The Alley

Got the strawberry yogurt and it was delicious. The staff was super sweet and welcoming. I got it with boba and lychee jelly. The place was clean and the decorations was amazing!

We love coming here, especially now under new management. The new team provides great customer service with better drinks and a welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommend giving it another try if you haven’t been in a while!

When I asked for a recommendation for a drink that isn't very sweet, the employee behind the counter kindly recommended the Royal No. 9 Milk Tea to me, with 50% sugar. The tea was delicious, and the level of sweetness was just right. The seating is comfortable, the bathroom is clean and smells nice, and the music played in the shop is at a good level; not too loud. They have free wifi as well.

I just started to frequent this lovely Boba establishment . We will be repeat customers. My God child and I love their Boba teas . I order the Ube and my niece orders the milk tea. It’s delicious and fresh … very addictive. Natalie always greets us with such warmth and kindness . We always feel so welcome and appreciated and this matters ! There are several Boba shops in the area but The Alley stands out! Thank you , Thao

This is my go to place when im in kearny mesa or looking for a chill place to do some work. The parking is very convenient and the staff is kind and respectful. Especially the girl she welcomes and gives us good recommendations each time. I had the matcha purple rice smoothie today and the purple rice is a signature to get!

12-31-24 Nice decor and plenty of comfy seating area. Good place to chill w some friends. I definitely will be back to hang out w my son to enjoy their cold drinks. The only problem, we waited 25 min for our orders. Ordered: -Lychee Yogurt Smoothie $7.75 -Mango Green Milk Tea $5.95 Both were refreshing. My mango drink was still a little on the sweet side even though I asked for 50% sweetness. Note: -3% charge for credit card fee -All gender restroom -Located in the same mall as Vons on Balboa Ave

One of the best boba milk tea spots in SD! Great flavors and toppings! Texture of the boba pearl is perfect! ❤️

They use real Japanese matcha, the drink is 10/10 ; the modern design features white lighting, and the environment is perfect for studying !

The Alley's new store management has completely transformed this location -- in the best way possible. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere feels calm, elegant, and almost boutique-like, more reminiscent of a luxury lounge than a typical drink shop. The quiet ambiance makes it an easy place to relax, work, or just enjoy a peaceful moment. The drinks are absolutely fantastic -- consistently well-made, rich in flavor, and beautifully prepared. You can tell the staff takes pride in getting every detail right, and the service is incredibly smooth and easy. No stress, no rush, just genuinely friendly and efficient hospitality. One thing I especially appreciate: this location is dog-friendly. It creates such a welcoming environment, and it's clear the staff loves having furry visitors as much as the customers do. Overall, with great drinks, excellent new management, a luxury atmosphere, and pet-friendly vibes, this Alley store has become one of my favorite spots. Highly recommended.

The Tea Jelly is SO STRONG. Drink if you need to stay up all night. I had this around 8PM. I COULD NOT SLEEP. I stayed up all night. It's so good. I get it with the Strawberry Green Tea which is SO TASTY. But seriously dangerously caffeinated. It is my go-to drink when I need to stay up. Internal Notes: sweeter side. order 30-0% sweet. toppings. boba-ok. jelly-YES. tea. medium.

Lychee yogurt smoothie was delicious, unique, and refreshing. It's a little overpriced but it comes with 2 types of jelly. I added boba and my total was a little over $9. I'd come back for this drink though but only if I'm in the area! Plenty of parking, clean shop, and quick service.

yummy!! A perfect little sweet treat after lunch today! Was wanting to order one of the demon slayer collab drinks but bc we came so early the mochi wasnt ready to order yet. Cashier was nice and I jumped around and chose my options wisely lol decided on the lychee yogurt and oreo milk smoothie. Chocolate croffle was so good but make sure you have napkins on hand because there's a creamy custard like filling lol the croffle had a tiramisu like flavor to me with the cream and chocolate powder going on! Loved the sweetness level on it as it was not too sweet!! Croissant plus waffle = croffle , satisfied my sweet tooth today!! The store has lots of tables and chairs and also provide wifi which is great plus! the pw is near the cashwrap area

Matcha strawberry combo for the win!!! Half sweet , half ice perfect combination. The guy at the register was very helpful and recommended other things to try for next time!

