Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Vanitea Cafe in El Cajon

4.5 (80) 2654 Jamacha Road, El Cajon, CA 92019, United States

Categories

Cafe
Asian fusion restaurant
Bubble tea store
Coffee shop
Dessert shop
Internet cafe
Tea house

Location on the map

El Cajon, San Diego County, California, US

Phone: +1 619-825-7771
Site: http://vaniteacafe.com/

Opening hours

Monday:11 AM–9:30 PM
Tuesday:11 AM–9:30 PM
Wednesday:11 AM–9:30 PM
Thursday:11 AM–9:30 PM
Friday:11 AM–10 PM
Saturday:11 AM–10 PM
Sunday:11 AM–9:30 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.5

80 Reviews for Vanitea Cafe 2024:

Review №1

2023-06-24 16:32:17

Great drinks, and so many options. Got honeydew and pineapple coconut snow bubble and they were both really good.

Review №2

2022-08-17 23:30:56

Vanitea Café was a great spot to grab a drink while getting a little work in. Very busy spot especially as the nearby schools were getting out. Delicious macarons (salted caramel and Nutella). Thanks to the ladies at Vanitea

Review №3

2018-09-26 03:08:39

Time of Visit: September 22, 2018 7:20 PMPresentation: 10/10Located in a nice looking neighborhood. Staff was upmost friendly with me and my friend visiting the location. Didnt know what to get, so they recommended me the fruity pebbles snow bubble drink which wasn’t too sweet, but just sweet enough for my taste, and is basically a slushie with boba infused honey🍯 which was honestly the best boba i’ve ever tried so far! The location was very refreshing to see it had a very stylistic appeal that I enjoyed to see. There was a single bathroom, and was very nice and clean inside. Actually had to take a pic with their mirror the lighting was fire lmao👀🔥..Product: 10/10Huge selection from snow bubble to milk tea most of it will chill those cravings you have. Great refreshing flavors keep it new and exciting to choose a different drink😊 I recommend Oreo snow bubble, Milk tea, and fruity pebbles. Go check this place out. 😄

Review №4

2023-03-23 21:51:35

I like their flavors they are different and unique and the place is very cute and clean. The person who worked there was very helpful with suggesting flavors.

Review №5

2021-11-21 07:59:48

I have been here many times before and I enjoyed it very much! I came here with a friend for the first time about 2 years ago and I wasn’t sure if I liked it but now I love it! I came here on 7/9/21 and got a strawberry milk tea with boba and it was really good! The employees are also very nice and helpful! Overall, I love coming here and will for sure be coming back.

Review №6

2022-04-21 02:41:02

We just came to Vanitea because we were craving some Boba and we were nearby. I’ve just got to say, Wow! I never knew all the things you can do with Boba! There’s so much available on the menu that it got really confusing for me. I tried an ‘earthy’ drink, Dragonfruit, it sounded fun but it taste like a funeral plot. O’ I won’t do that again. My daughter had cotton candy with whip cream and It was amazing, the best Boba I ever had besides my favorite, Taro. We’ll definitely be back to this place and next time enjoy some of their Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse cookies. If you can think of it, it can be made at Vanitea. This place is amazing!

Review №7

2023-12-07 05:06:44

Good place for take out boba tea. Tea was good and very sweet.

Review №8

2019-01-19 06:04:42

Come to this Shop at First Day of 2019I love this place. Cozy. Smart Decorations. Clean. Reasonable Price. Variety of Choice . Yummy Taste.

Review №9

2020-01-28 01:07:20

We recommend it! We ordered 2 bobas:matcha and milk tea and they were very delicious. The place is beautiful inside, even the tables and the bathroom. And the customer service its very very friendly👌 We definitely want to come back. We give them 5 stars!

