Sweetheart Cafe
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When you're looking for a late-night snack or boba, Sweetheart Cafe is the place to go! They have the best popcorn chicken in the area: juicy, crispy chicken filled to the top of a brown paper bag. I always finish half the bag on my walk back home! Their boba is solid as well; my go-to order is their Thai Tea. The service is quick and fast, especially if you order through SnackPass. The best part is that it is open super late!
I love their popcorn chicken. Prices have gone up a bit. $10 for popcorn chicken, but I still love it. They do it well here, big chunks of chicken fried to perfection, juicy and not oily. You order on a touch screen and you get a text when your order is ready. A great option for appetizers when you are waiting for food next door. I always stop by if I am around Berkeley for popcorn chicken here. Boba drinks are not as good as they use to be. But the snacks have remained solid.
Food - called in to order the popcorn chicken. took about ten mins. IT'S SO FREAKING GOOD! chicken was moist and it wasn't too oily. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEIR POPCORN CHICKEN! It was $8.10 so a bit pricy IMO. Service - about a ten min from the time I ordered via phone. Ambiance - small, cute little shop. Hole in the wall. Kinda cramped and I didn't see any seating but delicious.
Got the extra spicy popcorn. Sooo spicy and yummy! The portions are veryy generous. Order and pay on tablet. Small little mom and pop; def support!!
This Sweetheart Cafe location is right outside of the Durant Food Court / Durant Square. This is a very busy and popular late night spot, especially for the locals and students because most of these restaurants/shops stay open late. Parking is pretty hard here, especially on weekends and weeknights - everyone is double parked down the whole street on both sides, which leaves the single middle lane for cars to get through, which more often than not gets backed up. I still do not understand why this is one of the only few boba shops that requires a 'Berkeley Disposable Cup Charge' because most of the shops in the city of Berkeley do not have that fee. I used to come here at least biweekly, if not every week for those late night boba cravings, especially after a late night gym workout, since they are the only boba spot in the vicinity that opens late night, until 2 AM / 3 AM (depending on the day). The service is so bad here - it gets worse on every one of my visits. Although I feel like the service was always nonexistent, as I would just order ahead of time and quickly pick up my order when it is ready, at least I would not get attitude or bad service - ever since the younger employees started to work here during the late night shifts, I would always have some sort of issue / problem with either my drink or order and I would get an attitude, a scowl, and / or rude comment from one of them. The last couple of times that I ordered from here, I would either get the Jasmine Green Milk Tea with boba or the Sweetheart Black Milk Tea with boba and they would mess it up by adding too much sugar / sweetness or not forgetting to add any at all or adding too much or too little ice, so my drink is either all ice and turns watery quickly or tastes warm, so the ice and sugar / sweetness levels are not that consistent. If it is too sweet or if there is too much ice, I usually just deal with it, but when there is no sugar at all or not enough sugar or too little ice, I would nicely ask them to fix it, which I feel is pretty considerate, as it is easier to add ice / sugar than to have to remake the drink with less ice / sugar. Anyway, when you try to ask these particular employees (usually the same 2 - 3 younger ones) to fix it, they would always have some sort of annoyed demeanor or attitude towards you and when you get the drink back, the seal is all messily torn like they could care less - half there / half gone, instead of nicely ripped/taken off completely with a dome lid snapped on top. After they fix it by adding more sugar / sweetness or ice and I taste it, it usually tastes like a sugar bomb or way too watered down, but at that point, I usually just take the L and drink it. During my last visit, I was debating if I wanted to deal with attitude and possibly a messed up drink on that particular night, but I was not in the mood, so I decided to cancel my order - the app said I had to call them to cancel and gave me their number, which I called several calls with no luck. Unfortunately, I had no choice, but to go inside and it was the same trio working - I was told they do not have a phone line, even though they have a number listed on the ordering app, online, Yelp, etc., and that I had to contact Snackpass. I told them it has not even been 2 minutes, since I ordered and I spent those 2 minutes calling them, as Snackpass stated that was the only way to cancel the order. They tried stating that they cannot cancel my order on their end because it does not let them and that they already made my drink, and that I have to contact Snackpass - which I stated yet again that Snackpass said I had to call / contact them and they kept trying to tell me they do not have a phone line. Anyway, after going in circles, one of them in the trio finally *magically* cancelled the order on their screen behind the counter after they kept stating they could not. After this last encounter with these employees - I had it with their attitude and poor / unprofessional service, especially for drinks that are not consistent and made correctly. I will not be back to this particular location when I can just go to Boba Ninja around the corner for my late night boba fix (they are not open as late, but still fairly late - 1:30 AM / 2:30 AM, depending on the day) and the employees working there at least make you feel welcomed.
