4. Restaurants

Tapioca Express

5408 Walnut Ave,Ste G, Irvine, CA, 92604
  • (949) 786-8688
  • Store is closed

Tapioca Express Menu

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Visit below restaurant in Irvine for healthy meals suggestion.

Chili’s Grill & Bar ( 3745 Alton Pkwy )

Visit below restaurant in Irvine for healthy meals suggestion.

Chili’s Grill & Bar ( 3745 Alton Pkwy )

  • Chris S.

    Nothing new, nothing surprising.

    (3)

  • Lynn N.

    love the boba.

    (5)

  • Raymond S.

    I remember a time when this particular location was THE hangout place where all the high school Asian kids would congregate on week nights. Lines literally would form 30-50 feet outside the door and you'd have to fight for the couches. Funny how times have changed over the years as people have moved onto D&B and alcohol. This now-Korean-owned store may look empty inside but this is still a great place to get a good boba drink on the go for cheap if you're not digging the pricier good stuff of Cha or TeaStation. And because it's not crowded, it's a good place to just chillax and/or catch up on old times (see above) with friends. I still come here occasionally to get my egg pudding milk tea fix (or Almond milk tea on cold days) and I prefer their drinks much more than Lollicup across the street. They may taste artificial, but on hot summer days, you won't care cause it's sweet and soothingly good. The snow-slushies and spicy chicken is pretty good to boot. Just be careful on the chicken as even their "mild" flavor is pretty spicy.

    (3)

  • Fatty A.

    This spot brings back memories. I started drinking balls here when they first openned 6-7 years ago. But now everyone has moved to Yogurtland or Guppy House or some other knock off boba place. This is the original boba place in my mind. I miss all the rice rockets and azn gangsters from the OC. They were hard man. Sipping boba balls is the definition of GANGSTA. Whenever I came to chill the gangstas Jay Chou's first cd would always be playing. I love you Jay Chou. But if you want good boba go to life plaza. Its worth the 30 minute drive. You live in So. Cal. therefore you live in your car. Drive it.

    (5)

  • Maome S.

    Lower than average tea. Go to Tea Station. There are still many kids that hang out here and that attracts the ridiculous fixed up cars in the parking lot.

    (2)

  • Eric H.

    I usually go to Tapioca Expresses in LA. For some reason I always feel this one here in Irvine doesnt do as good of a job as the ones in LA? Maybe the boba isnt as fresh? Hmmm.. dont know. Parking is kinda tough and you have to bob and weave when you drive because there are REALLY scary drivers in the parking lot. You know that stereotype about bad asian drivers? Well I think it came from watching people drive in this lot. :) ( I can make fun cuz I am asian too - LOL)

    (3)

  • Tiffany H.

    Love this tapioca express. Great people and great food. Best crispy chicken!

    (4)

  • Jonathan Y.

    Back in late 2002-2003 this was the place to get decent boba before a night's study time at the gateway center at UCI. I have not been back recently, but their nai cha and spicy chicken were superb. I'm giving it 3 stars since it appears times and ownership has led to evolution in a negative way -_-

    (3)

  • Shui L.

    It will satisfy your craving for a Boba Milk Tea. But the Arcadia location is the BEST. Definitely better here than in Westminster. Kinda pricey compared to Monterey Park. But this is the only place that is ok, so I guess I'd go back if I really wanted one.

    (3)

  • Rachelle B.

    i like this place. too bad not too many people think so... but, that's the beauty of yelp. anyways, i LOOOVE their jasmine milk tea. it's so good, and not too sweet. i got their crispy chicken, which is probably the best i've eaten. i like it so much because it's not very spicy. i'm sensitive to spicy foods, so another man's "mild" is most of the time TOO spicy for me. but every time i go here, it's perfect. not too spicy, not bland. i'm not a huge fan of boba, so i got my jasmine milk tea without boba. i tried my boyfriend's taro milk tea, which i've never tried before, and it was sooo good. i think i would get that next time. last night, i got their crispy chicken special... you get the crispy chicken and any milk tea (there's about 5 flavors to choose from) for $5. it was perfect 'cause that was exactly what i wanted. i loved it. the crowd is alright, i mean, i never really come across silly kids just hanging out there... thank god. the music is really loud in there sometimes, which can be annoying. but i never stay too long to really let it get to me, because i order to go. good food, good boba.

    (4)

  • Sasorri C.

    I had a good chat with one of the employees, turns out he was one of the Yogurtland's managers son! haha... what are the ODDs?! Still i wont bump up a star just because i befriended someone who is somewhat special. Drinks are pretty good, not bland, not WOW. I come here mainly cuz the lolicup cant make good chicken for life... At least this TapEx puts a crunch in it once in a while

    (3)

  • ashley c.

    i wish i could give it 2 1/2 stars it was good- they gave me a lot of boba (i asked for extra) and the boba was yuuuumy! but the actual drink didnt have much taste. i got strawberry and mango snow bubble- tasted more like water with a light flavoring every few sips. ok so we went back today and i got a yogurt green tea and my bf got a vanilla black tea. both were good! better than the smoothie-like snow bubbles.

    (4)

  • Arnold E.

    Not my cup of tea....okay, bad pun, I apologize... This particular Tapioca Express is definitely one of the worst to which I've been (the Cerritos Towne Center location is still my favorite, by far). Yes, the place was pretty crowded, but it looked like people were just hanging out and had no place else to be. There were two guys on computers, hogging up valuable counter space. Excessively loud and randomly chosen music was blasting through the store's speakers, which forced everyone around me to raise their voices about 20 or so decibels. The 'dudes' working behind the counter were joking around and playing grab-ass with each other. To make matters worse, the cashier screwed up my order (I clearly replied, "Large," to his question...argh!). The boba was overcooked, stuck together, and caused me to strain myself while I was trying to suck a small colony of tapioca up, through my straw. What an ordeal...and a waste of boba. These guys should be arrested by the Tapioca Police.

    (2)

  • Benjamin M.

    I miss my Boba in Palo Alto: this is a reasonable alternative. I consistently get their Jasmine milk tea, and am consistantly pleased with the result. The atmosphere isn't quite what I want, but the fake fireplace provides amusement if nothing else. They have a very good attitude, and are very prompt with their service.

    (4)

  • Noah C.

    Better priced than Cha, better tasting than Lollicup, but still just somehow doesn't totally do it for me. I do like the lemon slushy thing from here, but the tapioca gets a little grainy at times, as opposed to Cha's which is always nice and smooth, chewy but not gummy. I like the spicy chicken, of course, which is miles above any other boba joint's attempts. I don't like the people that work here, though. Why do people who work at boba places have to be so self-important and snobbish? You're not running a French restaurant or something.

    (3)

  • Pam B.

    I am a white chick that has never had milk tea or Boba. A friend forced me there. First sip was a little scary. Once I got over the initial fear, the drink was LIFE CHANGING. been back 2 to 3 times since then. I guess you can call me a local. I have tried a few other Boba places since then but nothing compares to tapioca express Sincerely, Boba Babe

    (5)

  • Don N.

    The milk tea and snacks are really good! Thumbs up to that. But the cashier is rude! The girl looks asian. Very rude indeed. She deserve an retraining, no manners, doesn't even smile.

    (3)

  • Lala T.

    The tea tastes great and the price is good I am new here but I am addicted to milk tea so I tried quite a lot- This one is of among the best I wish they have Milk Oolong Tea - that is a very typical item on the menu for Taiwan teas shop in Asia. The staff was not helpful when first time I came here and I was confused with the menus and which ones to order I asked for Green milk tea and Jasmine milk tea and she gave me the look: Jasmine tea is Green tea. 3 star for that :-(

    (4)

  • Kimberly C.

    My biased review: I'm so happy they have soy milk as an option for all the milk tea options! I'm not sure if all the Tapioca Express locations do this, but this one does and I love getting the Black Sesame (soy) Milk Tea with boba. Other notes: The service is /okay/. They have Wifi- it's their phone # I believe. Open long hours (for that late night boba craving.) Don't accept credit- so have cash or debit.

    (4)

  • Cindy S.

    My sister and I are obsessed with this place. They always have the best milk tea and boba! The boba is always super soft and sweet. I've also tried the almond, jasmine, taro, coffee, earl grey, sesame and more. They're all pretty good but the original milk tea is my favorite. The stamp cards are really useful as we've been coming here for years and years. Atmosphere is fine but most people usually just grab-n-go. Oh, and the popcorn chicken is good! Would definitely recommend this place to friends, fam & all boba lovers.

    (5)

  • Ryan C.

    Comfortable but lacking basic features like WiFi. Cash or debit only. Get the Earl Grey milk tea!

    (4)

  • Tina H.

    NEVER PICKS UP THEIR DAMN PHONE Five seperate occasions I've called to make a togo order because I'm in a hurry and just want to swoop up my stuff without waiting but every time I call and call and when I get there 5 min later NO CUSTOMERS at all. Seriously? I brought it up on three occasions, the first time the worker was very apologetic and told me the truth that they put the phone on SILENT and that'd he would bring it up at their weekly meetings, then this issue was fixed for a bit of time but started up again, today when I brought it up again another worker nonchalantly said "we don't usually pick up the phone, we only do if no ones here" I look around and there's ONE customer whose sitting eating their food. Really? Really?? I mean if they don't want to take phone orders because they're scared people won't come to pay for their food that's understandable, but if that's a case at the very least say so on their phone message like Tastea so people don't waste their time or do online orders. Come on its 2015. I'd give one star if I didn't like their popcorn chicken so much and it wasnt close to home.

    (2)

  • Jamie N.

    10% off entire bill with check-in!! Parking is terrible. Why so many businesses in one plaza?? Anyway, there's seriously 3 tea spots within walking distance of each other (TapX, Lollicup & Bambu), so the check in offer is nice if you're able to snag a parking spot. Tapioca Express is a classic for me, lol. It's the first of it's kind before all these other tea fusion bars popped up. My usual go-to is watermelon juice slush with lychee jelly, but I decided to mix it up with a peach snow bubble. I added the lychee jelly, of course! For a regular size + 10% discount, it was roughly around $3.25. The beverage is a bit sweet, but you can always ask for less sugar or sweetness. Totally slipped my mind, but I needed the pick me up for Monday anyway, so I let it slide.

    (3)

  • Marissa L.

    TapEx is my favorite place for boba. If you're lucky you'll get their boba fresh and warm. It's chewy and not too sweet. The crispy chicken is a perfect savory snack with spicy and flavorful basil added. My favorite is their mango icy with boba, but their fresh fruit drinks are great too. Service is always fast and friendly. A great hangout spot. Love this place.

    (5)

  • madeleine n.

    Tap Ex is your regular everyday boba shop. They offer your basic milk teas, flavored ice teas, and a good variety of slushie (snow bubble) type drinks. What I like to get here: SNACKS: -squid balls! I get about 2-3 orders of these bad boys because my family and I love them. Each order has 6 pcs. -popcorn chicken. I like it better than most boba shops that offer popcorn chicken (i.e. Cha, Tastea, Guppies, Class 302) DRINKS: -earl grey, milk tea or snow bubble (both are good) -honey green milk tea -- this is the only drink my family and I have had a lot of inconsistencies with quality (sometimes it's really watered down) -taro milk tea -- it's too sweet for me but the kids enjoy this one -the boba (tapioca balls) are good too. Sometimes though, they're overcooked (which means they're really soft and mushy) The location is also really convenient for us too!

    (3)

  • Regina O.

    My usual go-to spot for boba in Irvine since it's cheap and so close to my house. It's not the best place for boba, but its decent. My most recent visit, I got a regular milk tea with mini boba. The boba itself is a hit or a miss. Sometimes its really mushy and I hate when its like that.. but other times its just the right amount of chewiness. I like that you can customize your drink with the amount of sugar being added. I usually say less sugar because sometimes the drinks come out to be super sweet and sugary. I also like looking at their bulletin board because sometimes they'll have employee favorites and recommended drinks listed and those are always good to try out if you want to stray away from your usual orders. Service is good. The wait is never long and there is a good amount of seating inside the boba shop. They also have week day specials and dont forget to ask for a stamp card!

    (4)

  • Tracy N.

    Quick and friendly service. I personally like the popcorn chicken and all their little fried snacks here better than Tea Station. Maybe because I love so much basil... Tea/ Milk tea is just ok. Nothing great. Nothing bad. Just as expected. Perfect for a quick stop in before class.