Review №10

2022-09-23 21:31:08

Absolutely amazing! Impressed each and every time. I recommend the Thai Milk Tea with the House Boba

Review №11

2022-09-07 02:27:55

Horrible service. I dont write reviews at all but I felt it was necessary here. I went in with my mom and ordered the usual Earl Grey Boba tea or fifty shades. I wasnt asked if I wanted the regular or the large and I completely forgot to mention it. After I was given the regular, I apologized and said, Id be happy to pay the difference, can I please get a large. She then said, sure and went in the back and must have diluted the drink with water in a bigger cup. I went to my table took a sip and was shocked. It was like I took a sip of diluted flavored water. It was horrible. I went to ask Isabella and explained to her how my drink tastes like water. I was not arguing, I just genuinely wanted to let her know that theres a problem with the one I was handed. She kept arguing with me on how its because I ordered a 25% sugar level. I told her sweetness was not a problem and it was not my first time ordering this drink. She would not replace it for me and kept arguing. She would just not accept how horrible the drink was. Im not sure if the owners of the place would penalize her if shed make me a new drink but she completely refused to make me a new one. Im not sure if she expected me to drink that disgusting watery drink and keep quiet. Im not sure why it was difficult to replace my drink. After her resistance I then asked for a refund and gave her both drinks to toss. Her job was customer service and making drinks and she failed miserably at both.

Review №12

2022-09-24 21:58:58

I’d rate this a 0 if it gave me the option. Let me start off by saying, I came into the Rancho Location and ordered 2 drinks. Upon waiting, the two employees were complaining (with me and other customers in there) that no one tips them. When I got home, the flimsy drink carrier broke and the drink spilled all over. I live literally across the street from the shop, and called 5 minutes after being in the shop. I asked for a remake of my drink, and said that I have a picture proof of the drink spilling. They told me no. Flat out, no they can’t do that. I asked to speak to the owner, and the lady I was talking to at first said she was the owner, then quickly changed it to “no, I’m just the store manager.” THANK GOODNESS Kung Fu Tea is opening up across the street next to Target. I called Kung Fu Tea to ask what their policy is on spilled drinks, and they told me they’d happily make me one for free even for this incident that Vanitea made.

Review №13

2022-08-13 20:23:16

Best boba in town! I would highly recommend going here when youre in San Diego! Reading all these bad reviews are absurd! I come here at least 5 times each month and none of these have happened to me, the only thing that happened was the Boba shortage, but that was nationally worldwide and not just Vanitea Café. Clear boba is much better than black boba, my guess is they use corn starch or something with it, I don’t know but Vanitea please give me your recipe! My family also agrees with all the things I said, ect. The decoration and the minimalistic vibe is just so nostalgic! I get the Classic Vanitea milk tea w/ boba and lychee. Hope to come again soon!

Review №14

2021-11-06 21:22:05

This experience happened a while ago and I havent had time to write this review! My friend and I used to go here ALL the time - theres great options for vegan boba, and the staff (all except for when we went the last time) have consistently been creative, friendly, and welcoming. We will not be returning after the last time and the subsequent experience talking with the manager!We went in and ordered our usual drinks and took them to-go on our way to work. We didnt discover until we got to work that my friends drink wasnt blended all the way; it was mostly chunks of ice, with visible chunks of powder and separated ingredients, and a quarter scoop of boba in direct comparison to mine. It was simply not blended - not a problem!Weve called them before over similar issues, and theyve handled them with ease. Once, there was a hair in my friends drink when we were taking them to-go. I called in once I got back home and let them know what happened. They apologized profusely and said they could write down a name by the register since I had paid in cash that day. I said that was great, they apologized profusely again, and I told them dont worry about it, because it happens. Which it does! The other time, one of our drinks was made incorrectly and they remade it right away with no problem while we were still in the parking lot.So, we called them regarding this issue and were friendly about it, not expecting there to be any problem. The girl we talked to immediately denied there being anything wrong with the drink, and stated she would not be able to do anything about the issue. We asked for the managers information as we had different experiences previously, and wanted to know if anything could be done about an $8-9 drink being undrinkable and having to be thrown away.Apparently, she had informed the manager that we called them names and were acting rudely to them in the store and over the phone. Tommy, the manager, had a prior assumption that their version of the story was correct, and stated:If the drink was icy or blended incorrectly we would have fixed it right away for you but be rest assured that all our staffs are well trained not to give out drinks that are not well blended anyhow. With that being said, if you still felt that it wasnt blended well enough the staff that day would have happily remade it for you, however, by pushing them to give out the number for management and called them names because they refused to do so is not a proper approach.We are always open to hearing out our customers but they need to be respectful and within reason. We regret to inform you that we cant help you with your incident at this point.Unfortunately, Tommy,1) Your staff may be well trained, but they DID hand out a drink that was not blended.2) They may have been able to remake the drink for us, but when we asked them - and you - if that were an option, we were told, expressly, no, and that nothing could be done.We were consistently respectful, and acted well within reason, on this occasion and on every other occasion we have interacted with any employee from this store. To be treat your customers with suspicion and scorn without hesitation and without considering that an employee might lie in an attempt to avoid responsibility is shameful.As a side note: they do consistently run out of their boba and fresh ingredients like bananas (including first thing in the morning).

