Tea Alley
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This was one of the few boba places that were open late as they opened until 2am which was convenient. Parking does get a bit hectic in the evenings and weekends as the place is located downtown in between bars/clubs. We parked where the Safeway was in downtown and walked to the location which was less than a 10 minute walk. As for the boba, we got mango green tea, chocolate cream boba, lychee green tea, and rose milk tea. The boba was average as there was nothing too different from other boba places we tried. The sweetness level for the drinks were not too overpowering too. Overall, if you want a quick boba place to get drinks and snacks, I would recommend this place.
Came here with a bunch of friends around midnight after playing badminton! This was one of the few boba spots open, so we decided to give it a try. I really like how this place is open until 2am - makes it perfect for some late night boba! The tea/boba was better than I expected! I got the passion fruit green tea with boba, less sweet, less ice with boba - it definitely hit the spot! It had a nice flavor, wasn't too sweet, and the boba had a good texture! Next time, I definitely want to try my go-to Matcha latte with boba (maybe during the day, so I'm not up all night lol). My friends ordered the Strawberry Smoothie, Matcha Latte, and Classic Milk Tea - these all look so good! They made our drinks super fast - will be back again for some late night boba!
There were a lot of options for both tea and snacks here. We went with a classic jasmine milk tea; the drink was a good sweetness and the boba was nicely chewy. The late hours make it a convenient stop while exploring San Jose at night. I would come back the next time I'm in the area!
Great late night boba spot in San Jose with fried food options like popcorn chicken and garlic fries. I ordered the Jasmine milk tea with puff cream and I liked it cause the puff cream consistency is thick and doesn't dissolve into the drink. Came here on a Wednesday night so the shop was pretty empty aside from food delivery drivers picking up. The worker was nice and patient as I pondered over the menu.
THE POPCORN CHICKEN IS NOT GOOD I saw the review pictures and they looked good, but the actual food I got Nov/2024 is terrible. The chicken is overly breaded, dry, and flavorless. They try to add seasoning on the outside but it doesn't really get past the breading. It was also $10 for a small bag. I went on a Saturday night and there was only one person working there. That poor girl had to juggle 10+ customers all by herself and was super nice and apologetic about the wait, but management needs to get it together.
If you ever get someone asking you to come down a dark alley, you would refuse that advance right? I fell for it and went down to Tea Alley and probably could have saved my stomach space for something different. Boba is a must for any Asian-American's post dinner mayhem. Sadly the only thing nearby that was open at 20:00 was Tea Alley, so came we did. Upon entering, the entire shop felt a bit run down like it was meant to be a late night option, and only for late nights after going out to bars. Furniture looked a bit tired and there was a funky smell. I ordered the Oolong Milk Tea with Boba ($5) and had the normal amount of sugar and ice. As I saw them making the drink, I noticed it was a lot of powder and syrup flavor being added to the tea. My drink ended up being very bland despite the sugar and it didn't make me feel great afterwards. If you're desperate for cheap boba and are willing to lose a bit in quality, Tea Alley is for you.
This is your typical boba joint. You order your choice of drink or drinks, and their employee makes it for you. I ordered a peach tea with boba without any sugar. The clerk working that evening very nicely told me that she does not recommend the drink to be without any sugar. I politely told her that I am still okay and to make the drink as preferred. She made it and watched me drink it. I gave her a full thumbs up, and she was shocked. Hey, when a girl doesn't want sugar, she doesn't want sugar. They have a decent variety of drinks here, so if you're in town, drop by to grab a drink.
