Tea Garden
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Taiwanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMA515 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 882-4388
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Wi-Fi: None
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
329 reviews
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
"There is no greater joy than staring into Keane's deep warm chocolately brown eyes while sipping something of equal chocolate and warmth.…" read more »
106 Reviews for Tea Garden
If you haven't already noticed.. I'm obsessed with tapioca slash milk tea. I was going to catch the 14 mission when I saw this tiny store, empty, yet welcoming.
Although it's not the best milk tea store, it's certainly not bad. A little too sweet after a while, but It's ok.
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My all time favorite dish here is the spicy beef noodle soup. It hits the spot when I am not thinking of healthy Asian food. It tastes better on a cold day. However, I recommend going during non-peak hour (after 12:30). Otherwise, you will be disappointed with the quality of the food due to the rush.
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This place sucks. I know it's a husband and wife combo team working it, however the beef noodle soup I had was Terrible. It was cold and they were just apathetic in their service. THIS IS NOT TRUE Taiwanese food because they suck.
I totally understand the mixed reviews. Very inconsistent, it's hit or miss here. When it's on, it's on. They're very unorganized. If they got it together, this place could be awesome. Good pork chop w/rice, good beef noodle soup (would be great if the noodles weren't so limp from over cooking).
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Whoa! I would've never known this was here AND that they served noodles outside looking in. It's tiny but we were lucky to get the only table (seats 3) in the place. I had a beef noodle soup (not sure how many kinds they have) but it was really tasty. I'm definitely coming back here.
If you respect Chinese food at all, stay away from this place. The first time I came here I got their ground pork with noodle soup. The pork was beyond recognizable and the noodles were falling apart in the tasteless, lukewarm, congealed soup. The second time I came here, I waited in line for 10 minutes only to have the guy at the counter give me the wrong buns and not heat them up after I asked him to. I had the roasted pork wrapped in steamed bread with cilantro and mustard pickles. Normally this kind of bun should be fluffy and elastic, but after reheating it in a microwave, it was falling apart. The pork was basically a sliver of meat clinging onto a clump of fat. Also, if you're allergic to nuts, there are ground peanuts in this (which I've never seen in this kind of bun). I also tried the fried chive pocket which was stale and hard, and the filling was also tasteless.
I have no idea why there are always lines outside this place. Maybe it's the bubble tea, which I haven't tried, but a fair amount of those customers are also ordering food. If you think this is one of those cheap, "authentic," hole-in-the-wall gems foodies love to find, think again.
Where is the line? People looked confused.
The meal #6 ground pork over rice has about 1.5 tablespoons of pork and 3 pieces of bok choy, plus one shoyu egg. It is very tasty, but I would hope for at least 3 tablespoons of meat. I mean they practically give you a big bowl of cooked rice, yet only 1/4 the amount of meat and veggies. Oh you also get more minced relish than meat on the side of the rice.
Drinks take the longest -- they might only have one machine or blender. I got a mango tapioca drink. It was strange. I think the mango wasn't fresh or something because I couldn't taste it much. Either that or they put too much cream in it. Tapioca was good.
I might go back, then again, I might not.
There is one table and 4 bar seats. Tiny hole in the wall. I would recommend grabbing your food and taking it out to the outdoor courtyard area between Walgreens and 455 Market Street on 1st street.
It's a slightly chaotic scene and there were only 3 people working, plus 5 people in the place either eating, waiting for drinks or waiting for food.
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Two words: Number 39. YUM! The Lychee Coconut Tapioca bubble tea is so delish! This was only my second time here. The first time wasn't so great, because the bubble tea I ordered was too sweet. This was perfect though! They took canned lychee and blended it with ice, then threw in some coconut and tapioca balls. It wasn't too sweet and it stayed cold for a while.
rating: 3.5
Another good semi-quick lunch place. They offer "taiwanese" food, probably the only one in this area of the City. I've had the ground pork over rice, which is pretty good..pretty authentic. The rice noodle soup is oily, but you expect that...to a certain degree. The rice roll stuffed with dried pork and presrved veggies is decent, definately filling and quick.
I have yet to try the beef noodle soup, but my co-workers seem to really like it...
They also have a wide variety of tea drinks with tapioca.
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I've been looking for a Taiwanese restaurant nearby our apartment for a long time and now I finally found it! I love going to Tea Garden to get my Taiwanese snacks/dinner! They have rice balls/rice wrapped in leaves/green onion pancakes and a bunch of different yummy snacks. The beef noodle soup is excellent and so is the pork over rice. (Actually everything on the menu is pretty delicious). I also like to get their Mango Tapioca drinks....they're made with fresh fruits!
