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    TP TEA

    4.1 (355 reviews)
    ModerateBubble Tea
    Open 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Order TP TEA Takeout or Delivery

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    Exterior TP Tea - 4th Street, San Mateo
    Melanie C.

    Food: 3.50 | Service: 4.75 | Ambiance: 4.50 TP TEA at 65 E 4th Ave in San Mateo was a first time for me. Saw a crowd of people there but decided to shop at Suruki Market first. Modern, clean surroundings meant for take away. Several kiosks for ordering. Came back with no lines, did an order via the kiosk. Ordered: TAIWAN CLASSIC MILK TEA (QQ noodles, Boba & Grass jelly), w/0% sugar, light ice. This add-ins of QQ noodles, Boba & Grass jelly were great! But the milk tea itself was very bland and watery though it was cold. Maybe I need to go for the black teas to get a stronger taste of tea next time. MANGO MATCHA LATTE w/Kyoto Uji Matcha, default organic milk, 0% sugar, light ice. I need to remember to have at least regular ice for boba drinks with fruit in it. Otherwise this was a pretty good boba drink w/nice flavors of Matcha and Mango. I'd order this again but with regular ice. TP TEA seems to be very popular, happy to do a return visit for some of the black tea bobas and especially the PASSION FRUIT GREEN TEA next time!

    Jasmine milk tea
    Bubu N.

    I ordered 1 Jasmine milk tea w QQ noodles. I waited 45 minutes lmao I get places are busy and to expect a wait but their system is poor for placing online/mobile orders in the same queue as their in store order pick up. You can see like 5 workers jumbling tens and 20s of orders and all the ppl in the store confused where their drink is. Even saw customers leave out of frustration for waiting so long running out of the item they wanted. I've had TP tea in Cupertino before and I don't have anything bad to say about their drinks but brace urself for a possibly extremely long and agonizing wait

    Sesame Cream with cube boba...$7
    Therese G.

    Lots of choices except in milk. It is dairy, dairy or dairy. Service was good although I was one of the few to order in person. Trendy. Although TP Tea tried to be original, the drinks were pretty mediocre. There always seems to be a line here though.

    Front entrance
    EM H.

    First time at TP TEA in downtown San Mateo was on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. I had been given drinks from this boba shoppe before, but this was my very first time visiting the place and ordering drinks in person. Just like most other establishments in the area, TP TEA does not have its own private lot. There is metered street parking along the street as well as a public parking lot in walking distance. We were already parked at Wells Fargo, kitty corner away, to do some banking, so V and I just walked across the street to the store. The customer area of the venue is tiny, probably a 25-person maximum capacity which includes the seating for two at the single table inside. Two more chairs and a table just outside the front door. We arrived shortly before 4:45 PM to a clean and tidy space and just a couple of customers placing their order. For our drinks, V got the Strawberry Milk Tea ($6.50) and I had a Jasmine Green Milk Tea topped with Boba and QQ Noodles, the latter recommended by Leo Wu. I forgot to add my usual Grass Jelly. V enjoyed his beverage and I was pleased with my drink. The QQ Noodles had a chew that I like, but with a tiny bit of stiffness. Customer service was stellar. Leo was super friendly, helpful, and a pro working on the drink machine with speed and efficiency. Very cool to watch.

    Rhona G.

    For a refreshing drink in San Mateo, especially on the go, you can easily order online with TP tea or use the QR code outside the storefront, besides ordering at the kiosk at the counter. You will then receive an order number which is shown on a digital screen above the front counter and called out when your order # is ready. I made the mistake of going inside to listen for the order number when you can actually see it on the screen from outside. There are only a couple seats outside the cafe. Tim's a small cafe. The Taro Tea was alright. I wished there was more Taro paste mixed in; otherwise still refreshing.

    Dharma M.

    Good place for quality boba tea. I have been visiting this place for many times from first time it opened. It is always busy but tonight was pretty empty. The first time I got my order ready within 5 minutes. This is one of my favorite boba tea place. I usually ordered winterrmelon oolong tea, pineapple or fantastic fruit tea.

    Caili C.

    This TP location seems to always have a line but it's definitely worth it for their fresh milk and fruit teas. My favorite has to be the honey lemon tea which is the perfect tart drink for a warm day. I recently got it at 30% sweet and it was so refreshing while satisfying my sweet tooth. The crystal boba is great with a jelly-like texture - really satisfying as a topping without adding any heaviness to the drink if you're not a traditional boba fan.

    Drinks galore
    Malissa M.

    Went in to get something refreshing and left highly disappointed. Ordered a mango drink and it usually comes with jelly which is usually an extra fee to add. I asked for no jelly and they gave me a drink that wasn't even full. Paid 7.00 for a drink that wasn't even full is ridiculous!! Also not 1 but both drinks weren't even full. So for that they get a one star and me never going back after being there a number of time. Lastly I was probably the first customers there today, so it wasn't overly busy for them to not pay attention to detail.

    Kathy N.

    This place is PACKED on a Sunday afternoon. I was getting lunch nearby and lucked out on street parking. You can either order at the kiosk or online. It did say it was a 20 minute wait for our drinks but we got our orders faster than that. I love the Taiwan classic milk tea and the variety that comes with it, it's like boba and different jellys. It is a small shop. I was able to find sitting outside at the one table they had and I believe they had 1-2 tables instead.

