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Rare Tea - Davis

3.5 (204 reviews)
InexpensiveBubble Tea
Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

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Recommended Reviews - Rare Tea - Davis

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Strawberry Milk Tea
Yessi O.

The ambiance of the store was nice, it felt small, cozy, and a little dingy (but not in a bad way). The service was good, the lady working seemed nice. I personally ordered the strawberry milk tea, and recieved my food in a timely manner. First of all, the milk tea had a consistency of a slurpie, but honestly I'm not complaining! The strawberry was sweet and fruity while the milk was sweet as well. Overall, pretty refreshing and delicious!

This was my second time getting rare tea but I ordered 2 drinks: - Jasmine Milk Tea w/ boba - Mango Passionfruit Tea w/ lychee jelly My major complaint is that I found some hair-like fiberous threads/plasticky strings in my mango passionfruit tea. Not sure if it came from the lychee jelly but it might've been a bad batch. I have ordered this exact drink last time and I didn't encounter any issues then. When I tasted the first one in my mouth, I just ignored it but after getting multiple strands (see attached), it became an unpleasant experience. Just wanted to warn others to be cautious!

Strawberry Milk Tea and Popcorn Chicken
Maikhanh H.

Rare Tea was very much meant for getting food and drinks. The ambience is a bit lacking but still has a good seating area for waiting. The service was fast and simple. For the food and drink aspect, we got the strawberry milk tea and popcorn chicken. The popcorn chicken is not traditional to the Taiwanese popcorn chicken with flavors of basil and 5 spice. This was their own rendition so if you were looking for the traditional kind this not the place to get it. However we really enjoyed the flavor as it was more on the spicy and salty taste coupled with a lemon on the side. It was unique and quite enjoyable for us so if you were looking for a change of pace I would recommend. I highly recommend the strawberry milk tea. It is has a nice slushy texture that makes it so refreshing and has the perfect amount of sweetness. I added boba as well and it was the perfect texture as well. This makes a perfect drink for the hot summers in Davis!

Stanley L.

Issa yup for me broski. The kiwi drank kinna litty. And my reviews kinna witty. I need to get me a kitty (cat). Rapper by the way. @flywitstan

Black Milk Tea - nondairy milk
Angel T.

I love Rare Tea and think it needs more love. It's open, despite the constant construction happening in the building it's located in. My favorites are their Watermelon Green Tea and Black Milk Tea. I've also had their Peach Black Tea, Strawberry Berry, and Mango Passionfruit. They use fresh fruit purées for their drinks, rather than artificial fruit syrups. If you're a fan of fruit "pulp" (tiny fruity bits) in your drinks -- I'm a fan -- this is the place for you! I also recommend getting less sweet for everything if you like a stronger tea flavor. They also use non-dairy milk for their milk teas by default (similar to Teaspoon) with the exception of their "Fresh Milk" drinks. A bit pricier ($5-$6 for most drinks) but worth it. Conveniently located next to the Social Sciences building on campus.

Kiwi Fruit Tea w/ Jelly

second time getting this drink and tastes even better than the first time (maybe i was just thirsty). came earlier than pick up time and they had no issue with it, already having the drink in preparation very good! kind workers

Mango milk tea
Kasey H.

Lots of options, I'd definitely go back to try more. Mango Milk Tea was good, but nothing mind blowing - hence the 4 stars. Smooth and creamy, but not strong mango flavor. Some chunks of mango, if I'm guessing?

Classic coffee
Valerie K.

I never knew about this RareTea in Davis which seems it used to be a ShareTea, because it still has a ShareTea sign outside and this location hasn't been here long according to Yelp. Their Classic Coffee was pretty on point (a lot of their other locations don't seem to carry it for some reason). I don't normally order a lot of coffee drinks as they tend to be too sweet, but this tasted just like a frozen coffee cappuccino. They also have a variety of food items to pick from on the menu along with packaged snacks like ramen.

Outside seating! Remember, clean up after yourself.
Ron R.

