I give up as today's milk tea drink is once again a disappointment and actually the worst, water down, lack of flavor, and barely any ingrediant drink I've ever had; I think it was 100% water and not tea. This is the 3rd time in a row of diuted drinks and it's included the ice blended drinks too. I've been a loyal Rare Tea San Mateo customer since opening as there was a lack of boba tea places nearby. I often skip getting a drink at one of the 20+ downtown San Mateo drink places just to support this local Rare Tea. I would have brought it back but was already on 92 freeway and didn't want to drive back. Only reason I am giving it 3 stars is 1 extra star because the Boba was still good, and I hope the owner reads this and will improve the product or the staff training so the store will improve. Good luck. read more

Boba spot at the Hillsdale plaza. I had asked the worker whether she prefer their matcha or milk tea and she said she liked the Jasmine milk tea so I gave that a try. It was good! Boba was chewy and with the normal sweetness - it still was on the less sweet side. (Which I liked). Good service, clean space, quick food. Their matcha series seemed pretty popular though as I'll be giving that a try the next time I go. read more

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Needed a sweet treat after brunch at Brothers Café in the same plaza. Passionfruit, orange, and grapefruit green tea hit the spot! Love this unique flavor combo that I haven't seen anywhere else - I may have to customize this combination from now on at other boba spots. read more

RareTea - POG, but the G is for grapefruit! - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Fast friendly service. I ordered a roasted oolong no milk no sugar and they offered to make it stronger or weaker if it wasn't just right. But it was really good. The shop was clean and had places to sit or study if interested. read more

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Solid boba. Just a tad on the sweeter side, even if you ask for less sweet. The tea is also just a touch bitter, even when the milk is added and shaken in. But they put in ample boba and lychee jelly. We also loved that they have various games (eg Uno, chess, Boop) you can play while you enjoy your tea. The tables are really sticky and that was a bit unpleasant. read more

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I'm unsure why there's such a high rating for this boba shop. I ordered the taro milk tea with boba and it tasted like artificial powder taro coloring and flavoring plus watered down milk. The interior is also very lackluster. I would not come back to spend $6+ on a drink. read more

RareTea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

This spot should be renamed as Rarely Do We get Your Order Correct! Been here a few times over the years. Always the same trios behind the counter. Strangely, same ambiance behind the scene. Playing some types board game or playing cards keeping their friendship alive! However, strategic decisions behind the scenes per business model, meal prep is poor, overall tastes is by far mediocre and messy. Not worth the price, not even worth as the pit stop for quick bite or sip of boba even if it is mark as the worst "Quickly in town". Overall, still give them a Three Stars, for their good vibes, three trips youth giving their best as entrepreneurs running business and their own business experience! read more

RareTea - Strawberry Matcha Latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Having moved out of San Mateo back in 2020 during the pandemic, I had no idea a new boba shop opened on this side of San Mateo. Having tried basically all the other boba places in San Mateo already, I decided to give RareTea a try. Super glad I did, because they offer a good-sized cup, generous amounts of chewy and delicious boba, and are reasonably priced (without charging extra for no ice). The inside is pretty spacious and has several tables for indoor dining. Ordering is done through a self-service kiosk. When I arrived on a Sunday, the place was not very busy. But there was a number of people behind the counter playing board games with one another. I can only assume some of them were friends with the barista. Otherwise, they are definitely overstaffing only to have their staff just play board games. read more

RareTea - Mango Passion Green Tea w/ boba & Mango Green Tea w/ boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Was in the area to charge and saw this place. Strawberry matcha - don't get it if you want a taste similar to a boba place that rhymes with buy. Strawberry syrup was not homemade. Watermelon plush was refreshing Milk tea plush my son enjoyed Glad they have this place in this plaza. read more

I have a boba/tea addiction and consider this spot my spot (I think they'd consider me a regular at this point too). I've actually turned on a bunch of people to the specific location and we all agree - they're just that good. Prices are very reasonable and quality of tea is good. Staff is friendly and helpful - gives off fun Gen Z Millennial vibes inside with the music and board games. I've seen highschoolers at the tables playing games after school. As a frequent visitor (with my coworkers), they've taken time to know our names and drinks. I love that they can do 10% sweet, which not a lot of places can do. At this point, I honestly recommend the whole menu, but here are some of the regular orders that I mostly stick to: * kiwi fruit tea zero sugar osmanthus jelly * iron goddess tea no milk add snow cream and crystal boba 10% sweet * any of the matcha milk teas Rooting for this location read more

RareTea - Kiwi Fruit Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Made a quick stop in San Mateo for some boba, and this place did not disappoint! The boba had the perfect texture, and the menu was packed with a variety of teas, coffee, and tasty snacks. We couldn't stay long, but I loved that they had games available--it'd be such a fun spot to hang out with a friend or a group next time! read more

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Tried Okinawa Milk Tea. Loved mild tea flavor with boba. Service was quick. Ambiance was okay. read more

