Top 15 Shops in San Francisco for the Best Bubble Tea!

There’s probably not another city outside of Asia that’s as thirsty for bubble tea as San Francisco. Ever since its invention in Taiwan in the early 1980s, the bubbly drink with pearly bits has grown out of its home country to its neighbouring ones, and eventually across the globe.

Over the years, the classic flavours on the menu has then expanded to include variations of the original bubble tea, and creativity has seen its peak when it comes to the evolution of the boba drink!

The people of San Francisco appreciates both the classics and the experiments, which is evident in the shops that pops up all around the city. From international big chains to local home-grown businesses, the locals are crazy for it all!

Here’s the top 15 bubble tea shops across San Francisco that boasts the tastiest, creamiest and most authentic Taiwanese bubble tea!

1. BAMBU

If you’re looking for anything and everything fresh, BAMBU is the place to go! From fresh takes on flavours to the use of only fresh ingredients, there’s no reason not to give this shop a visit! Serving authentic Southeast Asian desserts alongside creative beverages including slushies, smoothies and milkshakes, and of course bubble tea!

The Guava Bubble Tea may not sound as appealing but fret not, it is one of the more experimental flavours that is a huge success among BAMBU’s customers. You can also choose from a huge range of other interesting flavours like Avocado Coconut, No Doubt and Fruit Addict, and try something different from their extensive range of toppings that includes red tapioca, popping bubbles as well as the classic sugar pearls.

2. Little Sweet

Need a bit of a kick from a cup of bubble tea? Little Sweet is the perfect bubble tea shop just for that. Known for their strong tea flavours that pack a punch, Little Sweet’s bubble teas are a change of pace from the average and usual bubble tea. Tuning it down on the sugar and sweetness, the essence of the tea shines in each cup of boba.

Using quality mid-grade loose leaf tea instead of powder for their beverages, Little Sweet prioritises authenticity of their drinks. Choose from a huge menu — dividing them into Original Teas, Salted Cheese Tea, Real Fruit Series, Milk Tea and Special Teas — and double up on their creative range of toppings. Rose High Mountain Milk Tea, Yogurt Green Tea and White Gourd Milk Tea are just to name a few favourites.

3. Sweet A Little

Why wait in line to get your boba craving fixed when you can get them delivered to you right on your doorstep? Say goodbye to having to get up from your couch when you’re in need of a sugar, bubbly fix and say hello to Sweet A Little.

With their motto “Live a little, sweet a little”, this bubble tea delivery service has caught on well in San Francisco. Using premium loose leaf teas and grade-A organic milk, Sweet A Little combines delicious with healthy. Bestsellers include the creamy Original Black MIlk Tea and the refreshing Passionfruit Black Iced Tea. Don’t forget to add toppings, and consider these ones: the agar boba and lychee jelly.

4. Steap Tea Bar

Look no more for the bubble tea shop that opts for premium, loose leaf organic tea, local and organic milk and sugars, house-made toppings and customised infusions, Steap Tea Bar is the answer to all your bubble tea prayers! With toppings that include boba, tea jelly and coconut shavings, infuse your drink with unique things like activated charcoal and other revitalising additions. Select from a range of strong teas and flavours, including a surprising mascarpone tea.

A quick tip: if a drink you want is not on the menu, just ask the friendly staff! They’re able to make just about anything as long as they have the ingredients necessary for it.

5. Boba Guys

Boasting that they “serve the highest quality bubble milk tea in the world”, Boba Guys are nothing if not for their confidence, and of course, delicious boba. Diligently sourcing their loose leaf teas from all around the world and steep them in-house, Boba Guys’ beverages are all-authentic and natural, using organic milk and fructose-free house-made syrups. They even have options for those lactose intolerant boba lovers by offering almond or soy milk.

Choose among their premium range of bubble tea, and go all out customising it to perfect it to your taste palettes by adjusting sweetness, temperature and more!

6. PlenTea

With the initial desire to provide authentic, wholesome and sustainable taste of the original milk tea to the community, PlenTea is nothing short of successful of their mission. Serving over 20 types of bubble tea today, each one made from USDA-certified organic loose tea leaf teas, real cane sugar and fresh fruits, PlenTea tops off their eco-conscious motto by serving each drink in an elegant reusable glass jar.

While their classic tea choices are just as amazing, try something different and go for the Sea Salt Creama Oolong or Nutella Milk Tea. Bring back the empty glass jar and you’ll get 10% off on your next purchase!

