This is my least favorite Verde location. I don't not like not only for it's location, but for many other important factors as well. The main reason is that this Verde does not have that signature "Verde goodness" I get at the other locations. The drinks are just kind of okay, and bland. You would be able to get a better tasting milk tea at TapEx or Tea Era if you're in this area. The layout of this place is really odd. There's no proper waiting area without you being in the way of someone getting through or blocking the cashier. The worst part is that I don't know any other way how they would fix that issue. Service here is good though so it makes this place okay. The barista forgot egg pudding in one of the drinks, and the guy handing it to me, noticed right away, and added egg pudding. At first, I thought he was being rude by not looking at me while I was talking, but turns out he was just trying to figure out if the barista made our drinks right. So huge props to the guy who fixed our order! read more

Loved the melon tea. The rose tea my friend got was not that great. Too much of rose and already the tea had a hint of jasmine.

Been here once and I loved it. Matcha + avocado smoothie = flavorful and not too sweet. Delicious! Free internet too. I just wish it wasn't so dark and depressing inside! JONASAPPROVED! read more

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I know I sound like a broken record and it really doesn't help out people who haven't been to Verde before, but I miss the old Verde before the recent remodel: - The old one was much more open, and people seemed to be laid back, working, reading, or playing rowdy board games. It was a cute community hangout that happened to sell tea. - The new Verde has a very narrow entrance to strongly strongly strongly encourage you to order something on the way in or to stay out. You try to balance yourself in the corridor as you wait for your drink. The interior is upscale, with patterned walls and furniture. The mood is subdued and the darked walls and soft lighting warn you not to be too loud and to stay too long. The new Verde has larger tea sizes, but they accomplished this by watering down their formula. The chicken is less prepared and flavorful compared to before, now with bones and large pieces of fat, and the net is you get less edible chicken compared to before. The VIP, multi-visit discount cards are gone too. Perhaps I wouldn't be so hard on the new Verde if I never knew the old one, but it's hard not to compare. I guess like any successful small business it had to grow up, become more impersonal and efficient, and lose one or two friends in the process. Like a jilted lover, I want so badly to breakup, but there's so much history that I can't. I still come to Verde if I'm looking for ample, comfortable seating... It's definitely the most sophisticated of the Castro tea places in terms of ambiance. For the tea, I walk a block to Tea Era. read more

The place itself is rather tiny compared to other places and it gets really crowded sometimes, especially at night. The pudding milk tea is amazing! It sounds kind of disgusting but its worth a try! :) read more

Oh Verde. This is where the standard flavour bubble teas still taste good. And the tea is consistent. Ocha's fresh brewed teas trump these though. But Verde's tapioca is a tad bit better. Also the crispy chicken here is pretty tasty. Neither compares to the real deal, but it's better than nothing. However, I'm not sure why, these bubble tea joints turn into high school kid hangouts at night. Sometimes it gets a bit annoying. The unfortunately situated counter means that, sometimes, a lot of kids will push through you to get where they want, without regards of your place in line. read more

First boba place I tried out when I moved to Mountain View. Not bad in terms of typical teas and boba offerings. But the most unique thing here has gotta be the mint green milk tea. DAYUM THIS STUFF IS JUST LIKE ICE CREAM. Whenever I came here, this was my go-to drink. If there was a way to shove chocolate chips into this thing, this place would get a whole extra star. The finger food is a good way to pass the time as well. Fried chicken, calamari, fries, etc. are all tasty. I was always curious about the cheesecake that was perpetually on display but never had the heart to try it because it looked like it had been there for days (someone let me know how it is!). There's a good amount of tables. If you go at busy hours, there will be hordes of high schoolers, so beware if you're not a fan of that type of youthful environment. read more

I ordered the popcorn chicken and an avocado smoothie. The smoothies are made with powder and they only have the black boboa, not the seaweed one that's healthier. (minus 1 star) They were nice when I asked for an extra bag for the chicken so I can give some to my boyfriend. (1 star) The chicken had a lot of fatty pieces.... gross. ( -1 star) The worse part was that the top on the pepper was not screwed on tight and it fell all over my chicken. I thought they would make me a new one but they didn't. The girl was nice to try to shake out the pepper but honestly they could've easily made me a new one. I do believe that it's the worker's job to make sure that the condiments are adequate ( filled, cleaned, top is on correctly, etc) (-2 stars) read more

