If you want to make your social media more aesthetically pleasing, an Instagram picture-worthy boba spot is located near Mesa College. Plus, the drinks taste as good as they appear on camera!
When first entering the shop you’re greeted with K-pop and the option to place an order yourself or the traditional talking to the cashiers. This hip boba shop is one of nine locations across California. The original opened in Pleasant Hill in 2016 but in San Diego, it’s located at 7510 Mesa College Dr. and can be ordered online through Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates and Uber Eats.
The franchise’s menu consists of many different types of drinks, ranging from traditional milk teas, and smoothies to their very own laboratory tonics. Along with the drinks they give the option to add toppings. For example, traditional boba, popping pearls, pudding and many different types of jellies. There is also a separate menu for food options: meats, seafood and even some vegan options.
The drinks that were reviewed was the sunset lover smoothie with mango popping pearls and taro milk tea with honey boba. They overall looked beautiful on camera and tasted as good as they looked. When it came to the smoothie, it had a lot more ice than expected, but the popping pearls brought the whole drink together. The taro milk tea had a good sugar ratio making it not too sweet, and the touch of honey from the boba made it one of the perfect drinks to relieve your sweet tooth.
The Milk Tea Lab is a great place to bring your friends or family to study, grab a bite and even go on a casual date. Their lab fries are a great on-the-go snack, it consists of garlic, bacon bits, spicy mayo, cheese and jalapenos. As someone who enjoys eating spicy foods, these fries have a nice kick to them without making your mouth feel like it is on fire. An item that had a mix of spicy and sweet was the mild popcorn chicken, but you couldn’t taste the spices because of the amount of sweetness in the chicken. So, if you like a more sweet and savory snack, the popcorn chicken is recommended.
When it comes to the price of both the food and drinks together was about $30 dollars which is pricey especially since their lab fires did not have any heavy proteins. The drinks were about $6 each with toppings that can range from 25-75 cent upcharge.
The overall vibe of the shop was extremely aesthetically pleasing, having adorable crocheted chemistry beakers with smiling milk teas inside on shelves, fun posters and many different places to take photos. Most of the people in the shop were either studying or grabbing a quick drink and snack with their friends. The tea baristas were very friendly and helpful when trying to figure out what to order with all the options provided.
This boba shop gets a four-star rating because the drinks are great; the snacks are easy to get when on the go and the aesthetic is perfect for photos. It is a comfortable place to study after school with friends or independently. Highly recommend taking a quick look into this shop during those long breaks in between classes or if in need of a refreshing drink.
