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    Rare Tea

    3.8 (583 reviews)

    Order Rare Tea Takeout or Delivery

    Rare Tea Photos

    RARE TEA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Rare Tea

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    Reviews With Photos - Rare Tea

    Matcha Jasmine Royale (very blurry photo but the size was decent for seven dollars and the matcha was meh)
    Iris W.

    Service was solid and the interior is just alright. The only reason I got the matcha was because it was a buy one get one free deal but I probably wouldn't get it again cause I could taste clumps of matcha... Great deal though!

    thai milk tea
    Jecy L.

    I ordered the thai milk tea through Snackpass and the drink tasted decent, nothing too special. Love how they add so much boba in the drink! Worth the price.

    Brown Sugar Shake
    Rose L.

    Probably the best bang for your buck closest to campus! Their drinks are on the sweeter side for sure but their daily Snackpass deal is pretty affordable. I got the Brown Sugar Shake with no discount and it was $5.89, with it is 20% off. If you like ice a lot-- check your iron levels and go to Plentea instead, the blended drinks are better.

    Menu (September 2022)
    Alisa B.

    2.5 stars! This is a boba shop on the UC Berkeley campus, so parking is a pain. The ordering system is through SnackPass and the service is very quick. The staff are friendly and give free water too if you ask! There's lots of seating inside for students to mingle and study too. I ordered a Grapefruit Green Tea, since I wanted something refreshing to drink while walking around campus. To my surprise, it was very honeyed and tasted like syrup - even though I ordered 50% sweet. It wasn't fresh grapefruit unfortunately. The green tea taste was a bit watered down too.

    Strawberry Berry 2.0 with aloe vera, cute gnomes, and grump tree
    Allison H.

    After eating around the area, my friend and I decided to get drinks to satisfy our boba cravings. Atmosphere: Very welcoming. Clean. Bright and spacious! Service: The staff was very friendly, patient and helpful! I wasn't too sure which drink to get since they had so many delicious options so the staff helped me narrow down the choices and gave suggestions on which drinks suit my taste. I received my drink within 5 mins after ordering! Very fast and efficient service! They also have a kiosk for self ordering if you do not want to order on the counter. This is a great option for social distancing! Drink: I got the Strawberry Berry 2.0 with aloe vera, 80% sweetness and light ice. It's made with fresh strawberries and four season spring tea (green tea). This drink is so refreshing! It had the perfect sweetness and you can taste the great quality of the tea! I also enjoyed chewing on the aloe vera. I will have to order this drink again whenever I feel like having a refreshing drink! Price: Affordable. Average price of boba places. I highly recommend this boba spot to anyone who is looking for a boba drink in the Bay Area! They have so many great options. The staff is really kind. You can even ask them to take photos with the cute holiday decorations from behind the counter for your Instagram! Lol I will be returning to this spot the next time I visit Berkeley again!

    the counter area of a cafe
    Mariam M.

    I loveeee this place, their boba was delicious! I tried their strawberry milk tea with lychee jelly and their tiger milk tea which was a combination of Thai tea and milk tea. Would definitely recommend their brown sugar boba. Soo yummy and can't wait to go back! The service was good and I really appreciate that they have the little ordering situations so you don't have to worry about inconveniencing anyone to order. The environment was also nice, I appreciate the seating and tons of natural lighting.

    $5.56
    Cari A.

    If you are a walk-in, orders are placed on the self serve kiosk. This is a grab and go establishment at the moment with completed mobile orders placed on a table. Pros: -great drinks that are customizable -hand sanitizer is available Cons: -the self kiosk that I was using was a little finicky, but luckily my order was placed even though I had an error message on the kiosk screen -beverages are now served in plastic rather than a glass bottle -their pudding had a weird texture that was chewy Due to covid, there seems to be a lot of metered street parking.

    As much as we could do. :(
    Maria A.

    These Bobas are brain-penetrating desserts. You could drink a single one for an entire week. Not kidding. That sweet. Some reviews seem to agree. I say, if you're a hyped-up student who wants a sugar-fix, go for it! If you normally order 100% or 150% sweet this is your (franchise, not local) spot. Ordered 3 drinks. Ordered 0% sweetness x2 and it tasted like 150% sweetness. Ordered 30% sweetness and it tasted like 200% sweetness. Taro is real taro, here. Still, we tried so hard to finish them, and physically couldn't. The Passionfruit Yakult drink tasted like 95% Passionfruit syrup. I was searching for a Yakult Boba that would make my Yakult-loving heart sing, thus, the purpose of this order. I love Passionfruit, but Yakult-tasting it was not. This place does cute yet pricey DIY kits. Just wish the sugar-levels for prepared-Bobas were also adjustable. The search for a legit Yakult Boba continues...