Hangover Cure!
Take one noodles with beef soup, add a bottle of gatorade and a sesame ball for dessert and it's bye-bye hangover. This place is great. And it has the added bonus of being near work where we have a "sick (read: hangover) room" with a couch for napping on.
Score.
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2.5 stars
It's good to know that there is Taiwanese style food in the FiDi. But I don't think Tea Garden delivers the taste and quality of such cuisine all too well. It is what it is, though, and I'm still appreciative that such an establishment exists right around the corner from where I work. Just for that, they deserve an extra star. But then again, I really hate the long waits for food, so minus .5 stars for that.
I've tried their ground pork rice which is decently cheap for around $5, and really enjoyed their tea egg that comes with the order (I could eat a dozen of those at a time!) I also tried their highly acclaimed beef noodles, but was very disappointed. It left a film of oil on my lips with every bite. Each time I wiped my mouth, it would leave that part of the napkin transparent. I found the soup to be too greasy and the noodles too soggy. The next time I have 15 minutes to spare waiting for my food, I will try their Pork Chop over rice.
I really don't know much about Taiwan. There's the classic Taiwanese soap Meteor Garden that was filmed in Taiwan. Also, Taiwan has a lot of those late night hot spots for late night munchies. Hopefully when I visit Taiwan, I get to party with those F4 superstars and eat better food than what I had at the Tea Garden.
On a lunch hunt in the FiDi, I came across the Tea Garden (for you old school Fidi folks, this is not the same Tea Garden that was on market & 3rd). After seeing a close-up yelp photo of the pork chop over rice, I decided this was the place to go. Unfortunately, the photo was like MySpace. Those MySpace angles man, the got me! Everything looks better online right? *sigh* When I opened the box that contained my order, I could hear the porkchop screaming "CAUTION." My order looked nothing like the crispy deep-fried batter goodness from the yelp photo. What I saw staring back at me looked liked left overs they could not sell the day before. Not only that...it tasted like left-overs too! If I ever decide to visit the Tea Garden, I'm only coming for the tapioca drinks! Period!
Recommendations:
Strong stomach
Soy Sauce Egg
Water to wash away the saltiness.
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Pork chop noodle hits the spot (although the MSG in the soup makes you thirsty). The line is super slow -- and it really doesn't have to be (the counter person lingers a little too much, I think). That said, with the lack of quick and tasty asian food in the SOMA area, Tea Garden fills a much-needed void. Now can someone open up a pho place, please???
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Fresh watermelon frothy in a downtown back alley is one thing. Fresh watermelon frothy in a downtown back alley out of a styrofoam cup at midnight after an evening of heavy clubbing is a minor miracle.
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The sign in front claims Tea Garden has the best tapioca "boba" drink in town, as they offer gazillion different types of tapioca drinks on the menu. On the other hand, its food offerings are quite paltry in comparison; what they do offer, are quite good though. From the beefy hearty noodle soup to the deep fried pork chop over rice, these authentic Taiwanese dishes really hit the spot.
See the video of the restaurant @ http://sf-lunch.com/20...
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Tapioca drinks near FiDi....I'm sure there are others, but this is close to work and has all sorts of edible goodies. Had the Eel rice plate today, want to try the House Noodle Soup next time. Many flavors of bubble tea, from honeydew to papaya milk.
The place is quite small, only 1 table and seating at the counter for 4. But it does have some charm, at least to me. What can I say, I'm easily charmed? This place is in the rotation.
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If the afternoon ahead of you requires maximum switched-on-ness, get a Thai iced bubble tea at Tea Garden.
Loaded with sugar? Almost certainly!
Sure to keep you going until dinnertime? You better believe it!
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The bubble teas can be hit or miss here.
Though the coconut bubble tea is usually pretty good, I can never finish it, because it also seems to be pure sugar, much like many of the teas here. But, with a huge board of tea options, I'm sure there's gotta be one gem amonst them. I've just yet to find it.
Also - if you're in the mood for something healthier - Tea Garden carries some great fresh fruit boba tea options like mango, strawberry, blueberry, watermelon - etc.
The real draw for this particular boba tea place is their food. With a quick and simple menu consisting of noodles, sesame balls, pork buns, etc - it's a cute, hidden, relatively cheap alternative to the over-exhausted other food options in the financial district.
