10 Top-Rated Places To Get Bubble Tea In San Francisco
Boba, or bubble tea, is a phenomenon that's taken the Bay Area (and the world) by storm. In its most classic form, the drink consists of a tea base and chewy pearls made from tapioca. Other common ingredients include milk, juice, fruit, and toppings such as jellies, pudding, or fruit juice-filled popping boba.
In the notoriously foggy city of San Francisco, there's certainly no shortage of bubble tea. In some neighborhoods, you can hardly walk a few blocks without running into yet another boba shop. As a San Francisco local and a lover of all things tea-related, I've naturally had my fair share of bubble tea. In this list, I've rounded up 10 of the most highly rated boba shops in the city, all of which I've personally tried and enjoyed. To help pick each spot, I've also included some customer feedback from Yelp and other review sites to account for differences in taste and drink preference, but more on this selection process later. Whether you prefer a classic milk tea or something fruity and refreshing, these 10 spots are worth a stop for any bubble tea fan.
Tibear
Tibear has two locations: its original shop in Berkeley and a second in San Francisco's vibrant Chinatown neighborhood. At the San Francisco location, customers are welcomed by a bright pink storefront and an array of adorable plush bears (many of them also pink). The cuteness doesn't stop there — some of the drinks also come with round lids shaped like bear ears. Tibear's menu offers a variety of fruit and tea drinks, with bestsellers including the QQ Mochi Milk Tea, Thai Tornado, and Strawberry Cheese Milk Tea.
With a 4.2 rating on Yelp, Tibear has made a name for itself with its colorful, sweet tea drinks. I gravitate toward the cafe's fruit teas, like the Lychee Refresher, a lightly sweetened drink that's perfect for warmer weather. However, I also really enjoy the QQ Mochi Milk Tea, which comes with drinkable mochi. Another drink that's proven popular with customers across online reviews is the Thai Tornado. "The flavors were good, consistent with what I expected and the boba was soft with the right amount of chew," one reviewer wrote on Yelp. If you're extra thirsty, the Thai Tornado and a few other flavors come in an extra-large bucket size.
(415) 875-9032
827 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Milktopia
You can find Milktopia on Taraval Street in San Francisco's Parkside neighborhood, an area beloved by locals for its thriving food scene. Milktopia is unique because it specializes in both bubble tea and soft-serve ice cream. While I've personally only tried the tea, customer reviews online praise both as deliciously sweet dessert options. And as if this weren't enough, Milktopia also serves egg puff waffles and spam musubi.
While in my experience some cafes that offer both dessert and boba tend to drop the ball a little when it comes to the tea quality, I'm happy to say this isn't the case with Milktopia. I really enjoy the HK Silky Classic Milk Tea, which also happens to be one of Milktopia's most popular drinks. This traditional Hong Kong-style tea is made with evaporated milk, giving it its signature silky texture. As one reviewer described, "The drink was very rich and creamy! The perfect balance for my palate. A classic strong black tea flavor that I adore." Other specialty drinks include Oreo Brûlée Milk Tea, Lychee Yogurt Green Tea, and Mango Pomelo Sago. With a 4.1 rating on Yelp as of writing, Milktopia is worth stopping by after indulging in dumplings or noodles along Taraval.
(415) 742-4912
1139 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
Tancca
Tancca is a hidden gem that's located on the border between North Beach and Chinatown. More elevated than your typical boba shop, it offers an inviting space that's tastefully decorated with artwork and plants. More importantly though, the bubble tea here is exceptional. In fact, Tancca currently boasts a 4.0 rating on Yelp. While the menu doesn't stray too far from the classics, with flavors like Thai Milk Tea, White Peach Oolong, and Fresh Taro Milk, it also features matcha drinks, freshly brewed tea, tonic drinks, and frozen snow desserts.
My favorite thing on Tancca's menu is the puffcream, a thick, sweet cream available as an additional topping to any drink. My go-to order typically involves the Assam or Royal Ceylon Milk Tea with puffcream and boba. Online, one customer described the Assam as "a classic black milk tea that's strong, creamy and not watered down," adding that the "boba was nice and chewy too and lightly sweetened." When I'm in the mood for something lighter, I'll opt for the Green Apple and Lychee Tonic drinks instead (though you really can't go wrong here). With plenty of seating, Tancca is the perfect place to enjoy delicious boba and take your time savoring it. Plus, the drinks' less-than-average prices go a long way in my book.