Came here at 9 pm and they open at 8pm (pretty late). This was my first time here even though I go to school nearby but never got a chance to visit this place because it opens so late. Parking in this area is NOT free! I ordered the Ti Yuan Yin Milktea which was 6.25$ but after ordering and already waiting 15 minutes the barista called my order to tell me that the drink will take additional 19 minutes to brew because they didn't brew the tea yet. She asked me if I wanted to wait additional 19 mins or pick a different drink that's already brewed. Since it was my first time here, I opt for the house black milk tea (priced at 5.99$) which is cheaper than the tea I PAID for. After waiting additional 15 minutes, my drink finally arrived and it tasted so dry? Like it tasted like the tea was at the end of the canister and it makes me even more thirsty. I noticed instead of a shaker or hand shaking the drinks, the barista uses a blender which I feel like it takes a longer time to make each drink. I would give this drink probably a 1/5 stars because I threw half of my drink away cause I could not finish because of how bitter it was and I got 75% sweet which was their recommended sugar level. I feel like even adding more sugar wouldn't fix the taste of this drink. I gave an additional star to this review because I did feel bad that the barista is working alone at night. My friends got the Kit Kat milktea which was 6.25, and all you can taste is literally thick chocolate. I think their fruit drinks tastes better because I tried some from my sisters and they weren't as bad. I would most likely not come here again until they change their recipe or tea quality.
You know, there's a thing about alleys that fascinate me. They don't usually have a positive connotation. For the most part, they're sketchy, they're nerve-racking, and they should be avoided at all cost lest you catch yourself in a situation you don't want to be in. Truthfully, that's how I felt about Tea Alley. I got myself the Jasmine Milk Tea with Boba ($5) and the Popcorn Chicken ($6.25). The Jasmine Milk Tea was suggested at 50% sweetness and 25% ice. The Popcorn Chicken was suggested at 75% spicyness. Hate to break it to you all, but the Jasmine Milk Tea is disappointing. It is watered-down and does not have the aromatics typically found in good jasmine tea. It does not immediately hit me that I am drinking milk tea, and that can be concerning to anyone who has even the slightest bit of expectation for quality. The boba has a decent texture to it. The Popcorn Chicken is not that much better. It looks like old chicken, judging by the dark brown exterior and the questionable seasoning. The chicken looks like it has a case of bad milia. I requested it spicy, but I do not think it makes that much of a difference whether you request it 25% or 100% spicy. The store does not give you a lot of chicken for the price either. I do appreciate the little carryout bag that you can hold the chicken with using one hand. The chicken is also hot to the bite. One quick thing to note is that when I went to the store, there was a person sitting outside the door on their phone and juuling. The moment I entered, it was revealed to me that that person was the cashier and only staff there. He had an okay personality, but the encounter really only added to my anxiety of the whole experience. Did not receive a receipt with my order. I came here on a Thursday evening, when all of the other stores were closed. (The opening hours is probably the only positive thing about this place.) The inside looks kinda rinky-dink from the unkept floors to the broken seats; not sure where all of the comments about the aesthetic is coming from but then again, they were all from about a year ago. Chairs are so slanted, you could easily slip from your seat. My drink took about 5 minutes to be ready from purchase and my popcorn chicken took about 8 minutes from purchase. What I ordered wasn't awful by any means, but I don't suppose I'll be paying $12 for them again. I'm sorry to say, but nothing about Tea Alley felt right to me. I should have listened to the most recent reviews for this place. If desolation is the mood they are going for, I'll stick with something that's more up my alley, if you can catch my drift.
"A boba place that's open until 2 AM? I've got to check it out!" It's a small shop, but they've got an interesting selection of drinks, including the one I got. It is as chocolatey as it sounds. If there weren't any boba in it, it would be hard to recognize this as milk tea. Incidentally, boba is one of the few things I found off about the drink. The boba's texture along with the simple fact that this was in the drink along with everything else made it a bit too jumbled. It's kind of like when putting on many toppings on a burger muddies the flavor profile. I'd recommend getting this drink without the boba.
Tried the boba toast, it was good. Taste as expected. We also got the Oat Milk Matcha Latte. We recommended it!
