Chi Cha San Chen

Address: 301 W Valley Blvd, Ste 116, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Hours: Mon-Thu 12-8 PM | Fri-Sat 12-9 PM | Sun 12-8 PM

Price Range: $6-9

Phone: (626) 766-1512

This is the shop that earned the title "Michelin-star boba." Chi Cha San Chen won an award from the International Taste Institute, and it earned every bit of that recognition. Originally from Taichung, Taiwan, this was one of the first U.S. outposts of the chain, and the lines on weekends still stretch out the door years later. Every tea is freshly brewed to order. You can taste the difference.

Bopomofo Cafe

Address: 841 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Hours: Mon-Thu 11 AM-8 PM | Fri-Sat 11 AM-9 PM | Sun 11 AM-8 PM

Price Range: $6-8

Bopomofo built its reputation on one promise: real ingredients only. No powdered creamers. No artificially flavored syrups. No high fructose corn syrup. They use fresh milk, real fruit, and loose-leaf tea in everything. The result is a cleaner, brighter drink that you can actually feel good about. The food menu (think popcorn chicken and specialty sandwiches) makes this a full-visit destination.

Wushiland Boba

Address (San Gabriel): 140 W Valley Blvd, #104, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Address (Arcadia): 400 S Baldwin Ave, Ste D1, Arcadia, CA 91007

Hours (SG): Mon-Thu 12-10 PM | Fri 12-11 PM | Sat 11 AM-11 PM | Sun 11 AM-10 PM

Price Range: $5-7

If you care about boba pearls above everything else, Wushiland is your spot. This Taiwanese chain has built its entire brand around perfectly chewy pearls in generous portions. The mini boba option is a standout, offering a different textural experience than the standard tapioca pearl. Their oolong milk tea base is smooth and properly brewed, making it a reliable everyday order.

Odd One Out Tea

Address: 14 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105

Hours: Mon-Thu 12-9 PM | Fri-Sat 12-10 PM | Sun 12-9 PM

Price Range: $7-9

Phone: (626) 808-4407

Founded in Taipei, Odd One Out Tea is a premium, tea-forward brand that takes sourcing seriously. Each drink is crafted using small-batch tea leaves sourced directly from independent farmers worldwide. This is an award-winning Taiwanese boba shop sitting in the heart of Old Pasadena, and it shows in every cup. The price is higher than average, but you are paying for single-origin leaves and zero shortcuts.

Molly Tea

Address: 425 W Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Hours: Daily 11 AM-1 AM

Price Range: $6-8

Molly Tea comes from Taichung, Taiwan, and its specialty is jasmine green tea. Their premium jasmine milk tea is layered, fragrant, and dangerously drinkable. The late hours (open until 1 AM daily) make this the best option for post-dinner boba runs. Regulars swear by the jasmine milk tea with boba and never deviate from that order.

Formosa Aroma

Address: 560 W Main St, Ste B, Alhambra, CA 91801

Hours: Mon-Fri 12-10 PM | Sat-Sun 11 AM-10 PM

Price Range: $6-8

Phone: (626) 427-1595

Every tea at Formosa Aroma is imported directly from Taiwan, with each variety sourced from a different city on the island. The brewed-to-order approach and fully customizable sweetness and ice levels give you control over every cup. The Formosa Ocean and Mango Pomelo Sago are creative standouts that go beyond standard milk tea.

Tiger Sugar

Address: 18330 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Hours: Mon-Thu 12-10 PM | Fri-Sat 12-11 PM | Sun 12-10 PM

Price Range: $5-7

Phone: (626) 581-0505

Tiger Sugar is the brown sugar boba specialist that started the global tiger-stripe trend. The hand-torched brown sugar syrup creates those distinctive caramel stripes down the side of the cup, and the warm, freshly made pearls are coated in that same caramelized goodness. This is a one-trick pony, but it does that trick better than anyone.