(415) 986-2387
776 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133
Yifang Fruit Tea
Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea has locations all over the world, including three in San Francisco alone. I usually visit the Inner Sunset location, which has a 4.4 rating on Yelp as of writing. Yifang's signature fruit tea follows a recipe developed by the founder's grandmother, using homemade pineapple jam. Staying true to this tradition, the rest of Yifang's menu is made with natural ingredients, including real fruit and house-made cane sugar.
I personally enjoy any of Yifang's citrus-based drinks, like the Mango Pomelo Sago and the Aiyu Jelly Lemon Green Tea. Fruit teas can often be too sweet for my liking, but I find Yifang's to be perfectly balanced, letting the natural sweetness of the fruit shine through. Though I don't order it every time, the boba is also chewy and delicious. Customer reviews online also praise Yifang's drinks. One customer wrote about the Mango Pomelo Sago, saying, "The drink itself was creamy and did not taste like artificial mango. Pomelo added a nice touch and the sago made it feel more like a dessert than a tea." Though known for its fruit drinks, Yifang also offers various milk lattes and salted cream teas.
(415) 742-4308
645 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
Tea & Others
Located in the Lower Haight a few blocks from the Panhandle, Tea & Others is a cute little tea house that stands out for its dinosaur-themed decor. With a 4.2 rating on Yelp as of writing, Tea & Others serves a variety of tea lattes and milk-based beverages, all made using organic ingredients and fresh fruit. Here, you'll find your classic milk tea flavors but also indulgent treats like the Lil' Giraffe and Pink Panther, which contain edible cake batter. Based on online reviews, the matcha drinks are also popular, particularly the Strawberry and Oreo Matcha Lattes.
I enjoy Tea & Others' simple but well-executed flavor combinations. For example, I'm a fan of the shop's Taro Matcha Latte. While I wouldn't normally expect these two flavors to mesh well, Tea & Others makes it work. One customer review describes the drink perfectly: "The matcha was earthy, I enjoyed that they used real taro, and the drink as a whole was slightly sweet and creamy." I also appreciate the small drink size option, a rarity at boba shops these days. With so many creative drink offerings, it's always difficult to choose just one (though next time, I'll be trying the cake batter tea).
(415) 864-4920
250 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Foam Tea House
Foam Tea House is another high-quality tea spot on Taraval Street in San Francisco's Parkside neighborhood. With a 4.1 rating on Yelp, Foam Tea House has developed a reputation for its authentic boba tea and sugarcane juice drinks. The menu boasts an extensive array of milk teas, fruit teas, slushes, and caffeine-free milk drinks and tonics. If you're hungry, there's also a variety of fried snacks available.
My favorite order at Foam Tea House is the Hong Kong Style Milk Tea with boba. I find the tea flavor to be smooth and free of any bitterness, and it's sweet but not syrupy. Based on customer reviews online, other popular drinks include the Brown Sugar Milk Tea, Winter Melon Tea, and the Tiger Milk Tea. Others especially enjoyed the fruit sago slushes and the cheese crema tea drinks. One customer, who ordered the Japanese Matcha Milk Tea, wrote in their review: "The matcha flavor was not too overpowering and it blended well with the almond milk tea's sweetness. The boba was perfectly chewy, sweet, and not tough." It's clear from customer reviews (and my own experience) that no matter what you order at Foam Tea House, you're in for a treat.
(415) 418-6987
1745 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
Yokee Milk Tea
Yokee Milk Tea has three locations in San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont. The San Francisco shop, situated on the edge of Union Square and Chinatown, is a minimalist space in terms of its design that's perfect for grabbing a quick tea while on the go. While the drinks here are on the expensive side, I find they're more carefully crafted than your average bubble tea shop. The menu offers a variety of milk, fruit, and cheese mousse teas as well as boba milk beverages, smoothies, slushes, and sago drinks.
While I've only been to Yokee Milk Tea once, I really enjoyed my order: the Mochi Soy Milk Tea with boba. This tea, which comes topped with pieces of mochi, also happens to be one of the shop's most popular offerings. "I tried the mochi soy milk tea and it was 5/5," wrote one satisfied customer. "The mochi was soft and had the perfect salty and sweet bite after dipping it into the soy milk foam and tea. The tea was light and refreshing." Other popular drinks include the Mango Pomelo Sago, the Puff Cream Milk Tea, and the Matcha Volcano. Yokee Milk Tea's San Francisco location currently has a 4.6 rating on Yelp.
(415) 398-1688
253 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Little Sweet
This local chain has eight locations in the city, including one in my neighborhood, the Inner Richmond. Little Sweet is my go-to boba spot, as I can always count on consistently high-quality bubble tea. My location boasts a 4.0 rating on Yelp and offers a range of milk teas, fruit teas, slushes, shakes, and salted cheese teas. While I've sampled a good deal of the menu, I always come back to the milk teas. I like a strong tea flavor, and Little Sweet delivers on this front, even with milk and toppings. The Assam Black Milk Tea is a safe bet, though if I want something a little sweeter I opt for the Honey Black Milk Tea or the Brown Sugar Milk Tea.