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Everytime I run by this place, there's always a line (sometimes out the door). I finally went after the lunchtime rush hour and decided to try the fresh taro tapioca drink. Pretty amazing. The next day, had the red bean tapioca. Again, pretty amazing. The following day, had the watermelon tapioca tea. Damn good. Their tapioca is never overcooked, always soft and chewy. Reasonable prices - $3.25 for a good size cup. I also had to try the sesame ball, which is a childhood favorite dessert. Yummmy - it was warm, tasty, and fresh - definitely not one of those day old desserts that some places like to refridgerate and sell the following day.
Would recommend this place for the Tapioca drinks!
Parking is on the street, metered. Good luck finding a spot! Definitely a "hole in the wall" kinda place but those are usually the best ways to find gems =)
Another "beggars can't be choosers" type of restaurant. Taiwanese food in Downtown? They don't even have a Taiwanese restaurant in Chinatown!
The prices are ridiculously high. The food is not fresh at all. Pork chop over rice came out a min after ordering. WTH? But I have to admit, it was still good!
I'm iffy about this place. I love Taiwanese food, yet at the same time I have a hard time paying that much for it.
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This week I walked by this place on my way to the UCB extension building on Fremont, and thought... "Ah, beef noodle and tapioca tea... am I dreaming this one up? Is it a mirage?"
After my class around 9:30PM, I was on my way to the car and saw the door was closed but the sign was still out. I looked in and the owner came to open the door for me (YAY). She told me that she was robbed 3 times so at night she'd close the door when strange people walked by... I felt bad... and was hungry, so ordered like a mad woman. I got 4 tea eggs, 1 bowl of ground pork over rice, 1 rice ball (for breakfast the next day) and a rice noodle soup. They all turned out to be very good. The rice noodle soup was not what the authentic rice noodle soup I had in mind, but nonetheless delicious.
The lady packed my food away and told me to be careful in the neighborhood. I wished her the same.
I am so coming back...
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I ordered a Pork Chop Rice to go for dinner one evening and a milk tea boba. I agree with other yelpers that the milk tea is definitely not sweet enough. The pork chop was ok. It has obviously been nuked, especially since I got my order 5 minutes after ordering! The pork "sauce" was pretty good especially over white rice, and the soy sauce egg was good too. But let's just say that I was tasting dinner all night long... :) I will probably try it again and order something else. But for the area, it is pretty decent.
Food is relatively cheap, of course can't beat the price we pay in Taiwan. Oh well.. better than driving down to south bay when my Taiwanese food craving kicks in. I would go to this place again for fried pork rice plate and topioca milk tea. Beef noodle soup is also not bad. Even though this little place does not remind me my town, my little stomach gets what it wants at least!!
I have a Yahoo group "Gay Taiwanese San Francisco". Gay and straight are welcome.
Mmmm, i ALMOST feel like im in taiwan when chowing down on the pork chop over rice dish here (includes a tea egg and pickled veggies which adds to the authenticity). great little find for good taiwanese dishes- including beef noodle soup, ja jan mien (chinese version of spaghetti), pork chops, egg pancakes, and of course bubble teas! they have a huge selection of bubble tea flavors and perfect tapioca ball to drink ratio. :)
also includes some classic dim sum treats such as hot dog buns, coconut rolls, sesame balls, and such. prices are good, considering you'd be hard pressed to find taiwanese food and bubble tea near the financial district.
quick service from little, loud taiwanese girls in bright colors. for someone that goes to taipei once a year, i can vouch for this little joint.
:)
A busy lunch joint on weekdays. I went here with a friend for lunch to address my Taiwanese cravings, and I have to admit, I sorta left the place disappointed.
Tea Garden is definitely no A&J (Cupertino Village), which is where I typically go to get my fresh thick noodles in some tasty soup - yum! It's family-run (support the locals!) and seats a total of 5-6 people max. The food is standard but very affordable (of course, cash only).
I definitely like their jasmine milk tea and will go back whenever I'm craving some milk tea. But if I really craving Taiwanese food, I'd rather just wait until I'm back in the South Bay and hit up A&J.
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i can't staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand poor service. can you?
true, this is probably one of the most convenient and authentic asian street food joints you'll find, but a girl has to ask herself how much she is willing to put up with for a bowl of hot, tasty noodles.
so here is how i figure this equation:
(45 minute wait for my honey lemon tea + 50 minute wait for my bowl of noodles, which they then told me was sold out to begin with and so i had to change my order) + (yelling servers and shuttling of food between car and shady back kitchen + very cramped and smelly waiting quarter) x (hungry stomach - really tasty bowl of noodles) = UNHAPPY DI!
