Ding Tea Balboa

Ding TEA Needs Better Staff Ding TEA has gone way downhill. I ordered a large iced coffee and got a cup almost completely filled with ice and barely any actual coffee. When I asked the girls working if that was really a large, they just said “yes” and completely ignored me—no apology, no explanation, no effort to make it right. This only ever happens when they’re working. When the older guy is there, the drinks are made properly every time. It’s clear who actually cares and who doesn’t. If management doesn’t step in and do something about this, they’re going to keep losing customers. I don’t think I will be coming back.

Spacious cafe, lots of different drink options. Try the Chimayo mango smoothie and it was delicious. I definitely have to come back and try the matcha drinks.

Hands down best taro smoothie I have ever tasted. I ordered Taro Oreo Tornado. This location is the only one that does it.. I went to ding tea in Mira Mesa, corona, orange county and riverside.. Ding Tea Balboa is the only place that does TARO OREO TORNADO. and it is absolutely delicious.. I would love to know the calorie count... Or perhaps the sugars or nutrition facts. Or maybe I don't. Taro Oreo Tornado is 100% to die for

First time visiting! Ordered a lychee green tea with rainbow jelly with 50% sugar level. It still tastes sweet enough so I personally enjoyed it! The vibe of the place is really nice, I noticed they have board games for entertainment and foosball, plus they have different types of sitting spots that are great for groups or if you need to use your computer.

Okay not sure what happened here but I'll say it was probably a one off. I ordered a normal boba milk tea. It was my first time at this location but the Ding Tea at Fashion Valley mall is easily the best boba I've ever had and go back to regularly. I was in the area so I stopped in here. They didn't have creme brulee like the other location, the boba seemed old, the drink tasted pre-made, and the tea flavor was really strong. I really do think this was a one off, but I'll stick to the one at the mall.

Another great Ding Tea. They have the best boba I've ever tried and their milk teas are always great. My favorite are the oolong and hokkaido milk teas, delicious. You can change the sweetness and amount of ice to your liking at no extra charge which I love. Their Thai Tea and the Monster Boba Latte are also really good. The staff is nice, the place is clean, and they have a restroom.

The best slush Boba’s in the area. Just wish they opened up sooner. My kids love it but when I treat them on the weekends they don’t open till later and we’re already out and about otherwise the best value and taste in the area!

After shopping for groceries.. and a long hard journey I’m sure anyone is thirsty for boba tea. I am.. so that’s what brings myself here. I ordered the grapefruit juice tea and it doesn’t disappoint. Cheers!! Side-note.. they have cute adorable plushies for sale. *update - came back for a Vietnamese coffee and that stuff is strong.. need water afterwards

I found another Ding Tea location in San Diego since this is the only boba shop i can get my golden boba fix. Service was good. Parking lot is big and plenty of spots to park at. I ordered a matcha milk tea and for the hubby, a blended Thai tea. Both were delicious and good, as Ding Tea boba drinks could be!! If you haven't tried golden boba, highly recommend as this is better than black boba... and there is a difference!!

Ding TEA Needs Better Staff Ding TEA has gone way downhill. I ordered a large iced coffee and got a cup almost completely filled with ice and barely any actual coffee. When I asked the girls working if that was really a large, they just said "yes" and completely ignored me--no apology, no explanation, no effort to make it right. This only ever happens when they're working. When the older guy is there, the drinks are made properly every time. It's clear who actually cares and who doesn't. If management doesn't step in and do something about this, they're going to keep losing customers. I don't think I will be coming back.

This review is for their new cream banana matcha latte- I was so excited to see the announcement for the new drink. The matcha is rich and not bitter, and the banana cream was thick and not too sweet. I look forward to trying it again, definitely one of my faves in SD!

My daughter and I like to go for Boba together and she brought me here! Absolutely loved every bit of it. So exited first didn't know what to get, always love a tea sweetened and jellys!! Well, they had homemade pandan jellys!!!!!! I LOOOOVE PANDAN- mildly coconut Thai sweetness, amazing ANYWAY, got my mango tea sweetened with, SOOOOO DELICIOUS, my new fave!!

Pricey and very busy. I got a Jasmine tea which was $6+ taxes and tip. And I had to wait 10 minutes The tea itself was very fragrant and refreshing but definitely wasn't worth the time to get it. Staff were OK and seemed a little overwhelmed. The inside was a bit dirty with all the tables is being taken and trash everywhere, though not the staffs or the restaurants fault. If the wait is not too long, I recommend coming here, but if it is there other alternatives.

