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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
Neighborhood: KoreatownMon-Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
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Man I'm surprised I haven't written a review here yet!
This is my favorite boba place. Why? Three words. Mocha boba frappe.
The balls are also softer, chewier and (usually) sweeter...just how I like 'em. Though there are other locations, don't be fooled! This is the best one!
Now if only they could get more parking spaces!
This place isn't too bad, in terms of the blended boba. I usually get the green tea or the taro with boba. I am no boba expert but, I thought that each time I go, it's pretty satisfying. And as far as prices go, well, it's much cheaper than most places in k-town, considerably.
Really bad music taste for the environment. Each time I come, most people cover their ears, or just run out after they get their drinks. So to the owner, stop playing music that you like, and listen to your customers.
Not a lot of selections, in general. After all, I only come here for the boba blended drinks.
Besides the music, and the bathroom smelling and looking like crap all the time, the boba blended's great.
Surprisingly, this is the only boba place I know in koreatown. Maybe it's because it satisfies my boba cravings each time that I never bothered to branch out and try something new. The boba is soft and chewy and they have a variety of teas/coffees/shakes to choose from. Also, this is the only drink place where I know that have thick red bean smoothies. Their frozen yogurt was surprisingly good too! I guess the atmosphere takes away from this boba shop since it does look old and run down but that's part of its charm. Plus, it's cheap!
MENU:
red bean smoothie with boba + plain frozen yogurt
PRICE:
~$6 total
fresh's 2 CENTS:
if you're near Western Ave + 6th Street, give I LOVE BOBA a try! you might like it ;)
The Green Tea Boba is delicious!!! And the frozen yogurt with fresh fruit is the best I've had in the city!
Friendly people who work there and a cute clubhouse atmosphere. Small small space, but cozy.
I drove up after a disappointing and mistaken stop at the location on 11th and Western. I was quickly relieved by the comfortable and inviting decor.
Enclosed patio seating is alright. So much better than the one down the street. Then I saw the B rating and the same dingy looking kitchen and cash register with limited tea and drink selections...
My smile faded. I decided to try the boba everyone was raving about anyway. I had a small plain yogurt with mochi and boba. I taste the yogurt and it's alright. The mochi... hmmmm alright ....
sigh...
big sigh....
now the balls...
Oh my! No Joke! Super perfect! Not too chewy but just perfectly chewy.
This place is a buck more then my favorite place on Vermont and 7th. Toppings are limited and mochi wasn't as tasty. Balls- the best! I'll be back.
Do not go here. Overpriced and stingy on the boba, I've had much better boba. Don't park in the bank parking lot bc they will make you move your car.
Really now, a average 4 star rating for this place? Really??!! People must be getting paid or something. Maybe an off night due to bad weather? Maybe I ordered the wrong drink. That is not an excuse anyways.
I love Boba is a small shop with a small parking lot. Just a couple of tables set up, but I really did not like the fact that people could smoke inside I love Boba. I hate second hand smoke.
I ordered a Strawberry slush to hit the road. My slush was not mixed well as I could completely taste the strawberry flavoring. It was a slush, why was there barely any ice. $4.99 for boba, is probably due to the increases in inflation. Did I really just pay $4.99 for a boba drink? If I could remember correctly, boba drinks used to cost around $3 dollars.
Theres a first time for everything, there is also a last. This will be my last.
I went here and ordered the Mango something Boba. It was okay. It was not that bad, but it was way too sweet. It tasted very artificial. Not sure how to describe it.
Also, they were stingy with the BOBA. I'd go back. It wasn't too bad.
BEST boba balls I have ever had hands down. It was so soft, so chewy, so full of sugary goodness, and it was STILL soft after the balls had soaked in my drink for an hour.
I ordered the passion fruit boba tea ($3.99). The tea was not great, but the balls made up for it. I tried the milk tea boba, and I should've ordered that instead. I guess they're known for their boba milk tea with red bean. I didn't try it, but my friend did (who usually has the same taste in food as me), and he didn't like it.
