Super fast service (for drinks) and a classic location to get boba in Union City! With an extensive menu that has more or less been the same for the past 10 years, they never fail to attract high schoolers and alumni who have grown up with the shop. Definitely check this place out if you are new to the area. 5/5 - Black Sugar Milk Tea with Boba - A nostalgic drink I have ordered occasionally over the last 10 years. Still tastes the same with that roasted sugar taste and distinct from a brown sugar milk tea I've ordered from other boba shops. Definitely try this out if you frequent Tap Ex and haven't tasted! read more

Tapioca Express - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

Tapioca Express opened here in 2000. Seating just a few tables inside and outside. Walls, spaces adorned with menus, rows of slot machines, a One Piece anime poster featuring Monkey D. Luffy, a poster commemorating 2026 Year of the Horse & a tea tutorial. Ordering is by tablet or at counter. Use of CC has 3% fee. Ordered. Pd. Ready in 5ish minutes. 2 people working counter & drink preparation. Offerings: (Taiwanese American): milk tea, Color icy, tea, tealush, yogurt frost, coffee, fruitnada, Italian soda, pudding, flavored tea, jelly juice, float, sides, food combos, snow bubbles. Sips: Brazilian coffee (5.25) hot, no boba -surprisingly it came with milk & sugar added. -could still taste the boldness of the coffee thru the milk & abundant sugar. Didn't think to not add sugar & milk. -1st time for Brazilian coffee. Unsure if this is authentic. 4ish stars Worthy! Quality: ingredients taste fresh. Quantity: bigger than usual serving. *Tapioca Express & Quickly's were the pioneers of the boba wave in the U.S. read more

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Been coming here since, the Tapioca Express at San Leandro closed down due to the managers retiring...overall despite the negative reviews from people about this tapex...so far service is decent. Hoping it continues likes this every time I come over for lunch! Tried their pepper chicken level 7. Crunchy, but a little bit spicy! overall I like their chocolate milk tea! read more

Tapioca Express - Storefront - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

Amazing fried street snacks. We ordered the Popcorn Chicken, Popcorn Fish, and Fried Calamari, everything was on point. I've tried a lot of places, but nothing hits like the flavors at this Tapioca Express. Just a heads up, this location is totally different from the other Tapioca Express spots. Ever since the one in Milpitas closed (same owners as this Union City one, I think), we've been trying other locations, but the recipes just aren't the same. All the fried snacks were juicy, crispy, and full of flavor with the perfect balance of salt and spice. You can pick your spice level from 1 to 5, with 5 being the hottest. I've eaten these dishes plenty of times, and with a good spice tolerance, 3-4 is perfect for me. Overall Verdict: Highly recommend this place. Great flavors, good portions, and solid value for the price. Pro tip: spend an extra $2-3 and grab a milk tea with your order - it's the perfect combo! read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

Tapicoa Express gives so many memories of my friends and I coming here when we were younger. I was in the shopping center so came by. The menu still looks the same from back then just with a few new added items. They took out most inside seating not really a hang out spot like it was before. Service still bland not really friendly just straight to the point order your stuff and move along lol. Drinks are good, what makes this place different from all the other really good boba places is that they have a huge drink selection. read more

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The 1 star is being generous. Customer Service 0 stars. The person working cashier(tall with glasses) had no customer service skills, I ordered 2 drinks one medium watermelon juice, one large cantaloupe snow with boba & I also ordered 2 popcorn chicken one medium spicy and one with no spice. After i ordered i asked if they can do the spice on the side & he rudely replied no we dont do that. He did not repeat my order & probably my fault for not looking at the receipt before i threw it away but my cantaloupe drink was medium not large and no boba. My popcorn chicken with no spice came out super dry in comparison to my mild popcorn chicken. Safe to say i wont go back. read more

Best. Popcorn. Chicken. Place. Ever!!!!!! The seasoning is on point. This place gon do it for me EVERY TIME! Worth the drive and I crave the popcorn chicken and fish here weekly. Milk tea isn't the best but somehow it pairs really well with the popcorn chicken and fish. The chicken is seasoned well and the fry coating is also seasoned with spice. Level 3 is my maximum and the spice is comparable to Buldak spiciness. Anything over that is just pure madness. Customer service is not the best here but what do you truly expect from a fast food place? They just take your order, you pay, wait for your order number to be called out, and take your food. As long as the food hits, there's no complaints from me. Inside looks spacious but no room for seating, only outside with a few table and chairs. read more

I always used to get the fish cakes but something changed as the taste and texture was different. Then I've been getting the fried squid, but realized the price has gotten up as well. Almost $10 now and it looks like they've given less too. Kind of sad because this was my go to spot for these snacks. read more

Haven't been here in a while and found that their teas are very weak and watery now. Won't be coming back.

