Top 10 Iced Chai in Savannah: A Ranking
Written by Alexa LoSchiavo. Graphic by Ana Vergara.
One of my favorite things in the world is an iced chai (with oat milk). There’s something about the beautiful taste of spice and the ritual that comes with drinking it. The jolt of energy mixed with the comfortability of getting the same drink I always get—the fun of seeing how it compares to all the rest. Whenever I go to a new city, the first thing I try to do is get an iced chai. When I first made it to Savannah, I knew I’d be staying awhile. I scoped out the scene, asking my roommate and friends what their favorite place for iced chai was and to my chagrin, everyone answered something different.
So, for the last few months, I’ve been testing all the chai places in Savannah, and today, I want to make a grand list, ranking and giving feedback on my favorite (and least favorite) chai places. I’ll add reasons for each because some people do have different tastes; the reasons for my least favorite may be the reasons for your favorite! However, I want everyone to know all the scoop on chai places in Savannah, so if it’s also your favorite comfort beverage, you get some information on where you want to go!
10. The Paris Market
If you’ve ever been to The Paris Market, you know it’s a simply beautiful place. However, this simply beautiful place does not make a good chai latte! In my humble opinion. It tastes mostly like milk, there is no spice flavor, and it is rather watered down. It’s also one of the more expensive places to buy a beverage. Their honey lavender vanilla latte is beautiful and delicious but their iced chai leaves much to be desired.
9. Lulu’s
Next up, we have Lulu’s Dessert Bar. Now, this is less of a cafe more of a dessert place but they do make an iced chai. Unfortunately, this iced chai is very watered down and very filled with milk. It tastes rather bland, with no real flavor to carry it. Their hot chai is very comforting and has more of a natural spicy taste, but their iced chai leaves you wanting more.
8. The Sentient Bean
The Sentient Bean is a beautiful coffee shop that routinely offers a number of events, which I encourage you to check out. However, in terms of their iced chai, they fall slightly short. Their hot chai is one of my favorite things ever. It is broughtto you in a warm little mug they keep on the shelves. But the iced chai, while wonderfully spiced, falls short because it has too much ice. By the second sip, you taste more water than chai, and you’re left wishing you’d picked out the ice right away.
7. Foxy Loxy Cafe
Foxy Loxy is another beautiful and lovely cafe, perhaps one of my favorites in Savannah. And their chai is really rather good. But when put up against the other options that scatter Savannah, it falls short just a little bit. The chai is spicy and beautifully mixed with whatever milk choice you choose; however, it’s a little bit watery and too sweet. If you’re a fan of a slightly too-sweet chai, then this is a place for you. Ultimately, there are better chai tastes in the many coffee shops in Savannah.
6. The Coffee Fox
The Coffee Fox is a cute little coffee shop on Broughton Street and it’s iced chai is beautiful, it’s the right amount of spicy and sweet as well as with a rather good ratio in ice to chai. I highly recommend trying it, and isn’t it amazing that the number 6 chai in Savannah is still so tastefully good!
5. Dottie’s Market
Another coffee shop and brunch spot on Broughton Street, Dottie’s toes the line as the middle Chai ranking. Dottie’s is just as good as Coffee Fox, perfectly balancing the spice and sweetness in just the same way. The thing that puts it just over the edge is the ice. There’s very little ice in Dottie’s iced chai, and that choice makes the chai taste way stronger and accounts for a rather beautiful experience.
4. Henny Penny Art Space & Cafe
Oh my goodness! If you haven’t been to Henny Penny, I highly recommend you go, if only for the beautiful environment of seeing the beautiful art and fun cards that decorate the shop. Henny Penny also has some of the best pastries and desserts in Savannah, supplying a lot of the other coffee shops as well. Ultimately, Henny Penny jumps up to a new category of chai, which is not too sweet but beautifully spiced and refreshing. There’s nothing wrong with this chai, in my opinion, and I highly recommend you try it!
3. The Gallery Espresso
The Gallery Espresso is a beautiful coffee shop and environment, surrounded by artwork and comfortable chairs, it makes for a perfect environment to sit and do homework or sit and chat with friends. But even better, their chai is the perfect blend of spicy and sweet, made with concentrate unlike some of the other cafe’s. I think this chai is almost perfect and definitelyworth a taste.
2. Clyde Market
Moving on to the top two!! Clyde Market has a chai which is blended perfectly and has all the elements of spice and sweetness which I think make a good chai. The only reason it’s second on the list is because it is almost 7 dollars. But if you ever feel like you can splurge, I highly recommend this chai because it’s honestly one of the best I’ve ever tasted.
1. Big Bon Bodega
The best chai in Savannah is in a bodega!! Located on Bull Street, next to Arnold Hall and Foxy Loxy, this chai stands secretly behind bagels and pizza as the best chai in Savannah. It holds all the beautiful qualities that have been writtenbefore, a perfect spicy-to-sweet ratio and chai-to-milk ratio. But it holds special secret things that make it stand out above all else. Firstly, the ice is cubed and crunchy, unlike any other ice you’d get with a chai at any other coffee shop. It makes the drink not watery at all, and the ice becomes a pleasant and beautiful addition to the drink. Secondly, they sprinkle cinnamon over the top of each iced chai, which, when mixed into the drink, elevates it to the best iced chai in Savannah!
Thank you for taking the time to read my ranking of chai in Savannah! I hope you test some out and see if you agree with me or find your own favorites based on your own tastes!
