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    Special Tea

    3.9 (22 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    Matcha Latte
    Kimberly O.

    Stopped in randomly and the matcha latte with added boba was fire! Definitely recommend, quick easy service.

    Orchid Scented Jasmine
    Amy L.

    I can't help but have to compare it to the old Yokee since it recently replaced it. The base price is about $1.50 more expensive that Yokke - $4.50 vs $6.00. I ordered the Orchid Scented Jasmine Milk Tea and I wasn't too impressed. I had loved the Yokee Jasmine Milk Tea because I can taste the tea and the floral scent of of the jasmine tea but I only taste the sweetness of the Orchid Scented Jasmine Tea /: I might try it again and order something else to see if there's something I would get. Overall, this place is more expensive than the old Yokee and doesn't fit my need for a milk tea that has a strong tea flavor.

    Refreshing and delicious! The mango is sweet, the pomelo adds a nice balance, and it's not too heavy--perfect drink for a hot day.
    Mollie T.

    Refreshing and delicious! The mango is sweet, the pomelo adds a nice balance, and it's not too heavy--perfect drink for a hot day.

    Oolong Milk Tea

    I stopped by Special Tea after hearing great things about their tea quality--and I'm glad I did! I ordered the Oolong Milk Tea with boba (50% sugar, less ice), and it did not disappoint. The oolong tea had a deep, roasted flavor that came through clearly even with the milk--perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. The milk was creamy without feeling heavy, and the drink had a smooth finish. What really stood out were the boba pearls: soft on the outside with just the right amount of chew, and subtly sweet. The staff was friendly and fast, and the shop itself was clean and cozy--perfect for grabbing a quick drink or hanging out with friends. Prices were fair for the quality and I appreciated the customization options for sweetness and ice. I will definitely come back again to try the other drinks on the menu!

    disgusting
    Kelvin Y.

    I just paid $9 for this 3 brothers tea and honestly the balls have no taste the drink has barely any taste, and like the other person commented it taste like im drinking water. NEVER again wth.

    Carlos H.

    Good boba and quality drinks. Nice cafe vibe and I like the music and friendliness of the person at the register. Drinks are about what you expect for San Francisco.

    Durian Sago
    Karmen L.

    The drinks here are amazing! I especially loved the durian sago -- it's incredibly delicious. Highly recommend it to all durian lovers!

    Boba Milk Tea

    Shoutout to the team at special T! We order from you all the time for our company, and you never miss. The drinks are always on point--creamy milk teas, popping boba, the works. Everyone in the office has their favorite, and you nail every single one. Plus, the prices are totally fair, which is awesome when we're ordering for a big group. Thanks for being so reliable and making such great drinks! You're the best!

    Mango Pomelo Sago Matcha Volcano
    Lisa K.

    It have replaced the old iTea. I came here after the grand opening days on a weekend. The anterior was pretty cute. It was a labubu theme decorated with the logo of special tea. I got their mango sago drink and the matcha volcano drink. The mango sago was pretty good, juicy, and tasty. You can taste the fresh mango to it. The matcha volcano was pretty sweet, it have remind me of similar to of what i have try before. The service was great I appreciate it. I got my drinks in 10 minutes.They still have bogo until the end of October. I would come back another day to try their other drinks .

    Boba Milk Tea

    The drinks are sooo bad and watery. This replaced Yokee and it's a complete disappointment to be honest. Theres hardly any tea flavor and it honestly tastes like water... there's also a disproportionate amount of boba to the drink (which is also tasteless).

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    8 months ago

    Tried the mango pomelo sago. Loved it. Very refreshing. Mango and pomelo had great taste.

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    10 months ago

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    Chicha San Chen - Fresh Organic Milk w/ Taro Ball and Taro Paste

    Chicha San Chen

    4.5(251 reviews)
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    I have heard from several friends that the place was good…read more I personally enjoyed the strong tea flavors, but I also like fruit-infused teas, so I chose Osmanthus Oolong tea with passion, konjac, light sugar, and less ice. I am so in love with the tea here, it tastes exactly the way I like it. I love how they use the teapresso machine to brew the tea leaves which makes the flavor stronger. The cafe's decor looks clean and it has a good vibes, and when I went, it was not too busy. You can also order through their application and earn points or at the Kiosks and put your phone number to earn points as well.

    Chicha San Chen is the super hyped bubble tea shop from Taiwan that's apparently won a bunch of tea…read morerelated accolades that I won't pretend to be remotely familiar with. Their ordering system is entirely via two kiosks, which can be annoying if the customers ahead are slow, ordering a bunch of drinks, or both. They really should have a policy for cashiers handling smaller orders (2-3 drinks or less) and forcing kiosks only for larger groups. The estimated wait times vary pretty wildly, so take their posted estimates with a grain of salt. It stated 15-20 minutes when I was there, but it took about 25 (and we were just the 2nd group in line, though there were clearly tons of queued orders already with people standing around or sitting waiting). When we finally got our drinks, the Classic Ding Dong Oolong Milk Tea and the Milk Tea with Taro Balls and Taro Paste, I was expecting really prominent tea flavor like you get from the best milk teas in Taiwan and HK, especially given their hand-brewing process for each cup (which partly explains why wait times balloon). Sadly, I got very little tea flavor from either drink. That said, the fresh taro paste and taro balls were very tasty, with the balls having fantastic QQ chewiness. Prices are a bit much though, at almost $10 for that drink alone. I honestly think they could cut costs on gimmicks like the rope carriers (cute for influencers, but pretty useless and likely jacks up the price for regular customers). One silver lining from the long wait is that we spilled over into a free tea tasting slot. Miranda was fantastic as our guide as she was super friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. She walked us through how their Lishan Oolong Tea (sold separately, not used for in-store drinks) is harvested and sun-baked into 5 different varietals, each with unique colors, aromas, and tastes (and following the sun both literally and figuratively in terms of names and descriptors). Overall, it's a fun experience if you enjoy that sort of thing (and your wait happens aligns with a tasting slot or you can always a reserve ahead of time as well), so 5 stars for Miranda and the tasting, but the actual milk teas were lacking and a disappointment given the hype, cost and wait.