RareTea - Okinawa Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

A pretty standard boba tea place. It's kinda quiet on a Sunday afternoon. The service is quick. At least they don't charge you extra when you want to choose no ice food your drink. For macha latte, they add fresh milk, not the non-dairy creamer nonsense. I also like they don't pre-add sugar in macha so I can choose the no sugar version. If you are in the neighborhood, definitely, check them out. The store it's pretty spacious too with quite a few seats available. read more

RareTea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Cute inside, easy kiosk to use, I like the little game corner. The popcorn chicken was really yummy, interesting breading technique and very flavorful. Taro was chill, nothing to write home about but satisfied my craving, boba good texture. read more

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Best place the mood is awesome and boba is delicious highly recommended also boba is the best read more

RareTea - Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Got the Okinawa Milk Tea, and it was essentially water with ice and a couple drops of tea. Strangely, there was no hint of sweetness at all either, even though I selected 'normal' sweetness. Maybe they forgot some ingredients when preparing the drink? I'm not sure how else to understand it. I'm pretty sad and disappointed about the experience -- I was looking forward to enjoying a good drink, as the other reviews would suggest. read more

Terrible popcorn chicken and milk tea pretty watered down. Downtown San Mateo's Sweet Moment great for popcorn chicken. TP Tea or even Teaspoon is way better. read more

I'm not sure what's happening here- the quality has gone down down down- tea seemed so watered down and the mango drink we got had so many mango fibers in it- it was not drinkable. Did the management or ownership change? read more

I used to really love Raretea. The location is fantastic. Easy parking, near parks and hiking trails. Sadly, over the past year the consistency has gone down. Overcooked, flavorless boba. Incredibly bitter teaspresso. Drinks are too hot and melt the ice. Even if you ask for extra ice, the drink is still tepid soon. Ended up tossing our drinks in the trash while hiking nearby. Thai tea tasted like cool whip. I dont know what happened, such a shame. read more

I recently had an event where I wanted a boba bar. After much research and evaluation, I decided to go with pre-made milk teas for ease. I reached out to Rare Tea as their pricing seemed the most reasonable. I didn't want 70 full orders, so they suggested I split the orders into two cups for small add-on fee of $0.50 per drink. It worked out perfectly and I was able to save money by ordering only 35 drinks that were split into two cups each. The manager advised me that the ice would melt, but that was not as big an issue as the boba soaking up the liquid. Based on his guidance, we came up with a plan to order them the next day and have them delivered (via GrubHub) at a specific time to maximize the freshness of the drinks. On the day of the event, I got a GrubHub notice that the order had been picked up, but then several notices after wards that stated it was going to be late. I attribute that to the grubhub driver and not Rare Tea. The drinks were perfect and, although a few were watered down due to the melted ice, every one enjoyed them. I really appreciated Rare Tea's customer service and guidance. They did a great job helping me make my event a success. read more

The Teaspresso - Iron Goddess (tie guan yuan tea) is pretty good, and the boba is a little on the firmer side. read more

RareTea - Teapresso Iron Goddess (TGY) - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Very rude and lazy staff. We said thank you multiple times with no response and we heard them complaining about making drinks when we were the only people in there. read more

Stopped in to try their Taro Milk Tea and Jasmine Green Milk Tea. Both came with freshly made boba, still warm, and were made to order--less sweet, light ice. Ordering is through a self service kiosk which makes things quick and convenient. Service was friendly. It's a small space, but there is indoor seating and board games available. read more

RareTea - Jasmine green milk tea and Taro milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

I got the classic milk tea with boba and matcha milk. They were both watered down, the boba was very soggy. Couldn't really taste the flavor of matcha. Staff were nice and efficient read more

RareTea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Hate to say it, but this was the worst boba I've ever had. I even ended up throwing away half of it after saying a little eulogy . But in all seriousness, we got the Okinawa Milk Tea and a mango ice blend with normal ice and normal sugar. The mango ice blend was palatable and we finished it despite the drink separating almost immediately after buying it. The milk tea was the one that ended up in the trash. It bland and had a weird after taste. Add in that the boba had absolutely NO flavor and tasted like water and it was just a bad, bad, bad experience. Maybe it was an off day, maybe not, but we're not going to risk coming back... read more

This is the RareTea shop at the Laurelwood Shopping Center in San Mateo. I was a little surprised that in Sept 2022, they're still doing walk-up window service. They must of been doing this for awhile because they were using the service area for a stockroom. So, I ask if they're still open and two people pop up and ask for my order. I ordered the Strawberry Palmer, 50% sweetness, with grass jelly. I'm not used to super sweet teas. The Strawberry Palmer is good. Very refreshing fruity drink, but nothing special. Price $6.00 w/ jelly added. I thought the appearance of the place was a little sloppy, with boxes and supplies in plain sight of the customer. read more

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Ordered black milk tea, mango passion green tea and peach tea to my church family. Drinks are good, I like my peach tea with cheese crema. read more