Randomly came here with the bf to get some drinks and cookies next door around 10:30 on a weeknight. The shop is small and located next to an alley that leads to other businesses. I can see how getting to it during the day/weekend might be an issue with how crazy parking can get. From the outside, it looks quaint and inviting, almost out of place with the vibe of the rest of the street/shops around. Inside was some chairs/tables for patrons to lounge at after getting their drinks. When we got there, a group of people were waiting around for their drinks. We ordered at the kiosk and then went next door for cookies. Our drinks were ready when we got back. I really enjoyed my drink - black sugar boba milk tea - and my bf demolished his, so I guess he liked his as well. I would definitely like to come back, but it's gonna be hard to unless I luck out with close parking. read more
1 year ago
Last time I came here was during covid and it did not disappoint. They had creative snacks that I hadn't see at other boba spots. I came back and hyped my friends up on these pizza pockets they have. I mentioned if they still have it on the menu I'm going to order it. To my surprise, they did. I waited a normal amount of time for something like that -Maybe 10 minutes. It was quiet and not that busy/ evening time. While my friends and I waited, we scanned our surroundings and thought "yo. Why is there so many receipts and why are they brown like that." We checked and saw that there were receipts from march of 2025 on the front counter (currently November 2025). My friend asked them about it, so there's a chance they have since cleaned it, thrown it away. Think they might have more space on the counter if they address it. read more
10 months ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
This was one of the few boba places that were open late as they opened until 2am which was convenient. Parking does get a bit hectic in the evenings and weekends as the place is located downtown in between bars/clubs. We parked where the Safeway was in downtown and walked to the location which was less than a 10 minute walk. As for the boba, we got mango green tea, chocolate cream boba, lychee green tea, and rose milk tea. The boba was average as there was nothing too different from other boba places we tried. The sweetness level for the drinks were not too overpowering too. Overall, if you want a quick boba place to get drinks and snacks, I would recommend this place. read more
Came here with a bunch of friends around midnight after playing badminton! This was one of the few boba spots open, so we decided to give it a try. I really like how this place is open until 2am - makes it perfect for some late night boba! The tea/boba was better than I expected! I got the passion fruit green tea with boba, less sweet, less ice with boba - it definitely hit the spot! It had a nice flavor, wasn't too sweet, and the boba had a good texture! Next time, I definitely want to try my go-to Matcha latte with boba (maybe during the day, so I'm not up all night lol). My friends ordered the Strawberry Smoothie, Matcha Latte, and Classic Milk Tea - these all look so good! They made our drinks super fast - will be back again for some late night boba! read more
2 years ago
There were a lot of options for both tea and snacks here. We went with a classic jasmine milk tea; the drink was a good sweetness and the boba was nicely chewy. The late hours make it a convenient stop while exploring San Jose at night. I would come back the next time I'm in the area! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Great late night boba spot in San Jose with fried food options like popcorn chicken and garlic fries. I ordered the Jasmine milk tea with puff cream and I liked it cause the puff cream consistency is thick and doesn't dissolve into the drink. Came here on a Wednesday night so the shop was pretty empty aside from food delivery drivers picking up. The worker was nice and patient as I pondered over the menu. read more
1 year ago
Very quick tea and good quality. I love the self order kiosk. The girl working was getting the drinks out very quick. read more
2 years ago
THE POPCORN CHICKEN IS NOT GOOD I saw the review pictures and they looked good, but the actual food I got Nov/2024 is terrible. The chicken is overly breaded, dry, and flavorless. They try to add seasoning on the outside but it doesn't really get past the breading. It was also $10 for a small bag. I went on a Saturday night and there was only one person working there. That poor girl had to juggle 10+ customers all by herself and was super nice and apologetic about the wait, but management needs to get it together. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
