Pekoe

My favorite place in San Jose! I loveeee #4 Foxy Brown! I always get it with grass jelly instead of pearls. It is on the sweeter side but that’s how I like it! You can always ask for less sweet if you don’t like your tea too sweet. I can definitely taste the tea here and not just sugar.

After reading and hearing quite a few rave reviews here on Unilocal and from friends, I finally got my chance to try this new pearl milk tea place. For starters, I came around 10 pm on a Sunday night, and as you approach from the outside, it’s quite dark looking, and almost seems as if it’s a nightclub. As you enter you’re also hit with club music/​EDM. The interior is actually quite small, and it also seems designed with a night club in mind. The light bulb fixtures hanging from the ceiling though are really pretty and add a nice touch to the place. My party of three was immediately greet by the lady at the cashier and asked if we had been to Pekoe before. This was the first time for all of us, so the lady briefly walked us through the menu. There are three separate pages, the Pekoe signature drinks, today’s special drinks, and a create your own page. We were recommended either the number 2 or 4 from their signature drinks list. She said depending on our moods, the #2, Angela, is a tea drink and the #4, Foxy Brown is a milk tea. They only offer one size, which I believe is 24 oz, and all drinks are the same price at $ 4.35, unless you choose to add additional toppings for 50 cents each.
Like my first time at most pearl milk tea shops, I decided to get two drinks so I can get a better feel for the place. I decided to go with the #4, Foxy Brown, and a Black Dragon, which was one of the special drinks for the day. My two friends went with Life’s A Peach and White Winter, which were also from today’s specials.
Drinks came out quickly, and I immediately dug into my Foxy Brown first. Initially, I was like hmmm this tastes like a regular pearl milk tea to me, but as I kept on drinking, I really noticed the depth on the flavor in the drink. For me, the Foxy Brown was a great blend of tea to milk, and as noted on the menu, it is sweetened with golden brown sugar, and you can really taste the brown sugar undertone. The honey pearls had a good bite and sweetness to them as well. By default, they make all their drinks with 50% ice, and that’s really great for the customers so that you can get a nice amount of drink instead of paying for a cup of ice. I tried a sip of my friend’s Life’s A Peach, which came with White Pearls, and we both agreed that it had a really nice floral/​peach flavor to it. The white pearls however, were not that great, so I wouldn’t recommend that as a topping. An hour or so later, when I had arrived home, I finally dug into my second drink, the Black Dragon, which is a roasted oolong milk tea with grass jelly. You can definitely taste the roasted oolong flavor, and just at the back end there is a slight bitterness. I actually really enjoyed this drink as well, and I think it might be my new favorite oolong milk tea in the South Bay. The grass jelly was a slight letdown because the texture was nice and soft, but the flavor was kind of missing something for me. It was kind of missing the grass jelly flavor and sweetness, if that makes any sense.
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Pekoe. The atmosphere might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but their drinks and the prices are on point. They are open until midnight daily, which is quite late for South Bay, and for those who may need a late night milk tea fix. I definitely would recommend the Foxy Brown to anyone for their first drink here. Sadly, this is really out of the way for me, and I really never find myself in this part of SJ, but if I am in these parts, you can bet that I will stop by Pekoe for a delicious milk tea. Also, no minimum for credit card!

Was about to head home after Round 1 when I remembered this was a place I bookmarked! I GPSed it and turns out it was only 9 minutes away from the mall, so we bolted over there!
First off, I really love that this place opens late! It’s really hard to find a boba place that is open late. Arrived at around 12am and there was still a line out the door. The line wasn’t too bad, it went by pretty quickly.
Pekoe does not look like your typical boba place, it looks more like a nightclub. The actual store is actually not very big and it’s hard to find a seat when it’s packed. They also have a PS4 where you can play StreetFighter.
When it was time to order, my BF and I decided to order off the limited time weekly menu. I ordered the Pretty in Pink while the BF ordered the Oolong with grass jelly one.
Pretty in Pink: OMG THIS IS SOOOOO GOOOD AND CUTEEEE! It’s a Strawberry Jasmine Green milk tea with boba and cute little heart jellies! I usually don’t like jelly in my milk teas or tea in general but the heart jellies really complimented the tea. My BF really liked it too, he snuck a bunch of sips when I was driving! LOL. It’s so yummy that I craved it the next day!
Oolong with grass jelly: First thing I thought was «Wow, their tea is legit!» The oolong tea was strong and yummy. It definitely tasted rich and full rounded unlike other places where you can hardly taste the tea. It was yummy but personally I like fruitier flavors so it wasn’t for me but the BF really enjoyed it and killed it before we even got home!
Next time I’m the area, I am definitely going to stop by here to try their other flavors!
If you are a boba fanatic, you MUST MUST MUST make a pit stop here! It’s so amazingly yummy & it’s only $ 4 for all drinks!