Sunright Tea Studio

Address: 1245 S San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Hours: Daily 12-9 PM

Price Range: $5-7

Sunright is the consistent everyday choice. Their fruit teas strike a perfect balance of sweetness without being cloying, and the milk teas are smooth, rich, and creamy across the board. With multiple SGV locations (San Gabriel, Arcadia, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Pasadena), there is almost always a Sunright within a short drive. The value here is strong for the quality.

BenGong's Tea

Address: 411 E Huntington Dr, Ste 113, Arcadia, CA 91006

Hours: Mon-Thu 12-8 PM | Fri-Sat 12-9 PM | Sun 12-8 PM

Price Range: $6-8

Phone: (626) 348-8386

BenGong's Tea stands out for its creative menu and thoughtful no-caffeine options. The Hokkaido Milk Tea with boba is the crowd favorite, and the seasonal specials (Tiramisu Milk Tea, Osmanthus Rice Milk Tea) show a willingness to push boundaries. The Arcadia location on Huntington Drive is clean, well-lit, and comfortable for studying or catching up with friends.

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

Address: 534 E Valley Blvd, Unit 6, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Hours: Mon-Fri 12-10 PM

Price Range: $5-7

Yi Fang is the fruit tea authority. They use farm-fresh fruits and age-old Taiwanese brewing methods that you can taste in every sip. If you have ever had a fruit tea that tasted artificial or overly syrupy, Yi Fang will change your mind. The pineapple and passion fruit flavors are standouts, and the lychee options are refreshing on a hot Valley Blvd afternoon.

HaiCha

Address: 12 Harkness Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

Hours: Daily 8 AM-7 PM

Price Range: $5-7

Phone: (626) 365-1099

HaiCha earns its spot for opening earlier than almost any boba shop in the SGV. If you need a morning milk tea or latte before 10 AM, this is one of the only options in Pasadena. The drink menu covers milk teas, fruit teas, and lattes with solid execution across the board.

Au79 Teahouse

Address: 815 W Naomi Ave, Ste G, Arcadia, CA 91007

Hours: Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun 11 AM-9:30 PM (Fri-Sat until 10 PM) | Closed Wed

Price Range: $6-9

Phone: (626) 574-7665

Au79 Teahouse is a timeless SGV classic. The extensive menu ranges from refreshing fruit teas to creative flavor fusions, and they run a weekly rotating specials menu that gives regulars a reason to keep coming back. The fact that they also serve Taiwanese snacks and food items (curry pork cutlet, for example) makes this a full sit-down destination.

3CAT Handcrafted Beverage

Address: 400 S Baldwin Ave, Ste 2285, Arcadia, CA 91007 (inside Santa Anita Mall)

Hours: Daily 11 AM-10 PM

Price Range: $6-8

Phone: (626) 701-0147

Located inside Santa Anita Mall, 3CAT is the easiest boba stop to combine with a shopping trip. But do not dismiss it as a mall shop. The drinks are fresh, fun, and well-made, with a level of craft you would not expect from a food-court-adjacent location. The Avomango drink earned social media buzz for good reason.

Ding Tea

Address (West Covina): 2516 E Workman Ave, West Covina, CA 91791

Address (Alhambra): 15 E Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801

Hours: Daily 11:30 AM-10 PM

Price Range: $5-7

Ding Tea is the reliable, affordable workhorse of the SGV boba scene. Their menu is massive: milk tea, flavored tea, slush, latte, coffee, yakult, yogurt, aloe vera juice, fruit juice, and more. The Signature Milk Tea and Taro Milk Tea are the most-ordered items for good reason. If you want solid boba without overthinking it, Ding Tea delivers.

Boba Box

Address: 101 W Foothill Blvd, Monrovia, CA 91016

Hours: Mon-Thu 12-10 PM | Fri-Sun 11 AM-11 PM

Price Range: $5-7

Boba Box brings minimalist aesthetics and craft drinks to Monrovia's Foothill Blvd. The menu spans fruit tea, coffee, and matcha with clean, simple flavors. This is the local pick for Monrovia and Duarte residents who want quality boba without driving into the Valley Blvd corridor.