I go to this tap X to get the strawberry snow bubble which has real strawberries in it. This is the only tap X i've been to that does that. And I usually get the popcorn chicken snack. YUM. good stop when i'm not super hungry and just need something light. One thing though, parking SUCKS here. read more

I'm honestly surprised this Tapioca Express doesn't have better reviews! i love this place! It's one of those, wow this is what San Diego has to offer and Michigan is missing out on?, kind of place. Before coming here I never knew what boba was and my oh my is it good! After having it here for the first time, it completely shunned all other places. By the way it's not just the boba. Literally every drink I have ever had I've been able to finish no matter how full I am. Some of my favorites consist of: Thai Milk Tea....duh! Watermelon Slushie thing...umm hello frozen watermelon thrown into a blender and being the perfect summer drink! (no boba) and Taro...the perfect fruit frozen drink These are just a few, and only the drinks I might add. I also love the food. I mean it's not a, I'm starving, let's have a nice dinner kind of place. It's more of a light snack, I'm running errands, and I'll make this a little pit stop kind of place. My favorites are the calamari and be careful on the spice because it'll have you cough after the first bite, and that's just for the medium. Also don't go any hotter when you get the salt and pepper fries. They get so hot that they're unbearable to eat more than one and I'm not exaggerating either. The employees cut through the line fast and make your drinks fast as well. Yes it's almost always crowded so sometimes you won't get a seat. And yes they probably have the worst parking lot in all of San Diego no matter what time you're going, they're gonna be busy and horrible drivers. read more

I think this is the biggest tapioca place I've ever been to, but also has the worst parking lot in the world since there is hardly any parking. And what makes it even worse is the people who actually park - park between the lines people! I had a Lychee slush and it was pretty good. I really like the straws so I took an extra few and dumped it into my bag. Hehe! I don't have anything to compare the tapioca to since I don't eat/drink/ingest them. read more

I like that they have a huge selection of drinks here, that they don't have available at other tap ex chains ( i.e. ice cream milk tea), and I also like how they make the chicken SUPER spicy where the chicken is completely covered in spices. The restroom here is nasty, I ain't goin' here if I feelin' gassy, Don't know how to say thank you? that ain't gonna do. how can i get my fix if the line is full of ...... ^^ kreayshawn inspired moment. I will come here if I wanted an ice-cream milk tea, but I think they need to work on customer service. read more

i hate to love this place, mainly because there is no boba where i've moved to. Strawberry snow bubble is one of my classic favorites! Parking lot: HORRENDOUS. park at your own risk Crowd: kids, kids, kids (get in and get out) Atmosphere: LOUD - either asian pop star music + loud blenders + crowd noise Pure boba-wise, this place consistently delivers and that's all I can really come to expect. the chicken is standard as well. I'll definitely be back the next time im in town. read more

I've been coming here since it first opened and the menu has expanded but the quality is still there. The only real diff is now when I come I feel like I'm the oldest person there! Sad... The boba and food here are good. Of course, parking in this center always sucks...so plan ahead. read more

We came back here a couple of times! It's so great because we don't even have great bubble tea in pa,nj, or ny area. This beats Ten Ren Tea house from NYC. This bubble tea place has so much selection. I had lychee snow bubble it tasted fresh. I also love their passion tea bubble. It's not that sweet that's why i love it!!! Can u guys come to the east coast??? read more

Spicy crispy chicken & tofu with basil YUMMY!!!! Lychee & taro bobas or snow bubbles to die for.

Eh. Nothing too wowing about this place. There was definitely a nice crowd here. I didn't pay much attention when I stopped by because I was craving a caffeine hit, but this place does seem popular among the locals. From the outside it looked plain, but the inside was pretty nice and packed. I ordered the Thai tea, which was made under 1 minute after my order was put through. It's Thai tea; you cannot mess it up (that badly) so there are no complaints here. The employees were friendly and helpful when I asked for a recommendation other than the typical coffee as a caffeine remedy to wake me up. read more

