Tea Press

I’ve walked past this place hundreds of times and always wondered if it was good or not. I finally worked up the courage to try it when I had a final at 7 and it was already 7:20, so I was in a rush to get dinner. I wasn’t sure as to what to order, and I noticed that some people got the popcorn chicken, so I decided to get that too. It was meh. It was cheap and you get a decent amount of food. You also get a side of tofu and cabbage. The tofu wasn’t anything special, just marinated in a soy sauce based sauce. The popcorn chicken was super disappointing. It barely had any chicken in it. Just by looking at it, you could tell that it was the premade frozen kind that they just threw into the fryer. There was way more breading than chicken, and some of them were super hard and didn’t even have chicken in it. I was pretty disappointed because I was craving some Taiwanese comfort food. I was hopeful that there would be a place in Berkeley for good Taiwanese good, but alas, this place was a let down.

Very friendly and quick! I ordered the Thai tea with boba and it was cheaper than where I came from. The list of food and drinks had many different options which was great! The worker was really nice too! I’d recommend this place.

Cheapest boba you can get in the area, but you get what you pay for. It’s okay, but lower quality than Sharetea or U-​Cha.
Bento box specials are, again, good for the price, though nothing amazing. I’ve had the popcorn chicken and the curry chicken. The portion size for the popcorn chicken is better than the curry chicken, though both have an unproportionate, huge amount of white rice. The curry chicken is nice because you’re left with some extra sauce to eat the giant portion of rice with, but I think the popcorn chicken tastes better (might be because the lower quality chicken is masked better by the spices and the deep-​frying).
Overall, good for students with its super convenient location, but there are some better options in the area for a few dollars more.

If you’re a fruit tea person I think their fruit tea is totally comparable to sharetea and ucha. I got the lychee black tea with lychee jelly (extreme lychee fan) for 2.95. Cheaper than both places and just as delicious. This spot is my new replacement for fruit teas.
And the cashier is hella nice and dedicated. My friend goes once a week and she remembers what she would like to eat to what she wants to drink with toppings. I always see her too so im assuming its a family owned business. Anyways, she has the sweetest personality. It’s nicer just putting in an order from her cos she always smiles.

Elaine, the girl that works as cashier/​barista is the nicest! She remembers everyone and has my order memorized, which makes me feel like a valued customer. And maybe the fact that I just come here waaaaay too often…
There are only about 3 tables in here so it’s a grab and go type of place. I don’t usually come here for the boba because they are not the highest quality. I only get the boba when I get the bento combo. The bentos on the other hand… are so delicious.
Bentos: lunchbox with steamed vegetables, tea egg, soft tofu, rice, and a main dish of your choice. I get either the marinated ground pork or popcorn chicken. The pork is so flavorful and reminds me of Asia. They give you a lot, covering almost all the rice. The popcorn chicken is nicely fried, but not oily at all. It doesn’t have seasoning on top but it does have a fresh taste that goes well with the rest of the condiments. For less than $ 2, you can get a combo with boba. If I do get boba, I always get the jasmine green tea. It tastes lighter than the rest and isn’t sickeningly sweet. It’s actually quite refreshing. However, it takes about 20 minutes for the bento to be made so keep that in mind. You can always order ahead and come pick it up.
I’ve been coming to this place since my freshman year when it was still called Mochaccino and I still love it to this day.

I like the boba here! Soft, chewy tapioca pearls and deliciously sweet milk tea. If it was up to me, the boba would be just sliiiiiightly less soft, and the tea would be stronger. But this place is closer to campus, the service is friendly, the selection of drinks is great. I always get a single small milk tea with pearls for myself, which ends up being about $ 3. But I think they still do a 2 for $ 3.50 deal, which is just amazingly cheap if you’ve got somebody to share with.
My #1 spot for cheap boba will always be Sweetheart Café, for the stronger tea flavor and slightly firmer tapioca pearls. And my #1 spot for boba overall will always be Asha, for the good quality ingredients, atmosphere, and selection. But for a quick stop between classes, this place will more than do!

Love this little family boba place! Has the best deals on boba and so so much better than Sweetheart. It’s a great place to go to if you want good boba but don’t want to splurge on Sharetea.

