The Alley Irvine

We were at the Spectrum and wanted some boba. We stood in line waiting for the worker to help us for a few minutes before we noticed that we had to put in our orders ourselves at the counter. It was a weekend and he was working there by himself so he was a little busy. Cashless and cashier-less. Prices were a bit high but I think maybe it's because it is in the Spectrum and rent must be high too. The drinks took awhile to be made since there was only one employee so didn't go here if you're in a hurry. The bobas were chewy and soft. And fresh! I ordered a grapefruit tea and my friend ordered a coffee milk tea. We both liked our drinks.

I love the drinks here; they can make them really delicious. I particularly enjoy the passion fruit green tea. Just be prepared for them to be very sweet. And also you can try Orange peach oolong with cheese 50% sweetness. There’s often a lot of syrup at the bottom of the cup or the liquid itself is just very sweet. I recommend asking them to reduce the sweetness by at least 30%. The flavor will still be good and rich, but it won't feel like you're drinking a concentrate. Below you can see their menu: Yogurt Series - Original Purple Rice Yogurt - $7.95 (860 cal) - Yogurt Grape Smoothie - $7.95 (575 cal) - Lychee Yogurt Smoothie - $7.95 (504 cal) The Alley Specialty - Passionfruit Green Tea - $7.25 (442 cal) - Strawberry Green Tea with Jelly - $7.25 (220 cal) - Lychee Green Tea - $6.95 - Orange Peach Oolong - $7.25 (240 cal) - Snow Strawberry Smoothie - $7.50 (833 cal) Original Brew Tea Series (Snow Velvet option +$0.80) - Assam Black Tea - $4.95 (86 cal) - Jasmine Green Tea - $4.95 (86 cal) - Royal No.9 Black Tea - $5.50 (86 cal) - Peach Oolong Tea - $5.50 (77 cal) Brown Sugar Deerioca (Tealess) (Choice of organic milk, soy milk, or oat milk) - Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brulee Milk - $7.25 (1071 cal) - Cocoa Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk - $6.95 (987 cal) - Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk - $6.95 (581 cal) - Matcha Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk - $6.95 (800 cal) - Ube Taro Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk - $6.95 (695 cal) - Ube Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brulee Milk - $7.50 (1117 cal) Milk Tea Series - The Alley Assam Milk Tea - $5.95 (311 cal) - Jasmine Green Milk Tea - $5.95 (310 cal) - Peach Oolong Milk Tea - $6.25 - Royal No.9 Milk Tea - $5.95 (311 cal) - Thai Milk Tea - $6.25 Toppings ($0.80 unless noted): Regular Boba, Brown Sugar Boba (extra sweet), Crystal Boba, Rainbow Jelly (konjac), Lychee Jelly, Coconut Jelly, Green Tea Jelly, Aloe Vera, Taro, Sweet Cream, Snow Velvet, Creme Brulee ($1.00)

I have gotten food poisoning from this place twice in a month. I hadn’t connected the dots until a few days ago when I went back to this place and got sick right after. It was the only thing I ate/drink outside of home and that was different to my husbands meals. The Alley was the culprit all along! I had the mango smoothies both times. I don’t know what goes down behind the counter but be aware!! Never going back

Stopped by earlier this month on a Saturday, and boy was it PACKED. I highly suggest ordering for pickup to speed up the process. Regardless, it didn't take too long to get the order (just super busy inside), even with only ~3-4 people working. I got the peach tea drink with boba. It was decent for a boba shop at the mall. However, being in Irvine and at The Alley, I was expecting a little more. I think if I was really craving a boba at the mall, I would come again.

They have new owners and they water down their drinks with milk and less tea to save on costs. The Royal #9 tastes like milk. It barely has the original tea flavor. I asked for a refund and didn’t get one. Really sad how down hill it has gotten. We miss the old owner. He would never mess with such a great recipe.

When the boba tea is so good you have to go back in to make sure there’s no dairy in it! Haha I got a brown sugar crème brûlée without the crème brûlée and it was bomb!!! Thank you to the employees who accommodated me. Will be back again!

