I Tried the Chai Latte at 7 Popular Coffee Chains & the Best Was Rich and Tasty With Extra Pep

While café chains serve up an array of delicious fall drinks at this time of year, one particular beverage usually dominates the conversation: the inescapable pumpkin spice late. If you're not a fan of this in-your-face seasonal drink or just need a break from it, a soothing chai latte is a great replacement.

Chai is nothing new, originating in India thousands of years ago, but today it's featured on menus at popular chains and independent coffeehouses alike. People love drinking this spicy yet sweet drink as a latte, made with black tea, milk, and spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. Some coffeehouses include unexpected yet exciting ingredients, like peppercorns or star anise, while others offer a banana- or chocolate-flavored versions. You can also often get it iced.

Coffee chain lattes may not taste exactly the same as homemade ones, but they are still an excellent choice when you're in the mood for this iconic drink but don't have the time to make it from scratch yourself.

I recently tried the chai lattes at seven popular coffee chains. Here's how they ranked, beginning with my least favorite and ending with the overall best.

Gregory's

Founded in New York City nearly two decades ago, Gregory's has grown into a popular coffee chain with locations throughout the country. The coffeehouse may be most famous for its diverse drinks menu, which boasts a mix of unexpected combinations. These include the Honey Badger, made with cold brew, almond milk, and honey, and Nu Brew, an icy coffee-based drink crafted with milk and Nutella. You'll also find more traditional options, like espresso and chai. I paid $5.15 for the chain's chai latte, which didn't quite hit the mark.

The look: Pretty standard. This drink was pale tan in color and had a thin layer of white froth along the top. It came in a black paper cup with a plastic lid and a sleeve, which was a nice detail as the drink was served hot.

The taste: I wanted to like this one, but it actually tasted the least like chai of all the lattes I tried. It had a bittersweet, minty aftertaste and lacked the slight spiciness that chais are famous for. Gregory's also has a seasonal banana chai, made with butter rum, and a blueberry chai refresher. I'd be interested in trying these beverages to see if they pack more of that iconic chai flavor.

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Dunkin'

Dunkin' and I go way back. I spent most of my middle school years ordering coffee Coolattas during the summer and Dunkaccinos in the winter. Although I've been to Dunkin' probably hundreds of times, I don't think I've ever tried the chain's chai latte until now. I recently dropped $5.29 for it and found it to be good, yet unconventional, with a few unexpected flavor notes.

The look: This drink was served in a short but wide logo-emblazoned cup with a white cap and flip-top sipping hole. Similar to others on this list, it was light tan in color. It had a bit of foam on the top, but not an overwhelming amount. The consistency looked even and solid, and the texture was thin and smooth.

The taste: Unexpected. This chai's flavor took me aback. For starters, it was bright and in your face, with notes of caramel and berry, which seemed out of the ordinary. Even though the taste wasn't what I'm used to when it comes to chai, I still appreciated that it was complex and multidimensional. However, I'd probably skip this one if you like a more traditional chai.

Le Pain Quotidien

Tasty soups, filling salads, elevated sandwiches, and hot drinks—there's a lot to like about Le Pain Quotidien. The cafe opened in Brussels over 30 years ago and now has over 260 locations worldwide. Although Le Pain Quotidien is most recognized for its bread and bakery offerings, it also offers a wide array of hot and cold beverages and one of them is a chai latte. I spent $6.25 on this delightful drink with a thick layer of froth on top.

The look: Very pale all around. This chai was served in a small white cup with a matching lid and a small black stopper in the sipping area. It didn't come with a sleeve. I took the top off to reveal a very frothy drink—the foam was so sudsy-looking that it reminded me of bubbles! The color of the actual liquid underneath the froth was an extremely light tan with a nearly transparent consistency.

The taste: Quintessential chai. This one was flavorful, with spicy ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon flavors. The taste reminded me of the holidays and conjured up images of pumpkin pies and desserts. I ordered mine with skim milk, but you can also choose from whole, skim, oat, or almond milk. Although it was good, I felt like it didn't have that much depth or fullness and simply lacked something.

