Boba, bubble tea, tapioca pearls, or whatever you may call this chewy treat is the perfect drink for any season. With summer on its way, ice cold tea with boba will make for an ideal escape from the heat. California is fortunate to be the state with the most prominent amount of bubble tea shops even if it may not be the indulgence for everyone. For the students who do enjoy the drink, there are countless tea shops in Yorba Linda and near Yorba Linda High School, including Boba Fiend, Lynn Tea, Ding Tea, and Sunmerry Cafe. Each store has its own quirks and exclusive menu, and every one is worth giving a try.

Boba Fiend

Boba Fiend is a favorite among teens since they offer large drinks for a small price. The shop has 4/5 stars on Yelp and is a 7 minute drive from YLHS. The cups come in three sizes with unique names: like (small), love (medium) and fiend (large). Customers get their money’s worth with the reasonable prices as the smallest size comes with a considerable amount of drink. The shop itself has a welcoming interior with comfortable seating and friendly staff. A few of the recommended drinks include the Tiger Milk Tea ($5.55), House Milk Tea ($5.25), and Sunrise Fruit Tea ($5.25). They open on Sundays-Thursdays from 11:30 AM-9:00 PM and 11:30 AM-9:30 PM on Fridays-Saturdays.

Lynn Tea

Lynn Tea is 7 minutes from campus as well and is a good destination for a quick drink after school with 4.5/5 stars on Yelp. This boba shop offers Portugese egg tarts ($3.80 for 2 and $7.00 for 4) and croffles ($3.70/$4.90) – the name for hybrid croissant waffles – in addition to sweet drinks. Some of their popular items include their fresh teas ($4.40), milk teas ($4.90), flavored teas ($4.90), and slushes ($5.40). Sarah Liu (10) adds, “My favorite drink is the mango slush with brown sugar boba since it’s super refreshing and perfect for a hot day. I would definitely recommend Lynn Tea to others since their drink menu is delicious, and they serve little snacks as well.” Lynn Tea’s teas are especially sugary but they are able to make changes to the sweetness depending on customer preferences. The shop is open Wednesdays-Sundays from 11:00 AM-8:00 PM and Mondays-Tuesdays from 11:00 AM-7:00 PM.

Ding Tea

Another well liked tea spot is Ding Tea, the closest store in the chain from Yorba Linda High School being 11 minutes away in Brea. They have 4.5/5 stars on Yelp and are best known for their crystal and golden boba and catchphrase, “Shake For Life!” The boba shop was developed in 2004 in Taiwan and now has over 1000 stores across Asia, Europe, and North America. The texture of the boba is always the perfect quality and a few recommended drinks are the Signature Milk Tea, Wintermelon Milk Tea, and Hokkaido Oolong Milk Tea, all priced at $4.60. Inside this particular store the area is a bit smaller than usual but they offer seating and have a unique wall mural. Ding Tea Brea is open everyday from 11:00 AM-9:00 PM. 

Sunmerry Cafe

Last but not least, Sunmerry Cafe has a variety of notable drinks that are handcrafted with quality ingredients. Though this boba shop is the furthest from YLHS at 14 minutes, the drive is worth the top-tier boba and pastries. Sunmerry has signature coffees and teas made with special recipes, including the Einspanner Latte ($5.50), a vanilla espresso base topped with sweet cream and sprinkled crumble, Dalgona Toffee ($6.00), a latte with dissolved honeycomb toffee, Brown Sugar Boba Latte ($5.50), and seasonal or holiday-themed drinks. A few best-sellers include the Vietnamese Iced Coffee ($5.00), Oreo Milk Tea ($5.50), Green Tea Croissant ($3.00), and the Ham and Cheese Croissant ($3.00). This boba shop sells plenty of other items as well and has a cordial atmosphere and helpful workers. The cafe opens on Mondays-Thursdays from 8:00 AM-7:30 PM, Fridays from 8:00 AM-8:30 PM, Saturdays from 9:00 AM-8:30 PM, and Sundays from 9:00 AM-6:30 PM.

Boba has been a delight enjoyed by people of every culture since it came to the US, and different bubble tea businesses have put their own spin to the classic Taiwanese treat. Be sure to check out these boba shops and each of their popular drinks or special-teas!