Bobabia

Needed a quick pick me up for my next half of work day and this HIT the spot I was craving!!!! 👏🏼🥹👌🏼 I ordered the Jasmine Rose Milk Tea with boba and it was refreshingly tasty AND not too sweet! It had a subtle sweetness that I find so rare to find in milk tea.. I could taste the floral notes and the sweetness of the boba with each sip. I could definitely not only taste the freshness of the tea but the organic component of it too. So yummy. Will be back!! Their menu is also super fun and they have so many fun varieties of drinks and lattes too!

The winter melon milk tea with crema is really sweet and yummy. The magic coffee is just slightly sweet coffee with spices and the coffee itself is nothing to write home about. The staff are super friendly!! Place is quiet and great to chat or study or draw 💕 #studyspot

My friends and I got milk tea and English breakfast milk tea and it was super watered down. We don't usually nitpick and are not milk tea snobs but this was super disappointing. The decor is cute though! The boba texture is fine. It is just the milk tea... T_T. Do yourself a favor and don't come here.

A boba experience like no other. The level of craft and service at Bobabia keeps me coming back for more, and I'm always greeted with a smile and positive attitude. The high quality teas with perfect boba and other great toppings are wonderful. The smoothies and small bites are also delicious, and the unique offerings at Bobabia are always evolving. A must try if you are in or around the San Mateo area.

Lovely tea shop with great drinks and atmosphere. Drinks have a variety of toppings, not just boba. There's real mango chunks or taro chunks. Some items change seasonally

They let people host events here! We basically have the other half of the store for our event. The first thing I noticed when I walked in is the little doggie at the corner of the store, napping and looking so chill! I ordered the Vietnamese coffee drink (forgot the name of the drink), the owner mentioned there's a twist to the drink. I recall the coffee flavor was less strong than I like, but it was yummy. The party area was chill. I definitely liked the piano decoration in the room as well. Will definitely keep this place in mind for events!

The tea has a nice earthy and organic flavor; not too sweet. The environment is quiet which is perfect for studying. The staff are always friendly.

The place is very clean and serves good quality boba drinks. The service was great and they were friendly. Its a great place to sit down and chit chat with friends

I've been coming here for years and was super sad to find that it had closed. I really appreciate the friendly service and delicious smoothies! I'll miss you.....

I have mixed feelings about this boba place. The boba itself was pretty mid, felt a bit diluted, but that might be because I opted for a non-caffeinated drink. On the bright side, the place has good vibes! It's very well decorated, making it a nice spot to hang out. The service was fast, and since we were the only customers, our drinks were delivered right to our table, which was a nice. Overall, while the boba didn't blow me away, the atmosphere and service made the visit enjoyable.

I got the lychee mojito and it was very light/mild flavor. It also wasn't very sweet. It def is organic and refreshing though. The cup was cute (I like how the sticker/label has the drinks name on it). The guy working there was very nice. He handled cashier and making the drinks. Not your typical boba place. But I would recommend it if you want something light and refreshing and organic!

Located on the quieter outskirts of downtown San Mateo, I didn't know Bobabia existed until I found this place on Yelp. We came here around 3pm on a weekend, and it was surprisingly quiet inside. With only 1 other patron inside the establishment. Ordered a Mingle Mango and a Passional Limelight w/ boba. The Mingle Mango is a mango slush with popping mango boba. And the Passional Limelight is a mix of passion fruit, lime, and green tea. I found the flavor profiles to be just ok, and the boba on the firmer end and not that enjoyable. Staff were all very friendly, and my order was completed pretty quickly. Inside is welcoming and clean, with plenty of seating options to choose from.

This shop has been around for a couple of years. I visited a couple of times before. The location is downtown but a further down. The drink is fresh, and boba is quite good. I ordered Mingle manho and Roseberry madness. Both drinks are fresh. Mingle mango is slush. Service was quick.

Bobabia This pretty average in terms of Boba spots. I got the LG Mojito, which did not have real Luigi fruit in it unfortunately. The drink itself was fine and enjoyed how refreshing it was, but I felt more could be desired for it.

