Like many of my fellow reviewers, I've been here about a million times. I go more for the food than the boba. $3.25 salty fried chicken with sweet potato fries is never a bad thing, and I'm a big fan also of the minced pork rice and the different thick toasts. But, I can't stand the space. The dining area's either too hot or too cold, the tables are often sticky, it's loud, and the staff CONSTANTLY screw up orders. Also, the teas are getting awfully sweet, although Tea Era across the street is no better in this respect. read more

I had to give some props to this place for old times sake. I have been going here for 6 or more years even before they remodeled it and made it all swanky. Anyway seems like everyone and their mother comes here. I heard that taste tea actually has better drinks. But this place can't be beat in terms of running into old acquaintances and people watching. If you're trying to decide on a drink, my go-to is almond milk tea with or without pearls hot or cold. read more

If I want to have authentic Taiwanese salty fried chicken, I will defiantly come here. The portion of the salty fried chicken is huge, and the flavor is just right!!! Usually will mixed with some fried sweet potato, pretty good too. The boba drink is good, but I usually have to ask for half sugar or it will be too sweet for me. However I think the best drink is the HOT milk tea, way better than the ICED milk tea!! Music is very loud and the space is small. read more

More of a 3.5 rating, but I bumped it up to a 4 because of old time's sake. This used to be my favorite tea place back in high school...and maybe it still is pretty good compared to most milk tea/boba places in the Bay. But the location is kinda too small, and I wonder if management has changed nowadays. Where did all the teenybopper Asian high school girls and boys working the cash register go?? Everything aside, I love the taro milk tea...or most of their milk teas for that matter! The cups are big and the milk teas are special because they're frothy and light! They use a shaker to mix the drinks so you don't get any of that syrup crap all at the bottom of your drink. And they taste really good. The boba is usually good too. Almond milk tea and rose milk tea is not bad as well. Service...kinda sucks. Food is average. Don't get the cheesecake...it's not light fluffy asian-style cake as I found out the hard way =( The main thing I come for is the milk tea! =) read more

I come here lots for the frothy pearl milk tea. It's a big seller for me and I love getting it! It's also only $2.98 (including tax) so even though it's cash only for such a low price, I don't mind dishing our three Washington's and being relatively even on the change. The downside is this place is CRAMPED. I would never go there to sit or mingle because it's dark and doesn't have much place to sit. Outside of the actual place, I'd more than love to try the other drinks. read more

I come to this Verde often, mostly because I love Ryowa across the street. After a filling meal of ramen, nothing is better than a cup of PMT. My regular is the green milk tea with pearls - half sugar. I love that Verde accepts the Five Stars card. Oh, and I love that this one does not have the $5 minimum that the Cupertino one has. read more

Verde Tea Cafe - green milk tea w pearls - Cafes Near Me - Mountain View, California

Milk bubble tea was the product consumed. Have now tried taro, kiwi, and pudding. None of the flavors were that great. Pudding just tasted like milk. Kiwi was slightly bitter. Taro tasted like an over-sugared fruit loop. Tiny, cramped, line going out the door. Service is fast and reliable. read more

One of the few decent tea cafes in the south bay in my humble opinion. I'm not too adventurous with my tea orders. It's mostly gonna be either Hot Grass Jelly or some type of black/green milk tea for me. The Hot Grass Jelly here is delicious. It comes out hot and liquid-y. It stays in this form for quite a while, too. This is nice because I can take it to go and by the time I'm home, it would still be in liquid form. I've taken home hot grass jelly from other tea bars and by the time I'm home, it's all clumpy. Blegh! On it's own, hot grass jelly doesn't have too much of it's own flavor, but toppings such as red bean help bring sweetness to this drink? dessert? snack? I don't know what it'd be considered, but I'd eat it even if it was called excrement here. As for the milk teas, I purchased a hot almond milk tea today with red bean as my topping. Btw, if you don't know by now. I always opt for red bean instead of boba in my tea. It's just "healthier". Lol. The tea was delicous. You could really taste the almond flavor in the tea. A little on the sweet side, so I'll need to ask them for less sweet next time. The only downside is that the red bean was chilled before putting it into the drink, so it did bring down the temperature of my drink to warm. read more