If you ever get someone asking you to come down a dark alley, you would refuse that advance right? I fell for it and went down to Tea Alley and probably could have saved my stomach space for something different. Boba is a must for any Asian-American's post dinner mayhem. Sadly the only thing nearby that was open at 20:00 was Tea Alley, so came we did. Upon entering, the entire shop felt a bit run down like it was meant to be a late night option, and only for late nights after going out to bars. Furniture looked a bit tired and there was a funky smell. I ordered the Oolong Milk Tea with Boba ($5) and had the normal amount of sugar and ice. As I saw them making the drink, I noticed it was a lot of powder and syrup flavor being added to the tea. My drink ended up being very bland despite the sugar and it didn't make me feel great afterwards. If you're desperate for cheap boba and are willing to lose a bit in quality, Tea Alley is for you. read more
This is your typical boba joint. You order your choice of drink or drinks, and their employee makes it for you. I ordered a peach tea with boba without any sugar. The clerk working that evening very nicely told me that she does not recommend the drink to be without any sugar. I politely told her that I am still okay and to make the drink as preferred. She made it and watched me drink it. I gave her a full thumbs up, and she was shocked. Hey, when a girl doesn't want sugar, she doesn't want sugar. They have a decent variety of drinks here, so if you're in town, drop by to grab a drink. read more
2 years ago
Came here at 9 pm and they open at 8pm (pretty late). This was my first time here even though I go to school nearby but never got a chance to visit this place because it opens so late. Parking in this area is NOT free! I ordered the Ti Yuan Yin Milktea which was 6.25$ but after ordering and already waiting 15 minutes the barista called my order to tell me that the drink will take additional 19 minutes to brew because they didn't brew the tea yet. She asked me if I wanted to wait additional 19 mins or pick a different drink that's already brewed. Since it was my first time here, I opt for the house black milk tea (priced at 5.99$) which is cheaper than the tea I PAID for. After waiting additional 15 minutes, my drink finally arrived and it tasted so dry? Like it tasted like the tea was at the end of the canister and it makes me even more thirsty. I noticed instead of a shaker or hand shaking the drinks, the barista uses a blender which I feel like it takes a longer time to make each drink. I would give this drink probably a 1/5 stars because I threw half of my drink away cause I could not finish because of how bitter it was and I got 75% sweet which was their recommended sugar level. I feel like even adding more sugar wouldn't fix the taste of this drink. I gave an additional star to this review because I did feel bad that the barista is working alone at night. My friends got the Kit Kat milktea which was 6.25, and all you can taste is literally thick chocolate. I think their fruit drinks tastes better because I tried some from my sisters and they weren't as bad. I would most likely not come here again until they change their recipe or tea quality. read more
You know, there's a thing about alleys that fascinate me. They don't usually have a positive connotation. For the most part, they're sketchy, they're nerve-racking, and they should be avoided at all cost lest you catch yourself in a situation you don't want to be in. Truthfully, that's how I felt about Tea Alley. I got myself the Jasmine Milk Tea with Boba ($5) and the Popcorn Chicken ($6.25). The Jasmine Milk Tea was suggested at 50% sweetness and 25% ice. The Popcorn Chicken was suggested at 75% spicyness. Hate to break it to you all, but the Jasmine Milk Tea is disappointing. It is watered-down and does not have the aromatics typically found in good jasmine tea. It does not immediately hit me that I am drinking milk tea, and that can be concerning to anyone who has even the slightest bit of expectation for quality. The boba has a decent texture to it. The Popcorn Chicken is not that much better. It looks like old chicken, judging by the dark brown exterior and the questionable seasoning. The chicken looks like it has a case of bad milia. I requested it spicy, but I do not think it makes that much of a difference whether you request it 25% or 100% spicy. The store does not give you a lot of chicken for the price either. I do appreciate the little carryout bag that you can hold the chicken with using one hand. The chicken is also hot to the bite. One quick thing to note is that when I went to the store, there was a person sitting outside the door on their phone and juuling. The moment I entered, it was revealed to me that that person was the cashier