I grew up in Oakland, so Sweetheart Cafe (in Oakland) was the OG boba spots all of us 90s kids used to go to. Ask any Oakland millenial and they'll have fond memories of Sweetheart Cafe. Of course, I had to bring my partner here to immerse him in the culture. We ordered a strawberry banana smoothie with boba. Just as I remember, this drink still hits all the right notes. The QQ and warm boba, and the delicious strawberry and banana. Great thick consistency of the smoothie. You can order by kiosk or with the cashier. There was only one guy working here when we arrived. He got orders out pretty quick though. Would definitely come back if I'm back in the area. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Strawberry banana smoothie with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

No frills cafe selling a variety of snacks, candy and desserts. Tofu Fa with grass jelly: The tofu was quite smooth. I wished it had a bit more ginger flavor. Egg waffle: Average read more

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Wanted to give this place a try. We were in Chinatown and love to support Asian businesses, and they had no customers at all when we came and wanted to help support by purchasing from them. It wasn't busy at all so we thought we'd give it a try for multiple reasons: love boba, wanted to support an Asian store in SF Chinatown, was not busy at all so wanted to throw some business their way, and the younger lady and older gentleman that were there said smoothies were made from fresh fruits, so we wanted to try it. The mango smoothie was pretty good, so will give it a 4 out of 5. The strawberry smoothie with boba was not as good and did not seem to be made from fresh fruits but rather powder or something else not fresh, so rated that a 2 out of 5. My daughter who looooves boba didn't like it at all, and she loves boba. What was even more disappointing was the customer service. The younger lady that served our boba was not nice or friendly at all. She looked annoyed we ordered drinks. We said thank you to her two separate times and no response back, and we said thank you genuinely and loudly enough for her to hear, but no smile and no response. She was cold and not nice at all. I personally wouldn't want to support a business who doesn't appreciate and value its customers. With that said, I was still fair and gave it overall a 3 out of 5 since the mango smoothie was good even though the strawberry smoothie did not seem to be made from fresh fruits and did not taste good and the customer service was not good. Unfortunately, would not go back and would not recommend. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Strawberry smoothie boba and mango smoothie boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Variety of desserts from drinks to sweets. Waffles and snacks. sweets to savories. The ambiance is a small cozy with some wooden seating. Service was very helpful, we were ordering outside on the tablet, and could not find something and she helped us step by step! read more

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The popcorn chicken and pandan egg waffle are great! Service is limited and the place is small but it's takeout

Delicious old school dessert pastes. Tried almond, black sesame, and walnut flavors. They are all so good! Bubble egg waffles are large and tasty- hit the spot! read more

It's 2025; I wouldn't believe you if you told me that there was a place where I could get a a creamy, delicious, perfectly brewed and sweetened, roasted rice milk tea for $2.50. But this place exists my friends, in Sweetheart Cafe. I don't know if this cafe is just incredibly generous and able toake a high quality product without overcharging or if this is a loss leader to get people to come into the cafe and try new things, but whatever it is, it's working. I've had thousands of milk teas in my life and this is easily top 10 one of the best. The tea is simple but rich in flavor and creamy and sweetened to perfection. Everything we tried here was quick, delicious and super affordable. If you do nothing else in Chinatown, come to Sweetheart Cafe. You won't be disappointed. read more

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THIS PLACE IS SOOO GOOD. so affordable! their boba is $5.50 WHICH IS SO RARE for bay area boba spots. their popcorn chicken isnt too oily and i heard from SF locals that their bubble waffles are the best too!! Not that much seating area but its cozy :3 read more

I was lucky, able to order food there past their operation hour. I ordered the Hong Kong style milk tea (24oz) comes with boba/pearl. And sweet potato fries. The employee there are very nice, we had a great conversation and she told me that it's a family run business. Which we love to know & support as a Franciscan. The milk tea itself tastes good with boba/pearl, it hits my spot for craving boba. If you like dark tea this will be your choice. The sweet potato fries is homemade with eggs coding outside layer gives a bit of crunch. And soft and warm side of the potato itself. They have all kinds of desserts choices, ice cream and coffee choices. Also they have Chinese food street style snacks. Overall, will definitely come back here, to support my local business. Wish they can open later hours. read more

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Was recommended by a friend for hot Chinese dessert. Ordered 3 dessert items & to repeated my order and couple of times. It took more 25 minutes still not ready... Personally, love the desserts but it took toooo long. Then, requested to pack for Togo. (Have only half hour for lunch.) read more