I repeat, no one is going to beat Lucy's (how much we miss thee). Better than the average pearl tea joints out there, so I'll give it a 3.5 stars. I've never bought into the "hanging around the cafe with wifi thing" so perhaps I'm missing the main attraction. They serve food now too but I've yet to try that. If the tea evolves to outstanding like Lucy's was then I'd probably go back and give it a try again. read more

Verde is essentially home to me. It signified a place to always come back to, as I started coming with friends in high school many many years ago. The original decor was a very garish neon green but the bright color served to give the illusion of a bigger space than it was. After its new remodeling that happened this past December, it has turned into a more Taiwanese teahouse aesthetic but sacrifices mobility and space through the darker toned colors of brown and maroon. The tables and chairs also make it very difficult to find seating and walk through. The register is now situated in the front of the establishment forcing the line to go outside when busy, which it usually is at night. Despite the fact that the decor changed, the taste of the drinks has not changed since I first had it that day six or seven years ago. The tea is very similar to the pearl tea I fell in love with in Hong Kong from St. Alps. It features the same mobilized shaker feel that Verde calls, "Frothy Iced Tea" or "Forthy" as it is misspelled in large letters that my friends and I joke about, but conclude that it gives this place and tea authenticity for its fobby nature. The pearls are always the perfect chewy consistency without being overly rubbery or hard in the center. The original pearl tea, on a good day, is amazing. Sometimes, it can be not sweet enough or a little too sweet, but usually a rare occurence. They also provide pearl alternatives such as smaller tapioca pearls, aloe, grass jelly, or even dark brick. I love aloe with lighter drinks like the mango juice or the iced teas without milk. The tapioca pearls and grass jelly are better for milk teas or freezes to match with the higher flavor and density. My favorite drinks are the regular Pearl Milk Tea, Mango Milk Tea with Pearls and Grass Jelly, Mango Juice with Aloe, and a Passionfruit Green Tea with Aloe. The snacks are good, and Verde used to have free snacks depending on which night you came as well as various meal combos or happy hours you come at. They have various spreads for their thick toasts. The fried tofu is always good. The crispy chicken is not as good as Q-Cup's but it does come with some fried sweet potatoes, which I love. The chicken is usually under seasoned but probably done so you can adjust the salt and spice from the shakers provided. Verde is an establishment that is based on customer satisfaction. They give incentives like a refillable Verde card (pay $25 to get $30 credit) when drinks are already relatively cheap, especially compared to the large size. Two summers ago, they had a summer promotion to get a large size free but when summer ended, the size never changed back, and the cups have only gotten bigger since. It's a place that has a lot of memories for me, a place to chill, talk, catch up, and laugh. It's a place that values your business and continues to evolve, while staying to its roots. It's a place with a lot of heart, and that's why I keep coming back. read more

Place SUCKS. Refused to let me use my credit of $6.72 because the card machine was broken. Anyone who CHEATS me of a legitimate credit deserves no stars but Yelp won't let me give it ZERO stars. I don't appreciate the service reps pretending not to understand my credit dilemma. If you just have to go (but why?) DON"T BUY their debit cards. You might not get it back. Also renovation is wasted space. If you like CRAMPED and DISHONESTY, this place is it. read more

Passionfruit Green Tea is amazing. Never tried their milk teas so not sure how they are. Snacks are pretty good especially the sweet potato fries. Must try... Anyone know when their Cupertino store will reopen? read more

This place changed a lot since the remodeling, so I'm still trying to get used to it even though I've been here a few times since then already. The only reason I come here is if I'm in the area & am craving boba since I'm more of a Fantasia fan...but my favorite thing about this place is that you pay the normal price for a LARGE cup! That's always a nice treat! =) This place does get crowded a lot...at least every time I'm there, it's crowded. And since the remodeling, it's even more awkward to wait for your drinks cuz there simply isn't enough room. The whole Castro District has a lot of street & structural/lot parking, so parking is usually not an issue. And it's great that you can just walk from one end of Castro to the other and check out all the random stores...usually when I do that, I get cravings for Verde! =) read more

It's hard to walk into a tea store when there's a big wall at the entrance. To my personal experience, it's not very welcoming or spacious. They may be doing that to have the more sit-down feel like you would at a restaurant and spend more time eating with some tea. This may be the important comparison from Tapioca express and Qcup which gives a bright open feeling. I like their many flavors and can never decide what I want for at least 5min. The freezes are really good and passion fruit with pearls never let you down! read more