I asked for my sweet to be 50% sweet. What I got was a boba that tasted like they added extra sweetener. It tasted my diabetes in a cup. I will definitely never come back here.

Yes yes and yes!!!!! What a great selection on matcha. I had the Matcha with purple rice and yogurt. No sugar. So good!!!! Service is great. This young man was so helpful in answering my questions about my drink Nice little cafe The cream brûlée was also good! Must try!!!!

Absolutely love The Alley on Balboa! The drinks are always so smooth and flavorful I got the brown sugar milk cream bur-lee and it was perfection. The boba had just the right chew, and the presentation is always on point. The shop itself has such a chill vibe with cute decor and anime art that makes it extra fun to hang out. Definitely my go-to spot for boba in San Diego!

Today I've got the Matcha Purple Rice Yogurt. Very nice beverage. Currently they have offer happy hour 3pm-6pm; buy 1 drink + 1 croffle for $1.99. Good for afternoon snack (tea time). Love to coming back. Ambiance is friendly with good music. The owner very friendly, I wish the business will go smooth and success.

12-31-24 Nice decor and plenty of comfy seating area. Good place to chill w some friends. I definitely will be back to hang out w my son to enjoy their cold drinks. The only problem, we waited 25 min for our orders. Ordered: -Lychee Yogurt Smoothie $7.75 -Mango Green Milk Tea $5.95 Both were refreshing. My mango drink was still a little on the sweet side even though I asked for 50% sweetness. Note: -All gender restroom -Located in the same mall as Vons on Balboa Ave

I really want to like this place. The staff is always friendly but it takes so long to get a drink. It shouldn't take 11 minutes to pour a premade black milk tea with boba and it always seems to take forever. The assam milk tea itself is very good but I don't love the consistency of the boba. A little softer and smaller than others. I definitely recommend Feng Cha in the area over this one.

I ordered a matcha brown sugar with oat milk and an iced coffee. The boba in the matcha drink was hard. Augh. We weren't near the cafe anymore when we realized that the boba is stale. The rest of this review may be TMI. Most Asians are lactose intolerant. I ordered an iced coffee with no sugar. What I got was a creamy looking cup of something that didn't resemble iced coffee. Maybe it's because I don't normally go out anymore but iced coffee should have only two ingredients. I even asked for zero sugar. I apologized for not ordering right but the girl behind the counter told me the creamer they use is lactose free. She said the snow velvet does have heavy cream. I am ok with heavy cream just not milk. I thanked her and left with the drinks. Either the girl was lying or there's something else in the creamer that wasn't agreeing with my body. Anyway, lesson learned. If you order the ice coffee expect a blast.

Workers were very nice and had good menu knowledge. There was lots seating. Their drinks are super tasty! I love their fruit teas! So good. My go to order is the passion green tea with the lychee and boba.

I like this brand name, so I came back for them to remake the drink. The owner changed it to passion fruit syrup. It is good and refreshing. Will come back for this orange tea and the ube taro brown milk.

Đề nghị sốp làm crème brulee đặc lại xíu, để chảy lỏng quá ăn mau ngán lắm sốp ơi! Yaua nếp cẩm ngon nha

I came by and got 2 drinks, Matcha Purple rice yogurt which was ok but lil weird. Could be the yogurt. The Passion fruit green tea with pineapple jelly was good. It just took more than 20 mins to get my order. Drinks were little up there.

Many bonus points + stars for doing a JJK collab. Unfortunately, the drinks themselves weren't that good :( I might come back and try one of their normal non-collab drinks at some point.

I frequent this location for my favorite potted plant milk tea (they call it garden milk tea) and it's always consistently delicious! I also recommend the Royal Milk Tea, which is super yummy. The interior is quiet and clean, and the service is always friendly and ready to offer assistance/recommendations. There are usually people studying or working during busy times. Highly recommend!

Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brulee milk- 5/5 Strawberry GT w/ Jelly- 3/5 The alley is a boba chain--which is better than most! It is not too sweet and doesn't have that syrup taste that share tea or kung fu would have. They also have a reward card where you get a free drink on your 10th purchase! It's not super busy and the music isn't loud so it's a decent place to study!

