Cha for Tea

This is a good place to hang out with friends. I usually go later at night. It can get pretty crowded. The boba drinks are good but I’ve had better. They are also pretty expensive.

Cha 4 tea still bomb after they had renovated. Some new additions include a tea sample at the side of the restaurant and condiments counter. Their dining is pretty open unlike before it was a little small.
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They have a different look and set up inside. Once you come inside you get almost eyed at by everyone in the dining area before hitting the cash registers. Hah. Thankfully I made it to the registers without awkwardly waiting in line next to ppl eating.
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S e r v i c e :
I was greeted before making my order. YSS ty for noticing. Don’t forget to ask for samples of their crispy chicken and crispy dumplings if you’re new to Cha.
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F o o d :
Their chicken curry entrée was just what I needed for a late night crave. Now I understand desperation and happiness with my order. Hah. Comes with either your choice of rice/​noodles with salad + corn side. It’s not the best choice of curry but it does the job for late night + nothing else is open until 12am. People call me crazy when I order a Almond Milk Tea but there’s something abt it here that makes it my go-​to Boba ! Get it. Popcorn chicken is so delicious here; juicy tender and crunchy need I say mas? Get it. Oh and make sure they didn’t over cook your chicken mine was a little burnt I wasn’t picky ATM.
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S w e e t n e s s :
Also, they adjust your sweetness level on your drinks upon asking. Sometimes they’ll ask you how you would like the sweetness and sometimes they dont. You can get quarter sweet to half sweet to regular sweet.
Don’t pass this place up on your next choice for lunch !
: Overall, it’s a little on the pricey side being a little less then 20 but I love Cha for Tea ^-^

With Cha for Tea Irvine temporarily closed, I visited their Long Beach store.
WOWWW! :D
The baristas and especially the supervisor here are so good at their job and attractive. Talk about eye candy. ;)
Oh, the tea, boba, and food are all top notch. A++

The graduation promotion is too complicated and doesn’t really respect the graduates. Don’t come here on graduation day. Not worth it.

Crispy chicken is delicioso. Boba tea is good too. Best of all, it is walking distance to CSULB and Target.

Ordered appetizers to go. And I received this… The steamed string beans is what I’m actually upset about. Paid $ 4 for regular steamed string beans, when on their menu it says with house seasoning. No seasoning at all. Not my first time being disappointed. They messed up the last time I ordered food to go. Yes it’s a bit my fault too for not checking before leaving but you kind of just trust them to present their food as they would for anyone who were to eat in. I’ve been here a couple times before and they’ve never been disappointing until now.

Had food from Cha for Tea with my friend the other day! Usually when I go I stick with just getting a boba drink. I like how they have a rating system as to how sweet you want your drink; however, I usually just stick with the standard normal sweet; number 3? Lol.
My friend and I went on a Friday around 10PM and it was still quite busy! There was a longer line than I would have expected and a lot of people were still dining in. Anyway, I had their dumplings and my friend had their crunchy chicken. Both came with this delicious, I think plum sauce? Mine came with 8 fried dumplings for a little over $ 6 which I think was reasonably priced. My friend’s crunchy chicken came with a rice and a salad which was also around $ 6. The chicken was extraordinary especially with the plum sauce! I wasn’t expecting a little tea shop to offer entrees and meals. In comparison to Hiccups which is down by the traffic circle, I would definitely say this is a lot better! I feel like they have much more to offer although I’ve only been to Hiccups twice (because I didn’t feel like they had much to offer me) but since I live super close, I’ll probably make Cha for Tea my new go-​to spot. :)

I just went here to grab some boba so I’m probably not the best critic. I didn’t love the boba here because they add some sour mango to the top that’s just too bitter for me.
The atmosphere is great though and I loved the tasty pot stickers.

Only getting 1 star cuz you have to add a star to begin review.
Every employee we encountered was extremely rude. We encountered 4.
I have a cast on my foot and asked for silverware and was pointed to the counter.
Food was ok. $ 22.00 for 2 people a little pricey for the portions.
Black tea was diluted.
Won’t be returning.
Place changed ownership and it shows.
Too bad.

