T4

The roasted oolong milk tea is very good on a good day, but it may be hit or miss. A couple times the oolong tea flavor was a bit lacking and watered down. It’s been consistent on the weekends when the customer volume is higher. Also try their jasmine milk tea that’s also pretty good. If you’re a fan of grass jelly, they have the silky soft type that tastes great.
Like most boba shops these days, their sweetness and ice levels can be adjusted. Be sure to get 80% or 50% ice or you’ll be whining about it being all ice. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
We recommended this place to a friend who reads Chinese and after her visit, she told me you get a free comic book with a drink. It’s only in Chinese characters, so it made sense the sign wasn’t in English. I’m not too butt hurt about that.
They have a few tables, enough for a few small groups, and a flat panel TV although it’s mounted a bit too high. Restrooms are clean and easily available. Make sure to sign up for the FiveStars customer loyalty rewards program. They frequently send me some great deals, including BOGO which is freaking awesome.

Love their oolong milk tea with grass jelly, we get it with no added sugar because the grass jelly is pretty sweet already. If you get less ice, you get more beverage! It’s clean and cute inside, with plenty of seating. There can sometimes be a wait for them to make your drink even if it’s not busy.

Really great spot in downtown Millbrae with a lot a bubble tea options but also other drinks and snacks.
It’s a little ways down the street, but worth the walk as it’s way better than a lot of other bubble tea places in that there’s a lot of seating and they have fun games like (connect 4) for you to sit around and play if you have time.
I had the earl gray milk tea with Boba — only 30% sweet and it was plenty sweet enough.
Others had the matcha which was great.
This is going to be our go to spot in Millbrae for bubble tea.

It’s not just about how many flavors a place can offer anymore, it’s about the tea for me. And this shop serves up a mean milk tea. I wish there were closer locations to me so I can have this more often. I ordered a mango green tea and the boyfriend ordered a coffee milk tea, both drinks were perfect. I read on Unilocal that their popcorn chicken was good too so we shared one order. Their popcorn chicken was the cherry on top! I’m not usually a fan but theirs was delicious!

The drinks here are not bad especially during happy hr. It’s happy hour that’s why I didn’t give it a 1 star. But one time I ordered a hot milk tea, that came out warm. Like a drink that was sitting out in the sun warm. So I give back to them for a reheat. It’s normal sometimes for it to not be in the correct temperature. The person behind gave a super attitude shake on the head, like I did something wrong. I didn’t get a name but he is the tallest one in the back usually making drinks or acting like he is busy. Bad customer service! Does one bad egg spoils the rest. maybe. with that kind of attitude I would throw my drink away.
So if they messed up on your drink, you can go exchange it and get some FREE bad attitude!

Who knew that frothy, salty cream could be so good?
Yeah, I went there.
So this is our local boba shop. They’ve got fried snacks, a pretty extensive menu, and yes, the crema tea is pretty damn good. From what I understand, the salty crema added to milk tea is a newer trend that takes after Tibetan butter tea, where the butter comes from Yak milk. You can order it from the crema menu, or add it to any drink, along with other sweet toppings.
The quality is average or better. Parking on Broadway Ave can be a bit of a pain, but it’s manageable. But most importantly, it’s closeby.
Location. Location. Location.
And that’s why I’ll be back.

You can’t beat T4’s Monday through Friday 5:30 — 7:30pm happy hour prices: regular 16 oz size drinks are $ 2.50 (excluding toppings) and snacks are $ 3.25 (excluding egg puffs, wings, and sampler platter). I feel most boba milk tea shops charge around $ 3.50+ per drink nowadays.
I’ve only been here a couple of times, once during a slow weekend and another during HH. All I can say when comparing the two is be prepared for a long wait during HH. Lines are long, and there are online pickup orders to factor into the wait time too.
The basil popcorn chicken takes a few minutes to prepare, but they’re delicious. A combination of white and dark meat pieces were coated in a light and crispy batter. The fried basil leaves — only a depressing two dainty leaves — were light and airy. I wished they gave more, as I love fresh basil.
I’ve tried the roasted oolong milk tea and the classic rose milk tea. Both were delicious, creamy, and not too sweet. I could actually taste the tea, which is almost rare since these drinks tend to be overly and sickeningly sweetened to the point where you can’t pick up the tea flavors. The boba was good too, with consistent texture and chewiness.
I appreciate how T4’s regular size drinks are 16 oz, as many others boba shops are at least 20 oz. More isn’t necessarily better in my case, as I prefer the smaller size. Not worth the time to come from San Francisco, but if already in the area, T4 is a reliable boba milk tea option.