    Second Kiosk for onsite ordering
    Min C.

    It was thanks to RareTea's delivery kits for boba-at-home that I was sane while I was visiting the family in rural Alabama. If you are looking to do try setting up your own home cafe, support local business like RareTea and purchase partial or full DIY kit for everything one may need to make boba drinks at home! They also impressively linked a rewards program with this side of the business. A tip: try not to be overly excited and order too much at once as the expiration date on the items (yes, including boba) isn't too long, as items with less/ no preservatives should be! Aside from their DIY kits, their brick and mortar cafes in Berkeley also produce consistently quality drinks. I definitely had multiple kinds of all tea variation categories on the menu by now and I can almost always rely on their boba and tea to be of reliable taste. I also believe a good chunk of their fruit drinks are made from fresh fruit purees & jams!

    Loann H.

    Located on the Main Street of Berkeley (Telegraph) raretea is a chain boba shop I believe. They are almost always busy when I stop by. I tried it a few times and the drinks were good. This time around, they had a promo for bogo boba tea, so we tried it out using Snackpass. If you don't have the app, use my code Loann9541op for 50% any tea and other local discounts. I wish I got it a little less sweet but overall the drink was good and a bonus that we got one for free (: saved it for later. Great location, friendly and QUICK service. I barely put in my drink order and it was already ready. Did I even pay yet?.... Grabbed sliver pizza down the street to complete the meal..

    Frances L.

    Solid tea shop located right next to campus. Our teas were made quickly and to our specifications. Their teas are giant sized! My jasmine green tea was strong and I enjoyed the slightly sweet herbal jelly.

    Ice Cream Black Tea with Boba
    Jeff D.

    I've been coming here for boba since my college days (back when it was still called ShareTea), and it's good to see that the quality hasn't dropped since then. Years ago, you'd see a line out the door for ShareTea, partly because it was the new kid on the block, but largely because it set a new benchmark for what boba should be on Southside. They've got solid options all around. You can't go wrong with a classic Milk Tea w/ Boba, but my go to is the Ice Cream Milk Tea w/ Boba. Order it with less ice & less sugar, but once in a while, it's a nice mix up from a standard Milk Tea. Since my time in Undergrad, Berkeley has seen so many Boba shops come and go that it's easy to get lost in the deluge. More internationally renowned chains have set up shop in Berkeley, and options abound...that said, if you want quality Boba without making a fuss and waiting in line for 30 min, absolutely stop by Rare Tea.

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    Page 2 of 15

    Ask the Community - Rare Tea

    Is RareTea currently open for pickup or takeout only (asking during COVID-19 restrictions, 5/9/20)?

    Yes they're open again for pickup and takeout only. You can order online and they also have kiosks at store where you can place your order. They have tables set up so that you can't really go into the store. Hand sanitizer is provided, they wear… 

    I don't understand- this is called RareTea but it originally was a ShareTea and then TeaOne. Are these brands affiliated or has it been bought out repeatedly?

    Yes! They're all owned by the same company and have been going through several rebrands

    Do they do delivery?

    Yes but it'll be an order through an app or catering

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Chicha San Chen

    Chicha San Chen

    4.6
    (313 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    So cool to have this great tea spot close to campus!…read more This is a spacious, stylish, modern, and comfortable space to relax and enjoy your milk tea. Very convenient to order on one of the two self service kiosks, though a line can form at times (wish they had at least one more). There's a useful screen showing all of the orders that are ready and being worked on. There's a good amount of seating well spread out with some tables and a large communal table. Some power outlets near the wall for charging. There's a cool tea tasting and education area where they let you taste and learn about tea. They have some of the best tea of any chain, you can really taste the tea flavor. Their boba also comes warm and fresh in your cup. And how fun is their built in cup holder rope!

