Half and Half Tea Express

Boba is great here with the big tubs and all. I usually get the peach black tea large, no boba. I know right? No boba but I love this place? Anyways. They have bus promotion bathe large size is free if u buy the regular size. If that makes any sense
The real reason I’m writing this review is the new worker Daniele. Usually I have a language barrier with the workers. But this new worker is sweet and nice. You can tell she really likes working her. She helped with me whole lemon slice thingy I wanted in my drink. Usually the workers aren’t happy when I ask for it. Anyways she’s awesome! And j can’t wait to come back and order from her :)

Boboa was nice and soft. They’re a bit on the sweet side but hey this to me is a dessert. If you’re thinking this is just a drink you better check your waistline. These have enough calories to compare to a meal. But every once and a while you got to treat yourself. There’s worse things to have for sure. This place was good in that it doesn’t get to busy and it’s in the same shopping center as Starbucks and B-man’s if you feel like getting something else. The sign of a bad boboa place is when the boboa is hard and your drink ends up tasting funny. It usually occurs at not so busy places which is this place is an exception.

It’s a chain tea/​boba place. Drinks here are large, so large they do not fit in your typical cup holders… but I think other tea places tastes much better. What I do not understand is how they do not have the basic thai tea! They have pages and pages of drinks, but no thai tea! Anyways, I like the teas here better than the milk teas. Prices are not bad, considering the cup you get is much larger than normal. A regular sized cup for most drinks is about $ 3, you can upgrade to large for another 80 cents or so. Boba/​toppings, etc are an extra charge.
I like the teas that have lychee flavor here. Last time I tried the green bean milk tea. It tasted so terrible, I only tried a few sips and threw out the whole thing. What a waste of $ 5. The green bean milk tea had a weird flavor, tasted nothing like green beans… instead it tasted like there was some soap in it! Luckily I also ordered a lychee green tea which tasted much better, but still not the best compared to other places. My boyfriend liked his chocolate milk smoothie and strawberry yogurt drink… but he is much less picky than me.
I do know go to half and half much because to me, other tea places tastes much better and there are always, and I mean always super long lines for half and half! You can pay with card, but it had to be $ 10 minimum, anything under that is cash only. They serve some snack foods such as noodles and brick toast.
Would I come back? Not too likely. I usually only go to half and half if it’s the most convenient or I’m with someone who really wants to go there. The big cups draw you in… but the drinks here are not really worth it. Yes, price is cheap, but taste and quality are not there. You can’t bring in outside drinks/​food. Table seating is very limited. There is some seating areas to wait for your drinks.

To be fair, I’m no longer that big of a boba fan as I was back in high school. But I do crave it here and there. However, I never really quite understood the hype of Half and Half.
Yes, the ice milk drink is special and good, but is it good enough to pay that much and wait that long for?
I don’t mind if I’m planning on staying there for awhile to catch up with a friend, but when I just want to drop in to get a quick drink to hit the road, this is definitely not the place. We ordered two drinks and we waited 20 mins. I think food at restaurants come out much faster than that.
They also forgot to add boba in one of my drinks even though I’ve paid for it. Had to wait for them to fix it…-__– Kinda add to the frustration when you’ve already waited that long and had your order not correct.
If I do come back, I will definitely phone in my order ahead of time (min $ 10) so I can avoid this ridiculous wait. But also remember to double check your order before you leave to make sure it’s correct!

Late afternoon drink on Wednesday, 1÷27÷16 (first time visiting)
Tucked inside a large plaza, there’s a Half and Half with no wait in line! They have a handful of indoor and outdoor seating. The décor is the same as all the other locations with wooden panels, fake flowers in flower pots, and cute accessories and snacks for sale.
Their drinks are consistent in taste and are served in the same large cups with a sealed lid. My usual is still the iced milk drink with caramel and pudding. I’ll add honey boba when I don’t feel too full. I still haven’t tried any of their snacks or foods. Service was decent but there’s not much to comment on since they hardly say anything. In general after visiting most of their locations in the SGV area, the taste in drinks and the service in employees have been consistent. There isn’t one particular location that is better than another. It just depends on whether there is a long wait in line or not.
Come by and visit this location if you’re in the area. They have plenty of parking, plenty of seating, and no wait in line.

