It’s no secret that San Diego is home to some good boba places. With a wide variety of places to choose from, it can be hard to know which one is right for you.
This list will help you find the best boba in San Diego so you can enjoy this delicious drink without having to worry about where to go.
Boba is a type of drink that originated in Taiwan. It consists of tea, fruit pulp, and/or milk, sweetened with sugar or honey.
It made its way to the U.S., where it quickly became popular among college students looking for something different than coffee or tea.
It’s taken the city by storm and so many are just craving this unique drink. If you’re looking for the best boba in San Diego, look no further! Here are some of the eleven places to check out.
Little Nap Cafe
Little Nap Cafe is a local favorite in its neighborhood spot in Hillcrest. They not only serve boba but also have Japanese fusion desserts.
Little Nap offers some unique boba flavors like the Red Bean milk tea and their classic Thai Tea with Boba.
If you’re looking for a great place to study or just hang out with friends, then look no further than Little Nap Cafe.
Top Review: “Little Nap Cafe was just what I needed on a hot day. I ordered the strawberry pineapple smoothie, and it was delicious! Using milk as a base made the slush fluffy, and the real fruit flavors really came through. When I inquired about customizing sweetness, she said it could be adjusted to 50%, which I appreciated. There was an option to upgrade the size for $0.75, and that would have been totally worth it! Parking is limited on metered street, but it’s more of a grab and go place – there was no wait and only took 5 minutes.” – Jenny Y.
142 University Ave Ste A San Diego, CA 92103, (619) 677-2117
Camellia Rd Tea Bar
Camellia Rd Tea Bar’s drinks are handcrafted for your pleasure. This popular boba spot has a limited menu but they have such good quality.
They use loose-leaf tea, real milk, and plant-based options. The boba pearls are handmade in-house, which makes them extra tasty!
This place has an amazing ambiance and delicious drinks, making Camellia Rd Tea Bar the perfect place to spend time with friends and family.
Menu: https://camellia-rd-order-ahead.square.site/
Top Review: “This place is always a must when I’m in San Diego. It was my first time trying chrysanthemum jelly and it was amazing! I don’t know any other place that has this. It was the perfect amount of sweetness and sooo refreshing! I recommend getting the chrysanthemum tea with chrysanthemum jelly if you are looking for something light and refreshing.” – Aillen H.
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste H San Diego, CA 92111, (858) 384-6486
Kung Fu Tea
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Kung Fu Tea, also known as KFT for short, is another popular place in San Diego.
This shop is easily one of the best places to get boba in San Diego. It started in Brooklyn but has made its impact across US and to San Diego.
This quaint shop offers a wide variety of tea flavors and milk tea drinks. Not to mention they have over 34 toppings to choose from! Kung Fu Tea has an extensive menu with great-tasting tea beverages on it.
Many customers love Kung Fu Tea because it uses real tea leaves for its milk teas, resulting in a richer taste than most other places. It’s a little on the sweeter side, but it’s still delicious and definitely worth trying.
This is a great place to get milk tea, and their boba pearls are always fresh and chewy!
Menu: https://kungfutea.com/products/
Top Review: “This is my favorite boba spot. The lines are very long but the staff works so quick. So wait times are not long at all. Staff is friendly, they are following Covid regulations as well. They are not open for dining in.” – Veronica B.
Boba Bar and Desserts
Boba Bar and Desserts is a great place for you to enjoy not only boba, but also other desserts.
You can get ice cream or puffles along with their amazing drinks. Their wide array of puffle options looks so good. It’ll fit right into your Instagram feed.
This boba spot has got a little bit of everything and is at the top of many locals’ list of best boba.
Aside from the traditional teas, you can also get slushies, smoothies, coffee, and more. They also have the popular Brown Sugar boba drink that became viral.
Get twice the dessert with boba and a puffle to-go!
Top Review: “I can’t believe I haven’t written a review for this place. This spot is a 10/10, I love their puffles with custard and also the boba drinks. Everything they make here is delicious every single time! Beats any dessert spot in Convoy” – Ladan B.