    (3)

  • Amanda Y.

    Your usual bubble milk tea place. Service is really friendly and fast. The tea is pretty good. My sister, a connoisseur of taro milk tea, really liked hers. The peppermint tea here is a little weird..different. But maybe it's because I got it without milk this time?

    (4)

  • Chau T.

    I LOVE THEIR PASSION FRUIT ORANGE GREEN TEA!! One of my favorite drinks at this TapEx! They have the basic flavors of a typical boba shop and perfect for a boba fix! Their boba, tapioca pearls, is cooked really well.Their popcorn chicken really good here, It's better than lollicup's popcorn chicken that's across the street from here lol they're open kinda late, which helps in the irvine area, so it's a perfect go to spot!

    (3)

  • Megan C.

    Nice boneless chicken. Tea is expensive and not that special (especially compared to other places in Irvine). Below average service.

    (3)

  • Sunny S.

    Back again! Craving for the their spicy chicken and milk tea. Love it; never disappoints.

    (5)

  • Michael T.

    This Tapioca Express location in particular isn't very good. I was surprised because I just got basic milk tea, but my drinks have been off both times I've tried it here. I went for convenience, but not going back because there are a ton of options in Irvine.

    (2)

  • Evan M.

    Not as busy as it used to be years back but still a good spot to hang out and have tea with friends

    (5)

  • Yuedong L.

    I am pretty much always down for caffeinated and tea drink venues! Tapioca Express is your standard drink venue for hot and iced teas, boba drinks, hot and cold milk teas, etc. It is located in a pretty busy asian business district that includes hair salons, optometry buildings, and various foodie locations like Chongqing, 101 noodle house, and AJs across the street. If your looking to drop by quickly for a drink around dinner time, expect to take a decent amount of time finding parking. Any other time is ok. My review is specifically this location itself, which is often hit or miss. There is simply so many options around Irvine that in respect to those other locations, the drinks here often can't compare in consistency and quality. My favorite drinks here are : Jasmine iced green tea Peach iced black tea Jasmine hot milk tea Have had some of their icys before, and jumped straight back to teas. What I meant by hit or miss is sometimes I would come in and the iced tea would have the perfect combination of sweetness, refreshness, and flavor. Other times I would order the same thing and there would be too little or too much ice, too much or too little sugar, etc etc. In comparison, the drinks I have ordered multiple times at 85 degrees, Cha, or 7 Leaves have consistently been of the same high quality. In terms of service, I have had no qualms or bad experiences so far. I am a pretty laid back guy and I don't expect nor need the workers to chat me up every time just to make me happy. I used to work as a barista so I give much leeway in this area. A smile and greeting is good enough for me and this place has not disappointed. One positive is they make the orders in a very efficient and fast manner! Two thumbs up in that respect. I apologize for the size of the review =D For those add types. TLDR summary : If you live around the area and want a quick drink this is a decent option if you don't want to drive to the more consistent and higher quality places like 7 leaves or 85 degrees. Drinks have been inconsistent in quality. Service is quick. Very fair prices. Would come again. It's all refreshing and gravy in the end :) Cheers!

    (3)

  • Janice C.

    Good treat but this lady cashier is some kind of rude... Snobish ... Smile can bring u a good costumer service itself just so u know

    (3)

  • Dat N.

    popcorn chicken is the best! no more milk tea combo though :(

    (5)

  • Katie M.

    Peach boba smoothie is the best. They also have amazing popcorn chicken and fries. Friendly staff.

    (5)

  • Abz G.

    Love the Mocha snow bubble with boba and coffee jelly! Guy at cashier is very nice. There's another girl who's at the cashier on some days who seems snobbish and doesnt even look at you when you order. But bec i love my drink and the yummy crispy chicken i give you a 5 :)

    (5)

  • Lily J.

    Fantastic!!! The best boba place in or near Irvine! The only place I'll go to from now on for a boba fix! My other favorite is "That Boba Place" by orange coast college. I love their boba too but it's totally out of my way.

    (5)

  • Jessica T.

    Best boba! I used to like Honey Boba more, but it seems that they're adding more ice than drink these days. Tapioca Express is my new favorite. I love the vanilla snow bubble with boba due to the pleasant aroma. The boba add-on, which is sold separately, is cooked perfectly, and the drink has the right amount of sweetness. The red bean milky swirl is pretty good too. Check-in on Yelp for a 10% discount.

    (5)

  • Antonia R.

    It's hit or miss with their drinks, depending on the person who makes it. They are not at all consistent. It always tastes like a sugar bomb or watery. I find myself getting disappointed the majority of the time I come here. Taro Milk Tea - Almost always too sweet and thick. I only had it a few times when they made it taste good and now I am just tasting a memory. I learned my lesson that they just don't make it good here. Almond Milk Tea - Sometimes great and sometimes too sweet and a sugar bomb. Honey green milk tea - This just tastes like milky water. I don't taste the green tea or honey at all! Strawberry milk tea - This is the only one I like here. It tastes just like Nestle quik strawberry milk, can't go wrong with that! Their Boba is always overcooked too. They never get it right. Their crispy chicken is good. Other than that, I would recommend that you go to Lollicup across the street for their boba and drinks. They make their drinks much better, more flavorful, they don't just rely on sugar to make things taste good. Also their boba is always cooked al dente!

    (2)

  • Joseph L.

    Tapex on Walnut has become a boba staple for me over the years. I know it's chain store boba, but the drinks here are pretty damn good... Baristas are always polite and fast.

    (3)

  • T L.

    Clean and nice shop. A bit small. Couldn't really find any outlet or maybe I wasn't looking hard enough. I always get the regular milk tea whenever I visit a new boba place to see how they handle the most basic drink. It was one of the better milk tea that I had so I'd consider coming back. The milk tea menu could use more variety. Overall a good experience.

    (3)

  • Andrew L.

    Pros and Cons Pros 1. Tasty Milk Tea 2. Quick Service 3. Lots of seating Cons 1. Milk Tea can be overly sweet at times i enjoy coming to Tapioca Express because of their tasty milk tea. The service is almost always quick and there are a lot of seating. i usually order the traditional tapioca milk tea which i enjoy a lot. The only issue i have is that , their milk tea can be overly sweet at times.

    (4)

  • Hannah K.

    I got the honey milk tea boba, it was delicious! Not too sweet. Would definitely go again

    (4)

  • Kai Hua W.

    This place has waayy better boba than the Lollicup in the adjacent plaza, but I think more people go to the Lollicup because it is a better place to hangout. The boba here is actually chewy, like it's supposed to be. Only qualm is that this place doesn't have wintermelon tea, which is a common drink in Taiwan, but not so in the US. They used to have it when I was a kid, but they removed it from the menu. I go to the Lollicup when I want wintermelon tea, but I come here otherwise. If the wintermelon tea doesn't bother you (and it probably doesn't), then pick this joint over the Lollicup.

    (4)

  • Andre R.

    Customer service is excellent. My drinks came to me right after I payed and it tastes amazing. The only thing that upsets me is that people think poorly of this location. The vibe here is very calm and welcoming. I would definitely recommend this Tapioca Express location! Keep up the good work Tapex!

    (5)

  • Bryan L.

    Quick service, clean sitting area. Only bad thing is they only accept cash or debit!

    (3)

  • Alex C.

    Wide variety of drinks, lots of spots to sit, and free WiFi! It's open late as well! Cool spot to chill

    (5)

  • BeachyKeen S.

    My favorite is their iced Green Jasmine Tea with big chewy tapioca bubbles. It's not overly sweet, but provides a light perfumy fragrance of tropical jasmine flowers, which is refreshing and absolutely delicious! If they opened one in Laguna it would be a huge success because everyone I know loves the variations of these exotic beverages and they're greatest fans are not always Asians either like their franchise site suggests. tapiocaexpress.com On one occasion, I carried one into a consumer electronics convention (in Anaheim) and a Caucasian lady stopped and asked me where she could get one. She was so very disappointed when I told her that she would have to leave the show and drive all the way to Irvine. :-( If you're a regular, make sure to get a frequent customer card to have stamped for every purchase, then when the card is filled, you'll get one for free! :-) The place is always busy, so you may have to wait a bit, but it's definitely worth it. tapiocaexpress.com/drinks

    (5)

  • Tim W.

    This place has the best pearl tea drinks i've ever had. Why? Main reason is that they their pearls are warm and sweet, mixed with the ice cold smoothie flavor of your choice. Can take awhile though as they usually are busy!

    (5)

  • Rebecca T.

    I'm originally from San Diego so I frequently visit the Taxpex in SD. During most visits to the SD location, my favorite snack is the crispy chicken. Craving this snack in Irvine, I decided to give this Irvine Tapex a try. First off, I asked for very spicy and when I got the chicken, there was barely ANY spicy powder at all. It was less than mild so that was my first disappointment. Secondly, the chicken was incredibly hard. I think the only reason why Tapex in SD does so well with their chicken and other meal snacks is that they are extremely juicy and soft. I was so surprised by how the chicken at this location was made and how incredibly hard and rough the chicken was. I do NOT recommend the chicken snack. I couldn't even finish the snack and had to throw it out. On a lighter note, customer service was great and the guy at the cashier was very nice.

    (2)

  • Sheena T.

    The boba here is chewy and soft! I really like this place. The reason why its a three is because this place is just dirty. They really need to work on repainting the walls to a better color and cleaning up the floors and table tops.

    (3)

  • Dani T.

    probably the worst customer service at tapioca express I've ever experienced :( came in 10 mins before closing, and there was a girl cleaning and a guy texting. the girl just looked at us and didn't say anything, just kept on cleaning while we stood there waiting for help... my boyfriend had to go up to the guy and ask him for help before we got any service. and normally I love tapex, too....

    (1)

  • Rika K.

    It was simply okay. The cashier did everything she was supposed to and was by no means rude but she seemed a bit prissy and really "over it" with her job. The tea itself was nothing special. We had the Jasmine Milk Tea and the Almond Milk Tea and oh man the almond was so perfume-y and so strong. I did not like it at all. Definitely not coming back as there are many more other boba places to see.

    (2)

  • P A.

    10% off for checking in on Yelp! I think this is every time you check in and not just the one time use Yelp coupon. The parking in the shopping center is horrible. Make sure you really want your boba and crispy chicken fix to deal with.

    (3)

  • Gabrielle S.

    My favorite TapEx. I was worried that I had bought a drink that contained milk. Was about to buy another one and the cashier told me the Snow Bubble Thai Tea was non dairy. Thank you, thank you. Will always come back to this one when I'm in the area.

    (5)

  • Susan Y.

    One of the better TapEx I've been to... And I can say, they are definitely good in quality for the drinks and boba. (There is seriously one like 2 minutes away from me but I don't fancy that one as much as this one...) I've ordered Earl Grey MT w/ boba, Iced GT and GMT w/ boba. All were hits. (: I think I really like their boba too.. Chewy enough and definitely not too hard like some franchises. I always use their check-in offer (especially the YELP one) and get 10% off my order. They have happy hour specials for Mon-Thur so that's something you can check out! lol

    (4)

  • Bunni L.

    One of the best boba in Irvine. I always order LESS SUGAR though, or it's way too sweet because their boba is sweet. Boba quality is pretty consistent and yummy. Personally, I think their black tea is way better than green. For some reason, their green tea has a minty flavor? This happened to be three times and I stop ordering green teas. Black tea on the other hand, has a VERY Taiwanese taste to it, which I LIKE. Anyways, good place to go for Boba if you don't have time to drive further to LA. Go on Mondays to get double stamps!!

    (4)

  • Liz N.

    Tapioca Express drinks are average, but less artificial than most places. What do I go there for is actually their popcorn chicken! After trying popcorn chicken at a few places: Tea Station, Lollicup, and Tapioca Express - Tapioca came up on top.

    (3)

  • David L.

    Half-decent milk tea for decent prices. - Milk tea and other drinks are decent (at best) - Service is quick the majority of the time An okay place. Nothing amazing, which is why I don't come back so often.

    (3)

  • Janice Y.

    not happy with this Boba store .. I asked cashier named Vi if we can get free bracelet, she first said it's for tomorrow ... so i said it says 13-14th , then she claimed they dont have the free bracelet .. so i told her " since the promo says today & tomorrow can i get this tom for my 3 drinks for my kids ? " she said I can't because thats not the way how they work ... so I told her she needs to change or take it off .. and she said it's corporate decision not them ... very unfriendly Don't go back here ... theres another boba place accross the street w friendly staff... peace out!