Stumbled upon this tea house after having the usual post-​dinner boba cravings.
I’m always super excited to try new boba spots, especially in LA where they can be found on every corner. Cha For Tea has a very simple design to it, which I personally like. Clean and simple is the way to go! Students inside were also taking advantage of the good amount of indoor seating. It’s probably a popular study spot considering CSULB is pretty close by.
Hubby & I ordered our go-​to drinks: Two milk teas with boba! The boba was definitely the highlight of the drink. It was SO warm, like it was just cooked solely for my consumption. What also amazing was that it tasted like sweet potatoes! They advertise how their boba is chewy and made from sweet potatoes, and I can confirm this to be true. :)
The tea was just okay, mainly because it was too sweet for me. The sugar overpowered the taste of black tea, which is a big no-​no is my book. You can customize your sweetness levels, but I ordered regular sweetness since I always do.
Next time I will remember they run on the sweeter side. I say next time because I will be back for more sweet potato boba!

Ah yes, whenever I hear or see Cha for Tea I must stop by for one and one thing only. Their Mango Green Tea.
I like to order the large with 2 pumps of sweetener (trust me, the full amount can be overbearing). They can also add more to your liking.
They also serve food. I tend to see a lot of people order food and study here. Perhaps I should give it a try next time. However, I must get my mango green tea if I’m within the vicinity. If only my navigation can redirect me there if I’m within a few miles.

There really are only a few tea spot go-​to places for me but Cha For Tea is one that ranks up higher than the rest. I have been going here since 2009 and finally decided to leave a review.
It is one of the only tea spots that doesn’t seem to disappoint. I like how they have samples ready for customers to get (something other tea spots can learn from). They all tend to taste good for some reason.
My top choices would have to be the Mango green tea, hot almond milk tea, and thai iced tea (yes, in that order). They even claim to have the best thai iced tea out there and are willing to give you an exchange if you are very disappointed. I must admit, I have a different spot for the best, but I did not complain because it was still good.
Prices are fair and the service is fast. Really cannot point out what I did not like.

My sister always needs to grab a drink before a long drive and Cha for Tea was the pick of this time. She recommended the Orange Green Tea (with boba) which is what I got and it was pretty good. I like the orange-​y taste — it didn’t taste artificial, and the boba was good — a tad sweet and a good chewy consistency.
Overall, I’m a fan and I would totally try more drinks except I don’t live nearby.

Just a bit far from my place but worth going to. The staff are really friendly and helpful and they do make great drinks.

I guess I haven’t been here in forever, because they’ve completely remodeled the place. Gone are the shelves and dividers, and in their place are new furnishings, paint colors, and designs on the walls. The space is much more modern, a little stark, but appealing. It was full on a late Thursday night, so none of this is hurting business.

This place is OK! A typical Boba place which consist of overpriced drinks and mediocre dish items. Their boba drinks are good, but super sweet that you need to request to have less sugar in it. I like how they have different variety of drinks which I think it’s pretty cool. Their street food menu items are ok. I actually enjoy their popcorn chicken and fried dim sums. Overall, I’ll go here once in awhile cause its a good meet up place with friends, but I’ll never order their dish menus.
PS: You can ask to try samplers of drinks and menu items first before ordering

I think I found myself a new favorite drink… TARO MILK TEA WITH JELLY… level one sweetness. You can’t go wrong with that drink. Normally, I ever like taro but I’m starting to like this drink. So give it a shot n left me know what yall think.

What the rosebud tea lacks in presentation it makes up for in taste, it’s delightful. They have so many great teas on the menu I can’t wait to try.
I ordered the teriyaki chicken entrée which comes with white rice, sweet corn, and a small side salad with balsamic dressing. It was a bit heavy on the teriyaki sauce but was very good nonetheless. Also, much like the teas, they have a lot of other dishes I’m eager to try, like their powdered sugar sweet potato fries and crispy chicken dumplings.
The inside is spacious and I saw a lot of people with laptops working and studying. All of the workers were helpful and nice and the service was incredibly fast. I will definitely be back!

Located in a very busy strip mall across from the Long Beach VAH. Interior is clean, nice a quaint. While I didn’t do any studying or work inside, I could totally see myself bringing my laptop and working the day away inside. The place does get crowded, especially with college students and medical residents (I saw a lot of scrubs). Ordered an iced mango green tea and well as fried dumplings. I got the green tea sweetened to a 4; however, it was pretty sweet. If you’re not into too much sweetness, maybe a 2 or 3 would suffice. Also, the fried dumplings were great snack food! You can try some samples at the front counter if you want. All in all, great place to grab a drink, snack, and hang out!