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Pret a Manger

If you've ever worked in an office in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, you most likely ran to Pret a Manger before for a quick lunch or to pick up a drink. Although Pret's chai latte version wasn't packed with tons of flavor, it still was a pleasant, warming drink that was nice to sip on throughout the morning. This one cost me $6.50. The chain also has a Chocolate Chai Latte and an Iced Chocolate Chai Latte, both of which I'd be interested in ordering in the future.

The look: This drink was served in a tall, burgundy and white paper cup with a coordinating plastic top and a helpful insulated sleeve that made caring for the drink much easier. The actual beverage had a messy layer of froth, which gave way to a light toffee-colored tea.

The taste: It was good, but it tasted a bit on the watery side. I had my boyfriend take a sip to see if he thought the same, and he did. "It's like it wants to be full-rounded and flavorful, but it just doesn't get there," he said after handing it back. Despite that, this drink did taste good—it had a balanced cinnamon and ginger flavor with notes of cardamom and allspice. Although it's not my first choice, I would order this drink again if I was in a pinch.

Starbucks

Not only does Starbucks boast an extensive menu with many different drink options, but there are also thousands of ways to customize drinks here—upwards of 170,000, to be more exact. One beverage you'll want to order from the famous chain is its chai latte, created with a black tea base infused with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, other soothing spices, and your choice of milk. I paid $5.65 for a short-sized chai latte that tasted pretty good.

The look: I got Starbucks' smallest chai latte, which clocked in at eight ounces. It was served in a smooth white paper cup with a plastic lid. A thin layer of white foam was on top, and underneath it was a very light tan-hued chai latte. The texture looked smooth, even, and opaque.

The taste: Very, very good. This one had great flavor for a coffee chain chai—it was sweet without being overbearing and tasted more natural than others. I noticed faint notes of gingerbread, which I appreciated. The texture was velvety smooth and had an excellent mouthfeel. Starbucks is arguably the most popular coffee chain in the world with thousands of locations, making this chai a good option if you're looking for one in a pinch.

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La Colombe

I'll be honest: When I hear the name La Colombe, the first thing I think of is high quality. Whether it's the chain's pastries and sweets, like muffins. croissants, and cookies, or caffeinated drinks, the Philadelphia-based roaster always goes above and beyond. Its chai latte is a testament to this. I paid $5.25 for this drink, which I would definitely recommend to latte-loving friends.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: I used to work near a La Colombe in college and would always stop in, so I'm fond of the iconic red, white, and blue dove logo. This chai latte came in a paper coffee cup with a plastic lid and an optional sleeve, which was great as it was served very hot. The milky shade reminded me of a cafe au lait with a thin layer of foam. The color looked even and consistent throughout.

The taste: Great! This chai was flavorful yet understated and did not seem synthetic at all. It also had a zingy, slightly spicy aftertaste that made it especially memorable. It was light and creamy, and I imagined it would also taste great as an iced drink. La Colombe's chai tasted high quality, which I liked. Even so, there was one chai latte that I liked even better.

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Blue Bottle Coffee Co.

Blue Bottle makes its rendition of the soul-warming drink with a blend of Ethiopian spices and, if you're a chai latte aficionado, this is one you'll want to get your hands on. Sweet yet slightly spicy, this chai latte had the best flavor of the bunch. I paid $6.50 for a chai latte that I truly look forward to enjoying again.

The look: Its shade was medium brown-tan, which reminded me of hot chocolate. It was served in a brown paper cup with the coffeehouse's bright blue logo and topped with a plastic semi-see-through lid. The cup's unique look and feel piqued my curiosity, and when I returned home to Google what it was made of, I found out that the chain's cups are designed from 100% PLA, a type of recyclable, biodegradable polyester that can be composted.

The taste: Excellent! Blue Bottle uses a custom blend of Ethiopian spices for this drink, and you can taste the quality while sipping it. It was rich and delicious without feeling too in your face. I also noted a very, very subtle chocolaty aftertaste, which I felt added something extra to this hot beverage.

Overall, Blue Bottle was the winner because it scored high across the board—the presentation was perfect, the temperature was just right, the flavor was fabulous, and the aftertaste was soothing, unlike some others on this list that erred on the too spicy or unexpectedly minty side. It also tasted the most close to homemade, which was a plus. Blue Bottle also offers this drink in an iced version. I would imagine it's quite excellent, too.