This place is not bad - My sister and her husband like this place as to it is nearby for a quick not so bad boba spot especially if you are craving popcorn chicken and fried squid to munch on with your boba. There are def better boba spots but this is nearby their home for a quick craving fix. The drinks here are good and the boba balls are chewy - Nothing much to say cause my sister will ask her husband to drive and pick up the order and we enjoy it at home. read more

Not the most sanitized place but they do have the best black tea in town. Good price for bentos too.

Been getting boba here since day one. Quality never changed. Mango green tea and taro snow is my go to!! Gracias read more

Tapioca Express - Mango green tea with boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

Back when I was in highschool, this was the only place to get popcorn chicken and boba drinks. After all these years, they are still Cash Only. (They do accept card but with an additional fee.) I have no loyalty to this place. There are so many options out there -- from CheLo, GongCha, YiFang, BobaQueen etc take your business elsewhere cuz TapEx really ain't what it used to be. I ordered a drink and accidentally forgot to tell them that I didn't want any boba pearls because TBH when I was ordering, the cashier made me feel super rushed. When I realized just a few seconds after walking away from cashier, I went back to notify them. The cashier said the drink was already made -- I know she lying cuz ain't no way!!! And even if it was, take a strainer and take the boba pearls out LOLL I mean, honestly, it's not that hard. And second, where's the customer service?? I get it, it's my fault I didn't say it first to begin with, but c'mon now. read more

Tapioca Express - April 2025 Credit Card Fees vs Apple Pay - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

This is definitely one of the best boba places in the Bay Area. I really like their amazing selection and the fact that you have different options for drinks and food. One of my only comments is that the seating area is very limited and there's not a lot of room to "dine" if you wanted to have your drink there. I also feel like if there are a lot of people ordering, your orders can take a while to get to you. Another thing to note is that they close at 7:30 PM and are also closed on Tuesdays, so make sure to check their schedule before going to the store. read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

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Out of all the TE stores I've been to this one is my favorite. It's not even the closest to me but the one on Blacow was not good at all. Their popcorn chicken here is superb. Love the amount of basil the seasoning and the levels of spice is great. They stay very busy, but they still serve very fast! The vibe inside is not like other tea stores but their variety of drinks and toppings here is one of the best I've ever had. read more

Quality definitely went down over the years :( I've been going to tap since I was a kid but I haven't been since before COVID hit and after finally visiting again, a lot of the food we had was very OK. Snow bubble was also bland and not as sweet/flavorful as before. read more

They've fallen off is all I can say. I didn't ask for extra crispy on my fish cake and they burnt the hell out of my order. The drink quality is the same as it was before, decent, but as the prices are going up the combos are not worth it anymore :( read more

Tapioca Express - Fish cake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

Been going here since I was young and quality is still phenomenal. They have the best milk tea and best popcorn chicken here. This was one of my go to spots during my childhood so it's nostalgic every time I come here. read more

Tapioca Express - Tapioca Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

I've been here a total of 3x so far. I bart from SF to visit my friend in Union City and we always make sure to stop by this TapEx!!! It's the only TapEx I've ever tried that was actually good quality. MIND BLOWING. It's one of the main reasons I like coming here (the novelty that it's good because most TE franchise stores pale in comparison). Today I got the house milk tea with mini boba. A major plus for me is they have MINI BOBA. I prefer mini boba but most places don't have it. AND the boba is actually good - soft & chewy. Their service is also so quick! Today, in the blink of an eye, our orders were ready when we had barely walked away from the cashier. Since we were in and out of there, I can't really speak much to the ambiance, but I don't really need to stay in there to drink my boba so it doesn't matter. Hoping to try the popcorn chicken next time because my friend said it's also really good! read more