QED.
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I rely on Tea Garden to get through my work week. I visit them almost daily for my tapioca milk tea fix. And today I tried their food. I ordered pork over rice, and got pork over noodle. But it was surprisingly good.
That's the kind of relationship I have with Tea Garden. They seem to only hire cute but really dumb girls. They have a cash register to do the math for them. But they will still stare at your change with a blank look. And yes, occasionally you won't get the correct change back, but it's okay. Because you need them to get through the week. And they are nice; they don't mean to be dumb.
The owner is chatty. Always nice, saying all kinds of compliments to you. I never asked, but I now know all kinds of details and secrets about her and her family.
So, yes, it's like the dysfunctional family I never had. Sometimes you are like, what the? But you keep going back, over and over again, cuz it's the only family (or "boba supplier in downtown") you have.
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YUM! Thanks to Yelp and a craving for bubble tea during lunch time, we found another great lunch place for our weekday arsenal.
The food here is traditional Taiwanese. Only 13 items to choose from on the main menu plus a few buns and snacks in the ready to go tray, but definitely authentic and tasty.
The boba menu on the other hand is giant. There were probably a good 62 items to choose from there.
The noodles were a little over cooked for me, the boba tea not quite sweet enough, but for the proximity to work and the price, they are a winner in my book.
Be prepared to wait a long wait if you plan to eat there, since there's only enough seats for 6. To go is the way to go.
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I'm a sucker for jin deui (the red bean paste filled fried balls rolled in sesame seeds) and they're HUGE here. They are seriously approaching golf ball size (maybe more like a hackey sack). The boba here is alright, if not a little bland. I like it best when boba are cooked in sugar water, that way when you chew on them you get a little somethin somethin. But it IS boba in the fidi, minutes from my office, so I can't complain.
I haven't yet tried the noodles, but I will. Nothing gets between me and my noodles, really of any variety, since I'm a raving starch fiend.
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I LOVE this place.
I can almost see it from my window. In fact that's how I accidentally found it. Above it, there's a beautiful garden with trees, grass, a fountain, and its large enough to comfortably have several dozens of people enjoying the outdoors, while downtown.
Anyway, this place has some of the best Asian food downtown (at least so far that I've found). It's simple and not pretentious. I usually order the pork with bean paste noodles. It comes in a 2 pint contained (maybe bigger, I'm guessing here). They pack it up, with chopsticks, plastic fork, napkins, and everything you need for a great lunch to take back to the office or to go to My Secret Garden upstairs. ;-) I've taken some ladies from work to the secret garden and the Tea Garden, and they've returned.
This place is teeny, and though it has a couple tables to eat inside, they're usually taken. I get my stuff to go anyway, but just be prepared. They get slammed from 12-12:45, so wait till 1pm if you can. Either way, the food isn't too long to wait for--maybe 10 mins or so. They're on top of it, the staff is always friendly, and the food is consistently good. I've been half a dozen times, and it's always the same. I love that in a place of business.
I'm no expert on Taiwanese food, but I do know whats good and whats bad. This place is good enough for the FiDi.
Good:
- SOOO DELICIOUS. Reminds me of my summers / winters in Taiwan and authentic soul food Taiwanese style with my parents (who really know their shit btw). I recommend #1, their beef noodle soup as it is a safe bet if you're a first-timer.
- GUAVA boba. try it, you'll love it.
Bad:
- small location, almost have to get it to go due to extreme lack of seating
- took a long time to get my food.
- kind of unorganized as they don't give out numbers. Since theres only about 10 things on the menu, theres a bunch of repeat orders..but no one really knows who got there first and hence some confusion when the employee yells out "#1!" and three ppl approach the counter.
bottom line: I'm hungry and want some guava boba now.
Oh, and dim sum is too expensive there..but thats kind of unfair as I'm comparing it to Chinatown prices.
i really wanted to like this place. and on a different day, i probably would have.
met my fiance for a nice friday afternoon lunch. sun's out. got tunes playing on my iphone, life is good right?
all that comes to a screeching halt when i wait for nearly an hour for what amounted to:
a bowl of rice,
10 pieces of stewed beef
and a couple stems of bok choy.
seeing as the place is run by my fellow taiwanese, and it's a sight i've seen a million times on the streets of taipei (mom and pop shop where the pop is just henpecked to all hell by mom), i just can't forgive a 50 minute wait for street food.
sorry, tea garden. but you ruin my lunch and you get one star.