They are open again on weekends! They have great-tasting drinks that are closer to the $5 range, and they have unique specials. They are a little off of the main food area but just around the corner and up one block - worth the venture. This is a great venue. They have a Stand-Up Comedy event too! Every time, I walk in and respond to the greeting a tad too loudly because the outside is just so noisy with the downtown ambient noise. But inside of Bobabia, it is like stepping into another world, a secret garden, or someone's home. It's very serene, if you are looking for a boba place like that - i.e. Not just blasting the latest kpop, cpop, hkpop, taiwanese-pop, jpop, edm, or whatever. Heh

Located on the outskirts of downtown San Mateo, bobabia seems to be a spot that people frequented often before all the popular boba chains opened up in downtown. Theres a darker ambiance with lots of seating to hang out. Their hours are open late if you're in the area for a late sweet treat. We tried their passion fruit fruit tea drink that included agar boba. Not bad but too sweet. I would ask for 50% sweetness next time.

FROZEN BUTTER BEER!! I love that they feature seasonal drinks, it keeps me coming back and wanting to try something new. I don't ever feel like I get in a boba rut with so many choices. One of my favorite seasonal drinks is their Butter Beer (non-alcoholic). I don't know of many places that serve it, but you can get your fix here!! This year instead of the ordinary butter beer, he changed it up and is offering FROZEN BUTTER BEER--it's not quite as sweet and tastes like a frozen shake and delicious. If butter beer isn't your drink, their taro laiche, mingle mango or passional limelight are great options or you can choose from his classic teas. All his teas are organic and the drinks are generally less sweet than other boba places. Come for his drinks, visit with Apple--she's super friendly and loves scratches under her chin. It's a great place to hang out, work, study or meet up with friends.

Owner is so kind. Drinks taste so fresh and healthy and inside is very clean and theres a cute doggie in the corner of the wall shelf. Lots of seating. Would come back again!

Very cute atmosphere, furniture, areas to take pictures at and it's a delightful place to lounge and relax at. We got the jasmine tea with boba and it was decent. The dog is so adorable! I gave that little cutie so many pets.

Bobabia in San Mateo in the downtown San Mateo area. Parking is street parking (metered). They have a more private room with armchairs and high tables/bar stool chairs that is separated by a curtain from the main lobby. I was hoping to study and work on some assignments, but their wifi was down. The employee (might be the owner) was apologetic about it. I tried their jasmine milk tea with boba. The drink was way better than I remembered it. It was creamy and had a slight tea taste to it. It was not as sweet with 50% sweetness, I think it would had been better at regular sweetness.

This place is open until 11pm on Fridays now! Fantastic drinks, fantastic service. Really friendly cashiers. My wife loves the taro lachie. I almost took off a star because my wife said the cashier was really hot.

We got the Lychee Mojito which comes with lychee tea, mint, and lychee jelly. It was refreshing, but mainly wanted to write this review because of the super nice indoor space -- couches, cute lighting, lots of room, and AC :) Boba spots usually don't have nice places to chill so if you're looking for a spot in downtown SM this is a good one! The owner was also really helpful and chill for pointing us to the back room. They also rent out the space for events!

This is my go-to spot when I need an oasis from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is ideal for an introvert like me. Chill vibes, unobtrusive staff and owner, and even a cutie doggo mascot, Apple, to hang out with when you need a break. Bobabia is located on the outskirts of downtown, so it's a great spot to hang out in the morning or afternoon and catch a meal nearby. Street parking with meter and a nearby commercial garage. Space and restrooms are clean. Atmosphere 6/5: Chill, local business. The owner hosts various community events - open mic, stand-up comedy, movies. The best spot in San Mateo downtown for studying, reading, board games or quick stopover for a refreshing drink...this is my ideal spot when learning something new for fun or an exam - enough ambience to keep me focused, not too loud or too quiet, reliable Wi-Fi. There is a "secret way" with even more space to hang out in. Beverage 4/5: I recommend trying the signature beverages and seasonal specials or snacks. All drinks start out at 50%. My go-to is Mingle Mango without the popping boba, less sweet. Grab a drink or two and hit that flow state!

The tea itself is fine, but the boba pearls are clearly old and lack flavor and consistency. Service is quick but the store was empty and I genuinely don't think I've ever seen anyone walk in, in my many years of living in the area. Overall there are much better places closer to the action of downtown san mateo.

When I drip, you drip, we drip! Bobabia's tea are freshly brewed every day! They launched their new boba menu in April 2021!! Taro Laiche 8.5/10 Magic Cafe Sua Da 9/10 Bobabia Roasted Oolong Milk Tea 7.5/10 Lychee Mojito 8/10 I love how all my drinks were not sweet at all! Perfect sweetness! All the drinks were yummy! All the tea flavors were there which I loved! My top two favs are Taro Laiche and Magic Cafe Sua Da! I love how it comes with fresh taro and brown sugar agar boba. Cafe Sua Da is strong reminds me of the coffee in Vietnam. Love it! Be sure to check them out!