***3.5 Stars*** This is what you'd call the quintessential Berkeley establishment. A tiny milk tea shop serving up all of the deep fried goodies late into the night. Located right of off Durant and Telegraph, super close to the UC Berkeley campus. A UC Berkeley student's dream. But wait... it ain't just for Berkeley students. This is a great spot to grab a milk tea and some snacks. I was in the area and wanted to grab something quick but light. Insert Sweetheart Cafe. Saw that they had my beloved Avocado smoothie on their menu, and I went in for the kill. This place has all KINDS of deep fried snacks on the menu. French fries, onion rings, fish balls, spring rolls, corn dogs, popcorn chicken. You name it. I decided to order the deep fried butterfly shrimp. I should note that they charge a fee if you're purchasing anything with a card under $15. The avocado smoothie was creamy and thick with just the right amount of sweetness. It had a very mild avocado flavor, similar to one that uses powder instead of fresh avocado. But with a place like this, I wasn't expecting too much. It was still really tasty. The deep fried shrimp were surprisingly good too considering that they probably just fry it in the same oil as they do all of their other fried stuff. Again, not a huge deal for me. What kind of ticked me was that these shrimps were coconut shrimp. I do like coconut shrimp, but these have a different flavor than regular deep fried shrimp. No where on the menu does it state that these have coconut on them. My thing is, what if I had a coconut allergy? They really need to disclose this. On top of that, they gave me the absolute worst sauce to eat with these; buttermilk ranch dressing. Um... whaaat? I was already in the car going back home, so I didn't bother to go back to ask for sweet and sour sauce. But make sure that you check your items and ask them for the sauces that you need before you leave. For something fast and quick, it's not too bad. Just don't expect anything extraordinary. For a cheap fix, this place will hit the spot though.
When those Friday night boba cravings hit, you have to give in. I'm still on my mango boba kick, so I ordered small Mango with whole milk and 25% sweetness + boba. They also sell spicy popcorn chicken, so it's a no-brainer to throw that on your order lol. I did try to call in the order but no one answered the phone lol. Ah well, I ended up placing the order on the kiosk right outside. My order was ready in 15 minutes, so pretty quick for a Friday night. Parking is crazy, but to be expected near campus. Double park and hope for the best lol. The Boba hit the spot! 25% is the move as you don't fall into the sugar coma.The spicy popcorn chicken was surprisingly good for a boba spot! The portion size was massive, so I split with a friend. A little heat on the spicy scale but nothing extreme. Would totally order again.
Stopped by here for a late night snack and some boba and was really pleasantly surprised! Aaron at the counter was super fun and very accommodating. Popcorn chicken was SO BIG and crunchy and juicy! 10/10 would come again - I already know I will get cravings for this! I got the medium spicy and it was really great, but I think I might go back for more spicy next time. The portion was also very generous. Also had the strawberry smoothie with boba and I have to say that the boba still tasted fresh and delicious even with it being later in the evening! Very chewy and soft, and it complimented the strawberry smoothie so well. They top the smoothie with whip cream but the smoothie itself tasted like a yogurt base and gave it a vibe of mango lassi but for strawberry flavor - also very good and highly recommend!! Overall: great food and drinks, even better service. I'll definitely be back for more and think everyone else should too: support local businesses during COVID!
I've been to this place quite a few times. I don't think it's a great place to go for bubble tea since every time I try to adjust sugars the guy says it's not possible or just says "it's not good sweet." I find it kind of odd that he doesn't respect my requests for sugar adjustments but maybe he has had bad experiences with customers asking for a refund or changing their drinks. I wouldn't do that, but everyone is different. Then the other day I ordered a bubble tea with grass jelly. I was really disappointed and disgusted to see that the grass jelly have this odd discoloration and also a weird texture (it wasn't jelly-like but more of it just sort of melted). I wasn't sure if it was moldy but I think that was the worst I've had because it didn't taste right. I had to throw the drink away. If I did come back here, I just wouldn't get the tea with grass jelly again (just boba or aloe).