    (1)

  • Kelsey Akemi H.

    This place is just okay. I am obsessed with milk tea and boba, so I usually come here on my way to the Spectrum, but most of their drinks in my opinion are too sweet... and the weird thing is that I have a sweet tooth. I'm still going to try and find if I can find something that won't give me a sugar induced headache, but so far I've been having to pick up something salty at the bakery next door to try and kill the overwhelming sweetness. I don't know, maybe I just like my milk teas more flavorful.

    (3)

  • X X.

    Recenty I returned to Irvine, Tapioca Express in the 99 market parking lot for a "memory" red bean boba drink. I was not disappointed. Great texture, Tapioca (better than ala denta) and wonderful favor and refreshing. Nick took care of my order did a fabulous job. it is always a pleasure to do business with a representative (employee) who creates a welcome and happy environment and has a great attitude. it is a busy shopping center, so parking can be a challenge. However, most customers who come into this mall area do their business and move on, so one can find a parking space with a little waiting.

    (5)

  • Kristen T.

    Great place for Boba!!!! Good selection of drinks to choose from. An area to relax and hang out.

    (4)

  • Meghan N.

    Calamari - spiciest choice. Good. Best in awhile. Yep..... getting it again when I come back.

    (5)

  • Hope E.

    I absolutely love Tapioca Express! The people that work here, are the kindest & most helpful! They add the PERFECT amount of syrup, not too sweet but not too bitter! This place is a MUST for you boba explorers! ;) MUST TRY- Mango green tea w/ mango jellies!

    (5)

  • Ayesha A.

    I love love love this place for boba! They only take debit cards or cash NO CREDIT CARDS .....I like it better than lollicup (because they have the milk jasmine green tea) I actually really enjoy their crispy chicken (medium spice) and I prefer getting the jasmine milk tea mixed with the regular milk tea (it is just more interesting that way) the boba here is pretty soft and sweet, just the way I like it. I have tried their cheese chicken fries and did not like them as much but the crispy chicken and they sweet and sour sauce they give you with is are both amazing! The staff is also very nice. You can get stamps for each time you buy a drink yay (two stamps on Mondays) and after 9 stamps a free drink! Oh and the also have different kinds of jellies that you could try instead of boba. If you check in with yelp or any other social media platform you get a 10 percent off your order. They also have happy hour and everyday specials (happy hour is 15 % off if you get a drink and chicken combo). Pretty good deal on an already inexpensive meal!

    (5)

  • Lisa M.

    Love all the tea choices - boba is fresh and just the right texture - curry crispy chicken is my favorite

    (5)

  • Chris K.

    My jasmine milk tea tasted nothing like jasmine. What a waste.. Although my friend's earl grey was actually good. Would get earl grey if I were to come back, but wouldn't risk getting anything else.

    (2)

  • Kyrene Q.

    Their boba is always so yummy. It will always be my favorite boba joint in Irvine. I always go here, because their tapioca is so soft and perfectly chewy. Their Thai tea is awesome that's what I get all the time. While my mom gets the taro tea with boba, which is also delicious. Their service is very quick and efficient. The staff are nice and energetic. The location is right off the 5 fwy, very convenient and really close to other Chinese restaurants and the 99 ranch supermarket. Although parking can be a pain in the butt, because it's almost always packed it's still very worth it to get boba here at tapioca express.

    (5)

  • Helen P.

    Discovering that Boba is expensive. This place was clean and my drink was good but it is expensive for what is basically liquid thrown together and then covered with a plastic wrap. I love Milk Tea and had great drinks in NYC - this place had lots of options which I haven't tried but the milk tea was ok. Price was a bit much.

    (3)

  • Sophorn T.

    Always fast and nice service. Food and drinks are consistent and good. restrooms are always clean and the place is always tidy and nice looking :)

    (5)

  • Pillin L.

    I like Tapioca Express but sometimes I hate how they nickle and dime you. Charge for your soy milk sustitute? Like really, is soy milk that more expensive?? Because it's pretty cheap at Trader Joes. Regardless, they always make my boba just the way I like it! Sometimes I think spending over $4 for a regular boba is kind of steep, but sometimes I can loosen the purse strings. Their fried chicken snack thing is delicious too! I haven't had anything else but it was a great little snack while downing some of my soy milk banana boba!

    (4)

  • Esgar L.

    This tapioca express was the first boba place I went to when I was a youngin', so it has a special place in my heart. Us youths would walk over from the nearby Korean church and then head back with our own little boba drinks in our hands. It was just bliss as we gulped down the sugary syrup and sunk our teeth into the gooey boba balls, successfully satisfying our child-driven, incessant need for sweets. This place has never disappointed me, and I sit here now sipping a new favorite that had been suggested by the cashier (thanks!). Jasmine Green Tea Lush with a dash of sweetener. It's not overwhelmingly sweet like a lot of the other drinks and instead of me getting sick of the boba balls, this time they're a nice compliment to the drink, adding a subtle sweetness.

    (4)

  • Mai T.

    This is one of my favorite boba shops. Have been coming here for years... My favorite drinks are the jasmine milk tea boba & the almond milk tea boba. My kids' fave drink is the taro milk tea boba. The tapioca balls here are of higher quality then most places and I love that they are chewy & sweet. The prices are reasonable and ask for a stamp card to get the 10th drink free!

    (4)

  • Conrad Z.

    This is by far the best Tapioca Express. Other locations just don't taste the same. Still the best boba by far

    (5)

  • Grze G.

    Decent location. Both tea option with fresh fruit were great. Prices are ok for the quality. Staff was friendly. Why 4 stars: - I wish they have a bigger sign. It's quite hard to notice where is it if you're in this area first time - cash or debit only...seriously? in 2014?

    (4)

  • Juls C.

    Have you guys turned into a full on hip hop gangsta joint or what? Lately, you've been pumping it like its the end, an adieu and homage to hip hop. Its like crack shit in there. Whats your crack? -- GINGER TEA HOT full bodied. No one does it like you guys do. Really. Please, don't ever change the recipe One thing, maybe two-- Whats up with your furniture, man. The couch is old, change it. The chairs and tables, refresh. You're that close. Please and thank you

    (4)

  • Andrew N.

    This is becoming my new place to get boba in Irvine. This place is much, much better than Lollicup across the street. The drinks are good, the boba isn't flavorless and rubberlike, there aren't strobe lights everywhere, and it's much quieter. The milk tea drinks here are great because they are sweet and flavorful. My favorite drink is the Jasmine Milk Tea because the taste is very light and refreshing. A lot of other places make green milk tea drinks that taste like water but this Tapioca Express makes it sweet and delicious. They use a good ratio of milk, tea, and water so that it's never too watered down. It tastes great to me because I have a sweet tooth but it might be too sweet for others - you could always ask for less sweetness if this is the case. The boba is also very good: soft, a little chewy and a little sweet. The place is very spacious and seems like a great place to hang out. There's lots of tables, a couch, and seats at the bar to sit, talk, play games, watch tv, etc. yelp.com/user_local_phot… They DO NOT take credit card but they do take debit card. I was kind of confused when I asked them if they take credit card and they said just "No", even though there was a credit card machine right in front of me. They do offer a 10% discount when you show them a check in on facebook/yelp/FS, which is nice because the normal prices are kind of high compared to Lollicup and other TapEx locations.

    (4)

  • DJ T.

    I really like their popcorn chicken because they cook it with basil leaves and it tastes delicious. Their Earl Grey milk tea is pretty decent too. Sometimes the boba is a hit or a miss but it's definitely not bad. Parking is hard during peak eating times because there are lots of different restaurants in the plaza and lots of people shopping at the Ranch 99. They only accept cash or debit. Check in to get 10% off of your bill!

    (4)

  • Kelsie K.

    I have been to numerous Tapioca Express locations, as well as other boba businesses in the area, and this location has the BEST tasting boba! The secret to their yummy boba is that its served warm and coated with liquid brown sugar. I come to this location 3-4x a week for my favorite almond milk tea with boba! I love that I rarely ever have to battle long lines & the service is quick, so I am in and out in a matter of 5 minutes. My only complaint is that they only accept debit cards, not regular credit cards. Also, I used to love their crispy chicken, but lately the spice they use on their crispy chicken tastes like MSG seasoning, or the same powder seasoning as package ramen/cup noodles, so I've been ordering "no spice" lately. And lastly, the Asian girl with glasses who works the night shifts is a complete unfriendly snob with a bad attitude. All the other works are always pleasant and friendly! :) That girl with the glasses totally kills the positive vibe... Due to her, I try to stay away from this place at night.

    (4)

  • Jeff Y.

    I have loved the green bean icy here since I was a kid, especially because they use fresh green beans. All of the drinks here are great though, and the snacks are tasty too. The couches/tables are pretty comfortable as well, so it's a great place to hang out for a little while. I miss having this sort of variety/breadth when it comes to boba (and at much more affordable prices). Can't wait to come back the next time I'm home!

    (4)

  • Jasmine H.

    If only they had more selection.. It would great.. But other than that , the drinks are not too bad.

    (3)

  • Michelle E.

    Not only are their drinks amazing, but the staff is the BEST!!! Love these guys!!! I am seriously an addict to this place, we go at least a minimum of once a week even though we live 20-30mins away!!! Hope this helps, Happy Eating!!!

    (5)

  • Eva L.

    I'll be straight to the point: come here for their almond milk tea and crispy chicken! Delicious and refreshing!

    (4)

  • Kelly C.

    My bf and I dub this centre "the plaza we always go to," as we always seem to end up here for dinner, J.J.'s bakery, or milk tea (cue Tapioca Express and Champion Food). We usually go here after we're absolutely stuffed at Chong Qing Mei Wei or Kaju Tofu (namedrop extravaganza!) and order our typical rotation of drinks. We like the tapioca milk tea and the passion green tea, often switching off between something 'fruity' or 'milky.' The boba is a great consistency and is deelicious. The mango jelly is seriously awesome. I'm sure all of their drinks are good, tbh. I've been to other TE locations, and this one seems to do it right every time, so thanks for that.

    (4)

  • Daniel P.

    nothing fabulous, just typical tap ex.

    (3)

  • Melyna M.

    out of all the tapioca expresses I have been to this one is by far THE BEST!! the mango snow bubble with extra boba is my go to drink at any and all locations that serve up boba...this tapioca express nailed it!! the boba is fresh perfection the mango snow is not too sweet either!! I wish I lived closer to this location, I would be here all of the time!! thank you tapioca express on walnut for making my day! and for making my drink the best I have had!! next time I drive up the 5 from San Diego I will make this a priority stop!!

    (5)

  • Brian W.

    Pretty standard for a TapEX, the check-in discount is nice, and the staff is very friendly. The hot jasmine milk tea is bloody hot though, even on a cool day it took a few minutes to cool down. But is that really a complaint?? *grins*

    (4)

  • Amine M.

    If I lived a little closer this place would be my favorite boba / milk tea / whatever spot in irvine. Nice low-key atmosphere, with friendly staff and a comfortable couch to sit and watch sports on tv My favorite thing here is the snow bubble with the caramel and green apple flavors mixed together

    (4)

  • Linda J.

    Wonderful services. I do not mind to purchase a bigger size! lol. I usually go back for their drinks about 2 times per 3weeks.

    (4)

  • Jason M.

    The boba is perfectly chewy! Not to hard not to soft but just right. The tea tastes fresh brewed! All in all good tea and refreshing. The y have a bar counter top that is comfortable to sit up to. The location has a lot of potential to bring more clients in. Maybe a little more decor on the wall would brighten the place up. Very good tea though!

    (4)

  • Thanh M.

    Very delicious drinks and good staff. I've been here probably 10 times in the last few months!

    (5)

  • Mike C.

    The drinks are all good as long as you don't mix toppings that don't work well together in terms of flavor. The staff will make suggestions. Really fast and accurate service even on busy days. The price was good for the quality of the drink. Some other places the tapioca are bad quality. For food the popcorn chicken is excellent. Wished they add new flavor over time so its not so dull. Plenty of seating and clean restroom. Cash is king here. They do take CC or Debt thou.

    (4)

  • Jennifer N.