First of all, boba is only good if the consistency is right. Luckily, Tapioca Express serves their boba perfectly every time. My favorite drinks to order are: milk tea, honeydew snow bubble, and thai tea snow bubble. You really can't go wrong with the drinks here! At night, especially on weekends, be ready for long lines and crowds of high school kids. The boba is so good here though... IT'S WORTH IT! read more

Came here to get my matcha green tea with boba fix and unfortunately it wasn't as tasty as other boba places I've been to. The place is really nice inside with plenty of seating and a large food and drink menu. I felt my drink lacked complete flavor. The only flavor I could taste was from the boba. It tasted like a bland snow cone. : / no bueno ! Plus I felt it was a bit pricier than other boba spots. Oh wellz. Back to what/where I know. read more

The crispy chicken is where it's at! I pretty much survived on that chicken alone during my college years, and I still find myself hankering for it still. After all these years, I am still not tired of it! The chicken is cooked with basil that really distinguishes it from other places. I order mine spicy, and the powder that they use is perfectly spicy for me, but may be too hot for others. Start with mild or medium spicy and if it's not spicy enough just ask them to make it spicier. As for their drinks, I always get their milk tea. I've tried the regular, lavender, and earl grey. Earl grey milk tea is my personal favorite, but they only offer that flavor in the La Jolla location unfortunately. Too far of a trek for me now, but if you're in the neighborhood, try it out! The milk tea is pretty sweet and there isn't a way to ask for it less sweet since it's a pre-made mix. Parking here is a nightmare, but don't let that deter you from enjoying their delicious chicken and milk tea! read more

Nom Nom! Almond Slushie!! Wish they had a peanut butter drink, though. Curbs appetite.

Some staff here have behavioral issues. Slamming doors, throwing utensils around, and mixing up customer orders; is that really a good idea during a pandemic? Wash your hands! read more

Was recommended this place by Kayzel. The jasmine milk tea was off the hook. Would definitely recommend this place to SoCal and NorCal peeps! Yeet. ~Z is for zurfing~ read more

So, it's frustrating... There's no official updates and poor customer service. The workers keep changing their answers on the closing hours and when the kitchen closes. If you want food, kitchen closes on unpredictable hours. If you're hungry be aware coming in the evenings. I'm really sad that a place I used to really love everything about is loosing its quality of customer service. read more

They need to listen to their customer's order better if they care about their business. When I asked for 2 not 1 drink then do apologize when the order was incorrect. I don't mind paying but when it was your fault at least apologize and make sure my order be the priority and not the last person to get the order. Very wrong! Don't appreciate that kind of service. read more

So many fabulous flavors to choose from! But my sights zeroed in on the almond milk tea, a pretty conservative choice - but I surely wasn't disappointed. Rich and creamy and just the right amount of sweetness. Added some boba to make it the perfect drink! Love the hip, contemporary design of this joint, although it's already showing some signs of wear and tear. Peeling paint, scratches on the walls...but it looks like it has kept the buzz especially among the young 'uns. We had to talk over the loud music the entire time...I didn't even hear my name being called when our drinks were ready. Or maybe it was just me spacing out. read more

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

Love it! and it's right next to crab hut too! But it get's way packed up in here, and it's expensive for a regular milk tea depending which flavor you get. I TRY to get something new, but strawberry milk tea tastes like yan yans to me! mmm!! Parking still sucks here because it's in the same place as crab hut, yogurtworld, and crepe world. BOOO! read more

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Love Tap Ex. Best boba spot in town. I always get matcha green or taro something. Came here post gym with a friend. Ordered matcha green tea with pudding, friend had tropical fruit milk tea with boba. She tried their chicken snack for the first time, it's delicious. Especially the little crunchy pieces of basil you get in the bag. This place is great: K pop on tv, you can borrow board games from them, good food, good drinks, free wifi. Asian person heaven. Now if we can get a Half and Half down here, I'd be ib boba heaven. read more

Tapioca Express - Tropical fruit milk tea with boba. Matcha green tea with pudding. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Honey Milk Tea (w/big boba) and the Crispy Chicken (medium spicy)... yum, yum, yum. I've literally driven miles out of my way for this combo, and it's worth it every time haha. The place is big and a cool place to hang out with friends. They are usually very fast unless they are understaffed, and the parking lot can get a little crowded/annoying. But overall, it's all worth it for my TapEx! :) ** The Coffee Icey w/big boba is also really guud! read more