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I used to come here often before pandemic. The price increased a lot. The drinks and snacks are still good as usual. we have egg waffle, popcorn chicken, boba milk tea and brown sugar milk tea. read more

I will always recommend this business! Located in Chinatown, affordable prices and great selections! Staff are very kind. read more

quick lil small cafe in chinatown that I decided to stop by in to place an order for a quick few snacks for the group or should I say for me to enjoy to keep drinking the day/night away. There was nobody in line when I ordered but after there was about 3-5 customers waiting after me. its a very small lil shop but they do just about everything from drinks, snacks, and more! Their menu is very extensive for various snack options. This visit I decided to order the popcorn chicken and the pandan eggets to share with my group of girls. I was feeling hungry and needed a lil bite to eat before I continued the rest of the day with more drinks. The popcorn chicken was hot, fresh, and delishhhh! It also had a great kick to it as well! The pandan was also very good and tasy! it had a great punch of pandan to it. Service was a bit slow but its cause the owner was the only one there taking orders and preparing all the foods for each and every single one of us. DEF a fan and will come back for some more popcorn chicken!!! it was bomb.com! read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sweetheart Cafe will always be a nostalgic shop for me. I grew up going to the Milpitas location and occasionally came to this location. The owners are always so kind and caring- and I'm so glad they made it through Covid times! Whenever I think of an OG boba shop, it's always Sweetheart Cafe since their drinks are never a miss. This location is definitely a hole in the wall- don't expect a lot of space for seating but there's plenty of snacks & drink options! When I visited on Saturday (4/13), there was an option to self order on a tablet right outside the shop and you were also able to order up front. I had gone with a group of 9 and ordered about 7 drinks total - we had waited about 10 minutes or so but it looked like it was only two people working. They were super kind and made sure our drinks came out right. The drink itself was sooo good and pretty refreshing. Considering that they've been around since 1996, they sure do know how to make good boba tea. I wish I had ordered an egg puff waffle, but there was a line and I didn't want to make others wait longer for their drink read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Honey Chrysanthemum Tea with sago & strawberry heart jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Matcha egg waffle- I havent had egg waffles in a while. Tbh prob not much diff than other egg waffles. crispy edges and soft interior. Nice. The top part was super fragile, felt like it could fall off at any moment, but the more you go down the waffle, the more in tact they are. Tbh was a little let down by flavor, it didnt really taste much. Maybe its just the matcha flavor. Extra Wait time for egg waffle, popcorn chicken and other in kitchen items, is 10-15 min Strong menu imo, popcorn chicken, egg waffles, bingsu, egg waffle ice cream, crepes, curry fishballs and more! Self order outside and self order inside Cramped interior Snacks and chips inside Lottery tickets inside too I only saw around 2 staff in there I went in on a Sunday at 2:17pm Disappointed in egg waffle but everything else good so 4/5 read more

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Sometimes there are boba shops that are so good that you feel it should be a secret, something that you should gatekeep, but if you know me personally, I'm simply not a gatekeeper. If I know of something amazing I will sing its praises, and that's Sweetheart. As I mentioned in a previous review, I grew up with Sweetheart Cafe that was located in Milpitas. That location unfortunately shut down a decade ago, but the SF chinatown location carries on. Wanna know the other crazy secret? The top notch regular size (which is a large cup for most places) hong kong milk tea with boba is $5, tax included. As other places try to charge $9 or even $10, It's like this boba shop has been frozen in time, in the best way possible read more

Sweetheart Cafe - hong kong milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Service is bad. I tried to call in an order since parking around here is very difficult. When I was placing my order, the lady yelled, "Why do you have to call in an order?" Rude! Guess they're too good to take phone orders. read more

I used to come here a lot growing up and I recently visited this spot again. I got the strawberry slushie drink with boba and it tasted the same as I had it before. It was refreshing and I love the boba texture here. I also like the black milk tea as it taste like hong kong milk tea. The wait may be long depending how busy it is. Overall, this is one of my favorite boba spots in Chinatown! read more