*** Vegetarian Review **** Location. Location. Location. If you're a student at UCD, this place is probably a second home. For some, it might even be accounted for in your tuition -- housing, books, reg fees, Starbucks, and boba. Over the last decade, this spot has been several businesses. I've always wondered how and why they couldn't make it because they are literally a stones throw from the campus plus you can usually find street parking right in front or at a minimum, not more than 1 1/2 blocks away. So why did all prior businesses fail? Best guess, they weren't Sharetea and they didn't feature the best boba in a town that has plenty of boba shops to stick a large mouthed straw into. My Usual (will post picture next time I visit): Taro Ice Blend with Pudding, add boba (Grade A): You'll find this under the "Ice Blended" menu. "Ice blended" basically means "Jamba Juice-style." But because it was nearly 100-degrees outside, the heat made me feel adventurous and I tried something off the "Milk Tea" menu. Okinawa Pearl Milk Tea with boba, add pudding, with 80% sweetness level (Grade A): No wonder this place always has a line 4-6 people deep. Takes forever to state your order. Now if you like milk tea, you'll love this. It has roasted brown sugar so I recommend 80% sweetness. And since they don't blend the ice Jamba Juice-style, I also recommend requesting they add more ice when the thermometer reaches triple-digits. First-timers ... Don't Forget: (1) Add pudding! If you're choice doesn't include pudding, just ask. It's the best 50-cents you'll ever spend. Boba shop pudding is more like dessert flan or custard. It's scooped into your drink and nestles down at the bottom so you'll get that savory custard in every sip. (2) Register your phone number. Yes you'll get an occasional bubble-text from your boba shop, but they just want to remind you of specials and freebies to bring you back to the shop. Yes, BOBA BOGO! It answers the age old question ... what's better than one Boba? Two Bobas. (3) Choices. You can choose how much ice (normal, less, or none) and sweetness level (100%, 80%, 50%, 30%, and 0%). Try it sans changes the first time and use that as your baseline. Overall restaurant observations: (1) The people that work here -- every single one of them -- are the friendliest staff in town. Like most boba shops, you'll find thousands of menu items to choose from and sometimes you might have a question or two. I've been to other shops and the staff will impatiently roll their eyes. I've been here dozens of times and I usually get 80% sweetness, but 100% smiles! (2) Outside seating and plenty of signage to remind you to clean up after yourself. (3) You need a bathroom key. Yikes! Just plan ahead if you avoid those bathroom keys like the plague like I do. (4) Straws are individually wrapped! Almost makes up for the bathroom key. Bottom line: Friendly, fast, and felicious (delicious). It's the perfect place to skip the restaurant dessert or to get an afternoon pick-me-up in lieu of a Starbucks run.

Yao C.

My favorite boba place in Davis! They have this drink I love and it's the only place I know that makes it! I order a strawberry milk and it's soooo good! It's fresh strawberry milk with egg pudding and boba.... ah man... I can taste it now!! The sharetea in sac doesn't have this drink and it's disappointing!!! This Davis location is cool.... it's in the heart of Davis college town! Haha.... Aggie pride.... blah.... This boba joint is clean and your drink comes out fast! Sharetea is Davis may be the only reason I visit Davis.... If your a strawberry fan, please try this drink!!

They put in so much boba, no matter how I beg and plead for jus'a lil bit. I LOVE YOU SHARETEA WHY WONT YOU LOVE ME???

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Their unsweetened coffee milk tea is great! It's not that easy to find, and theirs is very nice.

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Ask the Community - Rare Tea - Davis

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Teaspoon

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I'm surprised I haven't written a review for Teaspoon Davis already. I used to come here all the…read moretime when I went to college and would stop by 2-3x a week on my walks home. I came by Teaspoon again a few days ago while in Davis for Picnic Day and I am happy to say that it's as good as it was before. The menu is smaller than other boba places, but each drink I've had here has been good. I love a blend of strong tea flavor and not overly sweetened milk tea, which is what they have to offer! My go-to drinks are their house milk tea or liquid gold, and when I want something fruity, I opt for their lychee black tea (aka lychee on lychee). I suggest getting the drinks half sweet if you don't want your drinks too bland but also not too sweet. The staff here has always been local college students who offer kind and speedy service. I'm never in here more than a few minutes unless I'm ordering a lot of drinks. It's small inside the store so if there's a lot of people in line, it's best to wait outside. It's not really a place to sit down and chat, but to take your drink to go which is fine since it's located downtown.