If you wanna chill at the place, each person has to order something. And I agree with another yelper - they are pretty stingy with the boba balls. I guess ambiance is pretty cute because you can sit at an indoor patio, but you can also sit outside. It's free for all, so smokers can chill at the indoor patio too. Parking is tight, but it was okay for us since we got there around 12am.
I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. I guess it's cuz I'm more of a tea person!
So I came here 'cuz I had a mean craving for a taro boba...
to my suprise, it was great. I found myself coming back here with more people raving about their taro boba and making family fans of this joint.
It's an okay for price, but the guy is friendly so I gave it a 4 star. Kind of small if you're traveling 4 deep, but it's not stroller accessable for those milfs exploring new places to entertain your kiddos.
Oh and the music and scene is nice at night time around 10-ish, if you like Art Laboe/92.3 then you'll like the music.
Peace people and I hope this review helps out! For all ya'll folks out there this is Rita! *peace sign*
A good option for post KBBQ indulgence since I Love Boba is open late. I have to admit, I don't love boba all that much but I can appreciate it now and then. I went with the taro smoothie as per another yelper's recommendation and it was really, really good. Also had some cheesecake just to make things as caloric as possible.
I Love Boba definitely hit the spot. I could barely move afterwards so I consider my visit a success.
I have a Short Shameful Confession (SSC): I love Boba Fett.
So when my cousin introduced me to this place, the name automatically resonated w/in me. Even though we were strangers, I felt a deeper bond here than any other boba places in the city.
I just knew.
Ok, so the boba here is a completely different Boba than what I'm referring to but still - every little bit helps. The drinks here are well prepared and tasty. Service can be a little slow at times but meh - as long as I'm not being chased by crazed zombies, I'm not in any real rush.
Their milk tea is pretty good, if you ask me. Skip the tapioca.
ps: For all you "free" wifi junkies - you can has - as long as you purchase something.
PM me for the access code if you *really* need it.
This is the best boba spot I always forget about, until I'm driving right by it. For such a small spot, I always feel like I'm in the right place when I come. Comfortable setting and a weird variety of offerings.
I got the mocha frap boba. While I regretted it the whole time I waited for the drink, it turned out to have been the best decision . . . for me, at that time. Ooh, mocha frap boba, I didn't love you before I tasted you; now I can't get you out of my mind!
I also had an individually wrapped cheesecake slice from the fridge for an extra fatty kick.
Procedure to Do It Right:
1. Take bite of cheesecake.
2. With cheesecake bite in mouth, take big sip of mocha frap boba.
3. Enjoy the fat and rich orgasm until next bite.
i prefer this place to lollicup and pinkberrys. the boba is good, try the "peach strawberry" for kicks but to be honest the plain ol' milk tea is still the bomb in my books.
ordered frozen yogurt on a whim and it turned out to be better than pinkberry's, yogurtland, and red mango, go figure? the seating is kind of tight since it's hangout central for J.F.K. (Just From Korea).
2 tables outside in the parking lot, everytime i seem to go the same ajoshi's are sitting out there smoking "Dis-u" cigarettes drinking "Chamisul" soju and screaming about "Miguk saram (American people) this and Miguk saram that, and Hanguk saram (Korean people) this and Hanguk saram that...." *sigh* i miss seoul...
I saw that they had free wifi so I thought I'd hit them up. I parked at the bank went in ( no ac) and when the girl finally came to the counter I asked her if I needed to buy something to use wifi, yes. I order an ice coffee ( which is a whopping 3.00 for a small WTF?). They charge .50 for card usage so I gmet my coffee which is 3.50, ask her for the code and she points to the door so it was there all along! In plain view! So I enter it but it turns our I still don't get a signal despite showing I have one ( this happened at another ktown coffee shop so I don't think it's my computer). I then realize what a waste it was even going here plus that I need to move my car.
TARO SMOOTHIE BOBA.
