Boba, or bubble tea, is a beverage originating from Taiwan that has taken the world by storm. With a foundation of sweet and milky tea, the drink’s texture is punctuated by chewy tapioca pearls and an unlimited array of toppings. Senior Stephania Lieben agreed, adding that “there’s room for experimentation with flavors. You can choose whatever drink you want and add whatever toppings you want. You can pick different drinks based on your mood.”
iTea
Located in the Moraga Shopping Center, iTea is a popular hangout spot for Campo students after school. Because of this, the wait times can be long.
iTea drinks include a generous amount of toppings you can order and you can also customize your sugar and ice levels to 5 levels – 0%, 30%, 50%, 80%, and 100%. Senior Suraya Mathai-Jackson’s go-to drink is the Earl Grey Milk Tea, which is “pretty similar to the Signature Boba Milk Tea, but it tastes super fresh” because the tea is brewed on the spot, Mathai-Jackson stated.
Beyond drinks, iTea also offers other snacks, most notably, ramen, which is good for the price.
Lilikoi
Located in downtown Lafayette, Lilikoi is a Hawaii-themed boba store. The wait times are usually around 5 minutes or less, making it a good option if you’re in a rush.
Some of their specialty drinks include House Milk Tea, Thai Tea, Herbal Lemonade, and P.O.G. Aloha. They also offer smoothies, Kona Italian Coffee, and the option to make your own drink. All drinks come in two sizes – 16 or 24 oz. Unfortunately, adding boba pearls and other toppings costs an extra $0.75. Senior Adelina Zheng enjoys Lilikoi, particularly their Strawberry Black Tea Lemonade, because “it’s convenient and they have parking,” she stated. In addition to drinks, Lilikoi offers mochi donuts.
Panache Cafe
Located off Mount Diablo Blvd, Panache Cafe is a small business that specializes in Italian coffees, especially lattes. They also offer organic teas and have gained recognition for their homemade Chai and blueberry scones.
One distinctive feature of Panache is their packaging approach. Instead of having branded cups, they had custom stickers on each drink, adding a unique touch. Furthermore, there also isn’t a numeric size, rather only small and large, for nearly all drinks.
Mr. Green Bubble
Nested in Downtown Walnut Creek, Mr. Green Bubble proudly represents a Bay Area franchise. While parking can be a hassle because of its location, there is a paid parking lot in close proximity.
Mr. Green Bubble’s interior sets it apart from other shops on this list. The wall features intriguing handwritten boba-related facts and hand drawn graphics to accompany, creating a unique artistic ambiance.
But don’t be fooled by Mr. Green Bubble’s name; their beverage offerings don’t stop at just bubble tea. They also have a wide selection of smoothies and slushies. You can choose from a small size, which is 16 oz, or a regular size, which is 22 oz. Like iTea, you can adjust the sugar to 5 levels and ice to 3 levels, allowing you to tailor your drink to your preferences, and they generously include a satisfying amount of boba in each serving that’s “not too sweet,” said senior Piper Lalli.
In addition to their beverages, Mr. Green Bubble has a wide array of board games stashed in the corner.
Sharetea
With two nearby locations in Orinda and Concord, Sharetea is an internationally recognized boba shop. Unfortunately, because of this, their wait times are longer, even on Sunday afternoons. Some of their bestsellers include the Classic Pearl Milk Tea, Mango Green Milk Tea, Wintermelon Lemonade, and Strawberry Tea.
Like iTea and Mr. Greenbubble, you can adjust the sugar to 5 levels (0%, 30%, 50%, 80%, 100%), and 3 ice levels (no ice, less ice, and full ice). Zheng adds that “Sharetea has good boba. It’s a good consistency.”
