By definition from Merriam-Webster.com, matcha is a finely ground powder made from green tea leaves. People consume it by dissolving it in hot water.
I reviewed Jo’s Coffee on 1300 South Congress Avenue, Medici Roasting on 1100 South Lamar Boulevard, Radio Coffee and Beer on 4204 Manchaca Road, and Merit Coffee on 1105 South Lamar Boulevard. At each of these locations, I ordered an iced matcha with oat milk and Simple Sweetener.
Jo’s Coffee’s opened in 1999 and they are famous for hosting concerts, chili cook-offs, and fundraisers.
One thing I’ve noticed when drinking matcha is that the oat milk completely overpowers the matcha’s earthy flavor. However, I get that when drinking Jo’s Coffee’s matcha. It seems like they used an adequate amount of matcha powder per cup of oat milk.
The cup had a regular amount of ice, was blended to perfection, and had the right amount of sweetness. To my surprise, I paid $8 for 16 ounces of matcha, which is extremely overpriced. Even though the matcha on its own was good, it wasn’t worth it. The next place I visited was Radio Coffee and Beer. This shop consists of a main coffee shop, a bar, a large outdoor seating area, and three food trucks.
Their matcha was very bland, was served with no sweetener, and tasted entirely like milk. It’s not awful if you want something to drink while eating, but it’s not enjoyable on its own. The drink was on the cheap side, as it only cost $4 but it didn’t taste the best and I wouldn’t recommend Radio Coffee and Beer if you specifically want matcha.
The next place I reviewed was Medici Roasting. This shop has six locations around Austin and they opened their first location in 2006.
The interior of the shop is dimly lit, has limited seating, and has a barista station in the center of the room. Medici Roasting serves their matcha in 14 and 16-ounce plastic cups. Even though their cups are on the small, they do add a lot of ice compared to the liquid in the cup.
The price of a 14-ounce drink is $6, which is extremely overpriced considering more than half of the cup is ice. I don’t recommend this matcha if you want a fair price.
Lastly, I went to Merit Coffee. This shop opened its first store in 2009 and since then has built multiple stores around the Austin area.
Merit is a house-style cafe. The matcha they made had a nuttier taste, I personally preferred that. They use California oat milk, and I believe that the difference in taste is due to this milk.
Their matcha has a nuttier taste that I preferred over all the other matchas’ I tasted. The cup was larger and had less ice than Medici Roasting’s matcha. I prefer Merit Coffee’s matcha because the matcha was $6, the cup was larger than Medici Roasting’s, and it had a better taste.
Merit Coffee’s matcha took the cake because of their fair pricing and unique flavor.