    Yayyy the boba here is really good. I don't think I've ever been disappointed. The employees were really nice too, except one day there was this douche working.. but maybe he was having a bad day so I'll still keep it at 5 stars because the other employees are pretty friendly. I live next to UCI, and there are two other tap ex stores that are closer, but I always feel like I shouldn't waste my money on boba at those places when I know the boba here is lots better.

    (5)

  • Pam Q.

    No one makes vanilla cinnamon chai teas like Tapioca Express! I will never drink a chai tea from any place else after trying theirs! Mmmm so delicious. My mouth waters just thinking of it!!

    (5)

  • Kristine W.

    i usually like TapEx and this one on Walnut Ave is no exception! the decor at this place is really cute and it felt like i was in Hong Kong or Taiwan already! one of the perks of this place is that you get 10% off if you check-in on yelp or facebook so that was great to do. also, they have a happy hour but i never got the chance to go during that time but i think it's a good deal to go during happy hour. when i came here, i decided to try something new and i got some type of orange tea and it was a bit too sour for me but i think that's just my personal taste and the tea in general was made very well. the workers here were pretty nice but i can't say they were "friendly" when they were taking your order and then giving you your drink. i don't know... that could be just an Asian thing but it would have been nice to be greeted better. anyway, because of my minor complaints i have to deduct them 1 star but overall this is still a great TapEx place to chill and eat.

    (4)

  • Shiva A.

    Another standard boba spot. They do however have my favorite taro slushies here and their bobas always seem fresh and yummy. The interior here is super cute and they have comfy couches and lots of magazines to read while you're sippin'. Can't go wrong with the boba here. Tapioca Express is my go to when I'm in Irvine because it is the closest to my house. A-OK!

    (3)

  • Joanne C.

    MMM taro slush with boba!!! My fav!!! I've had a few things from here, and haven't been disappointed. Snacks look yummy, but still gotta try them.

    (3)

  • Alicia K.

    boba isn't that bad. but overall, a mediocre boba place.

    (3)

  • Lillian C.

    I was very conflicted with writing this review because I've been a loyal customer for years and years, but I just have to comment on their customer service. Yes, some of the employees are really friendly and chill, but some of the girls there (three to be exact) are straight up rude. No hello and greetings, no smiles, just a 'tell me what you want and pay for it" attitude. Even when it's not busy (which is most of the times), they have that attitude as if they just want to get your order out of the way asap. That is, if they are attentive enough to actually go up to the cash register and ring you up, instead of chilling in the back when there's a customer waiting. Yesterday I went in, and the cashier saw me (didn't even say hi), and I just stood at the cash register expecting her to prioritize me over whatever else she was doing (I was the only one in the store). She just kept on doing whatever it was that was obviously more important than ringing up an order, and after 10-15 seconds or so, I had to say 'excuse me, i'm ready to order' just to get her attention. What?? I mean, come on, at least say hi or "ill be with you in just a second". I love and definitely have made friends with some of the people who work there/ worked there in the past. But I don't know what it is about the newer employees.. Seriously, get professional.

    (2)

  • Doug C.

    I had a college flashback the other day while grocery shopping with The Jennifer and popped into this place. They got newer couches since I last been in there several years ago. I just got a little boba out in my 20s and started to become more sophisticated differing to Peets or the Bux. It was not bad for the nostalgia affect, got taro milk tea with mini boba. It was good, but the thought of super sugar scares me. The drinks are sweet... Nice to go hang with the UCI Asians once in awhile and reflecting the times past.

    (3)

  • Melinda L.

    Simple place. Simple review. This is a place to grab a boba/milk tea drink. They have your typical milk combinations, from honeydew to almond and strawberry. I had their almond milk tea and it was good and refreshing. Nothing too special: was good to fulfill my milk tea cravings. Major props to the pricing here, though. At $2.50 for a regular size, that's a winning price, especially in Irvine.

    (4)

  • Eva M.

    Best boba chain in CA! Die hard boba fan starting from Taiwan and now in CA. Been all over LA County and Orange County looking for best boba milk tea and found it at all of the Tapioca Express locations. The tea/milk/sugar ratio is perfect and the tapioca is very "Q" and sweet. Highly recommended from me to you!

    (5)

  • Lindsay K.

    This is my favorite chicken and tapioca place. I love their crispy chicken! It comes with basil which I have never seen before and is delicious! I also like their almond and taro snow bubbles. Plus if you check in on yelp or four square you get 10% off and they have stamp cards for drinks! I wish Virginia had tapioca places like this!

    (5)

  • Jeffrey L.

    I love this place i come down here every weekend from pomona just to have there boba there customer service is great the always bag my drinks for me before i pick it up.

    (5)

  • Yui S.

    I swore never to come back here again after getting the wrong drink, made by some rude girl whose been working there forever. I ordered a simple milk tea with boba, instead I got some weird tasting drink with no boba. I courteously asked them to remake it and the girl looked like me like I was an idiot, then made a face at me and then decided to remake it. She called out my number after she finished and basically threw the cup on the counter, instead of placing it down normally. No, they weren't busy and yes, I guess she thought she had better things to do than to make my drink correctly the first time.

    (1)

  • Areen N.

    I'm a big fan of excellent customer service, and it is one of 2 reasons why I always come back to this Tapioca Express. They've always treated me and my girlfriend right, get our drinks out really quickly too. I love their drinks, and the interior of the store feels comfy. Worth stopping by if you're passing through the city(it is right off the 5, Jeffery)

    (5)

  • Ally N.

    this place used to be good! what happened guys??? i recently discovered grass jelly, which is AMAZING at volcano tea. Unfortunately, i live in irvine and cannot afford to drive down to westminster just to get a drink. So i called tapioca express to confirm if they had grass jelly. I called in, and YES!!! they have it! super stoked, i quickly drove there with my friend. She ordered a flavored milk tea with grass jelly while i ordered a passion fruit green tea with grass jelly. Some snacks of course, potstickers, chicken and calamari! We got our drinks, and i was very disappointed with their grass jelly. It had no flavor and tasted like really firm jello.. no bueno! The potstickers and chicken was really good. the calamari was alright, maybe change the ratio of meet and batter?? that would taste better i think. Overall, two stars because the potstickers and the flavored tea was good! but :( :( :( was not satisfied. SORRY TAPX! The service was great and quick! they definately don't stand around wasting time. The drive to volcano tea is totally worth it now.

    (2)

  • Jackie F.

    Whoa, what happened to this place? Are they going out of business? Upon first entering I noticed that they no longer had comfortable couches, furniture, or any wall hangings. A long time ago I would hang out here with friends and it felt so homey. Now, it barely has people in there to sit on their little chairs and matching mini round tables. I just got my drink and left, coming back here didn't bring back any memories at all......

    (2)

  • Eva S.

    Best Milk Tea in Town.

    (5)

  • Lanna K.

    There are a few things that I get at Tapioca Express that I've been getting for literally the last 10 years. I love their crispy chicken. The only bad thing about it is that the spicy level is never consistent. Also, sometimes they're soggy and too crisp. I also love getting the almond snow bubble with tapioca. I don't always go here because it's not the healthiest but I definitely make a handful of trips every year to indulge. :)

    (3)

  • Ana M.

    out of the 3 boba places i've been to, this is number one! I love their green milk tea boba.. it's a must! FYI- they charge $.39 when you use your ATM card.

    (5)

  • H K.

    I've been coming to this particular location for at least a good decade, and the quality of the food has never been an issue. However, what prompts me to post up a negative review today was the cashier. I have never experienced ruder treatment than from the Asian guy with the lip ring, hat, and Family Matters sweater. His demeanor made me feel like I had no idea what I was ordering and on top of that, he threw my receipt at me. Honestly, service at this location has been going down the toilet for years. It's really disappointing considering how much I like the food here.

    (1)

  • Ivan L.

    I walked in and up to the register only to be greeted by :are you ready to order?" hey how about hello 1st.... you freaking communist this is a costomer service industry how about some basic service skills... after we ordered the person contiued to goof around with her co-worker and then make our drinks.... I would not come back here unless that chic was fired. Also the drinks are just ok

    (1)

  • Omar S.

    Tapioca Express is just ok. Nothing too special about their drinks. There are better places to get a Boba drink, but Tapioca Express finds redemption with their prices and quick service. There are a few places to sit and lounge if you are so inclined, but the parking in the complex is terrible.

    (3)

  • Realtor Karl B.

    San Diego location way better... I ordered my normal Green Tea with Boba, and something tasted off. The boba tasted stale. At least there's a couch to lay on and to put your feet up. The parking lot is huge and is right off the I-5.

    (2)

  • Eric T.

    Good Boba drinks. Spicy chicken and hot gyoza are yummy. Some staff are hit or miss with your order. Beware of the parking lot on weekend afternoon hrs - too many accidents!!!

    (4)

  • Kat L.

    This place use to be my FAVORITE place, but now it just keeps going downhill! It's pretty dead most of the time I must say. It use to be the place to be and was full of young people. Now that they have re-modeled again and again, it has just lost its appeal. Also there is so much competition going on around them! If I have a craving for some Jasmine Milk Tea, I might come back here... but not likely because there is a Tapioca Express closer to my house now. I prefer the buy one get one free Milk tea next door. It's not superb but for buy one get one free you can't really argue. Avoid the one at Nice Time Deli though! Don't fall for the deal, it's really gross! =P

    (2)

  • Richard C.

    I would give this place a 0 out of 5, but I can't so I have to put a 1. Ordered a taro milk tea with egg pudding in it, and I got purple water in a cup with pudding. Or well, it literally tasted like water. Did they mix up the purple food coloring with the taro powder? Whatever f*ck this place, Dupont one seems more consistent, rather go there instead.

    (1)

  • Sheryl G.

    This is a pretty average boba joint. The place is bare, and the service is nothing to remember, but I do enjoy their drinks and snacks. I dig on the Jasmine Milk Tea and Spicy Crispy Chicken combination.

    (3)

  • Toan N.

    The crispy chicken by itself is 2.99 and a milk tea is 2.39, regular w/out any add-in. The crispy chicken combo is 5.00 So you're only saving like 40 cent, which is not that great. what i do like about tap ex is the consistency of their drinks. the jasmine milk tea is delish and the boba is always sweet and chewy. the crispy chicken is alright, for two dollars more you can get like three times the size at guppies. and they don't give you any sweet and sour sauce.

    (3)

  • Steve C.

    This place is very disappointing. I used to come here all the time in college as it was the BOBA place of choice then. Back then, there was a long line and a great atmosphere. Now when I go there, it is completely empty and there is not much seating if you do not want to sit on the beat up looking couch. On top of that, the drinks are gross. They put way too much powder in the drinks and they taste very artificial. The boba was all clumped together and did not taste good as well. With Lollicup across the street, and 85 degrees not far away, there is no reason to ever come back here.

    (1)

  • Steve N.

    This was the first boba place i went to yeaaaaars ago. I cant believe its still here. I cant comment much, its been hundreds of boba drinks between my first time here and all the other places Ive been to. It just holds memories for me hanging out with friends when I visit Irvine

    (3)

  • t n.

    It's better that those no name boba places, but not as good as Tea Station or Tastea (yummy!). The boba is sweet and not too sticky or bland. The only thing I get is the mango slushy with boba which is good. Its funny to see that the new stuff now is frozen yogurt, crawfish, and foot massage places. When I was young (lol), it was Life Plaza, boba places, Asian cafes in Rolling Heights/Alhambra/San Gabriel, Vietnamese coffee shops with skanky bikini/lingerie dressed waitresses, and karaoke bars. My how time has changed.....

    (3)

  • Anna N.

    favorite place for popcorn chicken and almond snow bubble!

    (5)

  • David W.

    I tried the Coffee Milk Tea. It sounded strange -- coffee and tea together? But the girl at the counter recommended it and I wanted caffeine, so I tried it. I was chilled, so I ordered it hot with boba. It was actually quite good, with neither the coffee nor the tea drowning out the flavor of the other.

    (4)

  • Christina C.

    The other night we tried this Tapioca Express for the first time. We walked in and the first thing I smelled was the bathroom!!! That's a no-no especially since the bathroom was all the way in the back and I had just barely opened the front door! YUCK!!! We got our drinks and ran out of there. Hey, my nose is very sensitive, ok? The drinks weren't that great. The tapioca balls were way too sticky. I know because when they scooped the balls out of their container, they were all stuck together in one giant blob! And the center of the boba didn't appear to be cooked all the way through. The thought of that nasty bathroom smell still lingered in my mind and I couldn't help thinking that maybe the odor had also been lingering on the very balls I was chewing on. We didn't finish our drinks.