Probably came here during an off hour but it was an awkward experience. I almost thought I walked into the wrong store because no employee was anywhere to be seen and the lighting is very dim, so upon first look I thought I entered some lounge. I ordered the white peach oolong milk tea with honey boba and taro laiche. White peach oolong mt: it was good but not significant, and the boba was SO HARD it was unappetizing. Toppings aren't included so I paid extra for...this?! Taro laiche: this was good and they used real taro. This is a pricier drink that comes with brown sugar agar boba, but we didn't know that and actually asked for agar boba. Instead of telling us that it's already included with the drink, the cashier charged an extra 75 cents for a topping when we didn't need to. Yeah... we could have read the description of the drink more thoroughly, but it would be courteous if the cashier had let us know. Overall, this was a disappointment and I will not be returning.

We have now been visiting Bobabia for several years. My daughter adores visiting to see Apple, the owner's dog, and to have her favorite toppings, especially lychee :) It doesn't hurt that the owner is very friendly and patient. I've upgraded my rating because of his patience with each customer and the fact that the business remained open and operating during COVID - all protocols observed diligently. Since it is located downtown San Mateo, my daughters can walk there after school, such a nice place to have memories.

Good location, easy to find parking, not close to the other main shops. Not a fan of the new style cups but it could be because they were for to-go. Sugar levels are adjusted perfectly to your order.

There was no line when I arrived and waited less than 5mins for the drink to be prepared. I got the roasted oolong milk tea and the flavor was good. They get extra points for not using any plastic cups, lids, or straws. The cup is not as aesthetically pleasing as other places but being environmentally conscious is important and what matters most is the quality of the drink. They also have a couple unique drinks on the menu that I would definitely come back to try.

I had high hopes for this place but I didn't love the drink. I got the assam black milk tea with honey boba and non dairy creamer. The default sweetness level is 50% which I didn't think was sweet at all, so the 100% level tasted better for me.

Drinks are not too sweet and less expensive than other boba shops. It's easier to park here and nice relaxing places to sit! Boba is soft and not too chewy.

I've been here a few times. This time I got a Roseberry Madness, which is "An ingenious combination of Strawberry with Rose Petal Tea. Includes strawberry heart toppings to complement the mild and delicate flavour." It was like a more grown up version of strawberry milk -- not so sugary and rich, much more subtle. Tasted good, but the heart shaped topping bits had trouble making it up the straw. In the past I've also tried the Mingle Mango (mango slushie, really really good!!) and my old standby, wintermelon tea with grass jelly. I especially like that parking is easier at this boba place than the more downtown places.

Late review, visited in June, would come again to try their other flavors! Got the jasmine milk tea and strawberry drink w strawberry jellies. Wasn't a fan of the jellies but the tea in the strawberry drink was strong and pleasant (my preference)

Literally the best venue place in San Mateo. I had a 17th birthday party here and it fit around 50-60 people and it wasn't even that cramped! The lighting was beautiful and suit the vibe of my party perfectly. Victor was such an amazing host!!

Love this place! It is so unique, the drinks and snacks are great, and the owner and staff are amazing.

wanted to get something with lychee jelly and a lot of boba shops dont have that anymore :( the store was empty when we arrived but it is a pretty quiet street (dont let the area fool you) I grabbed a lychee green tea (which i also havent seen in a while - the last place might have been t-pumps) with lychee jelly. I opted for 50% sweet and less ice and if you do a check in - you can get a free topping. The lychee green tea is exactly what you imagine it would taste like - strong sweet lychee flavor and a verryyy mild green tea flavor. I would actually consider going less sweet due to the sweetness from the lychee jelly. The only con i can share is that im not a fan of their cup - it felt kinda filmsy when i grab it from the top and he also didnt add any ice when i said less ice.

really cool boba place!!! the service was top tier, workers are all super friendly and nice! the place gives chill vibes, they have karaoke and there is dim led lighting for cool photos. they have really good tea. i recommend the roseberry madness and lychee mojito!! they're both really nice tea drinks, not too sweet but sweet enough and still refreshing!