#1 brown sugar deerioca creme brûlée milk (less ice): Ahh the boba here is pretty good! Perfectly chewy and not too small. It's honestly up there with tancha and onezo for me. Maybe it could be slightly bigger but the taste and texture is perfect. The drink itself is pretty good. The brown sugar is like brown sugar and not raisin sugar. The creme brûlée is clearly homemade and is more like a creamy eggy custard than a pudding which I liked. I think I'd like this drink more if it had tea so I'll try that next time. #3 snow strawberry lulu w boba: Ooo so I love the fresh strawberry bits in here but the strawberry purée itself is kind of tart and artificial tasting. The cream on the top is yummy but I think the strawberry could be better. Boba is good. --- Came back again Snow velvet peach oolong w boba: Ahh the snow velvet is similar to cheese foam except not as cheesy and more salted buttery? The peach oolong drink itself is pretty tasty at regular sugar but after a couple sips it gets a little bit too sweet so I'd recommend going 50%. (I completely forgot to do this as I normally get 50% sweet). The boba is pretty good; it's nice and chewy with a little bit of squish, perfect sweetness, although, it could be a little bigger. Pretty good. ------- Snow velvet hojicha peach oolong latte 1/2 sweet: Snow velvet is glorified cheese foam. Pass. I was a bit worried peach wouldn't work w hojicha but I can't taste it at all. I love the hojicha flavor though. Boba was pretty good today. Matcha brown sugar deerioca oat milk: I like the matcha but it's very sweet. The boba tasted like raisins. Maybe id try it again at 1/2 sugar. -------- Coconut mango lulu: This comes w crystal jelly but there wasn't much. The mango is alright and the coconut milk has a slightly oily flavor. This drink was alright. Also there's snow velvet on the top so if you don't like cheese foam remember to ask to remove it.

Pretty standard boba tea place. Great location being in the Irvine Spectrum Center. It was my first time here so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt on the drink. I ordered the Ube Taro Brown Sugar with oat milk. I would have expected the Ube or even the brown sugar to add flavor but the oat milk was super overpowering. I would try again, but would stay away from the oat milk option.

love the fact that they have a mobile app because they can get pretty packed outta nowhere. I was post brunch and needed a sweet treat and this was the perfect place to stop! i got the ube crème brulee brown sugar and it was a dessert and a drink in one! I looooove their boba. it always tastes so fresh!

i dont wanna be exceedingly harsh on my first visit cuz maybe this drink just wasnt for me. i got the tiramisu milk tea slush, but it was nothing but ice and some pearls. maybe i shouldnt have gotten it in the first place considering how cold it was today but even then, i still wish it tasted like something. i hope this was a one off thing, cuz i love tiramisu. ill probably try a different drink next time im at the theaters. was eyeing the creme brulee brown sugar, but i think i have to be in a really sugary mood for that.

I was with some friends around the area and were early for an appt, so we stopped by for some tea. I ended up getting the milk tea with boba. The milk tea had a slightly different flavor than I'm used to - maybe stronger than what I'm used to? The boba pearls were sweet and soft - a softer consistency than what I usually prefer - but not bad. Just preferences. Service was great and friendly - I had some questions about the menu and they were all answered. The atmosphere in the shop was quiet (earlier in the morning, so not many people around the area in general) and there was cute decor. I really liked some of the items being sold, but decided I didn't need any more knick knacks at home. Overall, a good experience. I would be willing to try some of the other items if I were around again next time.

A chain Bubble Tea shop located in the Irvine Spectrum that has a serene atmosphere on a hot summer day! Offering variety drink specials of milk teas, fruit teas, yogurt drinks and as well as smoothies!!! I got the most popular snd my old time favorite BROWN SUGAR Bubble Tea. They also have several seasonal drinks as well plus several selections of toppings like boba, tapioca, jelly as well as cheese foams!!! Sure did quenched my thirst from the long walk out the footpath of stores

Pretty below average for a mango smoothie. Would not order again. Doesn't have deep natural flavor of real mango. Suspect it may only be mango syrup.