    (1)

  • Tyler L.

    We always have our Wednesday night car meet in the parking lot and go to tapex every time. The milk tea chicken combo is really good. However some of the service is not. It depends on who you get. The girls are always friendly but some of the guys seem like they do not care if you are there or not. They make you feel like you are bothering them. Thus the result is 3 stars.

    (3)

  • Andy P.

    I think this Tapioca was the original in Irvine years back. Things haven't changed in terms of the quality of the drinks. Blah. I'm giving a few starts b/c I love the crispy chicken there so much (mild). The drinks are subpar when it comes to taste and they're good at loading up on ice. After a few sips, you're done.

    (3)

  • Sarrell S.

    I came here today with my boyfriend and ordered a milk tea (simple enough right?) and a taro milk tea no boba for both. The guy who took my order was nice, and they had good magazines to read but I was so dissapointed!!! My milk tea was so weird! Maybe they got it confused with caramel milk tea because it tasted like caramel flavored simple syrup. Ughh so gross, It tasted nothing like milk tea and it was so sweet and thick I got a bad headache. I thought that maybe if I let a ice melt a little it would be better but it still tasted horrible. The taro milk tea was okay, it tasted as it should have but it was very frothy and heavy and super sweet! I kinda regret coming here instead of lollicup (I came here instead of lollicup because there was a long line and I didn't want to wait, bad decision..) I will never come back here again, so not worth it. -_-

    (2)

  • Alex Y.

    tapi is the place to be, when youre lookin for dank azz dranks

    (4)

  • Patrick B.

    My friend and I came here back in the early days of the boba craze. Like a scene straight from a movie, picture a non-Asian walking in, the sound of a record screeching to a halt and everyone inside staring like a deer in headlights...pretty funny.

    (3)

  • Lin X.

    Been coming to this particular TE since it opened in the 90s. Have been getting the milky teas lately which used to come with boba and pudding. Apparently, they've recently discontinued the pudding (they used to run out all the time anyway) and so when I went last week, they said I could replace the pudding with any kind of jelly. When I looked at the receipt, I saw that they charged me for the replacement. The cashier gave me back a quarter for his error. But the worst part of it is that after I left to go run other errands and half way through my milk tea, I realized they did NOT include any boba!! Oh the horror! Who wants boba milk tea without the boba?!!! Their service has gotten worse over the years.

    (2)

  • Hang T.

    Not happy with this place at all. They didn't get my drinks wrong, but the black tea is just too damn bitter, and the milk tea tastes more like half and half than tea. I definitely have be to better places. Plus the place didn't smell too good either. And I hate that there is a 35 cent charge for card use. I mean I'm not cheap but come on, it's the 21th century and you're charging for card use. Pooh. I guess I'm more upset that there was and extra 35 cent charge for some crap drinks. Waste of time, money, and bladder space.

    (2)

  • Charity D.

    how can you go wrong with boba?? I had the usual taro slush with tapioca pearlzzz... love it!!

    (4)

  • Christopher D.

    The boba here is good, but it brings back painful memories of Kaplan and studying for the DAT.

    (3)

  • Minnie M.

    I'm a boba addict and their boba is the best compared to the other places I've tried! I drink it every day! Nice staff too!

    (5)

  • Dave L.

    While in college, I use to frequent this place. Now, post college and in graduate school, I return to this place because gf and I were in the neighborhood. This place has lost it. Service sucks (angry kids from high school?). Internal decor could be better and what is up with the restroom smell? Yuck! Drinks were horrible, but it sure goes provide you with a sugar high. That is if you need it.

    (1)

  • Gigi Y.

    Before I went there and ordered banana milk, and they told me that they were out of banana. Tonight I went back there again and ordered the same thing, and they told me they were out of banana again... Sigh... I highly recommend taro milk tea, lychee juice and egg pudding milk tea. P.S. Their service can be better. Until now I still haven't got a chance to try banana milk. Buy more banana!

    (3)

  • Carrie U.

    Hands down this is the worst Tapioca Express I've ever been to. When I walked into this place I was optimistic. They had the menu I remembered and reasonable prices. I ordered a milk tea with no boba. It was utterly disgusting. There was a bunch of powder in it and it left a bitter aftertaste. I don't know if they even actually used milk or non dairy creamer, but either way it was messed up. My friend got a honeydew snow bubble, which ended up being milk+honeydew flavored slurry. Nasty. And the cashier was one of the most unpleasant coffee-shop people I've ever seen. No wonder Lollicup is always packed.

    (1)

  • C J.

    My family & I love going to this place! If we could go there every day we would. I was never a huge fan of boba until my friend introduced me to Tapioca Express. Now I am hooked!! So far I've tried the mango, passion fruit, taro, and avocado flavors with boba and I love them all. Service is quick with plenty of seating space. We will keep coming as long as they're in business!

    (5)

  • Celeste P.

    2 large drinks with Boba for less than $7! (BOGO plus 10% check in...woohoo) Ordered: 1. Ice Taro with Lychee boba....average 2. Mocha fusion smoothie with coffee jelly....still awake from it lol but so yum! Friendly people

    (4)

  • Nick H.

    I ordered the Grapefruit Jasmine Green Tea. It was super watery and was not mixed at all. It was probably the worst tea I have ever had. The watermelon milk was AOK and my little one enjoyed it. We opted for the watermelon because they did not have banana. The guy said they usually run out of fruit on the weekend? Hmm. Bananas are at all the markets and it was only Saturday when we came? Customer service was super nice and the store was super clean.

    (2)

  • Christophe N.

    They have the freshest and best tea in Orange County! The drinks doesn't taste that powdery.

    (5)

  • Yoojin A.

    Awesome place for a quick boba! :) Been coming here for years, and it's consistently been pretty good. Pros: -10% discount if you checkin on fb, yelp, or foursquare -Excellent milk tea (Earl Grey, black, jasmine green are my favorites) -Nice chewy boba -Good popcorn chicken -Decent price -Quick service Cons: -Seating area is limited (it also gets pretty loud when they're using the blender) -Cash or debit only (they really need to get credit card machines!)

    (4)

  • Hanz L.

    Sugar free milk tea! +1 Never expected unsweetened milk tea to be enjoyable but tapioca express makes it good. Take a dive on the healthier side and stop drinking sugars :)

    (4)

  • Lisa R.

    Hubby was craving a Taro Milk Tea and we just happened to be in the neighborhood. So we got our cravings fixed here. It was clean and seemed to have lots of regulars hanging around. Their boba is soft and very sweet. Prices seem to be in line with other places.

    (3)

  • Dave S.

    I really enjoy all the different options they have at Tapioca Express. The Honeydew Snowbubble is really good on a hot day, very refreshing. The Okinawa Milk Tea (not on the menu) is also really good. My wife got a strawberry-coconut snowbubble that was good as well. SO far I have yet to try something there I didn't like.

    (4)

  • Michelle L.

    Tapioca Express was the first place where I tasted boba. My first milk tea for that matter actually. I was hooked from the first sip so clearly they were doing something right. I still think the boba here is really good. Way better than the boba at Volcano Tea or Lollicup. I'm just so sad that it's not honey boba :( As the years went by and I try more and more boba, TapEx has definitely taken the back seat unfortunately. I still love the fact that they have stamp cards still and offer 10% off for students. That's always a plus. Strawberry Milk Tea. Delicious. 4/5

    (4)

  • Dylan T.

    Hooray new boba/hangout spot in between classes at IVC! They have a combo deal with chicken and a tapioca milk tea which is a really good deal. Usually at boba places their chicken is soggy (lollicup) but this is some of the best if not the best popcorn chicken I've ever had. Yummy! Their boba was nice and chewy and sweet and the milk tea was perfect. Nice staff, clean comfortable store. No complaints! I will be a regular here for sure! Can't wait to try their kiwi icy yum.

    (5)

  • Mel H.

    This place has been here for over 10 years?! BEST PART: 1) Right next door to J Bakery!!! 2) They made me a personal "CHAI SNOWBUBBLE" 3) Comfy new couches... 4) Lots of flavors and teas.. 5) Good jellies, boba, aloe jellies, etc..

    (5)

  • The S.

    Best Boba EVER! Great, fast service. Efficient. Even get a free Boba when you buy 10. Not hard to do when you work in an office. Everyone wants a piece of that action! Mango Boba is my fave!!!

    (5)

  • Lan L.

    Cheap and good milk tea.

    (4)

  • Romuel Dave C.

    Still hands down the best Boba spot in Irvine. If only the owner would invest in HD channels fro the HD TV, I might just live on their couch. Please hire more female workers... the "just out of highschool asian dudes" aren't working for me.

    (5)

  • Annbriel B.

    I LOVE boba!!! I have only been to maybe three different boba places, all in Irvine, and they all seem the same to me. My bf likes this one better than lolli-cup. I can't tell the difference. The atmosphere is better at lolli-cup. The one by UCI. Anyhow, I would have given 4 stars, but the register guy was incredibly useless helping our new-to-boba friend figure out what to get. And as far as I can remember, I have never cared much for the service at ANY of the boba places Ive been to. Oh, the chicken is BOMB!!! All around it was fine, the boba was delicious(can u get boba wrong?), the chicken is always delicious, and the service will be fine if you have no questions. And now I'm craving chicken and boba....

    (3)

  • CY W.

    Big fan for their passion fruit orange green tea..it is a MUST great service and also offers sofas for people to sit and relax

    (4)

  • Emely N.

    I'm really surprised this place has 4 stars. It's like the ghetto tapioca express compared to all the other ones in Orange County. More ghetto than the one on Brookhurst in Westminster. The way they make their drinks is horrible especially with the powdered ingredients. I ordered a mango snow bubble and the drink started separating into the liquid and powder parts. The works never seem to smile and look like they hate their job. This isn't the first time I've been here either so it's not a "rare" moment. Every time I've come here, the workers look miserable. The same cashier never actually smiles or greets you with enthusiasm. Your best bet is to just go to Lollicup across the street if you want good drinks

    (2)

  • BJ N.

    Their "fresh fruit" drinks have one piece of fruit the size of a chicken nugget. The rest is artificial flavoring. So I ask the guy, "excuse me, how much fruit do you guys put in there?" He looks at me and kind of hesitantly answers "ugh, 5 ounces but were running short right now so we had to make it differently"... Cool, thanks for screwing me over and shorting everyone else that you'll be making the drink for... Why not make the drinks like they're supposed to be made and if you run out, you run out?! Next time, keep your fresh fruit and don't advertise it as such.

    (1)

  • Miguel C.

    Love this place. Milk tea is good. Disclosure - I am married to a Taiwanese woman, so I kinda HAVE TO be here.

    (5)

  • Sarah S.

    I never really went to TapEx until I started going to UCI, but since my friend likes to go here, I've got a pretty good idea of the place. I usually go to the location on Barranca, but this location is better, IMO, in the sense that it is bigger and more spacious and QUIETER! Now I know this because I went on a Saturday night and it was quiet with people even able to study OCHEM (yeah I guess this makes me sound really creeper-ish). I got my usual: Jasmine Milk Tea w/ boba. Good, but a little too sweet for my liking. That's the one thing about TapEx - too inconsistent..sometimes it's perfect and times like this it's too sweet. I need to get in the habit of just ordering it with 1/2 sugar! Oh, and I don't know if this applies to all locations, but at this one they give you a discount if you check-in with Foursquare, Facebook, Yelp, etc. Not bad!

    (3)

  • Angela D.

    It's TapEx- don't expect much and you will be happy. I got the Hot Green Milk Tea- too sweet but oh well. 10% off if you show your check-in on Yelp/FB/4SQ!

    (3)

  • Jen T.

    There are only two drinks I like here: Jasmin milk tea and the Chai( hot only ) Jasmin Milk tea - damn! this stuff is good , it's like they put coke in it. On the sweet side , it's not bitter like other places. I like it because I find there is a good mixture between the tea and diary products. And the drink is consistently made * thumbs up*. Chai- The cold version had a funky after taste, also the bottom of the drink had sugar looking crystals ...weird.....However ,the hot version is delicious , very creamy and I can really taste the chai -It's not some overly cinnamon tasting concoction you would get at Starbucks.For the price of $3.30 ish freaken got 16 ounces, wallet wasn't dented. 5% discount if you use cash , doesn't take credit card but does take debit.

