Stopped by earlier today and saw my favorite workers, instantly made my day 100% better! I ordered my usual: peach green tea with boba and a side of cream cheese wontons. I'm so glad Tapioca Express has never changed their recipes, that's what keeps it nostalgic and truly my comfort spot. The service is always amazing, the place is clean, and I love being a regular here. Honestly not sure why this location gets bad reviews because every time I come, they're on top of it with service and consistently make some of the best drinks and snacks! read more

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I've always passed by this place wanting to try it and today I finally did! The workers were so nice and the drink absolutely amazing. This place will definitely be my go to for boba read more

Tapioca Express - Taro Icy - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

First time here Just came for the cream cheese wonton and left with more goodies ! Everything was delicious and the staff was super sweet ! read more

Tapioca Express - Crispy Chicken Combo, Cream Cheese Wonton and French fries. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Maybe it was just that day but the food was mid. I got extra spicy and it was not even that spicy. If you're a spicy eater like me this is not hot enough! read more

Tapioca Express - Chicken combo, chicken snack, and calamari snack. All extra spicy. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Soo good and delicious! Staff friendly and knowledgable w/ quick service. The vibe in the store is chill and fun stuff to look at and maybe add to collection. read more

This location, in particular is outstanding because of the superior customer service. The cashier woman was the sweetest. She knew all the answers to all my questions I had and helped me make my decision. The store itself was thee cutest warm lit and cozy unit. I ordered the lavender Matcha milk tea with sea salt foam 1/2 sweet. Good choice for me, she knew what I would like. I appreciate her help. The drink was creamy smooth and extra tasty. Happy I chose this location. read more

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The staff here was very sweet. I ordered a drink but it wasn't what I expected. They offered to make me a different drink and asked me to try it to see if I liked it better. That was kind of them to remake it for me and the second go was much tastier. The spot is conveniently located in a strip mall by my gym so will be stopping in more often for my milk tea fix read more

Tapioca Express - Honeydew milk tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

It's weird, I thought I wrote a review here in the past but I don't see it. Welp, my opinion stays the same. This is a mediocre location. The best one will always be on convoy. For one, it's pricier here for a smaller portion and less flavorful meals. I've been here a few times and each time it's a disappointment. The drinks are ok, some overly sweet imo. Service is ok. If you just come for drinks, they have a variety. I come for the food combo and here it never is that great. Well came last night to get my little cousin some snacks and drink. Attached is a photo of my combo plate with barely any calamari (the one on convoy always has way more). There was a lot of rice. The corn this time was actually good (last time it was bland). The edamame has a weird taste to it so I didn't eat it. I got a specialty Thai tea with sea salt cream which was good 7/10. My cousins snacks were good, especially the cream cheese wonton which I think they added mozzarella maybe because there was a slight cheese pull. So I would recommend that. I honestly try not to come to this location but came because it was already late. We had a nice man taking our order. Luckily my cousin always checks the order before we leave so she noticed her daughter's fries were missing but instead we got another side order of calamari. I believe it was the manager? She checked and confirmed it was wrong which was no biggie. Just replace it for us you know. Instead she said "oh it's wrong, he messed up he didn't write well on the paper it's his fault". Like ok, we didnt ask who's fault, and why are you blaming him in front of us and him right there. I feel like the proper response should've been "sorry for the error let us fix it for you". But whatever, then she said "did you want this, it costs more than the fries anyways". I asked my little cousin who said no she wanted her fries and the manager seemed to get annoyed (with their mistake) and said "oh well this costs more than the fries but ok". Then told that worker to mark something on it idk. Anyways we got the fries and left. For me, I didn't appreciate the way she talked to her employee/coworker. It was a mistake that was fixable and she threw him under the bus. That's not a good look in my opinion. (She could've corrected him afterwards or behind the scenes). And most restaurants will actually just give us the food that was in error since it was already made and given to us (which is fine we didn't need/want it). I hope employees are being treated nicely. For me, I really won't return here. I have written this review in case they do check it, to see that is customers care not only how we are treated, but how staff are treated too. This location just seems very stingy to me. read more

