Tapioca Express

Great for boba and Asian comfort food and snacks. This establishment is primarily a boba bar. They have an extensive boba menu. But I go there for their Asian snacks and comfort food. They are known for their crispy chicken, which is like a karage or fried chicken strips. They can adjust the spiciness of the chicken and they serve them with a selection of sauces. The chicken is well-made. But we recently ordered the pork stew rice and BBQ pork rice combos and both were full of flavor. Worth ordering again. The combos come with rice, two vegetable sides, and a tea drink. The place is a bit of a college student hang out, but not so much so that a family can't enjoy a simple meal there. Prices are reasonable. The establishment is good for Asian comfort food or a nice drink. (A small note on park: it can be, at times, hard to find a spot in the parking lot.)

Closed on Mondays. We've been coming here for years. This was the hotspot to study and hang out with friends. It's slowed way down since those old days, but the Boba is still amazing. We always love getting either the chicken snack or chicken meal. Even the calamari is good, but something about the chicken is so much better. The meal comes with rice, ground beef mix, pickled vegetables, broccoli, and a fried egg. Medium spice is not really spicy. The meals come with a drink as well. I've tried almost every drink on the menu, and they are all good. Milk teas, snow bubbles, and so much more. Service is usually always good here. When they get busy, it might be a hit or miss. But this place holds so many memories for us. Parking sucks. Just park in the street and walk up.

Best fried tofu in SD! Always made fresh with rice, fried egg, and veggies. Their boba is also consistently delicious 😋 my fav is the black tea with boba sweetened.

Took my nieces to try their first ever boba drinks, was the most disappointing trip as we discovered as soon as we got home that was no jellies in them as ordered. I called to let them know that same moment but no one picked up. The next morning I called and the person told me to come back in and they’ll remake it as long as I bring in the receipt. I went in right now and had the most experience and unprofessional service with the big guy with glasses. He smirks with the other guy working with him then proceeds to tell him I owe him another $5 something for the drink they would remake (after I already spent $29.60 that first night my drinks were wrongly made) saying you had the drink without the boba, which I didn’t and told him how the girls never ate it and it was still in the freeZer. In shock, I walked out and called to get the name of the manager and who was helping me to which the rude guy on the phone replied saying that’s private information, after saying I want only a first name he said the guys name was Edward. Save yourself trouble and avoid getting badly made drinks, go to Boba time down the street. The time before Tapioca express made my drinks with big chunks of ice which weren’t blended at all, and I didn’t say anything. Horrible customer service. The guy told me to come in to remake my drinks and the register didn’t even honor it despite how much I spend there monthly.

My fave boba spot since high school. Always get the white chocolate snow bubble w boba and spicy crispy chicken snack.

Love their boba and crispy chicken! I've been going here for years, and I'm always happy.

Very clean place that serves good boba tea and other assorted drinks. The service is fast and professional. The people here are nice. The drinks are all good, I have tried so many and not had a bad one yet. It's enjoyable to just relax here, and it's easy to get to and park.

Nice place, and the boba is really good! The servers seemed a little judgemental and stand-offish, which I totally understand they could be tired from their shift. I frequent the Tapioca Express in El Cajon blvd and both places are good options for boba however, for the location I extremely recommend the one in El Cajon.

TAPIOCA EXPRESS! I stopped by here after eating at one of the restaurants in the complex and this place at first i was kind of scared about because of how large the menu was, and how many reviews this has on yelp. However, this was actually extremely delicious, and very cheap boba! I decided to get the lychee green with boba with 75% sugar and it was DELICIOUS! It wasn't super sweet, it came out so quickly and the service was quick and easy. There was numerous of things to try from, like smoothies, milk teas, green teas, and even shaved ice. The atmosphere was bright and there was a lot of seating. I'd highly recommend stopping by this place!

Got togo here for the first time in a long while. Parking lot is busy as usual, especially now that Convoy St no longer has street parking. Food was ready by the time we arrived. Chicken steak rice was perfectly cooked and crispy. Fried tofu never disappoints. The crispy chicken snack was overcooked and a bit tough to chew through, but ranch helped soften it a bit.

Always reliable! Even though it's located in the most crowded plaza in Convoy. Speedy service Boba like the good ol days Ample seating space Crispy chicken Crispy calamari Any type of boba Cheers!

I went here with my parents and my friend for the first time while we were in the area. The cashier was super helpful with recommendations for toppings and popular drinks. I got the Lychee Green Tea with popping boba and absolutely loved my drink. It wasn't too sweet but not too bitter. They had a large seating area - perfect for hanging around and interior was well decorated. I would highly recommend Tapioca Express for anyone in the area!