This Ding Tea location is great! I've been here multiple times and the drinks have always been on point. I recently got an Iced Hokkaido Coffee, it had a good amount of sweetness. There are about 30 seats (about 10 tables) and there are a good amount of outlets, so this is a good place to study or do work. There's also a big couch that's really comfortable. The music volume is a decent level, about 7/10. The staff was friendly and we got our drinks very quickly.

This is a classic boba spot with a convenient location. The menu has lots of different options from slushes, yogurt drinks, and milk teas. The secret menu is displayed on the screens and they're relatively decently priced. Plus, their boba texture is consistent. I got enticed by their monster series which is their brown sugar drinks line. There's just something about the mixture of fresh milk and brown sugar that's always good, but their flavored cream on top makes it a little bit more special. I got the matcha and ube taro one and I can see myself getting either one again. Service: Simple ordering process but if you go on busier nights, the line can have a bit of wait for the ordering process. Drinks come out fast though. Ambiance: Plenty of tables and chairs so it's good for groups or studying.

I was in the same quality that we experienced at fashion Valley, but this one is more like a video game arcade with really bright cafeteria lighting. It's also much less clean feeling and the employees don't seem to care at this one.

Super quick service! My go to is the Hokkaido Milk Tea with boba or Hokkaido Coffee. Great options if you're a sweet tooth like me :) They got lots of tables and seating options if you're trying to do some work.

Prices are reasonable at this location. I like that they have a big menu, lots of options to choose from. I like the wintermelon milk tea, and the taro Oreo tornado was quite good too (but slightly film-y on your tongue). Their monster bobo drinks are good as well. Whenever I've tried the yakult drinks they're pretty decent as well. I really appreciate that they have a lot of non-caffeinated options.

This is my favorite Ding Tea location amongst all the other ones I've gone to (OC and Riverside). Drinks: In my opinion, there are more options on their menu and their boba tastes good. Their drinks are pretty consistent. Ambiance: I also enjoy the indoor seating and entertainment areas. They have a pool table and activities in general. They have a couch and other seating with tables. It's always decorated very nicely.

Ordered their coconut juice but it was literally all ice and barely any liquid. Their other drinks are really good though.

This is great place in my honest opinion, I hang out with a few friends here and they said they liked the place as well, service was fast and easy, staff was great they were kind and even recommended some drinks we never tried before when we asked. I am definitely coming back in the future.

This location is decent. Parking in the lot can be tight depending on the time of day, but spots tend to free up pretty quickly. The shop is clean and there's a lot of seating options inside. The menu has a ton of options for drinks and bubble waffles! The staff is friendly and offer help if you've got any questions about the menu. I recommend anything from their monster series which comes with fresh milk and a brown sugar syrup along the cup!

Used to come here often but lost my sweet tooth for few years. Came back again today many years later and their classic monster latte is still bomb as ever!

Go here regularly. Your very back to basic boba place - which isn't bad at all. Has all the standard drinks and toppings. Positives include: (1) Big area with many tables to study or meet up with friends (2) Not always crowded, which makes it easy go to place. (3) They also have a sour sop drink I like (4) Monster boba latte is also very good (5) Very clean. Never seen any sticky residue on tables. (6) Staff is very friendly.

I've been to several Ding tea places. Drinks are fine here but I noticed that the cups are not ding tea cups like other places. I also wish they had some Japanese cakes to go with the tea like the ones at the Tierrasanta place. I had to leave after getting the drinks because I wanted to eat something nice to go a long with the tea.

Great place to hang out with enough tables. Good range of drinks. Friendly staff. Fast service.

I would give this boba spot 2.5 stars but I rounded up to 3 stars because the boba drinks we got were good. So no issues with their drinks, they are yummy! The reason for my 3 star review is that this place was filthy. I ordered online, ahead of time. They were very busy and they only had 2 staff working. I felt really bad for the 2 employees. They were working really hard and as quickly as 2 people can with a line of 8 people and online orders on top of that. Because my order was delayed, I had time to sit and observe. The walls and floor were extremely dirty. There were nails in the wall and missing artwork/decor. All of this to say I think ownership needs to give their establishment some TLC and also help by having enough employees working.

Things I loved: - you can order your drink with no sugar - you can order a % of ice you want - their boba was FRESH and cooked well Service was wonderful and the drinks were made very promptly! Highly recommend even though it's not the traditional brown boba (legit tasted the same!) @neeks93

Absolutely loved the Strawberry Yogurt Slush I got! It was packed full of flavor and it wasn't too sweet at all, which I'm grateful for. They do have a ton of menu items, so it was a bit overwhelming trying to figure out what I wanted. Their decor is pretty fun, especially the good angel wings they have (perfect for IG if I had one). I wish their neon sign was lit up because it looks weird when it's off. Would love to come back and try some of the other flavors!