    (4)

  • Lili H.

    Delicious drinks!! awesome flavors, good service. My favorites so far have been: ginger milk and green mango BONUS: All drinks have the right amount of sweetness Didn't try the snacks, but they look and smell delicious. -1 star: sometimes there is not enough seating area and because min credit card purchase $10

    (4)

  • Teresa H.

    Yummy tea drinks with great happy hour deals from 4-6, Monday-Thursday! You get a 10% discount for checking on Facebook or yelp

    (4)

  • Panini H.

    ok services, worst attitude. their drinks are good, so i give them one star. Trying to find a new boba place around this area.

    (2)

  • James B.

    Nice location. Comfy chairs. Boba is way too sweet. Not ice cold.

    (2)

  • Wynne Y.

    sorry lollicup! tapioca express wins. overall just better quality boba and drinks. the workers are really friendly and patient and i love coming here whenever I'm craving boba :)

    (4)

  • K W.

    It's decent boba. I come here a lot because of how fast it is which is like probably 3 times a week... It's gotten to the point where it's embarrassing Parking is realllllllyyyyy bad - super hard to find space during lunch/dinner time

    (4)

  • Jennifer S.

    The youngsters that work here know their products well, every time I go over, they're swift in making their drinks and get you going quickly. Been going there for a few years now, the bobas are always perfectly cooked, the drinks are always refreshing, from ordering to receiving my drinks, it has always been pretty quick, they've always kept the place clean. Haven't been disappointed by them yet...

    (4)

  • Manali K.

    Best boba around. The milk tea and Thai tea are delicious!

    (5)

  • Beto Q.

    My favorite boba spot in Irvine. I've been hooked on the Taro Milk Tea. I haven't been able to find a better Taro Milk Tea in the LA/OC area. Their chicken also has a nice flavor and unique texture.

    (5)

  • Shari C.

    Love stopping by to pick up my usual lychee green tea. I haven't tried any of their food items but i hear they are good. Plus the staff is always friendly (surprisingly that's really hard to find). I only gave this place 4 stars because they have a minimum cc purchase and parking. I can almost deal with the cc thing but the PARKING (OMG) is the worst! The lot is always so busy. It's close by to a lot of my favorite restaurants so its easy to just walk on over but still...but still.

    (4)

  • Wesley H.

    I keep hearing that this place is the best in all of Irvine for their boba and milk teas. I can't really say for sure cause I don't go to these places often but this place is definitely a lifesaver on a hot day!!! I have to admit it's some of the best I've had, no doubt. I was crazy thirsty one day so I got a mango snow from this place and it was SO refreshing. This place has the best little chicken nuggets around. I think they just call them the crispy chicken but these suckers are pretty spicy. I finally got around to trying their ChiChi Fries today after wanting them for the longest time and I have to say that it definitely sounded better than it actually tasted. Go for their regular Crispy Chicken instead, you will NOT be disappointed! Overall, not a bad spot with PLENTY of variety in drinks. I would definitely say this is a must have on a hot summer day.

    (4)

  • Tony W.

    I wish these tea drinks didn't cost as much otherwise I'd have one of these everyday. I love having meetings down here because then I get to try the different places in this Ranch99 shopping plaza. The lychee frozen juice drink was superb. I hope I didn't just down 600 calories in 10 minutes! :P

    (3)

  • Jun C.

    Fast and Great customer service. The workers here are very nice. They get my milk tea order right. Love this place.

    (5)

  • Minsey L.

    It's been soooo hot lately. I was having lunch in this plaza and was dreading going back and sitting in a steaming hot car. So I decided to get some boba before I headed back. I have to say, this drink really made my day. I got the jasmine milk tea. It was so refreshing, cold, not too much ice, and the boba was the perfect consistency. It was very chewy, without being undercooked, or too soggy. They were the perfect amount of sweetness as well. They give 10% off for checking in, which pretty much means you get the boba ($0.25) for free.

    (4)

  • Jonathan Z.

    This used to be my go-to boba spot. It's right off the 5, but it's inconveniently located in a very busy shopping center. My favorites are the milk teas. Jasmine and taro to be specific. Years ago this place was fun and lively. It's not so much now, but I'll swing by for some milk tea.

    (3)

  • Joel S.

    BAD customer service. Was behind in line my friend and the cashier completely walks away. Starts making my friends drink and didn't take my order. Waited. Waited. Finally comes back and asks, "do you need help?" I was so turned off that I didn't want to order anymore. Then while my friends order was ready (boba and popcorn chicken) another girl was busy making another guys drink and talking to someone at the bar. COMPLETELY ignoring my friends orders in front of her. Over all it took her 15mins to give our already made order while it took her 5 to make the guy's who ordered after us. GET IT TOGETHER!

    (1)

  • Mona M.

    Very spacious with comfy couches. Not many people there when I came. I ordered a matcha red bean milky frosty. The guys working there didn't seem to know what they were doing or how to make the drink. The drink came out to be too sweet and still had ice chunks in it. My boyfriend got the pineapple snow. It was a little sour. Pineapple smoothies from Lee's Sandwiches (or their smoothies in general for that matter) taste so much better. Same goes for the taro smoothies. Customer service is eh too.

    (2)

  • Liz W.

    This review is only for their chicken..although last time was pretty freakin salty, I still demolished it haha. Out of all the places in Irvine they seem to have the tastiest..unless there's some hidden place I haven't tried yet.

    (4)

  • Elle C.

    I keep forgetting about this place! In search of a boba drink place after Lollycup (by Costco) closed in Tustin, Yelp reminded me of this Tapioca Express -- a 1st for my hubby. The guys behind the counter were fun and friendly; we felt comfortable among the crowd -- not wanting to be negative, we can't say the same about the friendliness of the staff, or the crowd at Lollycup, across the street. Eager to try some of their new drink creations!

    (4)

  • Sally L.

    The milk tea and crispy chicken is on point!! I just wish I didn't live 30 minutes away! -1 star because parking is a pain in the butt! Also, you get a discount for showing them that you checked in on Yelp/FB/Foursquare so do it!

    (4)

  • Jennifer D.

    One of the decent boba places to get your fix! Always satisfies your craving...

    (4)

  • Esther S.

    This place is amazing! Best boba and atmosphere. The workers are super friendly and the chicken is bomb! The jasmine milk tea with egg pudding is perfection. I've been to lollicrap and other tea places around Irvine, no place compares to this store.

    (5)

  • Danielle C.

    Getting my 10% discount

    (4)

  • Tiffany L.

    I usually order a regular Thai Tea with mini boba when I come here, but I saw this little flier next to the cashier advertising "Boba Worms." Yeah...Boba Worms. So my curiosity got the best of me, and I ordered my regular Thai Tea with Boba Worms. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. Just imagine noodle shaped boba that is just a tad bit stale. I still prefer my boba spherical. Their Thai Tea is a little too sweet for my taste. Yep, definitely a 3 stars.

    (3)

  • Stephan Y.

    WHY DO I LIKE THIS PLACE OVER LOLLICUP... 1) It serves hot food, the spicy crispy chicken here is one of my favorites, def. better than CHA for tea 2) The boba just taste better here...dunno why 3) The teas taste better Very guud place...very cheap as well...a large tea with boba was about $3.25? UNTIL THEN!! ^-^

    (4)

  • Matthew P.

    I have been going to this Tapioca Express for probably 4+ years and I have to say that every single drink I try is always delicious. Not only are the drinks great, but the customer service is always mega friendly and the store is always clean. This is also a great place to hang out with your friends too. My favorite time to come is on Friday nights because of the atmosphere and the great customer service. P.S. try the Mocha Snow Bubble! Its my favorite thing on the menu!

    (5)

  • Paulina Y.

    ORDER: -CRISPY CHICKEN -EARL GREY MILK TEA -PEACH SNOW -JASMINE MILK TEA I am convinced that Tapex will become my new go-to boba spot. A large part of this decision leans on the fact that they have awesome crispy chicken. And I love my crispy chicken just about as much as I love my boba tea. The chicken is succulent on the inside, crisp as can be on the outside, with the optimal meat to batter ratio. The portion size is pretty generous = happy, happy camper :D I got the chicken combo with mild chicken and a regular earl grey milk tea for $5.75, and it was a meal fit for a king. I was extremely bloated afterwards, but it was well worth it. It was my first time trying the earl grey; I really like it! It's aromatic and most importantly, not too sweet. To top it off, the boba that day was cooked to perfection! My sister always gets their peach snow, which she swears is better than Lollicup's. The nice workers, cozy sitting area, and lack of crowds only add to the well-priced drinks (comes out to be a bit cheaper than Lollicup's) and variety of yummy fried appetizers! I miss it already.

    (4)

  • Rachan S.

    ive been going here for as long as i can remember. what i like: - consistent taste - convenient location (main reason why i keep on coming to this place) - their boba is quite tasty what i dont like: - rude customer service - not cheap. a simple large coconut jelly milk tea would cost $3.77.. almost the same price as hald&half frosted milk drink.. - lychee jellies always make my drink too sweet - red bean slush is also way too sweet for me even though i already told them to make it less sweet. - service could be slow - inside could be very loud.

    (3)

  • Jia Yuan L.

    It's the only place I will willingly go to for my tea fix. I can study here or just sit on their couches and relax, take some instagram photos with my homies, have a photo shoot, listen to my friends sing during their Thursday night Open Mic night...etc. Every where else tastes too generic for me. I mean, this place just seems more authentic than most boba places where I live.

    (4)

  • Nicholas T.

    This is my "Starbucks" hahah. I seriously frequent Tapioca Express so often and I always get a large Tapioca Milk Tea with popcorn chicken. This place definitely has a casual setting that is very calm, great for talking with friends and watching the occasional game on tv. The Lollicup across the street blares it's music alongside club lighting, which is fine if that's what you prefer. The Lollicup across the street also has a nice pond and patio area to sit, so there's a trade off. Anyways, back to Tapioca Express. The service is very quick and amid a mixup with my order of popcorn chicken. The popcorn chicken has I believe 4 spice levels? There's a drink + popcorn chicken combo. The chicken is very crispy and juicy. Writing this review is making me hungry already hahah. The snacks are always made to order, so it's worth the wait. I will always get Tapioca Express over any Lollicup location. Let me explain why. From the milk tea alone, the taste is much stronger than Lollicup. Just from appearance, the milk tea from Tap Ex is much darker. Additionally, Tap Ex is extremely generous with boba. At least 1/4th of the cup will have boba, that is sweet and chewy. None of that soft glutinous mess Lollicup calls boba, and I'm referring to both the Lollicup in the adjacent shopping complex and the one in Diamond Jamboree. However, the chewiness of the boba is a personal preference of mine. For every weekday, there's a different special. For example, Monday is "Double Stamp". As well they give you a 10% discount on your order if you check in on facebook, yelp, foursquare, and etc. I definitely recommend this place to anyone!

    (5)

  • Janelle W.

    Drinks are delicious. Specials with drinks n chicken are well priced. I go here when I can, I wish they had more south of irvine, I would go even more often if they did. I just love those chewy boba tapiocas. For being a cozy cafe with couches and a big screen tv, it be nice if they had a outlet i could charge my phone or finish a term paper. Give me a desire to stay and buy more.

    (4)

  • Michelle N.

    Best trip yet. Staff is 100x super nice today and remade my drink when I brought back a possible wrong order. I ordered an almond milk tea that tasted like a regular milk tea. The girl who made my drink promptly took my drink back and remade it with no hesitation. She even later checked up if my drink was good or not, since it turned out someone mixed up the almond mix with a sugar free almond syrup. It tasted fine to me though! Hope your next visit is handled by a girl starting with N. She's awesome! Actually, I'm still sitting in this location as I write this review in fear I would forget leaving a well deserved 5 star rating. Cheers!

    (5)

  • Jen B.

    tapioca express is my one of my favorite boba spots. it's right up there next to lollicup and quickly. my number one pick there is a small thai tea snow with boba. the snow is perfectly sweet and creamy. my only complaint is that the boba is a bit too soft for my taste. they make it pretty fast and the service is great. there's never a wait either. there's always people sitting down, but out of the ten times i've been here, i've never had to wait in line. love tapi !

    (4)

  • Alan B.

