RareTea
Bubble tea · San Mateo
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About RareTea
RareTea is a Bubble Tea restaurant located in San Mateo, CA. Rated 4.5 out of 5 by guests. Known for: Great tea selection. Offers dine-in, delivery, takeout.
What Customers Say About RareTea
RareTea is a popular bubble tea spot known for its fresh ingredients, generous toppings, and quick service. The mango mango with aloe vera and strawberry palmer are customer favorites. Some find the tea too sweet or inconsistent, and the boba can be too soft.
Popular Dishes
Best For
Tip: Try the fruit teas for a refreshing experience, and consider ordering less sweet to balance the flavor.
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Frequently asked questions about RareTea
RareTea San Mateo Reviews
Had a great experience at this cute tea shop. Very low key and welcoming atmosphere. Got a pearl milk tea since it’s a staple anywhere. The flavours were delightful and made for a great drink on a hot day!
Came to the store instead of ordering but they have it available to online order and pick up. Ordered 5 drinks and they were made super fast. They are very generous with the toppings. All drinks were good according to my family. I got milk tea half sweet with boba and Crystal boba.
The strawberry Palmer is delicious. You can tell the fruit is really fresh. Also got the popcorn chicken which is yummy for sure. Quick service and friendly staff strange that they are taking orders by the door still but not a big deal.
The mango mango with aloe vera is my favorite, and I can't find a better drink anywhere else❤️
Had a great experience at this cute tea shop. Very low key and welcoming atmosphere. Got a pearl milk tea since it’s a staple anywhere. The flavours were delightful and made for a great drink on a hot day!
The mango mango with aloe vera is my favorite, and I can't find a better drink anywhere else❤️
Came to the store instead of ordering but they have it available to online order and pick up. Ordered 5 drinks and they were made super fast. They are very generous with the toppings. All drinks were good according to my family. I got milk tea half sweet with boba and Crystal boba.
The strawberry Palmer is delicious. You can tell the fruit is really fresh. Also got the popcorn chicken which is yummy for sure. Quick service and friendly staff strange that they are taking orders by the door still but not a big deal.
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 go-to tea stops!
Went today to enjoy a game of connect four and some great tea. Ordered the passion orange grapefruit, less sweet, lite ice, snow cream with osmanthus jelly. That’s a mouthful but wonderful. Partner had a strawberry plush. Strong recommendation to check this place out!
Everything is so good I especially recommend the dumplings with sweet chili sauce it makes me go insane lowkey
The tea is good, but the fries are amazing. Generally they make it a little sweeter than 30/50%, but it is a good place. Agar boba as a standard option is nice. Their seasoned fries are fantastic. Not what you expect from boba, but worth the extra couple bucks if you’re hungry.
Okay wow! Not only is the tea itself amazing but the crew is so fast and nice! I don't know if I just get lucky but every time I order for pickup, it's done way sooner than expected! I'm in and out with a delicious tea. Also I have a weird obsession with the cups 🤣💜
Great bubble tea! Try the "plush" options!
Great bubble tea! Try the "plush" options!
Everything is so good I especially recommend the dumplings with sweet chili sauce it makes me go insane lowkey
Went today to enjoy a game of connect four and some great tea. Ordered the passion orange grapefruit, less sweet, lite ice, snow cream with osmanthus jelly. That’s a mouthful but wonderful. Partner had a strawberry plush. Strong recommendation to check this place out!
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 go-to tea stops!
The tea is good, but the fries are amazing. Generally they make it a little sweeter than 30/50%, but it is a good place. Agar boba as a standard option is nice. Their seasoned fries are fantastic. Not what you expect from boba, but worth the extra couple bucks if you’re hungry.