Food: good Service : Friendly Ambiance: they are in a busy shopping center I alwaya get the strawberry passionfruit snow bubble with boba. My friend got the Strawberry snow bubble with real strawberries and boba. We shared the karache crispy chicken with a side of rice. Friendly service. Parking sucks.

All of the drinks I've ever gotten here have been very tasty! This location is in a busy strip mall filled with other food places and is great to go to for "dessert". Parking here is not great, the lot gets filled very quickly and I've found it better to try to find street parking. Today I got the taro milk tea with boba. It's also great that it's non-dairy for those who are lactose intolerant. I was a little surprised about how much the drink prices have increased (ended up close to $9 after tip). Last thing to say is that service is always quick and my drink was made in literally 1 minute.

Tapioca Express Been going here for years now. Parking lot is shared with other business and it's a battle to find a spot. Sometimes it's just easier to park on the street and walk in. Service is good and prompt. The same door hasn't been working for years now lol. It's just normal now to see that sign to use other door. There's seating inside and outside. It's been the same decor since I could remember. Order the usual crispy chicken rice and calamari rice. The snacks combos are decent and hit the spot when you haven't had it in a while. The spicy level really depends on the person working in the back. Portion size remains the same, the same container they've had for years. The sides of vegetables and main entree on top of rice with seasoning. The boba here is ok to good. The boba is consistent though, which is a good thing. This used to be the boba spot back in the day, but now there's more choices around convoy.

I really enjoy the popcorn chicken combo meal here! This is one of my favorite spots to eat popcorn chicken when I'm in the area. Boooo, they are closed on Mondays and depending on the time of day it could get really busy here. Workers are friendly, wait times are okay, parking usually sucks, and prices could be improved... but, I still come here regardless!

Tap Ex has been around for ever. With how many boba shops have popped up especially in recent years, it feels like the OG. It's not the trendy new kid in town, but instead a no frills old friend. The positive: they serve food in addition to boba. Nothing is a huge stand out, but you'll get your fix. This place is usually always packed. It's got a very energetic environment.

I basically grew up on TapEx and Quickly, so I stopped by out of convenience and nostalgia. I thought if TapEx could still survive as a franchise it must not be terrible right? Wrong, it was worse than what I remembered, and the bar was already pretty low. The classic milk tea 25% sweet had zero tea flavor at all. It was pretty much like drinking nondairy creamer. I couldn't finish it. Every drink is over $5 and they also charge tax on top. Save your money and go elsewhere. Not even nostalgia could save this drink.

The fishcake and popcorn chicken were really spicy, even at mild. But they were so addicting that I had to eat more and the lychee slush was really good too. I recommend this for a small snack or just to hang out. The food didn't come quick, but it was fresh from the oven. Everywhere was clean, offering napkins and boba straws to drink! This is a wonderful place and the employees are super nice and understanding. 10/10

The place was good. We got the coconut milk tea and the jasmine milk tea, both with boba. The service was simply and fast. I like what I got, but I like my wife's drink better. The coconut milk tea was rich with flavor. Mine wasn't quite as rich. Compared to other boba shops, mine was average. The place is nice and clean.

the best boba place 100%. the OG for sure. where the he** you ungrateful sons of a ******* at? y'all don't miss the music playing that doesn't match the music video on the tv? or the actual delicious tasting drinks with the popcorn chicken and a game of connect four? bunch of disloyal fools letting TapEx die out :(

Parking can be tough since it situated in a plaza where Raki Raki is. A nice place to grab a quick bite/Tawainese snacks and drinks. Service was ok. They seemed not so busy whenever I go. Willing to stop by again to try others on the menu.

Bought 2x large taro boba with extra boba and paid $16. No flavor at all. I think they even forgot to put sugar on it. What a waste of money!

With all the boujee boba places popping up I had strayed from this OG boba place for probably 2-3 years?! Also, sadly, not all Tapicoa express chains (though they should since its chain) are the same. The one in Oceanside, teas were soo sweet or bland (tried to adjust sweetness). The one near/in Tustin off the 5 freeway (same shopping center as 99 Ranch) their tea was also just ok. Their Chrispy chx I had to stop ordering cuz it just tasted bad. This place -thai tea 50% sweet: yes! -chrispy chx: just as I remembered, good flavor and not too crazy oily Clearly, when you go get boba and fried chx you aren't doing it for your health, ur doing it for indulgence. Indulgence achieved!