What is the hype? The honey boba. A cold drink in your hand while sipping in the SoCal ugly weather. I’ve been to 3 half and half and this location is my favorite. They have better seating options and more room! I hate having to wait outside or not being able to sit down with my drink. Who likes to stand up and drink a nice cup of boba? NOT ME!
My go to is number 1. Iced milk tea (less ice since I like the taste better than it being watered down) egg pudding with caramel. So GOOD! Sometimes I like to mix it up and add taro pudding. The downfall fall of adding pudding is that it takes up a lot of room so there isn’t a lot of drink to it. I suggest maybe ask for light on the pudding and light on the ice.
I was greeted very well by Danielle (I hope that is her name) She was a super nice cashier. Apparently the number 1 was not the same as the other locations. Why? I have no clue. I am glad that she re said my order so I knew what I was getting.
Overall, I love that there is a wide range of parking spots and this is definitely a larger location. My favorite half and half!

I’m not a local so I get so confused with all the different Half & Half’s in town. I have these stamp cards and I end up just showing the cashier both because I have no idea what the heck an «express» is vs a normal one. I’ve been to the Half & Half on Atlantic but I had a bad experience there with the drinks. Then, I found myself at the one on San Gabriel and still had a bad experience.
With all this hoopla about H&H, I began losing faith. However, I finally found the one in Pasadena where I fell in love (third times the charm?). I’m not sure why this H&H is so different from the others, but I’m happy! I felt that the staff here was much more helpful and patient as opposed to other stores where they just wanted to get the customer’s order and get them out of line.
I also felt that the boba here was much more fresh and tasty. The honey boba was sweet and chewy, and didn’t feel like it was overcooked or had been sitting around all day. I ordered the milk tea with honey boba and pudding in the L size for $ 5.26. Now, the bigger size it literally the size of my face. I couldn’t believe it fit in my car’s cup holders (yay for civics with big cup holders!). So beware when getting the large… because it’s a commitment. Luckily, this drink was amazing. I got it at 20% sugar and it was perfect since the boba also contributed its own sweetness. What topped it off was the silky pudding. It was basically the perfect drink.

I like half and half cause it’s special to SoCal and we can’t get it up in the bay but my trip this time made me realize maybe I’m just enjoying the rarity of it all.
The pearls were sort of hard, not as chewy as I remembered from the first time! But the coffee milk tea was still super tasty I think they do it really really well.

Half and half is a boba tea shop specializing in honey flavored boba balls (which is not weird, and does not disappoint) and various milk tea drinks and drink desserts. There is a small size and large size, but I warn that a large size will probably max out a weeks worth of sugar servings. I usually get mine ¼ as sweet as they would normally make it, to cut down on sugar and the over-​sweet taste that some love, but I do not prefer.
My favorite thing to order when I am in town is a small milk tea with pudding and boba ¼ as sweet as usual. This is the perfect after meal or dessert treat, and sometimes I cannot even finish all the pudding/​drink in one sitting. The line here (and all other locations) tend to be out the door and you can wait up to 30 mins for a drink. My cousin taught me to call ahead and just cut to the front to avoid the line once you arrive. Genius! This is probably the best boba I have ever had in the states. I just love it! The subtle honey flavor in the tapioca boba is just delightful. The boba is soft and chewy, and the drink is sweet and satisfying.
Highly recommended when you are in the Pasadena area.