Try it. I freakin' dare you. You will have an instant foodgasm.. I brought my best friend here after we saw Adele at the Wiltern for some enlightenment. She is now DREAMING/craving/yearning for this taro boba. I would expect you would do the same after your i love boba's taro boba cherry is popped.
If only I love boba was much closer :(
Oh My Gosh their Paris Sunset tea is off the hook!
Yogurt is good...
Oh and I can't complain about the cheesecake.
This place is so uber cool for me. For the life of me, I don't know how I missed this place. I passed by here plenty of times and always assumed it's something else.
You can't really tell if this place is a "I Love Boba" or an "I Love Yogurt" place because it had two signs going at once. It's an unique place because it's like a run down taco shack you may have seen in East LA and was converted into a dining coffee stand. This place served drinks and desserts, but you couldn't really tell unless you took a closer inspection to realized what this place is about.
It has free wifi and a few outlets for hooking your laptop. I noticed it's also an open aired dining area so that smokers can relaxed at the indoor patio with a fishnet draping over above you with a few opened windows. It's like a beer garden without the alcohol.
When I got in, I just decided to get their iced coffee with boba. The coffee was sweetened and not bitter like those Viet coffee. What's so good about this place over Boba Loca was the tapioca pearls. These little black pearls are so soft, you can slurped these suckers in just one inhale.
It's not bad of a hang out place for these college kids. However you do need to buy something as they put up signs saying the patio seats are reserved for customers who buy drinks.
I can't say enough about how cool this taco stand for a boba place is. The only catch about coming here is that the parking lot is shared with a Korean BBQ restaurant next door, so it would be a tight squeeze getting in and out of this place.
CASH only with an ATM machine next to the register.
The amount of different ways boba drinks are prepared here is fantastic! Sooooo many different ways. I saw a lot of people coming out with blended frappucino drinks (mocha, etc) with boba in it, iced coffees with boba, smoothies, juices, teas and you name it with boba.
I ordered the first selection that struck me, the peach-strawberry smoothie boba. The flavor and consistency of the smoothie was insanely delicious. Tons of chunks of strawberry and strawberry juice/syrup with peach juice that gave it a nice tang. The smoothie would be fantastic on it's own, but the addition of boba was awesome, tons of cool and weird textures going on when you get a chunk of strawberry in your mouth and a couple chewy balls in your mouth (hahaaaaaa). I'd give it 5 stars if it wasn't $3.99 for a small. And maybe if my wait time to get the drink was 10 minutes instead of the 15 I waited through (and I was the only one who ordered!). Also they have wi-fi for anyone who orders something like $4.00 or more. I'll be back.
The strawberry banana boba has real fruits inside and the iced coffee boba is pretty good too.
My friend wanted some boba after we finished our dinner. So we were driving around and come upon this little place called I Love Boba. We quickly did a sharp turn into the back of their building. Yay free parking. Boo, theres too many cars, .. how the heck are we going to get out afterwards since its a self park? errrrgh?!?!
Anyways, we walk into the place. It was like we walked into shack out in the middle of nowhere. The walls, the bamboos, the blinds. It was decorated pretty nicely. The seating area is on the outside of the tiny little store, but it's enclosed in a wall, so it feels like the inside of the store itself.
They have a variety of items to choose from; slush, boba, frozen yogurt, shaved ice, etc.
My friend wanted their thai ice tea with boba. I was dangerous and got their frozen yogurt with three toppings. I thought it was cheaper than other frozen yogurt places, but the trick is that they charge for the toppings so in the end, it came out to be the same price as other frozen yogurt places. (Sm = 3.75 and two toppings = 1.00 with an additional topping .25 each). My frozen yogurt was disappointing. The bananas were overly riped so it felt like goo once it entered my mouth and the yogurt wasn't tarty, as I was expecting it to be. Still good, just not my cup of yogurt hehe.
They do have free wi-fi here so bring your laptops to sit and study if you want.