    If you like tea this is the place to go to because they do a tea demonstration in Georgia did an…read moreamazing job with describing the taste how they smell and taste and how to make it as well. . It was very informative and takes about 15 minutes which I really love and I really enjoy and learned a lot about tea. . Also I love coming here and getting the green milk tea with Boba and it has your Taro Boba and taro paste too. You can have it less sweet or no sweet and you can have it with less ice or more ice it's all up to your choice. . This is near the university and parking is a little challenge but there's also street parking and parking garage too. Hope this review helps and thanks for reading and have a yelp-tastic day.

    Photos
    Main counter
    Main counter
    HH signage
    HH signage
    Inside area

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    Inside area
    TP TEA

    TP TEA

    4.3
    (383 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Summer has definitely shown up during the last few days of July with a heatwave upon us with the…read moresun coming out. The weather heats up there is nothing more essential to refresh by grabbing a beverage on ice. There are many places to grab something to clinch your thirst. Nothing is better on a sunny day as grabbing a bubble tea. There is a place which professionally provides all kinds of flavors of drinks from Taiwan and it's called Taiwan Professional Tea. On another Summer stroll in Telegraph I landed at Taiwan Professional Tea. Inside there is some seating and the party people order on a kiosk. They have lots of drinks not too sweet and some are sour like lemonade like some on my social media feed. They also have matcha for Don Juan de la Matcha . I got the Mango Passion Smoothie . It was not too sweet and it had lots of flavor and hit the spot . A good place to grab a drink rain or shine because the drinks are Type A ( Taipei). Last day of the month and it's "gone" now every social media feed for the end of July photo dump is what is going "on" but this place has tasty tea drinks which has a second name professional and first name "Taiwan" and they also have matcha for the "Don Juan" This place is the place during a heatwave is the answer and that is "unquestionable"they have drinks with fruits and not a "vegetable"when it comes to matcha leave it to the "professional" because Don Juan de la Matcha is nothing "correctable"

    One of my favorite milk tea chains in the Bay Area, always consistent. My favorite is their TGY…read moreMilk Tea which has great tea flavor, but they also have a huge variety of other choices, including seasonal ones. Small spot with only a little seating, but it's quick and easy to order from their self service kiosks.

    Photos
    Interior, self order kiosks
    Interior, self order kiosks
    C6. Strawberry Milk Tea Osmanthus milk tea
    C6. Strawberry Milk Tea Osmanthus milk tea
    C4. Taiwan Classic Milk Tea C6. Strawberry Milk Tea

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    C4. Taiwan Classic Milk Tea C6. Strawberry Milk Tea
    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

    4.0
    (448 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We found this spot by accident because we were looking for a store nearby. I LOVED IT! Cutest place…read morewith the nicest employees. I had a lot of questions and they sweetly answered them before I did my order. You order online or on the screens in the store. Pretty self explanatory and easy. There are just a few places to sit inside, so probably want to get it to go. I ordered this heavenly mango/grapefruit concoction with pearls. 15/10. It was so hard to choose what to order because everything looked so delicious and refreshing. My drink was ready in less than 10 minutes. I definitely want to come back and try some different drinks!

    Tried a few more drinks at Yi Fang:…read more Multi-floral honey mountain tea, 50 sweet no ice, large: The drink was done in about half the time that was estimated (Snackpass estimated 15 minutes, but it was done in 7). It was barely sweet, 50% is the lowest sweetness you can set for this drink. I was disappointed by this one as I felt the tea and floral flavors could've been stronger, it really just tasted of honey. Large chocoberry bliss, warm, 50 sweet (which was the recommended sweetness): It's a non caffeinated drink and can only be hot or warm. It tastes of dark chocolate with strawberry. It reminded me of hot chocolate but with a strawberry milk flavor, I liked it and would recommend trying it when it's in season if you enjoy sweets and chocolate in particular. Cheese creamer black tea, no ice, 0% sweetness, large cold: The tea is truly bitter when at 0% sweetness, which is what I intended. A generous thick amount of creamer on top. It doesn't mix easily with the tea. Note that on Snackpass, they add another $0.25 onto the price of your drink for "city cup fee" - referring to City of Berkeley's fee charged for plastic drink cups. I have found they're usually pretty fast at making the drinks and they may be done earlier than what Snackpass estimates. Sometimes you may need to get the attention of one of the workers as they can be occupied working and aren't always at the counter looking at you.