They do realize they have competition just down the block and I would be happy to take my business there, right? Lose the attitude, and if you have a $5 minimum you should probably post that somewhere, not just say it rudely as I'm handing you my card.. because you have a sign saying "WE ACCEPT...." The bubble tea is pretty straight forward. Will only come here if I forget cash for Tea Era. read more

I love the pearl drinks here. The pearls are cooked to perfection compared to other places that serve old and hard pearls. The portion size is a bit bigger for only $2.75. The only bad thing about this place is that you need to order at least $5 worth of food/drink per person before you can dine in the Cafe. I notice most customers have to wait outside to get their drinks. read more

The teas are pretty rich and creamy. I'm personally not into is, but others are. Also, they have this large size, which is like a mini bucket, for $4. The size is almost comical, and almost impossible to finish by yourself, so get it! They also a wide variety of snacks. I usually get the salty fried chicken, salty fried squid, or fried tofu. I want to try more later on as well. I will warn that the food will take much longer to make compared to the tea, so have time available. The environment is nice and contemporary, but it's pretty small. Not ideal for groups over 4, unless you're only ordering to go. read more

Their hot almond milk tea (I like to add milk pudding, and then wonder where it went. just kidding, I use my lightning-fast reflexes and a spoon) is a sublime cup to drink on a drive home, especially late at night. It's frothy, creamy and not too sweet. Their slices of cheesecake are also perpetually on sale but it STILL gets me every time! It's a no-frills sturdy little $2.99 piece and most of the time more than not i treat myself. I like their popcorn chicken as well - crisp batter and a good mix of meaty chicken pieces and the fatty gristle stuff. (Come on, you sneak eating that stuff too.) Someday I might be rich enough to try the shave ice - it's not particularly expensive, but it's also the kind of thing where if it's not great, like coarse or overly sweet, I just feel like crap for spending $5 on frozen water y'know? Help me out here yelpers ;) Three stars for being consistently good and another half for being exceptional beyond the glut of Tapioca Expresses on the Peninsula side. seriously people need to stop serving that ish. that powdered stuff + condensed milk or creamer or whatever is good for no one. read more

Solid 3.5 stars! Egg pudding milk tea FTW! I love pudding in my milk tea, and they do a fairly good job at it. I came on a Saturday night after dinner around 9pm, and there was a line out the door of this little tea cafe. Don't worry, the line moves quickly! Until next time! The price here is reasonable. I want to try their peanut butter toast! read more

Place was jam packed on a Friday night My usual flavor for a slush; honeydew; was good but not really memorable. Definitely a tight squeeze inside with limited seating but that added to the experience imo. They also seem to be cash only for orders under 10 :( Overall fun to be in a neighborhood hangout with friends and always nice to have a boba joint nearby read more

Definitely the milk tea place to be at in Downtown Mountain View. The other places like Tea Era and Tapioca Express do not seem to have the same following. I had the Earl Grey Milk Tea. I like how Verde offers an extensive milk tea menu. Their iced and hot milk teas are good. I'll have to work my way down their milk tea menu during my future visits. The wait is a bit long. There were a couple people in front of us when we ordered but by the time we ordered, a long and steady line of people formed. There is not a lot of seating here so it's a better place to order to go. As opposed to the other Verdes, this one only had drinks and snacks and not the food service food options as Cupertino or Fremont. Will be back the next time I'm in Mountain View. read more

Hands down the best milk tea place I've ever been to. Better than "Half & Half" in Socal, better than "Tea Station, better than "Tapex". This place is bomb. The first time I ever tried Verde, it was at the Fremont location however this location is just as good. Service is fast and very efficient. When I came here I decided to switch it up and try a GrapeFruit Green Tea with Lychee jelly. My sister who usually gets the passion fruit Green Tea with Lychee Jelly also decided to try something new and ordered a Kiwi Green Tea. THEY WERE BOTH DELICIOUS. Even their original pearl milk tea is the best milk tea I've ever tried. This place is kinda pricey, but totally worth it in my opinion. Definitely give this place a try! =) read more

Verde Tea Cafe - Kiwi & grapefruit green tea with lychee jelly - Cafes Near Me - Mountain View, California