I'm impressed. 57 Yelp reviews. Those little Taiwanese ladies would be happy.
Actually, I'm not sure if they would be happy. Nothing seems to make them happy.
I've never even seen them so much as crack a smile.
And I'm Taiwanese! Where's the island love?!
I blame all the FiDi yuppies that crowd this place at lunch time.
Seriously, my FiDi yuppie friend recommended eating here one time. I thought he was smoking crack. I've passed by the place before and thought it was some dingy little cafe where you could only get boba. And well, in the Financial district, I don't imagine you can get good boba (actually, you still can't).
...But apparently, he took his designer-label-loving butt here regularly for the dim sum items... and more importantly, the Taiwanese lunches.
From beef noodle soup (niu rou mien) to pork chop over rice (pi gu fan) to ground pork over rice (lu rou fan), their Taiwanese eats are super tasty. And in the middle of the FiDi! Who would've thought?
... The beef noodle soup is authentic. They don't shy away from the beef tendon. That's when you know it's the real deal. And their tea eggs are delicious. You know they've been simmering away in the hidden kitchen in the back for hours.
Not a fan of their boba, though, sadly. The tapioca pearls were way too soft and mushy. So my theory holds true that you can't get good boba in the FiDi. But for cheap Chinese eats in the FiDi, this place rocks my world.
Oh, if you can speak Mandarin, definitely call-in your order during the lunch rush. Otherwise, go there and wait a while and just point to the food and/or signs on the wall. The Chinese-speaking working yuppies will laugh at you as you suffer patiently in line while they pick up their food. Oh wait, I've been one of those Chinese-speaking work yuppies.
Laughing at you.
I know, I suck.
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Every time I go here during lunch, the owners (an elderly Asian couple) seem surprised that they are in charge of running a restaurant, and shocked that people actually show up to order food. The efficiency of this place approaches Lucille-Ball-at-the-Chocolate-Factory bad.
I have never had any of the menu items, nor have I head any of the tapioca / tea drinks. I have had some of the baked goods - I recommend the BBQ Pork Bun, the Steamed Pork and Veggie Bun, and the Sesame Ball (with sweet bean paste inside - yum). The cocktail bun is okay, but unremarkable. They also have some sort of onion and meat pouch thing, which tastes like what I would imagine sweaty cardboard would taste like after you backed over it in your car a couple times. Stay away.
If you need some post-lunch comfort food, grab a Sesame Ball at 1:30, otherwise go elsewhere.
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I have to give this place props for being one of the few if the only Taiwanese joint in downtown SF and one of the few places that serve boba. The beef noodle soup I had was authentic and greasy as expected. On the downside, our wait for the curry chicken was long and the there's very little room to sit or stand indoors. Good place to go for take out or if you're really craving Taiwanese food.
Pretty good if you need your Taiwanese fix. However, the beef noodle soup is a tad big salty. But buggy b. is right A&J kicks Tea Gardens ass. Milk tea was a little bitter and not as good as those chain places like Quickly. I'll go back but only because Cupertino is too far to go for lunch.
Well, for the most part this place is definitely a 3, because the wait can be horrifically long and the boba are average at best... but I don't know where else in the immediate area to find comparable ground pork noodle or ground pork over rice for that matter. Depending on the day I am unsure which I prefer, both are damn good. They each come with a tea egg, and the pork rice comes with mustard greens as well, which are a nice touch.
Generally, their selection of Dim Sum is hit and miss. Although, the green onion bread and the pork and vegetable bun are especially good, and typically consistent.
I have found calling in your order saves time and your sanity. Just be sure to check your order before you leave. Overall, I'd say it's a great lunch option to keep in the rotation.
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This is one of the few authentic Asian cheap eats in downtown SF (well, technically SOMA, but still walkable for most of the downtown crowd). It has only about 10 items on the menu (traditional Taiwanese), excluding the buns and dim sum in the deli section (which are not very good). It definitely gets crowded during lunch time, so ordering ahead is a good option for those who speak Mandarin. Plus really no seating. It also stays open until 10 pm or so for the students across the street at Golden Gate Law School. pork chop rice, beef noodle or rice, egg is separate. lychee milk tea -- heavy tea flavor, small bits of lychee
Well, I'm glad the reviews have scared other people off, because we got there at 12:30 today and the wait wasn't bad at all. We even got a table, and oh my god, the food was amazing! Plus they were really patient and helpful with me. This might be because I was with a homey who could order for me in mandarin, but really, I think they're super-nice.
And omg! the boba! THE BOBA!!!!
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