Sweetheart Cafe - black milk tea , strawberry slushie - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pretty standard eggpuffs, good for the price. Tried their curry fish balls since they had a special sign 15 for $5. Pretty standard but great price! read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Honeydew milk tea with boba (large) - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We were visiting Chinatown and in need of a quick refreshment, so I ordered a watermelon slushie with strawberry popping boba. This was our first time trying popping boba and now my son is obsessed! The ordering process was simplified by using the self-service tablet outside, which allows payment by card, Apple or Google Pay. We were the only ones waiting and it took about five minutes before our order was called. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Thank you to the hard working lady running this place by herself! She doesn't go unnoticed! read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Oreo smoothie with boba 10/10 - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

loved grabbing the bubble egg waffles and fish balls here. prices are reasonable. service was fast and impressive with just one man running the store. inside is easy to find spots, but maybe different for other time ranges since we went on weekdays mornings. read more

solid boba place!! has nondairy milk (soy/almond/coconut/oat at a $0.50 to $0.75 upcharge! the people working there are friendly and sweet! def a great place to grab a drink + light snack and explore chinatown read more

Sweetheart Cafe - thai tea, strawberry milk tea, taro tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

It is very very busy here! Luckily there's a self service kiosk, so they'll call your number when they're ready. The egg puffs here are delicious. I got the original, but there are many more flavors to choose from. Freshly made! Crunchy on the outside & soft and warm inside. First time trying the bingsoo here. The owner took his time making it presentable, which I appreciate. The strawberry ice cream didn't taste like strawberry. The "ice" tastes kind of milky, but had a weird after taste. It was not bad, overall. I would not order this again. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Egg puffs (original) - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

There's 10% off every time you order noted on Yelp but I didn't see or know that, so didn't attempt. Good to keep in mind though. Even without that, the boba here is already pretty cheap, for boba in this economy at least. Not that boba itself is cheap. I only snagged a regular but it was as big as a large at other spots, so I can only imagine how big a large is. Ordering is simple enough with a side kiosk or up front, if paying in cash. No interior to note but there are some outdoor seats. Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with Boba - the tea flavor is not extremely strong, but it's there. This drink has more milkiness and cream than tea, though that's still a good boba experience. I've had better roasted milk teas so this tea didn't taste too roasted, but it was more like a standard black milk tea (the oolong leaning more towards black tea). Boba however, was chewy and sweet, something you don't always find. Most boba tends to have good texture but lack in flavor altogether. I'd come back for the boba for sure. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Their boba egg puffs is really good The combination of the soft, warm egg puff and the burst of flavorful boba pearls inside was an absolute delight for my taste buds. The ambiance of the store was cozy and inviting, with comfortable seating and tasteful decor that created the perfect atmosphere for enjoying their delicious treats. Overall, I highly recommend this place to anyone in search of delicious boba egg puffs served in a welcoming environment with top-notch service. I can't wait to visit again soon! read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Menu - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Sweetheart is a lil boba shop on Grant Ave. I arrived at noon to order a honey chrysanthemum tea. I was the only one in the shop. I was not greeted when I walked in. I didn't even see anyone behind the counter because it was all behind acrylic signages. I peaked in the small opening where the cash register was and saw a man sitting on a stool. He charged me an extra $0.50 for paying with card. Tea was OK. Was not anything special to rave about. They have many teas and I heard their popcorn chicken was good. A lot of boba competition around but didn't have what it takes to keep drawing me in, sadly. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Honey chrysanthemum tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

The generous portion and rich flavor transported me back to the bustling streets of Oakland Chinatown. If you're a milk tea enthusiast, this spot is a must-visit. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Got there randomly & been going there every time in China Town, delicious drink & fast service. Price is reasonable & they have online order which is super cool. Living in the future read more

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This place had my favorite shaved ice (bingsu). It's a small shop so there aren't seating options so plan to take your order to go. It's a popular place in Chinatown so there can be wait times since there's generally 1 or 2 people taking orders (worth the wait though). I order the black sesame shaved ice and replace the red bean with oreo crumbs. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is by far the best spicy popcorn chicken I've ever had! The chicken is well marinated, spicy, and perfectly light and crispy. Egg puffs are also light and crispy, and slightly bouncy on the inside. Avocado smoothie with boba ($6, large) -- This drink is so smooth and creamy (no shush ice chunks), and you must get it with boba! This is my favorite drink from here. The boba is so soft, chewy, and sweet. Watermelon Freeze with boba ($6, large) -- refreshing watermelon slushy drink (with real watermelon), also another favorite. Strawberry smoothie with boba ($6, large) -- Not a fan of this drink. It tastes very artificial, sour, and tangy. It tastes like starburst and barely like strawberry, I wouldn't recommend this. read more

