USC boba picker
Pick a boba route from USC
Choose how much time you have and what kind of drink you want.
Use this for a classic off-campus boba stop on South Figueroa.
Check current hours before leaving campus, especially for campus dining and late-night runs.
Best boba near USC and Los Angeles
For most USC students, the practical answer is not a generic “top 5 in LA” list. It is a route decision: walking distance, late-night Figueroa run, Downtown errand, K-town ride, Westside tea stop, or SGV trip.
| Pick | Best for | Route from USC |
|---|---|---|
| Pot of Cha | Classic milk tea close to campus | South Figueroa shop near USC, useful when you want a dedicated boba stop without crossing town. |
| Amino Avenue Boba & Coffee | Late-night boba, coffee, matcha, and dessert | University Park shop at 2700 S Figueroa St with long daily hours listed on its official site. |
| Sharetea at Tutor Hall | On-campus boba between classes | Campus dining option reported by the Daily Trojan, with classic pearl milk tea, fruit tea, Thai tea, and matcha. |
| It’s Boba Time Downtown LA | Big chain menu near a Downtown LA errand | Use it when you are already heading north into Downtown rather than when you need the closest USC drink. |
| Sunright Tea Studio K-town | Brown sugar, fruit tea, and cheese foam route | Koreatown option on West 6th Street, better for a short rideshare or Metro-connected trip than a campus walk. |
| Odd One Out Tea | Tea-forward drinks on a Westside or K-town run | Use Sawtelle for Westside plans or Koreatown for a closer LA route when you care more about tea quality than speed. |
| Bopomofo Cafe San Gabriel | SGV destination boba and food | Worth considering on a San Gabriel Valley food trip, not as a quick USC stop. |
Sources checked for this refresh include Pot of Cha’s official order page, Amino Avenue’s official site, the Daily Trojan report on Sharetea opening at USC, USC Village’s dining context, Sunright Tea Studio locations, Odd One Out Tea locations, and Bopomofo Cafe locations.
USC boba shortlist
Pot of Cha
Pot of Cha is the easiest first stop when the search is literally “boba near USC.” Its official order page lists the shop at 3013 S Figueroa in Los Angeles and gives daily hours from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. That makes it better for afternoon and evening runs than early morning coffee-style orders.
Start with classic milk tea, Thai tea, jasmine green tea, or a brown sugar-style order if you want a familiar campus boba stop. It is also the cleanest internal answer for students who do not want to ride across LA for a drink.
Amino Avenue Boba & Coffee
Amino Avenue works when you want boba plus coffee, matcha, high-protein milk, or a late-night option. Its official site lists the address as 2700 S Figueroa St, Ste 105, Los Angeles, CA 90007, and shows Monday to Sunday hours from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Use it for brown sugar boba milk, taro ube boba milk, strawberry boba milk, matcha, coconut refreshers, or dessert-style orders. It is also useful when one person wants coffee and another wants milk tea.
Sharetea at Tutor Hall
Sharetea is the most campus-specific pick. The Daily Trojan reported that Sharetea opened in Tutor Hall Cafe in August 2025 and listed drinks such as classic pearl milk tea, fruit tea, Thai tea, matcha tea, ice-blended coffee, and tiger milk. The same report said it accepts dining dollars and runs on weekday campus hours.
Pick Sharetea when you are between classes or already near Viterbi. For late nights, weekends, or a bigger menu, Pot of Cha or Amino Avenue is the safer plan.
It’s Boba Time Downtown LA
It’s Boba Time is useful when you are already going into Downtown LA and want a broad chain menu with milk teas, smoothies, coffee drinks, and snacks. It should not be treated as the closest USC answer, but it belongs in the LA route list because Downtown searches overlap with campus trips.
Use this route when you are north of campus, near 7th Street, or combining boba with a Downtown errand.
Sunright Tea Studio K-town
Sunright’s Koreatown location is a better fit for people searching “best boba in Los Angeles” than people who need a five-minute USC stop. The local listing and Sunright’s own location page point to the West 6th Street shop in Koreatown, which makes it a reasonable rideshare or transit route from University Park.
Use Sunright when you want a larger tea chain menu, brown sugar boba milk, fruit tea, or cheese foam-style drinks.
Odd One Out Tea
Odd One Out is the tea-focused pick for a Westside or Koreatown route. Its own location page lists Sawtelle and Koreatown Los Angeles locations, so it is useful when the plan is more “best boba in LA” than “closest boba near USC.”
Choose it when tea quality and house drinks matter more than convenience. If you only have a short break, stay near campus instead.
Bopomofo Cafe San Gabriel
Bopomofo is a destination stop, not a nearby USC shop. Its official location page lists San Gabriel and Cerritos-Artesia locations. It can make sense on a San Gabriel Valley food run, especially if you want boba with Taiwanese American cafe food.
Do not use it as the default USC answer. Use it when you already planned an SGV trip.
Los Angeles boba routes from USC
Use these routes instead of picking from a citywide list at random:
- Walking or quick campus break: Sharetea at Tutor Hall if it is open, then Pot of Cha.
- Late-night Figueroa run: Amino Avenue first, then Pot of Cha if the timing works.
- Downtown LA errand: It’s Boba Time Downtown LA.
- Koreatown ride: Sunright Tea Studio or Odd One Out Tea.
- Westside plan: Odd One Out Sawtelle.
- San Gabriel Valley food trip: Bopomofo Cafe or a separate SGV boba crawl.
For a broader local search, use the Los Angeles bubble tea directory and compare the route against specific shop pages such as Sunright Tea Studio, Odd One Out Tea, It’s Boba Time, and Quickly.
What to order near USC
If you are ordering fast near campus, keep the drink simple: classic milk tea with boba, jasmine milk tea, Thai tea, brown sugar milk, mango green tea, or a matcha latte. Those orders are easy to compare across shops and less likely to disappoint when a line is long.
Ask three quick questions before ordering:
- Can you adjust sweetness?
- Are pearls included or added separately?
- Is the drink brewed tea, fresh milk, powder, or a coffee/matcha base?
Those details matter around campus because the best order depends on whether you want caffeine, a late-night dessert drink, or a quick dining-dollar option.
Is there good boba near USC?
Yes. Pot of Cha, Amino Avenue Boba & Coffee, and Sharetea at Tutor Hall give USC students real nearby options. Pot of Cha is the classic off-campus pick, Amino Avenue is useful for late-night boba and coffee, and Sharetea is the campus option when Tutor Hall hours work.
What is the best boba near USC?
Pot of Cha is the best first stop for most “boba near USC” searches because it is a dedicated boba shop close to campus. Amino Avenue is the better pick for late-night hours, matcha, coffee, or dessert-style drinks.
What is the best boba in Los Angeles from USC?
For a quick campus route, use Pot of Cha, Amino Avenue, or Sharetea. For a broader Los Angeles boba run, try Koreatown for Sunright or Odd One Out, Downtown LA for It’s Boba Time, Sawtelle for a Westside tea route, or San Gabriel Valley for Bopomofo.
Is Bopomofo near USC?
No. Bopomofo Cafe is better treated as a San Gabriel Valley or Cerritos-Artesia destination, not a near-USC shop. It can be worth the trip, but it should not replace a campus shortlist.
Where should I go for late-night boba near USC?
Amino Avenue is the strongest late-night option near USC based on the long hours listed on its official site. Pot of Cha is also useful for evening boba, but check current hours before walking over.
