Tea Lyfe Drinks

A cute little boba place tucked within what seems to be a budding Vietnam Town. Some of the buildings nearby Tea Lyfe are empty, so its location overall seems a bit lonely… but I digress.
Upon arriving, I was pleasantly surprised by the peaceful ambiance and the earth-​themed décor. It is a café that teenagers and young adults would affectionately dub «aesthetically pleasing», and I am no exception. I enjoyed sitting on a tree stump and taking pictures of my drink with potted plants in the background. As for their menu, their selections, while seemingly limited in comparison to other boba places I go to, had overwhelmed me. I wanted to try everything – everything on the menu sounded interesting to me.
But alas, I settled on a Tropical Sangria fruit fusion while the two friends that accompanied me had an Osmanthus Oolong milk tea and an Assam Black milk tea. Each of us also wanted the $ 3 glass bottle upgrade with the words Tea Lyfe imprinted on it, so our order all added up fairly quickly – around $ 21, if I recall correctly – which is quite pricey. I suppose you get what you pay for, however, because my Tropical Sangria was delicious. I had a sip of both of my friends’ milk teas. The Osmanthus Oolong milk tea oddly tasted as it was described in the menu: smooth and buttery, while the Assam Black milk tea was a tad bland for my taste; I would have preferred it a bit sweeter.
Overall, not too bad of a place to try out. Be warned, it is a bit pricey, but it’s not too bad. They use organic products in their drinks, so it’s understandable. I will most likely visit this place again and try other items on their menu whenever I’m in San Jose.

Got to this café around 8pm. It took about 10 minutes, for my order to be made; sat down and chatted for another 15 minutes. The line grew as the night lingered.
I ordered the hot Assam black milk tea.
The drink was great, as compared to other cafes, it was flavorful and not too dull.

I’ve been wanting to try this place for awhile so I tried it for the first time in April and now love this place. My go to drink is the sangria. I do want to try their Thai iced tea soon. My favorite spot to enjoy a delicious glass of tea in a nice hipster atmosphere.

Came here for drinks to wash down our churros. Their menu is very small compared to a lot of other boba places. I assume they’re going for the environmentally aware vibe with their tree stump tables and stool chairs, but they’re very uncomfortable if you sit for too long.
I ordered their Thai tea. It wasn’t as sweet as I would have liked, so if I do come here again, I’ll probably ask for 125% sweetness.
The staff that night was very friendly and let our group try multiple samples of drinks, so that was good. All in all, it’s not somewhere I would go out of my way for.

I was drawn in the first time I came here. Saw a big bear plastered onto the wall, thinking, «wow! so cute! Ooooo… boba?! This is a boba spot? Let’s go!»
For my taste, I like great quality boba drinks. I was blown away when I saw horchata listed on their menu as well as Matcha sensation, Thai tea, etc. I preferably like to tell them the amount of sweetness level I like but overall, I like all nonetheless.
Cute décor with the wooden stumps and wooden furnishings. Small yet good amount of tables to sit and chat with friends and or family. A little bit pricey, but I wouldn’t mind. Plus they offer free Wi-​Fi!
Would I come back? Yes!

This is my go-​to place for studying and boba. The atmosphere is top notch. I feel welcomed and everyone here is just too kind.
I highly recommend their matcha sensation. I make my own matcha latte at home and it doesn’t taste as good as theirs. Plus they whisk it just enough so it doesn’t leave that matcha powdery taste.
This boba joint is on the pricer side. That is what happen when you pay for quality, not quantity. Am I right?
I am a caffeine addict and a college student. So I always need that caffeine kick to get me through studying. Their jasmine green tea is brewed oh so strong. I mean STRONG. I always ask for a splash of almond milk. And viola!
Also, shout out to Tootie Cakes! Your cupcakes are exceptional.
Tip: Ask for a stamp card!

There’s an $ 8 minimum charge to use card.
Don’t make the same mistake I did and come alone with card only. My fault, should have known, it’s a milk tea spot in Vietnam Town.
So I ended up buying two drinks. (one now, one later…) Their menu is very short and simple.
Matcha Sensation + honey boba, in a glass jar. $ 4.50 + $ 3 for the cute jar. The boba was so soft and chewy! It didn’t harden up when I left my drink for a bit either. The drink itself was okay, nothing special.
Thai Milk Tea $ 3.95 –very creamy. tasted powdery.
Toppings are all $ 0.50 extra
–honey boba
–almond jelly
–grass jelly
–chia seeds
–aloe vera
My drinks came out to be $ 13 flat with tax.
It’s a good place to study and relax. I saw a lot of students and people on their laptops while I was waiting for my drinks. Very chill. I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon because I didn’t like either drinks that I ordered. I only like my jar and honey boba. :X

