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 Francisco tea guide.
San Francisco's boba is spread across the city, thickest in the Richmond and Sunset on the west side. Little Sweet alone runs about ten stores in the city and brews each cup from oolong, high-mountain tea or Assam. Boba Guys started here, but by October 2026 its Mission and Hayes Valley stores had closed; its Fillmore store is still open.
9 San Francisco 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 9 San Francisco bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Asha Tea House (Financial District / Union Square), Urban Ritual (Hayes Valley), Tea & Others (Lower Haight), Purple Kow (Outer Richmond), District Tea (Mission District), Boba Guys (Fillmore) (Fillmore / Japantown), Little Sweet (Inner Richmond) (Inner Richmond), Tancca (North Beach / Chinatown border) and Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea (Inner Sunset) (Inner Sunset).
Little Sweet (Inner Richmond), Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea (Inner Sunset) list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
Asha Tea House, Tea & Others, Purple Kow, District Tea, Little Sweet (Inner Richmond), Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea (Inner Sunset) 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.