Review №15

2021-08-16 03:36:16

I have been here at least 20 plus times, they are always out of boba. Today 8/15/21 8pm is my last time going here. I ordered a strawberry banana snow slush with strawberry popping boba and it tasted like cough syrup. After my initial sip I took it back immediately, full cup in hand and was told it was made with artificial strawberry syrup and not fresh fruit, which was obvious. I asked for a replacement and the cashier told me he would have to charge me again for a new drink. So I threw the drink away and left. Be sure you order carefully here, they dont care about the customer.

Review №16

2023-03-16 01:04:59

Great place to get a drink and study. The people there were friendly and kind! 100% would recommend for some nice downtime or study time.

Review №17

2023-07-15 09:42:42

Excellent place incredible drinks!! And very clean

Review №18

2023-02-12 23:55:51

A great option for boba that is somewhat limited in east county. The staff is friendly and patient. The macs are good too!

Review №19

2020-08-27 03:43:27

The employees are always super nice and the boba is great, we usually get a variety of different snow bubble or milk teas. We originally found it and went in because of the pun name but we come back because the service and drinks are amazing.

Review №20

2022-10-16 03:29:53

I purchased a Thai tea from this place, and the tea was watered down and didn’t taste right, and the boba tasted old, like it wasn’t made fresh. I brought it back to them and they wouldn’t make a new a drink or offer me a different one. Horrible experience.

Review №21

2021-10-31 06:51:34

Really poor customer service. I placed the order online and paid to have fresh fruit, but when I arrived I was told that they didnt have the fruit and that they tried to call me and it went straight to voicemail but acknowledged that they didnt leave me a message (I show no missed call on my end). She then told me that they couldnt give me the $1 back without crediting the whole thing back and rebilling it...which they had 40 minutes to do between the time that I placed the order and actually picked up. The girl behind the counter said that it wasnt a big deal because it wasnt that much money. I was in a hurry and running late so now I just wish that I didnt tip online because I paid extra for that service...and Im still out the $1.

Review №22

2018-09-16 17:48:15

OMG! Finally tried their 2nd location the other day with my friends and this place is already packed with people. Looks as amazing as it tastes.I rate boba places based on the taste of their boba and this place makes it perfect, every time. The staff here are so cute. Greeted me and my friends with a Hi Welcome as usual, and they are super friendly & helpful. Their Macarons are very aesthetic, and taste phenomenal. They said theyll be introducing more desserts at this location. Cant wait!Hands down best Boba in SD, again!!!

Review №23

2021-06-02 00:39:26

This is a really cute place! I enjoyed the birthday cake and blueberry lavender macarons. I tried the fruity pebble snow bubble with Boba and it was delicious. I cant wait to try other drinks.

Review №24

2021-07-28 00:51:39

On 4th of July I brought my drink back to be remade. I was told that I would be charged. I explained that the peach green tea had no peach in it. I understand that mistakes happen and that a person can forget to add the peach but you want to charge me for your mistake?? Then I was told they could add the peach so explained that my daughter was sick and drank off it so it should be remade due to covid and CDC guidelines. They took the drink poured it into the shaker and gave it back. That is so gross and also cross contamination!! So I lost my money and threw it away. I emailed Vanity cafe and never got a response back. 😕 I am now telling everyone to not go here because of this as I am disgusted.