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    Chicha San Chen - Fresh Organic Milk w/ Taro Ball and Taro Paste //  Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea (Cream)

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    Urban Ritual - Hojichas N Cream (Soy Milk)

    Urban Ritual

    4.4(1.1k reviews)
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    One of my favorite boba spots! I've been loyal to Urban Tea Ritual since 2019 and back when they…read morehad their first location in SF. I fell in love with their creative, artisanal drinks right away. The store itself was clean and welcoming. My favorites are the Crème Brûlée Milk Tea and Matcha Toffee. They're both signature drinks and the matcha and toffee balance each other so well. The toffee does get stuck in your teeth, but it adds a nice crunch to your drink. I recommend getting their drinks in either oat or macadamia milk! Their honey boba was fresh with the perfect texture. I don't recommend driving here unless you're okay with parking a few blocks away. I prefer this location over San Jose because their drinks are more consistent. Nowadays, you can order through the self-serve kiosk. Their seasonal drinks are definitely worth trying! There was a Pandan Strawberry Corn milk drink that was pretty refreshing :)

    Came in this place and tried their Boba dessert which was 10 out of 10 #amazing creamy custard…read moremixed with Boba at the bottom topped with a crème brûlée top. Also tried one of their drinks that was corn inspired, which I really loved Also had a crème brûlée Boba drink which was horrible It had zero flavor tasted like water. Hopefully they add some more drinks to their menu because I would love to try more from this place. I know I will be back for that Boba dessert though.

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    Little Sweet - Watermelon slushie

    Little Sweet

    4.0(973 reviews)
    3.2 miInner Richmond
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    I write this three years later, though I should've made it sooner. I actually tried Little Sweet on…read moremy first date with my now boyfriend and we got there an hour or so before closing. The lights outside really set for such a cute twilight mood and though that wasn't the main point of their shop, it was a cute detail. You order off an ipad and wait for your order, pretty typical of most shops nowadays. I remember there being a short line as well, so it seems they are a busy boba shop! The drinks themselves were delicious based on what I remember, I recall their boba being perfectly chewy and not soggy despite getting there so close to closing. The drinks were not heavily packed with sugar, just the perfect amount of tea, milk and sweetness. I'm not really in the area that often, but it's a boba shop that I'll remember forever!

    This location of Little Sweet is located in Inner Richmond. Parking may be a bit difficult, as it…read moreis street parking. Ordering is through the kiosk off to the side, so not much service. There was one employee working who just kept giving us mean glares for an unknown reason. It is a small shop, so there is not much room to hang out inside either. I ordered their Jasmine Milk Green Tea with boba. The taste of the drink tastes very off-putting - it definitely does not taste like a jasmine green milk tea, but like a burnt tea with milk just added to it. My friends who are not that picky with boba tried it too and did not like it at all. We only took a few sips before tossing it.

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    Matcha Cafe Maiko - matcha strawberry mix and vanilla

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    4.5(1.6k reviews)
    1.6 miLower Pacific Heights, Japantown
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    Ambiance: Matcha Cafe Maiko is one of a few tea shops…read morespecializing in Matcha flavored drinks and desserts in Japantown. There is no seating located in this particular cafe but plenty of outdoor seating directly outside. The general area can be pretty crowded due to the other store fronts within the mall so if you want a more relaxed matcha tea shop to do work or relax it would be better to order and then leave. Service: They have both a kiosk and a barista taking orders. Staff were friendly and working efficiently and quickly to fill the orders as they were being placed. Wait time: Generally depends on when you go since Japantown mall is a heavily toured area by locals and visitors to the Bay Area but I'd say roughly 10-15 minutes max from standing in line to receiving your drink. Food: The matcha ice cream has a deep matcha flavor with a nice concentration of powder which can be tasted in the soft serve. They also top the soft serve with a light dusting of matcha powder to further enhance the flavors. The cone was soft and light with a gentle sweetness that pairs really well against with the earthiness of the matcha.

    Everything from Matcha Cafe Maiko is special. Ironically,…read morefor some mysterious reason, I don't actually like matcha, which feels like a personal failing every time I walk in. Luckily, their other tea offerings are just as good, so I never feel left out. The black sesame latte is a longtime favorite, but today I went with the hojicha frappe and it was excellent. It's not as creamy as, say, a Frappuccino, and the ice crystals are a little larger, but honestly that works in its favor because the roasted hojicha flavor comes through so much more clearly. Deep, toasty, and not overly sweet. Their sundaes are also ridiculously fun, loaded with all kinds of bouncy, chewy little goodies that make your dessert an activity rather than just a course.

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