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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Asian Fusion [Edit]
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
105 reviews
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
"I've tried many places for Kung Pao chicken in the city. This is my number one place. They use fresh and crunchy peanuts. I also tried other…" read more »
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love this place. lavender bubble tea and crispy tofu. plus, it pretty much feels like you are in japan. also, you can walk by the funny store, Brooklyn Circus across the street. it is incredibly strange.
I came in looked at the menu and I was very interested in the Matcha Lavender Snow Bubble. I asked the lady with the short hair if they actually use real matcha in their recipe and she looked like she did not really know. She seemed kind of annoyed of my question or with my questions. Anyways I just ordered it with small boba. No whip cream. I do not know why people like whip cream on it, it looks like it will taste disgusting to me. The lady with the short hair made my drink but I can tell that she forgot the recipe since she had to glance at the sheet of recipe. The drink was pretty big with the bubble lid, it filled up to the top. I tasted something weird like red beans or something in my drink, but I am not sure what it was, but she said that red beans taste good in that drink. Anyways the guy that works here is nicer then the lady with the short hair. She was giving me so much attitude because it took me a while to get my money out of my little pouch thing. AND I work right across the street too! And she is going to be all shitty with me. I will just come here for the drink. OH YEAH, I did not even taste the lavender flavor in my drink!!! Anyways I couldn't sleep until the 4 in the morning, was it the drink? No more matcha snow bubble for me unless I am going to pull a all nighter again.
03/24/2008
Pretty awesome here. I have always wanted to try Tapioca Express since I work right across the… Read more »
Boba is my crack. After not drinking one for three weeks, I felt my cookie of a life crumbling around me. Enter TapEx: It didn't wow me, but it will suffice--at least until I find a legitimate Taiwanese boba shop around here.
I tried the Tapioca Milk Tea and the Green Apple B/G Tea with litchi jelly and boba. The boba was a little too chewy and the milk tea was more like sugar water, but it was nice and refreshing. The green apple tea was a freakish neon green, but the balance of sweet and sour was interesting. The litchi jelly was quite good--it reminded me of a Chinatown candy I loved as a kid. Ahhh... Childhood throwbacks. I can't believe I'm 22--when did I get so old?
I'm coming back on Thursdays for the $1.50 juice special and the Thai Tea with boba. Yes, I need two drinks! School's hard!
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After reading the reviews today, I was craving Boba all day! I finally gave in tonight...
+ Its really close to my gym (not that my trainer would really be happy with me having this before or after a workout, or anytime for that matter!)
+ great selection
+ friendly staff
- they were out of Thai tea
- it took 10 min to get my drink (and a girl who came in like 5 min after me got hers immediately!)
I prefer Tapioca Express to the various Quickly locations around SF. Plenty of delicious drink choices! They also don't taste blandly sweet like a lot of these types of drinks tend to do. Prices are good too.
I've had the food once and it was alright. That and the fact that I can never seem to get the tapioca bubbles I want in my drink makes me bring this down a star. Though, since it is a drink shop, that's what you should focus on.
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Just trust me.
It'll change your life ... especially if it's really hot outside that day.
EDIT------ I've recently become addicted to the taro milk tea with pudding. I had 2 in one day. My gluttony knows no bounds. Also they are all friendly staff
I really love this place. I get the watermelon icy. Their watermelon icy is made from real watermelons that they cut up and throw in a blender. I am drinking it now as I write this. I also get the Hell Fire fried chicken nuggets. Everything is delicious. Yum!
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I enjoyed my coconut milk tea w/ white boba thoroughly. I haven't been to a Tapioca Express in years, so I was pleasantly surprised to see so many different options for boba and other mix-ins. The crispy chicken smelled delicious but I just ate a big fat lunch so I had to pass. Maybe next time though....
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A conspiracy! They are ALWAYS out of black pearls... yet I see other folks in there with them... hmmm. Besides that, this place is awesome. Friendly staff, awesome drinks.
BEWARE of the crispy fried chicken.. it was so good and greasy... but then like 10 minutes later I really regretted it! Never again. Stick to the drinks!
OH the honeydew snow bubble is SOO great!
So happy to have this place near me and my gym.
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I can confidently say that Tapioca Express has my favorite tapioca balls. They say they're cooked in honey and brown sugar, I say they're delicious! Also, I like this chain because they have jasmine milk tea (my all time fave).
Very extensive selection of drinks. I usually get the avocado snow bubble (sans tapioca) which is a good choice for those who do not like super sweet drinks. Plus, avocado is healthy, right?