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If I can give no star I will definitely do that. The woman behind the cash register, who also incharged taking orders, she's extremely rude. She had to scream at me to take for my orders and rudely asked me to stand away from the counter to wait for my drinks. I think she is the owner. I asked if she has Splenda she said she doesn't know what that is. Then she needs to learn if she opens a beverage shop. She needs to learn to be polite. Here is not China that she can scream and scold her customers. I will never buy anything from you again and will also tell my family and friends not to either. Learn how to be nice and polite WOMAN. read more

One of the OG tapioca shops in the Bay Area, and I've been coming for as long as I can remember. It's definitely changed over the years, with very little indoor seating and becoming more of a take out spot, but it's still very quick and good! The large combo A is my go to, and the fried chicken is amazing. The drinks aren't for everybody, but it's a very nostalgic place for me. I go whenever I'm in the area! read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

Milk Tea was powdery, boba (they call it tapioca) had no flavor. Service was not good. We were there at 11:55am. Store opens at noon. Okay, we wait and precisely at noon, the lady walks to the front of the store to change the sign from Closed to Open. I asked it I would pay at the register and she says "No, use the machine" and points to the kiosk. I walk over to the kiosk to order and she tells the people behind us that she will help them at the register. RUDE WOMAN. We will not be back. read more

Not all tapioca express are the same. This location doesn't have any sauce and food is different than other tapioca express. Drinks are okay. Watermelon juice was in season and tasted great read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

Love the Jasmine milk tea with boba! This is my go to place for boba and snacks. The service is always so fast. read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

The inside of the place is always decorated! The service is super fast, and the food never misses! It's so delicious. I always order the fries and pepper chicken read more

Tapioca Express - Milk Tea w/ Boba, Pepper Fries/椒鹽薯條 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

i love the drinks, BUT the service is HORRIBLE. it makes it insufferable to order at this place. the lady at the register.. someone needa talk to her about respect because ive been a loyal customer--yet, every single time, she always has some shit to say when i get my drink. for example, i ordered on the kiosk once and waited outside until i receive a text msg that my order is ready. apparently the msg was delayed, and when i walk in to get my order, she rudely says "i called you multiple times." first of all, its not my fault the msg was delayed. secondly, its wasnt even busy at all. i could be more lenient if it was a rush hour, but when there was literally no one there, i dont understand the whining. they need to replace her, honestly her bitching and complaining is annoying. (love the drinks) but pls, if A LOT of ppl are complaining about her, pls get her to practice manners. read more

05.25.2023 - My old stomping grounds. Union City was my home during my middle school and high school years, and then some. Can't believe TapEx is still around. It's been such long ago since I've been here. The moment I stepped in, the smell is so nostalgic. The orange and green mounted menus. The ever-so-long options. Wow! Years of memories rushes through my mind and I'm starting to get butterflies in my stomach. This was the go-to spot when I was young. Then, there were multiple tables with chairs and it would crowd every space. Outdoor seatings were available too back then. But now, everything is gone. What's left is an empty space with coin operated dispenser machines. Now it's a place where you just order, wait while standing, grab and go. Although this place changed, the world has changed, and I changed, their snow bubble and snacks did not change. Thank goodness *tears of joy* I got their Passionfruit snow with boba and it tastes just how it tastes 20+ years ago. Same with the fried calamari. Even though my palate has changed immensely over the years, when it comes to things that I grew up eating, the joy and happiness never changes. Every bite, every chew, every sip, it truly was enjoyable. I feel like a kid again! Sad that they got rid of their stamp rewards program. But there's a sign that encourages people with old stamp cards to bring them in to get a reward anyway. There's thousands of boba places. We live in a boba world. However, TapEx will always have a place in my heart for being with me through all the hot days, the hangouts, the laughs, the mandatory trips during and after school, the group of friends I had, the love that bloomed and that broke, throughout all my adolescent days. It's great to see y'all still in business. Established since 2000 and as of today, I've been a returning customer ever since! read more

Tapioca Express - Passion fruit snow with boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

