The Best Chai Tea in the US

After a trip to Providence, RI last fall, I asked my boyfriend (now fiance) what are the biggest determinants on whether he likes a city and would return or not. 

Oni values: food, walkability or being able to use rideshare, how yummy the cauliflower wings are

My values: food, views, nature, and how yummy are the chais

I’ve never been a fan of coffee and a former colleague suggested I try a chai tea. The first few I tried were not my favorite. I continued ordering them occasionally from various coffee shops hoping I would find a drink that could be my go-to at a coffee shop! Eventually, my entire experience leveled up again in the summer of 2023 when my bestie, Ayrien, introduced me to oat milk chai teas (I was getting almond milk prior). Things have never been the same since. 

So if you’re anything like me and struggled to find the non-coffee alternatives at coffee shops and love chai’s enjoy my post highlighting some of my favorite chai tea across the country:

A few things to note:

1. I get my chai’s with oatmilk

2. I prefer an iced chai. I rarely get a hot chai unless it’s freezing cold.

3. While I can appreciate a slightly spice-y chai, I favor a more vanilla-y chai

4. I am not a fan of really any coffee chain chai - they just do not compare in my opinion. 

Rankings:

1. The Upside Brew (Cincinnati, OH) - by far my favorite coffee shop in my hometown with the best vibes, music, and of course, chai tea. Both their hot and iced chai are AMAZING!

   Positives: they make their own milk alternatives, beautiful art all over the walls, playlists are usually 10/10, small space to work outside

   Negatives: finding parking can be challenging sometimes

2. Pistache Fine Desserts (Providence, RI) - another creamy chai that is very sweet but AMAZING. They do have a spicer chai that was an option.

Positives: quick service, tons of cake/pastries/deserts

Negatives: not a big space to sit/talk/work

3. Foxtail Coffee (Orlando, FL) - a very unexpected recent find for me! Their iced chai has a hint of apple flavor and it is the BOMB.com

Positives: cute shop, great service, locations in several states

Negatives: none - except I need to move to FL for this chai ;)

4. Vibe Coffee + Wine (Denver, CO) - so I flew from Orlando to Denver in March and experienced Foxtail’s chai and then Vibez and my tastebuds were on Cloud 9. 

Positives: cute shop/centrally located in Downtown Denver, lots of space, great for working

Negatives: service was so/so

5. Goodess & The Baker (Chicago, IL) - this place might be the cutest coffee shop I’ve ever seen. I grabbed a chai heading back to airport and I absolutely loved it. 

Positives: ice ratio was on point, cute aesthetic, tons of food on their menu, centrally located in downtown Chicago

Negatives: can get crowded/hard to find seating

6. Pettibone Coffee (Dayton, OH) - On occasion I work at this coffee shop and it’s so fun. There is a lot of great natural light and plenty of seating. I always opt for the iced chai and it has the perfect mix of creamy and spice.

Positives: lively and bigger space for working - not the most comfy furniture

Negatives: music and chatter volume is pretty unpredictable (sometimes quiet other times so loud you can’t take a meeting)

7. Hayday Coffee (Atlantic City, NJ) - Wowza! I popped by this place while on a work trip with my fiance and was thoroughly surprised by how much I loved my drink. 

Positives: delicious chai, just off Boardwalk, friendly service

Negatives: the space is tiny and not the greatest for taking work meetings

8. Foxy Loxy Cafe (Savannah, GA) - I visited Savannah with one of my besties in 2023 and there was a book of recommendations at our accommodations which is how we found out about this place. They were super friendly and this is actually somewhere where I had a warm chai - 100% recommended if you’re ever in Savannah.

Positives: friendly service, outdoor patio

Negatives: none

9. Mom N ‘Em (Cincinnati, OH) - I am a slow adopter, so when I feel like something is overhyped, I will intentionally avoid jumping on the bandwagon. Well…I understand the hype now. 

Positives: great service (like the kind where they actually enjoy their job), food menu is top tier for coffee shop, multiple locations

Negatives: parking is limited or on street at both locations(not my fav)

10. Mahalo Coffee Roasters (Knoxville, TN) - While on a work trip, I had 3 over the span of 3 days. More on the sweet vanilla side, light, and they get their ice ratio right. Perfect for a warmer summer day.

Positives: perfect amount of ice (even in the very hot TN summer)

Negatives: none

11. Menagerie Coffee  (Philly, PA) - This coffee shop is another tiny one (space-wise), but their iced chai was delicious on a warm fall day. The space is very narrow and there is not a ton of seating but if you just need a place to stop and hang for a little while visiting Downtown Philly this is perfect!

Positives: close to downtown Philly

Negatives: very limited space (for sitting to work or waiting for to-go orders)

12. Fox in the Snow Cafe (Columbus, OH) - This was one of the most recent chai’s I’ve tried and it is more spicy than other chai’s I’ve listed but still has a sweetness to it. It was still well balanced and not overwhelmingly spicy.

Positives: multiple locations across Cbus, most ideal for coffee date/chat

Negatives: no wifi in their shops, super busy/long wait during peak times

Any suggestions on others I should try? Let me know!