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Munchies: - Popcorn chicken (non spicy; you can choose spicy too but I like to add the white pepper and spicy powder myself) - #1 or #2 tapioca pearl milk tea or black tea with pearl Shoutout to all the OG's out there, telllllll me those aren't the ultimate beloved combo. Literally down memory lane, nostalgia. I can't believe I grew up on this and never done a review for it. I, till this day, still compare their tapioca pearls (black ones) to all the other places. Hands down, still my favorite boba consistency to date (although majority of the time I converted to crystal/ agar boba now). Alllllsssssoooo for the popcorn chicken, tell me you can find a juicier and fresher, popcorn chicken with basil leaves in it. (I also compare all the popcorn places to here :D) Can never go wrong with sweetheart. read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Forever popcorn chicken with basil (don't forget your white pepper & spicy powder) + black tea with pearls - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I ordered double skin milk (双皮奶), as a person who come from the area which this dessert is originated from, I had to say this is nothing like the authentic double skin milk. More like milk powder and Gelatin made milk pudding. The material used and the cooking process are both wrong (not authentic). I would advice, if this is not the item, then don't name it that way, please. read more

This place sucks! There is no seating and the people are super rude. I would never come here again - there are much better places to go. Food is mediocre read more

Small little shop I passed by with good reviews on Google for egg waffles and ice cream. I went close to closing wanting an egg waffle with ice cream. I was excited to see the variety of egg waffle flavors and the availability of mango ice cream (not sorbet). I asked for the pandan egg waffle with a scoop of ice cream and I'm not sure if it was the language barrier but the lady seemed to nod after I repeated my order a few times slowly, but when I paid and got my order and receipt, I only received the scoop of mango ice cream and no egg waffle. I didn't bother asking for the egg waffle again since it looked like they wanted to close up. The ice cream was tasty though I wish I got my egg waffle. read more

This place has a lot of variety of snacks to choose from. We love their popcorn chicken although sometimes there's a lot of fat pieces fried up but it has better flavor compared to Quickly's popcorn chicken. I got their curry fishballs the other night, wouldn't recommend that because the curry sauce was too watered down. I was expecting the curry to be thicker and more flavorful but that didn't happen. We also like their waffle. The older man behind the counter is very nice. read more

Cute, homey cafe good for meeting up with friends, doing work at, or reading at. Go up the stairs to find a semi-hidden large room (I did not expect it!) with lots of tables, seating, and one or two outlets. It's definitely quiet up there and honestly almost reminded me of a classroom with the wooden tables that kind-of looked like desks. I wanted boba from a place that wasn't a chain, and had passed Sweetheart before. I really like how large and diverse their menu is, there's really something for everyone: shaved ice, traditional Asian desserts involving tofu or sesame or ginger, boba, bingsu, waffles, and more! My lychee milk tea with boba was good, but I think it tasted better because I knew I was supporting a local business. I will honestly be back to try some of their desserts like bingsu and waffles! read more

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first of all the sizes are so big i couldn't finish the large it was SO BIG WTH and the taro milk tea tastes chemically?

One of the few dessert places in Chinatown. It has a mix of Chinese traditional desserts and some other popular ones such as shaved ice. The black sesame sweet soup was one of the best I've had! It's freshly made and was so smooth. We also added some rice balls (tong yuan). The tofu pudding on the other hand was okay. It was silky but a bit shattered. There were some seatings on the street level and another level upstairs. There was one restroom on the second level. read more

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I got a pineapple chocolate banana crepe. The store itself is a bit small, so not the greatest setup for distancing if you and several other people are trying to order, but I waited outside with my friend. The crepe is a thin one (as in, more similar to Sophie's Crepes than the Crepe Cafe, if comparing to other options in SF) and it is served warm, with melted chocolate, banana slices, and small pieces of pineapple as well as whipped cream. I thought it tasted good and fulfilled my sweet tooth without being overly filling, but unfortunately chocolate started leaking out while I was eating, so I ended up with a mess on my hands and some stains on my clothes. So I'd advise getting a plate and utensils rather than trying to just hold it with your hand and eat it, unless you don't mind some mess! read more

Sweetheart Cafe - Pineapple chocolate banana crepe - Bubble Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California