However, my top choice is tied between the High Mountain and Iron Buddha Milk Teas. Both are types of oolong tea (my favorite type of tea, boba or otherwise), with the High Mountain having a more floral taste and the Iron Buddha a bolder, richer flavor. Other crowd-pleasers include the Matcha Latte, the Creamy Strawberry Watermelon drink, and the White Gourd Milk Tea. On this last option, one customer review raved, "I don't know what they do differently, but it was just so extremely creamy and the taste of the white gourd still came through and blended in so well with the creaminess." Little Sweet also serves egg puff waffles and ice cream, including an ice cream boba dessert.
(415) 702-6763
3836 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118
Feng Cha Teahouse
While I usually visit the location in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, Feng Cha Teahouse has boba shops across 14 U.S. states, including 16 stores in California. For me, Feng Cha is one of the most reliable boba shops out there — I can always count on a positive experience. The menu offers classic milk teas, milk foam teas, fruit drinks, and blended drinks. You can also find a selection of coffee drinks and desserts.
I typically order off the Pure Tea menu, which includes green, black, and oolong teas. I then add either the Cheese or Sea Salt Foam, boba or grass jelly, and light sweetener. My favorite, by far, is the Dark Roasted Oolong tea, as I find its deep toasted flavor nicely complements the creaminess of the milk foam. Based on reviews online, the Classic Milk Tea is another customer favorite. "I usually don't say this a lot, it was SO GOOD. Tea was strong with a roasted milky flavor. Boba was warm and chewy as well," wrote one customer. Other popular drinks include the Strawberry Breeze, Kiwi Basil Green Tea, and the Cookies & Cream Milk Tea. Feng Cha Teahouse's San Francisco currently boasts a 4.2 rating on Yelp.
(628) 888-5633
99 Yerba Buena Ln, San Francisco, CA 94103
Urban Ritual
I recently visited Urban Ritual after hearing all the buzz, and it's quickly become one of my favorite spots for bubble tea in the city. Founded in San Francisco, Urban Ritual has since expanded to two other locations in the Bay Area. Located in the trendy Hayes Valley neighborhood, the San Francisco location has an impressive 4.4 rating on Yelp, backed by over 1,000 reviews. What sets Urban Ritual apart is the high quality of the ingredients and the care that goes into every order. With creative drinks like Black Sesame Rice Ball and Strawberry Pandan Corn Milk, Urban Ritual offers a unique twist on bubble tea that appeals to seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
Based on reviews online, the most popular drink is the Matcha Toffee, which comes topped with homemade toffee brittle. "I'm a sucker for crunchy things and interesting textures, and the toffee bits definitely enhance the experience and pair so well with the strong matcha flavor," one customer praised. However, my current favorite on the menu is the Lychee IPA, a caffeine-free (and non-alcoholic) drink made with citrus hops. The hops bring a pleasant bitterness that balances the sweetness of the boba, and the fizziness adds a refreshing touch. For those craving a more familiar experience, Urban Ritual also excels at classic bubble tea flavors like Jasmine Green Tea or Thai Tea, meaning that you can't go wrong no matter your order.
(415) 374-7181
488 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
How I chose my bubble tea spots
There are seemingly endless options for bubble tea in San Francisco. In fact, there were at least 136 boba shops in the city as of 2023, according to an analysis by the San Francisco Chronicle. That's about 1.7 shops for every 10,000 people here. So how did I narrow it down? To begin, I gathered up a list of every place I've tried in the last few years, excluding any disappointing experiences or shops that have since closed down. I then filtered this pool by reviewing each shop's Yelp rating. While I looked at other review sites, Yelp was the only one that had pages and ratings for each shop on the list.
For the purposes of this article, I considered a boba shop to be "top-rated" if it currently holds a rating of 4.0 or higher. While there are many places that meet this criteria, I decided on my final 10 based on my personal preferences and experience. As a San Francisco local and self-proclaimed bubble tea connoisseur, I wanted to highlight places that stand out not only for their ratings but for their quality ingredients, unique flavors or offerings, and consistency of execution. Of course, taste is subjective, and this list is not meant to be comprehensive. Living in San Francisco, I'm lucky to be surrounded by so many exceptional bubble tea options. Each shop offers its own take on the drink, making it an exciting adventure to explore and add new favorites to this list.