Factory Tea Bar

been to this place couple of times before. The first time I was here was to study, but this place is so loud with music and with people talking I can’t even study at all. The second time I was here was with my cousin and this time it wasn’t to study, it was for the drink. I order the plum black tea. It didn’t really taste as great as the first time I came here, it was too sweet and can’t really taste the plum. I guess it was the person that made it this time. Their sweet potato fries are good and their brick toast was too sweet. Today is my third time coming back with my hubby. He haven’t try this place so I took him here to order the popcorn chicken which was so good (hot and fresh) you can actually taste the meat and not just the powder. I order the honey milk tea which was perfect, not too sweet and he order the peach slushy which I thought it was ok.
Parking is hard to find since its located on the street and their own parking is not that huge. I would take a picture of it if my hands weren’t full with drinks and food. Maybe next time if I do come back again.

Two of my best friends took me here last night get dessert. However, I was full from dinner still so I only ordered an extra hot taro milk tea with boba. While ordering with our waitress, I was asking about the add-​on taro for my drink and when she told me it was chucks on taro, I specifically said no, I’ll take the boba instead.
When I got my drink, it wasn’t really hot. She gladly heated it up or remade it. Then when I stuck my spoon in it to grab boba, I noticed it had taro. The taro totally messed up the consistency of the drink that I was craving all day long.
I didn’t complain about the taro because I had already complained about the drink temperature. It’s not that big of a deal anyways. When she took my order, it was very loud. Seemed to be very loud my whole stay.
Otherwise, this tea café was pretty cool. We were able to get a table within five minutes and they offer board games and such. We played Jenga, BS, and Heads up. It’s nice to play good old fashion board games.
«Snacks» we’re super cheap. Ranged from $ 3.00-$ 7.00. Drinks ranged in the normal price range.
Factory Tea Bar earned three stars from me.

Parking was easy for us. Great atmosphere. Very spacious. Great for studying and big groups. 90s and 2000s hip hop played over the speakers while we were there.
Strawberry green tea with honey boba: fantastic boba, strawberry chunks, not too sweet, very refreshing.
Caramel toast: delicious toast with 4 huge scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream. Appetizing presentation.
Popcorn chicken: juicy and seasoned well. The mild was spicy so beware for those who are weak with spice. Good portion size.
Overall I really enjoyed everything I got and liked being there. I would come back!

FTB is probably one of my favorite boba places in SGV. The construction in the area makes it a little difficult to get to, but it’s worth it! It’s not really located near all the other popular food places in SGV, like on Valley and San Gabriel. There’s a decent amount of street parking around the place, but sometimes it can be difficult to find during busy times.
It’s a great place to casually study or hang out with friends. They have a decent amount of tables and couches. They also have games that you can borrow like Jenga and Monopoly Deal. I could definitely spend a few hours here just hanging out with my friends. That’s also the mentality of most people who come here, so it might be difficult to get a table during peak hours.
Their drinks are really good too! I usually get the Almond Milk Tea. Their Factory Milk Tea and Nom Nom Milk Tea are pretty good too. I have a pretty big sweet tooth, so these drinks are perfect for me. For those who like their drinks not as sweet, you can ask for half-​sweet in your drinks. Their boba is also really good cause it’s warm, chewy, and sweet.
I also really like their FTB Condensed Milk with Milo Toast. The ice cream in it is
.

I love their nom nom green milk tea with pudding but by itself tastes just as good. I would suggest less sugar if you’re sensitive to sweets and less ice if you want it creamier. Almond milk tea also very strong almond flavor, love it. The red bull drinks might seem random, but to my surprise they taste refreshing and delicious. If you’re needing a push in your day, stop by and get one. I’ve been here many times and here’s my take on the dishes I’ve tried after over 10+ visits. Service is hit or miss, I had a nice worker today? Victor? He was extremely welcoming and sweet can’t say the same for others unfortunately. Never had great service from anyone except the guy that took our order today.
Cajun fries: No… Never again. When the waitress brought it out, my family and I were surprised that they just looked like French fries with salt and pepper. Aren’t Cajun fries supposed to be dusted in I don’t know Cajun powder? She told us this was their take on it. Aside from that they were so salty and honestly McDonald is better and cheaper how sad. Pass on this.
Cuttlefish balls: BOMB! Definitely my favorite, order extra spicy if you’re a lover of all things hot and the sauce pairs well with it to take it up another heat notch. Spicy levels are on par maybe on higher side so order mild if you’re sensitive to spicy then ask for more powder on side.
Popcorn chicken: Definitely better than most places I’ve been, reminds me of Tasteas’ chicken, little breeding more chicken and seasoning contact. Recommend this, same for spicy levels, you can add more but can’t take away.
Toast: Sweet and satisfying! I can see why it’s popular but confirm with your server which one you’re getting cause we have had a mix up before, but either way still tastes good, a little different than your GUPPY brick toast, but still just as good!