Solid place that I always frequent for late night snacks. My personal favorites are the popcorn chicken and the various assortments of milk teas that students love Sweetheart for. Service is usually always quick (order ahead on the weekends though, as it can get pretty busy) and the owners are nice and friendly. Always had positive experiences, and this place is a Berkeley classic.
I know that a lot of Berkeley students greatly treasure this place because "back in their freshmen years, boba is like $1 and a popcorn chicken + milk tea combo is $5." Long story short, this is a true Berkeley classic. Well, inflation messed up this place so badly that nowadays, for presumably the same quality boba and popcorn chicken (based on my friend's opinion), it is more than twice as expensive as a few years back. So, for the quality and boba, this place is now a rip off, even after the Pokemon Go discounts. The plus is that this is one of the rare places that still take Pokemon Go discounts, and as a level 24 player, it is a pretty nice 15% discount. However, at almost $4.50 (before tax) for this small of a boba drink, I could go to almost any other boba place and get something similar or better. The boba here is way too sweet, and the almond milk tea drink I got still looks like it is prepared from powder. I am severely disappointed by how this drink turned out. The only plus I see is that the boba is so soft and large like a mochi consistency rather than the mushy consistency, something that is quite on par with One Zo's boba itself. I opted for popcorn chicken that is non-spicy because I was not feeling the spiciness at that time. There is slightly more popcorn chicken in Boba Ninja than this place, though the popcorn chicken here is worth trying at least once. While there are some pieces that are quite dry, most pieces that appear dry are actually pretty crispy, which is a plus. There is also great flavor to the popcorn chicken, but there is quite an amount of MSG put into it.
3 years ago
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I purely come here for nostalgia. I remember coming here with my roommate and friends to grab the special $2 drink. Sometimes I'd get the Ovaltine shake. I remember when this was the only boba place. Now in comparison to other options, quality is definitely not something they have but convenience is. Sweetheart Cafe is in the right front side of the lovingly named "Asian Ghetto" on Durant. It's right next to King Pin Donuts. It's a small spot to grab and go. They have your typical teas, shakes, and snacks for a Sweetheart/boba place. The sad thing is their boba is definitely not great. It's cheap but not great. If you want quality, you should probably get it else where but if you want pure convenience, then this is your spot...now I wonder how that Boba Ninja place is... read more
I'm sure I'll probably catch some flak for this from both friends and Yelp friends alike, but I'll say it anyways - Sweetheart Cafe's tapioca drinks just aren't that good, people! //begin flak catching Although I never understood why my friends liked coming here so much back in college (even then, I didn't think it was great), at least it was defensible at the time. While there were better places around, Sweetheart Cafe was both a cheap and convenient way to get a boba fix, which counts for a lot when you're a broke college kid. Add in the fact that some of their snacks were actually pretty decent (like their popcorn chicken) and I'll admit you could maybe make an argument for coming here, though not a strong one. Coming back now as a less-broke adult though, it's even more apparent just how short the drinks fall. I ordered a basic MILK TEA WITH TAPIOCA and neither the milk tea nor the boba were very good. Between the sweetness and all of the cream, I couldn't taste any of the tea and the boba itself was beyond chewy/gummy. That's to say nothing of the drink's odd, orange tinge either. Seriously, people love this joint? Considering how long they've been around, and how so many of their competitors have come and gone, it's somewhat impressive that Sweetheart Cafe has endured (being in the Asian Ghetto certainly doesn't hurt). Great for them, but I just don't get it. Maybe I'll come back for their popcorn chicken, or if someone can tell me what I should have ordered instead, but I'd otherwise head over to Sharetea instead. Kudos to Sweetheart Cafe for still keeping their prices relatively student friendly though. //end flak catching read more
2 years ago