Okay wow! Not only is the tea itself amazing but the crew is so fast and nice! I don't know if I just get lucky but every time I order for pickup, it's done way sooner than expected! I'm in and out with a delicious tea. Also I have a weird obsession with the cups 🤣💜
Solid boba. Just a tad on the sweeter side, even if you ask for less sweet. The tea is also just a touch bitter, even when the milk is added and shaken in. But they put in ample boba and lychee jelly. We also loved that they have various games (eg Uno, chess, Boop) you can play while you enjoy your tea. The tables are really sticky and that was a bit unpleasant.
Very fresh boba tea from real fruits. You still cannot go inside. The price is still reasonable compared where others are much higher. The location is interesting which I think is good since there are no other boba places within a couple of miles which mean less competition but I don't see much traffic like other boba shops downtown. The drinks are refreshing. We had passion fruit, strawberry 🍓, and watermelon boba. Some with regular boba and some with crystal boba.
Solid boba. Just a tad on the sweeter side, even if you ask for less sweet. The tea is also just a touch bitter, even when the milk is added and shaken in. But they put in ample boba and lychee jelly. We also loved that they have various games (eg Uno, chess, Boop) you can play while you enjoy your tea. The tables are really sticky and that was a bit unpleasant.
Very fresh boba tea from real fruits. You still cannot go inside. The price is still reasonable compared where others are much higher. The location is interesting which I think is good since there are no other boba places within a couple of miles which mean less competition but I don't see much traffic like other boba shops downtown. The drinks are refreshing. We had passion fruit, strawberry 🍓, and watermelon boba. Some with regular boba and some with crystal boba.
Great boba option in a more hidden plaza. I like to stop by when I’m charging my Tesla at the Superchargers next to it. I usually get the grapefruit or strawberry fruit tea and an order of popcorn chicken, which always comes out hot and crispy. They typically don’t have someone in the front so I opt to use the tablet to order. It works well enough.
I gave 5 star a year ago because the Teapresso milk tea was my favorite drink in this area. It has a rich tea flavor with organic milk to pair perfectly. But recently the drink doesn't taste the same - the tea is not as strong and the milk is more watery. Maybe they changed the formula. One star off for this. I truly hope they can bring my favorite drink back!
Tea flavor is definitely a plus. The bobas were a bit on the soft side but overall a good experience here. Will be back to try their other flavors!
Great boba option in a more hidden plaza. I like to stop by when I’m charging my Tesla at the Superchargers next to it. I usually get the grapefruit or strawberry fruit tea and an order of popcorn chicken, which always comes out hot and crispy. They typically don’t have someone in the front so I opt to use the tablet to order. It works well enough.
Tea flavor is definitely a plus. The bobas were a bit on the soft side but overall a good experience here. Will be back to try their other flavors!
I gave 5 star a year ago because the Teapresso milk tea was my favorite drink in this area. It has a rich tea flavor with organic milk to pair perfectly. But recently the drink doesn't taste the same - the tea is not as strong and the milk is more watery. Maybe they changed the formula. One star off for this. I truly hope they can bring my favorite drink back!
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 one-time mistake.
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 one-time mistake.
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 mango in the tea.
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 mango in the tea.
Tastes like cheap milk tea. I don't recommend their milk tea if you love drinking authentic ones.
Got seeds instead of extra mango, juice in other not strained, Heavy unstrained flavor. Lady is nice;gives recommendations,let's me take my time ,and everything is good. This time not so. I'm posting a picture,so you know it happened .
Tastes like cheap milk tea. I don't recommend their milk tea if you love drinking authentic ones.
Got seeds instead of extra mango, juice in other not strained, Heavy unstrained flavor. Lady is nice;gives recommendations,let's me take my time ,and everything is good. This time not so. I'm posting a picture,so you know it happened .
The boba is always too soft and mushy for me sadly. It’s one of the cheaper options but you can also taste lower quality in the tea
The boba is always too soft and mushy for me sadly. It’s one of the cheaper options but you can also taste lower quality in the tea
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About RareTea
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1330 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94403
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1330 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94403
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