Ok, so first of all if you’re looking for the best quality boba in Berkeley this is NOT the place for you. Leave and go to Sharetea/Asha’s/U Cha. HOWEVER, if you’re looking for the best boba deal and the best bento boxes, this is the place to be.
Bento boxes: I’ve spent many stressful nights studying holding on to the precious thought that I could get a bento box on the way home. It’s really a steal! Each bento box comes with rice, veggies, and tofu and your choice of meat. I’m a sucker for the ground pork. If you upgrade, you can also get a boba for less than $ 2. Total, including the boba, comes out to less than $ 7. How amazing is that? Furthermore, I can easily turn the bento box into two meals. Popcorn chicken is another option for your bento box or I like to just buy it on its own. Super yummy!
When I was a freshman, there was a two milk tea drinks (with or without boba, hot or cold) for $ 3 deal. The price has since gone up to $ 3.50, but hey that’s still a great deal too if you’re paying at least $ 4 for one drink elsewhere. This is a great place to come on a late night with a friend to participate in this deal. OR it was always my go to place to buy boba in bulk for people in my committees. Very cost efficient.
The line can get really long, but the girl who makes the boba, Elaine, is always really sweet so I don’t mind the long waits. I spent a lot of time sitting at the tables here tutoring people or just trying to get some studying in, so Mocaccino aka Tea Press will always have a special place in my heart.

Meh quality of milk tea. Flavors like earl grey and rose are overpowered by the milk and sugar in the drink. Boba is also pretty bad because they’re too soft, never warm, and inconsistently sized. However, I got to give it to them for their great diversity of drinks and food! Drinks are very cheap, with the majority of their milk teas around or under $ 3.00. They also have fruit slushies and milk drinks like avocado milk, papaya milk, etc. At the front counter, there is a really messy array of snacks that range from super asian things to basic packaged cookies and brownies.
Service is kind of slow, but I think the young lady who works there is super sweet. She is very nice to every customer, greets people with smiles, and is very accommodating if you have questions or want to tweak something in your order.

Sitting here reviewing Tea press brought me back so many memories of my time at Cal. I was first introduced to this little-​by-​the-​corner boba shop years ago when my friends brought me to get their 2 for $ 3.50 boba deal. Their boba didn’t struck me as anything special, however their tea was exceptional! You can’t really get the same friendly service+quality tea+great hangout place+great bento box options & its location anywhere else!

Food is a 5
I’m not talking about the snacks (those are pretty expensive and not worth imo) but the bento boxes are good and the cost is reasonable. The tea is cheap and the fruit slushies are by far the best drinks to get here (I love the watermelon).
Service is a 2
I’ve said this and I’ll say it again: I understand you might be family-​owned but please there’s no reason why it should take someone 15 minutes to get a drink when 2 other people are in line. Which is why I will never go here during packed hours (12 – 1:30, 6 – 7) and I’ll only go if I’m feeling hungry at odd-​hours. I still can’t understand why you can’t hire a person even for them to just work during the packed hours, it seems like you guys are very successful.
But all in all, I’ve been going to this place since freshman year (3 years ago), but every time I come and I end up waiting 20 mins for something that takes 5 mins max, I just figure there must be a better way of handling things. This is the inspiration for writing this review.

Free wifi, open until late, and super cheap boba (I’m talking just over $ 3 for 2! What a steal!!)… This makes Tea Press is my go-​to place for boba when I’m around campus! Pearls are always the right kind of chewy and slighty sweet for me (as opposed to just bland), but I usually go for some kind of roasted tea. Sweetened (or not) to your heart’s desire, tea from Tea Press definitely always hits the spot for me when I want a little bit of caffeine without all the heavy milk from my usual latte. Also the super sweet Elaine is such a doll– always bubbly and happy to chat you up. =]
Seating is a bit limited, but people don’t typically seem to linger too long. I also love the bright lighting and the cute décor. Great place!

Ive heard great things about the cashier here. She’s indeed really friendly and kind. The bento boxes are a good deal if you’re looking for cheap Asian food to fill up. Wouldve gave a higher rating if I didnt find a piece of hair stuck in my rice… but the workers handled it kindly and gave me a new order. The teriyaki chicken doesn’t taste «authentic», but it’s not bad. Have yet to try their boba… maybe next time

This place has many names!
I usually go here just for the boba deal. The 2 for whatever one. I get their that iced coffee with no boba. Not a huge fan of boba but I think theirs is pretty decent to good. Iced coffee is nice, tasty, and caffeinated.
I’ve gotten their bento box once and wasn’t a huge fan. I really forgot what I got, maybe chicken Katsu or something? It was more sour than expected. So meh not really a fan.
Go for their boba though!

