meant to grab and go. Me and my girls got the matcha latte float with matcha ice cream! Absolutely delicious! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Stopped by Matcha Cafe Maiko while exploring Chinatown and treated myself to the Adzuki Sundae--definitely a solid decision. The matcha soft serve was rich and earthy without being too bitter, and the texture was super creamy. Loved the contrast with the sweet red bean (adzuki) and the chewy mochi pieces--it was a really satisfying mix of flavors and textures. The presentation was beautiful too, very Instagram-worthy if you're into that. I forgot to take a picture once received but made it work anyway. Service was quick and friendly, even with a small line forming behind me. The price is a little steep for a sundae, and the matcha can be intense if you're not used to it--but if you're a fan, this place delivers. Would definitely come back to try more of the menu! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Busy shop in the heart of Chinatown. Line looks typical, two people churning out matcha products like clockwork. Very impressed with the matcha and the speed at which they work. Basically a grab and go type situation. My party got a plethora of products - lattes, soft serve, you name it. Every single one was great, 0 complaints. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ordered the half vanilla half matcha soft serve cone. As always, 10/10. The flavors were perfect. The matcha was rich and smooth without being overpowering and paired really well with the vanilla. The soft serve was super creamy and the cone was fresh and crispy. Service was great and very friendly. Definitely a must stop if you love matcha read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Matcha soft serve from Maiko is so delicious! I would recommend splitting it because it's pretty massive. Their strawberry matcha is not my favorite, they use a jam almost like substance for the strawberry, and it is not great. I recommend just getting the pure matcha or the ice cream! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Matcha ice cream - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Tastes like the kind you get in Japan. Made me miss Kyoto. 10/10. They also have a little vanilla sample to my pup :) read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

SOOOOOO MATCHAEYYYY! Nice bitter ice cream. Really nice and service was so quick, in the blink of an eye beautiful matcha soft serve was in front of me. Yay! read more

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I absolutely am in love with this place, the funny thing is I didn't understand all the rage until I put my pride down and let the novelty take control...but it was worth it! Countless times of walking down grant street and seeing people unmercifully making out with their matcha and vanilla soft serves had done their time and I was ready to surrender finally. I did try a sample of the matcha soft serve and it was like taking a bite out of angel stuff, their matcha quality truly is premium as they say...I can't really say how or why but the way it tasted, the texture and how fragrant yet light the mouthfeel is is out of this world, and I'm honestly a eh soft serve person but I am changed. What I really went there for was a hot drink on a very cold February evening and they had a dream come true drink right there for me: BLACK SESAME LATTE. It's like you're drinking moon liquid, from the color to the taste, I'm obsessed. I went there 2 days in a row just for that. They're affordable too. Love. Small little nook place so you really can't enjoy your drink inside without others trying to look at the menu and the excitement is just pulsing all around but there's literally so many parks and just walkable Chinatown right outside, that you really don't need to be a cafe fly and stay. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a sweet subtle treat and or unique and yummy lattes like the black sesame or hojicha latte. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Delicious strawberry matcha, the ice cream was good. The cashier was great, very kind and patient! The place is small and cozy. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

This Matcha Cafe Maiko location is in the heart of SF Chinatown. So it's expected to have long lines as there is a lot of foot traffic. However line moves decently fast so don't be too defeated by the crowd haha. I have a matcha soft serve in a cup. You can get it in the cone which smelled so good. But getting it in a cup seems like a less messy way~ the matcha flavor is delicious strong, the soft serve is sweet but not too sweet. The texture is great too. Love it~ I would recommend visiting this store by walking. Really don't see much street parking near by but perhaps I didn't notice. I think if you happen to walk by definitely give it a try~ read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Matcha soft serve - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Strawberry matcha latte is very yummy, you can tell this is one of the good matcha spots in SF from the tea quality. I love strawberry matcha, and the place also has great strawberry syrup, which is sweet and pairs well with the actual latte. Came here around closing time, but drinks were made well, and the store is quite cute. Should try their soft serves next time! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Strawberry Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

We were finally able to stop at this place. I wanted a strawberry Matcha lemonade, but they did not have that they had a strawberry lemonade spritzer. I just didn't want the sparkling water. My wife got the banana Matcha and it was pretty delicious. read more

Got the banana cream matcha and it was pretty good. I wish the banana cream was a little thicker though! I've been here other times for the soft serve and it's so yummy! I love how they have monthly flavors. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Seasonal Matcha Latte with Banana Cream - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Matcha Cafe Maiko was good overall. They were pretty low on matcha around 6 PM, so I ended up getting ice cream instead, which still hit. The spot itself is really cute and right in Chinatown. I was able to park nearby and just walk around, eat ice cream, and shop, which made it a really nice experience read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I AM OBSESSED. If you love the flavor of matcha you will like this. Now if you like the sweet fake flavor of matcha maybe you won't but if you're a matcha girly let this be warning you will be addicted. And this flavor from this specific location is different than the one in Japan town mall that one is sweeter and taste more like ice cream. This one taste like matcha tea you guys if I could eat it everyday I would! My dad usually runs in for me but he says the service is really nice and it usually goes by fast. This place is a walk in and go type of deal and parking is very tricky that's why we usually have 1 person run in! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I saw people walking around Chinatown with this matcha and vanilla soft serve and I just had to have it. Service was quick and easy! The store could use some more appealing decor on the inside, it felt sterile and bland. The ice cream itself was delicious and I should've grabbed another. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

The line for Cafe Maiko is worth it because this matcha is 5/5! Thankfully didn't have to wait too long and ordered a classic iced matcha latte. The shop has some standing room but everyone primarily takes their drinks to go. The matcha flavor was well balanced, not diluted, and the drink was super creamy. Definitely visit this place to get your matcha fix! read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Iced Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been here quite a few more times, I really enjoy checking out their seasonal rotating flavors - though the classic matcha soft serve is good too. Hojicha latte: I've gotten this with large size, regular milk, and as little as no sugar. When you select no sugar, it's really not sweet at all and you can strongly taste the tea. They still have one of the better hojicha lattes I've had, factoring in price and flavor, so I highly recommend it if you're looking for a great nutty hojicha. Matcha latte: I've also tried this with large size, regular milk, and no sugar. Similarly, the matcha flavor comes out really strongly and it's great if you like that savory yet bitter flavor of the matcha. I appreciate that they use a powerful matcha and aren't watering it down with too much milk. Peach oolong ice cream: I tried this when it was one of the seasonal flavors, it has a nice fruity and floral flavor At the time, their other temporary seasonal flavor was yuzu. The waffle cones are fresh and crunchy too. Definitely one of my favorite places to get soft serve style ice cream, and they have great tea lattes as well. The shop is very small, but they're pretty quick with making your order - it's typically been out within a minute or two of me ordering. read more

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only half a cup of matcha ice cream and didn't give more when i asked. it's not like the pictures read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Absolutely worth the 4.5 stars on Yelp! This review's been sitting in my drafts, but I had to finally hit send. As a big matcha fan, this place is a must! The quality and flavor will make your matcha experience truly an exceptional one! Highly recommend if you're in the area and craving some matcha! There was a bit of a line forming outside, but that's only because the shop is pretty small inside. Surprisingly it wasn't long wait for us. Whether you're a matcha lover or just curious, I definitely recommend giving this place a try. They offer a great variety, drinks, soft serve, and a few other tasty options. read more

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Keeping it simple with the classic iced matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California