Another bad thing is, this place does have men who like to stare at girls, or was it just us? Anywho, these eyeballs were staring at us all the while we were there .. eww. So I would try this place during the day time again, just to check it out and try their other things.
We drive through the streets of korea town after a long overdue cook-it-yourself feast of unlimited kim chi and bloody meat. Even in our recovery, we seek a sweet conclusion to our evening of celebrated overeating. The police stop a man in his car, they cautiously approach the front passenger seat window with a flashlight as we drive around.
In a tiny parking lot, we position our car under a sign that reads "Reserved for Romero". No one cares, it's L.A. even in the late night suitable parking here is harder to find than the stars in the dark sky. Our party enters the store, only it seemed more like an enclosed patio. The woodwork made me forget that I was in the city and I felt more like I was in the backyard of a family friend who prides himself as a weekend warrior carpenter. It's crude, but I like it.
Inside, we are greeted by a big red box with an inverted water jug protruding out of the top of it. Laughter fills the room as we realize that the box is really a vending machine for instant hot noodles. The joyous sound is followed by a collective silence that is the realization of our desire to own this glorious piece of machinery in our homes.
Behind some glass is the counter. "Cash only," it reads. Good. Because that's all I have. The menu is small but it has the essentials and some other safe-bet flavors akin to strawberry+mango and ___ lattes. The lady behind the counter does not smile, but she is quick to take orders and you get the feeling the still cares. I guess it's been a long night.
The first in our party walks out with a swirl of frozen yogurt encased in a styrofoam bowl. I am quick to steal a taste given the offer. I don't expect much having lived in a city where this probiotic dessert pours out of strip malls to near Starbuck's levels. I'm hit with a familiar flavor, but the texture is a little on the slushy side. Perhaps on a sunny day; no- I'd probably find yogurt elsewhere.
"Taro Boba," yells the girl at the counter. My order is up. She hands it to me upside down. It looks fine: purple with beads of condensated water dripping down the plastic edges of the disposable vessel. Contact with my taste buds brings a quick feeling of euphoria. The salty beef previously consumed in the night are temporarily forgotten in this fleeting moment of subtle sweetness.
However, there is an abrupt pause, something is missing. I intake more of the smooth semifrozen milk until finally, a gelatinous ball of tapioca travels out the end of my blue syphon. I chew with a critical mind and subject it to my natural scrutiny. It has the near neutral taste of boba. And it's soft, very soft, too soft. My teeth cut through more easily than usual. I take a closer look at my drink in the dim light of the psuedo interior of the establishment. Are my boba floating? It appears they lack the typical density and instead of sinking gracefully to the bottom of the cup they lie suspended in the milky purple of the taro. I reason that it isn't too bad; refreshing almost. It could be worse, too soft is better than being unchewably hard.
After a group photo, we leave satisfied and confident of a return visit. Under the warm glow of the street lights and cheap neon, a car reenters the city grid and drives off into the night.
If boba wasn't so filling, or if it had 0 calories, I would get more of this stuff. And if I were to get boba, I would come here. I Love Boba has been around since I was in high school, when the boba craze started, and a new boba place popped up every other block down Western. Despite all its competition, this place stood out. It wasn't just the boba. It wasn't just the fact that they were a cute, pleasant shack in the middle of a busy street. And it wasn't just the awesome fruit smoothies they whipped up. It's a combo of all!
When the fro-yo fad popped up, I Love Boba still hung on in the game. They have their own version, LuvYogurt, which is surprisingly good. Their portions easily outsize that of the popular chain ones, with same or creamier texture of the yogurt itself. The second time I was here was actually after trying Snowberry across the street and hating it. Thank goodness I Love Boba was around. They saved me from a bad froyo, yo.
flavor:
original
if i could give it 3.5 stars i would.
not a big fan of boba but i DID like the strawberry peach smoothie: real strawberry fruit, yogurt/pinkberry-ish type of slush! $3.99 for a small is a bit pricey though but it IS real fruit. the boba was pretty soft and chewy too.
free wi-fi if you purchase a drink and nice a/c place.