Just your standard boba place that has been hyped to the max. If there isn't a line and you have a craving this could be your spot. Solid milk tea and whatever variations you desire. It was a tad sweet for me, but in the end solid boba and milk tea in a nice little area that you can always take a stroll. If there's any sort of line I wouldn't wait too much. A-OK as 3 stars is. read more

Milk tea is such a two star for me lol but I always still end up here because it's a solid hang out place since Tea Era doesn't have sitting room. Verde is where we used to hang out all the time while in high school. I was never a huge fan. The pearls are mushier than I'd like/or super hard, it's not very consistent. As for the drink itself, you have to go less ice otherwise it's literally just a cup of ice with milk tea as an afterthought. Flavor is also a bit funny and artificial so I'm not a huge fan. I've also gotten crispy chicken here but I don't love it since I feel like it's a lot fattier relative to the other places you can get crispy chicken. Most recently, I came and got a hot milk tea which was very meh. Artificial flavors lingered after every sip and I couldn't even finish it. I'm really just not a fan. Also a $5 minimum for credit card. The pro though--the seating spaces. If someone wants to catch up over PMT, I always somehow still end up at Verde since even though the place is always packed and crowded, there's always one table available and that's all you really need. It's a really great place to just chill and hang out, catch up, etc. Possibly the only redeeming factor of Verde in my book. tldr; really not a fan of their milk tea, but as a hang out place, the seating is nice read more

Walking along the strip and heard of this place. Stopped by, nice people, quick service. Ordered iced green milk tea, which didn't seem to have much flavor. Bubbles were cooked well and not gummy or hard like other places. Also, we were a little hungry so we ordered some fried tofu. Kinda pricey for the amount you get. Truthfully, the tofu wasn't even good. Gooey dough covering tofu, which didn't have any taste. Dipping sauce was a wannabe hoisin/soy sauce mix that would've been better if diluted a little. read more

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

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This was our go-to boba place in college before boba places popped up left and right. Verde has a pretty good selection of tea/drinks and snacks. It can get pretty crowded in the evenings, so it may be hard to find a seat. It looks like they opened another location in downtown MV with more seating. This one is ideal for pickup and go. The tea and boba are not bad, but I've had better. I would come for convenience or old time's sake, but there are plenty of better options around here. read more

The tea is really good quality and I love the location. There are tons of other tea and snack places to chose from but I recommend this one the most. At Verde tea there are a lot of tea and food options I personally like the Peach Milk tea with pearls and I really love their fried squid. read more

I have only been here once, and have only ordered one thing - shaved ice with fresh mango. They do NOT mess around with this. It's a seriously large bowl with shaved ice at the bottom, and fresh mangoes and something sweet (maybe sweetened condensed milk) on top. It's like a whole meal, and I wish they served it year round, but alas, shaved ice is only during the summer. Minus 1 star for a really crappy design - if more than one person is in line, you have to fight your way in and out of the place. BAD design. read more

We used to love Verdi before the owners decided to redo the place. Whereas before this place was a hangout for Bay Area folk looking for a bright, happy place to enjoy tasty Taiwanese slushy or fruit tea and a game of cards, now it has hardly any seating and is extremely dark. Whereas before the spot where you order and pay for your drinks was in the middle of the store, meaning you would be inside away from the cold while waiting to order your hot milk tea, now the counter is right at door's edge, meaning you often have to wait outside in the cold. The Taiwanese drinks are still quite good (probably the best in Mountain View) but the redo probably helped to cut its business in half. Five stars for the drinks. Two stars off for killing a nice hangout. read more