I've been coming here for almost 15 years since boba shops used to be extra popping especially on weekends. This place was the ish and where you wanted to be! They would be packed with loud music, people just sitting around talking, and just chillaxing. That was dinosaur ages ago because now when I visit every so often it's been really dead especially with the competition and location. Parking is horrible! The worse! When it did used to be popping and even so recently it's really hard to find parking especially since it's such a small lot with a number of shared businesses in the same plaza. To be honest, 30 minutes to loop around in countless circles never stopped me. They have the BEST snacks here at this location! I know there's a lot of franchises but no I've tried the same items at other locations and it is NOT the same! Once you've had their hot foods here, no other place will compare. I've had their crispy chicken, calamari, fish balls, and Chinese donuts. When u tell them spicy, u will get spicy which I loveeee and their fried basil, heaven! As far as drinks I always get the same ones and scared to venture out a bit. I HIGHLY recommend the ice cream milk tea! I drank that everyday religiously while pregnant. A few others are milk tea, thai tea slushie, strawberry coconut snow bubble with aloe vera, matcha snow bubble, and thai tea snow bubble with vanilla ice cream. I've spent so much money here throughout the years they should really invest in a points reward system.

Best popcorn chicken in SD, ask for extra basil, matches great with milk tea. Very distinct nostalgic taste since they have been here forever

Another awesome boba place (milk tea) with an interesting selection. Customer service was welcoming, and our beverages came out quickly. For sure will be back when in the area.

We were hungry and needed some food in us before our day started. We came around 2pm and this just so happened to be my first meal of the day (mom problems) so of course I was starving.. the curly fries hit the spot and the Thai tea was Thai tea lol. Tastes how it always taste, nothing special. I asked for the spicy seasoning on the curly fries and it did not disappoint. My son ordered the chicken and the melon boba. He said it was pretty good! Drinks: 8/10 Food: 8.5/10 Parking: -1 (if ya know, ya know)

I 100% still love this place with all my heart. This inflation tho is terrifying, and I know it's NOT their fault. Every restaurant I've talked to faces the same challenges. The days of $3 drinks and $6.95 food combos are long gone. Better hit the slot machines. Date: March 2, 2022 Please do not start a war, Joe Biden. Inflation is hurting people. Stop funding the military industrial complex.

Started coming to this location years back when I first began drinking boba and it's sad to say that I will not be coming back here as much as I used to. I understand that inflation is an issue right now but I paid over $7 excluding tip for a regular milk tea here. For what the drink is, this price is definitely not worth it. Not to mention each time I come here, the customer service is below average. I have never felt welcomed here by the employees. I will no longer recommend this particular location.

Not an experience I was expecting when walking to Tapioca Express. They didn't put any sweetness in my drink even though my receipt says less sweet. I got barley milk tea, but it's just regular milk tea, usually it has some texture of barley bits. I asked for less ice, but it comes with full ice..I hate to see such of one of my faves boba chain doesn't keep the same standard in all locations.

They can not get my order right for some reason. All I get is the fried calamari and squid balls. When I say spicy they barely have any spice. When I say extra spicy, the load it up full of spice where you're eating a mouth full of powder. Also when I say extra basil, they don't give me any basil. This place use to be great but for some reason it changed for the bad.

This has been my favorite place for Boba & snacks for a long time. They never disappoint. My usuals are Thai milk tea & Yogurt frost. I also love the popcorn chicken. This location has the best service compared to others like Eastlake. I like that they have a large area with seating. TapEx has my loyalty for sure!

One of my favorite OG boba places! I'm a basic milk tea and green tea person, no fancy drinks with foams or layers that other places are making nowadays. This place is perfect for yummy traditional Taiwanese boba drinks! Also their food is fire! I still haven't found a place in LA or OC that makes popcorn chicken like this place, they give you extra basil too! Their combo meals are where it's at!

It's been a while since I've been to this location, but it's good as I remember. Boba always fresh, enjoy their slushy's. It's kind of the go to spot for me when I'm in the mood for a good Boba. Not taking away any stars, but the parking here is always a pain, but generally parking a block or so away if you can't get a spot in the lot.

amazing food get the crispy chicken service was great and boba was the best

Love coming here, this place definitely reminds me of my high school days! I actually never get boba here but my go to is their basil chicken and their calamari! I typically will always call it in ahead of time just because I know it takes about ten minutes to cook and I rather just come in and pick it up instead of waiting! They are always sooo friendly when they answer the phone and are just as friendly when you walk in! Their calamari is my favorite out of all the other boba places I've tried as well as their chicken! For some reason I love the spice that they use and always get a medium even though by the time I'm done eating my mouth is on fire but it is so worth it! I wish I could say I've tried the drinks but I have yet to break out of my normal habits and will just continue to get my snacks here!

