Boba is a popular snack that originated in Taiwan. It consists of a tea, juice, or smoothie base with a collection of small tapioca balls. In this Bay Boba Battle, I used the following criteria to pick the best: price, taste, quality, menu, and location.
I ordered the brown sugar milk tea, the bobarista’s recommendation, and the original milk tea. The tea was flavorful, fresh, and had a strong dairy taste. For both drinks, I chose 70% sugar, which was the perfect amount. However, the boba was slightly stale and lacked its traditional brown sugar flavor.
I visited T4 on University Ave Palo Alto and, overall, was pleasantly surprised. I ordered a Thai milk tea with boba and rainbow jelly, as well as a strawberry green tea with boba. The strawberry tea had a very strong strawberry flavor, yet I found the 80% sweetness was too sweet. The Thai milk tea was also very flavorful and refreshing. However, in my opinion, the boba was a little too chewy.
Tea It Up is a small business with one location off El Camino, by downtown Menlo Park. I ordered the classic black milk tea with boba as well as the barista’s recommendation: the Passion Sunset drink with boba and mango jelly.
The classic milk tea was very tasty. Unlike other black milk teas that I have tried, it had a brown sugar flavor that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also enjoyed the Passion Sunset drink. It had a good balance between sweet and tangy, and the mango jelly complemented it nicely. Also, the drink was very aesthetic.
Mr. Green Bubble is another franchise boba business with locations across the Bay Area. I visited the one at 604 Santa Cruz Ave, Menlo Park, CA 94025 in downtown Menlo Park. They have a range of drinks starting at $4.50 and a menu with many fried snacks.
I ordered a Thai milk tea with boba. Unfortunately, it was not as good as the others, especially compared to other local boba that I have tried. The tea was watered down and it lacked flavor. If you find yourself in downtown Menlo Park, I’d recommend seeking alternative options.
The last boba shop that I visited was Bobalicious, which is located near the town center in Downtown Redwood City at 2202 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063. I ordered mango milk tea with boba and matcha foam with boba. The owner was very friendly and wanted to make sure I enjoyed my drink.
I enjoyed the drinks a lot. I ordered the tea with 70% sugar, which ended up being perfect. I also ordered matcha foam with boba. It had a strong milky flavor, but the foam was a bit too salty for my preference. Overall, I really liked Bobalicious and would recommend it to everyone.
If you’re looking for a boba fix, try some of the shops above. I hope your boba run is as successful as mine.