I’ve hit up T4 every. single. time. I’ve come back to town from college.
The teas and boba are delicious and the popcorn chicken is fantastic. I always get the Earl Grey Milk Tea, and have yet to be disappointed. Their Jasmine and regular Black Teas are good, too. They use dark meat for their popcorn chicken, which I’ve never seen before, but hey, if it works!!!
Really wish this place had been here back when I was at Mills. There’s ample seating and some games on the far side of the wall. Workers here are high school and college students, so it’s definitely more catered towards the youth demographic.
It’s pretty slow and quiet in the early afternoon, but once you hit 2 or 3 pm there’s a noticeable influx of boba addicted Mills students.

A sharetea copy cat. Not really sure who came first. Nice hang out area for the guests and lots of selection on drinks and food. But overall I was disappointed with their drinks and food. Ordered the Okinawa milk tea, tastes more like regular milk tea and watered down. Popcorn chicken has no taste, maybe the cook forgot to put salt and pepper. I might come back next time I am around the area, I am guessing maybe they had just recently opened and not have their acts together yet.

This T4 has tea quality comparable to the other location I’ve tried (Fremont), so this review will be about the specifics to this location.
T4 in general gets 4 stars from me for fast service and good reliable tea. However, what bumps it up to 5 stars is the happy hour. I LOVE this happy hour, you don’t even know. It’s so dangerous that this is on my way back from work. I’m always hungry at the end of the work day… and it’s so easy to come here for cheap noms. I’m talking $ 2.50 for a drink (no toppings included) and $ 2.99 for snacks (except egg puffs and the sampler). My favorite is the popcorn chicken; it is my kryptonite! The mozz sticks are not the best I’ve had, but they’ll do the job if you’re craving and it’s a great value.

Currently the most popular establishment in Millbrae right now.
Often enough I will come here for a good milk tea, and the Taiwanese chain itself has a respected reputation around the Bay Area. In a small town such as Millbrae, the store attracts a lot of attention. A good number of young adults and the older generation will stop by after lunch from late morning to early afternoon. Towards the afternoon, a lot of kids get off school and will crowd the shop. There’s a parking lot in the back, and lots of street parking nearby. The store itself is covered in a vibrant blue theme with adequate seating and games off to the side. Good music here, and at times the place can get loud. Although there’s a huge menu on the side, I wished there were more pictures of the actual drinks to better inform customers.
Service:
The entire staff here is usually super friendly, quick, and efficient. If you happen to come in at a more convenient time, you only have to wait a couple minutes for your drink to be made. Also if you ask for something to be made that’s not on their menu but similar to the drink (i.e. Milk Tea vs. Milk Tea Smoothie), they can try to make it for you but don’t expect it to be made perfectly.
*A lot of reviews here mention the quality of their customer service, but what we might not know is sometimes T4 gets a lot of phone orders for pickup, and it can be difficult at times for them to cater towards them and in-​store orders at the same time, especially during rush hours.
Recommended Drinks:
Roasted Oolong Milk Tea, Winter Melon Milk Tea, Elegant Rose Aloe, Thai MIlk Tea, Taro Pearl Milk Tea, Hot Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea, Avocado Smoothie, & Red Bean Milkshake
Drinks/​Food:
The drinks here have your standard customization of ice and sweetness options. Most of the drinks tend to be on the overly sweet side so I almost never get 100% sweetness. I don’t recommend the standard 100% ice amount either. I actually prefer their pearls over a lot of other places because of the right chewiness and honey sweetness. The food is alright, but they pack a lot of popcorn chicken per order, which is a plus. My favorite snacks are the fried mushrooms and fried flour buns w/​condensed milk.
T4 is not a destination to go out of your way for, but they have tasty beverages with a huge variety of choices that keeps me coming back.

T4 is not bad. But it’s not my favorite boba place. It’s not horrible. I’d personally go to Eggettes instead though. Good thing is, if you don’t like your drink, they’ll happily remake it for you. For me, I like my milk tea super strong like a HK style milk tea. However, for T4 if you want less sweet it doesn’t necessarily mean stronger tea flavor so then it just tastes watered down.
I’ll usually get the Wintermelon Milk Tea if I go here though. It’s not bad when I’m feeling a sweeter tooth.

