Cha Express

212 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo - 94401
179 reviews
Bubble Tea
(650) 865-3148

I enjoyed the Original Yunnan Black Milk Tea! The tea flavor is strong, but not too bitter. I got 75% sweet and this was perfect for me. The milk tea was silky and very satisfying. It definitely is highly caffeinated too. Kept me awake all day! :)The biggest downside is that there is only one cashier/barista working, so there can be a wait. This location is close to a lot of restaurant hot spots (Ultra Sushi, Halal Guys, Taki Nori, etc.), so they can get pretty busy when everyone is going for a boba run after they eat a meal.

The worst customer service ever, even for an Asian joint. The girl had her earbuds on and passed out on the counter. She hadn't even begun our online order. I had 4 items and she didn't put fruit in the split cup (which I paid extra for), because she said it was a split cup. That's cheap tactics so I paid $7 dollars for sugar water! Never going back!

I got the Champion Black Milk Tea and it is truly fit for a champion. It was delicious and the black tea was subtle as I like it, would definitely go again.

Absolutely excellent! Good price, good service, and every dish we tried was fantastic.

This shop is definitely my favorite boba place in San Mateo. Their toppings are so unique that you likely won’t find them at other boba shops around the peninsula. The too toppings for me are oatmeal and their cheese macchiato yummmTheir milk teas are good as the taste has 70% tea and 30% milk - unlike Teaspoon whose tea is pretty bland and just… pure white sugar taste.For grass jelly lovers, their jelly is on the firmer side, which what I prefer!My favorite drinks:1. Matcha cheese macchiato with boba, less ice, 50% sugar2. Handmade oats milk tea, less ice, 50% sugar3. Taro and pudding milk, 30% sugarIf you like this place, you should try out TP tea, U&ME, and Wangpo tea in Cupertino!

Cute boba place with decently priced drinks and good flavor!

If you like milk tea that actually tastes like tea, rather than having ten desserts piled into it, this place is amazing.

The best milk tea store in bay area

Saying close at 9pm but it’s already closed when I arrived at 8pm…

There are many desert options in the area. But i had to stop by and taste Cha Express.Decent space, but I can see it getting crowded if it was super busy.Prices were good. $3-4 range.There is a decent selection of teas to choose from.I got the Creampuff chocolate milk tea.Perfection.. not to sweet, not too much ice to water it down...-------------------------The only suggestion I have is for the girl that takes orders. She is nice, but kept saying something really fast like"regular,sugar,ice"... and she didn't really explain. I asked for light ice.Other than that, place is great.