Tap-Ex. This was probably the first place I ever got boba. There is nothing extraordinary about their drinks but they're good. I like the frozen slushes opposed to the normal boba. The crispy fried chicken is my favorite thing on their menu, a great snack when you're hanging out there. Parking is absolutely terrible during peak times so definitely avoid dinner time. read more

we order large snow-bubble lychee just right now... looks like its under portion. We also order honeydew snow-bubble and it taste bland. I love tapex but we need to keep the consistency of the quality of the product... read more

Tapioca Express - lychee snow-bubble under portion - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Kids who work here are so rude. Boba is fine, staff is borderline surly. No customer service whatsoever.

Just okay bubble tea. I got the Thai tea and it was a little below average. I had higher expectations too since this is in California (San Diego) and thought it would be better. Nonetheless, prices were fair and the space was large and the line was short (when I went on a Sunday evening). I wouldn't recommend this place unless others aren't open. read more

Worker is cleaning already at 11:45 and they're not supposed to close until 1 a.m. Chairs on top of tables already and we had nowhere to sit to eat our food. Had to put chairs down ourselves. Food took so long and there's only 1 other couple seated across from us. Music is so loud that I can't even have a conversation with my boyfriend without yelling. Ordered 2 drinks and an order of Chinese donuts and it took 18 minutes to get it. Get it together Tapioca Express. No one is coming in because people driving by thinks you're closed because of all the chairs on top of the tables. read more

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

I honestly only come here for the snacks/combos and tea. Their calamari is pretty delicious. The combos come with steamed veggies and some marinated ones that varies from cabbage to celeries. They recently started offering more variety in dipping sauces. It's supposed to be 2 per combo/snack order. I love their jasmine black tea, always refreshing and not overly sweet. My nephew loves their cotton candy drink and surprisingly it tasted like I was eating cotton candy and it wasn't as sweet as I expected. I'm really big on customer service so I'm not too impressed here. the employees rarely smile when they take your order and half the time they are in the middle of their own conversations so I'm pretty much standing there, directly in front of their register looking at them. I miss the old group that use to work there 6 years ago. They were fun. Now I only see the employees smile when their own friends come in. read more

Parking: crappy. TapEx: worth the crappy parking. I'm used to the two TapExs near UCSD, which should be pretty good considering the amount of asians here. However, this one on convoy is awesome. They have even more flavors than I'm used to (including a papaya or guava type tropical thing) which I am stoked on trying sometime. These new flavors took me a little off guard, so I defaulted to my normal passion fruit milk tea. The decor is kind of modern and interesting inside, and it's a good (but very noisy) spot to work or chill with your friends. There was even a bunch of people playing a card game when we walked in. But there was an asian pop dvd on repeat that got kind of annoying after awhile. Not going to lie, you will feel out of place here if you are white. Not that anyone will care besides yourself... But regardless, it is worth it because boba is BOMB. read more

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Best boba in san diego. They regular, hot, iced.....they have it all. They also have an amazing secret powder for their calamari and chicken. My friends always must make a pitstop from out of town. read more

For my caffeine kick I love getting the raspberry green tea! So refreshing and not too sweet. I think pretty much anyone who has heard of tapioca express knows about the infamous crispy chicken. So delicious in either the snack size or combo which comes with rice, veggies and a fried egg. It also comes with tea or you can upgrade to one of their many specialty drinks. Another delicious treat is the mini corn dogs. I love love spicy food so it was interesting to try the dogs with their spicy seasoning! So yum:) The only downside to this place is that it is so loud with the blenders going but there are a few tables outside. read more