I was craving boba after having dim sum a few blocks away, so luckily T4 was on the way back to the car. When I get boba, the flavors I opt for are pretty basic depending if I want milk tea or not. If I want milk tea I’ll either get taro black milk tea or almond milk tea, but most of the time I like something refreshing. This time around I felt like getting honey peach green tea instead…
There’s a menu mounted on the wall but I found it a little hard to read cuz it’s so high up there above some shelves they have and the print is really small. Luckily, they have some hand out menus to scan over while you wait in line as well as on the cashier counter. It seems like they have a lot of options from milk teas, freezes, hot teas and even snacks.
When I came in around lunch, the tables were pretty full with people enjoying snacks with their boba or playing card games. There were only about 2 – 3 parties ahead of me, but the wait from ordering and waiting for my drink took about 15 almost 20 mins, which I consider long.
I saw my drink being made then when it was brought to the machine for the lid to be sealed, the worker walked away to work on the next drink. So instead of handing it right over to me afterwards, I unnecessarily waited another 3 mins watching him make another drink while mine was ready to go. I could have reached over the counter and grabbed it from the sealing machine, but I didn’t want to do all that. There were also 2 other workers including the cashier who clearly saw me waiting and looking at my drink, but wasn’t really acknowledged.
The drink itself was good, did not taste syrupy at all and the boba was a perfect texture. Chewy without being too soft. This place could have been a solid 4, but their customer service is lacking. Hopefully they give their customers better attention next time I come in.

Whoever said «let’s make our theme the Tiffany blue color», is a frikkin genius. This place has got the whole aesthetic thing down. I mean c’mon, Tiffany blue makes a girl weak in the knees.
So the inside of T4 looks like something out of pinterest, but how does the boba stack up compared to the competition? Average. They do however offer an extensive menu that will satisfy whatever you’re in the mood for.
We tried their eggpuffs, which were ok. Slightly undercooked and gooey, but I oddly prefer it like that. I personally enjoyed the lychee black tea. Sweet and refreshing with a subtle bitter taste at the end. Will return to try the other teas they offer, but passing on the boba.

**Boba Princess Approval PENDING**
Another visit is due for full approval! :)
This is one of the better T4s that I’ve visited. A-​B-​C, easy as 1−2 – 3…4! T4, that is!
Here’s the quick ‘n easy, fast ‘n sleazy low down:
((T1)) Noms and Gulps GALORE!
T4 has always been famous for their eye-​popping menu. From milk teas, fruity concoctions, specialTEAS, and delish fried snacks, T4 has it all. I also appreciate that they have the hot drink option. I’ve tried their Hot Pearl Milk Tea and it’s on FLEEK! The ratio mixture of milk to black tea was perfectly blended. I tried hot milk tea at other places nearby and was sorely disappointed. So making hot milk tea is pretty hard because it can taste like watered-​down milk #nightmareofmylife Their boba texture is always chewy and consistently pleasant. It doesn’t seem honey’d to me but their drinks are sweet enough regardless. You can fasho customize your drink — sweetness and ice. My bf tried their Thai tea and noted that it tasted artificial, like crazy superficial like Regina George. I am inclined to agree after tasting it, pass on the Thai.
((T2)) Like a Diamond in the Rough
T4 is located in the heart of downtown surrounded by delicious restaurants and quaint shops. It is in an endearing location where downtown is only one street (Broadway), but the delight of the experience is the local vibe that you get. You won’t find yuppies or techies here, just good ol’ suburban families and friends. Per usual, T4’s Tiffany-​inspired colors of blue and white make the boba shop shine brightly ;) The interior is quite spacious with plenty of tables and seats around but it fills up fast! Casual, low key feel with a loud noise level. WIFI is available.
((T3)) Service leaves me Thirsty!
…Meaning that it leaves more to be desired! You guys are ratchet teehee. I’m not sure what’s up with T4 employees and their service. It’s very unmemorable and borderline rude at times. The baristas are disengaging, apathetic, and FRUGAL! They skimped ¹⁄₅^th of my hot milk tea each time… Come on guys, I’m paying a premium for T4 drinks. PLEASE FILL IT UP ALL THE WAY! I used to be a barista myself and I always filled it up for the customers! Do a fellow sister a SOLID and TOP IT OFF. So good yet so little :(
((T4)) Don’t you know that Boba Bling? It can only mean one thing…
So what do you get when you mix: beautiful interior/​brand + good tastin’ drinks + terrible customer service? = surge prices on boba milk tea! Baseline prices are $ 3.50++ with toppings extra $.50+…One hot milk tea is like $ 4++ ouch my wallet! At least they take Cash or Card. 5 Stars is available which rocks! T4 is easily one of the most expensive places in Millbrae, compared to Quicklys, Coomax, Eggettes, etc…

Tried their Roasted Oolong a few times and would say that their tea is consistent. I like how they do not over sweeten drinks! 30% sweetness means 30%.
Their toppings are generously given as well.