    Photos
    Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats
    Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats
    Mango Pomelo Sago
    Mango Pomelo Sago
    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

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    Asha Tea House

    Asha Tea House

    4.1
    (1.7k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    at this point I have tried most of the Matcha places in downtown and this is the only one I have…read moregone back to multiple times. The Matcha is always a beautiful bright green color with a large depth of flavor. both the hot matcha and strawberry iced matter matcha are my favorite depending on the weather. Also they have adorable tea and California enamel Pins for sale at reasonable prices. I can get my morning cane and birthday present shopping done on the same day.

    I moved to Berkeley about a month ago, and Asha quickly became one of my go-to spots for matcha. I…read morelove the vibe and decor of the cafe, the baristas have always been sweet and friendly, and the menu has a great selection. I especially appreciate that they have genmaicha, which can be harder to find. Their version has a distinct roasted tea flavor that doesn't taste watered down, which I love. Their strawberry matcha is also delicious, with a fresher, juicier strawberry flavor than a lot of other spots. I would honestly give this location 5 stars based on the drinks and regular barista interactions alone, but my last experience was really off-putting. I noticed that people often study there with laptops, so I came in with mine and brought a small lunch from Oori down the street to make a morning out of it. I've done this before without issue, but this time, a woman with crazy eyes who seemed to have a higher role came out and very abruptly scolded me, saying, "You CAN'T eat outside food here," while aggressively pointing toward the door as if I needed to leave immediately. I completely understand having a no-outside-food policy, and I would have had no problem following it if it had been communicated respectfully. But the way she approached me felt unnecessarily harsh and honestly pretty upsetting. I apologized right away, packed everything up in a panic, and left. After processing it, I realized how inappropriate the interaction felt for something that could have been addressed with a simple, polite reminder. Overall, Asha has great matcha, a cute space, and friendly baristas, but that experience really left a bad taste in my mouth. Just a heads up: the drinks are good, but you may want to be careful about bringing outside food in, because the policy might be enforced in a pretty unpleasant way.

    Photos
    Cold matcha
    Cold matcha
    Soft serve: matcha and hojicha swirl
    Soft serve: matcha and hojicha swirl
    Hojicha Latte @lesminaddio

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    Hojicha Latte @lesminaddio
    Heytea

    Heytea

    4.2
    (143 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    I have had Heytea before, trying the Triple Matcha and the Mulberry Boom…read more Triple Matcha: I think my favorite was the triple matcha with the combination of Jasmine and matcha giving a very strong green tea flavor along with the matcha heavy cream. Yingde Mochi Milk Tea: This time I tried their Yingde mochi milktea which was very unique. I had tried mochi milk tea before but the last time I had it, it was a choking hazard. This time however, it was a perfect consistency where it wasn't too tough to cause clumps in the bottom, but still soft enough to be sucked up through the straw. The tea also had a really nice toasty black tea flavor and I really enjoyed the complexity of this drink. It was also fun to open up the drink and scoop up the "mochi" off the bottom. I just wished I could see the pretty layers of this drink in a clear cup. I hope I can order this again next time!

    On a hot day it is always wise to find something which refreshes you. The sun shining makes it easy…read moreto gravitate to cold drink especially with the East Bay heat. Sometimes the drink must have flavor. So I decided to go to place which has been consistently good to me. They have matcha for Don Juan de la matcha and bubble tea. They have a location in Downtown Berkeley and it's called HeyTea. On a Summer stroll through Downtown Berkeley I landed at HeyTea ( not Haiti). Inside they have some seating and a kiosk to order. To no surprise I ordered the cloud matcha on a sunny day for Don Juan de la matcha. It was refreshing and not too sweet. I then got the mango cloud which was juicy and tasty. It clinched my thirst. HeyTea is always consistent at all the different locations I tried. This tea place was founded in China so it's "Chinese" they sell many different flavor drink"teas " and although the drinks are cold they do not create a "brain freeze"and they sell matcha, mango, purple grape, and drinks with "cheese" When it comes to HeyTea my order is "automatic"it's matcha for Don Juan de la matcha call me a matcha" addict"because when it comes to matcha I get "emphatic" especially if there is a HeyTea and this one is located in Downtown Berkeley on "Shattuck"

    Photos
    Mango Coconut Boom
    Mango Coconut Boom
    Coconut mango bloom
    Coconut mango bloom
    Heytea

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    Rare Tea - bubbletea - Updated August 2026

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