https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/food/2022-01-31/9-spots-for-quality-matcha-in-austin/

9 Spots for Quality Matcha in Austin

By Dina Barrish, January 31, 2022, 3:00pm, On the Range

Translated from the Japanese words “matsu” (to rub) and “cha” (tea), matcha is a smooth, earthy beverage traditionally made by spinning and rubbing green tea leaves in a grinder.

Whether you’re craving hot or iced, blended or whipped, syrupy-sweet or naturally flavored, this lime green refresher is a great alternative for your daily espresso latte. Here are some places to score some quality matcha and get high on antioxidants.

Monkey Nest Coffee

5353 Burnet Rd.
Mon.-Sat., 7am-9pm; Sun., 8am-9pm
@monkeynest

Nestled in the corner of Burnet and Lawnmont, Monkey Nest is a haven for stressed students, overworked professionals, and plain ol’ bookworms. Vintage decor, including monkey sculptures and fringed lamps, accentuate the locally owned cafe, and customers can choose to sit on cushioned chairs, on stools, or at roomier tables.

The casual, comfortable coffee spot serves matcha hot or iced and with a variety of milk substitutions and syrups. With your order of a hot matcha latte, the barista might just make foam art … maybe even in the shape of a monkey.

Monkey Nest also offers organic coffee and eats from açai bowls, to pastries, to tacos to gluten-free pasta salad. Ready for your lunch break?

Sorrento’s Coffee

3021 West Anderson Ln.
Mon.-Fri., 6am-9pm; Sat.-Sun., 7am-5pm

For a quick pick-me-up, stop by Sorrento’s Coffee, a hole-in-the-wall that looks like a tiny home plopped in the middle of a North Austin parking lot. This local, family-owned cafe features an eclectic menu of coffee, soda, smoothies, pastries, breakfast tacos, kolaches, and, of course, matcha. Homemade matcha, in fact, ready at your convenience with soy, oat, coconut, or almond milk.

Order yours at the drive-thru or walk-up window, and don’t feel guilty about splurging on an extra-large (24 oz) green caffeine machine.

Dear Diary Coffeehouse

1212 Chicon #103
Mon.-Fri., 8am-4pm.; Sat.-Sun., 8am-7pm

Dear Diary Coffeehouse is made for creatives, caffeine lovers, and deep conversations. Its vegan menu will not disappoint on eats such as garlic parmesan soft pretzels, spicy seitan kolaches and salted caramel donuts. Notable beverages include the maple & oat nitro cold brew, cinnamon roll latte, or golden butter mocha.

Obviously, matcha is a must, and the artsy cafe delivers with a classic matcha latte. Alongside more common milk substitutes, Dear Diary offers hemp milk, as well as various natural sweetener options.

Bubble Egg

2222 Rio Grande St.
Mon.-Thu., 12pm-9pm.; Fri.-Sun., noon-10pm

Serving authentic, Hong kong egg waffles with your choice of savory or sweet toppings, coffee, signature milk teas, fruit teas, mocktails, and more, Bubble Egg is an ideal option for a late night snack. Located in the heart of the University of Texas’ West Campus, this statewide franchise has that chaotic college charm.

Now, onto the green stuff. Bubble Egg’s premium matcha latte is topped with whipped cream. Pairing it with your waffle is a no-brainer.

Alfred

111 E. Cesar Chavez St.
Mon.-Sun., 7am-5pm

Tucked inside the lobby of the posh LINE Austin hotel with a view of Lady Bird Lake and the Austin skyline, Alfred boosts your mood with elevated classics such as the iced vanilla latte, cold brew, and chai tea latte. For daring Austinites, try Alfred’s pink drink (a fusion of strawberry, pomegranate, vanilla, beetroot, milk, and cinnamon) or the chagaccino (an espresso beverage blended with chaga mushroom flavor, vanilla, monk fruit, cacao, and cinnamon).

As for our main character, Alfred’s green tea is shade-grown and blended with your favorite milk. Austin is the only United States city outside of Los Angeles boasting an Alfred, so bring your Houston and Dallas friends for a weekend treat. Bragging encouraged.

Mozart’s Coffee Roasters

3825 Lake Austin Blvd.
Mon.-Sun., 7am-12am

Light glistening off Lake Austin, live concerts enjoyed by the marina on outdoor picnic tables, and cocoa and marshmallows melting on your tongue during the annual Christmas light show recall one renowned venue: Mozart’s.

The cafe is an Austin must, and it’s high time we named matcha among its accolades. With a variety of eccentric flavor add-ins such as watermelon, lavender, rose and coconut, Mozart’s matcha is ready to please even the most discerning tea snob.

Intelligentsia Coffee

607 W. Third #0110
Mon.-Sun., 7am-4pm

This cafe and online store offers resources for best coffee-making practices as well as a creative approach to matcha. Intelligenstia’s menu features not only a hot and iced matcha latte on the sweeter end of the spectrum, but also a nitro oat milk matcha latte that gives the drink an extra velvety flair.

Shoal Creek is Intelligentsia's only Austin location, so be sure to check it out on your walk down the trail.

Teapioca Lounge

9600 S. I-35 Frontage Rd., Ste. B-300
Mon.-Sun., 11am-9pm

Coffee and cream, margarita and lime, matcha and … you got it, boba.

Made from tapioca starch, bobas are a traditional Taiwanese accessory to tea drinks and matcha’s partner in crime.

Teapioca Lounge offers pure, creamed, and red bean cream matcha all with the option of adding boba. Unlock new flavors and textures at this trusted franchise, and don’t forget to say hello to Xiao Bau, the friendly red panda and Teapioca Lounge mascot.

GoPuff Kitchen

706 N. Lamar
Mon.-Fri., 7am-10pm

GoPuff is a website through which customers can order grocery, restaurant, and convenience store items directly to their door. Recently, GoPuff bought Bandit Coffee, the former occupant of the hub on Lamar, and transformed the space into GoPuff Kitchen — a mini store where nearby GoPuff orders are prepared fresh. Bandit products are now available for delivery via GoPuff.

With an exhaustive matcha bar featuring pure matcha, matcha lattes, honey lavender matcha lattes, matcha chai, iced matcha palmer and matcha mocha, Bandit answers to hardcore matcha-heads. Queue your most relaxing playlist, take advantage of Bandit’s door-to-door service, and make today a green goddess moment.