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My roommates and I come here at least twice a week and the service is always AMAZING, the product is CONSISTENT, and they have cute claw machines inside! 10/10 I get the jasmine green milk tea it's SO GOOD read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

The food and drinks are fantastic, and the service is amazing. The staff is incredibly kind and welcoming, making it feel like a comfortable place to be. read more

Clean store, tasty drinks & snacks, and super friendly staff! Can you ask for more?! My husband and I are here at LEAST once a week lol. The shop is small but very clean and well organized. There are comfortable bench seating while you wait for your drinks. Vanessa and the crew are so friendly and courteous, working hard to make your drinks and snacks. They also give great drink recommendation and flavor combinations! My personal go to drink is the yogurt icy with boba, mixed popping boba, and rainbow jelly! If you are a fan of Yakult yogurt, this tastes JUST like one! Except in my preferred size lol! We also like to order their crispy chicken, fried tofu, and squid balls! Very tasty and a good portion. Highly recommended local boba spot! read more

Tapioca Express - Mango icy with mixed popping boba and lychee jelly. Yogurt icy with boba, mixed popping boba, and rainbow jelly! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

The customer services is great. The place is small and don't have a lot of place to sit down eating. Rose milk tea is not good. It taste a little sour. The boba is great. Tofu combo is okay, tofu is scrips. Fries season like instant noddle season with a lot of msg. read more

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Drinks are okay. Both drinks aren't sealed properly and it spilled a lot in the car. Asked for a new seal or cap, wasn't expecting a horrible cap that can't even stay on. The chicken is okay. Customer service experience depends on the worker. Wouldn't come back. read more

Tapioca Express - Thai tea, Honeydew Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Save yourself and go to to the convoy location! I got a crispy chicken combo which came with 9 pieces of popcorn chicken, white rice, edamame, and canned corn. The breading here is off and tastes more like chicken nuggets rather than popcorn chicken. The convoy location is much better as the sides come with actual veggies like broccoli and cabbage. They also give almost double the chicken and toss an egg in with it. Was disappointed since the fried basil is my favorite part but this location does not add any. Instead, I got a heaping scoop of plain rice and canned corn with just a little popcorn chicken. Seems like they're just cutting corners here to save money. read more

The people who work here are the best! Always in a great mood. Out of the hundred times I have came here only a hand full of times did they not hit the way I wanted it to and that's amazing.Their iced teas are good and their snowbubble are also good. I can comfortably say you can't go wrong with a flavor. read more

I was craving popcorn chicken today after someone mentioned it. I visited this location just for the popcorn chicken- and it was sooooo good. They let me choose a spiciness level and which dipping sauce I wanted. The ladies who helped me were really nice. They were very welcoming when I came in, and asked me right away if I had any questions. I told them I didn't know my whole order and they offered to start on what I was interested in. I ordered milk tea and taro milk tea, both with boba. I did not enjoy my milk tea- the tea tasted really bad. The boba was alright- not too hard, but it was not cooked in brown sugar so it tasted plain. Overall- there was great customer service here and my popcorn chicken was tasty. However, the drinks were subpar. read more

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Good customer service but I Was excited to try this place but they gave me uncooked popcorn chicken. Tried to bite into the other pieces but all of them were halfway cooked. Very nasty. read more

Tapioca Express - Uncooked popcorn chicken. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I usually order a tea with boba or a taro snow bubble which is their blended version. They are just the loveliest hosts here. they are so welcoming when you come in. Plus the flavor of all their drinks and especially the way they prep their boba, is just on point. They also offer lychee jelly which is a nice addition to my teas. And for anyone that is hungry, they offer food items as well. I literally can't go anywhere else! read more

I've been coming here frequently the past couple months and I'm so happy to have found good teas so close by but I honestly go back for the customer service. Vanessa is the sweetest and always makes me feel like a valued customer by remembering my name, thanking me for coming back and making conversation that always leaves me smiling. Skai deserves some praise too as she always makes me feel welcomed with a kind greeting. read more

Come here all the time, workers are so nice and boba is amazing!! Can't recommend enough.

