Westwood is bringing boba to students at all sweetness levels.

Throughout my time at UCLA, I’ve witnessed the attempted rise and ultimate fall of numerous boba tea shops that have tried to establish themselves in Westwood. While better boba spots are a short drive away in Sawtelle, this guide is to help Bruins navigate the current iteration of boba options that are closer to home.

To keep my ratings as consistent as possible, I ordered a classic milk tea with boba at 100% sweetness and less ice from Sharetea, Just Boba and Le Phant Milk Tea Co. I implemented a grading rubric that evaluates the following factors on a five-point scale: price and cost efficiency, convenience and accessibility, taste, menu variety and boba quality.

[Related: Daily Bruin Guide: Westwood’s caffeine scene brews with rich flavors, studious hotspots]

Sharetea – 3.7

Price and cost efficiency – 4

Convenience and accessibility – 3.5

Taste – 3.5

Atmosphere – 3

Boba quality – 4

When someone imagines getting boba in Westwood, Sharetea is the first to come to mind. The Taiwanese storefront withstands the test of time, persevering through the COVID-19 pandemic and weathering the current onslaught of closures plaguing Westwood Village. Part of Sharetea’s success may be attributed to its revolving door of student fundraisers, which brings in a steady stream of customers for nine months out of the year.

Sharetea’s tenure on Broxton Avenue can also be attributed to its reliable quality and taste. As a chain with over 400 locations worldwide, one might assume that Sharetea sacrifices quality for quantity, but that is not true in this case. Its classic milk tea imparts the strongest flavor out of all the locations on this list, bringing subtly bitter notes of black tea that blend harmoniously with the sweetened milk.

The balanced drink also acts as the perfect stage for its soft but chewy boba to shine. While Sharetea may not satisfy those who prefer a stronger bite, its pearls have boba’s hallmark QQ texture. The winning combination of roasted tea and well-textured boba earns Sharetea the highest taste and boba quality scores out of all the shops on this list.

While there is nothing particularly unique about Sharetea, its biggest strength lies in its consistent drink quality and reliability.

Just Boba – 3.5

Price and cost efficiency – 4.5 [$6.50 for (allegedly) 34 ounces = $0.19 per ounce]

Convenience and accessibility – 4

Taste – 3

Atmosphere – 2.5

Boba quality – 3.5

An unassuming Gayley storefront, hidden between a string of late-night dives, has emerged as a strong competitor to Sharetea’s incumbency.

What sets Just Boba apart from the boba pack is its broad menu and budget-friendly deals. From milk teas and fruit frosties to popcorn chicken and taiyaki, its 59-drink menu is sure to satisfy any craving. Just Boba’s menu is not only diverse, but also affordable. It clocks the best cost efficiency score at $0.19 per ounce, but patrons can get an even sweeter deal when they add a food item to get a discounted combo price.

But, what customers receive in great prices, they trade for drink taste and quality. Its classic milk tea was one-dimensional with a flavor profile closer to a watery sugar milk than a roasty milk tea. Its boba quality is comparable to Sharetea’s, but its slightly undercooked and firm texture did not provide the satisfying chew I was looking for. While Just Boba fell short of my preferences, its classic milk tea is perfect for those with a sweeter tooth.

Within just a few years of opening, Just Boba has quickly established a rapport with the UCLA community. As another host of frequent student fundraisers, in addition to its affordable combos and on top of its proximity to campus and student housing, Just Boba is in the prime location to serve the students of Westwood.

For the budgeting college student in search of a nearby sweet treat, Just Boba is just right.

[Related: Coachella 2025 review: High prices mean high expectations, but festival food may fail to reach that bar]

Le Phant Milk Tea Co. – 2.8

Price and cost efficiency – 2

Convenience and accessibility – 3

Taste – 2

Atmosphere – 4

Boba quality – 3

Le Phant Milk Tea Co. is Westwood’s latest boba shop contender, but it is far from the favorite.

Flaunting a warmly lit and millennial pink storefront, Le Phant brings a more indulgent boba experience to Westwood with a curated menu. Le Phant’s faraway Lindbrook shop is picturesque and its brand marketing is trendy – but the appeal ends there.

While the previous two locations attract students with lower prices and combo deals, Le Phant seems to cater to the socialites of West Los Angeles who can stomach paying $8.15 for an exceptionally mediocre product. To clarify, I have occasionally splurged on a drink that is over $8, but it was well spent at Odd One Out in Sawtelle, a shop that has award-winning teas and unique silk boba. Le Phant provides no such justification for a criminal price.

I opted for the Golden Elephant Black Milk Tea, which was marketed to be “Hong Kong style” and with a “strong, robust tea taste.” I found the opposite to be true on every single point. Le Phant labels all its teas – black, oolong and jasmine – as “Hong Kong style,” which indicates to me that Le Phant does not actually know what Hong Kong style milk tea is. Hong Kong style milk tea is typically made with black tea and is strong and sweet, but my drink was watery, pale and bland. Evidently, its feeble attempt to make a strong and robust tea through an espresso machine was unsuccessful. The inauthentic Hong Kong label and the excessive inclusion of an espresso machine feel more like a strategy to overcharge customers than a genuine effort to deliver a quality drink.

If Le Phant doesn’t change, its outlook will look as bleak as its drinks.