Best boba I've had. The inside is like the interior of a quirky tree fort.
I celebrate with a Haiku:
Such delight in drink
Green tea and purple pearls pop
Smile, I heart boba
You know what? This place is so ghetto and so random that you have to go and try it. You might be completely surprised... because hell I sure was. Their Iced Hazelnut Boba is really good and I also recommend their smoothies. The smoothie flavor I got was peach strawberry with boba. The boba stayed chewy and soft throughout the drink. One tip I suggest is to the the ahjuhshi to make it less sweet if possible or else you might be sucking on pure sugar. The kookiest part about this place? Ohh dude they have RAMEN VENDING in the back. WTH... it looks so ghetto and dirty and gross... I dare you to try it for $4.
Come get the boba here. Not that bad!
However, the "I Luv Yogurt" is a whole other story. It's gross. Don't eat it here.
Try the strawberry peach boba! It's made of real strawberry mixed in peach flavored yogurt boba goodness. Soo F'n good :)
This is my favorite boba place! Get the strawberry peach with boba! It's soooo gooood! Out of all the boba drinks I've ever tried anywhere else, it's definitely my fave. It's very FRESH and has little tiny bits of strawberry or peach in it so it tastes really authentic, not like those fake sugary powdery drinks. The boba balls are really good too!
Another great thing about this place is the free wi-fi! Hurray!
The only bad thing is the limited parking. There IS a parking lot but there's only a few certain spots designated "I Love Boba Parking ONLY!" Another thing... on a really hot day, it's SUPER hot inside! It's actually better to sit outside because it gets super stuffy inside.
I always get their boba minus the actual tapioca.
You can taste the real fruit and it's just so delicious.
I love that drink from their secret menu as well.
I'd just suggest stay away from their yogurt.
As we were eating it, my friend and I agreed it tasted a little more "sour" not "tart" than usual.
And a hour later, we definitely agreed something was wrong when both of us were puking it up.
Stick with the drinks.
The boba here is not good at all...almost like its undercooked. The seating is a covered type of indoor patio and in k-town everyone smokes in the lil space. The place is also cash only~
Just in case you're not a big boba fan like me, adding boba to your order is optional. According to the cashier (the Daughter), their most commonly ordered smoothie is the Strawberry-Peach. About $4 for a small and $5 for a large. They also have coffee drinks, tea, slush, and the oh so popular frozen yogurt. The prices are slightly more expensive than other places but they have a free self-parking lot.
The ambiance is casual and relaxed (check out the pics I posted). You can come in your PJs and it would be perfectly fine.
Cash only but they have an ATM machine on premise.
It's a family business. The Mom & Son spoke limited English but were very eager to help when I asked them for directions. + star for their kindness; otherwise it would have received a 3 star rating.
I Love Boba is a good neighborhood coffee shop and boba stand that has about a half-dozen within one block. And even more bridal stores.
Boba, marble-sized black balls of tapioca, can be added to fruit drinks or coffees, and cost about $3-$5 per cup. The coffee is Seattle's Best/Starbucks, so it's just there. Some of the fruitier drinks, though, can be pulpy and/or include bits of jelly candy.
I Love Boba is also branding itself as I Luv Yogurt, as it -- just like every other K-Town coffee joint -- is now serving the same exact yogurt served at [insert noun here]Berry.
Transit access: Metro Purple Line, Metro Rapid lines 720 and 757, and Metro local lines 16/316, 18, 20/21, 66/366 and 209; LADOT DASH Wilshire Center/Koreatown and Wilshire Center/Hollywood; and Foothill Transit Line 481.
Boba might be, like, soooo 90's, but dang, the almond smoothies here are amazing.
Creamy, smooth, nutty - they are what I should have discovered years ago when boba hit the streets of LA.
Too bad the yogurt craze is the new fad, because boba wasn't half bad. It was fun chewing those little suckers (or spitting 'em out through the straw at your friends!)
