Gong cha - Union City

We were in need of boba and we've liked Gong cha in the past so we decided to go here. In short, good drinks, minimal customer experience, smells of cleaning products.L O C A T I O NGong cha is located on Alvarado Blvd and Dyer St in the same plaza as Seafood City. There's a shared parking lot but beware of impatient or distracted drivers in this lot. My mom got hit as she was just going down a parking aisle slowly. I easily parked parallel right in front of the shop.I N S I D ESeating on the side, two kiosks on the left. No worker in sight. It's clean as you can definitely smell the cleaning products used in this location. M E N UIt's fairly standard in terms of the menu plus the specials they have for the season. They had special gingerbread person shaped containers. The prices of drinks are shocking to be honest but I think that comes with the times. I don't think I can pay less than $6 or $7 for a standard milk tea with a topping these days. Their toppings are all differently priced so be wary it's not just a standard $0.50 cents anymore. Toppings range from $0.70 to $0.95. Boba is $0.80 just to give you an idea.I chose an oolong milk tea, no sugar, no ice, plus ai-yu jelly. It was perfect. Creamy and sweetness from the jelly that it didn't need any more sweetness. I could probably ice it down or add more milk to make it last longer.S E R V I C EIt took not too long to get our drinks, though it felt like the workers were more in the back and didn't linger at all in the front as they brought out the drinks they kind of immediately went back. Felt a little impersonal, but that's fine. Though the other previous times I've been they've been quite friendly!O V E R A L LIt's good. But with all the milk tea competition it's hard to justify having to drive all the way here for Gong cha. But if this is your area, it's not a bad spot to pick up some milk tea even though it's getting a bit expensive these days! I wish they used a less smelly cleaner as it definitely got to my nose and head. I also wish they had people at the front to greet folks. I can see that maybe they don't get too much foot traffic here. Overall, good spot to get your tea fix!

I'm sad the Milpitas location shut down, so this is the nearest one available. I only go there for their collaborated promos and there's always nobody ahead of me when I visit in the afternoons. Last winter, I got the gingerbread milk tea because of the bottles. I was sad they were sold out of the two emojis, so I only got the kissy face. The Gingerbread milk tea was a bit too sweet for me when I requested 50% sugar with generous boba and lychee jelly toppings. This year, I came back for the Snoopy tumbler and straw cover. The straw cover and the white tumbler were sold out, but I was happy with the pink one for nearly $20. It's a quiet location and the wait time is fast. Prefer to order on screen than in person because the cashier/barista is always in the kitchen. I'm just sad I couldn't collect all the limited edition merch. Should've come right on the first week of their promotions.

Come here because they were giving out free key chains with 2 large drink. I order 4 drink and on the app it did not say limit 1 per order. When letting them know it seem like they did not give a fuck... Hayward location was able to just give it to me.

My daughter loves this place. It is her favorite. She always gets the strawberry milk tea with boba. The service is quick. Card only. Order on the machines. Clean area. I use my reward points to get discount on drinks too. Highly recommend them.

I love gongcha and I visited this location hoping to enjoy a hot wintermelon milk foam, especially with the colder weather. I ordered at the kiosk, but had to wait over 20 minutes for my drink. There was no employee in sight, and when I finally got my drink, it wasn't even hot. I'm disappointed with the service and my drink.

HFound hair in my milk foam oolong tea. Ordered through door dash. Really unsanitary food practices. Wanted to throw up.

This is one of many boba places in Union City. Nice small store with a few chairs inside but not as busy as others. I am starting to really like this place. My kids always come here and get drinks for me. I like their milk teas and coffee drinks especially with the creme brûlée foam topping. It's not like other places as expensive to add extras and you can use a screen to order here. No direct contact but for pick up at the counter. No real customer service to say they are friendly or not. I guess that is the new thing now. [76R,2023]

Gong Cha hasn't been in Union City for very long, but I've already come here several times to satisfy my constant drink cravings on a hot day. Their drinks are pretty consistently made, and the kiosk system makes it easy to order without too much fuss. I haven't seen this location become super crowded other than the day of the grand opening so it's easy to get in and out.No standouts in terms of drink choices, as I tend to play it safe here and get the passion fruit tea or one of the sparkling drinks. Their strawberry milk tea is also decently flavored without being overbearingly sweet like some other boba places.

Gong Cha opens where Bambu was. infrastructure similiar, decor enchanced, refurnished. Gong Cha was an early pioneer in the bay area in the boba scene. now it's just one of the me-too boba club, undistinguishable from all the others. drinks either too sweet or too bland. saaaddd! foam tea is their signature drink...offerings: milk tea, milk foam, coffee, brewed tea, creative milk, smoothies, fresh milk, sparkling, snacks...drink: earl grey fresh milk tea (L. 5.50) less ice, 30% sugar-earl grey tea too faint to taste, overpowered by fresh milk.-sugar faintly tasted which is good. -foam tea maybe the only option worth getting here. -fwiw, service was quick, courteous, also just one patron with kid present.drips:-lots of parking in lot. -pics didn't come out well: diagram of milk tea products, where Gong Cha has branches in the world aren't interesting. *nothing here looks interesting. seems my iphone couldn't make lemonade out of lemons...

Easy ordering. Quick service. Came on a weekday afternoon.Strawberry smoothie tasted fake like they used powder. EhBrown sugar milk was good.