Are you looking for a new go-to coffee shop drink? Are you a new chai drinker unsure where to start? Are you a veteran to chai lattes basically interested in all things chai? Well regardless of your relationship with chai, this article will give you great insight on the best spots for a delicious iced chai latte around Northeastern University's campus.
We visited three of our favorite cafés near campus: Farmer's Horse, Pavement Coffeehouse, and Tatte. At each location, we order the exact same drink - a small iced chai latte with oat milk. We scored each drink out of 5 points on two categories crucial to any good chai drink: strength of spice flavor and sweetness level. We finished with an overall score that also takes into consideration the price of the drink.
Farmer's Horse
First up on the roster is Farmer's Horse Coffee. In terms of price, this chai was the cheapest of the bunch at $3.55. Right off the bat their iced chai looked very pale and milky. This chai was too milky and did not taste like anything until the harsh bitter aftertaste. It could have been much sweeter as well. Overall this wasn't our favorite, but if you are a fan of a chai that has a little kick to it, this might be the one for you.
STRENGTH: 3.5 (chai itself is not spicy until the aftertaste)
SWEETNESS: 2
OVERALL: 2
Pavement Coffeehouse
Our next stop was Pavement Coffeehouse. Pavement's chai was already looking better than that of Farmer's Horse because of the darker chai color. This chai was on the pricier side coming out around $5. This chai was stronger than the Farmer's Horse one and a lot less milky. It was bitter in a good way, without being too overpowering or spicy. This chai was sweeter too, but not overly sweet. If you are a fan of a strong chai but don't like when it is overly sweet, this is the chai for you.
STRENGTH: 4
SWEETNESS: 3.5
OVERALL: 4
Tatte Bakery & Cafe
Last but definitely not least is Tatte Bakery & Cafe. This chai was the darkest chai color of the bunch. The price was in between Farmer's Horse and Pavement at $4.12. The most dominant taste was the sweetness. While not spicy at all, the strength of this chai comes from the hint of bitterness. It is stronger than Farmer's Horse and almost as strong as Pavement. This chai is comparable to the one offered at Pavement, but much sweeter, so if you have a sweet tooth, you can't go wrong with this chai.
STRENGTH: 3.5
SWEETNESS: 4.5
OVERALL: 4
Overall Ranking
There was a strong consensus from both of us that Farmer's Horse's chai latte was not on the same level as the ones offered at Tatte and Pavement. The underwhelming chai flavor washed out by an excessive amount of milk was a major disappointment, and the bitter aftertaste did not help. Perhaps, the only redeeming quality of the Farmer's Horse option was its low price in comparison to the other cafes.
Pavement and Tatte proved to be strong contenders for the top spot. With both locations offering a great chai flavor, the real differentiating quality was the sweetness level. For those with more of a sweet tooth, Tatte is the better option, but if you're looking for a more traditional, less sweetened chai latte, Pavement is the cafe for your chai needs. While Pavement is more expensive than Tatte, it's important to keep in mind portion size as well, since Pavement offers a larger drink size.
Overall, both Tatte and Pavement make great chai lattes that we highly recommend you to try!