Teaspoon

Orange County residents have literally hundreds of boba shops to choose from – so many that their differences are at best modest, and at worst becoming nearly impossible to keep straight. Although the Bay Area-based Teaspoon overlaps with many rivals, the 10-year-old chain’s Dana Point and Brea locations stand out locally thanks to a nice menu, good drinks, and friendly service.

Almost all of Teaspoon’s drinks are based on tea, fruit purees, or combinations of the two, though the chain recently added a collection of Vietnamese coffee drinks, and also offers at least one caramel and milk drink with boba. Standout options include two drinks made with Red Bull flavors and marmalades – pineapple marmalade with Red Bull coconut berry, and guava lemon marmalade with classic Red Bull – plus modern “classics” such as teas mixed with creams, “signatures” including mango smoothies with or without spices, and customized lemonades mixed with other fruit flavors.

Teaspoon also offers a large collection of add-ins, ranging from various flavors of fruit jelly and popping boba to creme brulee foam, several types of boba, and taro chunks. The Dana Point location we visited had a small collection of $3.50 to $4.50 pastries, including red velvet and coffee cakes, lemon bars, brownies, rice krispie treats, plus five different flavors of $3 macarons.