~1^st Review of 2016~
This review has been long overdue! I’ve been here many times since they’ve opened, and I really love their drinks and variety of toppings they have to offer. Lavish decoration going on in here compared to any Boba joint I’ve ever been to, which is a pretty nice touch! The employees have always been super friendly and drinks come out quickly even when they are busy.
The only small issue I could ever recall was when I came here with my BF and his cousins awhile back. We were told we couldn’t sit on the empty seats in the corner since those tables were RESERVED. Reservations at a Boba place?! Yes, they just sell Boba drinks, no food or appetizers. Bizarre, but okay whatever. Another time I came here with my colleague (on Wednesdays we DRiNK PiNK!), and the plastic lid wasn’t fully concealed so my drink spilled all over their fancy couches. They were quick to fix that issue, so again no biggie.
My favorite drink here is «PRETTY iN PiNK»! This drink has Jasmine Green tea w/​strawberry & pekoe milk cream, topped w/​strawberry jelly & PiNK BOBA. «Just Dew It» wasn’t too bad either, and «Manly Melons» was okay, but probably wouldn’t get that again. If you’re unsure which flavor to try, the cashiers will be more than happy to give suggestions based on your liking, and sometimes they even offer samples!
I love PEKOE, I wish they had more convenient locations. Whenever I’m in the area, this will always be my #1 choice of Boba Joints in ESSJ! Don’t forget to grab a Customer Loyalty card– «BUY 6 drinks & get the LUCKY 7 FREE!»

You know it’s the best milk tea place when there’s always a line out of the door.
The 20 minute drive I make here is always worth it! The peoke special is one of my favorites, basically the standard milk tea. The pearls are always on point here.
My other favorites are Golden Lychee, Foxy Brown and Angela.
Beware that this tea will not let you sleep at night, not sure what type of tea they have in here. I usually only drink the milk tea on weekends because I usually stay up until 4am.
Customer service is great as well. One of my favorites in the Bay Area!

I truly don’t understand how this place is so highly rated.
Sure, you can customize your drink in every way imaginable, but does that matter if your drink isn’t good?
My friend and I, got flavored teas, as recommended, lessened the sweetness level to 25%. I still felt like I was drinking sugary fake I-don’t-even-know-it-was-just-bad.
Now I’m just left with disappointment and a stamp card that I need to recycle.
Also, this place looks like a night club. Not a good or bad thing, just an observation.

I can see why millenials hit up this spot. I would have loved to have a boba spot like this (chandelier lighting, dark color/​posh clubby theme, gaming for bros) growing up since nothing’s exciting in South Bay when you’re under 21.
But for me this was a little weird… why do kids want to grow up so fast?! The atmosphere itself was decorated nicely with a darker theme to it (like like bright orange Quickly, if you will), but there are still a lot of logistics needing updating.
I noticed that the line for orders took a good 10 – 15 minutes – and it could have been because of the MLK Day rush (kids were out of school and reading for their boba!)…but there’s only ONE cashier! ONE?! There is tons of «bar» space that goes unused… which is a waste of space! My suggestion is to open up the bar space and add a few more cashiers there because kids prefer to sit in the couches/​with tables vs bar stools. That’s just how it is! That way the poor lone cashier isn’t swamped. The line blocked the entrance to Pekoe, and that’s also conducive to a traffic jam.
About their tea… like many said before, they have a bunch of cutesy/​different/​eclectic toppings like heart-​shaped jelly and taro pudding to name a few. All specialty bobas are one price of $ 4, so I’d suggest picking one of those since customizing your own will get pricey with each additional topping. I had their #1 original PMT and tried the lychee drink – forgot the name. The lychee one was pretty good and refreshing, not too sweet, but we ordered ours with no sugar at all. The original PMT was interesting because of the tea. It doesn’t taste like your regular pearl milk tea, but I grew to like it with each sip. Their boba wasn’t the best QQ status, but it was enjoyable.
They have restrooms too! Soooo in short, it was worth the drive out to East SJ to get Pekoe, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here again when I have better options closer to home.

Wait, am I in a boba shop or a Vegas nightclub? If the latter, then they need to make sure everyone’s 21+, because there are tons of teeny boppers hanging out late at night. Don’t these kids have school?
The shop is next to Lee’s, in the Lucky’s plaza. Lots of parking, but it can get very crowded. There’s only one size and all drinks are $ 4. There’s a list of their signature drinks that takes the work out of your decision-​making, or you can choose to make your own drink from the teas, milk, and topping selection. The selection is vast, so good luck to all the indecisive folks out there. You can also select ice and sweetness levels. Service is friendly, but it takes forever to get the drinks.
Make sure you get a stamp card to earn a free cup.

