Best of LA: Top 5 Boba Spots with Boba Bitchess

More often than not, tourists, boba fanatics and friends have one dying question when they come to Los Angeles: Where do you recommend to go for boba tea?

With 10 boba shops in a five mile radius, it can be pretty overwhelming to start somewhere. According to LA Weekly, the first dedicated boba tea shop in Los Angeles County opened inside a food court in Arcadia. Businesses like Ten Ren, Quickly, Tapioca Express and Lollicup — all owned by immigrants of Taiwanese descent — were among the first in the LA scene.

Thankfully, there are many more now and Audrey of Boba Bitchess, a dedicated boba platform sharing boba reviews in SoCal and beyond, is giving you the full scoop! Here are five of the hottest, best places to get boba in LA:

1. Twinkle Brown Sugar

"Located in Little Tokyo, Twinkle Brown Sugar is probably the most consistent spot as I’ve been getting drinks here since high school. They have a large selection of brown sugar drinks as well as fresh fruit teas. The coolest things about Twinkle Brown Sugar are that they offer stronger brewed tea upon request and have reusable cups! Talk about eco-friendly!"

2. Toastea

Photo credit: Toastea © — *Photo credit: Toastea* ©

"I’ve only tried one drink at Toastea - the Luna Elixir, a Sailor Moon inspired drink. It’s a strawberry tea with a creamy base and cute jellies topped with marshmallow whipped cream.It’s honestly one of the best drinks I’ve ever had. I would love to try more drinks from this location for their creative combos and beautiful, Insta-worthy drinks."

Update: Toastea has permanently closed as of 2020.

3. Coco’s

"According to my friends from China, Coco’s is one of the most popular chains in China and I can see why! They have a huge menu and their drinks have been consistently good. My recommendation - yakult green tea! Very refreshing and healthy!"

4. Tea Shot

"Tea Shot is one of the newest boba places in LA and it’s super cool. It’s healthy boba drinks that still taste good. I’m talking real ingredients, fresh fruit, and even chia seed boba. Not only that, but their drinks are Instagram worthy with rainbow lattes and pastel blue drinks worthy of mermaids."

5. Boba Lab

"Across from SAMOHI, this boba shop is not only tasty, but also innovative with their flavor combos like matcha banana and hazelnut flavored boba. The other cool thing about them is that most of their drinks are made with real fruit/ingredients like their ube cream!"

This partnered post was lightly edited and written in collaboration with co-founder Audrey of the Boba Bitchess. Photo use is credited accordingly.