To echo many of the other reviews, the owners are so kind. Super relaxed yet hip vibe, plenty of seating, and clean. Came on a chilly Friday evening and had a rose and strawberry hot tea - hit the spot. You could tell it was made with care, and not thrown together with a couple of pumps of syrupy sugar like many other boba places. Will be back and I hope others will visit this wonderful local business.

Friendly, helpful, service; delicious rose jasmine boba; good music but not too loud; good for socializing and has games; delightful atmosphere with a super cute dog mascot (Apple).

I got an Earl Grey milk tea 25% sweet; 4/10... sadly pretty disappointed. It was watery and tasted like a diluted early grey tea. I also got the White Peach Oolong milk tea 100% sweet; 5/10 better than the early grey but I didn't taste the peach. It tastes too floral-y. My friend got the Honeydew Green tea 100% sweet; 5/10, tasted like as expected, I don't tend to like fruit syrup drinks

First time here and the atmosphere is so cute!! Not to mention they have the cutest dog ! I think it was the owner who was making my drink he made it in LIGHTNING speed y'all .. and he's so kind! Thank you so much will definitely be coming back my drink is soooo good!

I've been coming here for over six years at this point, and it's by far my favorite cafe/boba place ever. The place is super clean and relaxing and is a wonderful place to sit down for a few hours and get some reading or work done. The owner is extremely friendly and he has a cute little chihuahua that often is sitting in the back of the store. The tea of course is also fantastic-- flavorful and fragrant. Highly recommend!

I got the Roseberry Madness. According to the description, it is "an ingenious combination of strawberries with rose petal tea, includes strawberry heart toppings to complement the mild and delicate flavour." My drink did not have strawberries (1 star off), seemed to be watered down (1 star off), and the strawberry heart toppings were too big for the straw that they could not be enjoyed with the drink (1 star off). In fact, it had some bitter aftertaste (1 star off) that I could not explain. I don't think I've had a bad boba drink before...but I guess there is a first time for everything.

They make a great Hong Kong tea! Cute and clean with friendly service. The boba is fresh and chewy.

Great drinks with organic options. Very good customer service, they really listen and accommodate your requests. There's a cute little dog.

Love how environmental friendly this place is. We always get cafe sua da and it's definitely different from other places. Owner is nice. Became our go-to spot in San Mateo!

Environment wise: they have some spots for you to sit and hang. Small but cute. Drink 1(3.5/5) the mung bean milk tea with brown sugar agar boba - the mung bean taste pretty strong (not in a bad way if you like mung bean) I had another good mung bean milk tea from 7 leaves and their quality has went down the second time I went and so I was a little sad . For now this taste better than 7 leaves . Price= $6+0.75 (brown sugar agar boba) pre tax Drink 2(1.5/5) Roosted oolong milk tea with honey boba - it taste very diluted maybe because it's the creamer or milk they use ... I'm a strong tea flavour person in milk tea. So I go around trying all kinds of milk tea that claimed to have very good tea flavour. I wouldn't necessarily say I can't taste the tea at all but it tastes like brew tea with a lot of liquid but that liquid is a combination of water and milk and so it really just taste like a watered down tea. I've personally made milk tea from scratch before and so I kinda feel it. If you are looking for the creamy milk tea kind this is the totally opposite of it. Price= $5+0.5 (honey boba) Note: they honey boba doesn't taste like anything it's just chewy. I will go for brown sugar agar boba.

This is a very overdue review for this very underrated boba tea shop. My teen daughter and I have come here for years . Their milk tea is solid and not too sweet. More recently, we've also tried their seasonal specialty drinks - HK style milk tea with condensed milk (yummy!!) and this past summer we found their honeydew smoothie really hits the spot on a warm day. There are many many boba spots in downtown San Mateo so how does this place stand out? They have a really nicely decorated seating area in the back of the shop with high top tables and stools or comfy sofas and coffee tables. The bathroom is the absolute cleanest I've ever seen in a boba shop. I believe the owner is almost always one of the people at the shop, taking orders and making the drinks. I sometimes go there with my family of 4, one of which is in a wheelchair, and they have always been super kind and accommodating. Today, when we were in the back room , they were considerate enough to ask if they should turn on the AC for us. That is going above and beyond and shows that they care about their customers. There is a chill vibe at this place. I always feel relaxed, never rushed and after enjoying the drinks in the back room usually feel more refreshed than when I first walked in.