i’m not sure what all the hype is about for this place. Came here to pick up a cold drink to beat the heat. I was also looking forward to a churro waffle as an afternoon snack. First no waffle. Waffle makers apparently were down for maintenance so she could not take my order. or at least from what i could get from her response… they were down for right now not sure if that meant it would be up and running in the evening because they have a sign outside advertising their nutella banana waffle.
Then comes the tea. I ordered a mango rose lightly sweet. She showed me the percentage sign and I clearly said 50% sweet and she asked again, 75% or 50% to which i repeat 50%. Don’t get me wrong i’m glad she clarified to make sure my order was correct. Mango bits in the tea were under ripe, and you can tell when a mango is under ripe because it has a chalky taste to it. That’s what they tasted like, chalky and tart. Also the tea tasted slightly bitter. So that could only mean that the tea was steeped too long or at too high of temperature. Either way it was not refreshing on the palate. Somewhat sad that this cup of tea did not hit the spot. My friend also wasn’t amazed by her order which was a milk tea, not sure which one, but either way she didn’t rave about it. Might i try this place again… maybe if i’m in the area since there are so many positive reviews but i will definitely try something different and hopefully their waffle makers will be functional.

Based on how it looks, it looks amazing. But taste… Eh. It’s great that it isn’t so damn sweet but it’s almost close to tasting watered down but not quite there.
TBH… Idk what I ordered lol. But I am still satisfied. Strawberry Horchata is pretty popular & it’s not really comparable to actual burrito truck Horchata lol. This place ain’t bad. I just don’t really have a say on how I feel. I’m neutral about this place.

My friend and I were in town and desperately searching for boba, being the milk tea addicts that we are. My friend recommended this place because of the cute glass bottles you can get, so we went!
The customer service is fine, the cashier was nice and answered all our questions effortlessly. The drinks were okay, and so was the boba. It was a nice kind of chewy and the drinks had a really strong tea flavor, borderlining a watered down taste. Overall, it was alright.
I really love the vibe and aesthetic of this place. With the big bear on the side wall, all glass front wall, and wood accented interior, it’s a reaaaalllyyyy pretty boba spot. Will most likely be back when I move to SJ :)

Very unique set up. They use Verve coffee in their coffees. They had horchata based coffees, which is definitely something you never see anywhere. Some which are more milk based and some more coffee based. They had cupcakes and macaroons for sale, though pricey at $ 3.75 per cupcake and $ 2.25 for macaroons, which seems to be the going rate. Vietnamese coffee waffle, another unique gem along with other cool flavors like hot Hawaiian. Portions are ample as well for $ 4.75 a waffle. Would definitely come back. Very busy!

Tea Lyfe is my first choice for boba in the area. Soyful around the corner is really good for your sweet tooth craving, but tea lyfe is just more refreshing also group friendly!
Walking in, the ambiance is super chill. Perfect place for studying, in fact, there’s always at least three tables studying every time I come. Love how it’s decorated with tree stumps on one side for bigger groups and some benches and chairs on the other side a small party.
Their drinks are ridiculously good! They use real tea leaves for their tea and organic Straus for their milk! So tasty and creamy! The honey boba are always cooked perfectly as well.
The Horchata milk tea seems to be a hit-​or-​miss with different people. For me, it’s as good as the Boba Guys in SF. The strawberry horchata is an interesting alternative that’s pretty tasty also.
Matcha Sensation is a big hit in my book. Perfect ratio of milk to matcha.
Sangria is a bit tart, but once you get past that, it’s a very refreshing drink.
Ask the cashier for a sample of what catches your eye before you commit, if not, they are really nice about replacing your drink if you don’t like it.
It is pricier than other boba places, but you’re paying for quality!

I agree Tea is LYFE, but their tea formulas are not the greatest.
I love the ambiance of the place as it looks cozy and hipstery, but I believe they’re really just known for their ‘presentation’ of their drinks.
Even their macarons are adorable, as they have different shapes delivered on Fridays (Check their instagram for the latest updates around 7 – 8 pm).
They had Hello Kitty, Music Themed (in honor of Prince) and others!
I tried their
— Matcha Sensation– I got 50% sweet. and I advise… DON’T. It literally tastes like Matcha mixed in water, even though it’s Almond Milk. I mean it’s probably healthier, but it doesn’t satisfy… Another time I got 100% sweet, and it still was not much different in sweetness. I don’t even like my drinks sweet, but there just wasn’t enough matcha or flavor!
–Almond Jelly Topping– I’ve always liked Vietnamese jelly but this was not too much flavor…
Service and ambiance are a plus, but I probably would go to the Sweet Corner or Soyful instead for better options…