I like that this spot offers an opportunity for late night milk tea runs, but other than that there is not much to this place that stands out for me. I personally wouldn't make plans to go here unless I happened to be in the area due to the tight parking. I'm not in this area often as the parking can be a pain, but when I am and crave boba I normally make a stop here. The service is rather quick since my orders are usually a simple oolong milk tea. I haven't tried the other drinks on their menu yet so I cannot comment on that. However, I enjoy the results I get from their oolong milk tea and that has remained consistent. It's more bitter compared to other places I frequent, which is a nice change of taste. My partner especially likes this as he is not much of a sweet tooth. The shop is rather small compared to other boba shops, so people often walk around when waiting for their order. Overall, my experience here is pleasant and I would return when in the area. I don't think I can give more stars on flavor until I try their other drinks. But based on the oolong, I think it leaves a promising experience to be made. My only complaints are location can be difficult for parking since there are other restaurants and businesses around the area. So everyone is trying to get parking. read more
6 years ago
This is just a typical boba shop next to UC Berkeley where students can get a quick fix of boba. The shop is really small and cute! The boba was good, not amazing, but what do you expect from a boba shop selling to students who are getting overcharged for their tuition? The store is run by the sweetest man and he is so cheerful everytime I see him! Such a good experience! read more
13 years ago
Interesting how their hours say they close at 1am on Saturdays. I was just here last weekend, and after a last minute decision of dancing the night away at Pappy's for the last 15 minutes before it closed, I needed a drink! Boba drink that is. While some people in my group wanted to get burritos, my best friend and I went to grab boba drinks across the street to the Asian Ghetto at Sweetheart Cafe. We ordered two milk teas, one with and without boba. Only $2 each! I'm not surprised that they use powder for their milk tea. Service was quick and straight to the point. I'd probably give this place 3 stars for the overall quality of the drink and not a lot of seating (that being said, definitely somewhere I wouldn't go out of my way for), but bumping another star up for the friendly guy at the counter and being open late-night. Knowing me and my love for boba, I would rather spend a few extra bucks for better quality drinks somewhere else. read more
7 years ago
If you're an avid Pokemon Go Player like me than you should definitely add Sweetheart Cafe to your go-to boba places! On the same day I got a drink from Sweetheart Cafe, I also had a drink from Asha's Tea House and I would say that Sweetheart Cafe definitely had the better tasting drink. It was sweet and the tea taste was very faint. Their menu had lots of choices for drinks and also displayed largely on the right side upon walking in. Service was quick and kind. Got my drink in under 5 minutes! This boba shop gives up to 5-20% off your drink purchases depending on your Pokémon Go level! Overall a pretty good place to grab boba, the store may look a little outdated and not incredibly clean but Sweetheart Cafe is definitely worth giving a chance! read more
5 years ago
It's nice to know this business is still around after so many years! I remember my dad taking me to the Oakland Chinatown location when back in the early 2000's. Once you walk in, you'll notice really cheap menu's on the walls in a really small storefront. Don't let the appearance of this place fool you! On the left hand side after you walk in, is a counter area with 3 stools facing the street where you can enjoy your drink, eat your fried oily snacks, and people watch if you're into that. The drinks here are really good, and though I don't remember what I drank 18ish...... years ago when my dad brought me to the Oakland location, but having a milk tea from Sweetheart gave me a nice nostalgic feeling. Today was my second time back in within the last 2 weeks and this time I ordered the coconut milk tea with boba and a spicy popcorn chicken. The coconut milk tea with boba was very good. The boba was fresh and chewy, which went well with the sweet mellow taste of the coconut milk tea. This was what I ordered during my first visit a couple of weeks ago, but this time I forgot to upgrade the size to a large. Huge bummer. Remember to upgrade to a large! The popcorn chicken was disappointing the first time around, but I decided to give it a second chance today. The first time around, the chicken came out nice and fresh, but when I bit into it, it tasted like it was it was fried in old oil and kinda ruined the taste of the spices. Today's experience was much better though as the chicken came out nice, fresh, and crisp and you could really taste the spices. The portion size of the popcorn chicken is huge also, you could probably share one order with a friend, as long as you're not too hungry. read more
4 years ago
9 years ago
Holy fuck, try the hamburger it is so good. I wasn't expecting much since sweetheart is mainly known for their boba and snacks BUT THE HAMBURGER WAS SO GOOD!! It was the perfect amount of juiciness and crispiness. Literally, the best burger in Berkeley. read more