They also have a "drink of the day" every day for only $1.50. The watermelon juice on Thursdays is excellent!
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Well, this place was different for sure. I've never had anything like it before. I got the chocolate milk tea once with tapioca, and the vanilla cookie snow bubble.
It was DEEEEEEEEElicious
We even tried the food, too, and it's also yummy. Not only was it really good....but the prices are amazing!
TRY IT
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Haa haa haa haa- I read Amy O.'s review, and I laughed out loud because I totally got the cuttlefish balls, too, the first time I'd ever come in on my own! They were seriously taaaaasty! And hot, too! The girl is right-on! You *know* you can trust a woman who likes spicy balls on a good, firm, woody stick!
My buddy Rodney took me here during our "celebrating my recent college graduation" outing, a follow-up dessert to my first taste of Japanese curry!
I ordered something I thought would be safe: "green apple snow frosty" or something like that, with white tapioca.
They asked if I wanted whipped cream on it- my kind of place!
Who *doesn't* want whipped cream?? Space aliens, that's who, and not the cool kind...
Anyway, the drinky-drink tasted just like gummy bears!!
I freaking L O V E gummy bears!!!!!
The green apple snow drink was a little on the sour side, a little on the sweet side, and the texture was perfect! White tapioca balls are a little firm, and they're fun to chew!
I've tried several other tapioca places in the various parts of the Bay Area, and I am telling you, my lovely Yelpers- I enjoy no other place to the calibre that I love Tapioca Express!
Seriously, I like them so much, I have literally *danced* while waiting for my drinky to be ready! Like, spinning and groovin' and shimmying, so happy!
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Wow! This is delicious . I'm actually in here using the wifi. Try the chocolate milk tea, you'll love it.
Ok haha I think I found my new tapioca store. Btw I'm typing this on my iPod so sorry for the typos :)
EDIT- Now that I think about it.. come here if you have time to waste before a show at the fillmore, perfect!
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Tapioca Express is a great place to go instead of a coffee shop. This one on Fillmore has a very nice vibe, good wi-fi access, and is open until 10:30pm most nights. I like the mix of music playing, too.
I've been there twice and the staff has been very nice both times. They're always out of the large black boba, though!
Want to kick your Starbucks habit? Start going to Tapioca Express. There is a HUGE assortment of different teas and interesting beverages. Milk teas, boba and juices are great replacements for coffee, and the taste gives the same satisfaction that you would get from coffee.
On top of the beverages, there are several snacks and foods you can pick up.
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I sometimes curse my neighborhood (Pacific Heights) for its lack of diversity. Upper Fillmore is very Euro-centric, with the exception of one mediocre Thai restaurant-slash-sports bar and three sushi bars. And yes, Japantown is a few mere blocks away, but come on - let's admit it - Japanese food has already hit the American mainstream - and sushi and ramen are about as "ethnic" as a lot of my fellow neighborhood dwellers would dare to go.
I once had a late night craving for almond milk tea and was supremely annoyed that I had to drive out to Clement Street to get to a Quickly.
Which, ironically, took FOR-FUCKING-EVER.
Which brings me to Tapioca Express. Nestled between a Subway sandwich shop and the Woo Ri Market (the smallest Korean supermarket ever), Tapioca Express is a godsend. Granted, it's not exactly the best bubble tea you'll ever have, but it's better than Quickly's and the girls who work here are actually PLEASANT...no, dare I say, CHEERFUL. They offer $1.99 snack specials depending on the day of the week. And I also like the fact that it doesn't get crazy crowded with a gaggle of afterschool teenyboppers like every single boba place on Clement does. Ooh, and try the "Hell Fire" crispy chicken - it's super delicious.
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Try their snow bubbles--really good. I had the Vanilla Cookie Snow Bubble with white tapioca; was a fun combination, my friend said it looked like there were air bubbles in the drink.
They also serve fresh-made drinks, which is a plus.
The only complaint I have is of the clientele--some of the "smart" ones today decided to block off the window seats with their huge and clunky stroller and didn't even think to move the stroller so my friend and I could sit at the window. People like that should not be at a small tapioca bar/cafe. Really inconsiderate. /rant
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There must be something wrong with me. My first time in Tapioca Express and not only do I not get tapioca, I don't even get a drink. Instead, I get the fried cuttlefish balls on a stick.
In my defense, I have been craving things on sticks lately. At work, it's a running gag that, if I'm hungry, I'm hungry for a meat stick. I don't think my coworkers realize the double entendre is true half the time.