My coworker raved about TapEx's popcorn chicken because they make it super spicy! I checked out this place about over a year ago and really loved the popcorn chicken. The drinks are OK, nothing special as they probably just use flavored syrups. I recently went here today and ordered pepper crispy chicken and pepper crispy squid head with a black lychee tea w/ boba. The squid head wasn't even a squid head, it was just small squid tentacles and it was overcooked and burnt. I don't like how they charge an extra dollar here if you pay with card. Most boba places in the Bay Area take cards without an extra charge. There's a new little area with Gacha machines, but you have to use cash to get dollar coins to purchase trinkets from the machines. Each machine was around $3-4, kind of pricey. Service is...very lacking to say the least. I'm not surprised after reading the reviews here about the tall cashier with glasses. When I ordered my drink he didn't ask what size or how much ice/sweetness I wanted. So I ended up with a regular size, which is whatever. He also sort of just dropped my order down on the counter just as he was handing it over it to me. Kind of rude. read more

Tapioca Express - Gacha machines - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

Food is good but staffs are RUDE! The lady is mean and no customer service knowledge I understand that it gets busy and lots of Logan student goes there, but she is also surviving the business because of customers so she should try to at least be nice. read more

3.7 stars! Came on a busy Saturday, but service was fast! Not a good spot to chill as they dont have seating for people. But the food was as expected. Chicken was cooked well and mushrooms were crispy and bouncy. Drinks werent too sweet. You are not able to change sweetness level. read more

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The lady with the short bob hair has a MAJOR attitude problem. Customer service is terrible. Tells me I can't have a cup of ice or ice water even after I offered to pay for it. After I get my food and drink she proceeds to tells me that I specifically said I wanted boba in my drink and I told her no I didn't, she rolls her eyes with an attitude then offered to remake.. I just really wanted an extra cup, I could've just poured the drink into the new cup and threw the boba away. I've been eating at tapioca express since 2014 at the San Leandro & alameda location then that one closed down. So I know for a fact I never said I wanted boba. I don't know if she had an attitude because I was black or what but I don't recommend. The chicken was dry as well. I'd definitely recommend going across the street to Mr.green bubble. I only came here because all I had was cash this day . read more

I'm not a fan of Tapioca Express's drinks but I LOVE their snacks. Their popcorn chicken, fried mini octopus, and french fries are delicious. This was my first time at this location and I definitely won't be coming back. We came on a pretty hot day, it was 90 degrees outside and somehow it felt even hotter inside of the store. There was no AC or fan on at all and I was sweating just standing in there. It was so stuffy and humid inside. I literally had to step outside in the 90 degree weather to cool off. I feel like that's a health code or OSHA violation? They also only take cash or debit card. They don't take credit card and charge a $1 fee if you use a debit card, which is kinda ridiculous to me. There's also no seating inside. The fried mini octopus was solid, a very small portion but it was good! On par with what I've tasted at other Tapioca Expresses. read more

Tapioca Express - Fried mini octopus - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

This location is by far the best in the bay. I've visited the San Leandro, San Jose, and Milpitas location but somehow the Union city location is always the best. I have visited this location for the past 18 plus years and their crispy chicken and milk tea still has my heart. Normally, I order the combo A spice level 2. It consist of crispy chicken and a milk tea. The crispy chicken always comes out hot, crispy, spicy, and fresh. I loved that you can adjust the spice level. It also comes with basil which makes it even better. Omg mouthwatering. As for my go to drink order. It's always a regular milk tea, with small boba, coconut jelly, and grass jelly. During the summer, I like to switch up my drink order to watermelon juice or watermelon icy. Their watermelon juice/icy is so good! It's not too sweet and its so refreshing. Love this place! Sorry updating my review, yesterday my sister introduced the combo F (popcorn chicken and milk tea) to me and Omg! Mouthwatering goodness. This was soo good and tasty! I loved how it's all bite sizes. Every bite was hot, crunchy, and spicy. OOh I'm drooling just talking about it. Lol. It was so good that I came back today to get it again. Mmhm read more