14 years ago
So many good memories here! Strawberry Slushie with Jelly & Pearl! :D YUM and my favorite! Also Taro Milk Tea! Or even the regular boba milk tea is amazing! Sweetheart always had something special tasting in their bobas to me, I don't know exactly what it is, but it just tastes good. Taro Milk Tea: I love how it's not super sweet, but at the same time, not overpowering with the taro flavor. Strawberry slushie with jelly and pearl: This is my all time favorite boba, and no where else has anything comparable to Sweet Hearts! It's the perfect blend of sweet and tartness. I've had other places that make it super sweet, but Sweethearts is the best. Also the jelly and pearl give it different textures that taste so good with it. read more
I come here often and usually I love it here every time, but I ordered their almond milk tea (one of their proclaimed best-sellers) and it did not look or taste anything like almond milk tea. Whatever it was, I highly disliked it and threw more than half of it away. If I ever do come back, I would get the pineapple freeze or watermelon freeze. The sanitary standards of this place also makes me wary of coming back... read more
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Worth it .. perfect . This is the best strawberry banana I've had thus far . ! Highly recommended! read more
9 years ago
Unlike the boba chain stores that now saturate berkeley, sweethearts has been around at least as early as the early to mid 2000s. Back in the day it was continuously voted as best campus boba. It's still a local favorite despite of the increased competition. I came here as a student and I think what stands out with this mom and pop shop is the snacks and the boba (tapioca balls). First, the snacks. Many people swear by sweathearts crispy chicken but I swear by their fried baby octopus. Sweethearts probably has the best fried baby octopus I've ever had at a boba shop. What makes this stands out is that it's literally baby octopus they are selling not chunks of chewy cattle fish strips. I'm an avid squid/octopus fan and to me, the most delicious part of these creatures is their tentacles. These tentacles get super crispy when fried and that's what makes them so damn delicious. Sweethearts wins because each of their octopus bite has plenty of tiny delicious tentacles. You get a bit of that with each bite. Because their ingredients is better, this is probably also why fried baby octopus is more pricy than the crispy chicken. I also think I've seen the price increase by at least a dollar since I was in school. If you like squid/octopus, this is a must get! Their boba is also a lot more chewy than that of others. You'll notice if you get boba often that sometimes the bobas might taste a little hard or inconsistent in texture. Sweathearts has the most chew squishy consistent bobas. Definitely give them a try! read more
10 years ago
Only tea shop I've been to in Berkeley, Ordered a Thai milk tea and I enjoyed it. They put the right amount of milk in there, a lot of places put too much milk, but they did good. The boba was chewy too and not hard which is good. I've only been once but I would come again. They have tons of awards on the walls for their boba. Only thing is that there was no room in the small shop really because there was boxes kind of piled everywhere. read more
11 years ago
7 years ago
10 years ago
Either this place has lost some grounds or my palate has gotten more sophisticated since it first opened. My fresh taro boba ($3.95) still has the same thick smoothie consistency but it was a downer to experience a fainted taro taste and a set of boba that no longer has its magic touch. Maybe it is time to try their other flavors but it's hard to get excited when their menu hasn't grown from its inception. Quickly losing its go-to status, 3 stars for the underwhelming experience. [Fighting off tears] I want my old Sweetheart back! read more
This may be a tiny establishment, but despite their small size and limited seating space, they still manage to boast one of the largest smoothie and pearl drink menus on the block. Their drinks are available in 2 sizes and come in a wide variety of flavors; ranging from the traditional mango and taro to seasonal favorites like watermelon and avocado. Prices can get fairly expensive here, especially with multiple add ins and extras, but you definitely get what you pay for in these handcrafted drinks. In addition to refreshing beverages, this shop also offers plenty of tasty treats to satisfy any munchie demand. The entire food menu looks tasty, but the deep fried roe and tentactle on deep fried squid are items that should be at the top of your list to try. read more
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Can someone tell me what's in those seasoning cans they have sitting out by the door?
Pepper Salt and spice seasoning to add heat to the finger food
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