Ok. Quick context. Our brother got married recently in Flagstaff, Arizona and we planned to stay the entire week leading up to the wedding. Naturally, the fun and perhaps necessity of coffee runs fell upon us and this is where things start to get spicy ( chai spicy to be exact). Throughout the 7 days we were in Flagstaff, we went to 6 coffee shops and ordered 6 chai lattes. This is a breakdown and review of those drinks!
Disclaimer: We ordered dirty chais on this trip instead of plain chais! But hopefully this information is still valuable to those who aren't into coffee.
Stop #1: Matador Coffee Roasting Company
This shop is located right near the hub of downtown Flagstaff and has a drive up window as well as a store front. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we went through to the drive up window and ordered 2 16 oz.iced dirty chais with oat milk. First thoughts were that the coffee flavor was very prominent and forward. I believe they put two shots of espresso in the 16 oz. so if you don't want as much maybe ask for a split shot or just a single shot.
One thing that will probably be discussed to great lengths in this blog will be the spice profile and ratios of each chai we try. These details can make or break any chai. Matador's chai was sweet and had the right (in our minds) balance of spices. Perhaps a bit more cinnamon than other chais and the coffee makes it less sweet as well. It wasn't watery or to icey and we thought that it was honestly enjoyable. Would rate this 4 scones out of 5.
Stop #2: Lux
This shop is adorably positioned in the heart of downtown Flagstaff. The storefront itself is walk in, but due to the pandemic, only 2 people are allowed to be ordering at once. The location is small but cozy and there seemed to be a sitting room directly across from the counter which appeared both aesthetically pleasing and comfy. This was unfortunately close though. We ordered 2 small dirty chais with oat milk again and headed outside to wait by the pickup window.
First impression was spice, but not in a good way. Ginger is a powerful presence in this chai and definitely takes over the flavor profile of the chai. If you are one who loves ginger and perhaps an almost medicinal quality to your chai, than you might enjoy this! Not too sweet so this chai might also be perfect for those who want spice and coffee without spiking their blood sugar. 1.5 scones out of 5.
Stop #3: Macy's European Coffeehouse and Bakery
Macy's is a family favorite of ours because they serve lots of vegan goodies so testing their chai seemed logical. We ordered again 2 iced dirty chais with oat milk and also asked for single shots instead of the regular 2 for their small size (which looked like 16 oz.).
This chai tasted warm and roasty. It isn't as sweet as others but seemed to have a weak chai flavor and a superficial sweetness that wasn't very pleasant. Despite this it still had a warm coffee presence. Although this wasn't our favorite chai, it is definitely better than most and goes great with a Macy's vegan muffin. 3.75 scones out of 5 (4 if you have a muffin with it).
Stop #4: Wicked AZ Coffee
Much like Matador Coffee, Wicked Coffee has a small stand-like location but no storefront. To everyone's surprise, we ordered an iced 16 oz. dirty chai with almond milk. This chai was interesting but still disappointing. We started to notice that a lot of the chais we had tasted in Flagstaff were almost watery or their spice ratios were not the vibe we wanted.
This chai had a pretty classic chai feel but was superficially sweet and watered down. I actually got an almond, almond milk latte instead of a chai *gasp* and it was awesome (tasted like an almond cookie and coffee but might be too sweet for some). Would totally recommend an iced latte with one of their many flavors over the chai. 3 scones out of 5.
Stop #5: Dutch Bros Coffee
As Californians, we don't have Dutch Bros so we naturally had to try it while in Arizona. Much to our brother's new mother in-law's despair and disappointment, we went and waited in the line, so long that it forked into two lanes then eventually back into one.
Our order was a small iced dirty chai with almond milk and cinnamon sprinkles (because they do extra sprinkles and whip for free!). This chai had an almost spicy taste but this was masked or degraded by a very fake tasting sweetness and wateryness. The chai and coffee flavors weren't competing for dominance, instead the ice won the contest.
Despite this, the drink smelled amazing. The mix of cinnamon sprinkles and warm spices made it seem as though this would be what we had been looking for. But this was not the case. If you want ice with a little bit of coffee and chai then you might like this drink. 2.5 scones out of 5.
Stop #6: Late For the Train
Late For the Train is a popular coffee shop in Flagstaff and we were told that this was a place we needed to go. Personally, I ordered an iced oat milk latte with hazelnut (which was awesome I would highly recommend) but my sister got an iced dirty chai.
Disclaimer, we are not scientists and so this time we ordered the chai with hemp milk instead of oat or almond even though that adds another variable to this complex equation. Nevertheless, the chai was still tasted and that is all that matters.
According to my sister, this chai was watery and too spicy for her liking. Nutmeg and cardamom seemed to be dominate and did nothing to help. In the end, one could say that we were salt-tea because really none of the chais in Flagstaff were up to our standards. 2.5 scones out of 5.
Closing thoughts
Flagstaff really need to chai, chai again, because their game is weak. There are so many cute, small, local coffee shops and surely they have a drink that is super good, but in general most didn't hit the mark with their chais. If we were to recommend any of the few coffee shops we tried, Matador and Macy's would probably come to the top.
Although no chai was perfect and there were still more shops to try, these two had almost balanced chai and coffee flavors and weren't too watery for our tastes. Although these are the ones we would recommend, we tend to lean towards a sweeter chai and thicker consistency. Every Shop we tried (except Dutch Bros) was a small local business and so we recommend giving any of them a visit!
Hopefully this guide helped on your chai journey. Hugs and scones,
the Chai Everything Team
Oooh, so interesting and love all the puns. I live in San Diego and would love some chai reviews for places here.