Tea Lyfe is located in Vietnam Town, which looks new although it’s been around for 3 years (slow development, haha). There was a lot of hype about this place, so I came in with high expectations, but these expectations were just about met. This spot is obvi popular – when I got there around 3:30pm, they had almost run out of boba pearls from the lunch time rush (I got the last serving, hehe :-).
I got the Aloha Earl Gray milk tea. It’s a unique flavor, and has pineapple bits in it. I liked it, but it wasn’t anything exceptional. The boba was cooked well, but not as sweet as other boba places. Overall, I can’t complain, but I also can’t say this is one of my top boba spots in the Bay. I’ll be sure to come back and try more milk teas and their waffles!
On a side note: I still think Tea Lyfe has the best logo!

First thing I noticed walking inside the shop was the pretty wooden décor and how modern everything looked! The shop is really spacious and a great place to get some studying done.
I ordered the Matcha Green Tea Sensation w/​Honey Boba & a Vietnamese Coffee Churro Waffle. Such a great combo! The Matcha Tea drink was heavenly and I really enjoyed the chewiness of the Honey Boba! This will be my new go-​to drink here since I LOVE Matcha Green Tea! The Waffles are also worth trying since they’re freshly made and they offer unique flavors like churro, chocolate chip, & waffle. It’s a great snack to share with friends!
I definitely will be coming back. I’m a huge fan!

«I miss you and your baby, auntie Jen! Let’s get together!»
«Okay! Let’s meet at Tea Lyfe. Friday, 1:00pm.»
I’ve been there once before, and fell in love with the décor. The huge bear on the wall and the tree stumps as tables and chairs are freakin’ cute. They just need to add trees, a little pond, or maybe even a waterfall, and it would be really cool! I don’t remember what kind of tea I had on my first visit, it was recommended by the gal at the register. I liked it so I made a mental note to come back and try something different.
Four months later, I tried the strawberry horchata that my peeps were wild about in their reviews. Were there real strawberries? Suspect. Look, I’m no boba princess, I cannot preach about tea with conviction and style. How do people write about boba with such eloquence?! All I can say is that I enjoyed my drink. I had a sip of the Matcha Sensation and it was alright. The chocolate waffle I shared with everyone was good and fluffy. But $ 9 for a waffle and a drink??? Yikes!!! I can buy a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink at In N Out for $ 9! Oh well, at least I got to catch up with my niece. She’s the only one out of my nine nieces and nephews who makes an effort to hang out with me. If she wasn’t so nice I’d tell her to meet up at Taco Bell instead!

Came in around 4 pm and the place was pretty packed. Tea Lyfe has the modern hipster look and ambience nailed. Whoever was in charge of the design did an amazing job!
The girl who took our order knew the menu inside and out, and was able to help my bf and I choose our drinks easily. I decided on the mango rose tea w/​fruit bits, while my bf chose the strawberry horchata. The mango rose was okay. The fruit bits were very fresh fruits, but I wouldn’t order this again. I had a sip of the strawberry horchata and I thought it was okay.
I’m not sure if I would return for the drinks, but I did notice that they sell the cutest macarons EVER and some tasty looking cupcakes. Maybe next time :)

Very hype and fun place for tea to catch up with your buddies or study.
What I love about this place is that the flavors of the drinks are different and the stumpy décor. The menu is small, but straightforward and simple so it is easy to order if you are usually indecisive. The décor is beautiful. There are tree stumps everywhere with wooden tables that compliment their Bear logo.
Favorite drinks:
* VietChata: My favorite drink. I love viet coffee and horchata so what could be better than a mix of them? It has the perfect sweetness level that goes well with the flavors.
*Mango Rose: Perfect drink if you are craving for something fruity with the bits of mango
*Classic Thai Tea: Yum!

Parking is abundant in this plaza. Beautiful décor. Staff was very friendly, especially when it came to explaining the different teas for me.
I forgot the name of the drink, I think it was called the Mango Rose, but it was refreshing with fruity bits in it.
Lots of people there with their laptops and books studying. It’s like the milk tea version of a Starbucks.
Looking forward to coming back and enjoying a few drinks while sitting on a tree stump.

So, over the months I’ve grown like Tea Lyfe more and more, my first experience wasn’t great but I gave it a couple more shots and haven’t been let down. I really like their furniture, its like earthy. Customer service is very well, they will explain to you what is in each and good recommendations. Place is pretty small so seating is limited especially during the evening.
I ordered the strawberry horchata which just tastes like strawberry nesquick but I’ve also tried the osmanthus jasmine oolong, which was very refreshing. I liked it.