I love boba drink and when I'm at the Irvine Spectrum, I'd stop by here to get a boba drink. Today, at around 6:00 pm, while in line waiting to order, I was thirsty and the line was quite long, I was going to grab a quick sip of cold water in their cooler. There was no small paper cup left for the water except for one. I picked it up and looked inside and it appeared to have been used and dirty. I looked up and there was an associate (short-hair, tomboy'ish like) right by the counter. Kindly asked her if she can put some paper cups out for water, she gave me an attitude and said "there's no paper cups!" I got back in line and after a second thought, I decided to not order and left. I didn't like her attitude and how she treated a customer. Will never be back to this store. There are so many tea stores out there, they are growing like mushrooms ‍ everywhere. Back to my other favorite Tea stores or The Alley in Fountain Valley.

We were at the Spectrum and wanted some boba. We stood in line waiting for the worker to help us for a few minutes before we noticed that we had to put in our orders ourselves at the counter. It was a weekend and he was working there by himself so he was a little busy. Cashless and cashier-less. Prices were a bit high but I think maybe it's because it is in the Spectrum and rent must be high too. The drinks took awhile to be made since there was only one employee so didn't go here if you're in a hurry. The bobas were chewy and soft. And fresh! I ordered a grapefruit tea and my friend ordered a coffee milk tea. We both liked our drinks.

This was the closest boba shop to me after eating lunch at the spectrum center, so I decided to give it a try. I got a passionfruit tea with coconut jelly and no boba at 50% sweetness. The drink was roughly $7.50. I liked the passionfruit taste plus being able to taste the coconut jelly and texture. The 50% sweetness still felt a little bit too sweet for me though. Overall, the tea was decent. Now compared to other nearby teaspots, this one loses in terms of cost. A drink over $7 is quite a lot compared most other places that hover around $6.

More of a quick personal note than a review- Got the Thai Milk Tea with 50% sugar - good flavor but thought it was way too sweet - need to order one notch down next time Royal No 9 Milk Tea, 25% sugar, organic milk was a good mildly sweet, drink for the morning. On the low end of the sweetness range I target. Buddy got a Mango Coconut Smoothie with 50% sugar - I'm in his range for sweetness target so I'll have to check this out next time

DISAPPOINTING. Used to love this place & would get a drink here every time we came to the Irvine Spectrum. Now, it doesn't seem like the staff care enough about the quality of the drinks they serve. Last time I visited, about 3 weeks ago, my smoothie wasn't blended well, had big chunks of ice & tasted really bitter. Came here again today giving them the benefit of the doubt, even ordered a new drink to see if I just had bad luck from the last visit, but AGAIN my smoothie wasn't blended thoroughly. It doesn't make the drink a smoothie if it has huge chunks of ice. Very disappointed cause this place used to be really good.

Stopped by earlier this month on a Saturday, and boy was it PACKED. I highly suggest ordering for pickup to speed up the process. Regardless, it didn't take too long to get the order (just super busy inside), even with only ~3-4 people working. I got the peach tea drink with boba. It was decent for a boba shop at the mall. However, being in Irvine and at The Alley, I was expecting a little more. I think if I was really craving a boba at the mall, I would come again.

I'm happy I walked this way and found The Alley since I was super thirsty and wanted some boba. I love the creativity and Ube is so interesting!

I think I echo a commonly shared sentiment held by most when I say that the glory days of The Alley, at least this location, are behind it. Once a brand associated with quality, the consistency of the drinks here have gone downhill when they used to be considered a premium location. Ironically, as the prices of everywhere else has increased, their prices have remained about the same that now all things considered, they're fairly affordable, but it's probably at the same level as the price point would justify. I can't really explain what it is, just that their drinks don't taste as good, aren't as well mixed, and toppings are always a hit or a miss. It's really just the lack of consistency that makes me more often than not consider somewhere else, despite its incredibly close by location. I would rather walk all the way across the mall for my boba fix. Their rewards system is always wonky and never recognizes my number, and the kiosk is odd. Everything just seems suboptimal in some way and the overall service experience is rather cold. I don't crave The Alley like I used to, and that makes me sad since I used to love them so much. TIP: The Royal No. 9 is a classic and nostalgic, I may need to reach back for that.