We dropped in on the way back from a scout trip with 5 scouts and one adult. Everyone got different…read moredrinks. My daughter got a caramel drink with boba and lychee (not a combo that makes sense to me), and she liked it. I had a Vietnamese frappe. It was quite tasty and the boba were good quality. The previous time we dropped in on a long drive, I had the taro lover. It was not as taro as I would have liked. Good but not over the top good. The shop is clean and cute and there is a digital ordering system as well as love staff to order from and ask questions. Adorable place. We liked it and may even be back on our way past Davis again!

i-Tea - Chashu over Rice

i-Tea

(177 reviews)

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Not the best boba in town (in my opinion that's raretea, literally right across the street) BUT I…read morereally like their popcorn chicken and I do think their boba is alright. I've heard some really wild stories about bad service and attitudes here but haven't experienced that (yet) myself so I still go when I can! Their ramen is nothing special, but it's conveniently located and good enough to satisfy a craving. Overall, a nice place that's just fine as long as you keep your expectations level.

We came with my niece & her boyfriend who attend UC Davis because this is a spot they enjoy for…read moredrinks that's just off campus. We were lucky we got there at a time with no line because soon after, it rapidly grew. The solo restroom was also in high demand. This space is narrow with some tables & a long bar with seats in the middle. Large windows make it bright. Music plays, but with lots of people, it was a loud environment. It also felt cramped with all the waiting people. We opted to sit outside where there is ample bench seating & long narrow bars where you can stand by a mural. Screens display their beverage menu, but they didn't list drink prices. There are kiosks to place your order, but one was out of order. No real personal interaction needed to happen & workers stayed behind the counter. Ice & sweetness are customizable at increments from 0 to 110%. We got a Signature Boba Milk Tea & a Strawberry & Mango Fruit Tea. Drinks were prepared quickly & were enjoyed.

Teabo Café - Popcorn Chicken

Teabo Café

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Hidden gem in the Davis area, you cannot beat the price or the service. Upon entering there's a…read morekiosk with a detailed menu of everything they offer and their Ten principles, one about the Perfect Drink Guarantee caught my eye, emphasizing they value the quality of their drinks and customer satisfaction. Our two drinks with toppings came out to be $10 and ready within 5-7 minutes of ordering. We ordered their Teabo Signature Black Milk Tea with boba and a Custom Blended Fruit Tea with crystal boba. I wanted to try their boba for sure since all of the reviews mentioned how divine it is. And I was happily surprised with the quality of their boba so late into the night. The texture was still very soft and chewy, not too sweet, and the portion of the boba was generous!! The black milk tea was strong and silky, I changed the sweetness to 75% and it was perfect. The ambiance is dark, dimly lit, lots of pandas (paintings and decor) everywhere. It was really quiet when I visited, I saw a couple students working on homework. And a family enjoying boba and various finger food snacks they offer. Would definitely come back whenever I'm in the area!!

Great boba cafe!…read more Always have a good time here and have never had a bad experience The staff is super nice and very helpful if you're ever unsure of what to get. They know all the good drink or popular drink combinations When entering it's a small shop but still plenty of seating and nice for just a little chill spot by yourself or with friends. They have games you can play, like card games and jenga for you and your group They close pretty late at this location so those late night cravings are always met here! As for the boba and drinks! Honestly one of my favorite spots for boba will happily drive out of the way for this spot The combinations are endless and has never disappointed They use quality ingredients for those more fresh drinks and you can tell! For the food! So good Have gotten a couple things off their menu and let me tell you the star of the show is the sauce they offer The spicy ranch highly recommend They have a sweet chili also and that's also amazing But the spicy ranch Must have at least once The Cajun fries are a great shareable option and as well as the popcorn chicken Very good with the sauce or by itself All in all great staff, super helpful and nice Great food And great drinks! Always highly recommend

Rare Tea - Davis - bubbletea - Updated May 2026

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