Lollicup

3 stars for quality and 1 star for nostalgia and the potato twists. Another review talked about the alternatives in the area and absolutely nailed the commentary. This location is tried and true and for many of us it's boba from the 00s and a plaza with a lot of memories. Lollicuo is a great intro boba for someone who is looking to try something new but now that there are so many alternatives that are higher quality and more innovative. It will always have a place in our hearts!!

The only reasons you should still be going to Lollicup are it's either 1. nostalgic, as you spent most of middle/high school as an Irvine student meeting friends here, 2. the only nearby boba place (7 Leaves is a 3-min walk, so that's not the case here), 3. you're there for the food, like the Twist potato or chicken, or 4. you have kids who don't have discerning boba taste buds, & the toy machines & mini-lake are the best ways to keep them happy (If that's the case, you go, momma!)-Otherwise... frankly, there are too many alternatives to Lollicup within spitting distance of this location, or really anywhere in Irvine, that serve ridiculously higher quality drinks. 7 Leaves is 2-3 mins walking. The center across the street has more boba shops. & within 3 miles I'm sure there are maybe 10 more. If you aren't picky & want a low price, Lollicup is probably your place, & if you enroll in their rewards program, you can actually get free items once in a while even if you rarely go. I'm by no means a boba snob, IDK good matcha or types of boba jellies & whatnot, but tea taste & flavor is easy to differentiate. Being that many boba places now charge $6-7 for a drink w boba anyway, I may as well go somewhere where I'll love my drink. -I'm happy spending that much when I know I will truly savor every sip of the complex waltz that is my creamy strawberry boba. A delicate balance of velvety cream & subtle tart strawberry. Combining the two creates a symphony of flavor, unexpected yet familiar - the thickness of the tart, pulpy strawberry swirls into the luscious, light, & rich sweet cream - resulting in each sip being pillowy on my tongue, with chewy, juicy strawberry morsels an unexpected but welcome guest on my palette. Each sip makes its grand exit with a chewy pop of boba pearl, intense with its deep brown sugar complexities, the accompanying perfection lingering on my taste buds. Doesn't that sound worth your money, versus how many pumps of syrup you want added to your green tea?I went to Lollicup for the longest time, mostly because it was close, & I knew what I liked. When I finally started trying new places, my mind was blown. Drinks that I could taste real fruit, real tea? Not just sugary syrup? I didn't even think I'd taste such a drastic difference! Unfortunately, Lollicup simply mixes a bunch of different syrups to make their flavors, & while I'm sure many places do this, Lollicup make no effort whatsoever to hide it. In the prep area, bottles of syrup line the shelves, the drinks have no fruit bits to them, & they offer any infinite number of customizations & switches to their menu, further proof that your drink is just whatever syrups you wish for them to throw in your base green or black tea. One of my fam members recently went & asked, a bit naively, about the sugar content in the drinks, & was told by a staff member that the sugar content would just be how much flavored syrup is pumped into your drink. Want less sugar? You get less flavor. Don't get me wrong, I've never had a bad experience at Lollicup, & I still go when I'm at that center - but I go for the Twist Potatoes, & the fact that I can customize wacky drink flavors for multiple picky family members. So, if you're catering to kids or a large crowd, perhaps this is the preferred place. Plus, they have those toy machines. The redeeming products are the Twist potatoes, which I love & are hard to find elsewhere, although I've noticed the last few times I've ordered them, they don't taste as good as they used to. I think they used to be cut thinner, making them more crispy when cooked. They've added flavorings over the years, besides spice level, like sour cream n onion, queso, or sweet chili, but I've found only the original/changing the spice level is the only change that works. They are made to order, so expect to wait a few extra minutes, but absolutely eat it once you get it. A cold, twisted potato whose heat has been lost, only to become sad steam in a half paper bag, is a surprisingly sorrier sight than one would think. These do not travel well, even if it's the less than 5 min drive home to drop them off to your parents. Trust. The churros are also surprisingly good - but very sweet - they're filled with sweet cream along w the outer sugar dusting. I'm vegetarian, so I can't personally speak to this, but I've heard from everyone that the popcorn chicken here can't be beat. Back in those middle school days, I had friends who came along, skipped a boba but ordered 3 popcorn chickens. Even 3 weeks ago I ran into someone who lived an hour away. When I incredulously asked what he was doing in Irvine, & then why at Lollicup when in Irvine you have a plethora of boba selections, he said he came for the popcorn chicken on his way down to San Diego. Actions speak for themselves, I suppose. They've redone the outside seating to include much more comfortable, inviting, bright patio couches, aesthetically pleasing & great for big groups.

I was in desperate need of caffeine when I happened to walk by this place and saw a nice big sign saying they have Vietnamese coffee & I was sold. Super good I basically chugged the whole thing. My cousin got a mango green tea & it was very leafy tasting and not sweet in her opinion but I thought it tasted okay. Lots of seats inside & outside. Seems like a nice place if u wanna study. U can also order with the workers or there is a kiosk inside too.

I do not know any other boba spots with mini boba except for Lollicup. I am obsessed with the mini boba. The texture is better than the regular sized boba in my opinion. So whenever I'm in the mood for boba and lollicup is nearby I like coming here for the wintermelon juice with less sugar, less ice, and double the serving of mini boba. I like this location because they have a nice little outdoor seating that's covered and shaded. The inside had a couple claw machines and there's also a kiosk to order yourself for faster checkout.

By far the best boba in Irvine!! I've tried several flavors and they are all great, my favorite Hot Taro milk, extra highly suggested it, my friends always prefer mine when I let them try, just make sure you ask 25-50% sugar cause it's sooo sweet, Service from all the girls working there are amazing, they know the term customer service well and all the staff is excellent, I hope no one forgets to tip them. The place is really cozy with the couches outside and a little creek next to the place. Also you can play games while you wait. So happy you are in Irvine I hope you can expand your company to more places.

No clue how Lollicup is still in business, especially when there are so many better more competitive shops in Irvine for boba. Worst "tea" drinks I've ever had if you can even call them tea. Everything tastes to artificial and overly sweet as if it's all syrup. Staff is extremely rude and practically yells at you if you didn't hear them the first time.

Kinda artificial. You can do better in the same plaza. lollicup lollicup lollicup lollicup

Yummy boba and a handful of other items on the menu that look delicious. Love that they have drink recommendations as well to help to encourage people to try new things! The potato spiral was a particularly fun little snack. Glad that they had seating outside on the beautiful day that I was here!

Very disappointing. There must have been a change of ownership or staff because once upon a time this place was pretty good but now it's awful.Yesterday I ordered two taro slushes with boba and asked for 70% sugar in the drinks. I made the mistake of not trying it when I was there but on the drive home I started drinking it and could taste that it wasn't very sweet. I looked at the drink and it said 50% sugar and I was 100% sure I asked them for 70% sweetness. By the time I saw this I was too far away to drive back and ask for another one. Truly disappointing experience.

I LOVE lollicup this is fast and taste really good you should try it for yourself I HIGHLY recommend it!