Stopped by this boba spot and got the creme brulee brown sugar milk tea with boba. The custard at the bottom had great flavor, and the boba itself was perfect--chewy, soft, and not overly sweet. That said, I think I personally prefer creme brulee drinks where it's swirled around the cup rather than sitting as a chunk of custard at the bottom. Just a texture thing for me, but again, the custard flavor was on point. As for the drink itself, the brown sugar flavor was pretty mild, so it leaned more on the milky side and wasn't super sweet compared to other brown sugar milk teas I've had. Still, it was a solid drink overall and really refreshing--definitely hit the spot on a warm day. Based on the menu, I probably wouldn't come here unless I was specifically craving a milk tea, since they didn't have a large fruit tea selection. But if milk tea is what you're looking for, this spot is worth a try!

First time visiting The Alley. I got the passion fruit green tea. The boba was good, but the tea was unfortunately too bitter for me. It's just a preference thing. That said, they had so many things that looked tasty and it's so nice to have a boba shop at The Spectrum, so I'll definitely be back to give the other options a try.

Great boba shop if you are walking around the Irvine Spectrum. This spot does get pretty crowded, so I recommend ordering on the QR code at the door so you don't have to stand in line. Also, during the time I went, they seemed under staffed, so expect a longer wait. Brown Sugar Deerioca Creme Brulee Milk: Good drink. The milk, brown sugar, and creme brulee go very well together while also not overpowering one another. The boba is the perfect texture which made this drink great.

Have visited this location many times over the last 2 months and while it is a far drive, it's always worth it. Their Royal number 9 milk tea is one of the best black milk teas I've had...and that's all I really drink from boba shops. Their handmade boba is also great, with a nice sweetness and a unique, soft and chewy texture I've had a hard time comparing to others. Also really like that their boba can come with brown sugar syrup too. The owners are awesome and nice guys. Everyone in our group really likes the Alley!

I really miss The Alley in NYC! Their Jasmine Green Tea with Rainbow Jelly hits just right -- not too sweet and super refreshing. The service is quick and chill, and honestly, they deserve way more attention.

I've been a fan of the purple rice yogurt here -- when it's made right, it's delicious and super satisfying. They usually blend the yogurt with purple rice and add some extra unblended rice into the cup, which gives it a nice texture. But unfortunately, the inconsistency has really turned me off. Last week, my drink had some extra purple rice (not much but it was there). This week, there was no extra rice at all. I had a friend pick it up for me, so I couldn't ask them to fix it -- which was frustrating. I want to keep coming back because I genuinely enjoy the drink, but the lack of consistency is making me think twice

I'm honestly surprised this place doesn't have more 5-star reviews. They offer a great variety of bubble tea drinks. I first discovered The Alley while in Italy and have been hooked ever since. My go-to drinks are the brown sugar crème brûlée and the ube taro brown sugar. The staff here is fantastic, and the location is perfect--grab a drink and enjoy a walk or do some shopping nearby.

Steep Thoughts: Florence's Quest for (Her) Perfect Black Milk Tea Black milk tea: 1.5/2. I got The Alley Assam Milk Tea, 25% sweet, less ice. This is a solid black milk tea for me, with malty and toasted brown sugar notes. It's slightly creamy but not too rich, although it might be a little sweet for 25%. I've gotten this drink many times and it is consistently good. Other drinks: 1/1. The menu selection is a little smaller / more curated than many other shops, with milk teas, milk-based drinks with brown sugar boba ("deerioca"), fruit teas, and even some yogurt drinks. Good variety of non-dairy options. Ambiance: 0.5/1. This location is in the Irvine Spectrum. The shop is cute and small but can get pretty crowded, especially at peak times. Limited seating with a few tables. Service: 1/1. Order at a digital kiosk or at the counter, although the kiosk sometimes breaks. Drinks come out quickly even when accounting for larger volumes of orders. Total: 4/5

Busy place, prices are a bit high due to it being placed in the spectrum probably. The boba itself was good, not too sweet.

The forgot to put crème brûlée in my drink. Done by a teenager employee. 0 star , very disappointed

Its a bit har to review them! They have great location, spectrum right by Regal Theaters! Very high calorie drinks! I got no sugar tea and I still think it was super sweet! I personally prefer healthy drinks over fake sweet drinks! But the staff were friendly and super quick! So service and location great but with no real food options, I mean something %100 green which most probably is not in their business plan.