Anyhoo, I get the fried cuttlefish balls and it's just the way I hoped - piping hot, nicely spiced with the exterior a light tan of perfection. Unfortunately, -1 star for the slow service (4 balls should not take ten minutes in an empty store/restaurant). But I appreciated their array of sports and gossip mags. It's always nice to catch up on Jessica Simpson's failure in life while waiting for a piping stick of cuttlefish balls.
Mmmmm, balls and sticks.
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It was 5pm and I needed somethng to eat that wouldn't ruin my appetite. I don't do pearl tapioca drinks but went in here hoping they'd have something savory. CALAMARI RINGS! Mmmmm! For $3.40 I got a bag of calamari rings the size of onion rings but much tastier. They were coated in bread crumbs-- not my favorite, but they were nicely spiced. They put two skewers in my bag so I could skewer them and nibble on them in the car. Yum.
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Wicked Pissa!! I've been a customer here since its Grand Opening and they have never failed to impress me. If its not the Hot Link bento (only at this location!) or the Grapefruit Tea with Aloe, then how about that VIP room complete with Karoke and Wii!!!!!
Now I just walk in and tell them to give me what they've got on tap... and voila!!!
Oh and check out the really gorgeous guy working in the back...
Continuing my lunch adventure down Fillmore st: Awesome place to get a brain freeze on a hot day. The mango icy gave me one hell of a brain freeze when it was 90 degree outside. The lunch menu looked enticing, but I've already had lunch. Will return here again another day to try out one of their lunch combo's.
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How far are you willing to travel for good boba? I was willing to go all the way down to Daly City but this Tapioca Express is much closer and luckily, pretty much indistinguishable in taste from the Daly City location. So if you like your tapioca soft and your milk tea milky, this is your place. They also have daily specials on drinks so check it out when you drop by.
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Tapioca Express on Fillmore is awesome. I love the variety of drinks that they have there, and I love that they offer white tapioca pearls. I don't generally like a lot of sugar, and when I complicatedly ask them for half sugar, they are always happy to adjust their normal offering to suit me.
Every time I go in there the people behind the counter make me feel welcome, as far as I can tell not so I'll leave them a good tip, but simply because they're just that way! Many thumbs up.
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This place is more pleasing to the eye and palate than Quickly. Granted, your selection of fried squid balls and chicken cutlets are fewer indeed but the drinks are clearly displayed and the staff (gasp) speaks 2,/"-4:! The guy who helped us was super friendly and patient which was soooo nice at 10 minutes to close. We gave him a $2 tip and he was so honest- "you forgot your nmoney" and waving it for us to see. So sweet I swear. Nice decor, nice staff and awesome Jasmine milk tea. Aloe gel is a nice change too. :)
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Yay snow bubbles! There are not enough bubble tea shops in SF for it being such an Asian-filled city. I used to get bubble teas nearly every day in Chicago - I long for them on days when I cannot make it to Japantown or the Richmond.
Snow bubbles are sugar filled delights.
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I am giving this particular store a 1 star rating. the other franchises are fine. my reasoning for this is due to the fact that I have visited this store three times in the past month and all three times they have been out of the large tapioca balls. it doesn't matter what time it is. i've come mid afternoon, early evening, and late evening. don't they understand that this is their most popular tapioca? i've made suggestions that they should make more, but obviously they haven't considered them. I won't be returning. three strikes you're out. this isn't the only tapioca express in town.
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I came to Tapioca Express yesterday because it's closer to me than the other tapioca places that seem to be clustered in the sunset district.
I ordered the milk tea with taro flavor. I thought it had the right amount of sweetness. I chatted with one of the workers about the variety of bubbles they offer. I usually order the black tapioca balls. She told me about the white tapioca balls- how they are more chewy. She offered to mix the black and white.
I have to say that I may be a convert to the white pearls. I don't know if it's in my head but they have this lychee flavor. Yum.
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I'm just glad they put in a new, nice and clean business on Fillmore south of Geary. In comparison to other TapEx's I've seen, this one is by far the nicest (have u guys seen the one on Clement?? What a joke!) And it's not run down by middle/high school kids. I hope more places like this open up in the area!
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Stopped in the other day after seeing the $1.99 chicken snack. I like me some spicy chicken. Unfortunately, I misread the sign, it was a "daily" special, and I happened to be in on like a wonton day or something. So, it turned out to be a $5.43 snack, because I had to get a side of rice to go with my "hell fire" flavored bites. A tear nearly filled my eye, good stuff.