Just love the tea and hot dishes. Green apple green tea with Basil Chicken is the bomb. Place is always loaded (staff & customers) with students from Cal State and does provide some interesting people watching.
Wish the were open mornings. Hot Almond Milk tea would be a great drink to pickup for the drive into work

I would imagine everyone already knows about Cha for tea but for those who don’t well, it’s a bit different. Not in a bad way… just different. They have a pretty big variety of teas that are brewed and sweetened to your liking. With or without boba of course! I particularly like the Almond tea with boba. It is soooo good! Especially on a hot day!
Tasty little dumplings, crispy chicken with rice or noodles, curry chicken with sides and a green tea salads that I love just to name a few. I particularly like the Almond tea with boba. It is oh soooo good! Especially on a hot day!
The people working there always seem to be very friendly and quick taking orders. I’m impressed! I don’t think I’ve ever really had anything there that I didn’t like. Delicious hot or Iced teas are my go to items when I step through the door. I“ll go out of my way for Cha for Tea!

Cha for Tea meets all the criteria for a tea house. All the popular tea variations are represented, both hot and cold. You have to answer quite a few questions when ordering and the place is loud so you end up repeating everything twice. Make sure you know how sweet you like your drink because the normal sweetness was far too sweet than I’m used to. It took me a while to finish it because of this. I also tried tried the Mango Green Tea which was superb. The LB themed wood paneled wall is a nice touch. I must come back to try the rest.

I like this place although it’s kind of expensive. It’s convenient because it’s next to my school. Plus their boba are soft, chewy, and yummy. Their drinks are also good. I really like their honey green milk tea. The iced one especially. It’s so good! This time I decided to try the hot one since it was chilly outside. I got a large hot honey green milk tea with boba. It came out to about $ 5. Like damn… Why is it so expensive? Lol but I love their drinks! You can adjust the sweetness of it too if you want. Many different types of drinks and food options to choose from! I
Also, they remodeled the place and I think it looks nicer now! I like it!
As for parking. It is good. It’s in a plaza with Yogurtland, Afters, Wingstop, and other restaurants.

They no longer carry lavender tea which was the only reason I paid them a visit. It was really sad but I did get my second favorite drink which is Thai tea with boba and it was pretty good and perfectly sweetened. I’ll be visiting soon
Ps the remodeled the place it looks nice but not to welcoming also the ordering process takes at least 5 minutes just to order not to happy about that

Overpriced, but I still love Cha for tea. Mango green tea and almond milk tea are my go tos. I’ve tried other drinks but they just aren’t as good as their signature!
They remodeled the place since I was in college back in 2014, and it’s cute now. Much more spacious. Drink quality has remained constant which is good, it brings me back to my college days :)

I’m really surprised that I haven’t written a review for this location yet.
I have always been a big fan of cha and this location is no different!
I always rode here as a destination before the remodel and continue to come here after!
The décor is really nice, it’s very inviting compared to the other location. The seats are more spaced out and it’s not as awkward sitting like Irvine. They’re some familiar faces and talked to the manager here who got transferred over. Congrats to him.
I usually get the almond or earl milk tea with boba. This is hands down in my boba book the best place! When I buy boba, I always compare it to cha since it’s so soft and chewy!
Customer service here is top notch as well, easy and quick transaction regardless of how long the line is.
Popcorn chicken… I absolute love the chicken. The sauce at first was odd to me but it definitely grew on me.
Would come back and meet up here. Nothing but fond memories here!

I’m loving the new remodeled look! Walls, tables and counters… all very modern! I’ve been coming here since my high school days and that’s a good 5 or so years ago. The old look was so last year… and now it definitely looks more spacious.
I’m so glad the quality of their drinks haven’t changed, I feel they’ve improved too. If you’ve never been, they have a few samples of drinks and hot food onto the side near the front where you order. For first timers, I highly suggest the almond black milk tea with boba. Their boba are always cooked well. The drinks are pretty sweet but you can control the level of sweetness. Also, most milk teas are made with non-​dairy creamers!
Customer service has always been great. Thanks to Julio for his awesome hospitality. He answered all our questions and helped us get familiarized with everything in the store.

Like most Cha for Teas (at least in my experience), it’s a haven for college students to treat themselves to over-​priced tea and surprisingly delicious crispy chicken, and ignore that they just paid $ 12+ for very little food/​drink. That being said, it holds a place near and dear in my heart for that exact reason.
THE HIGHLIGHTS.
+ Pretty darn good milk teas (considering the price)
+ Considered one of the trendier places for college kids to lounge
+ Fairly large menu of tea-​house bites (albeit expensive)
+ Soft, chewy boba
I’ll always be loyal to Cha, I think, although this particular location was a little stickier and glaringly lit than I’d prefer. But hey, to each his own.