Always a long line. I ordered their brown sugar deerioca crème brûlée milk tea ($7.25). It's their #1 recommended drink and it tasted perfect. I didn't adjust any sweetness and it's not overly sweet like many other places. I checked in through yelp and it gave a free coupon for one free topping. I asked for boba but the cashier said it already came with boba so I didn't redeem the coupon. Interior is tiny and there's a long line. There's seatings inside and outside but very limited. This place sells some merch and there's miniature claw machine. Really good boba and I recommend if you're walking around in Irvine Spectrum.

This is listed as 1 star, but it would be zero stars if the app allowed me to. Terrible. POS of a shop and needs to be replaced for an expansion of the movie theater. Don't be fooled by the brown sugar milk because it tastes like pure milk straight from the tits of the cows. The workers were also cussing while talking to each other which is extremely disrespectful. AND, I request double boba, and they did not give me extra boba. My sister's drink with normal amount of boba had the same as mine. They also charged me for the extra imaginary boba. Never coming back.

One of my favorite boba place, the Ube Derioca milk tea has always been my favorite for years, my wife tried the Mango coconut smoothie and i'm not gonna lie it was outstanding, I might be ordering it next time, it was refreshing, flavorful and just enough sweetness.

Really nice place with awesome staff. The drinks themselves were really good. I would say they have a smaller variety of drinks but nail the flavor.

Very cute store it has a few small claw machines on the side for a fun activity. there are a few tables to sit at. The selection of drinks is kinda small. We didnt get their brown sugar drinks but we still enjoyed the ones we got. I got the Lychee Green Tea I didnt know it comes with lychee jelly but if you dont want it make sure you optout of it.

The boba was not cooked. Like so terrible. The milk tea is okay but for the price, this was not worth $7. To call this a top 3 drink and have this quality of boba was wild. I've had this exact same drink at the same location before and I was disappointed then. But now, I'm more disappointed.

Super Delicious! Me & my husband tried the Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brûlée Milk at The Alley, and it was amazing! The drink was creamy, sweet, and full of flavor. The brown sugar gave it a rich taste, and the crème brûlée topping made it extra special. The tapioca pearls were warm, soft, and super tasty. Everything was just right! The drink also looked really nice, and the staff was friendly and quick. If you love bubble tea or sweet drinks, you should definitely try this one. I'll be going back for more!

Moderately priced fancy drinks and definitely awesome taste boba and jelly. Best place to get boba drink in Spectrum before or after watching movie (coz its just beside Regal cinema)

The peach oolong tea that I got was so foul. Bitter and tasted like pith and fruit peels. It really did taste like it was made in "the alley." I don't understand why this place always has a line outside of it during the day. Cute crane machines though.

This was my first visit to The Alley, and as someone who's had quite a bit of boba (thanks to my kids), I can honestly say the quality here really stands out. You can immediately taste the difference in the ingredients -- everything felt fresh and thoughtfully crafted. We tried the Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brûlée Milk Tea, the Snow Velvet Strawberry Lulu, and I went with the classic Peach Oolong Tea with boba. Even though we were third in line, our drinks came out quickly, which speaks volumes about the efficiency and coordination behind the counter. I've dubbed them #MagicCreators for a reason!

Great place for a quick stop and get a refreshing boba! It's near the Regal theater. When you come to this part of the Irvine Spectrum, there's a lot of good eats and vibes!

Nice refreshing drinks, we got the ube taro brown sugar and tropical fruit tea with lychee jelly. I personally liked the ube taro brown sugar which is sweet but not overly sweet. Service is fast and good, they explained that if I wanted the drink to be less sweet then they can take some of the boba out because sweetness comes from the boba. There ice cold water inside the shop but no seats. Seats are available outside though.

Tried the Royal no 5 tea since it was on the top selling list. Asked the man working what it was and he said it had a blueberry infusion in it. He was super helpful and even let us try a sample before ordering. Delicious! Customer service was 5/5. Definitely would come back!

Found yet another drink at the Alley that didn't disappoint - the lychee green tea. Both the tea and lychee jelly are just the right level of sweetness and not overpowering - a super refreshing option!