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Just when I thought I lost all hope on Tapex, especially the one at UCSD's campus, there is one that's decent. Lots of seating, pretty clean, spacious, and well lit. When it gets crowded, the ordering and pick-up area gets a little chaotic though. There are a ton of drinks to choose from and they also have the more unique drinks such as lavender or durian. I got the strawberries and coconut smoothie while my friend got the durian smoothie. My smoothie was pretty awesome. I've gotten the combination at Boba Time and it's pretty comparable. Chunks of strawberries, not overly sweet, and a nice coconut-y taste. Highly recommend! My friend's durian smoothie came out unnaturally orange and didn't taste that fresh or authentic. Not really sure what they used to make the smoothie, but it was just decent. Drinks come out pretty fast and I believe they also have some games you can play. Lots of drinks and snacks to choose from and it is especially convenient if you're looking for a place to hang out after eating at a restaurant in the same plaza. read more

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Solid boba with about 5 or 6 different jelly choices. Got the watermelon juice with rainbow jelly. So flavorful and refreshing. Food smells delicious... Gotta come back and try it sometime! read more

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

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The only two things I order here: the passion fruit green tea w/ mango jelly and the mild popcorn chicken. It always hits the spot. If you want to play games, you have to have them hold onto your ID. It's usually loud at night especially Fri, Sat, and Sun nights. This boba spot is not the best, but not the worst. If you're craving a quick fix and you're in the area, then it'll satisfy ya. Basically, ok drinks, ok food, ok service. Parking in this center is the worst.. so so bad tho read more

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

I remember when this place was the hot spot in 2005! And now this place sucks. From customer service to the taste of their drinks. Everything is bad. I gave this place a try last week since I had a great experience at the Oceanside location. Maybe I thought this place will have the same recipe??! But no.... it was just gross. Kung fu tea across the street is better. read more

Customer Service sucks. Long story short, I ordered 2 chocolate milk and a hot milk tea. Waited 10-15 minutes, to find out the guy only put in for 1 chocolate milk and 1 milk tea. I asked the girl, Asian with black hair, glasses, if it's going to take long and she said "well we have stacks of receipts.. maybe 10 minutes" Uh. Common sense and common curtesy for the customer.. fix it without making them wait. Didn't bother waiting another 10 minutes for a simple chocolate milk. read more

If I could give a negative star I would for the service I got today. I called to place an order for pickup. And then when I got there to pick up my order they told me oh I didn't know the kitchen was closed when u call and place the order. What kind of BS is this? U couldn't call me back and let me know or u couldn't check the damn kitchen first before I place my order ? This is totally unacceptable...total F..ing BS!!!! read more

I came here 4/20 at 8:50 and the cashier a guy with glasses told me the kitchen was close. I said ok no problem can I still order boba. He said no, him and 2 other employees were counting the register and wanting to leaving early when they close at 9:30. They have a Busniess to run and youngsters want to close early to leave in time. Ridiculous read more

I wasn't able to capture any photos here. This establishment was so clean and so nice when it came to the staff helping out the customers needs. When I came in here with friends the establishment was very quiet but as soon as we walked in the staff jumped up to help with our wishes! Super clean and well kept up with!! read more

The great thing about Tapioca Express is that there is something on the menu to please EVERYONE in your group. My favorite is the Thai Iced Tea and the Mango Icey with the Green Jelly. I'm not really a fan of boba, but everyone else I know does. Someone usually always gets the Taro Snow Bubble and the Passionfruit Icey too. Their chicken and calamari are the perfect salty compliment to any sweet drink that you order. They're fun to eat (because the utensils are bamboo skewers) but be sure to specify your level of spiciness because they can be pretty hot if you don't have a drink to cool your mouth down. The only problem with this location is parking. It's in a heavily populated business and restaurant area, so you can spend a good ten minutes looking for parking. You might even have to park on the street if you're really craving this place. read more

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

I would rate it slightly higher than all the other Tap Ex locations in La Jolla. The prices are slightly cheaper and there is a bigger range of drinks and food items. I was fascinated by the Ice Cream Milk Tea!!! I am a milk tea junkie and I usually prefer other places but I had to try the Ice Cream Milk Tea. It was very sweet but delicious. Anything with ice cream is awesome! Good place to hang with friends after pigging out on Crab Hut or Tofu House. My pet peeve - I love the videos of Kpop but why not play the music along with it? read more

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