Sweetheart Cafe

Reviews

• Jon T.

  star star star star star_border 6 October 2026

  It's nice to know this business is still around after so many years! I remember my dad taking me to the Oakland Chinatown location when back in the early 2000's. Once you walk in, you'll notice really cheap menu's on the walls in a really small storefront. Don't let the appearance of this place fool you! On the left hand side after you walk in, is a counter area with 3 stools facing the street where you can enjoy your drink, eat your fried oily snacks, and people watch if you're into that.
  
  The drinks here are really good, and though I don't remember what I drank 18ish...... years ago when my dad brought me to the Oakland location, but having a milk tea from Sweetheart gave me a nice nostalgic feeling. Today was my second time back in within the last 2 weeks and this time I ordered the coconut milk tea with boba and a spicy popcorn chicken.
  
  The coconut milk tea with boba was very good. The boba was fresh and chewy, which went well with the sweet mellow taste of the coconut milk tea.  This was what I ordered during my first visit a couple of weeks ago, but this time I forgot to upgrade the size to a large. Huge bummer. Remember to upgrade to a large!
  
  The popcorn chicken was disappointing the first time around, but I decided to give it a second chance today. The first time around, the chicken came out nice and fresh, but when I bit into it, it tasted like it was it was fried in old oil and kinda ruined the taste of the spices. Today's experience was much better though as the chicken came out nice, fresh, and crisp and you could really taste the spices. The portion size of the popcorn chicken is huge also, you could probably share one order with a friend, as long as you're not too hungry.

• Kyle W.

  star star star star_border star_border 27 September 2026

  I know that a lot of Berkeley students greatly treasure this place because "back in their freshmen years, boba is like $1 and a popcorn chicken + milk tea combo is $5." Long story short, this is a true Berkeley classic. Well, inflation messed up this place so badly that nowadays, for presumably the same quality boba and popcorn chicken (based on my friend's opinion), it is more than twice as expensive as a few years back. So, for the quality and boba, this place is now a rip off, even after the Pokemon Go discounts. The plus is that this is one of the rare places that still take Pokemon Go discounts, and as a level 24 player, it is a pretty nice 15% discount. However, at almost $4.50 (before tax) for this small of a boba drink, I could go to almost any other boba place and get something similar or better.
  
  The boba here is way too sweet, and the almond milk tea drink I got still looks like it is prepared from powder. I am severely disappointed by how this drink turned out. The only plus I see is that the boba is so soft and large like a mochi consistency rather than the mushy consistency, something that is quite on par with One Zo's boba itself.
  
  I opted for popcorn chicken that is non-spicy because I was not feeling the spiciness at that time. There is slightly more popcorn chicken in Boba Ninja than this place, though the popcorn chicken here is worth trying at least once. While there are some pieces that are quite dry, most pieces that appear dry are actually pretty crispy, which is a plus. There is also great flavor to the popcorn chicken, but there is quite an amount of MSG put into it.

• Abby W.

  star star star star star_border 25 September 2026

  After hearing that this place gives a 20% discount for Pokemon Go trainers level 31+, my boyfriend has been dying to check it out. After waiting MONTHS for him to hit level 31, we finally made it out here for a little Berkeley nostalgia tour.
  
  Rating Breakdown:
  1/2 Stars for Taste --
  I love, love, love these little holes in the wall so I tend to give them a bit of a pass if the boba is good but not great. My boyfriend's boba milk tea was good -- a more creamy than tea taste that evokes memories of buying boba with a snap lid when I was a kid. The boba was chewy and fresh too. I tried to order a drink that I fell in love with in Taiwan but hasn't caught on yet in the States (IT'S COMING Y'ALL, BRACE YOURSELVES), the wintermelon lemon tea. They have wintermelon tea, so I asked if he would be able to make me a custom beverage. Unfortunately, the tea wasn't as tart as I wanted and the wintermelon was slightly disappointing, however, I give the bobarista an A for effort!
  
  1/1 Stars for Value --
  The drinks were both under $4 with the 20% Pokemon discount. I believe they give lesser discounts to those of lower levels as well. Small cups, but will still cost you less than a chain like Happy Lemon.
  
  1/1 Stars for Customer Service --
  I love the little old man that works here. He was so kind as to accommodate my custom request. He hand squeezed lemons into the wintermelon tea and added slices of lemon in an attempt to make it "extra tart". Also, he high-fived us both for being Pokemon trainers and now I have a new friend in Pokemon Go. lulz.
  
  Bonus star because I love these mom and pop boba shops and I want them to live forever so I will continue to give them my patronage.
  
  TL;DR -- Classic boba shop from the 90's, Pokemon Go discount!

• Allen R.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 17 September 2026

  A small little shop known for is affordable boba and fried snacks like popcorn chicken and squid. As one of the first places I visited when I came to college, it does have a special place in my heart.
  
  Food-wise, a 3/5. Tasty popcorn chicken and fried squid. Works well for a late night snack, but tends to leave my mouth a bit dry. The drinks themselves are decent, but the bobas have a surprisingly soft texture. Drinks also have discounts if you play Pokemon Go!
  
  Service-wise, a 3/5. I had a hard time deciphering the menu for the prices, and when I asked, I recieved an unclear response. Essentially, only one type of discount can be applied.
  
  Ambiance-wise, a 2/5. Rather small and cramped, and not incredibly clean.

• Francisco D.

  star star star star star 16 September 2026

  The elder gentleman, who I believe is the owner, has a great energy to him. I could care less about any new trendy boba places that have spawned over the years. Keep your gentrified boba, this (not so) hidden gem is the place to be. Huge portions for food, delicious boba; and what made my experience great is that I truly felt like I was being taken care of by my own grandparents. There's a reason they've been around since 1996. Please support, this family owned business.