Review №25

2021-08-28 06:06:31

Every single time i come i ask for NO BOBA and what do they do? they add boba! i don’t understand how people function with their brains not working. what part of no boba is not clear?! Also why is there always one person working there? it’s busy and only one person taking orders and making drinks is terrible. it takes forever and lots of mistakes happen. fix this because people deserve to get their orders right

Review №26

2022-07-04 19:19:09

Wide variety of drinks: snow bubble, milk tea, tea, slushy. You can order in-person or online. Place is nice and clean. Delicious matcha milk tea, honeydew slushy, and avocado snow bubble. Lavender milk tea is wonderful. Toddler approves the chocolate banana boba snow bubble.

Review №27

2022-05-03 03:59:14

Was looking around for Thai Tea & this spot nailed it. Really great drink & sealed till I got home. Staff there knows what I want as soon as I walk in. Great customer service.

Review №28

2019-09-09 03:48:56

Rancho, San Diegos best and possibly its only location for Bobo tea. I prefer this locations Vietnamese Iced Coffee over others because of its caffeine potency. They also have a long list of traditional boba/tea combinations and other menu items exclusively sold at this location.When it comes to accessibility, storefront parking is available yet limited. However, there is a much larger lot in the same plaza. It just doesnt put you directly in front of the establishment. While I suppose this could be said about almost every store in this plaza, I sometimes do think about this.Besides a great menu of drinks and decent parking the only other assessment I have of this location involes the staff. For the most part, the staff are very lively and greet most customers either when they enter the building or reach the register. Customer engagement is a very big part of how I rate an experience at a privately restaurant or business. As it currently stands, this location has 5 🌟 service.

Review №29

2019-10-26 23:45:36

I come here once every couple months. Came in and the guy working the counter recognized me and even remembered what I ordered last time. Super nice guy, I wish I wouldve gotten his name to give kudos.A great little place where I like to go when I get a chance to work from home.

Review №30

2020-08-13 15:12:30

😗😗 Kinda embarrassed that with the amount of times I get boba in a week. Guess it doesnt help having it next to your work. Good Boba good tea, and the ppl there are pretty chill. Definitely See myself studying inside the shop for Uni. (Once its safe ofc)I Reccomend:- 3 Shades of Gray- Dragon Tea- Horchata (Mexican approved)- Thai (A classic)- Milk (a classic)- starburst (Its sweet as HELL so beware)yeah Have fun, I reccomend

Review №31

2021-06-23 21:31:33

Great customer service, got a free puppy with my drink

Review №32

2019-10-02 16:46:48

There was an asian girl that served me, she was super nice, her coworker not so much.Macaroons cheap and good! Ended up buying like 15 of them.

Review №33

2018-11-12 09:27:01

Friendly and really good. Prices are very reasonable especially considering the quality of the tea and boba. Coming from convoy boba, VaniTea can definitely hold its own.

Review №34

2021-04-12 00:50:10

Been going here for little while now, had no issues until recently. When asked to speak to a manager or supervisor. Was informed the only way they can place me in touch with anyone os to provide them with my email address. As the supervisor or manager never comes into work. It is now clear why there are issues.

Review №35

2020-09-06 02:04:34

Super friendly staff, absolutely delicious drinks, and super low prices!! If youre looking for fast service, this is the place to be! Their snowbubbles are to die for on a hot day!!

Review №36

2020-07-07 08:45:49

Probably the best tea bar in the area. If prices are a concern likely the county. Tea is good, not the best, but service is amazing, place is kept rather clean, and the prices and selection is outstanding given the quality.

Review №37

2021-04-02 16:25:34

Great tasting drinks with many different varieties of type of drink (snow, icy, milk tea), boba/jellies and diary free options. Always awesome service too.

Review №38

2019-09-24 00:07:31

I love the pineapple coconut with extra boba. I go here every week and i love it.their lavender milk tea 75 percent sweetened with extra boba is also amazing.

Review №39

2021-11-04 07:27:30

If youre being forced to go, and if you dont like boba but you do like other sugary drinks, get a cotton candy snow bubble :)

Review №40

2019-02-13 05:05:03

Pretty design good coffee and tea. Great service. Small but would recommend for studying. Clean and very friendly. Unfortunately they do not have WiFi but restaurant next door lets you use wifi

Review №41

2018-08-31 00:06:55

Visited here after work nearby. The staff was crazy friendly and fast and the Thai tea was good. Cute place to hang out. The cafe was clean and inviting.

