Juice A-Go-Go

I’ve been craving egg puffs and was glad I was just across the street and remembered Unilocaling for some. Stopped by and there were only three other customers waiting for their orders. Decent wait since they only have one waffle machine to make egg puffs and waffles.
The girl ahead of me ordered pandan waffle which I didn’t know they had or else I would’ve ordered that instead. The original egg puff I ordered was still really good. My go-​to for egg puff was in Richmond in the 99 ranch shopping mall center but now I know where to go to satisfy my craving!
I love how the girl that was making my egg puff, she was using tongs and was very careful on how she handed my order. She laid out the egg puff on a curved rack and fanned the egg puff with a cardboard to cool it down before placing it in the baggie. You’re amazing!
The only thing was that it’s cash only and they didn’t give me my receipt or asked if I wanted it. It took me a while to find the price of the egg puff and I noticed that I was charged $ 5.00 even though it said it’s $ 4.57 so I’m guessing it’s with tax that makes it $ 5 even.

Egg puff now is $ 5 dollar, taste bitter and they over cook it.

I decided to go here on my way home since I spotted it and thought, why not try a new bubble tea place? I’ve been to two others in Chinatown and didn’t see this place before. I ordered a large bubble milk tea. I’ve never gotten a bubble tea so fast. I guess I should’ve taken that as a warning sign, because as soon as I finished it I got REALLY sick. I don’t think that’s something that would happen every time, but I got way too sick to risk giving it another shot.

Awesome prices, delicious and great, quick service! Go for the daily special menu right by the register to get your boba tea fix for $ 2.75! This place isn’t big at all, with maybe seating for 3 – 4 people before it gets tight but I got my tea in less than 5 minutes. Will be back!

Yum! After the Eat Real Festival that doesnt have any non Eat Real drinks available, I was so thirsty. This is exactly what I wanted– a watermelon icy with no pearls. I think there are actual watermelon pieces in there and it isnt artificial. I also got the egg puffs and those were the right amount of crispy. Yum! They also accept credit card so that’s cooo

Mango smoothie! That’s all you need to know at this spot and on Sundays it’s cheaper! Brings me back to the fresh mango smoothies I had in Hong Kong.

This place unfortunately has to compete with Chatime and i-​Tea in this neighborhood. They don’t really draw nearly as many customers as either of those two. It’s not bad here though. I like it more than i-​Tea, and I’m too lazy to walk all the way to Chatime from the office during lunch and this makes a good alternative haha.
I don’t know if this place offers sweetness levels, but their default is already the right amount for me. Many places these days go crazy with the sweetness of their drinks. This place’s drinks are probably the equivalent of 50% at other places. That’s more than enough sugar that you will need to enjoy a drink.
They also have some HK snack items. I wasn’t too impressed with their curry fish balls though. Their egg waffles are pretty popular so you should go for those instead.
They also have pretty good service here; they’re always very nice to everyone who walks in. That’s definitely not something you get much anymore at those hectic chain boba places.
Also note that their hours say 10 – 6, but I’ve noticed a few months ago, around winter, that their hours are reduced even more than that. I’ve walked by at lunchtime and noticed their sign says they’ll open at 1. Just keep that in mind during the winter seasons, I guess.