What can I say? I give up. I wanted to hate on this place so much, and yet here I am giving it five freakin’ stars.
To what is owned by Ten Ren, a parent company to Cha for Tea and Tea Station, the unassuming boba shop across from Cal State Long Beach (Go Beach? Go Beach!) is a refuge for many students and their shotty laptops. You’ll find them here, with suspended hygenic mentalities, in hoodies and sweats looking like they’ve got their life ready for anything but executive-​level jobs.
Upon the recommendation of a lovely human, I tried this place to see if it was better than the far-​superior Tea Station. With my baseline for judgment being at the black milk tea with boba, I gave it a shot and surprisingly found a seat. Within a time frame that was faster than Tea Station, I had a boba in my hands. After a few sips, I had to acknowledge the damn woman was right: the boba was softer and better here. What could I do? I made the decision to succumb to the sweet, sweet defeat and recognize Cha for their higher quality boba.
The tea itself, however, was debatable in quality between Tea Station and Cha. Cha’s milk tea was subtle and less sweeter than Tea Station. This may have been to an increase in creamer and shorter brew periods, as they seem to have a steady flow of customers.
If you love boba and are in the area, go nuts at Cha. You’ll be glad that there’s a boba option around.

I’ve been here several times before, during, and/​or after school. It’s a super convenient location!
I usually get the almond black milk tea, but their other popular mango green tea is good too! Though mine has a weird after taste in my drink atm (I’m drinking it as I write this review!) Oh wells. Brushes it off* I like that you can request the sweetness and/​or ice level in your drink too. However, mine is always still sweet even with less sugar :\ I guess I’ll get no sugar next time?
They used to give a 5% discount if you pay with cash, but not anymore. Otherwise, their drinks are a tad pricier than other places. How do college kids afford their boba?! On the bright side, they serve appetizers and entrees too. So… yeah :)

So this is my 3^rd review for cha and it’s just all good stuff.
This plaza has been through a lot of changes. From business coming and going, coming again and going. Cha remains in the game right next door to Z-​pizzas, L&Ls and I think the Eye doc! Lol.
Cha and I have come a long way together, again. And with their 2^nd renovation it’s just keeps getting better. I feel like this makeover opens up the shop a bit.
The old layout I felt like everyone who’s sitting down eating had a full frontal few of my ass as I’m taking my order at the counter. Now, the register is away from the dinner room area so people standing don’t feel self conscious about their butts. Hah!
There’s no longer a «boba drink wall». They kept it simple and just kept the wall a creamy white color and using like a whiteout brush, drew out the iconic silhouette of the Queen Mary and the DTLB ferris wheel. Hometown pride, baby. :)
As the years past, I’ve found that my drink of choice has changed. It went from Almond milk tea to Taro milk tea to Honey Green milk tea. Simple and consistent.
Cha’s crispy chicken will always be my favorite and I’m so happy that they’ve lowered their snack size price down to under just 4 dollars. :D Thank you!
Love you guys!
Go Beach!

On the way back from the Aquarium we decided to stop by for a quick snack and drink. You can order to go or stay and eat. We ordered 3 appetizers and while one come in a plate, the other come in little bag, but luckily one of the server offered us plate to put those in. The food is pretty good but small portion for the price. The crispy dumpling has very little filling. But we like the crispy chicken. We like the fact that you can change the seasoning on the fried sweet potatoes. If they have something with regular potato would be awesome.
The drink are little too sweet. I ordered half sweet on one of our drink and it still really sweet. Overall, just like any tea place nothing stand out.

Live right between Long Beach and Irvine locations, but always preferred the Long Beach location.
Until the remodel, that is. The new layout is more crowded and less welcoming, and it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between where the line and people waiting for their drinks begins and ends. They also got rid of a few drinks that Irvine didn’t have, including the rose milk tea which was my favorite. But still, I didn’t give up on LB because it was newly reopened, and maybe things would even out.
But then, I got my to-​go order tonight, an entrée size pork sausage, and when I got home I opened the box and found less than half the normal amount of sausage. Unfortunately, I think this has been the end of my visits to LB. Hopefully Irvine won’t follow suit.