7. Teaspoon

Have you ever seen an espresso machine-like contraption that is specifically designed to brew tea? Well, Teaspoon has it, and it just goes to show how serious they are about tea and how much the team loves it. From organic creams to the natural tea leaves, all of the ingredients used in Teaspoon is chosen for its top quality and exceptional flavour. Not to mention, their bobas are freshly cooked every other hour!

Try their traditional House Milk Tea blended with organic cream, or the Grasshopper for a lighter cleanse. If you’re looking for a luxurious sip, the White Crystal is the way to go.

8. fifty/fifty

Simplistic, clean and aesthetic, fifty/fifty is the cosy, inconspicuous coffee shop located in the Inner Richmond neighbourhood that everyone goes to for their coffee, tea and boba fix. Come after noon to get as much boba as you want in your specialty tea lattes, with flavours including matcha, honey coconut, lavender earl grey and more.

9. Purple Kow

Born, bred and raised locally, the San-Francisco-origin bubble tea shop, Purple Kow, quickly expanded to other nearby cities due to its raging popularity and demand. Using organic ingredients to create classic drinks, Purple Kow specialises in milk teas, jelly drinks and tea cremas.

While their teas are amazing, the toppings are what differentiates them from the average bubble tea shops. Add some green tea boba to your matcha tea for double the flavour, or pick from the other choices that include aloe vera, boba noodle, pudding and grass jelly. Don’t miss out on the bestseller drink, D3!

10. Tpumps

With already a loyal group of customers, Tpumps bubble tea shop beats all others when it comes to mixes and matches. You can mix up to three fruity or savoury flavours, making your own taste each time. If you’re not all that keen to experiment, any pick from their extensive and diverse menu is always a good choice.

Pick from flavours like almond, taro, blackberry, caramel and peach for your bubble tea. Try their amazing best seller, Coconut Salted Caramel Black Milk Tea, or mix a couple yourself and see what you get!

11. Qualitea

Closer to the “hood” than others, Qualitea is a gem find for the locals of San Francisco. Save a few pennies for twice the quality bubble tea at this amazing bubble tea shop that has a wide and diverse range of menu. There are also board games for groups of friends to entertain yourselves and plugs to give that phone some juice as well.

Happy hour doesn’t only apply to alcohol — bubble tea at Qualitea has that as well! Hop on down after 4pm to enjoy their happy hour deals!

12. Steep

Steep is an all rounder — from coffee and tea to yogurts and boba, they’re everyone’s favourite choice. Using freshly grounded, strong aroma beans for their coffee, and natural tea leaves with natural and organic ingredients for their bubble tea, Steep cherishes authenticity and strong flavours for all of their products.

They even have sweets and desserts, so if you fancy a bite, why not chill at Steep’s cosy, comfortable interior ambience?

13. Boba Butt Tea House

Don’t let the name scare you off, Boba Butt Tea House’s logo is actually a cute representation of a corgi’s butt that you’ll get an edible drawing of on your cups of bubble tea! A cosy shop tucked away in the streets with rows of dog polaroids hanging on the wall, Boba Butt Tea House may not have the biggest menu, but what they do offer is one of the best in town!

A highly recommended drink is the Earl Grey Cheesecake Milk Tea, and if you’re not that of a sweet tooth, cutting back a few percent on the sweetness level would do good.

14. Tea Hut

Make way for the re-inventors of bubble tea in San Francisco, the Tea Hut! Going out of their way with reusable cups and bamboo straws, reasonably priced and refreshing menu, Tea Hut is definitely a must-visit! With new flavours introduced every other month, the customers just keep coming back, and don’t be surprised if there’s always a huge line up front.

Their fruit tea range is a huge hit, so be sure to try some of their best sellers like the Strawberry Energy, Pink Lychee and Dragon Fruit. If you’re in need of some dairy in your cup, get the Golden Milk with Honey Boba.

15. Brew Cha

For both old and new bubble tea lovers, it can be rather daunting to visit a new bubble tea shop without knowing their menu inside and out. Not to fret, at Brew Cha, the friendly staff will help you every step of the way. Providing insight and recommendations for your mixes and customisation, they definitely won’t let you leave with an average-tasting cup of boba.

A signature drink, as well as an extremely popular one, is the Taro Bubble Tea and. Not only does it look good with its striped pattern on the cup, it tastes a hundred times better!

This accumulation of the top bubble tea shops should definitely make you think that the people of San Francisco are bubble-tea crazy. If not, the fact that they have dozens more opened up around town should. With impeccable branding and just as amazing quality of bubble tea, take your metallic boba straws out for a spin to all these bubble tea shops and try each store out!

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