Time: 12:43pm/75°F sunny
Purpose: Came here back in the days when the young couple ran it. Now its new owners and prices went up more than over board, but still want to try it.
Ambiance: Single table on sidewalk with a ten seater inside. Four of them are plush bar stools in front of marble half counter. Everything remains the same as last owner left it. Only thing is the flatscreen tv, gone. Walls plaster with pastel card stock paper for suggestions and messages. Drop leaf counter with register, acrylic pastry box, mini shelf with snacks, register, menu panels, bamboo stalk pottery, tri-​way trash. No entertainment of any kind just the set behind counter for their own use can be heard. There are some old newspaper to read, for kids color in cartoon character.
Staff: Looks like a mother/​daughter duo here. The girl do things that is not appropriate if she were to hold down a real job. Mother preparing orders from back. Both didn’t seem to care if you buy or not. They’ll talk about the customers while inside and when they leave premises.
Cleanliness: Grade A, from a customer POV everything is clean up to code. Most items are wrap, box, package or cover.
Eats/​Drinks: Special of day black sesame smoothie $ 2.75 w/​pearls. Drink is not what it use to be anymore. Half of it was undrinkable with serious icing on top. When shaken hard enough ice layer cracks, but not liquid enough to drink yet. Pearls were a disappointment as it wasn’t fully cooked through also stuck on bottom of cup can’t move around with ice blocking it. Sesame flavor was just low to mild in flavor. Not toasted enough. Overall, powder ingredients use here with high prices than normal.
Main Features: Pearl drinks, egg puff, fish ball and herbal remedy drinks.
Products/​Services: Boba, grass jelly, smoothie, juices, coffee, tea, herbal, hot chocolate, fish ball, egg puff, spiced tea eggs, belgian waffles, cup of noodles, snacks, candy, gum, pastry/​danish, pop chips, iced lemonade, milkshake, honey aloe sweet tea, (two versions only), sno-​bowl. Cash only, daily/​weekly specials.
Punch Lines: Below standard, warm service, quite bland, not as great, go elsewhere, pretentious, light bites, off putting, not mind blowing, overpriced.
Tradeoffs: Over 137+ flavors available, but most are powder base.
Final Thoughts: With so many boba places poping up weekly. Since new owners took over all they did was increased prices and cut corners. What really bother me was the fish ball. It was 4pcs/​$ 1 when young couple ran it, now its 6pcs/​$ 2.75 almost double. Things like this will make others stand at bay. Instead of taking the (pass it on to the consumer) method. Come up with ways to improve the product line. Overall, I didn’t enjoy my drink and certainly don’t want a return.

One of the best boba shops I’ve been to in the Bay. Here’s why they’re so much better than others– REAL FRUIT. The tapioca balls are always on point as well. Every day there’s a special on one of their flavors, which makes it even cheaper. Even the regular prices are a good deal. I haven’t tried any of the baked goods or other eats here, just the drinks. If you’re ever in need of a post-​lunch drink treat, especially on a warm Oakland day, definitely make the walk to Juice A-​Go-​Go.

Juice-​a-​gO-​gO is a smoothie, bubble tea, coffee, and Hong Kong street snack joint located in Oakland Chinatown. This small, Chinese/​Taiwanese-​authentic shop offers over 30 different kinds of smoothies made with real fruit and non-​fat milk (or soy milk), over 50 varieties of bubble tea and bubble smoothies, and over 30 other beverages including traditional Chinese non-​bubble teas, coffee drinks, and juices. It’s almost a staggering amount. Snack selection is limited to curry fish balls, spiced tea eggs, Hong Kong waffles and egg puffs, and cake pops.
The store doesn’t amount to much. There are a few tables that can collectively seat about 8 – 10 customers max. There’s also a counter against the wall with 5 bar stools. This is mainly a place to get your drinks and snacks to-​go as opposed to a hangout spot. (Hence the name Juice-​a-​gO-​gO, I guess.) Helpful pictures, of about 20 different drinks, are available and taped against the wall. Other than that, this place is no-​frills and a cash-​only establishment.
Real-​fruit smoothie ingredients include basic fruits such as bananas, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and mangos. These are blended in various combinations with sherbet, non-​fat yogurt, and various fruit juices and run about $ 4 to $ 4.50 per order depending on size. Some of the «new» fruit smoothies include more interesting Asian fruits such as durian, jackfruit, lychee, and papaya. These smoothies are just under $ 4 each, though I’m not sure if real fruit is used for these particular flavors.
Bubble teas and bubble smoothies really run the gamut as far as different types and flavors of tea and fruit used. This includes both black and green teas as well as milk teas. Most of these come in one size only and cost about $ 3 to $ 3.50 each. For the uninitiated, the «bubble» in bubble tea refers to the balls or pearls of tapioca served at the bottom of the drink. These bubbles, also referred to as «boba,» are typically soft, sweet, and chewy and are consumed with the drink. Boba drinks are served with extra wide straws to accommodate the boba. I personally prefer milk teas with bubbles such as Thai milk tea and taro milk tea.
In addition to tapioca, other toppings you can add to your tea or smoothie include lychee jelly, green apple jelly, mango jelly, rainbow jelly, coffee jelly, and grass jelly. I like grass jelly the best. These jellies add additional sweetness and a different kind of texture to the drinks. The jelly pieces are smoother and firmer than the tapioca balls.
Examples of other beverage options include iced lattes, milkshakes, aloe vera juice, ginseng drinks, red date tea, chrysanthemum tea, and even malted milk drink brands such as Ovaltine and Horlicks. These typically run about $ 2 to $ 3.50 each.
The Hong-​Kong-​style egg waffles (a.k.a. egg puffs) are tasty, filling, satisfying, and a good on-​the-​go snack. You can get one for $ 2.50. They are made to order and served fresh and hot off the skillet. Give the staff at least 5 – 7 minutes to prepare. Egg puffs are made with an egg-​based batter and cooked in a special skillet which gives the snack its unique shape. Each egg puff consists of several bite-​size, semi-​spherical bubble shapes. The egg puffs taste similar to a traditional American/​European waffle, but perhaps slightly sweeter with a chewier, less crispy consistency. This is a popular street snack in Hong Kong. Juice-​a-​gO-​gO also sells the standard Belgian-​style waffle too.
Service is A-​OK. Remember, cash only.