I usually go to the Fremont one because I live near there, but now I work near the Mountain View one, so I've gone here for dessert with my friends after work sometimes. Like the other Verde, I think it's okay, just another boba place. I'm not too picky about my boba, so everything just seems okay to me. Heh. The only thing I've really like at Verde is the egg pudding. It's my go to drink. But the times I've been in Mountain View, I got the Hazelnut and Taro Milk Tea. The Hazelnut was pretty good, but it was too sweet for me. Next time I order Hazelnut, I'd ask for half the sugar. I tried my friend's (he ordered it warm) and I preferred that over the iced one I got. For some reason, it was less sweet. For the Taro flavor one, it was pretty decent! It didn't stand out to me, but it hit the spot. I don't think the Taro was too sweet, it was just right. read more

Good boba for the bay area. I think places in easy la are better, but it satisfies the craving. The boba could be stiffer, and taste fresher. The prices are reasonable, and I was pleased. Sign up for the reward program of you are going to frequent Verde often. I'll be back!! read more

I had a hankering for a snack after my evening class. Where would we be without Asian snack places? I got me my calamari and toast and hot hazelnut milk tea with boba. The milk tea was kind of sweet. Maybe next time I'll ask for less sugar. The coconut toast was okay. I was looking for more sweet than salty butter. (Asha Tea House in Berkeley is my standard for toast) Calamari was okay. I would say that this calamari actually came from a squid. I'm not sure what Tapioca Express's calamari is. Although, there wasn't much flavor at Verde Tea Cafe. I had to shake the bag with some pepper, chili pepper, and some salt. My mixture wasn't as well mixed, but it was okay. Inside, I'm glad that the store was somewhat clean. Had nice design. A good crowd of people at 10pm. I saw at least two outlets, even though I myself didn't bring a laptop. read more

I came here and ordered a green milk tea with pearls and a milk tea with pearls to go. The cups were a decent size for just over $6. The pearls were cooked nicely and tasted good - however, the milk teas were TOO sweet, and I normally like it sweet! We didn't get a chance to sit down, but I would have given the place 3 stars had I not had to use their trash can to throw away my straw covers. The trash can was filthy, and it's the type you kind of need to touch to get your trash in. Yuck! read more

I usually come here when I'm around to grab a milk tea. Wanting to try something new I tried their Frozen Romance Smoothies Freezes. Mint Mocha Crystal was bleh though it's my fault for not looking at the menu closely enough. I assumed Mocha was the same as their Mo-cha Red Bean since under Mo-cha Red Bean it said Green Tea thus I just assumed that the Mint Mocha Crystal also was Green Tea. I don't understand why they don't say Matcha but Mocha.... Since I don't like mocha I went and got a Taro Smoothie Slush after and wow was I so disappointed. Not sure why people recommend the taro... maybe the taro milk tea is different but they definitely use the standard taro powder stuff for the slush. Unless you like the plasticy, weird powder taro taste that you get from like Quickly then avoid. Failing that, I ordered a coconut milk tea and that was just okay. Nothing special. I've had better. I think I will just stick to the normal milk tea from now on though even that is just ok-good since there's way better milk tea places in San Mateo and San Francisco. But I guess in this area, I'll try elsewhere. read more

I haven't been to this Verde for a few years until just recently. They have remodeled and it is more modern, but a little small. Like other reviewers have mentioned, their tea is more on the sweet side so you should order less sweet if you think it would be a problem. They are pretty generous with their boba though and you get a lot for what you pay for. +1 star because you can pay with credit card. A lot of Asian boba places are cash only or require you to have a minimum order (like $5 for the other Verde in Cupertino) so it was nice. read more

Verde Tea Cafe is located in the midst of Downtown Mountain View, close to lots of great eateries. It is a convenient place to grab a snack or dessert after your actual meal. This branch is smaller than the one in Cupertino, but unlike the Cupertino branch, you do not need to have a minimum order amount in order to sit inside. I have come here a couple of times already and usually order the milk green tea with boba, Thai milk tea with boba, or the earl grey milk tea with boba. The drinks are pretty standard, but nothing spectacular. For me, they are also a bit too sweet, so I ask for less sugar. The tapioca balls themselves have been on point though -- chewy and not too soft. The last time I came, I challenged myself and upgraded my drink to a large -- which was HUMONGOUS! One final thing to note is that they make a majority of their drinks out of powder. My friend once tried to order an iced milk (similar to Purple Kow in SF), but they weren't able to fulfill this request. In all, Verde Tea Cafe satisfies my boba cravings, but it is nothing terribly remarkable. Tip: You can order ahead to skip the lines! You can also sign up for the 5-Stars frequent flyer card to get your 13th drink free. read more