    Orange milk tea
    Joseph T.

    Ever since I moved to the peninsula, I've been on a mission to try every boba spot in the area. I came across this spot after taking a walk around the shopping area. Most of the boba spots I've been to have pretty extensive menus that I have to go through on a tablet and this place was no different. I think ordering through the tablet removes the person to person connection and slightly degrades the experience, but I do understand the necessity when there are many people that need to be taken care of. Usually I look for something that catches my eye before going to my default order and that's exactly what happened here. I noticed their orange milk tea and it kind of reminded me of an orange creamsicle so I decided to try it. The tea was pretty good! Not exactly like an orange creamsicle but it was pretty close. I usually get my teas less sweet so that probably contributed to it. Next time l'll try the drinks that are a bit more popular and see how it compares.

    moo Moo! My Taro, 哞哞濃芋鮮奶 & Mango Passion Smoothie, 芒果百香水果冰沙
    Cielita C.

    First time at this branch. Their drinks are well made full of flavors. The place inside is pretty small & there's only one or two tables & chairs to sit at inside. It was pretty busy midday on a Saturday. We waited at least 15 mins for two drinks. Parking can be hard at this branch.

    Wintermelon with fresh milk
    Anthony N.

    The wintermelon flavor is definitely lighter here but its really nice after eating gao kitchen. The refreshing taste makes me crave it more and the lighter flavor makes it easier for me to drink too. I love getting wintermelon everywhere I go.

    Amy C.

    Got the tie guan yin tea with 50% sweetness and no ice with boba, and it was almost perfect (may try the 30% sweetness next time since the 50% was still a little sweet). The boba was very chewy and delicious, and I appreciate that they gave a large size cup for a reasonable price. Service was fast and ordering was very easy.

    Strawberry Milk Tea

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    1 year ago

    Service is super slow here when ordering in person. Waited about 15 minutes for my drink on a Thursday afternoon.

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    Delin L.

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    8 months ago

    Got a pineapple tea with tea jelly, it was good. Small, busy shop and for good reason. Will be coming back!

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    Page 2 of 9

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    Chicha San Chen

    4.5(251 reviews)
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    I have heard from several friends that the place was good…read more I personally enjoyed the strong tea flavors, but I also like fruit-infused teas, so I chose Osmanthus Oolong tea with passion, konjac, light sugar, and less ice. I am so in love with the tea here, it tastes exactly the way I like it. I love how they use the teapresso machine to brew the tea leaves which makes the flavor stronger. The cafe's decor looks clean and it has a good vibes, and when I went, it was not too busy. You can also order through their application and earn points or at the Kiosks and put your phone number to earn points as well.

    Chicha San Chen is the super hyped bubble tea shop from Taiwan that's apparently won a bunch of tea…read morerelated accolades that I won't pretend to be remotely familiar with. Their ordering system is entirely via two kiosks, which can be annoying if the customers ahead are slow, ordering a bunch of drinks, or both. They really should have a policy for cashiers handling smaller orders (2-3 drinks or less) and forcing kiosks only for larger groups. The estimated wait times vary pretty wildly, so take their posted estimates with a grain of salt. It stated 15-20 minutes when I was there, but it took about 25 (and we were just the 2nd group in line, though there were clearly tons of queued orders already with people standing around or sitting waiting). When we finally got our drinks, the Classic Ding Dong Oolong Milk Tea and the Milk Tea with Taro Balls and Taro Paste, I was expecting really prominent tea flavor like you get from the best milk teas in Taiwan and HK, especially given their hand-brewing process for each cup (which partly explains why wait times balloon). Sadly, I got very little tea flavor from either drink. That said, the fresh taro paste and taro balls were very tasty, with the balls having fantastic QQ chewiness. Prices are a bit much though, at almost $10 for that drink alone. I honestly think they could cut costs on gimmicks like the rope carriers (cute for influencers, but pretty useless and likely jacks up the price for regular customers). One silver lining from the long wait is that we spilled over into a free tea tasting slot. Miranda was fantastic as our guide as she was super friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. She walked us through how their Lishan Oolong Tea (sold separately, not used for in-store drinks) is harvested and sun-baked into 5 different varietals, each with unique colors, aromas, and tastes (and following the sun both literally and figuratively in terms of names and descriptors). Overall, it's a fun experience if you enjoy that sort of thing (and your wait happens aligns with a tasting slot or you can always a reserve ahead of time as well), so 5 stars for Miranda and the tasting, but the actual milk teas were lacking and a disappointment given the hype, cost and wait.

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    Pink Pink Tea Shoppe - Milk tea

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    4.2(234 reviews)
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    Uhhh yum!!!!!!!! Can't believe I didn't try this place sooner. Probably the best dessert spot in…read moreHillsdale mail. It's not as accessible since it's in the middle of the mall on the 2nd floor, but I've tried the boba, pudding and frozen yogurt and they're all very tasty! This is the 2nd boba place at the mall but very good in comparison and has other options for both kids and adults. There's usually a short line and so the wait isn't too long. There's no seating as it's a take away spot, but you can find a seat in the mall or sit in the dining area.

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    TP TEA - bubbletea - Updated May 2026

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