Bubble-tea and iced-tea shops we checked, and how to cold-brew loose-leaf tea at home. For hot tea, tea rooms and loose-leaf shops, see the San Diego tea guide.
San Diego boba is a Kearny Mesa story: every shop on this list sits within about two miles along Convoy Street and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Several make a point of leaf over powder. Boba Religion sources tea directly from Bao Loc in Vietnam, Camellia Rd makes drinks from loose leaf with cane sugar or honey, and Yun Tea House steeps each tea at its own temperature and time.
8 San Diego shops, checked as open on 2026-10-01. Listed in no particular order; this is not a ranking.
| Tea | Leaf per Water | Example Batch | Steep and Serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green or white tea | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 6–8 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Black tea or oolong | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 8–10 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Taiwanese oolong, lighter batch | 7 g per litre | 7 g leaf : 1 L cold water | 2–3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge (Eco-Cha) |
| Herbal blends and rooibos | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 10 g : 1 L cold water | Fridge 10–12 hours for herbal (Rishi), at least 12 hours for rooibos (Rooibos.Africa) |
| Sencha, quick concentrate | 10 g per 210 ml | 10 g leaf : 210 ml chilled water | 15 minutes undisturbed, small glasses (Ippodo) |
| Where It Steeps | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator, 40 °F (4 °C) or colder | 6–12 hours by tea type | Green and white shortest, herbal and rooibos longest. The FDA puts a safe fridge at 40 °F or below. |
| Room temperature | 2–3 hours (Taiwanese oolong only) | Eco-Cha’s short counter steep; strain and refrigerate the tea once it is done. |
| Chilled water, quick | 15 minutes (sencha) | Ippodo’s method gives a small, concentrated cup rather than a pitcher. |
Sources: Rishi Tea & Botanicals, How to Make Iced Tea; Eco-Cha, How to Brew Oolong Tea; Ippodo Tea, Cold Brew Sencha; Rooibos.Africa, Brewing; FDA, Refrigerator Thermometers: Cold Facts about Food Safety.
Every tea type, with leaf weight and fridge time: Cold-Brew Tea Ratio Chart.
We checked 8 San Diego bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Boba Religion (Kearny Mesa), Camellia Rd Tea Bar (Kearny Mesa), Mosa Tea (Kearny Mesa (Convoy)), MYM Tea & Coffee (Kearny Mesa (Convoy)), 3CAT Handcrafted Beverage (Kearny Mesa (Convoy)), Yun Tea House (Kearny Mesa (Convoy)), BOPOMOFO Cafe (Kearny Mesa) (Kearny Mesa) and Wushiland Boba (Clairemont Mesa Blvd) (Kearny Mesa / Clairemont).
Boba Religion, MYM Tea & Coffee list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
MYM Tea & Coffee, 3CAT Handcrafted Beverage, Wushiland Boba (Clairemont Mesa Blvd) make fruit teas, according to their menus or listings.
Use about 9 g of leaf per litre of cold water and steep it in the fridge: 6–8 hours for green or white tea, 8–10 hours for black or oolong, 10–12 hours for herbal blends (Rishi’s guidance). Strain, then keep it refrigerated at 40 °F or colder.