They use real Japanese matcha, the modern design features white lighting, and the environment is perfect for studying. I love the staff and the drinks. Everything is under new management. I love the structure of the boba (hot, fresh, and soft, but not too soft) and their special handmade jelly. The drink : 10/10 The ambiance: 10/10 The staff: 10/10

The Mango Green milk tea was truly fantastic! I heard they've recently got new management, and the staff were so friendly, especially the owner. She went out of her way to give us excellent service, whenever we asked about our drinks or needed any adjustments! I really hope The Alley continues to improve and attracts more wonderful customers in the future!

This is honestly the best boba drink I've ever had this place never misses always so good and they are very friendly as well I've had many boba drinks before where the taste was underwhelming and over priced but this place is so worth it and so good

Service : The owner super cute and friendly. Food : Drinks are fresh and tasty. Ambiance: Cozy and clean, nice place to hang out.

Love this place! Super cozy and welcoming. I got a classic milk tea with grass jelly, asked for no ice and it was still full of flavor, not watered down at all. The shop is really cute and the prices are pretty reasonable for the quality. Definitely my new go-to boba spot. Staff was super nice too! I also heard they're under new management now, and it really shows everything feels fresh and well taken care of. Highly recommend!

They just changed new management and I saw them post there new matcha series on insta and the quality is definitely from japan. The staffs were so nice!!! And they removed the 3% credit card charge that was previously with the old management. Would recommend!

Been a couple of times and I usually get the brown sugar deerioca milk or the ube taro brown sugar deerioca. Very large cups and can be sweet but a good sweet treat overall. Clean and modern inside but can be tight when packed.

I'm a matcha lover, and to give a 5-star review, the drink has to really impress me (imo) smooth and taste perfectly balanced. The enviroment and the service made me feel welcome!

Visited SD's Store front with a Spy family promotion active. I tried one of their promotional drinks which was the passionfruit orange drink and it was quite refreshing. The seats were nice as well and i felt like this store embodied the Alley feeling. I appreciated the service i received from the worker who assisted me with the redemption of the spy family promotion.

We decided to try a new boba place and I've heard about The Alley before so figured why not. The plaza that it's in has a very large parking lot although it does get a bit busy. The line moves pretty quickly and ordering was easy. I ordered the Peach Oolong Tea ($5.75) with Boba, less ice and light sweetness. They give you a receipt with your number which they will call once your order is ready. While I liked the boba flavor, they were cooked pretty unevenly, with a few of them being harder in the middle and other being fully cooked. The tea itself was good, but wasn't anything too outstanding. Just your average oolong tea with peach flavor pumped into the cup. There are only a few tables and chairs inside, so it's more a place to just order and grab your drink and then go. If you do manage to grab a table though then it's a nice place to hang out with friends or study. This is just another average boba shop, nothing really stands out about it. Yeah, i wouldn't be opposed to coming back if my friends really want to hang out here but it wouldn't be my own preferred boba shop.

Love the changes under the new management! Drinks are so much better, and service is super friendly. My go-to spot for boba again!

I came here with my daughter and we really enjoyed our drinks. She ordered the Orange Peach Oolong and I got the Assam Black Milk Tea w/boba. Both drinks were good, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Orange Peach Oolong. The drink was both fragrant and refreshing. This boba shop was very clean and has lots of tables, perfect for students to bring their laptops to study (which was what my daughter did while I ran some errands). Service was fast and friendly, and lots of free parking in a shared lot!

It's a solid boba spot! Drinks are not overly sweet and you can taste the tea flavor. The space is super clean and workers were nice! For the price point, I'd come again :)

The food and drinks are so good and the new management is super friendly! The place feels comfortable and a great place to study.