Bobabia is a super spacious, family-run drink shop that makes for a great place to work or chat. The brief menu features a variety of teas, smoothies, and desserts--my pick was the matcha green milk tea with grass jelly and no sugar, which was prepared super quickly in the back kitchen. While nice and refreshing, the drink was quite watery and didn't have much flavor, and also super pricey (almost $5.50) for what it was! That being said, the free wifi, green-painted walls, high ceilings, calm ambient music, and friendly staff make this an attractive place to just relax and chill out!

My usual spot, Sharetea was closed as the space is changing over to new ownership, and they'll re-open Sharetea a few blocks away in a few months. So, I was looking for another boba spot nearby to get my fix and remembered hearing good things about Bobabia. The balls were a little too soft for my liking but the flavor of the honeydew green tea was on point. Pretty much like juicing a fresh honeydew! His regular milk tea with boba, and my honeydew green tea with boba set me back $8 and change. So average more or less on price, but they do give plenty of tea. And they use organic tea. I still prefer Boba Guys over everyone, but they're only in SF and NY for the time being. Interesting menu, plenty of seating. And for the Harry Potter fans out there, they have a butter beer drink special in the rotation. Bobabia is a solid boba choice in downtown San Mateo where there's a plethora of boba shops.

Absolutely love this place. To be honest I've never been into the whole bobba milk tea thing, but after today I am a fanboy. But what I really loved about this place more than the drinks was the incredible customer service I received. The man behind the counter was so helpfull in helping me make a selection and was laughing at all my jokes. (By the way my jokes suck) but he seemed to find them very amusing which made me laugh as well. I ended up ordering the earl grey with almond milk with bobba, yeah I know super boring but like I said I'm new to the bobba thing. But it was super good not to sweet and not bitter. Just right! Next time I will be more adventurous. Parking was easy but you will have to pay meter if you are parking before 6pm. I will definitely be back.

Bobabia is a cute little place in downtown San Mateo. The decoration and set up inside give a warm and lovely welcoming vibe. The tiny dog sleeping on the "floating bed" in the corner is a plus and super adorable. Their drink menu is pretty limited, but the seasonal drinks are really unique. I got the hot sesame milk tea which was a great drink for cold weather. It's not overly sweet or too bland. Basically, it was at the right balance. The price is pretty decent. Not sure how the parking usually is, but as of right now, it is easy to find parking spots right in front of Bobabia.

San Mateo has so many boba shops... this place is pretty quiet and spacious. I had their passionfruit green tea with aloe and it was perfect! I would normally as for less ice but during the heatwave ice was needed to keep my drink cooler. Different teas also have different costs. My drink was under $4 where as my mom's drink came out to be almost $5. She had the rose jasmine milk tea with lychee jelly. Surprisingly, she said it was fantastic except a little too sweet for her (but aren't all parents like that). I do agree that the flavors in her milk tea were pretty rich in comparison to my syrup flavored tea. Perhaps that is the reason for the cost difference. There are also snacks (like popcorn chicken). I didn't try it but it's pretty hard to mess that up and still be selling it. And there is wifi so working here is an option especially with the tables in the other room and ac in both! Might come back here if we get another heatwave.

TLDR: boba joint with plenty of seating where you can bring a laptop and do some work Atmosphere: quiet and they have lots of different types of boba. I had the taro milk tea and it wasn't too sweet which is what I like. Prices are ok $4-5

We love Bobabia! Anytime we're in downtown SM, this is a must have - specifically love the lychee mojito and mingo mango

This place is a hidden gem and definitely worth walking another block to come here. They just started a new menu with very unique drinks: peachy oolong, mingle mango, lychee mojito, roseberry madness, Ying yang float, magic cafe sua da, taro laiche, and passional limelight. Drinks are very tasty and refreshing and prices are very reasonable. Drinks are using fresh ingredients which makes it different than most boba shops. Highly recommend this place if you are in San Mateo area.

I got their wintermelon boba tea and while it was good, I think they make their drinks too sweet here. I asked for only 25% sweetener, but it tasted like there was the full amount of sweetener in it. Also, their boba is different from the regular tapioca balls - I'm not sure what they make them out of. It's not bad, just different. They recommended to my bf that he get their magic tea, as it was supposed to be really good. However, neither one of us liked it once he got it. It was a little too strong for our tastes and once again, too sweet, even though he also only got 25% sweetener. They do have the cutest dog that sits in the corner to greet the guests though. Be sure to stop by and say hi to Apple :)