Review №42

2019-10-07 03:29:36

Amazing drinks, customer service was great. Definitely try the macaroons. The painting on the wall is pretty cool too

Review №43

2019-09-05 00:46:45

The tea and food is really good, also have really nice employees, I definitely recommend you go here if youre in the mood for boba

Review №44

2020-07-27 01:34:21

Liked the smoothie but not the boba.. they give you hot boba in a cold smoothie and boba was too sweet

Review №45

2021-06-23 22:11:34

So great....I had the most amazing mango slushie....the service was also great...will definitely be going back!!!

Review №46

2019-03-16 00:18:57

Great place to visit and have fun with your friends . They made my drink to what I felt was comfortable and handled my trash for me.

Review №47

2021-07-25 00:00:54

Great milk teas boba employees are very nice 10/10 recommend ❤️

Review №48

2021-11-10 20:04:24

Best Vietnamese Coffee around! Wish they were on UberEATS or Door dash

Review №49

2021-07-19 04:12:34

Excellent teas! Good the Hokkaido with lychee jellies and it was very good!

Review №50

2023-03-07 20:15:42

We lovevthis place!! Great Boba!!

Review №51

2019-08-30 05:53:52

Amazing staff and baristas that put in a lot of effort to create the best drinks for your drinking pleasure that they can.

Review №52

2020-04-14 00:44:14

I love the selection of drinks they have and they always have fast and amazing service!

Review №53

2022-10-22 02:28:11

Good flavour of milk tea and boba was perfect today!!

Review №54

2022-07-15 02:45:09

Very friendly staff and they keep orders in the fridge. Like when you order ahead.

Review №55

2021-04-04 17:53:00

Cool place,but took forever too get your drink!:(

Review №56

2021-01-24 02:41:26

Sammi made my drink yesterday and I want to say great customer service

Review №57

2020-01-17 05:11:13

The drinks were dee lish us. That music is pretty whack tho but who goes to a drink store for music?

Review №58

2020-03-09 05:30:55

Drinks are good and staff are friendly. Good place to meet up with friends

Review №59

2020-01-19 22:55:46

Their passion black tea boba is so delicious

Review №60

2018-06-12 05:10:03

New and decent boba place. Finally one in RSD.

Review №61

2021-02-09 04:14:54

Love this place, never had a problem and always helpful with suggesting, recommending, and answering questions

Review №62

2020-05-24 22:20:54

Friendly clerks, good tea, lots of options, awesome decor.

Review №63

2021-12-27 22:50:27

Tis the littiest, indubitably.

Review №64

2019-08-24 06:27:11

Try the watermelon smoothie with boba! Youre welcome 👌🏼

Review №65

2020-02-13 23:58:45

Great atmosphere and great tasting teas!

Review №66

2018-09-19 23:13:23

Went there today, it was really good and really recommend it

Review №67

2018-09-28 22:24:01

Delicious Sweet Treats, Clean and Professional customer service

Review №68

2021-06-11 02:21:07

Friendly staff. Taro Coconut is good

Review №69

2019-10-08 14:26:03

Only legiy bobba place i kno in rancho sd

Review №70

2022-06-02 21:02:58

Love the Red Bull blasts

Review №71

2021-11-20 04:56:38

The staff are super nice and friendly!

Review №72

2020-01-20 03:40:25

One of our favorite Thai tea spots

Review №73

2018-09-16 20:16:03

Whatever you are, you are welcomed there. But seriously check it out yourself.

Review №74

2019-04-27 05:58:59

My family loves to come here

Review №75

2021-11-19 03:13:54

Great service and drinks

Review №76

2022-03-17 19:54:17

Very inexperienced staff & very rude

Review №77

2021-04-29 02:46:10

Very bad customer service

Review №78

2021-04-16 15:40:33

Daughter seems to dig it

Review №79

2018-09-11 02:19:56

I loved the service, you can also choose the amount of sugar you want in your drinks!

Review №80

2019-05-13 03:51:31

Delicious frappe