While downtown on Castro for lunch at Fiesta del Mar on Saturday, I decided to walk down the block for some bubble tea before heading back onto the road. I stopped by Verde, one of my favorite tea houses when I lived up in the Bay Area, to satisfy my bubble tea craving. I appreciate the diverse menu of milk teas at Verde, but stuck with a go-to favorite, honeydew melon. The boba pearls were nice--I like the mini (relatively speaking) boba that Verde uses, but found the boba a little firm and the flavor a little one-note. But these were forgivable since the tea itself had a nice flavor. I also appreciated how big their drinks--I got a good deal more than I do at most other tea houses for the same price. But I have to admit I was jealous of my friend's rose/green tea--maybe I'll save that one for next time. While the tea was great, I wasn't such a fan of the ordering experience. Sure, we ordered without a hiccup, but it was so crowded at the bar waiting for our drinks afterwards! We wound up piling up with other customers since it was too tight to sneak around to grab a table. I think Verde really needs to open up their entryway or speed up their drink prep to clear out these crowds. read more

My boyfriend and I were here today and I got the iced green milk tea without pearls and my boyfriend got a hot earl grey milk tea. We also ordered the peanut butter thick toast. My iced green milk tea was good, not too sweet, and his was alright he said "it tasted exactly what it sounded like" earl grey with some milk in it. The peanut butter thick toast was another story. It tasted good but was a pain to try to eat. It was super hot and not toasted quite right. The peanut butter was super runny and it wasn't cut. The food was okay overall, but the seating and ambiance of the whole place kinda sucked. The tables were super close together and the benches were ripping. The bathroom has never been very clean either. read more

I used to come here all the time with co-workers when I used to work in MV and never knew what the hype was about, but my co-workers LOVED this place. I think for the price, the sizes are bigger. I typically get the Lychee milk tea, which tastes a little artificial. I prefer places that use real lychees though, ie Fantasia. read more

I don't know why people rave about this place. This place is OK and I much prefer Tea Era, which offers more tea flavor in their bubble teas. The advantage of this place is that it is not as cramped as Tea Era. The lighting at this restaurant is pretty dim and whenever I walk in I feel like there is some type of stench. This restaurant has had cheesecake on discount for over a year. I wonder if people really order the cheesecake? read more

I stopped by Verde to kill time before the Caltrain arrived expecting just standard milk tea, but their taro milk tea was SO GOOD (!!!!!!!!). The drink itself is super creamy, and it comes in a huge cup. It's going to take all the self-restraint in the world to walk past Verde every time I'm in downtown Mountain View now. read more

I used to prefer Verde Tea over the other pearl tea places in the area, but they've recentlly changed to using more sugar and less tea, which is good if you want a sugar high, but not very tasty. Still, the tapioca balls are consistently firm. I only get milk tea with pearls so other flavors may be good. I'd recommend trying Tea Era which is about a block away on Castro (http://www.yelp.com/biz/13zmcyBajcObO6ntCOD0uQ) read more

Good boba (the tapioca themselvs) but their milk tea leaves much to be desired. I really don't like the powdered flavor/consistency of it. Used to go their fairly often because an ex really liked it... but left to my own devices I head down to TapEx instead. Their bao bing/tswa bing/shaved ice is decent. read more

Verde has the milk tea that is exactly what you'll find in Taiwan. Not Hong Kong style, so I see why some people don't care for it, but since I was introduced to pearl milk tea a decade ago in Taiwan, it's the flavor I look for. I love the pudding milk tea. Their fried chicken and other snacks aren't the best, but I still give it 5 stars for the drinks. read more

I was first pleased to stroll by Verde and find that they've reopened their service since the last time I visited earlier this year. The decor definitely improved significantly. Warm and cozy colors with rich wood accents. However, I don't think I'll be craving Verde any time soon. My lychee milk tea tasted so sweet and syrupy. I could barely drink more than 1/2 cup of it. My friend's mango shaved ice was also a disappointed. It paled far in comparison to its imitation of Taiwan's mango shaved ice. Here's some tips for you Verde- * use yellow sweet mango * add more condensed milk as topping to your shaved ice * make your shave ice more silky and smooth * add some light sugar syrup to the top of the ice as well read more