Every time we visit the area, we have to make a stop here. My hubby and I love the #8 Passion Green Tea w/​vanilla tea latte and honey boba. We replace the vanilla tea latte with sea salt creama and it’s a delicious blend of strong tea flavor, passion fruit and creama. The honey boba is warm, chewy and sweet. We always get the large size too since we basically chug the whole thing because it’s so good. We went to another nearby Half & Half and the same drink was not made as good so we always come back to this one. The wait is usually short, so that’s a bonus! Half and Half, please come up to San Jose!

Good place to get your boba fix. I keep hearing about the awful service here but every time I come it’s turned out OK for me. So until I experience this awful service firsthand I’ll be coming to this location
The drinks start at around $ 2.85 (that would be something like a milk tea with NOTHING in it) but your typical drink will cost close to $ 4. You can find cheaper boba options in SGV (my two bobas came out to just under $ 9) but the quality here is usually better than at other boba shops like TapEx or Quickly.
They now take cards but it’s $ 10 minimum purchase. Don’t forget to grab a stamp card. Get a stamp every drink you buy; free drink (up to $ 2.85, which doesn’t give you a lot of options…) after the 10^th stamp.
Located in a large lot with B-man’s, Starbucks, so finding parking isn’t a problem at all.

This is one of those bubble tea joints where the cups are ridiculously large. I just looked it up and I believe these cups are 25 oz. I fondly call them soup bowls. See my Purple Kow reviews from the Bay Area.
Anyway for about $ 3-​$ 4 you do get a decent helping of tea. There is actually a nice variety here of drinks and there is a surprising number of caffeine free options. They even tell you so on the menu.
My go to drink is a black milk tea with tapioca, so that’s what I got.
The actual tea and milk aren’t bad. It’s perhaps a hair too sweet. I thought the boba was chewy as well.
My biggest gripe is with the ice. It’s this weird crushed iced that results in my sipping ice chunks when I’m drinking the tea. I go to a lot of bubble tea places and this is the first time I’ve gotten crushed ice. Boo!

I love Half and Half! I always order a Honey Lemon Green Tea with Lychee Jelly, not only is it refreshing but super delicious. Sometimes if I am feeling a bit sugary or boba-​y, then I’ll order one of their most popular item, the Iced Milk Drink with Caramel, Pudding, and Honey Boba. Their bobas are on point, the perfect chewiness! The pudding is delicious, I can definitely go for an Iced Milk Drink right now.
If you ever want to beat the long lines during prime hours or during the weekend, definitely call in your order (the minimum is $ 10, which isn’t too bad, since all you have to order is at least 3 drinks). I always do that when I am in the neighborhood and the best part is that all you have to do is walk straight to the front of the line like VIP status, pay, and then pick up your order.
Don’t forget to ask for a stamp card if you haven’t already. 10 stamps and you get like $ 2.95 off your drink!
Overall, definitely one of my favorite boba/​tea drink spots, if you are in the neighborhood, definitely check it out if you get a chance!

This Half and Half is a great spot to hit up on weekends primarily for convenience purposes. Parking is easy to find, there’s hardly a wait unlike other locations, and they make their beverages just as good as any other Half and Half. Their drinks are very affordable and hit the spot every single time I come here. Some people complain about their drinks tasting bad or whatever in some reviews, but it really depends on what you order. My wife loves their taro milk teas and I love their green teas, and so far, we haven’t had any problems.
Just a word of warning… their cups are HUGE! And by that, I mean they are wide, so they won’t fit in standard sized cup holders. And just to be safe, bring cash since they don’t take credit cards.

If you are looking for bubble tea in the area look no more because half and half is THE place to go. For months I heard my siblings praise half and half’s bubble tea and mind you guys they drink a lot of boba. When I came to LA you bet his was going to be the first place I was going to visit. This place is very popular and it’s quite small so it can get very busy during peak hours. The line was out the door! One more tip make sure to bring cash. They only accept cash which wasn’t a problem for me. I loved their prices and I definitely enjoy their variety in teas.