Was not a huge fan of Pekoe at first, but found the key to enjoying the drinks provided here: ordering them less sweet. With this key, I am now a regular!
Tried this method with multiple drinks here and have enjoyed the drinks a lot more, you can taste more of the tea flavors used as well as the toppings. Some recommendations include: Foxy Brown, Black Dragon and White Winter. I’ve been in a huge winter melon and white boba kick and the White Winter, less sweet, is absolute perfection.
The staff here is pretty quick and always so nice while ordering. They do take card and have frequent buyer stamp cards. As for the environment, it seriously looks like a club with the white seats, blue/​pink lights, blaring music and bar. Often times, it’s a bit too loud (music) to sit and socialize but there are seats out front with a heater. The music that plays varies from old school R&B, Chillstep, Hip-​Hop/​Rap. There is a bathroom, but has a strange smell to it that I can’t quite put my finger on but is pretty clean in appearance. Parking is never an issue either.

First timer, and it was better then I had expected. I ordered the Pekoe special with no boba but instead grass jelly, which I fell in love with. It tastes like the aftermath of eating a bowl of fruity pebbles with the milk leftover. I like that, I forgot to say 50% sugar but turns out that regular is considered at 50% already. They use non dairy for all their milk tea’s. Which is nice because I am team Lactose lol. Location is quite far from me but definitely worth the drive from where I’m located. It was easy to find, very modern inside it reminded me of a small upscale bar, it was pretty crowded. All the employees were friendly. They even have taro pudding which was something I have never tried before inside a milk tea.

Want the best boba in the bay area? Want to sip on a drink that will leave you sighing in pleasure? Want to stop by a place where the music will get you pumping for even more boba?
GO. TO. PEKOE.
Pekoe is where it’s at and pekoe will make all your boba wishes come true. Definitely our favorite boba place ever, the drinks they have here are phenomenal. They are all interestingly named like Hella Berry, Kawaii, TMT, or Pretty in Pink, but there is a description of each drink underneath so you always know what you are getting and at $ 4 a pop with multiple toppings included, it is an absolute steal!
If those drinks don’t tickle your fancy, by all means construct your own boba concoction and the price is no different. My hubby usually goes for the Foxy Brown or Pekoe Special, loving their deep roasted flavor and creamy undertones. I’m a bit more adventurous and have tried quite a few, like TMT (taro milk tea with grass jelly and pearls), Hella Berry (berry fruit tea with chia seeds), and an almond milk tea as all of my personal favorites.
If you are a milk tea fan, you can’t go wrong here. If you are a fruity tea fan, you can’t go wrong here. If you are just a TEENSY bit of a a boba fan, let pekoe convert you to a full-​on believer because once you get a taste, there is no going back.
Pekoe is just that good!

More like a 4.5.
The boba lives up to its hype. I think this boba place has better toppings and a more distinct selection compared to others. The selections are actually good too. I got the manly melon and angela. They’re both the perfect level of sweetness with a good amount of toppings. Manly melon is very refreshing, it’s definitely THE fruity drink I would get on a hot day. You can also customize your drink to your liking.
It definitely does look like a lounge. But I thought it would be bigger. It gets packed at night so you may have to wait and probably have a hard time finding a seat. But the staff is very nice.
I also strongly suggest parking a bit farther from the place. Seems like a lot of high school kids come here, those who can drive and apparently those learning to drive. I watched this chick inch out of a parking spot then suddenly sandwich her friend between her car and another car. Both cars were saved from any damages thanks to the sandwiched friend who turned out to be fine. He was still standing despite the force that even shook the other car! Props to him.
But I’ll come back to try other flavors, just parking farther.

This is like the upscale place to go if you’re under 18 but you want a bar/​lounge/​clubby vibe. It has a cool atmosphere and chill place to hang out, but I came here for the boba. They have a pretty cool and unique menu and it took me a while to decide what I wanted. I finally picked Pretty in Pink which is a strawberry milk tea with boba. To be honest, I don’t even know why I picked it (maybe because it said it came with pink boba — which it didn’t) since I don’t really like fruit mixed with things, but to my surprise, it was really good. It had the perfect amount of sweetness and a good amount of strawberry blended with the milk tea. My sister got the Foxy Brown and it tasted pretty good too but I liked mine better :)
Overall, I like the upscale vibe here and the drinks are good.

