Claire Wang

If it seems like a new brewery pops up in a Torrance warehouse or Highland Park garage every few months, it’s because it does. Despite L.A.’s impressive pre-existing selection of beer bars, we’re also a city full of artisans who like taking matters into our own hands—including brewing beer.In fact, there’s so much fantastic craft beer in this city that compiling a list of best breweries had to come with restrictions: Here, we’ve focused on the breweries that have a taproom you can actually visit (hence why Craftsman, a veritable Pasadena brewery with a devoted following but no actual public space, is not on here), and those that actually brew in Los Angeles. So put down your crusty old Miller Lite, get out of the house and raise a pint to L.A.’s growing craft beer scene. RECOMMENDED: Guide to craft beer in L.A.

Bubble tea. Boba. Pearls. Tapioca balls by any name would taste as sweet, but that doesn’t mean they’re all equally delicious. Taiwan first got the ball rolling in the ’80s, but over the last decade, the humble boba tea has become a mainstream treat all around the country, and especially in California. American-owned shops have brought their own artisan spin to the table, and Taiwanese chains have expanded and flourished here from the Bay to L.A., introducing the art of drinking colorful, sweet (and non-alcoholic) teas to new generation of consumers once relegated to coffee shops and bars. The options might be endless across L.A., but not all of them are great—so we tracked down the créme de la créme in our guide to the best boba shops in Los Angeles. 

This San Francisco-based chain with locations in Culver City and Historic Filipinotown has garnered a cult following on both coasts, though a series of recent workplace scandals has plunged the business into crisis mode. Still, their signature speciality teas, notably the Hong Kong milk tea, jasmine green milk tea and strawberry matcha latte, are still some of the tastiest drinks you’ll find anywhere in L.A. Like other artisan boba shops, Boba Guys uses loose-leaf tea, fresh fruit and premium organic milk (though the lactose-intolerant or dairy-averse can opt for oat or almond milk as well). 

The line for Sawtelle's oldest boba shop often snakes out the door, but fear not: the queue moves quickly, giving you plenty of time to choose. Personally we recommend the time-tested combo of a good ol' fashioned milk tea with a side of Taiwanese popcorn chicken. Chewy, with a pleasant toffee-like aftertaste, the drinks here might not be the most artificial flavor-free, but they sure are delicious. Take your drinks to-go and wander down Sawtelle to work up the appetite for a second dinner. Plus, unlike most boba shops, it's open relatively late, making it the perfect place to sate your sweet tooth well past regular hours.

A block away from Culver City mainstays Honey's Kettle and the Museum of Jurassic Technology, Latea offers some of the finest boba on the Westside. The line that snakes out the door often rivals that of the eternally packed Salt and Straw across the street, and the mouthwatering housemade boba is always chewy and perfectly soft when ladled inside classics like assam and jasmine milk teas. Our word of advice? Refrain from adding them to the heavier, sweeter drinks like the creme brulee and tiramisu milk teas—gilding the lily isn't necessary with these dessert-like beverages.

Known for brewing high-quality loose tea leaves imported from Taiwan, this popular Southern California boba chain finally launched in L.A. proper in 2021 with a pair of outposts in Little Tokyo and Sawtelle. The artisanal tea and housemade boba translate to a remix on the Taiwanese bubble teas (think ceylon, jasmine, oolong) with bold American flavors—in particular we like the standout brûlée latte with oat milk and caffeine-free taro boba milk "tea." Sunright's extensive menu also comes with a wide array of traditional toppings, including red bean, fresh taro and lychee jelly. 

Boba entrepreneur Tonie Huang's new-school joint in Monrovia foregrounds natural flavors of premium teas. She uses only organic ingredients and fresh seasonal fruits, forgoing additives that many other boba shops drizzle with abandon. The shop's bestseller is their simple, yet delicious, house milk tea, which blends five loose leaf black teas, organic cream, organic milk and maple syrup—all of which gets kept cool with a frozen milk tea cube.

Packaged in enormous bucket cups more suited for popcorn than beverages, Half and Half's boba milk tea is not for the faint of heart or the faint of stomach, but it's still some of the best tapioca in all of Los Angeles. (Their closest location to the city of L.A. is in Pasadena, but you'll find a half dozen locations across the SGV.) Their signature hot honey tapioca balls are made fresh and still warm when dumped into your iced drink. A must try: the iced milk with strawberry, pudding and boba, which tastes just like melted strawberry cheesecake. 

This Taiwanese boba chain is known for its wildly addictive brown sugar milk tea: a creamy, dreamy concoction of caramelized syrup, tapioca pearls and fresh milk that takes eight hours to brew. Top that with cream mousse and coffee-infused jelly and you get the perfect cheat day treat. We recommend shaking it well before consuming so the clumps of brown sugar syrup that resemble tiger stripes can melt into the milk. For something lighter and fruitier, try the ever popular mango sago or the brown sugar lemon tea.

This women-run build-your-own boba bar in Little Tokyo allows Angelenos to customize premium tea bases with add-ons like coffee jellies, egg pudding or even a scoop of ice cream. The drinks, which start at $5, are both delectable and visually lush. We recommend these two lactose-free crowd pleasers: "Top Shelf," a brown sugar black milk tea with coffee ice cream, and "The Boyfriend," a brown sugar green milk tea infused with cookies-and-cream ice cream.