To be honest, I’m really surprised that more of my Unilocal friends (or people that I follow) haven’t reviewed this T4 yet, especially since I know some of you guys/​gals are true boba fiends. Then again, it’s not as surprising as how long it took for a legit boba joint to open up around here (this is downtown MillbrAsia, after all). Yes, I’m aware there’s a Quickly just a block away, but do they really count when they barely qualify as competition? Talk about setting a low bar of expectations…
Visually, T4 is pretty attractive; the space is newly renovated and the décor is bright and clean. However, the menu looked even better — several drink varieties are offered with an even wider range of teas to pick from. Despite how unique some of them sounded though, I opted to go with just an EARL GREY MILK TEA with Boba ($ 3.45 +$ 0.50). Although my usual measuring stick for new boba joints is a Black Milk Tea, I thought it’d be nice to mix it up a bit (read: I couldn’t find the Black Milk Tea on the menu…).
While I did ask for «only a little bit» of boba (and still got a good amount), I didn’t modify the drink itself in any way since I wanted to see what T4’s «standard» is like. I figured it’d be overly creamy and sweet and, unfortunately, I was right on both counts. Oddly, the drink felt a little runny as well, which only further diluted the taste of the tea. What little I could pick up wasn’t half bad though. As for the boba, it was actually pretty solid, as it had just the right chew to it.
Even despite the lack of alternatives, T4 isn’t too shabby, especially if you’re in the area and looking for a quick milk tea/​boba fix. At the very least, it’s by far a better choice than the Quickly a block away (their Millbrae location is one of their worst). However, it’s definitely not a destination spot you should go out of your way for. Instead, if you’re willing to make the 10 minute drive, head to Sharetea in San Mateo for a better bet.

T4 is a new boba place that just recently opened up in Millbrae (huzzah cos they needed boba in Millbrae!).
It’s located on a busy street in Millbrae so parking might be a bit of a pain especially if you come here during the weekends. Parking on the street is limited to 2 hours and there’s a parking lot behind, too.
The inside of this place is pretty spacious with about six 4-​seater tables and a wooden table as well. The menu is a bit extensive with them offering many drink flavors in many different ways as well as a snacks menu. And they have games for kids to play while they wait as well.
I usually opt for the earl grey milk tea with boba and their popcorn chicken. Not quite sure what happened. Their popcorn chicken usually comes with basil that makes it taste yummy, but today it just tasted salty. The drink had no problems, though.
Service usually depends on who you get I guess? I’ve had service sometimes where the lady will be super optimistic and ask me questions and then times where the cashier will seem bored and tired which in turn makes me feel bad for ordering from them.
Overall, the place is decent and I would choose it over Quickly’s any day. Pick up a stamp card, too, or use five stars to earn points. 10 points = free drink.

I am not much of a boba person, however I must say T4 has changed my mind. It’s a pretty regular and typical selection just like all boba places. However, I swear they have the best grass jelly boba tea I have ever tasted. I have no idea what it is, but the grass jelly is nice and chewy and just the right amount of sweetness. Grass jelly gone wild, I was mind blown: O
I also tried their lobster balls and fried chicken. Lobster balls is a no go, basically something you buy from 99 ranch in the frozen section. Fried chicken was pretty decent, I still prefer Quickly’s fried chicken. I wish they had more basil in the chicken, they literally only had 2 pieces of basil… maybe basil is expensive these days…
They also have a selection of games such as uno, cards, battleships, so it’s a good place to hang out with friends. BEWARE the battleships smelled like crap… I don’t know if someone rubbed their butt on it or what, but omg it smelled so bad I had to play uno.

My taro milk tea was a little watered down but the Thai milk tea had a good amount of sweetness and flavor.
Nice and clean décor inside. One of the guys working was nice enough to remake my drink after I asked him to take out the boba out of the drink he had already made me.
This was my first time here and I plan to come back and give the taro another try :)