I used to come here to study often when I was taking online classes years ago as I find the place to be equally aesthetic and comfortable. It's also just a walking distance away from me so I love walking my dog here to grab a quick drink! My favorites are strawberry green tea with lychee, wintermelon (milk or not) tea with boba, passion fruit green tea with lychee, taro milk tea with boba, and taro Oreo tornado. The service is as expected depending on how busy it is!

It's been awhile since I went to a Ding Tea. This is my first time in this location. It's clean and spacious. I imagine myself hangout here on a Friday with friends. The menu is extensive. See photo.  I ordered a signature milk tea boba with golden boba and lychee (aka coconut jelly by their standards.) It's basic, but sometimes you need a classic to enjoy boba.  Service was fast. The person at the register didn't ask if I wanted to adjust my sweetness and ice level. I usually do less ice and 3/4 sugar.   The drink prices were were standard. See menu. The boba toppings were a bit pricey at 90cents per topping.

I was recommended to try this location and it did not disappoint. I liked that they had crystal boba as an option and their milk tea was good. I overdid it when I ordered the gotcha matcha poffle but it was so good! The employees were very friendly when I asked them for water, wifi etc. They have a pretty steady clientele but it never felt busy or crowded as most people picked up to go.

I've grown very fond of Ding Tea recently and really love how they put in the extra effort to make their boba shops so inviting. No matter which location I visit, the shops are always beautifully decorated and very clean and modern looking. This particular location has beautiful fresh orchids, my favorite flowers! I've been wanting to try their Hokkaido Oolong Milk Tea. The flavor has a nice fragrant aroma, and is paired well with golden boba. I got mine 50% sweet, and it was just right! Their taro milk tea with grass jelly is also one of my favorites, and great with grass jelly or pudding. This drink generally is on the sweeter side, so I like it 50% sweet with grass jelly or 30% sweet with pudding. If you prefer sweet drinks, by all means get it 100% sweet. I decided to try their bubble waffles. There were 2 kinds on the menu: Pandan waffle or mochi waffle You can get the waffles plain, or with a variety of toppings and ice cream. We got the waffle by itself and ordered "bubble waffle." I think what we got was the pandan waffle, because it was very heavy, not at all chewy like the bubble waffles we got at other places. I'm guessing because of the green color, it must have been the pandan waffle, because I would expect mochi to be more chewy and less dense. The flavor was nice, but the texture was a bit disappointing and was more like a regular waffle. It didn't hit the spot for that bubble waffle craving. Now I'm determined to go back and specifically order the "mochi waffle." The bubble waffle didn't do it for me, so for now.....

Their quality is going down. Pay $6 for a small bobo monster it tastes just milk and sugar there are no creamy.

Ordered one of the most basic items off a boba menu- a jasmine green milk tea (warm). I got it 75% sweet with boba. The tea was severely burnt and had a chemical aftertaste. I took 2 sips and unfortunately had to trash it. I usually don't expect much from chain spots like ding tea- but how could they mess up a classic that badly?! Disclaimer, I did pick up the drink before I headed to work, around 6pm. Although it's a pretty big problem from a boba business for their teas to decline so much in quality throughout the day. Really hope that this ding tea's management/ quality control comes up with a solution, because I was really looking forward to a simple basic tea drink. Service and ambiance wise, I had no complaints. The baristas and cashier were all sweet, and the store was clean with board games and plenty of tables.

Forgot to take pictures of our drinks! You can place order online or inside, they have a speaker on both ends, which made ordering easier. I got the oolong milk tea with crystal and honey boba. It perfect amount of sweetness. My fiancée got the Thai tornado. Both drinks were delicious! They have a spacious inside with card games. We stayed for a bit and played uno.

Boba: Oolong Milk Tea w/ golden boba was pretty smooth. I always say it's pretty hard to mess up Oolong, but I've been wrong before. Thankfully wasn't the case. Seating: Plenty. There's even a foosball table. Parking: Parking lot in front, but can see it filling up quickly on a weekend. Wifi: Excellent. I got bored and literally ran a speed test (screenshot below). Betcha never seen that before on a yelp review. But pretty useful if studying here or trying to get work done. Restrooms: CLOSED/blocked off. Plan accordingly.

Its a very good place for boba and bubble waffles on a summer day.There service is great and the drinks are good and refreshing too! I highly recommend it!!