Ding Tea
Ding Tea is one of the more popular spots for boba. It’s a Taiwanese tea restaurant with several locations, and it has some of the best boba around.
They have a huge selection of flavors for their milk tea and plenty of toppings to choose from. It’s a good idea to keep Ding Tea in mind for larger groups because you can get 1″ or 2″ sized drinks.
Their slogan “shake for life” is something you’ll find everywhere in their shops. It stands for the fact that every drink they make is mixed by hand. That’s how you know it’s gonna be good.
This is one of the best places to grab boba in San Diego. Also, head to their website for a peek at their secret menu!
Menu: https://www.dingteabalboa.com/menu
Top Review: “Best boba I’ve had since Taiwan! The pearls are soft and perfectly chewy. I ordered winter melon milk tea with oat milk and it was delicious! I will probably ask for it to be less sweet the next time I get it. Definitely recommend and will be back!“ – Jennifer T.
Vivi Bubble Tea
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Vivi Bubble Tea is a cute boba shop on Convoy. The small, quaint shop stands out with their bright pink and baby blue store decor. They offer so many flavors to try, with new flavors coming out, so there’s always something new for customers.
They have a good selection of traditional teas, fruit teas, slushies, and milk tea. You can even try their cream float series or Yakult drinks for something a little more special. Plus, you can choose your sugar level so it’s not too sweet, unlike other shops.
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Tea N More
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Tea N More is another good place for boba in San Diego. The vibes are cozy and are the perfect place to sit back and relax after a day of exploring the city. The staff is friendly and they have a wide variety of drinks you can choose from. They have traditional teas and some boba classics. Some drinks to try are their Rose milk tea or the Thai milk with boba.
They also offer other food items like snacks and crepes that pair perfectly with boba. Try it if you’re ever in San Diego!
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The Korean Rose
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This place doesn’t get talked about often, but it definitely deserves more recognition for its tasty boba. The Korean Rose has an array of flavors to choose from, and their drinks are always fresh. You can get almost any flavor that you want here, and their milk tea tastes amazing. They have lots of tea bases you can choose like black, jasmine, oolong, Thai, and more.
If you’re a huge fan of boba, this is also a great place for you. Their boba drinks only come in 24-ounce sizes, but they’ll last you the whole day. You can also try one of their unique toppings like pineapple whipped cream or strawberry heart jelly.
This is one of the best places to grab boba in San Diego. You don’t want to miss out on it!
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Sharetea
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Sharetea has several locations in San Diego, so it’s easy to find one near you. They use real tea leaves and fresh ingredients for their milk teas, so they taste really good. This started as a traditional Taiwanese drinks franchise but expanded to so many variations of tea.
This boba spot is a great place to catch up with friends or even have a fun date night because they have lots of tasty drink options for you and your SO! This is one of our favorite boba places in San Diego because the Boba tastes amazing, especially the Taro.
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Tan-Cha
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The unique thing about Tan-Cha is their complete lack of straws. You know those huge straws that are known for getting those chewy boba pearls? You won’t find any of those here.
In Tan-Cha, they encourage customers to sip at their drink to fully experience it. Their cups are designed with a 45-degree angle to drink from. The experience is well worth it with their signature cream and foam topping their teas. You can choose to top with either cheese foam, tiramisu puff cream, or more.
Delight in this unique experience in Tan-Cha!
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It’s Boba Time San Diego
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It’s Boba Time is actually one of the biggest boba shops in San Diego. They make honey boba, which comes with a slightly sweeter experience. It’s also known for their cream cheese toppings and pearl pudding. This has become a staple to many boba lovers who visit here because of its wide variety of drinks.
Aside from boba, you can also get iced tea, smoothie, frappes, and more. Plus, you can pair your drink with any of their delicious food items.
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Whether it’s your first time to try boba tea or you’re a pro, this list will help you to find your next favorite boba place in San Diego.
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