Wow.. it's been quite some time since I have to tapex! Nothing has changed except no dining in and everyone is wearing a mask. Same menu and service. I'll be honest the parking lot here is small and always crammed full of cars especially on the weekends. I always avoid it. But it wasn't packed at all due to most of the restaurants or shops still being closed. Tapex is still serving take out orders. Their employees are all in masks even the back kitchen staff. I was craving a strawberry milk tea and a medium spice calamari. I usually get the the spicy tofu but it's all the same seasoning. Medium was not as spicy spicy as I thought. It tasted like a mild. But it was still good, I just missed that seasoning flavor. I don't know what's in it, but it's addicting. The strawberry milk tea was yummy not as sweet as I was expecting which is what I prefer. Thanks for being open tapex! I've missed your spicy tofu and calamari!

We went to get some boba drinks, at Tapioca Express. The interior and the ambience was very cozy. As we enjoyed our drinks you can see others playing some card games with their friends. Its nice to know we have a safe space that we can gather with a group of friends to be ourselves and enjoy games like league of legends, dungeons of dragons etc. We ordered 2 drinks. Passion fruit snow bubble, and The guava green tea with lychee. Both drinks were very delicious. The passion fruit was very flavorful and there was an abundance of boba in the the drinks. I really enjoyed my guava green tea, the lychee pieces in the drink really complimented my drink. The pairing of the two was pure bliss, and unlocked a lost memory of a place I would frequent back in San Jose where I would get my drinks. As for the customer service, I felt could be some improvement. We were asking questions about the drinks, and staff didn't seem to friendly or was uninterested to help. The vibe coming from the staff weren't to happy and made us feel a little uncomfortable. I really liked my guava green tea, it was very refreshing and I'm glad I ordered the drink. My dislike was customer service, and feel it can use some improvement. Peter and the rest of staff, could be a little more friendly, but they didn't look too happy to be there. My guest and I, did not feel really welcomed or acknowledged at all. We also asked for the wifi, and they weren't too happy to help with that either, but expressed with an attitude to say its at the bottom of the receipt. I'd definitely would come here again, because of the great tasting drinks and the plethora of options of drinks to choose from. For both drinks, total was about $17.

$7.63 for a milk tea. I have seen other place cost $6 for a large with boba(Gong Cha in mira mesa). If anyone see less than $6, please let me know ,.,..........................................,..,.................................................................................................................................................................................................

What can I say to the place where I had my first boba experience.. Been here since my college days and now I bring my baby... Yeah keep up the great work tapex

Yum! I ordered the mangoneada boba and it was so good! Had chamoy and the tamarindo stick. For about $5 I had no complaints. The inside was cool too. Lots of seating. Too bad about parking, that was awful!

The Strawberry snow bubble pared with the spicy chicken is always a go to for me never disappoints if u dont like too much spice chose a level 2 or 3!

Been here a few times in the past when I lived in San Diego. Now I live up north and don't come as often. Came in yesterday to grab a quick snack after running some errands in SD. So sad to see everything put away in the midst of covid-19, but glad that I can still support a local small business. They have a good amount of things to choose from for a snack or an entire meal if you're super hangered. The crispy chicken was enough to fulfill my craving. Chicken steak rice was ok, but I forgot to ask for soy sauce to go with it! I do like their drinks as well, but this was my first time trying their mangoñada and I probably won't get it again because it's more of an icee to me. Flavor was good though. I just prefer a creamy texture. Parking here can be really hard when business is good. In these hard times, you won't have a problem finding a spot. Prices are pretty good compared to other boba shops in the area. Idk when I'll be back, but I will definitely come again! Service was pretty quick and they were friendly!

Food was always okay but finding hair in my food was a reoccurring issue I've seen. I've chose to ignore it multiple times by now but I've seen more than a couple hairs in this batch.

Food is good but either need to lower the music when there's a call in order or make ordering online available at convoy location.