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I went here for a Halloween get together with some friends of a friend. The atmosphere was great, the place is very clean, and they had trick o' treats for the kiddies. Oh the bubble tea was refreshing too. They have a private karaoke room in the back that you can use/rent for a few hours if you buy enough drinks/food. Check it out!
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Friendly owner who always greet me when I enter. Love those snacks. Even though it is a chain store, somehow it maintains great quality and wonderful customer service.
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I like their daily specials...fried tofu, crispy chicken, etc. Good hot tapioca drinks too! The only downside is the location of the place--kind of a shady area.
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Hun, this ain't your typical boba shop. Tapioca milk tea? Sure, they have it. But I'd recommend trying everything else. The strawberry Snow Bubble (smoothie) is great.
Low prices and good drinks with an extensive menu means I can get my jasmine tea with grass jelly groove on. They also do food -- the curry chicken katsu bento looks nummy.
Kudos for great service and a clean shop in an otherwise ghetto ass hood. I wish they had one of these on Clement, instead of the Quickly or the mom and pops.
(There's only one other boba shop in the neighoborhood. Don't even bother with boba from the place in the Kintetsu mall -- the worst I've ever had.)
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Even though this is a chain, I love this place ! it's like another quickly's but much much better because this is like a smaller chain i think . the drinks are larger and taste better . plus the place is nicer . however, some of their drinks are too sweet such as the tapioca milk tea and the mocha snow bubble . the mocha snow bubble tasted really good like a dreamy chocolate cake but it was way too sweet . the smoky oolong milk tea was not sweet enough . you could still taste the bitter tea . the thai tea snow bubble was really good . i would really recommend you people to try the snow bubbles . they are heavenly !
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The tapioca drinks I get here are either hit or miss for me. Some of the good: hot ginger milk tea, banana milk, hot taro milk tea. Very tasty, and I like the wide selection of jellies and tapioca you can add in your drink. I also like how some of their drinks have real fruit in them too, like the banana milk. However, some of the snow bubble drinks I've had have not been very good (too bland), and I had a mango tapioca drink that was too sweet with not enough "mango" flavor.
I've gotten some of their bento boxes to go, and they've been pretty good, plus you get a discount on your drink if you get a drink + entree.
Service: Always very friendly and the drinks are made very quickly for you.
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popcorn chicken + 1/2 container of the spicy powder
grapefruit juice w/ rainbow jellies cuz they FRESHLY SQUEEZE their grapefruit juice folks!! texas ruby reds (i love my texas grapefruit!!!)
i make my chicken SUPER spicy to the point where you can't even close your mouth cuz you're hoping the little bit of airation will help cool down your palette and so much saliva is now pooled in ur mouth so you have two choices....close your mouth and swallow or just it DROOL...but sometimes you don't quite close ur mouth quite in time...so you do a SLURP *tsffftssfffffff* yeah u know what im talking about...or mayb u don't....
useful info: free wifi
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Great selection of tapioca drinks and quick 'anthing fried' snacks like tofu and potstickers.
They offer drinks I haven't seen at other similar spots like smoked oolong milk tea, which is deee-lightful.
We found the atmosphere bright and cheery with people watching VH1 on the flat screens and doodling around on their laptops - wifi!
Only thing is if you're one of the few honkys that wander in they sort of treat you like you have no idea what's going on, which is sweet because they're trying to be helpful, but also a wee bit annoying because we do happen to know what most those jellies and bubbles are and what to do with them.
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Hey, finally a clean, updated Bubble Tea place. Decades ago, someone said this was a neighborhood butcher shop, for kosher stuff, but now split into Bubble Tea and Korean Suckshi for the neighborhood alternative to Starbuckeroos. It's still getting the newbies trained, but they were giving out samples one Saturday morning and the place had about seven customers sitting and chatting away. Try the milk tea with tapioca pearls. It's ok, but the best I found were in Taipei.
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Service was fine, prices were fine, food was fine, but I can't understand how it took 20min to cook up 3 chicken skewers. At least they were tasty, but I don't think I'll be back.
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Beats Quickly's ass
....with a huge menu of drinks, some bento-like food and snacks, impressive, fun, clean interior and fairly good boba tea (boba is good but not all use fresh fruit and I don't care for the syrup taste)....
...a great place to stop before waiting for the Geary or Fillmore bus, after Japantown, a show at the Fillmore, the Sundance theater, or one of smaller jazz clubs...
...and they don't have to bribe a county Supervisor to do it!
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