The new verde looks like it's trying too hard and the old verde was undeniably tacky. The people who work there also vary -- from sad and despondent-looking to overly cheerful. But, for the most part, the tea is solid and the flavor is good. I love that they offer aloe with their tea (SO good, don't knock it til you try it). I generally go for a peach green tea with aloe or a regular green tea with aloe, no milk. When I'm in the mood for boba, I get the small pearls, which are less chewy than the big ones. All in all, Verde is the only place I go when I'm home and craving pearl tea. read more

This one is pretty good, I think they deserve a solid 4 stars. I was surprised that they got 3.5. Only downside is that it gets really crowded and busy. Ever since they remodeled the place, it looks really really nice. Of course the drinks are great like the usual verde drinks but the food here is much nicer than the Cupertino location. They even bring it to you and it comes on a nice big plate. I would actually eat here lol for a simple meal. If you want to hang out or use internet in the off hours when it isn't so busy, this place would be the perfect spot. Try their taro freeze and hazelnut milk tea. Oh yeah and the thick toast are pretty good too. read more

I like grabbing a good boba from time to time, and goodness only knows that the stuff from Verde falls into that category! Bring cash if you just want boba, though -- no cards for less than $5 purchases. Lychee milk tea with aloe is my favorite lately. The red bean with pearls is also at the top of my list. It always feels like there is a broad selection available, making my boba customizable to fit my mood. Fast service, always open when I'm in the mood. Rock star. read more

Good smoothies, which is rare enough in the valley. On the downside, it's very noisy and crowded. read more

I'm really sad that the Verde in Cupertino closed, and now I have to migrate all the way to Mountain View to get me hot drinks. But since the nightlife is pretty vibrant on Castro, I'm not complaining much. The drinks are exceptionally delicious--not too sweet, hot drinks are hot, cold drinks are cold (I say this because I've had lukewarm drinks, and those totally blow.) And Verde delivers the order, quite literally, in a blink of an eye. I don't really care for the snacks here since I'm utterly devoted to my Q-cup fried snacks--but according to my friend, the fried squid isn't too shabby. read more

Very good drinks, nice snacks, comfortable place to hang out. This might be my new favorite spot to drop by to see some friends, though the floor plan is a bit cramped and it can be noisy. The free wifi is a joke. I didn't see any notices, but i believe there is a time limit on the connection. I've tried it twice, the connection only works for a few minutes, then later you can't connect. It's annoying enough that i'm posting this from Verde right now, off the connection from my blackberry. This shouldn't be necessary. read more

I came here about two years ago on the insistence of a friend and had a thai iced tea. It did not, in any way, shape or form, taste like a thai iced tea. It was cloyingly sweet, with the top half of the drink fairly watery and the lower half being very syrupy. I remember in such detail because I choked and when I choke, I usually remember what made me choke. I went again, far more recently (last week) upon the insistence of yet another friend who assured me that the Jasmine milk tea was to die for. So, I went and I ordered my Jasmine milk tea and it still tasted like shit. My friend didn't seem to have a problem with his, so I assume that he likes drinking shit. (Kidding, kidding) read more

My absolute favorite boba joint in the bay area! Now that I've moved out of the south bay area, I still find myself making special trips from SF to Verde for their delish and refreshing mint milk green tea boba and strawberry boba - my favs! Their chocolate toast always hits the spot, and their snacks (fried tempura, minced pork bowl, etc) are good values for a fast and filling grub. This place is pretty tiny and gets quite crowded on weekends/nights so sometimes finding a seat is a bit difficult. But it's a great casual and fun spot to just hang out and chit chat with friends! I can never go too long without having Verde! read more