Boo… for a café that has been there since I was in grade school, I wanted to like it but their drinks a little watered down and their boba isn’t that great. I got the milk tea with boba and it was extremely bland. I think their temperate of the drinks are too warm causing the ice to melt extremely fast. I don’t know… Maybe I should get a blended drinks the next time. It might be a safer option.
The staff are so sweet though! The girl that was ringing up my order took awhile but kept apologizing. I wasn’t in a rush and I didn’t mind waiting. :)

A-‘Go-Go’ is right. This tiny little hole-​in-​the-​wall is not a place you’d want to stick around in, but serves as a really great for a quick grab and go cup of boba with fresh fruit. You want powder? Head to Quickly. For real fruit and ingredients, this place is probably one of the better, if not the best, boba joins in Oakland’s chinatown! They have plenty of choices, daily specials, and photos galore.

Super hot and stuffy inside, so get your stuff to go for sure.
Delicious fruit smoothie. Cash only was a let down.

Just moved to oakland and this is the best tasting boba shop tried so far. Definitely my favorite in oakland berkeley area.
Every new drink I try I am pleasantly surprised by how yummy it is. Also the tapioca balls are consistently very good!
Give them a try! You won’t be disappointed!

This boba joint has large variety of drinks and snacks. I like how they have pictures of the different drinks. The taro milk tea my friend ordered tasted fresh. The lady behind the counter was very nice as well.

Had the Thursday honey dew icy. It tastes like honey dew. For 250 it is a deal. Nice people too that speak English and cantonese.
Egg puffs tastes like sweet vanilla pancakes. Pretty neat

Love this place!
The only boba place that opens early!
Nancy the lady here is very sweet and friendly!

Meh.
And here I thought I found my newest Asian juice/​smoothie/​boba hang out. Nothing I’ve tried impressed me all that much. But I do have high standards for juice, smoothies and boba.
It’s gotta be really good or I won’t come back. What’s the point of getting mediocre juice/​boba/​smoothies when there are so many places that make excellent ones?
BUT…I have to give it to them for offering an impressive menu with a wide variety. They make all standard milk tea flavors, smoothies in any combo of fruit you can imagine — usually in increments of 2 or 3, HK style drinks like ovaltine, honey lemon tea and lemon coke, fresh lemonade, exotic and random fruit juices like durian and watermelon, the list goes on.
You name the drink, they probably serve it. However, generalization does not usually lead to specialization and out of the three drinks I tried that day (it was hot and I was thirsty), none were that good.
I tried the watermelon smoothie (nothing special and they left seeds!), honey lemon tea (also not that great and it was not mixed well, even after I mixed it myself) and fresh lemonade.
The owners are really nice and they also have stamp cards but nothing gave me an inclination to come back. However, they are new and let’s hope they will improve as they learn the ropes and continue to hydrate the nice people of Chinatown.
2 stars :/

It’s a win for me.
Perfect Boba
Great Prices
Ton of Flavors
Great Service
Stamp Card
Delivery

YUMMM. This is probably my favorite boba place! Not only are the juices/​smoothies fresh, but the prices are totally affordable! The boba is always the perfect consistenecy as well. I love that they have daily specials for $ 2.50! Service is always friendly. The wait can be a bit, but it’s because everything is fresh!
CASH ONLY