and only staff there. He had an okay personality, but the encounter really only added to my anxiety of the whole experience. Did not receive a receipt with my order. I came here on a Thursday evening, when all of the other stores were closed. (The opening hours is probably the only positive thing about this place.) The inside looks kinda rinky-dink from the unkept floors to the broken seats; not sure where all of the comments about the aesthetic is coming from but then again, they were all from about a year ago. Chairs are so slanted, you could easily slip from your seat. My drink took about 5 minutes to be ready from purchase and my popcorn chicken took about 8 minutes from purchase. What I ordered wasn't awful by any means, but I don't suppose I'll be paying $12 for them again. I'm sorry to say, but nothing about Tea Alley felt right to me. I should have listened to the most recent reviews for this place. If desolation is the mood they are going for, I'll stick with something that's more up my alley, if you can catch my drift. read more
5 years ago
"A boba place that's open until 2 AM? I've got to check it out!" It's a small shop, but they've got an interesting selection of drinks, including the one I got. It is as chocolatey as it sounds. If there weren't any boba in it, it would be hard to recognize this as milk tea. Incidentally, boba is one of the few things I found off about the drink. The boba's texture along with the simple fact that this was in the drink along with everything else made it a bit too jumbled. It's kind of like when putting on many toppings on a burger muddies the flavor profile. I'd recommend getting this drink without the boba. read more
3 years ago
Tried the boba toast, it was good. Taste as expected. We also got the Oat Milk Matcha Latte. We recommended it! read more
8 years ago
I came across Tea Alley on Yelp as I was looking for the nearest boba spot to SmokeEaters where I had dinner. Tea Alley was conveniently located a couple of blocks away. The restaurant was cute with its white and teal colored interior. Tea Alley's main menu had a ton of items. Additionally, they had food and beverages not on their main menu, such as crema milk teas and boba toast. You got to know where to look though. The crema milk teas, for example, were advertised on these small polaroid pictures taped by the register. There was no way I would've noticed them, because they were covered by the menu that had the boba toasts, which was on an entirely separate paper from the main menu. The employee who took our order was very helpful. I had a million questions about the million things off their menu. I appreciated how knowledgeable she was of the different drinks as well as her honesty and preference toward certain flavors. Per her recommendation, I got the pudding milk tea with 50% sugar. I added boba and crunch flakes on top. Before sealing the drink, the employee gave it to me so that I could eat the crunch flakes with a spoon. For some reason the crunch flakes were not what I had in mind; I thought that they would be like toffee flakes. To be fair I didn't even ask what they were, so I have no one else to blame except myself for ending up not liking them. The crunch flakes were like cereal flakes, which obviously got soggy over the course of the drink. So much for CRUNCH flakes, am I right? I hate soggy cereal to begin with, so I couldn't finish the rest of my drink with the leftover crunchy (now mushy) flakes. Off the bat the employee advised me to get the pudding milk tea at 50% sugar, which I did, but I still thought it was way too sweet even at 50%. I can't even imagine what 100% would be like. Straight up diabetes in a cup. Based on the picture of the drink, the pudding milk tea flavor was probably supposed to be like custard or flan. Can't say that's what I really tasted, but it was fine. Tea Alley's boba were not good at all. They were way too firm. I'd even go as far saying that they were under cooked. read more
My go-to boba place for Fanime, solely because of the extent of the menu , the fact that they serve snacks, they have a stamp card, and that they're opened until 2 AM. Other than that I think the drinks themselves are alright. It's nice that they have some unique drinks, such as an entire section dedicated to winter melon, banana milk tea, etc. It's a bit sweet so I usually get less sweet. They have standard snacks such as popcorn chicken and fries, but also some nice unique ones like the pizza dumplings (fried dumplings with cheese and pepperoni inside) and fried milk. My only issue is that it takes QUITE AWHILE for drinks and food to come out, even when there isn't much of a line in front of us and that the cost of the food is bordering ~$6+ and doesn't offer much. read more
5 years ago