I'm hooked on these 2 Vietnamese coffees with ube and cheese foam! Both are delicious. I order them a couple times a week. Must try.

Really nice staff! They have board games(like Uno, Jenga, Conect 4, Monopoly, etc) and lots of sitting space. Everything is very clean and drinks are good. Plenty of parking out front.

I was told this "winter melon" milk tea was good. I was skeptical because I don't think I even know what a winter melon is, but the recommendation was spot on. It was delicious. Their bubble teas have never let me down, though. My only complaint, even at 50% sweetness, it's too sweet, though.

I LOOOOOVE the milk tea here. I crave and dream about the Hokkaido all the time! I loooove my drinks with egg pudding and grass jelly. So yummy! Parking had been plenty available because of COVID and I recommend ordering online so you can walk in and out.

Located in a small strip mall with parking. Can order online for a small fee or in store which is usually fast as well. Have tried a large variety of drinks here and found them to be of high quality with great tea flavor. Drinks have never tasted watered down and the toppings are always delicious as well. Have tried coffee jelly, boba and crystal boba, all of which were made well. The coconut coffee is my current favorite and is a refreshing blend of coffee and coconut flavors! My go to boba spot that I can always rely on!

The drinks are AMAZING here. I really wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was, everyone in my group were happy with their drinks. My family ordered a combination of milk teas, fruity teas and their special blizzard drinks. I tried every tea and I have to say I had very little complaints. My favorite drink was the Thai blizzard, it's definitely a bit more heavy but it's worth it. The only reason I docked a point is that the location that I went to was very slow. I waited in like for over 30 minutes and the orders took quite a while. There were multiple customers fighting in front of us about the line situation and no workers came to fake care of their concerns.

Amazing!!! It was my first time here and I can't wait to come back to try more off the menu. I really liked their menu as it has an incredible amount of options, a "secret menu", features, so many toppings and even dairy free options. I was craving taro so we got their featured burnt cream taro milk tea which has a burnt crystallized sugar topping almost like crème brûlée and it comes with golden boba. Very creamy and delicious! We also ordered the taro Oreo tornado and it was beyond amazing. It is a sweet drink but not overwhelmingly sweet which is perfect to get if you have a sweet tooth or looking for dessert! They also have bubble waffle here which we didn't get next time but it looked yummy! Cant wait to come back again and try more menu options :)

After our so-so experience with Ding Tea in Mira Mesa, we were a little hesitant to try this location. We decided to roll the dice (we've been in a gambling mood lately) and give this locay a shot. Parking is limited in this plaza and there are signs plastered all over the parking lot that the parking is designated for customers only of stores in the plaza. We went on a weekend when White Dragon Martial Arts was closed, so there was plenty of parking. The moment we stepped inside, we realized the place is a lot bigger in appearance than what you would think standing outside of it. I wanted to write, "it is bigger than you think," (that's what she said), but my wife didn't think it would be appropriate (I blame The Office). So I compromised and wrote it her way AND my way. ^_^ Anyhow, the place has a ton of seating and actually looks like a good place to hit the books. Hard to find a good place since Infinitea went out of business (RIP). We ordered our drinks and they were good. Nice tea flavor and you can customize sugar and ice levels. We also tried a plain Pandan bubble waffle. The waffle was not as good as Happy Lemon. Their batter seems to be thicker, probably because they use them as cones for ice cream. So the consistency is heavy and chewy versus light and crispy (like Happy Lemon). Taste wise the pandan seems a bit mild. Customer service is not bad. The people that work there are friendly. I like the decor in this place. The owner seems to be a fan of Marvel and anime. Overall, this place is cool and we will return. 4 / 5 - Drink 3.5 / 5 - Plain Pandan waffle (not going to hold this against them) 4 / 5 - Service 4 / 5 - Cleanliness 4 / 5 - Atmosphere 4 / 5 - Overall

As a huge bubble milk tea and matcha fan I met my match made in heaven at Ding Tea! They had a monster matcha bubble milk tea! The creams matcha on top was everything I needed on a full work day! My husband loves caramel and the Hokkaido oolong was perfect!