In my boba opinion, the original Boba Milk Tea in any boba joint should set the standard and say it all for the quality of all other drinks on their menu.
I am not picky, but I do know boba, and this one was disappointing.
It tasted more like water than tea, and the bobas were small and bumpy like the outside skin of a cantaloupe which is just freakin weird. Boba should be smooth and soft on the outside, soft and chewy.
Service sucked. They girl behind the counter, and her mom or the owner's wife did not greet us when we entered. Nor were they helpful with choosing drinks. They were not friendly, smile, or even act like they were happy to see customers in an otherwise deserted-afterlunch-no-customer-lull. I was actually happier and entered with a greeting to her surprise. Then while you look at the menu, they don't talk with you but STARE at you in a way that makes you very uncomfortable and want to leave.
They are clean, and there's plenty of seating, parking, and a restroom.
The seating is funky, it feels like you are sitting on a patio during a vacation at a beach, except the view is of Western asphalt cars and buses, and the sound of waves are the cars whooshing by. They have a covered canopy out back with a grip of seating for people to hang out all night.
I nice place to hang out, with cute advertising posters, a really nice hard working owner (he told me he just opened one in Little Tokyo on 1st). He was there putting in new wood framed double paneled windows. I believe he built the entire extended seating areas himself.
Apart from the chill atmosphere, the product sucks and the boba milk tea small size was $2.99 but of cheap-cheap-cheap quality. I was thoroughly disappointed. I thought Korea town would have better boba than the buy one get one free Chinese fast food places. They are charging luxury tea prices and giving you watered down crap. Inconceivable.
for good boba, go to JC Cafe in Chinatown. seriously.
This used to be THE hangout place back when I was in high school, and there was the boba craze instead of the froyo craze that's been going on lately.
Basically, it's a little shack with a makeshift outdoor seating area. So, I don't know why my friends and I used to go there, practically every day and sit for hours, doing nothing productive, but it serves as a place of great memories.
At this hangout, THE drink to order was straw-peach smoothie, no boba (I wasn't much of a boba fan).
Also, parking used to be quite horrible. But with less customers than there were when I frequented this place, parking is reasonable? Just make sure not to park in the bank parking lot, if it's open.
I don't know what else to say about iLOVEBOBA except that If you're into sweets, make sure you get THE drink.
Thend.
Kind of pricey for what they serve, and I didn't get what was special about the boba. It was pretty good, but nothing to spend 5 dollars on imo! Interior kind of scary, i thought. Too dark for my taste '^'
I had the milk-tea boba while my bf had the fruit smoothie kind. Milk-tea boba was a little too sweet '^'
the BEST mango slush boba i have ever had! they use real mango so you get little pieces of mango...so good!
none of the other places that i've been to (not even in chinatown - l.a. or chicago) have compared to this place.
mango + boba = GOOD!!
Yummers. I frankly thought boba was the stupidest idea in the world. Sticky ass black tapioca balls floating in an iced beverage...red flag reminder of the ill-fated drink of the future- Orbitz.
I took a chance and did the fruit slush in passionfruit. Instant habit. It was fragrant and refreshing. The boba was soft enough to gnaw on and digest.
My cohort rather enjoyed the iced mocha with whipped topping AND chocolate sauce- decadence defined for those with a super sweet tooth.
I recommend this place above all for the softness of their boba and their inspired fruit slush flavors (made with real fruit- yes, real.) Ask for the bonus card- you get a free beverage after you purchase 10.
Small parking lot but nonetheless they have parking.
A bit pricey for their boba and for some reason they also add jelly to their boba which is fine with me, but for some it might be a problem.
I was convinced I was a boba hater. CONvinced. Then a friend pleaded with me to give it one more chance and took me to I [heart] Boba. Lo and behold, she was right!
I highly recommend both the mango and lychee smoothies with, of course, boba added.
One note: this place is cash only. They DO have an ATM, but it only connects to some banks, mine NOT included, so be armed with cash if you're not sure.
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