Their crispy chicken snack is the best! Their calamari is also good. However, their teas and service sucks. The customer service isn't so friendly. Additionally, they only give 1 ranch with each snack order... and they charge $0.50 for any additional sauce... there is no way 1 ranch is enough for an order! read more

Tapioca Express - Crispy chicken snack & calamari - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Walking into a cute boba shop greeted with smiles by the workers. I had ordered cream cheese wontons and a cappuccino snow bubble. Both were amazing and I've been here plenty of times to know!! Highly recommend the wontons I got no spice with sweet and sour sauce. My wontons were hot and fresh with the perfect fluff and crunch!! read more

Tapioca Express - Cream cheese wontons - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

This was the worse tapX food I've had. Please go to the other location on Convoy street. Their food is way better than this location. Convoy location comes with better sides, their rice includes beef and the chicken is better. I mean WTF did I just eat at this location. Never again will I come here. read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

There is nothing express about this place. Very slow service and in warm and not very welcoming environment. Their tea drinks are ok. Nothing special and a little pricey, but in a pinch they will do. read more

Fast DoorDash delivery! Pudding Milk Tea, Double Boba. Cookies & Cream SB, Double Boba. Both were excellent, will definitely order again. read more

i used to go to tapex all the time when i was in high school but all the locations near me closed down so today i went for the first time in a while and i loved it! i always get a snow bubble -- my personal favorite is the strawberry banana one :) i also thought that the worker who took my order and made my drink was VERY friendly and kind! and it was made super quickly which i appreciated as well. tapioca express is not the most TRADITIONAL boba franchise but it is very nostalgic to me (and tastes good) and for that reason, i will always return!!!! read more

got the green apply slush w popping boba. 10/10(: my fiance got the strawberry slush w boba and enjoyed it. was kinda shocked by the negative reviews but it seems it's primarily for their food, so i can't speak on that. would come back (: read more

Great place to get your boba fixing. The staff is really sweet and inviting, the food is quick and the food always hits the spot read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Tap ex on El Cajon Blvd. used to be on point. I haven't been there in years and I decided to give it a try today. I ordered the crispy chicken snack. I wanted extra spicy and it came out to be mild to medium. You can even tell that there's not a lot of seasoning on the chicken. There were no crispy basils either and the chicken were not crispy. To top it off, I asked for two ranch which the male worker replied "okay". Then I find out later that he only gave me one. Such a big disappointment. Definitely regret my decision to stop by. read more

TapEx is a very average place for boba. I used to come here often when I went to SDSU because it's pretty close to campus. The tea itself is nothing special, and at least the boba has some sweetness. I usually get a thai tea with boba, and they are able to do 1/2 sweet. It's fine just to fulfill my boba craving if I'm in the area! I will give big props to them for having some yummy chicken though!! The crispy chicken is always good. It's a good one-stop shop for boba and a hot snack. read more

This place was a cute little shop in a large strip mall. Went here at like 8pm so hangout and only one other couple and a group of kids. They have a small selection of board games and cards for you to play with which is nice. They have a nice selection of drinks as well as food/snacks. I got a strawberry slushy with lychee jelly as that's my go to everywhere and I like to compare. It was good with lots of jelly!! Pretty quiet nose level except when they're blending the drinks which was surprisingly loud. Will probably be back if I'm in the area I liked the vibe and the staff was very friendly. read more

Tapioca Express - Seating and register - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Friendly staff and they have delicious fried snack my favorites are fried calamari and crispy chicken.