    This Tap-Ex location is our favorite, go-to boba joint! We've had boba from many many locations from San Diego to Los Angeles, and this place just gets it right...at least for our tastes. They have the best Strawberry and Caramel Snowbubbles (our usuals), that we've had from any location. The consistency is nice and smooth; almost like a frappe rather than icy like almost all other boba places make it (including other Tap-Ex locations). The strawberry also tastes pretty good because they use a mix of strawberry syrup (same kind as most boba places), but they also use strawberry Nesquik to give it an extra taste. The caramel snow is also awesome because it has a slight coffee-ish taste. Even though they don't use any coffee, there's still a very slight hint of it that makes it taste just a tiny bit like a caramel frappe. Their boba/tapioca balls are the absolute best in terms of taste. Most people don't notice how boba tastes, but if you pay attention, you can definitely tell that their tapioca pearls give a sweeter taste. It might also be that their syrup is better too. Compared to other Tap-Ex and boba locations (TasteTea, Volcano, Lollicup, Cha for Tea), this is our absolute favorite boba place. Again, strictly for their tapioca balls, and snow bubbles. It's no wonder they win a lot of Tap-Ex franchise awards. We're not big fans of milk tea, which others usually get, so we can't comment on that. Their service is usually pretty fast, though depending on who you get, it's usually not perfectly consistent (taste wise)...we don't mind though. They also fixed our drink when we didn't like it once, which was nice. Crispy chicken is seasoned better here compared to other Tap-Ex locations as well.

    (5)

  • Samee M.

    This is my go-to place when Im craving some tapioca. I pick this place because they actually have happy hour from 4-6 for 15%off anything (not much but better than nothing). They also have specials on everyday of the week. ie. mondays give you double stamps. Overall everything is good here especially their popcorn chicken. Totally better than lollicups across the street!

    (4)

  • Robert V.

    Sucks.. Drink and service. Go somewhere else, anywhere.

    (1)

  • AM T.

    Tapioca is always a great place. Its quick, easy, and the employees are very nice! I think their chicken is phenomenal and the drinks are obviously good. They are really good about making sure you know if there is a wait, that your food/drink is coming out. Thanks TE!

    (4)

  • Melanie M.

    Really liked this boba! Great customer service and excellent and the tea was great. Boba was warm and chewy perfection!

    (4)

  • Joe L.

    Great drinks and snacks. I love the avocado snow bubble. It's a must try. Service is always friendly and quick too.

    (5)

  • Kayla K.

    Recommend: strawberry green tea (all lightly sweetened) hot/cold early grey mango green tea strawberry mango green tea coffee icy Almond snow bubble strawberry mango snow bubble hot/cold almond milk tea crispy chicken... super spicy -_- .... basically everything...

    (5)

  • Eric C.

    Try the Lemon Tea with Boba and Grass Jelly.

    (4)

  • Skippy T.

    1st off who are these people bad mouthing this place??! giving only 1 star but only written 1 or 2 reviews EVER?!? on top of that, their other reviews are also 1 star? Yelpers beware of these fake people. this was actually the 1st tapi in Irvine. still remains popular. on a busy night with a full staff, the line can be seen stretched to the door. It is relaxing to know that although the Boba scene has had its ups and downs, Tapi here has remained the same. Anyways, wow I have been going here since high school 2002 I have seen the staff change from over the years. Mostly high school or college kids working there. of course this isn't a top notch 5 start quality restaurant so why should I treat it like one? service is where it should be. drinks are like any other. If you need something changed, they will change it, if they got your order wrong, they will change it free of charge. All you gotta do is ask, nobody is going to do it for you (sorry for the life lesson) but it is the atmosphere is why I come here. good spot to be when you just wanna grab some boba and hang out with some friends. Bottom line, this is a boba stop. Why make it anymore than it is.

    (4)

  • Niki R.

    The coffee milk tea is my favorite here. I've tried it at other places but its never as good as it is here.

    (4)

  • Leyna V.

    I've only been here once because i was too lazy to drive to the Lollicup across the street since I was alreadie in this plaza. I was craving boba...the usual and thought i'll stop by to get some jasmine green tea and fish balls...for some odd reason I was craving that too and I am not even a fan of fish balls all that much. It took them awhile to make my tea...which I dont understand why when there were hardly other customers there...and even took longer to make the fish balls. The jasmine green tea wasnt all that good...it lacks flavor to me compared to Lollicup across the street. The fish balls were not the best ive had. I am a boba girl and this place doesnt cut it for me...my favorite is lollicup across the street in the Irvine area and my all time favorite is the Teazone in Garden Grove....best boba place ever! There is a possibility I might come back to try their popcorn chicken...and when I do I will be sure to update my review and I even might try their boba again to confirm my review.

    (2)

  • Michelle N.

    soooo, i'm pretty disappointed. i ordered a hot jasmine milk tea, and once i took a sip out of it, it was like all creamer. it felt like there was no tea in there at all. when i brought it to the barista's attention, he dumped some of my drink out and added a scoop of what seemed like tea in my drink. he did not reheat it or anything so my drink instantly became warm instead of hot. i was hoping my drink would taste a lot better, but nope. now, it's all watery and diluted. it seriously tasted like 90% water and 10% tea. so i brought it to another barista's attention and just got something else. never going here again.

    (1)

  • Charlie C.

    I came here yesterday to get a drink before class. It was okay, typical boba drink place. They have all sorts of different drinks from teas to snow bubble. I ordered a passion great tea with boba. It was too sweet for my taste. I rather have more tea then crap load of the passion fruit flavor. If I wanted something super sweet I would of gotten a whole gallon of Minute Maid tropical punch. I still like 85 drinks better.

    (2)

  • Kevin C.

    I went here on a Saturday Night after having dinner at Liangs Kitchen. I was feeling Boba that night. Let me tell you my experience was HORRIBLE. First, the cashier at the front was rude, I did not catch his name but it was a male in his twenties that had a "lip ring" the guy was really rude when we walked in. Did not look like he wanted to be there. I ordered the Boba Milk Tea, the music was really loud so I could not hear his voice and he became irritated when I asked him to repeat his question again. When my drink came the Boba was really hard and the drink tasted like medicine There's a reason why all the local Tapioca Expresses are going out of business. The incompetent people they hire makes the store go down hill. Your better off going to a place that serves better drink like 85 degree bakery or Lollicup. When this place first opened, they had people that could speak Mandarin and it was good since then it's been all Vietnamese ran which doesn't make the experience enjoyable at all! DO NOT GO HERE!! IT"S AWFUL!

    (1)

  • Peter L.

    Monday, get 2 stamps for 1 drink. 10% off for students. The BEST DRINK ever: Iced Strawberry Mango Green Tea with Aloe and Lychee pieces.

    (4)

  • Mimi P.

    After spicy Chinese dinner, we went to Tapioca Express in the same plaza to get boba milk tea. We saw the sign at the counter for Crispy Chicken + Drink combo special for $5 something. We've had crispy chicken from quite a few different places in Irvine. I have to say, the crispy chicken from this Tapioca Express was the best we've had so far. The chicken was all in big pieces, no bone, just tender juicy chicken meat. The breading and the spiciness was perfect. They even added basil. Love it! But the Boba Milk Tea wasn't as good as before. The boba was a bit hard, like it had been sitting there all day. The taste was good though. I would go back anytime for their Crispy Chicken though!

    (3)

  • Jennie N.

    Ideally, every boba shop should ask you if you want your boba hard, soft and chewy, extra soft, or soggy. People have different preferences and I'm particular about the texture of my boba. But luckily I found a place that always makes it to my liking. Soft and a little chewy. Unfortunately its not honey boba, so it's a little bland but the besides that, the milk tea is great. They're also very fast.

    (4)

  • Cori G.

    Went here after Yu's Garden. Seriously one of the best passionfruit green tea I've ever had. I'm just sad I was too full to get a large. I love their rainbow jelly. You also get 10% off for checking in on Yelp!

    (4)

  • K K.

    Sesame milk tea is great. Can't find it anywhere else.

    (4)

  • Nur D.

    Gotta have it! My Match Smoothie with Red Bean No Sugar! Its like crack ! I have to have it almost everyday! Back home in Malaysia every Starbucks offer the green tea smoothie with red bean but not the matcha green tea. Matcha green tea is a much higher grade green tea.Thank goodness for asia Irvine!

    (4)

  • Erin C.

    I love Tapioca Express! Their milk tea is my favorite, I've been known to make detours across town to go here. Wish they had one closer to where I live!

    (5)

  • Becky P.

    After reading so much about the crispy chicken on Yelp, I came in yesterday and got the Chicken Combo which included the crispy chicken (I got super spicy) and a taro milk tea. Adding boba is $0.25. The chicken was ok but for it being "super spicy" it sure didn't live up to it's name. It wasn't spicy at all. I was disappointed at that. The taro milk tea was pretty good. The boba was super chewy and sweet. You get 10% off if you check in which is good. The place itself is on the right side as you enter the plaza, next to Liang's Kitchen. The sign isn't big. I didn't know it was there even though I've been to 99 Ranch and a few restaurants there a few times. Staff was very friendly. They take cash and debit card.

    (3)

  • Michelle L.

    this place is waayyy better than lollicup

    (5)

  • Kevin L.

    I am a huge boba fan and this place does it right! I used to always only get tapioca milk tea but recently I tried jasmine it was awesome as well! The milk tea is not too sweet and the boba is the perfect consistency. The jasmine milk tea had a flower-y after taste. They have a special on certain days I recommend you learn! One example of such would be double stamp Mondays!

    (4)

  • Mandy M.

    My favorite location. Very consistent. My favorites are jasmine milk tea with boba and taro milk tea with boba.

    (4)

  • Sakshi M.

    Their mini boba is really good. It has a sweet flavor to it which I have not experienced at any other boba place. I always get the jasmine milk tea with mini boba. Their drinks are usually really sweet so I order them mildly sweetened and it comes out perfect. Negative: They run out mini boba quick and I am not crazy about the regular boba. So there has been times that I cant get my boba fix when i want it. I hope they read my review and do something about it!

    (5)

  • Alice C.

    i thought i never ever ever never have to sit on dirty stained frat house-like couches until my miu miu purse and i had to sit on one at tapioca express... other than the stained couch, it's a typical tap ex with college kids and hip hop music running the place. i got a peach black tea with crystal jelly w/o ice and it was a little too sweet and syrupy for my liking. make sure you keep your receipt because free wi-fi password is the store phone number.

    (2)

  • Fred L.

    This place is by far my favorite boba spot in Irvine. Been going here since I've been living down in Irvine & this place never fails to fulfill my cravings. Their Tapioca Milk Tea is always a good drink when you don't know what to get at first. But once you venture through the menu, their Mocha Snowbubble is delicious! And they recently got Aloe jelly which goes great with their Jasmine Green Tea. The Chicken Combo is at a great low price but if you ever get tired of it, the Fried Tempura or Potstickers are good substitutes. Lastly, the environment at this place is pretty cool. I study here every so often. They play decent music, and always plays the Lakers game. And if you become a regular customer the workers are really friendly. Overall I would recommend this place to anyone who loves boba. [EDIT] if you guys check in on yelp/fb/twitter they give you 10% off.

    (5)

  • Jenelle G.

    Good, but not as good as TapEx in the Bay [where the food comes with sauces]...

    (3)

  • Tim H.

    Having grown up in Rowland Heights, there was always a surplus of boba places. After moving to Irvine, I had to find a go-to-spot and I found it here at Tapioca Express. I don't think there is a boba place with better almond milk tea and the ambience is just amazing here. The workers there are friendly and will ensure 100% satisfaction with all their products. If you're looking for food I would recommend the Chi Chi Fries. It's tender juicy sizzling chicken with zesty bbq chipotle mayo layered over crisp fries. Definitely becoming a regular here.

    (5)

  • Kimmy C.

    the idiots that work here seriously should put their nose into the books. talk about breaking the stereotype. their parents need to smack them around a bit. to the short, stocky male filipino male working with she who paid too much (or too little) for off colored bangs with a horrible dye job: DO YOUR F*KING JOB. It doesn't take a genius to work at tap-ex. sure you like to invite your friends to come and hang out with you while you're working.. and make you feel all special and darling that people pretend to like you. but if you're working --- WORK. i understand you may not understand what work or what ethic means.. but goddaymn.. go play elsewhere and be the bum you will forever be. the drinks suck, the people working here make me feel like i've come to a zoo, and ugh. just ugh. to the owner: seriously -- i understand the proximity of a j.c. but have some standards with your hiring regimen.

