Cha For Tea - University Center

Loud, loud, and loud inside, and crowded too. But...I was pleased with my drink and my wife is fond of this location. Parking was okay, since it was later in the evening.

Nestled in the UCI campus, I had no complaints about the service, especially the cashier he was very friendly. And it's very well lit inside as well as plenty of seating to do as you wish. The issue was just how artificial the boba drink tasted. My husband used to work at lollicup back in the day and even he said all they used was powder and syrup mixtures. I did used to love Cha but I think now that I've tried other boba spots that you can tell they have made their teas from scratch. My passion fruit cooler was just incredibly sweet that I couldn't finish it after a few sips. If you are looking for just a quick sugar fix then this is your place.

Consider this a 3.5 star rating.Parking can be tricky at UCI Town Center! I parked a ways away and walked, but thankfully I wasn't in a particular rush.I went to Cha for Tea in the middle of a Friday afternoon and didn't find a long line (it's packed at night, though!). The employee at the counter who helped me was in training, according to his name tag, and was very friendly and got my order down no problem.However, I will note that they said they didn't have the classic jasmine milk tea that I love at most boba shops. Instead, it's a honey green blend of teas. Now, I should've noted the "honey" in the name.When I got my drink (maybe 2 minutes after I ordered - quick turnaround!), I found that the milk tea was overwhelmingly honey-tasting. To the point that it definitely overpowered any tea flavor that the blend had. The drink itself had an overly sweet, almost artificial taste to it.The boba was so soft that it made it harder to chew because of the texture.Not necessarily a bad shop overall, but it wasn't a drink that would keep me coming back as a regular. Service was great, though, so full points for that :)

I wish yelp would do half stars, this place would get 3.5 from me. Rounding down because I will frequent other locations when I have options. This was a good Boba place for order ahead and pickup. It's right by the UCI campus so it's very busy with a line out the door and the place itself is quite small. I could imagine waiting for your order takes awhile. When you pickup the person taking orders will help you ahead of the giant line which is nice but probably slows down the line so not the best system. The boba was good but I feel like the menu was limited. No oolong options and the black milk tea was just ok. Parking makes this place a task to get to. Overall just ok.

Cha for Tea is tried and true. It's still just as good as during my college days at UCI. It brings back lots of memories coming here. But just as it was years ago, quality of drinks are still above average. Their teas are so rich and aromatic. I'm always a fan of the almond milk tea and mango tea, but in college I would occasionally satisfy that sweet tooth with a strawberry colada cooler. I remember the boba pearls being very sweet and chewy. Crispy popcorn chicken is always a wonderful salty pairing. On this most recent visit we ordered a beef stew meal which comes with rice and corn and we ordered a side of popcorn chicken. We also ordered drinks, and took everything to the beach. Good food, good drinks, good company, good times. I wish there was a Cha for Tea near me.

I got the matcha latte with boba, and it was really good, the boba was nice and chewy, but it was a little sweet. Overall I loved it!

This boba place is located in University Center. They make fresh hourly here. There a small area for indoor seating and they also sell Taiwanese appetizers to munch on. I like to get their roasted brown sugar boba milk latte which is quite delicious. Very sweet in flavor that you can customize sweetness as well. Good and friendly staff. One less star for lack of space while waiting to order out drinks.

Honestly no words needed. A UCI classic. I love their samples. I've never disliked a drink from there, and I've tried many over the years. Their spicy crispy chicken is yum.

Happy national bubble tea day from my favorite place to get bobaMango green tea 10/10- my absolute fav, I normally get 2 pumps of sweetener instead of the full amount as it's pretty sweet and it's awesome that they can adjust it for you. I love how refreshing it is and how the mango and green tea go together perfectly. This is also the most popular drink on their menu!! Their boba is also incredibly fresh but I love getting their lychee jelly or aloe Vera jelly however I didn't get any in this drink order. Highly recommend their hot honey almond milk tea for when it's cold out. They also started selling boba squishmallows so I had to cave and get one as it's so cute and cha for tea is my favorite spot for drinks. The lines go fast too! I've been coming here for 10+ years now and it's always been consistent.Instagram: @hungrytamale

Food: this is my usual go to boba spot in Irvine area, especially when visiting my best friend who lives close by. I've tried many different drinks both cold and hot, and they have always been solid. This time around, my bf and I stopped by while on our way going home from Newport Beach. It was still cold and windy outside so we opted for hot teas, he got chai and I got honey green milk tea. The drinks definitely warmed us up right away and tasted OK, but still a bit too sweet despite requesting 50% sugar. Personally I would choose yifang or sunright over this place, but cha for tea is a staple irvine experience that you really can't miss out on. We also got crispy (popcorn) chicken in mild spice, which was indeed crispy, bite sized, and seasoned really well even without the sweet and sour sauce, highly recommend!Price: about $5 per drink or appetizer, I think the prices are very reasonableAmbiance: located in the heart of university center, which is a big plaza close to UC irvine. Lots of young college students, mostly Asian crowd, very lively and crowded and busy. There were about 8 tables inside, some people were studying, some were talking, not enough seats to accommodate the number of people who visit. Better to just grab the drinks and sit outside or walk around the plazaService: good, no issues, minimal interaction other than ordering at the counter with cashierParking: huge parking lot right infront the university center, no need to worry about finding a spot, there always will be one