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I would give ZERO STAR if there was an option. I went here to pick up the foods for my cousin, I walked in the lady in blue shirt and short hair was standing at the cashier, no greeting and not acknowledging me at all. Then another girl came out from behind the bar peeked at me and still not acknowledged me as well. I just kept standing there and waiting for someone to ask about me. Then finally the young girl that i mentioned earlier asked me what is my order , and i told her my orders and she said it not yet ready. Im fine with that cuz at least some one acknowledged me and provide my order status. Then another person ( the young men ) stay behind the bar always on the phone i saw my eye contact but he just ignore me , and i heard him ask the lady in blue shirt in CHINESE : " what is she waiting for? " then the lady answered him " i dunt know what is her order, dunt mind her and let her wait.- in CHINESE VERSION - 不要理她， 不要管她， 讓他等吧。 " Then i was like how come they assumed i dont understand other languages and started talking sh*** infront of my face. After dont finish talking sh** about me and she finally asked me what is my order , and i repeated my order to her, then her replied " IT NOT YET READY, WILL CALL YOU WHEN IT READY." with a very bad attitude. Thats why i can't hold back anymore and i told her straight, watched your attitude when you talked. Then she said she had no attitude to me, and i told her don't talk sh** about me in other language, you know that i understand of what you just told him right. And she asked me , what did i said to him, and i repeated exactly what she said in CHINESE " words to words to her. Then both of them SHOCKED and quiet after that. I attached the photos in my review for other customer reference . I paid for my foods not like i asked for free and i dont deserved this kind of services from them. read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

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One of the OG!!! forever will be my favorite place! I still remember how the boba drinks were just 3 bucks but now prices went up! not bad compared to other place dang for two boba I be spending 20 bucks with tips sheeesh! My go to favorite is one of the classic AVOCADO! My number one! No sugar level needed because it still the same way just like how I remember! Service is always efficient! I am just surprised how the menu here is intense so many choices still aw how I missed the good ol days! It's always good to see people still come here. Until next time! Thank you! read more

Tapioca Express - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

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Second time an incompetent employee has failed to get our takeout order correct. Today, got home and missing one food item in the bag. Called but they never picked up the phone. Tired calling a few times and you can clearly hear them pickup and hear what's going on in the background. Then the HUNG UP! HORRIBLE SERVICE. read more

Only reason I put up w the bad, dismissive and disregarding customer service is bc the fremont tap x (they treat you right over there btw) is because of the longer drive and no boba drink is worth the pettiness really. read more

I've been to Tapioca Express several times, and I think their food and drinks are not as good as before. I ordered the combo a: crispy chicken and tapioca milk tea. The milk tea was meh. It didn't have any taste, and I didn't even ask them to adjust the sweetness level. For the crispy chicken, it was okay too. I ordered mild because their level 1 can be very spicy. The chicken was crispy, but a bit salty. The portion is so small too. Lastly, the service was quick since there weren't a lot of customers. Overall, Tapioca Express is good for fast and casual food and drinks. The place can be noisy and crowded depending on the time and day. read more

Tapioca Express - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Union City, California

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What a long line to wait to order the food .We arrived here around 1pm Sat. We ordered ComboMeal E( 炸花枝+ drink ) and Meal box ( 鹽酥雞飯) . We request mild spicy for both items but it came out so spicy , the squid was way too dry and chewy , but the chicken was ok . The store inside was way too noisy with loud noise of music , as the mid age of mine I don't feel comfortable at all Old man read more

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3% surcharge if you pay with credit card, so bring cash. I've been frequenting this location for well over 10 years and not a thing has changed. You're not going to get the friendliest service -- they're very curt and straight to the point here -- but they're very fast given the volume of orders. I can't recall my order ever getting messed up or tasting different. I can expect the same service (not bad but not good) and quality (consistent) every time without fail and that keeps me coming back. The stars of this location are definitely the snacks and the variety on the menu. The popcorn chicken is perfect and always perfectly seasoned and spicy. The tea quality is sub par, but still tastes amazing TO ME because of the nostalgia. I'm normally picky with tea, and this is the only mediocre tea I will ever willingly ingest. If you're a tea connoisseur and coming here for drinks specifically just don't. You won't like it. The boba however is genuinely always good and fresh. Chewy and not too sweet. Drinks are average at best, but it's reliable and a staple in my nostalgic Union City routine. Best mediocre milk tea there is. read more