RareTea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I always look forward to stopping here! The drinks are consistently fresh, tasty, and not overloaded with sugar like so many other places. It feels like a treat but still light and healthy, which I love. The menu has plenty of fun options to keep things interesting, and everything I've tried has been great. Service is quick and friendly, and the vibe makes it an easy spot to swing by regularly. Plus, they've got board games if you want to hang out and enjoy your drink in a fun, relaxed way. Definitely one of my favorite go-to tea stops! read more

Nice and fast boba Tea shop. Good selection of flavors, though I always get Mango ice blend. Convenient checkout via tablet point of sale. Tasty snacks, would recommend to anyone read more

I've been coming here almost every single work day ever since I discovered it. It's become one of my favorite spots! It's a 5 min drive from my office, has a Tesla supercharger in the parking lot aaaand it's good?!! Yes please. I've tried a few drinks and they've all been good. My go to is always the black milk tea with grass jelly. The tea-pressos are good too. No complaints! read more

RareTea - Tea-presso Black Tea and Black Milk tea with grass jelly. - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

I did not have high expectations when I came here today to try RareTea for the first time. Very happy to say that my assumptions were wrong! I ordered the roasted oolong teapresso with nondairy creamer (no sugar, no ice) and it is exactly what I'm looking for in a milk tea! You can really taste the strength of the tea and it's a good ratio of milkiness and teaness. Some other places have milk tea that would be great if only the tea was stronger. In that case give raretea a try! Can't wait to try other drinks! read more

RareTea - Teapresso Roasted Oolong Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

I stumbled across this place. It's tiny. I'm not one to buy tea at these tea place popping up everywhere, including boba tea. I did get it once there and it was good. The teas were OK, but what I really liked was their popcorn chicken. So if I go there, I would get that. My only thing I would prefer is if they didn't use 5 spice in the coating. I know it's that spice. Other than that, the service is good and quick. read more

I was placing an order for lunch and decided to check if there was a boba shop nearby. Coincidently, this place was next door. I placed an order for the watermelon palmer (half sweet, add boba). When I arrived, my drink was on the counter by the window (no straw was given so I grabbed the straw that was next to another drink). The drink was pretty bland. I guessing it's because watermelon season isn't here yet or maybe they didn't add enough watermelon to the drink. In terms of the boba itself, it wasn't sweet so that was a bummer. read more

RareTea - Watermelon palmer - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Friendly folks! It is easy to order online and pick up at the window. Or you can order in person. I had the Okinawa milk tea with boba, it was great! Maybe it is because I requested 80% sweetness, but I couldn't really taste the brown sugar flavor, it just tasted like regular milk tea to me. Which, is still pretty good. I like it. You can taste the tea flavor and their boba is nice and chewy. It was a refreshing drink to have. They use nice cups for their drinks. I'll definitely stop by again. read more

RareTea - Okinawa milk tea with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

tried it earlier today! Its so good and we will come back to order more! cashier was so nice

Came by on a Saturday, ordered through their square site. Plenty of parking at the plaza. My order was ready and I picked it up in the window area. I like their boba it's pretty chewy. I prefer their fruit drinks more than their milk tea drinks. I came back the next day. read more

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Passion.Orange.Grapefruit is the fave. The workers are very nice - they try and accommodate us whenever we want to make any changes, such as making the drink decaf for our kids or making it a warm drink. read more

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Total fan. Can't believe San Mateo opened up a RareTea. Absolutely fantastic. If you're like me and have a mom who's a total taro fanatic and judges each drink as harshly as she judges her children then you're in luck because RareTea makes a fantastic taro drink. Real taro bits! Wow. None of that powdered stuff that your mom hates. As for me? I got the Mango juice drink and it hit the spot. Added boba and it was perfect. Ok, why 4 stars and not 5? Because I found a piece of plastic in my drink. Took a sip and came out with a plastic surprise... wasn't a big piece, but wasn't a welcomed piece either. You're also able to preorder for pick up via DoorDash. I was able to stroll up to the shop, pick up my bag, and dip without interacting with anyone. read more

RareTea - Mango juice yakult - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I was super happy with all of the drinks I ordered! (From the left: Hokkaido Milk Tea, Watermelon Palmer, Matcha-Cha Latte, Watermelon Palmer) The staff were super friendly and I really like how they have a window at the front for a contact-less pickup. If you're ever craving something fruity, I highly recommend the Watermelon Palmer! It's made with fresh watermelon and green tea. I ordered it at 50% sweetness and it was perfect! read more

RareTea - Watermelon Palmer Special + Menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

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RareTea is located in the Laurelwood Shopping Center in San Mateo. I learned via Instagram that this shop was having its Sof Opening. I hadn't been to RareTea in awhile, so I decided to seek it out. The place is near the College of San Mateo. When I got there, there was a group ahead of me. This gave me time to study the menu and look over the interior. The staff thanked me for waiting. I selected a Grapefruit Green Tea with Aloe Vera and a Strawberry Palmer (Iced Tea), the latter suggested by the staff member. My drinks were ready in a few minutes. The staff member thanked me for my patience. The drinks were refreshing and flavorful -- definitely worth the wait. I would absolutely visit again if I were in the area. read more

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