The Best Places for Boba in Los Angeles

The bi-coastal boba tea phenomenon, Boba Guys opened its first LA location at PLATFORM in Culver City in May 2018, followed by locations in Historic Filipinotown and Topanga Village. Since launching in 2011 as a pop-up in SF, founders Andrew Chau and Bin Chen have garnered national acclaim for their artisanal, “third wave roasting” approach to boba. The Boba Guys only stock high end ingredients including Straus Family Creamery organic milk, house-brewed heirloom premium tea, house made syrup (no powders or artificial syrups), Grade A balls, and almond jelly and grass jelly made from scratch.

If a good Taiwanese boba tea house in the middle of Chinatown is what you need, then Bubble U is just the place for the best bubble tea in Chinatown. They’ve got teas, icees, smoothies and all the toppings you could ever want, besides boba, of course. Bento boxes as well as snacks such as popcorn chicken, squid balls and flavored french fries are perfect for washing down with your tea drink.

It's time for Dodger Baseball! And this season, it's also time for boba at Dodger Stadium. Along with a slew of new food offerings like Korean Fried Bucket, Birria Burger and Think Blue BBQ, fans can enjoy Tiger Milk Boba, available for $8.99 at 7th Inning Sweets & Trolley Treats (Field 46, Reserve 2).

Founded in Taiwan in 2006, Gong Cha (Royal Tea) has expanded to more than 1,100 cafes in 20 countries. The Little Tokyo location is conveniently located across from Japanese Village Plaza and a short walk from the Metro Little Tokyo / Arts District Station. Gong Cha takes customization to a new level. Specify how sweet you like your tea - in 20% increments - as well as how much ice you take in your drink. They also have milk foam toppers available as a “mustache series,” perfect for those craving a creamy, savory note with each sip. Popular orders include the Brown Sugar Milk Tea and Mango Smoothie, while 2024 seasonal favorites include Thailand Mango Milk Tea and the "Ultimate Indulgence," Strawberry Almond Jelly Smoothie.

Half & Half is a longtime San Gabriel Valley favorite with several Tea House / Tea Express locations and especially good tea and freshly soaked boba. Just when you thought tea house menus couldn’t get any more extensive, the Half & Half Good Old Time menu offers yogurt drinks, slushes and smoothies as well as brick toasts and dry noodles.

In November 2023, Loose Leaf Boba Company moved from its Melrose location to the historic Biltmore Hotel in Downtown LA. Driven by a “Keepin’ It Real” ethos, Loose Leaf touts its sustainable practices - no powdered milk teas or non-dairy creamer powders; milk from Straus Family Milk Products, Califia Farm Plant Based Milks and Oatly Oat Milk; real fruits and real sugar. Instead of honey, Loose Leaf's boba balls are soaked in a house-made brown sugar molasses marinade. Straws are made of 100% bamboo fiber. The "Inspired Menu" features drinks inspired by different cultures and boba shops around the world, from the ever-popular Matcha Green Tea Latte to Hong Kong Milk Tea, Pandan Piña Collision and the blended Purple Roots with ube and taro.

Located at Universal CityWalk Hollywood, Mini Monster offers some of the most Instagram-ready drinks in LA. Order your drink in a giant upside-down light bulb or an etched mason jar, topped with a spun-to-order cotton candy cloud for that perfect shot. Don't miss the Mini Macarons filled with ganache!

Inspired by the San Gabriel Valley, Moon Rabbit is brought to you by Sticky Rice founder, David Tewasart and team. Located in the historic Grand Central Market, Moon Rabbit offers a selection of traditional boba teas, such as Sea Salt Coconut (jasmine green, brown sugar, coconut milk, sea salt, coconut cream) and Brown Sugar with black tea, half & half, brown sugar and boba. To nosh, there are katsu sandos and several bánh mì options, including Grilled Chicken, Grilled Pork, Tempura Soft Shell Crab and Roasted Mushroom.

The mantra at Sunright Tea Studio is "Shake 17 Times!" which is the chain's tried-and-true technique to enjoy the perfect blend of flavors and textures. Sunright locations span LA and OC, Northern California, Texas and Washington state. The Little Tokyo outpost is conveniently located next to Shin-Sen-Gumi for post-ramen refreshment.

The top-selling Sunright Boba Milk Tea features Ceylon black tea blended with their signature house milk, drizzled with freshly made brown sugar syrup, and topped off with a scoop of deliciously chewy brown sugar boba. The fruit tea is sunshine in a to-go cup, made with high-mountain Four Season tea from Taiwan; freshly squeezed orange juice, passionfruit and garnished with orange and lemon slices. The playful Oreo Brûlée Boba Milk combines sweetened fresh milk and boba, topped with creme brûlée foam and crushed Oreos.

The global chain Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea is famed for the signature Brown Sugar Pearl Latte, which takes two hours of prep to serve. Described as one of its world's best selling items, the drink includes creamy organic Straus milk and is available with fixed sweetness and ice level. The Fresh Taro Latte uses real taro from Taiwan Dajia - renowned for the best taro in the world.