RareTea Berkeley — Restaurant in Berkeley

Of the boba places around campus, Sharetea and U-Cha are my top two favorites. But Sharetea usually wins for my business because it's closer to campus, located right next door to the campus' Career Center and across the street from the RSF gym. I like Sharetea because their tea is strong and well-made; you won't find any sub-par, powdered drinks here. You can customize your drinks by sugar levels, and they have the usual variety of toppings (boba, pudding, fruit jellies, etc.).

Cashiers are typically very friendly and despite there being a line most of the time, you'll get your drinks quickly. They do have an app service for ordering ahead of time, but I've yet to utilize that option. Do sign up for their loyalty program, which is powered by Belly, to take advantage of the free drink offered after you buy 10 drinks (believe me, especially if you're a student, the number of drinks consumed adds up quickly!).

Seating is surprisingly available here, but the decor is kind of meh (U-Cha is fancier, if that matters). Take your drink and enjoy it on...

I've been coming here for boba since my college days (back when it was still called ShareTea), and it's good to see that the quality hasn't dropped since then. Years ago, you'd see a line out the door for ShareTea, partly because it was the new kid on the block, but largely because it set a new benchmark for what boba should be on Southside.

They've got solid options all around. You can't go wrong with a classic Milk Tea w/ Boba, but my go to is the Ice Cream Milk Tea w/ Boba. Order it with less ice & less sugar, but once in a while, it's a nice mix up from a standard Milk Tea.

Since my time in Undergrad, Berkeley has seen so many Boba shops come and go that it's easy to get lost in the deluge. More internationally renowned chains have set up shop in Berkeley, and options abound...that said, if you want quality Boba without making a fuss and waiting in line for 30 min, absolutely...

ShareTea is one of my go-to spots to get my boba cravings fulfilled. Their milk tea is pretty solid; what keeps me coming back for more is their Okinawa (roasted brown sugar )and Hokkaido (caramel toffee) milk teas which is a little bit stronger in flavor.

You get to pick out your sweetness ( 30, 50, 80, or 100% ) and how much ice you want (regular, light, and no ice [additional $0.25]). There is so many choices, at times it can be hard to try a new flavor since they're all good. ShareTea was shared to me by a friend and today I share ShareTea with others. Pretty solid milk teas and FYI they only have one size (large) for a little over $4...