A late-night tea place in downtown San Jose! This is my third time going to Tea Alley and I love this place for they keep the door open until late at night 7 days a week. I've tried their fruit teas and puff cream milk teas so far and those were sweet and good read more
The Drink First time visiting Tea Alley since a friend informed me that they boba pocket toast. It is like a boba hot pocket if you will, with honey boba inside. The concept is not bad for a dessert item, though I like the toast itself more than the whole. I also got their Strawberry Yogurt and tried my friend's Winter Melon Milk Tea. I quite enjoy the Strawberry Yogurt and the Winter Melon Milk Tea was not bad. The Miscellaneous The shop itself, like its name suggests, is somewhat in an alley. There are a small amount of seating inside the shop, along with some interesting decor. Tea Alley have a decent sized menu with a good variety of drinks and food item. The price is reasonable. It is close enough for me that I would come back and try their other items. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
Their popcorn chicken is 4 stars, but the drink we had was very meh. We came in around midnight on a Saturday night, and it was crowded but there wasn't a line. We got one of the last tables available, and tried: -Rose Milk Tea ($4.50 + $0.50 Boba): Ew, I didn't like this much since I thought it tasted like soap. My friend and I were surprised to hear that this is one of their top two flavors (next to matcha). The texture of the milk tea was also powdery. Their boba was good though, chewy, but a bit too soft for me. I wouldn't order this again. -Popcorn Chicken ($5.25, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=dx_fZxBDq0Uk34CtyDwZ9g&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Yum- their popcorn chicken was solid, and very flavorful! My only complaint is that we ordered this spicy, and they didn't give us any chili powder. They gave it to us on the side, but it wasn't the same. I would come back for their popcorn chicken and Gpie, and the cheese filled chicken cutlet also looked good (but rich). I would probably skip on ordering the milk tea drinks from here again. They have a few tables to sit at, but they are pretty small, so this isn't a place you want to hang out and work at. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
Long wait just to get some nasty looking chicken Waffle fries are hard to eat the drinks are ass definitely don't recommend this spot read more
3 years ago
I actually really enjoyed my drink here! My go-to brown sugar boba drink did not let me down. The milk was fresh, the boba balls were a perfect chew, and the brown sugar was noticeable yet not overpowering. I typically find that boba places don't allow you to adjust the sweetness for brown sugar boba, but the worker was super accommodating and said she could make it less sweet for me. When handing me my drink she also was kind enough to say she'll fix the drink for me if I felt it wasn't sweet enough. Overall pretty good experience here and I'd definitely be willing come back. I will say the boba balls could use a little more flavor/sugar but that could just be because I asked for less sweetness. The prices here aren't the cheapest either. There's very limited seating inside and I found it was a little stuffy/warm so it might not be most comfortable to sit in. Better for grab and go! Keep in mind that if you pay in cash they have no change. read more
9 years ago
I'm usually not a huge fan of getting MT to be honest, I generally grab a fruit tea instead. I got to try their Japanese genmaicha adzuki bean jade dew milk tea. I was pleasantly surprised by it! It's pretty much a red bean milk tea (FYI). I've tried various red bean milk teas but am generally disappointed by them. Either they have just cooked whole red beans, or they use the red bean paste. I'm not sure what kind this place uses, but the red bean is fully mixed in, so the mt has a red bean flavor throughout. It also allows for milk substitution (yay!) which isn't super common for places that are open so late. They add little genmaicha crunchies (seems to be like rice crunchies) at the top which gives it an extra kick. This is def my go-to night time spot for mt now :) read more
4 years ago
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More info about Tea Alley
40 S 1st St
San Jose, CA 95113
Downtown
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(408) 217-9486
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Ask the Community - Tea Alley
Is this place open now to order inside?
Hi, tea alley is closed for now. But will he reopen in few weeks. Thank you.
Is there any electric charge nearby the table (for laptop use)?
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