The Chai Cart

The chai tea does not taste strong but works better than coffee (not counting espressos). Usually, four chai tea versions are offered: regular and ginger are standard plus two more (e.g., rose, soy, masala with almond milk, etc.) rotating. Served hot and add sugar if want them sweetened.

Three cup sizes (10, 12, and 16 ounces) are available and prices are equivalent to what nearby cafes charge for their drinks. Sometimes, a bring your own cup/mug promo gets you $0.25 off. Not super cheap but since popular with South Asian colleagues it's pretty legit, lol.

This location is always on Market Street at the midpoint between First and Second streets. Good for the post lunch or afternoon pick-me-up!

I still continue to fall in love with a hot cup of chai milk tea even though I sometimes go and have one. I came from work a block away just to head over to Chai Cart which is towards 555 Market.

Both chai and coffee have the same color; however, I prefer Chai tea over coffee because chai is a good tasting beverage for me. And of course, it's good for digestion. If I want a healthier chai, I go with soy or any nut milk alternative. Soy in a chai has lower calories, less sugar, and little bit of fat. I don't mind about it's protein content, and I don't go to Starbucks as long as Chai Cart is here on weekdays.

Chai Cart has different types of chai to choose from: masala, soy, rose, ginger, and last but not least, malt. I like malt chai which is mild spice. To save a coffee cup, I bring my very own mug and buy any chai for $4.50. Maybe this time, I shall buy a cup of chai during a very cold weather.

If you are like me and love a spicy kick to your chai then this place is for you! The chai here literally warms your soul! I am always on the lookout for the best chai in the Bay Area and I've got to say the chai here is one of the top ones on my list!

To be honest, I've passed by this cart plenty of times before but wasn't interested in trying it because the chai is already pre-made in the container. However, you can never judge a book by the cover because the chai turned out to be amazing after a co-workers recommended it to me and I gave it a try. Getting a cup of chai here has now been a bi-weekly treat for myself!

There are a few different flavors of chai you could get and you could ask for a sample too if you want to try them first before buying. I've had their masala chai as well as the masala with almond milk and the ginger chai. They also have a rose chai that I've yet to try!

Their chai has the perfect amount of sweetness in my opinion. They are more leaning toward to the less sweet side though but if you prefer it to be sweeter, they have sugar packages that you could add to your drink. In terms of flavor, the chai has a balanced flavor of tea, spices, and milk.

The masala chai with almond milk had the spiciest kick out of the 3 drinks I've had which make sense because almond milk has less of the creaminess consistency of regular milk. I wish they would offer ginger and rose chai with almond milk as well but only masala chai has the nondairy option.

The masala and ginger chai with regular milk on the other hand are more smooth. If you prefer a more spicy chai then I will recommend the masala chai but if you prefer a more fragrance flavor then go for the ginger or rose.

They only accept credit/debit. The drinks come in three sizes and if you bring your own cup, you get a $0.25 discount. Great to know that they encourage environmental sustainability!

Even though the chai are served from the container, they are steaming hot! This will definitely be a great drink to have in the morning or during colder season!

**UPDATE - I tried the famed Samovar Chai this weekend. Not only was it much too sweet / barely spicy, but it was also more expensive - $4 for 8oz. So, The Chai Cart is still my favorite**

In my opinion, this is some bomb chai - the reason for only 4 stars is just that I'm no chai expert, so I can't really say if this is the BEST chai or not. But, as a clueless white girl, I think it's really delicious.

They're open from about 8am-4pm every day. Until around 1pm, they only serve Masala Chai. In the afternoons, they add three flavors - Rose Chai, Malt Chai, and Ginger Chai.

After trying all the options, I think the traditional Masala Chai is my favorite. Rose is a little too light, Malt is too sweet (although really good, for what it is), and the Ginger Chai is nice and spicy but not as layered as the Masala Chai. The Masala Chai has a nicely complex spice profile, an adequate amount of milk, and just the right amount of sweetener - maaaaaybe I could take it a little less sweet, but I wouldn't say it's too sweet by any means.

Prices are a little steep, so I suggest getting the 12 oz. rather than the 8 oz. An 8 oz. chai is $3.50, whereas for $0.50 more, you can get 12 oz. - making the 12 oz. cup a better deal. I do appreciate that they take credit cards, however - if I could only pay cash, I wouldn't have the means to go on a regular basis (I hate going to the ATM...).

The employees have always been super nice and conversant. They definitely form connections with their regulars, which is cool to see :)

Disclaimer: I am a picky chai drinker. Chai to me means the kind we make at home in India. I am more forgiving of chai tea latte as I know it has nothing to do with chai.

Had lunch at Bini's and they were out of chai so looked for chai cart on yelp. Gave an excited welp as getting chai on the go is a dream! The reviews were excellent and so off I went dreaming of a hot steamy cup of joy. Got the masala chai, loaded up with sugar, took a sip and faced disappointment.

I threw away half of my tea. I guess chai will happen when I get home tonight. Not my cup of joy, unfortunately.

I used to come to the Chai Cart everyday for my chai fix. Unfortunately, it just doesn't taste that good anymore. I initially thought they were having an off-day then started coming less and less. Today I came again and have to come to the conclusion that they've changed their recipes and I just dont like it anymore. Its too sweet and no longer tastes authentic.

I'll miss you Chai Cart! We had a good run.

I visited this place on a break from work. The reason I am giving them 4 stars is because I asked if they had a non dairy chai and they said yes, but let me know that it was a bit cold now. They let me try it to see if I wanted it still which was very nice of them. It was a bit cold but I ended up heating it up at work. I thought this place made their own chai but they actually use a chai mix from a store not too far called David Rio Chai (or something like that). It was a little spicy for my taste, but I know a lot of people enjoy their chai more on the spicy side. Other than that it was a good quality chai. I was just dissapointed that they were using a mix instead of making it from scratch. But that isn't something they advertise, so I was just getting my hopes up! If you want some good quality chai on a cold day, I would recommend! Just remember it's a spicier chai.

Came back recently and this time everything was in stock. The girl that was suppose to be there randomly had gone on break, but soon returned before my co-worker and I left. I ordered some of their crackers and had the malt chai. Overall, it wasn't half bad. I still don't see the hype here, but maybe I just haven't tried the best one they have. The crackers on the other hand were absolutely fantastic! I would go back just to buy those again especially since they were one 50 cents. Overall decent and I wouldn't mind trying another flavor next time with the crackers of course.

A friend gave me some of the oldy chai spices to boil. I like it. I'm a chai connoisseur after eating Pips in Oregon (Chai and Donuts!)

Perfect cup of chai. Hot, tasty, and chai. Three flavors. If you need chai, get it here. Chai.