Steep

Cucumber lychee is one of my favorites here. So refreshing! Only tried them via delivery because I'm traumatized by the last time I was at this location (Boba Guys) I trip and landed on the pavement on my way out. It was a slow, mid-air boba throwing kind of trip & fall. I watched everyone gasping at me (kind of cinematic) and then bam! I was on the ground. Never got over it, so I think I'm good to have these yummy drinks delivered instead.Located on 19th St. and Valencia St.

Was meeting a friend to catch up and decided to check out the new boba shop in the neighborhood. Knew I wanted something with matcha and previewed the menu ahead of time. It was mainly a decision between the matcha with toffee bits and the strawberry matcha latte.Watch your step when you walk inside, I totally tripped on the tiny step that is in the doorway. The fact that all drinks are one size and there are no clear ice and sweetness adjustments was not my favorite (there's a long answer box for any special requests but multiple choice for sugar and ice is industry standard).I ended up getting the strawberry matcha latte. There were only a few free stickers left on the tray and I helped myself to one. This is a spot where there's a menu price and then there's a final price after taxes and fees, o in my opinion the drinks are overpriced. Although I didn't get to customize my sweetness or ice, the strawberry matcha latte still came out to my liking.I didn't expect there to be as much seating inside given that it's SF and all, but there's a bench and a bar. Orders can be placed on two self-ordering kiosks or with the cashier at the register. There was only one person working in the store when I stopped by, and the whole ordering and pickup experience felt very impersonal. If you prefer more of an engaging boba experience like me, this might not be the spot for you.

Drink - got the fresh taro milk. super delicious! 10/10! pretty affordable as well. I think it was around $5 or so.Service - self serve kiosk. My favorite! Easy to order and pay with.Ambiance - cute little spot. Not much seating, but there's an area you can stand with friends to chit chat. Would love to go back and try other flavors!Also, cute free stickers!

Ok, I tried the stand at the ballpark....i was excited to try the boba they have so I got in line. I thought maybe they (a group of three) were having. "Morning huddle" or something because they seemed deep in conversation, but no one turned and said "give us a minute" or anything like that. I waited maybe 3minutes for someone to at least acknowledge me but nope. I got closer to the counter and asked if they were open. I got a "yes we are open" and I said "ok may I please get a mango lemonade with boba and lychee".. super awkward interaction but ok. I just felt as if I was interrupting them. Anyways, the boba was really good! I definitely enjoyed it. I wanted a milk tea one but I was having a pepperoni pizza and I felt that milk might not be a good combo.

They have two kiosks outside the building to place orders on, though one was broken when I went. There's no indoor dining area, only takeout options available. On the wall there's a posted menu and the story about Steep and Juma, and I love the social impact they aim to achieve with this business. I ordered the strawberry yuzu lemonade which was pure syrup and way too sweet even at 75%. Tasted like the strawberry lemonade powders you could get from grocery stores... My pet peeve is when places call basic lemonade "yuzu" - either that or the yuzu flavor is severely lacking.

6/9/23 UPDATE:Returned to try their Smoked Oolong Milk Tea again but stuck with their default house cream milk and the OMT was SOOOO much better! Prominent earthy and roasty tea flavor with a nice creamy milkyness. Well-balanced. I'm guessing the oat milk they use may be watery (?) so stick with their default milk for this. Solid 4 for now. ***********************************************3.5 STARSWhen if comes to boba shops and cafes, I'm usually disappointed with the weak tea flavor in their milk teas and tea lattes.But, Steep BROUGHT it! A little too hard tho because the OMT's strength and bitterness smacked me in the face! Opening in the former original Boba Guys in The Mission is Steep's second location in the city. They're open for pick-up only (table blocking entryway).Contactless ordering via kiosk (one only) or QR code (Revi).M E N U* Drink Series: Milk Tea, Fruit Tea, Matcha, and Caffeine-Free. One size only ($5-$6). Alternative milks: Oat or almond (+50 cents). Toppings: Boba, agar boba, lychee jelly, konjac jelly, aloe, etc (+75 cents - $1 each) Sweetness: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, or 125%. D R I N K S* Smoked Oolong Milk Tea, 50% sweet ($5.25)--Sub oat milk (+50 cents)Steep's OMT has been one of my favs but it seems there wasn't enough oat milk so the tea flavor was SO strong with a notable bitterness. It was also missing that creamy mouthfeel so I'll stick with their default house cream milk next time for a more balanced OMT. * Cucumber Lychee: Cucumber juice topped w/ lychee juice, jasmine tea, 50% sweetness ($5.75)The cucumber juice was refreshing but there was too much lychee juice so it was too sweet (tasted 100%+). I didn't even know there was jasmine tea in the drink (couldn't taste it) until I referred back to their menu.* Matchapolitan: Strawberry Milk topped w/ ceremonial grade matcha, 100% sweet ($5.50)Not my drink but I did have a sip. The drink just tasted like sweet milk - weak matcha flavor and there was very little strawberry purée to taste. S E R V I C EContactless ordering and prompt. With no line, drinks were ready in 5 minutes.Overall, I've always been a fan of Steep since they opened their first location in Ritch alley (2016) so I know they have potential to be 5 stars. They're new so it's seems to be a matter of working on their ratios for more balanced drinks. 3.5 stars rounded up for a small local business.

Tastes like quality tea. Generous portion. Chewy bobas. Easy self-serve ordering kiosk. Heat sealed spill-proof lids (which is critical for being able to throw it into my bag and hop on a bike to the park/home!)Central location on 19th and Valencia, around the corner from Chic n Time and across from Rhea's deli. Located in the space formerly occupied by Boba Guys (which closed shortly after a labor dispute). I had enjoyed steel from their previous 2 SOMA locations. This was also delightful!

I'm always on the hunt for boba in the Mission. Steep is a great addition to the portfolio, plus their mission to employ unhoused and underserved youth means this boba is supporting youth development, not just going into the pocket of some (Boba) Guys.... Take some time to read about the non-profit social enterprise JUMA that runs several ventures throughout the city including Steep. I ordered via kiosk and my strawberry yuzu tea was ready within minutes. Boba quality was good, and price wasn't terrible. The drink size is smaller than other stores though. Tea was pretty sweet so I might opt for lower sweetness next time. Menu has a lot of the staple drinks found these days, but also some unique ones. I will definitely be back soon!

As the year winds down, I'm trying to dust off some old reviews that I never posted. This was one of them. The only thing I wrote was "paulo" and five stars. And it all came back to me.I had been to this shop a couple of times. I have to admit, I am a bit of a boba snob. I will judge you based on your OG milk tea. If your regular milk tea is not good, everything is crap. On this particular day, I ventured off my high horse. It must have been the pouring rain that I was caught under. I was completely drenched, even with an excellent rain coat built for the wicked New Zealand rain. I just didn't care anymore. I just needed a treat. I decided to accept Paulo's recommendation and try something different. It was delicious, whatever it was. Although there is a long table that runs along the store front window, there were no stools or chairs. While I waited for my Uber, Paulo even offered me a chair from behind the counter and placed it by the table for me. That's customer service, folks. I had walked into other stores that day and when I walked in drenched head to toe, other shopkeepers gave me a fearful look like I was a homeless person or someone dangerous. Not, Paulo. Thank you for your kindness that day. It mean alot.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon and there was a steady amount of people. I ordered the sweet cream Hong Kong milk tea and it wasn't sweet or creamy and just really watery. Very disappointed.