    (1)

  • Miss C.

    Quick service good food and 10% off when you check-in :)

    (5)

  • Anny C.

    I like boba, but this place is only "okay." I ordered an almond milk tea with the mini tapioca pearls; my drink was watery and the pearls were soggy and squishy. My boyfriend got a lychee strawberry drink with coconut and lychee jelly, and that tasted better, nice and fresh and sweet.

    (4)

  • Jeffrey B.

    It's 10pm, they close at 12am, they've turned off their coffee machine already. Really! Twice in a row that I've come here. Not coming back again! How do you call yourself a coffee and tea place.

    (1)

  • Cindy K.

    Good boba

    (4)

  • Sarah H.

    I just had the most awkward experience here but surprise-surprise, I was in an asian plaza with a boba station that only accepts cash, or charges you for using your debit card (of course, no credit card). I ordered my crispy chicken on a Sunday afternoon. There was a line formulated before arrival and some college students were chillen on the couch studying. I decided not to wait at the drink-making bar station, but had a seat at one of the small tables. There was an older lady who was a few orders behind me but she ordered crispy chicken as well and decided to wait at the bar station unlike me. I think that there are two culprits to this situation. The worker called out crispy chicken and the dang lady just took the chicken right away and gave it to her son. The worker SHOULD have checked the number on the ticket and the lady SHOULD have verified that the order was hers. I watched all of this and saw the boy grabbing the sticks in the bag and playing with the chicken. Then the worker called out another crispy chicken and the mom realized that she grabbed someone else's order. FML.. that was my crispy chicken that she gave to her dang son! Now the lady gives the worker my chicken and the worker knows this whole time how much the boy has already touched the bag and chicken. Granted the boy didn't put the sticks in his mouth, but I'm sure he was a handful of germs and the worker gives the bag to me without saying anything! I asked them for another fresh bag and they gave me this really annoying look. I'd like to know that I'm getting fresh chicken and that it hasn't touched dirty customers' hands before it gets to me.

    (2)

  • Winnie V.

    The chicken was pretty daaaarrrnnn good. Should def ask for more basil. It was fast and if you check in, you'll get 10% off!! Holla holla dollas dollar...

    (4)

  • Heina D.

    I prefer this place to Lollicup for a few reasons. Firstly, it tends to not be as crowded, which means it's more likely that I would be able to get seating and that I can have a conversation with my friends. Secondly, their seating is varied, from high tables and chairs to nice, low couches. Thirdly, their drinks aren't overpriced and are good. Last, but definitely not least, their drinks aren't too sweet. Half the time, the drinks at Lollicup/Cha taste like sugar water to me, but when I said "not too sweet" here, they got it the first time and continue to get it. For once, I'm against the Yelp tide, but I love this place.

    (4)

  • Stewie L.

    The bona milk tea is really really good. The staff is unfriendly and seems uninterested in working. And the boba is prett expensive too. But it does taste really good.

    (3)

  • Ming-Jou C.

    This place has gotten better since they've gotten rid of their faux fireplace. I have no idea what happened there, but one day a couple of months ago, I walked in and it looked like they had been robbed. The whole place was sans any wall fixtures and even the wall menu was gone. Now they have a few tables and chairs, and some shelves on the walls. They get a one-up on their star rating because the last few times I've been there, they've been pretty consistently good. It's like being in college. It's so easy to have your GPA tank, and painstakingly difficult to raise it. Maybe after a few more consistent tries, they'll be up to 3-stars. One can dream.

    (2)

  • Cindy C.

    I think this place probably deserves more than 3 stars, but since I have a short-term memory and can only remember the last 2 times I've been here, I'm going to base my rating off of the last two visits. Visit 1: I was CRAVING green bean icy when I came to this place, and was so happy while ordering. The guy took my money, and charged me for 3 (Hey, hey, don't judge. They weren't all for me.) After about 45 seconds I was told they RAN OUT of green bean. Yeah, how can you run out of green bean on a hot summer day and how did you not know when you charged me for 3 large green bean icys already?! Well, I guess it's okay, but then the guy refunded me 50 cents when I changed them all to regular tea. 50 cents, really? Not to mention he wasn't very nice about it... The difference between ONE tea and ONE green bean icy is already about that price... learn your math, boy. Visit 2: I ordered a green bean icy again... to see if this place could redeem itself, but I said "green bean slush" instead. This guy (diff one) gave me a weird look and corrected me "green bean icy"... ookay at least be nicer about it. i'm sorry i don't know my tap ex lingo as good as you do. i was going to pay by cash, and he was nice enough to tell me it's some sort of percentage off if you pay by cash (cool?)... and then i had to ASK for a new stamp card and he just dumped one on the table. yup. just like that. but i'm happy i got my green bean ICY this time. that's all.

    (3)

  • Giselle A.

    Got their red milk tea with boba and it was delicious! Got 10% off for checking in! :) My tea was cheap and yummy! :)

    (4)

  • Whitney V.

    best boba! tiger tea ftw

    (5)

  • Michael B.

    Josie likes to pick up boba here late night on the way home from wherever. She likes the tapioca, I just have the boba. Good for a sweet pickup - in and out pretty quickly, usually.

    (3)

  • Arnold W.

    This place was quite the popular place back in college. I came here this week and it was dead. It looked like it was closing, the decoration was gone. I'm not sure what's going on. I'm still a fan of TapEx!

    (3)

  • Shannon G.

    I had been wanting to try this place after hearing from many people that it is better than lollicup. I really wanted to try the boba worms but they didn't have them anymore. The guy working the register was friendly. I told him I had never been before and he helped me pick something. I ended up getting a pineapple icy with large pearl. It was way to sweet and sugary for me. It even gave me a tummy ache. The boba was good, very soft and squishy. I didn't hate it but I could never drink another one. I would be willing to go back and try something else. The ambiance and seating were definitely better than lollicup across the street.

    (3)

  • Vanessa R.

    I love coming to this Tapioca Express because they play the best music. It is never the same :) I like that they offer special drink deals. Currently they have "Milky Swirl" drinks. These drinks include Boba AND Egg Pudding. Perfect combo (in my opinion). The only downside, is the parking. Trying to find parking in this lot is like trying to find a needle in the haystack....nearly impossible!

    (4)

  • Jon P.

    One of the better TapEx's in Irvine. Definately better than the Barranca One. Server made our drinks fast and wiped it down quick so they werent leaking or sticky. Who wants a sticky drink?

    (3)

  • Caitlin H.

    This location is terrible. I waited in line for 5min and it didn't even move at all. They weren't even that busy. Either someone was placing a huge order or the staff is hella slow. I got fed up and went next door for a drink. I wasn't about to waste even more time..

    (1)

  • Karen W.

    2.5 stars? Really? In my humble opinion, TapEx is the BEST boba place in Irvine...and I've tried, let's see.....6 places? I'm not used to going to chain stores for my boba, thanks to Norcal, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I came here twice, both times for the regular tapioca milk tea. The first time I asked for less sugar and regretted it. The second time i left the tea unaltered and liked it. They do put in a fair amount of ice but I'm sure you can request less/none. The tea was good, the boba was decently chewy though a bit slimy...but I was a happy camper. But, according to Yelp I have bad taste in boba so who knows...

    (4)

  • Matthew S.

    This is my favorite Boba spot in town. The boba is always fresh, and my drinks taste great. My only gripe is the horrible parking lot that can get really bogged up during sometimes of the day. I recommend the Thai Iced Tea and the Watermelon Slush. Both a great drinks and even better on a hot day.

    (4)

  • Wendy N.

    This was the first TE location I ever went to, and for nostalgia reasons, it's my favorite one. (Also, in terms of quality, it really deserves a 3--so consider yourselves warned!) The snacks were always very good here (popcorn chicken, squid balls, etc) and our drinks came out quickly with easy ice. Since I don't like TE's milk tea, I like to order the black tea, which is just black tea + some sweetener. It's not the same as milk tea, but it's still good.

    (4)

  • Miki W.

    I give it 5 stars just for their awesome spicy popcorn chicken and bubble tea! (excuse me... apparently it's called boba here in Cali?) hahaha I don't get places in that when i say spicy... it's not spicy! here at tapioca express, it's actually spicy! and yes.... i love spicy food. I love coming here for a take out snack... (bakery store and a delicious tofu house** right next door too!) **review soon to follow**

    (5)

  • Daniella A.

    Seriously, I don't understand why lollicup is busier than this place. Their jasmine milk tea is the bomb and the chicken is nothing but amazing. The customer service is awesome and the atmosphere is just chill. They've got a TV and it's a fun place to go to for big basketball games for sure.

    (5)

  • Jon Y.

    Boba and anything you please! Get some of the hot foods too when you get the chance.

    (4)

  • Bara T.

    Stopped by here for a snack after the movie. Honeybuns and I both got the crispy chicken combo. I got the taro milk tea, Honeybuns had the earl gray milk tea, and we both had medium spicy. I like my taro tea, it tasted taro-y even though it was powdered taro. Honeybuns enjoyed his milk tea. (we didn't get boba). Since it's Sunday afternoon, there were a bunch of IVC or UCI kids in there, so it was NOISY! We sat outside to enjoy the nice warm day. The crispy chicken is the best here - it was crispy, hot, and juicy, with plenty of basil (I love basil with crispy chicken - and the Taiwanese spices). Medium spicy is pretty spicy for us! Thank god there was the milk tea to cool the spice. The combo was $5.44 each, we like the food, and will be back.

    (4)

  • Rachel P.

    Friendly and fast service. Love the bobas from here. Check in on yelp and get 10% off.

    (5)

  • Angie L.

    I only know Tap-X because the one in San Diego (clairemont mesa area) is ALWAYS insanely busy. While true tea aficionados would prefer Tea Station over Tapioca Express, for what it's worth Tapioca Express has a variety of flavors and types of drinks and stuff to add in your drink from small boba (baby or mini as some people call it) to things like aloe, etc. Anyway, fast forward. The drink was all right, the baby boba was cool, and the service was good - good job, guys working there on the weekend, keep it up. I'd stick to the standard milk tea over the jasmine, but to each his own. oh yeah i forgot to mention why this place has an advantage over the SD location - this place is nice and CLEAN!! Good, because I prefer to go to places where I don't feel like I need to disinfect myself after I leave.

    (4)

  • Vanessa B.

    This Tap-Ex location is one of my favorites! I must say that the caramel snow bubble is fantastic! The tapioca pearls are always at the right softness in my opinion and the snow bubble drink never tastes too slushy like. I feel like I can never go wrong with the caramel snow bubble because it's usually consistently good. On the other hand my boyfriend usually gets strawberry snow bubble and it has had its times where it has a lot of room for improvement but at most times it's great! I've also tried the mocha snow bubble and it has been way too bitter for my tastes. On another instance I had tried the chocolate snow bubble and it was way below my expectations... The drink was not as sweet as I wished it was. We've also tried the Vanilla Cookie snow bubble and it was surprisingly pretty good! It tasted like a vanilla cookie even though it looked like a chocolate drink. Towards the end of the drink ... the taste started to kinda go downhill though. :( I would order it again though. I also enjoy the chicken but then again I feel that any boba place in Orange County can make this great. Because of the quality of the tapioca pearls, the quality of the snow bubble drink, and the proximity to the house my bf and I have become a regular to this Tapioca Express. I rate it #2 on my list of all time favorite boba places.

    (4)

  • Brittany B.

    I am a HUGE fan of boba joints such as Tapioca Express and decided to cheat on Lollicup for the night ( shhh don't tell). I was very pleased with their appetizers I got pot stickers and their popcorn chicken, both of those were incredibly delicious and I would definitely order them again. On to their boba, I ordered the strawberry cheesecake yogurt slush and I wasn't too crazy about it. The drink in itself was a little too artificially flavored for me. Aside from the boba I would go just to eat their appetizers again! Also, if you check in you will receive 10% off!

    (3)

  • Patrick H.

    I went to Irvine to visit my friend and it just so happens that there's a tapex that is just walking distance. Woohoo! Walking distance, yayyyyyyy! Their restrooms are dirty, but what can you expect from any other restroom? And you will notice there is no mirror. You only mirror is the metallic door that shows your entire reflection. Eh. Good enough? This is just your average boba place. Average means 3 stars.

    (2)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 11

Specialities

  • Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : No
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Good for Working : No

Tapioca Express

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