With many new tea stores opening in the area do you know which store to choose from? If not, we sampled three near DVHS.

Quickly’s

Known for being the most convenient tea store in the vicinity of Dougherty Valley High School, Quickly’s has a wide selection of teas, juices and finger foods. Although seating and space is an issue in the store, its relatively cheap prices bring many customers to the store.

Test: We ordered a regular sized Bubble Milk Tea ($2.50) and a Popcorn Chicken ($3.99). Since the tea was not customizable (sweetness), the tea tasted really sweet. The chicken, served in a paper bag, was pretty good and served hot. Overall, the ambience of the place was moderate, since the warm orange colored walls were crammed with posters, which personally did not make us feel really comfortable. The smell of frying oil made sitting inside less pleasant, along with the limited seating (we arrived at 6).

Overall: Quickly’s is very convenient- it’s local, cheaper than other tea stores, and has lots of selection. However, if you are looking for high quality tea, good ambiance, or a place to sit in the store, Quickly’s might not be for you.

T4

With the opening of two locations in San Ramon and Dublin, within the past year, T4 has been growing in popularity amongst the Dougherty Valley students. Although its inconvenient location and high prices deter potential customers from both stores, nonetheless, students and adults alike flock to T4 for a taste of their high quality tea and snacks.

Test: We went to the San Ramon T4 location, where we each ordered a large Thai Tea with Pearls ($4.60) and a Pearl Milk Tea ($3.25), along with an order of Basil Popcorn Chicken ($3.95). The tea tasted quite good, since the order was customizable in the areas of ice and sweetness. Although there were fewer choices compared to Quickly’s, and the items were more expensive, we liked the ambiance of the store and the speed of service. The chicken tasted great, and the order was customizable in the areas of spiciness,  which allowed us to cater our order to our tastes.

Overall: Although T4 is not walking distance and it has limited selection, its quality, service and ambiance are worth the drive.

Sharetea

Sharetea’s grand opening was Oct 17, It is located on San Ramon Valley Boulevard, and is further from Dougherty than both T4 and Quickly. However, even though the shop is a 15 minute drive from Dougherty, students are making the drive for their tea.

Test: We visited the Sharetea San Ramon location right as it opened, so there was no one there except us. The service was very quick and the staff was friendly. We ordered two Okinawa Pearl Milk Teas ($4.00), one with less ice and one with no ice. The drinks both tasted very similarly to Quickly’s Milk Tea, but were $0.50 more expensive. Customizable sweetness is also available, but only for certain drinks. However, one of the drinks had a piece of plastic in it. The Sharetea drink menu is just as, if not more, diverse than both Quickly’s and T4. It offers customizable ice and sweetness for most drinks, and toppings such as pearls, jelly and ice cream. Sharetea does not serve snacks, but Chipotle is right around the corner, along with many other restaurants and fast food joints in the plaza, if you’re hungry.  

Although the shop is not very large, it is set up to maximize the space available. It does have seating inside and outside. The ambiance of the store is good for an outing with friends: the colors are bright but not overwhelming, and the tables can seat up to four. However, the music is slightly loud if one is sitting inside.

Overall: Sharetea has none of the benefits of Quickly or T4: it is not nearby or very high quality. It also does not serve food. However, if you are in the area, swing by and satisfy your tea craving with their large drink menu.