I must confess, because Xbox One doesn’t have Street Fighter, I like to come here to play on their lovely PS4 LOL! Pekoe reminds me of a bar, but only serving tea. The employees are always nice and helpful. One of the things I like the most about Pekoe, is that I am able to sample whatever I want before ordering it! I like most of what they have on their menu, and would usually order depending on my mood– whether or not I want something milky or fruity. This place gets very crowded easily, so be prepared if you have to get in a long line. Usually the long line to order will go by faster than the rate that they make your drink.
It’s a great place to grab a drink, hang with friends (if there are any seats left during busy hours) and kick some ass in Street Fighter!

How cool to get the boba here! Feels like you’re at a club! Club pearl tea Haha! We had to take a family selfie!
I had this place bookmarked and stopped in with the family. Their menu is interesting because all the drinks cost $ 4. It’s great that they use loose leaf tea! We had almond milk tea and pearls and the kids had melon.
My son liked the street fighter game, but we didn’t get a chance to play. My daughter liked the music and was dancing. My husband and I were intrigued by the Beyonce music video. A plus for the wifi!
The monitors made me feel a little uncomfortable — like too much light in my face. Interested in trying more, but I do like the usual order. The floor is neat, the interesting chandelier and square light tables are nice ilumination.

Walking into Pekoe it’s like you went clubbing. Crowded, Edm music blasting, stylish chairs and yes — a HD TV with smash to play on the side. We waited maybe 30 minutes to get our drinks but the wait was so WORTH IT.
My Favorite Drinks:
+ Pretty in Pink: I saw the words PINK BOBA and knew I wanted this flavor. And then when it came out turns out the pink boba (strawberry flavored jelly) are shaped as HEARTS. Omg too cute. Anyway on to the drink itself. It was pretty sweet to be honest so I would try to get 25% sweetness. But was tasty nonetheless
+ Life’s a Peach: White Boba & Peachy yumminess. It’s more light and has a clean feeling.
+ Kawaii: Mango stars. Enough said.
+ Manly Melons: Another light flavored fruit tea. Would recommend.
Oh and just so you know — all their drinks start at 50% sweetness already! (but honestly some of them feel like pretty normal sweetness to me)
They have a stamp card system as well — buy SIX drinks and get the 7^th free. What a super great deal!

Pekoe is my favorite place in San Jose to get boba! You have to try the Pekoe Special!
Every time I walk into Pekoe, I feel like I’ve just stepped into a lounge/​club. They have white leather seats, loud music, and dark floors.
I also feel like I’ve traveled back into time because of all the little high school kids that hang around. But hey, I prob would do the same if I was their age.
What I like about this place is how you can customize your drinks. Less sweet, more ice, less milk… Etc. Perfect place to get boba for picky drinkers with high standards– like me! ;)
Bottom line– drinks are good. Boba is good.
–1 star for ALWAYS running out of boba! That’s the best part when you get milk tea!

All the workers are cute! They play EDM and there’s a big screen hdtv to play video games. I wish it wasn’t so out of the way… Ryan J., Alex K., Gabriel N., and I feel for this place. ATTRACTIVE GIRLS AND GUYS EVERYWHERE LOLLL. But I’m married so I can’t holla. That’s cheating. No boyfriends, just a real man to hold it down for me. But I can still say HELLO what’s up right? Lmfao.
My favorite drink is the pumpkin pie milk tea!

Décor wise, this is probably one of the fanciest boba shops I’ve been to. It almost has that Vegas club feel — counter seating, dim lighting, white sofas, romantic hanging lights, and of course, EDM. Personally, it’s not a place I’d like to drink boba at, but to each their own.
They have eight Pekoe Signature Drinks, eight Pekoe’s Today’s Special Drinks, or you can create your own drink (pick your tea, style, flavor, and toppings).
— Emerald (jasmine green tea with honeydew and lychee topped with lychee jelly)
— Golden Lychee (golden oolong tea fused with lychee and topped with lychee jelly)
— Just Dew It (green jasmine tea fused with honey dew pekoe milk cream and silky black grass jelly)
All three of these drinks were fruity and refreshing. I’d strongly recommend the Emerald and Just Dew It for people who love honeydew! I’d definitely be back to try the Pekoe Special since it seems like a popular drink.

I’m going to get rotten tomatoes thrown at me for saying this but… I don’t understand the hype. I was actually expecting a LOOOOOT given the amount of positive reviews; unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed.
My boyfriend and I ordered a Pekoe Special and Foxy Brown (two of their most popular items). They were already out of regular grass jelly and boba for the day so we subbed for white grass jelly and white boba instead. I’ve never heard of white grass jelly or white boba, but Angela told us it tastes pretty similar to regular grass jelly/boba…Ummm, that was not the case. The white boba had almost a popping boba type texture (except there’s no filling) and the white grass jelly had a weird aftertaste to it. The drinks were also more sweet than I’d like which masked any tea flavors it’s suppose to have.
Sad to say, but I won’t be returning anytime soon especially since it’s a drive out for us.