Brown rice milk tea was surprisingly good! They have wifi and lunch options too so could see this as a fun study spot if you’re looking to mix it up.
Service was speedy and friendly! Will be back!

(It actually took me a while to realize they had a name change! Tea Press used be called Mochaccino — it’s still a boba place though.)
The drinks: So I’m not a big tapioca fan, so I can’t say too much on the peals. BUT, i am a big tea fan. Tea Press is my go to for thai tea. The tea is not too sweet, packs the perfect amount of flavor, and is super refreshing. Also, Thai Tea is traditionally taken cold, but on a cold day (or those chilly Berkeley evenings), I recommend taking it hot! I actually prefer the Hot Thai Tea over most coffees. Tea Press also has a great 2 milk teas for $ 3.50 deal!
The atmosphere: I usually come here and get my drink to-​go. The service here is wonderful! During a RRR week, I came here 3 straight days in a row and on the 4^th the girl who works here remembered my order (and she still remembered it a couple of months later). They are quick and efficient with the drinks and always friendly! I came here once to study, and it’s not bad. Since TeaPress does get busy on the hour after classes let out, do expect this place to get crowded every hour or so, but usually you can grab one of the tables to sit at, since this doesn’t look a popular place to study, but more of a place for a quick chat.

I’ve been coming here for 4+ years now since the shop was still in its Mochaccino days. I can confidently say I’m more convinced now than ever before that this is one of the best options for a solid boba run, warm or cold!
I first tried my first WARM regular milk tea boba here back in 2011. Call me corny but warm boba on a chilly fall evening has the power to warm a soul. Ever since, it’s been my go-​to recommendation whenever I take friends! I’ve tried warm milk tea bobas from many a places since 2011 but I always find myself coming back to this place.
The quality is more than decent: the tapioca is a great, soft texture; the milk tea is not too sweet; the temperature is not too hot so you can drink pretty immediately. Plus they have a great 2 milk teas for $ 3.50 deal! (Typically, other shops charge that price for one drink.)
One of Berkeley’s gems, if you ask me. ENJOY! And if you don’t, it’s okay, I always do. Heho.

My go-​to lunch spot! I always come here when I’m craving simple homecooked food, something healthy and not too salty/​greasy, and also not super expensive.
Love their bentos, especially the black bean pork rib bento box! All come with veggie, tofu and tea egg. Other favorite is the soy sauce chicken and curry beef. The dishes aren’t always consistent (may change sometimes), but always pretty good. Had a good experience with almost all the bentos, but maybe the marinated ground pork, and popcorn chicken is okayish.
I usually get the thai iced tea or the half-​sweetened green tea deal along with the bento. thumbs up!
Their drinks are amazing! I like their watermelon slush on a hot day, really fresh. Thai iced tea also the best I’ve had near campus.
Overall the food is pretty normal, but I give it a 5 for always being there when I do want something normal and kind to my tummy.
The wait is always quite long though, but the service is always really friendly! I really appreciate their service and friendly environment :)

Formerly known as Mochaccino, this place is usually the go-​to boba spot because of its proximity to campus. Despite how long the line gets, they are able to serve you quickly (~5−7 minutes max).
2 for $ 3.50 deal on Thai/​Jasmine/​bubble milk teas.
They have a massive menu with a majority of their small size drinks for under $ 3. The boba is slightly chewier than preferred but it’s decent.
There are also a selection of bento boxes which come with an egg, rice, and some form of meat priced ~$ 7.
This place is definitely worth coming back to!

I am not a tea connoisseur, and if you are this may not be your kind of place. But, if you are looking for good boba at a great price, this is the place. No one beats them on price with the 2 for $ 3.50 deal. At half the price of nearby stores, you can always use the 2^nd one as a surprise for a friend! I have never had a problem with their pearls being stale (a common problem with other places near campus).
Their food is also cheap and good. If you are looking for high quality or fancy this is not the place (but this is also the wrong neighborhood for that). The bento boxes make a nice meal, and the orange peel chicken is perfect for anyone who was raised on east coast Chinese food (reminiscent of orange chicken but a nice step up in terms of flavor and quality).
This place is perfect for students. Service is fast, and the staff are always incredibly friendly.
Note that the name was Moccacino until about a year ago.