TOO MANY CRAZY ASIANS ALL IN ONE PLACE tried for the first time EVER almond milk tea. it was good. too many bubbles, i dont like bubbles but i always get them. the only things bubbles are good for are to shoot at squirrels and pigeons and the like. conclusion- i'm not asian enough to love this place read more

I blame Verde for my Pearl Tea addiction. I love their regular Pearl Milk Tea, the Frothy Iced Tea [with or without pearls] and their shaved ice drinks are really good too [especially during summer] The only reason this place doesn't get 5 stars from me is because of the actual locations. They have a lot of seating [that always seems to be taken] and its all very close together, plus its so loud from the machines that you can't always sit and talk. So great drinks, but best taken to-go. read more

Great location right off of Castro Street. Very convenient. The tea is pretty good; I got the Honey Milk tea w/ pearls and it was perfect, sweet without being cloying. Since I was a little hungry, I also got the 'tea and spices tofu' snack. I thought it'd be fun to try something new. Unfortunately, it wasn't at all like I had hoped. The tofu was hard and rubbery - is that how it's normally prepared? I was expecting something much softer and delicate. My boyfriend was nauseated by the sauce, which was very strongly flavored. I didn't think it was that bad, and the serving was generously-sized. But the tofu is definitely not something I'd order again, and I'm rather nervous about ordering anything else off the food menu. read more

I'm just rating on the milk tea... I wish Verde didn't take away their Almond Milk Tea! Even though it was way too sweet sometimes, it was kinda good. Overall, the milk tea here isn't great. The boba is fresh if you come in time, but usually it's not. Sometimes they make the drinks WAY too sugary and it tastes like you're drinking sugar water. Other times, the drinks are so watered down that you only taste a hint of the flavor, but that usually only happens when I get hot drinks. Still, I prefer Verde over Tea Era (my first and last experience there was absolutely terrible), so hence the three-star review. Hopefully one of these days I'll take my chances with the food! read more

As far as the quality of the regular milk tea goes, it's roughly Fantasia (Cupertino) = GREAT Tea Era = GOOD Verde = DECENT If I'm looking for milk tea in Mountain View, I usually hit up Tea Era. Their drinks generally seem to be of higher quality. BUUUUT, Verde definitely has advantages: 1. Their drinks are larger for a comparable price 2. Their space is clean and easy on the eyes 3. They have great snacks (Cheesecake! Flavored Taiwan toast!) If you're downtown and hankering for some decent milk tea and great snacks, hit up Verde! read more

Living in the Midwest, I really don't find good bubble tea places that often, if at all. Upon my request of wanting good Taiwanese bubble tea, my sister who lives in San Jose immediately suggested Verde. Verde definitely has very authentic, creamy Taiwanese bubble tea with quality, fresh boba! I finally found what I have been craving for so long! I will probably put on a few extra pounds during my couple of days in the south bay area thanks to bubble tea. I have also tried their fried chicken-- for $5 you get a huge baskey! It tasted great except that they didn't add basil, which is the traditional Taiwanese way. read more

whaaaaaaat. Only 3.5 stars??? The boba here is tender, chewy, fresh. Milk tea is solid. With the extra fresh/chewy boba, this is definitely at least 4 stars. Only reason I don't give it 5 is because it doesn't take Amex... and they only have these GINORMOUS sizes. I want to keep my girlish figure please. read more

2.5/5. Considering that the milk tea here is on the sweeter side, it's funny that I found it bland. It definitely tasted watered down and was lacking in milk or tea flavor. I'd definitely recommend Tea Era on Castro over this place if you're looking to get PMT to go. Verde, however, does serve food and offer seating (unlike Tea Era). The food is pretty mediocre and what'd you expect to find at a Guppy Tea House. Seating is fine and they offer WiFi, but the place is often packed by high school students, especially on weekend nights. What's funny is that growing up in Palo Alto, no one I knew or I really frequented this place. We'd all prefer to grab a PMT at Tea Era. It makes me wonder who are all the students who crowd Verde and the Tapioca Express down the road. read more