Verde Tea Cafe - Regular Thai milk tea with boba and large earl grey with boba - Cafes Near Me - Mountain View, California

Love the chicken & the rose milk tea with pearl. Service could be a little more polite! This place was the first tea house on Castro in downtown mountain view and is still impressively standing. After the remodel space in there is a little right. Boba is always cooked just right! read more

My best friend and I are all about tea. To be fair, her more than myself! Anywho, my friend and I gave this place a shot one night, and we were thoroughly dissapointed. The service was not present at all. The gentleman that was taking our order was confused by our order, and messed it up. I let it slide for the first time having gone there, but even on a second chance (I believe in second chances) they were just as rude and confused. My best friend didn't like the boba at all. As for myself, my tea didn't taste...right. It just tasted like sink water @_@ The place itself is really small and laid out in a very weird way. Overall; Skip this place, go to Tea Era, or the Verde in Cupertino in myopinion. read more

Their PMT is not bad, and it would be my go-to place if it were in Palo Alto. But I've only been here twice. Why? Because Tea Era is half a block away and it's quite a bit better than Verde in both pearls and tea. YMMV so try out both places before deciding which one's better. 3.5 stars read more

Our goto for the pearl tea. Would be six stars if they still served my beloved forthy tea. read more

This is a cute bubble tea shop in Mountain View. There is a $5 minimum for credit cards. Just buy two drinks and you should be good, otherwise you should really bring some cash. I got the regular milk tea. It was good in the beginning but towards the end I felt like it was a bit watered down. Tea places really seem to vary in the strength and sugariness of their bubble tea. read more

Good milk green tea boba place and nice pastries too. I spent a good afternoon painting and also recharging my phone while have my drink and enjoying good company. The place is pleasant but the setting of the local is not my favorite, somehow too narrow and people tend to pile up at the cashier's. Service was fast and is a place I will come back again when feel like having a boba drink. read more

Verde Tea Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Mountain View, California

Their regular boba is delicious, and they do this frothy milk layer on top that you're supposed to mix in. I have never had bad pearls in a drink from verde-- they're nicely firm and squishy without being too hard. There's always an uncomfortable line out the door and the inside is pretty dirty - I don't think I've ever seen staff wipe down the tables. And since it's always so crowded, of course the tables get gross. The bathroom is also a bit sketch. It's a nice place to chill with good friends and good drinks when you can find seating. read more

For what it is, it is perfectly satisfactory. I consider this Chinese fast food fare: nothing will blow your mind, but it will taste reasonably good and be very reasonably priced. For example, one can get the ground pork over rice with a drink for less than $10! And it is perfectly tasty and satisfying. You also get the usual large array of Verde drink options here, except with the added benefit of real food. It's also open pretty late, so it's a great place when you feel the need for both a midnight boba and snack! read more

Verde Tea Cafe - Ground pork rice set with free drink! - Cafes Near Me - Mountain View, California

the drinks are delicious and the service is fast, the drinks and snacks are also reasonably priced

The good: The pearl milk tea is HUGE. The fried tempura (chinese tian bu la like...fishcake stuff, not the fried shrimp stuff) is SO amazing and it comes with sweet potato fries (which are also delicious) The bad: The two times I've had the pearl milk tea it was too sweet. Seating is packed jam tight (really hard to squeeze out of the cushion-y seats without knocking into the table next to you. Cheesecake is cheap but...not so great. If you enjoy milk tea, do try Tea Era down the street! read more

Verde Tea Cafe - The fried tempura is the best - Cafes Near Me - Mountain View, California

Bleh. Fail. I really wanted to give this place a try. The service was disappointing. My order was lightening quick. Which was oddly suspicious. Someone just slammed the drink n called it out. Maybe it was the end of the day, a burnt out service person (6:15pm)... But for my first n last experience here I definitely made a poor decision. I wish I could get my money back. The actual drink was watered down n gross. I wish my regular spot, Tea Era opened on Tuesdays. If the owner reads these reviews, it would be in their best interest to address the staffs attitudes. Just needs some minor tweeting. + the place had a spacious area to hang out n chat up with your friends. - a dude sleeping on his laptop at the entrance. Lol read more

Verde Tea Cafe - Watered down milk tea. Bleh flavor. Almost threw away after first sips. Sorry. I've had better. - Cafes Near Me - Mountain View, California