Your guide to chai!

Sometimes, the warmth of chai spices against the froth of warm milk – or a milk alternative, of course – is the perfect way to ignite some magic in your day. While a hot chai latte is an inviting way to welcome the day, you may like to double down with a shot (or twelve!) of espresso. Some enjoy a nice caffeine-free chai at the end of the day. Our heart health benefits from the flavonoids, so you may as well indulge.

No matter your favorite way to enjoy this cold weather blues-busting beverage, these spots around Kansas City have fantastic chai lattes to try.

Friendly Bean Coffee

I asked many people where their favorite cup of chai resided in the city, and the vast majority – not just northlanders – swear by the Friendly Bean chai. As someone from the northland, I can back this choice up. Default flavors include chocolate, raspberry, vanilla, and spiced, all of which are decadent and memorable. Check their seasonal menu for any limited offerings. (The spiced chai is my go-to.)

Anchor Island Coffee

Another fan favorite? Anchor Island’s creamy, delicious chai. You can have their regular option, or add any number of flavorings, including vanilla, chocolate, apple, and caramel. They treat these beverages with such reverence, you can note every layer of flavor as you enjoy it. This, plus their super affordable french toast, and I am in absolute heaven.

Front Range Cafe

Front Range Cafe features six incredible signature drinks, including the Trailhead. A brown sugar cinnamon dirty chai option, this is a fantastic go-to, and available regularly at both locations.

The Cafe rotates a handful of seasonal drinks as well, allowing you to indulge in unique flavors you may not have otherwise considered. As a note, their gingerbread chai latte is warm and nostalgic in all the right ways.

Spokes Café

Spokes Café stopped me in my tracks with their Bramble Chai Latte. A thick, smooth chai with the added bonus of blackberry flavor tasted more like a tasty fruit crumble than anything else. It was, without a doubt, dessert in a cup and something I would be interested in learning how to craft in the future. Truly outstanding option.

Sister Anne’s Records and Coffee

If you live in Kansas City and have yet to stop into Sister Anne’s, I would suggest that this be your next side quest. It’s not an overwhelming space – a small storefront tucked away on a quieter stretch of 31st Street, with a splash of color to announce its presence.

Inside, a modest collection of well-curated vinyl finds, and a counter that will deliver you delicious caffeine while you browse. They serve the full-bodied Chai Pod coffee, which many of my friends swear by.

Waterbird Coffee Company

If you are looking for a place to get some work done, Waterbird Coffee Company is centrally located, with plenty of (paid) parking in the vicinity and lots of natural light streaming in. Their simplified menu includes a chai that is really delicious, and worth the stop in, alone. Add the pastries and donuts they source, seasonal flavors, and quality banter, and you might just become a regular.

Revocup

Revocup is a small chain, with locations in St. Louis, Overland Park, Lenexa, and Leawood as well as the downtown location, which I have had the luck of visiting several times. Warm from the sunshine coming into the windows, the baristas here always welcome you with a smile and a suggestion. Their chai delivers an evenly balanced flavor, with a hint of spice and warmth of vanilla.

Opera House

Opera House has one of the most expansive menu displays I have ever seen offered in Kansas City. I have been lucky enough to try many beverages that they offer, and revel in the deliciousness of their whole milk chai lattes. The chai frappe, however? Particularly fun in warmer weather.