Rare Tea | San Mateo / Half Moon Bay — Restaurant in San Mateo

My kids and I are big fans of boba, so I was excited to take my daughter to Rare Tea for a little father-daughter outing. I ordered the Peach Green Tea with Aloe Vera, and she had the Strawberry Palmer with Lychee Jelly. I was especially happy to see Aloe Vera on the menu, since one of our other go-to spots recently stopped offering it.

Unfortunately, the visit took a turn when I nearly swallowed a hair from my drink and had to pull it from my throat. I immediately brought it to the attention of the staff member at the counter, who apologized. While I wasn’t looking for a refund, I was surprised that no further action was offered, especially given how unsettling the experience was. It honestly took a few hours for the sensation of the hair to go away.

As for the shop itself, the atmosphere is simple—nothing fancy—but the prices are reasonable, especially for fruit teas in the San Mateo area. I also appreciated that they had some games available for customers who want to hang out.

Despite the issue I experienced, I’m willing to give Rare Tea another try and hope it was a...

I am new to Boba tea and I am trying different ones around the bay area. I tried Rare tea 2 weeks ago and though the workers there were great, the milk tea Boba was not. I could barely taste the tea and the stores go to is fake milk which is gross. So, because the workers were great I thought that I'd try a mango tea Boba and so a friend of mine got me one today... all I can say is where is the Mango? It tastes like milk with cinnamon 🫤 and at 7.25 it is the most expensive mango Boba that I've had...🙀 I get one for less than 5.00 that is completely and 100% better, so ciao "real" tea... I may try it again if they actually put tea or...

I always look forward to stopping here! The drinks are consistently fresh, tasty, and not overloaded with sugar like so many other places. It feels like a treat but still light and healthy, which I love. The menu has plenty of fun options to keep things interesting, and everything I’ve tried has been great. Service is quick and friendly, and the vibe makes it an easy spot to swing by regularly. Plus, they’ve got board games if you want to hang out and enjoy your drink in a fun, relaxed way. Definitely one of my favorite...