Food 4 Thought: A Guide to Must-Visit Boba in the South Bay
(From left to right) Drinks of CAFFE:iN, HEYTEA, OMG Tea, Teaspoon, Sharetea. (Dylan Ryu/The Santa Clara)
From origins in Taiwan to its Bay Area boom in popularity, boba has grown into one of the most beloved drinks among locals. It isn’t just a beverage—it’s woven into Bay Area culture, from a study-break sip to a late-night sweet-treat run. New shops continue to pop up, each offering new drinks and add-ons.
Boba is a chewy tapioca pearl commonly added as a topping in many tea beverages. It’s made from tapioca starch and sugar, which are rolled into miniature balls and then boiled. Although the term boba refers specifically to the topping, many people use it to describe the drink itself, often calling it boba, boba tea or bubble tea.
CAFFE:iN
Located about a five-minute walk from Santa Clara University, CAFFE:iN is a small café offering boba, coffee, snacks and desserts.
They serve numerous types of drinks including milk teas, fruit teas, caffeinated teas and blended options. Their non-standard drink prices range from $5.25 to $7.45, excluding add-ons.
Customers can modify their drinks with alternative milks, additional toppings, ice cream or even the “Supersize” feature, which increases the cup size. These add-ons range from $0.85 to $2 each, allowing for flexibility popular among many boba shops.
CAFFE:iN’s most popular drinks are their handcrafted Brown Sugar Boba Pearl Latte, Passion Fruit Tea, and Thai Milk Tea. Potential add-ons for these include, but are not limited to, brown sugar boba, grass jelly, various fruity popping bobas and more.
Click here or go in person to see their full menu.
OMG Tea
Also within walking distance from campus, OMG Tea remains a hot spot for Santa Clara University students. With bright lights and comfy seating, the café offers a fun ambiance that’s perfect for socializing with friends.
Their menu features beverages only, but allows for flexible customization and add-ons. Drink categories include milk tea, fruit tea, yakult, blended drinks, crema and brewed tea. Prices range from $4.90 to $7, excluding add-ons. Their add-ons include brown sugar boba, various fruity popping bobas, coffee jelly and even mini boba, which is less common at other locations. Add-ons range from $0.75 to $1 each.
Click here or go in person to see their full menu.
Sharetea
If you take a 10-minute detour south from campus to Westfield Valley Fair Mall and are craving something sweet, Sharetea is an ideal stop.
Located on the first floor, it’s one of several popular boba spots in the mall. Warm lighting and ample seating create a cozy space for customers to take a break from shopping and enjoy a drink. Beverage prices range from $5.50 to $7.95 before add-ons. Toppings are similar to those at other shops—brown sugar boba, fruity popping bobas, lychee and more.
One particularly unique feature on their ordering site allows customers to swap the default topping for another of their choosing. In some cases this change adds $0.25, but if it’s the only topping you want, it can actually save you money overall.
Click here or go in person to see their full menu.
Teaspoon
Teaspoon is a Bay Area favorite, with multiple locations across the region—so if you’re hooked, you’ll likely be able to find it in more than one spot. That said, the closest location to the University is about 3.5 miles away.
Prices range from $6.25 to $8.25, with options to purchase beverages in bulk through their Pack of 10, Party Pour, or Tea Traveler. Like the other shops mentioned above, Teaspoon offers a variety of topping add-ons, ranging from $0.75 to $1. They also offer options to add a fruit splash or foam topper—the current seasonal foam flavor is banana, available for a limited time.
Teaspoon has a seasonal menu, similar to Starbucks, featuring limited-time beverages. Their current in-season drinks include Banana Matcha Royale, Honeycomb Banana Milk and Honeycomb Banana Latte, with the latter two available iced or hot.
Fan favorites include: Crème Brûlée Coffee, Guava Sunset and Classic Thai Tea.
Click here or go in person to see their full menu.
HEYTEA– Sunnyvale
The furthest from Santa Clara University on this list is HEYTEA, known for its modern interior and unique ordering system. Like some of the other boba shops, HEYTEA uses a kiosk system: customers receive a personalized number with their order, which they show to an employee when the drink is ready.
Prices at HEYTEA range from $5.94 to $9.99, the widest among the shops listed here. Add-ons, ranging from $0.49 to $1.99, differ slightly from other locations and include options such as sago, matcha jelly, cheese cloud and more. HEYTEA also offers seasonal drinks, which currently include the Cloud Longjing Tea Latte, Matcha Cloud Coconut Aqua, and WICKED MATCHA, created in honor of the upcoming film.
Another notable feature of HEYTEA is its commitment to minimizing waste, encouraging customers to bring their own cups and to skip using plastic bags when picking up their orders.
Click here or go in person to see their full menu. HEYTEA also has its own mobile app for information such as locations, calories and more.
Know Before You Go
CAFFE:iN (Santa Clara)
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Prices: $5.25 to $7.45
Distance from Benson Memorial Center: 0.3 miles
OMG Tea (Santa Clara)
Hours: Sunday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Prices: $4.90 to $7
Distance from Benson Memorial Center: 0.4 miles
Sharetea (San Jose)
Hours: Sunday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Prices: $5.50 to $7.95
Distance from Benson Memorial Center: 2 miles
Teaspoon (Santa Clara)
Hours: Sunday 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Prices: $6.25 to $8.25
Distance from Benson Memorial Center: 3.5 miles
HEYTEA (Sunnyvale)
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Prices: $5.94 to $9.99
Distance from Benson Memorial Center: 8.6 miles