I usually get their iced milk drinks w/​some assortment of toppings. I usually do honey boba, honey boba + pudding or honey boba + taro pudding. I used to just stick with honey boba because I love it, but I saw taro pudding on their top 10 list and decided to try it. I’m glad I did because the taro pudding really gives the milk a nice kick! However, the pudding are in big chunks so you gotta break it up as you drink. Their boba is usually on point and the wait at this location is usually better than the others. I decided to only give 5 stars because the available seating choices are terrible. It’s right up against the line and where people wait for drinks so it gets pretty cramped and stuffy when a good crowd comes in. No problems with parking now that the market has closed down. We’ll see how things change when Trader Joes opens up .
Some things to know:
–when there’s a long line the cashiers aren’t too friendly
–NO MORE PHONE ORDERS (which sucks!)
–they now accept credit cards (excluding Amex) at a $ 10 minimum

I generally like Half and Half … or that’s to say I generally give them about a 3 star rating, being that they are a decent boba joint (and one of the few that’s open late).
This place has the same quality drinks, but the air inside reminded me of being in a sauna or a room with a jacuzzi in it. It was entirely too stuffy — i have no idea how people were studying in there … I couldn’t stand it for more than a few minutes.
I’m definitely not turned off by all Half & Half locations, but this one is a no go moving forward.
Stay Cheerful ;)

My son recommended this place and I had never been to any of their various locations.
I would have to say I can check this one off my list permanently. All I wanted was a simple almond milk green tea with boba. I checked Unilocal ahead of time and it shows credit cards are accepted.
When I arrived they have this tacky handwritten sign by the pick-​up window that shows $ 10 minimum credit card purchase. I walked back to my car to dig up a little change.
Get back to the restaurant and the line you have to wait in is jammed up against the tables. I would never sit at one of those with people in line hovering right over me. Then they have all the tacky plastic flowers in pots hanging from the railing. This place seriously needs a makeover in a really bad way.
I get my drink and it’s 80% almond milk, 10% tea that doesn’t taste like green tea and the honey boba which I would not mind forgetting about forever. The cups do not fit in cup holders in cars for even the small size. This is a problem when you drive a stick shift. I don’t have a third hand to hold on to a cup in this funky size.
I seriously took about five sips and found the nearest trash can to dump that drink.

This was my second time to Half and Half Express and my first time to this location, and just like the other one, this one had a super long line that was nearly out the door! After waiting 10 – 15 min for my turn to order, I went with a large ice milk w/​honey boba and pudding. They were also running a summer special where you could get a green apple green tea w/​jelly for $ 1.99 (with the purchase of any drink on the menu), so I decided to go for it.
The ice milk turned out to be really sweet… I think they went a little overboard with the honey in the honey boba! The boba was also kind of hard, and not very chewy… definitely not as awesome as what I remembered… The green apple green tea was good though and had a nice, strong tea flavor.
Bring cash or a debit card because that’s all they accept. No credit cards for some reason despite them having a card reader to accept debit cards. Also, ask for a stamp card if you come here often so that you get a free drink after purchasing 10. It kind of sucks that the stamp cards expire… you also don’t receive any stamps for items that are on special, like the green apple tea that I got.

Went here today and honestly… WOW these drinks are so sweet they’ll make your eye twitch.
Brian P. ordered a honey boba ice milk and for $ 1.99 more, you can get an apple green tea w/​apple jelly which we sprung for.
I’ve had boba from HI to NY and this was not head and shoulders above the rest for me. Green tea had almost a bitter tannin-​esq quality, like when you leave a tea bag in your cup for too long. Ice milk was so sweet the pudding flavor was not discernable. It was nice that it was chopped up for drinking ease.
The lines are long which makes the place feel cramped /​claustrophobic. A little boy was holding his nose in line and his dad told him that he was smelling burnt sugar. Too many people, cramped space = not a relaxing drink break.
While not inedible or overpriced, I would not go out of my way for a revisit. If I did, I would definitely ask for no added sugar.