I got the Alley Assam black tea with the cream on top. It was pretty good! I liked that it wasn't too sweet. The store is cute and service was quick.

I really liked: Brown Sugar Deerioca This location is Significantly better than all of norcal's The Alley but not as good as The Alley in Fountain Vally. Service was good, they let us know what drinks we could or couldn't customize. There's no room to sit in here but plenty of space outside. Great location where we can catch a movie and grab boba after

Got the brown sugar matcha boba - it was on the bitter side (because I asked for less boba - can't adjust the sugar), but it was what exactly I needed given that I just had a giant slice of caramel chocolate cake. TMI, sorry. Family member got the ube smoothie and unfortunately it left a pasty-powder feeling on the tongue.

I've come here multiple times and usually get the milk teas but this time I tried the peach oolong tea. I got it only 25% sweet which I regretted not getting the 50% afterwards. Overall, this is a convenient Boba spot at the spectrum and the service is always excellent.

Having been to the Singapore locations, The Alley is one of my preferred bubble tea locations. First time at the Irvine Spectrum location and its very well-run establishment and very clean. Efficient and friendly service. Was disappointed their drinks were all one size (large). I usually like to get the small/regular size and order a couple drinks for variety. This time, I got the ube milk tea and the royal #9 milk tea, two of my staple drinks here. Like other locations, it was delicious and didn't disappoint.

The one at Pasadena got closed down and I was quite sad. I love their tea and toppings. I think this is one of my favorite boba in the area. I loved the new popular flavor ube. All the tea flavor are strong enough for me and the boba is soft and chewy l! I can't complaint because the price is reasonable and the size is great for the price!

They hosted a Sword Art Online event with themed drinks and complimentary themed macarons. The decorations on the door, walls, and cardboard stands were fun and they made sure there were plenty of spots to take awesome pictures. The dining area is small but there are additional tables and chairs just outside of the business. We still didn't find a place to sit though so we just hung out outside sipping our drinks. It's Irvine Spectrum so there's a lot to see. Speaking of the Spectrum, I did some homework ahead of time regarding parking and thought it was 2 hours free parking on the weekend, but it appeared it was just free. Not sure if that was a one-time thing, but there are structures (may or may not be free) and valet parking (can't speak on this personally) available. The drinks are delicious. I feel like it wouldn't have mattered what we ordered because it would've been good. And the service is helpful and friendly. We don't live close so this would never be our regular spot, but they may see us again if they host another event we're interested in. :-)

This place was busy, but the line moved quickly. The menu offered a wide variety of drinks, and I appreciated that the calorie count was listed for each one. The peach oolong tea with boba was excellent--low in calories with just the right amount of sweetness.

I've been trying to speak to manager for almost a week, there phone is disconnected, my 3 drinks were made totally wrong, no one is available to assist, I don't know why they wouldn't have a customer service line.

I finally had a chance to try their latest collaboration drink with Jujutsu Kaisen last weekend. The line was quite long on Sunday afternoon. We waited for about 30 mins to order and get the drink. We got the Gojo drink and Geto drink. To be honest, the drinks were pretty good and better than I expected. Gojo drink (coconut smoothie) had coconut jelly and clear boba which added texture and Geto drink (mango passionfruit) had strong fruity flavor. If you like a creamy drink, go for Gojo. If you like a fruity drink, go for Geto. Personally, I liked the Gojo drink better. The only downside was that the drinks were pricey (almost $9), but as a jjk fan, it was worth the try. Also don't forget the cute stickers.

The Alley is one of the few places to get boba at the Irvine Spectrum, besides 85°. The inside was beautifully decorated with autumn leaves across the walls. A large selection of items, from the classic milk tea to a yogurt drink to crème brûlée milk. Pretty pricey, although all boba is getting more expensive these days. Almost no line with the convenient online kiosk, but the wait for the drinks was longer than expected. Brown sugar deerioca crème brûlée milk - Definitely shake. Once I got through the crème brûlée and boba, it tasted like plain milk. Earl grey milk tea - Boba had a subtle sweetness and a nice chew. Milk tea was not too sweet and perfectly balanced with the boba.