Opened in January of 2024, Pincha Boba is a family-run boba shop located in the Telephone Road Plaza Shopping Center. With its location being on one of the busiest streets of Ventura, Calif., Pincha Boba has been a hotspot since it first opened. The popularity of this Taiwanese drink has reached a new height, especially on TikTok. From aesthetic to taste, boba stores all around Ventura have been popping up in the last couple of years. Offering a wide variety of different teas, smoothies, soft serves and other drinks; Pincha Boba is one of Ventura’s great small businesses to check out.
Strawberry Matcha Tornado: 10/10
As one of their more popular items, the Strawberry Matcha Tornado is the perfect mix of sweet and satisfying. While the drink’s name may sound like a refreshing tea, its consistency is more like a smoothie/shake, making it the perfect blended sweet treat for a warm day. The combination of the cold drink and warm tapioca pearls is one that Pincha Boba has obviously perfected, as shown in a number of their different teas and other treats. While the drinks may be a little pricey, both the quality and size of the drink get what you pay for.
Crème Brûlée Tornado: 8/10
The Crème Brûlée Tornado is one of their “Specialty” drinks, and its uniqueness definitely earns it this title. With brown sugar syrup to coat the boba and jelly-like pudding, not to mention the tea itself, this specialty drink was a great mix of flavor and texture. While a bit sweet with both the boba and the pudding, the bitterness of the tea evens it out. Overall, their drink was great for those with a sweet tooth, but maybe not for those wanting a refreshing tea with boba.
Green Thai Tea: 8/10
If you enjoy a strong tea flavor but are also in the mood for a sweeter beverage, we would highly recommend ordering the Green Thai Tea with boba. The green tea paired very well with the creamy milk, and the drink was not overly sweet or artificial tasting which really allowed the natural bitterness of the green tea to shine.
Jasmine Milk Tea (25% Sweetness) 7/10
Pincha Boba allows you to customize the sweetness level of your drink, so we ordered the Jasmine Milk Tea with 25 percent of the normal amount of sugar. Despite the lower sugar content, this drink was still delicious. The syrupy boba added just enough sweetness and perfectly complemented the jasmine tea. However, the drink would have been even better if there was a little more jasmine tea, as the tea’s flavor was overpowered by the milk.
Taro Boba Waffle 6/10
Although this treat was visually appealing, the taro soft serve itself tasted sweet and artificial. The syrupy brown sugar boba added enjoyable textural variation to the dessert, but this additional sweetness felt unnecessary and overwhelming when paired with the soft serve. However, the soft, fluffy waffle cone was the saving grace of the dessert. It was served still warm and its crispy edges, soft center and very subtle flavor cut through the sweetness of the soft serve. Overall, this dessert wasn’t horrible, but it was definitely not worth $9.45.
Overall:
From fruity elixirs to soft serve with boba, you don’t want to miss Pincha Boba’s unique and extensive menu offerings. Even though some items are slightly overpriced, the overall experience is excellent. The drinks are made quickly, the interior of the cafe is clean and modern and ambient background music creates a relaxing atmosphere for customers.