Been to FTB a couple of times
but this time i just HAD to write a review
Passion Fruit Yogurt w/​boba:
yummy! but a bit watered down
Honey Lemon Green Tea w/​lychee bits:
tasted like honey lemon green tea haha. what else do you expect tho!
the popcorn chicken was mediocre. small portion and my friend felt like it was just microwaved/​from costco LOL!
this is a cute place to hang out with friends though :) also a nice place to study

I got a hot rose milk tea this time while studying with a friend. It’s a bit louder than I would like but it was fine with my headphones in. It’s always pretty busy when I go, but there’s a lot of tables so it’s ok. My rose milk tea even with 50% was really sweet, but the worker was nice enough to add more tea and then it was better. I will probably stick to cold drinks since its larger size and less sweet with the ice. My friend got the nom nom GMT w/​boba and that was good. Overall, good place to hang out and play games or study if you don’t mind it being more dim and loud.

Ah. Good old SGV. A place where there are a surplus of boba spots. Parking is shitty unless you like to walk across the street like me. Burn them calories. This place is always busy. Their drinks are pretty awesome & it’s a lot different as far as how the layout is. Customer service is a hit or miss. Honestly, either way, I’m still getting my drink so give me your attitude. It turns me on.

I went through a period of time where I was obsessed with brick toast. Technically if I didn’t have to watch out for my waistline, I would STILL be obsessed with brick toast but alas, getting old means a slower metabolism in general. Factory Tea Bar is a pretty nice place to hang out with some friends. The atmosphere is very relaxed, the service is pretty good, and there is ample parking everywhere. There are board games that you can play and I suppose you can even do some homework because there are outlets but it’s not the most quiet place. Anyways, I came for their brick toast and it was a delight.
We ordered the F.T.B. House Special Caramel Toast and a Passion Fruit Green tea. The brick toast is a beautiful and most order thing. It comes with 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream all drizzled with chocolate and caramel. The center of the brick toast is cut out and it’s caramelized on top for easy and tasty eating. The bread itself had a nice consistency and it truly was one of my favorite brick toasts to date. The tea was also just as good although I think it’s pretty hard to mess up flavored tea in general. The price is reasonable considering that we shared the toast between 3 people and there were some leftovers. Next time you get a craving for some brick toast, I recommend making a stop at Factory Tea Bar! ⁴⁄₅

The hubby– «Y’know, we’re too old for this place…»
Me– «OMG RLY?!?» LOL
It’s not FTB’s fault that us old farts were feeling like totally out of our element here.
We were early for a performance across the street at the Playhouse and decided to kill some time here. From outside, it didn’t even look like it was open. But opening the door, whoa, teen hang-​out!
It was dark inside. I had to step carefully.
Interesting and fun décor.
There were some comfy-​looking couches in one area, but those were taken. So we sat in the back at a table. And had to listen to some loud teen talk. Not that we were eavesdropping, but couldn’t help but hear. The music was nice and not too loud. Don’t know why the youngsters were raising their voices. So much fun watching them sneakily checking each other out. I was thinking, «Jeez, Captain Obvious, just go up and say hello already!»
I was feeling sorry for that very personable nice young gal working the tables.
She was kept so busy doing everything!
Seating, taking orders, bussing tables, ringing up checks, etc.
Give her a raise! Someone who works that hard (and with a big smile) is a valuable asset.
The hubby had a passion fruit slush. He liked that it wasn’t overly sweet.
Got that painful brain freeze and went to go put it in the car for after the performance.
I had a hot honey green tea which was made the way I like it. Strong tea taste and not overly sweet.
Took it to finish across the street since it was almost time to enter the Playhouse.
I’m giving 4-​stars, because if I was maybe 35 – 40 years younger, this would for sure be a place for me and my BFFs.

WOWW BOBA. I have come here twice and have enjoyed my drinks and experience thoroughly. The first time I ordered the factory milk tea, although nothing extraordinary, I enjoyed the taste of the tea and the cup was huge (+1 for large portions).
I have also tried the passion fruit green tea and it was amazing. Just the perfect amount of sweetness with a slight fruity flavor, YUM. Snacks here like the fish tempura and popcorn chicken are tasty too.
The atmosphere of this place is very nice, there are tons of couches as well as board games and cards, excellent to chill and have a drink with friends :)

Factory Tea Bar is definitely a cool and hip spot to hangout in the San Gabriel area. Anytime during the day, the place is crowded with friends just catching up, or people studying. The boba texture is also really good. Good enough to keep me coming back even though there are a bunch of other boba places in the area.
My problem with this place is 1) the parking and 2) they RAN OUT OF BOBA on a Sunday afternoon. Even though Factory Tea Bar has its own parking lot, there are not enough spaces. I don’t think I have ever parked inside because it is always crowded. When I came here on a Sunday afternoon at around 2−3pm and got to the front of the line, the sever told me that they ran out of boba. WHAT? How can you run out of boba? How did the store not anticipate that they would run out of boba? Who is managing this place? So, instead of waiting 30 minutes for them to make the boba, I went elsewhere.
After that experience, I don’t know if I would return. I guess I could always call the store in advance to make sure they still have boba, but that just seems a little ridiculous.