We ordered the Ube & taro brown sugar milk with boba and the lychee yogurt smoothie. I think both drinks were winners. They don't have a super big menu here, but they do have a number of non-caffeinated options as well as caffeinated ones, which is always appreciated. The Ube taro brown sugar milk has a fixed sweetness, and luckily the drink is actually not too sweet. There's real taro paste inside, and it's super creamy and delicious. I'm happy to also report that the texture of the boba is on point, and it's sweetened with brown sugar & not flavorless. We got it with light ice and they did not overdo it on the ice like some other places do. The lychee yogurt smoothie can be adjusted for sweetness, so I got it at 50% sweetness and that was the right move for sure. It was good, but I wish it had more of a pronounced yogurt flavor. I like how there are real pieces of lychee in this drink. I wish that they had served mine in a see-through cup instead of the odd choice of having a seasonal holiday cup mid-March lol. I'm one of those people who like to take pictures of their food and I like the aesthetic of being able to see my drink. (Yes, this is nitpicking, and no, I didn't mind it that much.) The environment is bright and while there aren't that many tables, it's still a good location to chat. We stayed here for a little bit enjoying our drinks. I docked it one point because the price point is pretty high. It was $7.25-7.75 for these drinks. I've paid that much for boba before, but those usually have a bunch of toppings or have more expensive ingredients like matcha.

I've visited this location twice and each time the line is a bit long. Just glancing over the menu, the items seem a little bit higher in price compared to other boba spots. I forget that they charge a 3% surcharge for credit card transaction. I don't think they have it shown anywhere otherwise I would use cash. It's not that much but still, I'd prefer to not pay a surcharge. The two drinks I've had are good. I'm not sure that they are the best I've had but I do like the location. The interior design is very clean and minimalist which I love. They do have specials at different times, you just have to check the counter near the register to see them. This evening, I ordered the most simple and basic jasmine green tea. I see they typically go in order by the receipt line placement they set on the table. My number was next (#38) but they called and two orders that were ordered after me (#41 and #42), who ordered multiple drinks (about 3 each and they were the specials that had to be blended). That was a bit annoying that I ordered first but they were called prior to me and for the fact that my drink was more simple. I was called after those and even the worker said oops sorry, here's your drink. So that was ok, but if I wasn't after them, then I probably would have inquired on the delay. Overall, it was convenient and I would still return.

Not sure what I expected. I remember going to The Alley when I was still living in LA & loving it. Somehow, either my tastebuds changed or this must have not been made the same way. The Original Purple Rice Yogurt tastes super fermented in the worst way possible & is a very acquired taste that wouldn't be recommended to those who are just looking for a coffee/tea fix, but their brown sugar boba wasn't anything to brag about either. Overall, the ambiance of the location is nice & is in the very busy plaza next to our beloved Shabumi. I really thought I had found a quick tea fix location after our hot pot/bbq fix, but that just wasn't the case. Overall, it was decent. I just wouldn't come back here again.

I first had The Alley in Vegas and fell in love!! I had the ube brown sugar deerioca crème brulee milk (say that five times fast lol) and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Since then I have been patiently waiting for them to open up near me. Now that they are open, I feel like I go less than I thought I would! I do love their flavors and that drink, but it just feels a bit pricey especially since you can only order a large at this location. The space itself is small so I usually just order to-go. I still enjoy The Alley as an occasional sugary treat. They have good caffeine free options as well. They also offer alternative milks, I usually get oat milk with my drinks here. Parking is usually no issue, it is located in a plaza near the Vons.

This is my go to place when im in kearny mesa or looking for a chill place to do some work. The parking is very convenient and the staff is kind and respectful. Especially the girl she welcomes and gives us good recommendations each time. I had the matcha purple rice smoothie today and the purple rice is a signature to get!

Cute and modern interior, with a great vibe for hanging out with a small group. The drinks are very reasonably priced. I'm used to paying almost 8 bucks for boba but this place was only $6 something for a large. I think maybe I just ordered the wrong thing this time but the drinks were okay tasting. The cashier recommended the Royal No. 9 milk tea. She said it tasted like blueberries, which I was interested in trying. I could actually taste the floral and fruity hints of blueberry in the tea, but after a while it became overwhelming and I wouldn't order it again. We also asked for the peach oolong tea with milk but I guess they didn't hear us bc there was no milk :'( PSA DO NOT GET FULL SWEET!! We ordered our drinks at 25% sweet and they were still soooo sweet!