First time guest to this business. The drinks were okay and the menu was plentiful. I got a Thai Tea with Boba, sweetness 100, & ice 30%. My husband got the brown sugar tea with Boba, sweeteness 100%, and ice 50%, and it tasted very watered down and wasn't sweet at all. He said he should've gotten what I got. Highlight: We got some of the female employees them fresh drinks and add the sealed plastic lid with their machine. They we're making these drinks in the dining room area. However, this place seemed to be lacking customer service. We were greeted when we walked up to the register and then the employee walked away. We were not asked this being our first time, if we need help with our order or explanation of menu and drink options, nothing. I find it very annoying and frustrating coming into a business as a first time customer to have employees ignore you, other than the normal, hello, are you ready to order? If you're not they'll say okay and walk away, leaving you standing there like wtf! I'm huge on customer service and if I get treated poorly, I won't be back. The treatment is a direct reflection off the owners and managers. In today's world where money doesn't go as far, you'd think businesses would have over the top customer service. We have a choice where we want to spend our money and it won't be at a place where I feel me or my business don't matter. Final thoughts- drinks were okay, tasted like pre-made mixes I could make at home, however, it did satisfy my Thai Tea craving. Customer service is lacking and needs more attention to detail. There are plenty of other place to get these drinks, so we'll be exploring those options. Cheers, and thanks for the lessons learned.

Amazing Boba for a great price! I recommend getting Ocean Dreams you won't regret it :))

Been coming to this location for about 5 years and order the same drink every time. Not once have they ever made a mistake. The best best place!!

Worst customer service and bad management. In addition, the drink tastes like water down tea with no favor even though it costed $6 for it.

WHAT I GOT: -Signature Milk Tea with Golden Boba (Regular Size 70% Sweet) $4.30 6/10 - pretty cheap compared to most boba places but you're getting what you pay for. Not the best teas but they do a decent job! Signature milk tea reminds me of a subtle Hong Kong milk tea and their boba is okay LOCATION/SEATING: -first it's kinda hot in there LOL like idk if it's ventilation or what. But the decor is super cute - they had like a 9 ft Christmas tree and photos on the wall and cute insta y backgrounds -there's a good amount of seating and it's pretty spacious. I would say you can fit 30+ people in there. PARKING: -they have a parking lot that seems decent sized! don't think you would have too much trouble finding parking WAIT: -Went on a Wednesday around 2 pm and there was about 3 people in front of us and a good amount of people sitting inside. Didn't wait too long though maybe about 10 minutes! NOTES/DEALS: -10% off with Yelp Check-In!!!!! -they do Five Star here so if you come enough or with enough people you can score those free drinkss

Ding tea is always consistent and tasty throughout all their locations. It has a lovely ambience, good service, and doesn't try to charge you an arm and a leg for everything. This location is very simple but has a comfortable appeal. They have about 14 tables and few board games for entertainment while you are here. This place always has a steady flow of customers and sometimes can get busy, but the drinks do come out fairly quickly. When I'm here I always go for the original milk tea with 30% sugar and less ice. My favorite toppings are aloe vera and Crystal boba. They give you a pretty good amount of toppings here. I like that the Milky here taste the same as all the other locations and it's not a hit or miss like some places. I've tried their other drinks but I always come back to the original milk tea.

First time visited this branch, usually I go to the one in the mall, but they are pretty much pricier than here, the one in the mall are customized big time, they added stuff like creme brulee and it has chucks of goodies underneath the boba. The one in Balboa which I got this Avocado Coco also is really good, the avocado ice cream which for me is the riches, creamiest avocado ice cream I ever had, and it is on the coconut bowl with real young coconut meat, OMG it is really good, try one for yourself and tell me if I am lying.

Best boba I've had since Taiwan! The pearls are soft and perfectly chewy. I ordered winter melon milk tea with oat milk and it was delicious! I will probably ask for it to be less sweet the next time I get it. Definitely recommend and will be back!

Ding Tea has become my favorite boba place. Their lychee is the best I have had and I've been to a lot of boba shops in San Diego. They have a really nice selections of drinks and bobas to add. I cant have milk as I'm lactose intolerant so I always opt to get a slushy. I always get the strawberry slushy with lychee jelly at the bottom. Its so good, slushy isnt too chunky of ice, and lychee is easy to drink through the straw. Other places have a weird issue with the lychee being warm but Ding Teas is cold. They do offer medium and large but its better to get the large when paying with a card or else you have to pay a 50 cent fee so might as well as upgrade to a large. It takes me a while to drink it all and i usually dont finish it because its so much to drink so definitely getting my moneys worth. I always go to this location or the one on University since its closer to me but I only go to Ding Tea nowadays!

My drink was *impeccable*. Just absolutely delicious. I had ding tea when I visited Tucson recently. I didn't realize it was a chain, and I can't even tell you how happy I am to realize that it is! I got a jasmine tea latte with oat milk, light ice, light sugar, boba, and aloe. SO GOOD.