I like it for the vibes and the space where you can hang out in large groups talking or playing games. I only came in here to get a quick drink and I ordered the FTB milk tea (apparently it stands for Factory Tea Bar but I call it fuq that beach… both work). Now that I’m trying to recall the taste, I find it hard to remember anything special about it… it was just milk tea but less milky than what I usually have. It wasn’t bad either because I almost finished the whole thing. I saved it for the next morning and it wasn’t too watered down so that’s one good thing.
One of the reasons I gave it a 3 instead of a 4 is because the service here wasn’t friendly. I forgot my scarf here and called back right when they opened the next day and the girl on the phone was dismissive and not empathetic at all. She had only been on the phone with for not even 2 minutes and she already said oh we didn’t find anything. Can you at least pretend like you care and look at the lost and found or ask someone who knows better? –_​_​–

My friends suggested that we come here after eating dinner at Savoy! We all ordered the nom nom green tea with boba and I really enjoyed it! I might opt out of boba next time though… to get more tea. It is very creamy and sweet though! I’ve been thinking about it the past few days and will definitely get it if I’m ever in the area.

As the name suggests, the name is like a bar! Dim atmosphere and friendly staff.
I tried their FTB milk tea and jasmine milk tea with pearls. Both were strong and tasty! My brother ordered a hot drink, but the barista accidentally prepared it cold. The barista quickly prepared a new beverage without hesitation.
There is a lot of space and tables for different groups to hang out. Some people were catching up with friends and there was another corner with students catching up with school work.
I will definitely return on my next trip to SoCal!

Ample parking, good service, nice setting, good drinks, but most importantly the brick toast BOMB DIGGITYYYYYYYY and only for $ 7, while other places charge upwards of $ 10 this place is only $ 7 and it comes with 3 large scoops of delicious ice cream!
they have games like jenga and cards so if you come with a group of friends you won’t be bored :)

I came here to try their brick toast which looked amazing online. I really liked the space, with sofas and tables everywhere. It gives off a really chill vibe, and was pretty busy on a Saturday night.
Our toast came out, but I was pretty disappointed. The toast wasn’t that great and the ice cream was definitely store bought. If you want good brick toast, guppy tea house never disappoints. I also tried their nom nom tea, which was decent. Their honey boba on the other hand was really good!
Overall, a chill place to hang out with friends. Maybe get their drinks, but I don’t recommend the toast.

This is a good place to go when you’re thirsty when you’re near the San Gabriel Mission. The rose milk tea is good for those who like flower teas when its not too sweet. What’s good about this place is you can regulate how sweet a drink you like. There is free wifi which is good for students who have to study or do homework even for those who just want some time alone. Always great to not have to use your data up when you’re not home. This is a good place to relax with friends or a date then it can get loud here sometimes with lots of people and music playing that you may want to go somewhere else if you’re looking to make more conversation.
This is a CASH ONLY PLACE. It’s a good idea to always carry cash especially if you’re a foodie you need 2 form of payments everywhere you go. There is free parking up the street not sure how busy the area gets on weekends then you could always go here during the day if you want to miss the crowds when it seems really quiet in that area.

If there’s one thing that represents the SGV, it’s boba. And if there’s one place that represents boba, it’s FTB.
I had heard about the legend of the holy grail of boba from my friend a few years back. One that would make all other boba drinks taste like they are simply missing something. And that something is nom nom. More specifically, the Nom Nom Milk.
Ever since the first time I had this beautiful concoction of sweet milk, luscious tapioca, smooth pudding, and icy goodness, I have had countless cravings late at night, throughout the day, and basically every time I wanted good boba. The cravings take me all the way from Arcadia (a 20 – 25 minute drive away) just to get a sip of that precious ambrosia. And I don’t have to be the first to tell you that Arcadia has some pretty good boba.
Parking is easy. They have a lot and there are spots on the street as well. The only thing you have to watch out for are the lines. This place gets really popular, especially at night. You might have a hard time finding a place to sit, but it’s okay, it tastes just as good back in the car (100% verified by me.)
If you have time to stay, try ordering their brick toast! Make sure you have a few friends though. That brick toast comes packing with tons of ice cream.
Next time you are riding around the SGV looking for a place to chill at, make the drive over to FTB. It will be more than worth it.

A great place to do fake studying. What is fake studying you ask? It’s the type of studying that young teens do. They go to a coffee shop with their homework and friends, but they don’t really do any homework. On the surface, it looks like they’re doing work because all their books are open. But they’re actually talking with their friends and socializing over a nice cold/​warm beverage. But there’s nothing wrong with that. If you want to do REAL studying, this is not the place for that.
I’ve been here a few times, and it’s been very crowded each time. Once, I came on a Friday at 1:30pm thinking that there would be plenty of tables. I was wrong. There was a long line. No open tables. LOUD music and a bunch of young teens talking loudly.
If you’re looking for loud music and lots of people, this is the place for you! If you’re looking to study, this is not the place!