In general, I really like Tapioca Express. It's a good quick option for inexpensive Asian food. Mind you it's fast casual dining. It irks me though that the various establishments all have their own varied food menus. I understand that they need to tailor their menu to the community and their clientele. But the fact that each Tap Express in town has an extremely different food menu is very strange. In fact the food menu is why I can only give 3 stars here. I'm pretty sure this location makes most of their income off drinks. There is quite an extensive drink menu, which is fine and dandy. However, the food menu is much to be desired. They only have four combo items. Fried tofu and fried chicken wings were two of them. Pretty sure the other two options were also something fried. I have nothing against fried food, but four options and they're all fried...? C'mon now! And from what I can tell, over priced. I got the chicken wing combo which comes with chicken wings (4), steamed rice, corn and edamame. It also comes with a small black or green tea. For almost $10, I would hope to get either more wings or better sides. From my experiences, the other Tap Express restaurants I've been to offer at least 6-8 options on combos. Some fried, some grilled and others might be prepared another way. Also I've seen more meals. This place has "snacks" which seem to be fairly standard. But I'm still at a loss at only 4 combo options. After eating my 4 wings, rice, edamame and corn, I was left feeling unsatisfied. Really hate it when that happens. I needed something more to fill my belly, but I couldn't see myself spending that amount on another combo or even half as much for the snacks. Anyway, I still like the other locations and menu options I've had. I hope this location can change it up and expand their menu to suit the needs of their customers. Keep on Yelp'n! read more

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Same name but not the same quality of drinks. Maybe I am being a little too picky but I got excited when my boyfriend told me there was one here. I swerved into the parking the lot with excitement to get some boba. This isn't our usual location, they Convoy Tap Ex is and will probably stay that way. This location is tiny, they only allow 3 customers in at a time. I couldn't decide on what I wanted this time and ended up just getting a jasmine green tea with boba. Neither one of those items was my first choice but I felt rushed to order. I could have brushed that off but then the drinks weren't even good. Bitter tea, but at least the boba was cooked right. Overall, it's the same menu and drinks. But defiantly does not come out the same. read more

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This has become one of my regular spots since moving to the area. Often, you have to choose between good food and good boba, but here you get both! I got a latte with boba and was surprised how good the coffee tasted. Highly recommend the chicken and the cream cheese wontons. Love that they let you customize the level of spice and the dipping sauce. The owner is also so sweet! Always welcoming and helpful when it comes to deciding what to get. I visit at least once a week now. read more

Tapioca Express - Latte with boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

No phone in order for pick up. Girl says she doesn't have the computer system. It's called a pen and paper. *revised after pick up * So I go In and order my food. It was quick. That's awesome, HOWEVER; I can't eat anything in fear of finding out what it's like to kiss the devil. I asked for med spicy and these are beyond spicy. And I like spice. But I want to be able to taste my food. I drove 15 minutes in one direction to pick up 47$ worth of food I can't eat. I'm throughly upset. read more

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We tried the Jasmine Tea and Taro Milk tea with boba and it was pretty good. Skye or Skai was amazing, she recommended many drinks to us and was extremely friendly. Best customer service here! read more

Every time I'm in the area I drop by to get a flavored tea & sometimes Calamari or Wontons. The young folks who work here are fast, friendly & efficient & the mgr/owner? here is also very sweet & an excellent leader. I highly recommend stopping by to give them a try. This is my favorite location & second is the La Jolla on Regents by UCSD. The only mild down side, is they don't offer a public bathroom like the Kearny Mesa or National City, La Jolla locations, but there is a Vons in that plaza that you can ask. read more

I always come to this location when I'm next door doing laundry. I always order a jasmine green tea with rainbow jelly and popcorn chicken snack! I believe due to Covid, it's only 3 people inside at a time and wait outside till your order is ready! Pretty quick service and friendly staff! read more

Boba was great, but the service was amazing. Went in right when they opened and they let me in a couple minutes early. Two ladies working and both were very pleasant and funny and welcoming. read more