I always loved TapEx and was so excited that they had a location right by our home. This tapex is usually pretty quick when making drinks/orders, and the line is never too long. They make their popcorn chicken super yummy & can never go wrong with a milk tea w/boba. The downside is their parking can be really bad, the spaces are super small & really compact, so you're better off parking on the street and walking. They are also closed on MONDAYS!! So don't drive & be disappointed like I have before lol

A great place to grab some drinks with your friends. They offer a wide variety of flavors and topping, meaning there's something for everyone. Today we ordered a mango boba slushie and a chocolate slushie. Also, this place does offer food on their menu in case you're hungry. We didn't take a picture of it, but if you do visit this place and want some food get their crispy chicken. They have both spicy and regular. Highly recommend it! The chicken batter is really crunchy and has a great flavor!

I usually never write a review but this place never seems to pick up their phone. Is it even working? I just placed an order for 3 drinks, 2 popcorn chicken snacks and 1 wonton cream cheese. The honeydew boba that I ordered tasted bland like there's not enough syrup but what I'm more concerned about is their wonton cream cheese. I tried calling but no one picks up, to let the staff know that they might want to check their cream cheese because it has a sour taste. Not the usual taste of cream cheese but more so bad. I had my husband tried tasting it to see if my tastebuds are off and surely the cream cheese has a sour taste like it's old. I've been coming here for years for their popcorn chicken and ice cream . Never had any issues until now.

Average boba place. Selection is good alot of choices. Service is friendly. Greeted upon entering. Got the avocado snow bubble. It was good, boba tasted fresh. Not too sweet which I like. Probably my second favorite boba place on convoy.

Have you ever wanted to watch K-Pop videos while listening to Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande songs, and thought to yourself, "this won't be confusing." Have you ever wanted to consume food and beverages that seem like they might be healthy and totally aren't? Have you ever wanted to wait in line for 20 minutes only to yell your order at the person behind the counter, but because they put the drink mixers in front rather than the kitchen, no one can hear your screams? Listen i know this place sounds amazing, but it gets better. Im sure you're wondering how the $%@# thats possible. And the truth is... the food here is just really F@$&ing good. Like crazy super yum. I'd like to make a comment about how the parking spaces outside are all made for smart cars which no one drives. Or how its filled with _____ drivers smashing into each other like bumper cars at the fair. I'd like to expand on my earlier quip about the noise emitted from the drink mixers. I'd even like to talk about how during the summer the door in front is always open and the cold air leaves the building faster than an _____ driver who just nailed your car in the parking lot. Id like to, but I cant. I cant because it doesn't matter. Smash my car and take my money you amazing mid day snack place. Make me sweat in line, and get my order wrong you early asian, pre tinder hook up spot. Confuse me with k-pop videos and modern pop songs you elegant food producer. There are many restaurants better than you Tap Ex. But strangely nothing will take your place. No matter how many franchises you sell, or how many bad businessmen try to rip off your idea, you will always be in a league of your own. PS. Who decided that the one door would be locked forever? And who drew the picture on it of the missle thing? Its been there for more than 10 years and thats weird.

My favorite spicy pop corn chicken spot. I usually come to get the Crispy Chicken Combo and the Salt and Pepper Fries. Gotta get both extra spicy and extra basil on the chicken. Don't really care for their drinks though.

This place is so yummy and refreshing! Tons of drinks and tons of flavors. You can get milk tea, coffee, icy slush, snow bubble, and more. You can mix and match flavors and add a lot of different kinds of jellies, and boba. I have personally only ordered drinks here my go to is watermelon icy with boba. So cool and refreshing. They also have food. My husband swears by the Crispy chicken, but I have never had it. Pre COVID you could come and chill.. play board games etc. Now everything is to go. Social distancing is encouraged. Also they prefer card now that there is a change shortage.

I used to come here all the time when I was in college... Today I was craving for crispy chicken and Taiwanese sausage from here, pretty disappointing of what I got...the sausages were all burned..

This place used to be very good. Went there yesterday 11/5/22. Ordered 2 crispy chicken combo and upgraded drinks with boba, plus one snack chicken. $43!! I frequent another TapX and this would've cost me around $32. Also asked for more vegetable and no rice. Cashier said ok. Order comes out with no extra veggies and then he says they can't give extra veggies. Chicken not fresh and dry. Disappointed and annoyed. Not going back.

My favorite place to get chicken snack. - Lg Avocado Snow ($5.44)- the boba was perfect in texture. - Calamari ($4.28)- yummy! - Chicken Wings ($5.58) - Salt/Pepper Fries ($3.78) - 2 Crispy Chicken Snack ($4.28) It's often difficult to find a parking space in this plaza. My husband got annoyed and vowed not to come back here during dinner time. That's too bad ...

Just got food here right now. I wish the girl taking order is friendlier and helpful. Also found hair in our food. Not coming back and definitely not recommending.