Glad The Alley has made its way to SD. I used to always have to make a stop at this chain when I'm up in OC. The Ube Brown Sugar Deerioca Crème Brûlée (add extra crème brûlée) is my go-to. Price can be a little steep but they have to keep up with inflation pricing these days... Shop is bright and clean.

Ube Taro our go to drink here never dissapoints. Always fresh. Bit pricey but well worth it. Parking can be a challenge in this busy area during weekends. Fair warning. Overall love the cool ambuence and aesthetically pleasing dessert place.

The boba here was not that great in my opinion. I got the lychee smoothie and it was ok. Ordered it with less sugar and still tasted super sweet. The others were the same. Service was average at best.

What i ordered | ube brown sugar latte + boba Taste | this was a good brown sugar boba milk drink. I could barely taste any ube on this drink so it could've passed as a just a brown sugar boba drink without the ube. Service | during their soft opening, waiting about 30 min Parking | plaza lot

So yummy & creamy and sooo nice and clean inside. The cashier was super sweet and helped walk us through the menu since we were first timers and definitely coming back again. Got mine with .5 scoop less brown sugar boba for less sweetness and this is PERFECT!

Another month, another new boba tea shop has opened in San Diego. This time it's The Alley which has debuted in a suite on the east side of the Balboa Mesa Shopping Center in Clairemont. I have visited twice with the first occasion at the soft opening during the first week of August. The menu offerings were limited as the staff gradually released their different tea series to the public. A couple of weeks later, the full menu was now available. It's not as extensive as some other bubble tea spots. The categories were Coffee Series, The Alley Specialty, Original Brew Tea Series, Brown Sugar Deerioca, and Milk Tea Series. The business logo featured a deer which was why a "deerioca" mashup name was used to describe the beverages containing brown sugar tapioca. As usual with boba tea soft openings, the line was long. I chose an Ube Taro Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk because none of the fruit teas were available yet. It was a very colorful, layered drink. The bottom was packed with boba pearls, the middle tier was brown sugar and milk, and the top was a purple mix of ube and taro. Even for my sweet tooth, I thought this concoction was a bit too sugary. At my recent stop, I picked two of the four fruit teas from The Alley Specialty. The first was a Passionfruit Green Tea and the other was an Orange Peach Oolong Tea. Both had modifications of light ice and boba pearls added. The latter were boiled to a good degree of softness. Green tea jelly was added to the passionfruit drink which I did not expect. The orange bits mixed in with the peach drink gave some nice texture. The parking situation was decent because of the shared lot in front of one of its neighbors, VONS. The inside had several tables for seating, but I wouldn't say it was overly spacious. The staff was polite and efficient. My experiences at The Alley were between a three and four star level.

This is my favorite boba place. I first tried it in Irvine on my way from Ventura county. I was happy to see that one opened up here in San Diego. I love their boba, they are soft and perfect sweet. They have the perfect amount of sweetness and their drinks are aesthetically pleasing. I love the color of ube and the contract it makes with the rest of the drink. The service was quick and the drinks were made very well. Overall I will come back again.

The guy with the forest hat was really kind and accommodating and service was fast! I got the grapefruit lemonade green tea. Great mix of bitter and sweet after a meal of hotpot. Relieving my stomach and cleansed my palate. The ambiance is clean and white like an Apple Store in the early 2000s. They played Billie Eilish.

I must say the boba from maybe the last 2 days, not happy, not fresh, not going back any more

I've been to The Alley before not in the US so I was so excited for The Alley to open in SD. They have really good boba! In my opinion, the drinks itself were not very flavorful considering how colorful they are. We ordered off the Deerioca Brown Sugar series and got the matcha brown sugar and ube. They do milk substitutions of oat milk or soy. Deerioca = tapioca which we did not know until we got our order. I usually do not get boba with my drinks, but their boba is the best part about the drink! It was made fresh and warm. I will give The Alley a 3.5/5 because they handled the long lines well and the drinks come out quickly. I'm not sure if I would return unless someone else wanted to try drinks from here, but I would try something else next time! There's also lots of seating on both sides of the room and couch space to just hang out at.