We have all seen the TikToks of performative male contests — I’m fairly sure Tulane even had its own this fall semester. In these viral videos, contestants almost always have this green drink in hand: an iced matcha latte. In recent years, this gorgeously green beverage has taken over coffee shops all over the world.

Though matcha lattes are now available at most cafés, not every barista seems to have mastered the art of making the green tea drink. Perhaps they do not sift it or maybe they don’t whisk enough, or even at all. Sometimes the quality of the powder is the root cause of an unpleasant-tasting matcha latte. In their defense, high-quality matcha is expensive and making it is a tedious process that can easily be abandoned in the name of efficiency, especially during rush hours.

This is why it stands out when coffee shops do matcha “right.” As a matcha lover and wannabe connoisseur, I’ve spent this fall semester trying different coffee shops in search of the best spots for matcha lattes in New Orleans. I hope this list, ranked from closest to farthest from Tulane’s campus, can serve as a starting point in your own matcha journey or a guide to where you go to get your matcha fix.

Quick preface: My reviews are based on my orders of iced matcha lattes with vanilla syrup.

Just a 20ish-minute walk from campus, the Mojo Coffee House location on Freret Street is a staple for many Tulanians — myself included. The matcha from Mojo has a gorgeous green color, the kind of lush grass-like one all great matchas have. It sets itself up for high expectations, which unfortunately also means great disappointment is just as possible an outcome — Mojo lands somewhere in the middle. It does not deliver the earthy taste-bomb the color promises, but it’s not entirely milky either. I have only tried iced matcha lattes from here thus far, but, in my experience, the flavor sometimes comes out more when it’s warm; in this case, I have a hunch the latter choice would be the better one.

Someone once told me that Rue De La Course makes great matcha lattes — I now wonder if they had ever had one before, because I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement. Usually, I would consider a decently priced matcha latte a plus, but in this case, the bargain came at the detriment of quality. 

The matcha’s muddy, grayish color suggested it was unlikely to be high-quality, ceremonial-grade matcha. In the name of research, I intensely watched the barista make my drink and almost fell to the ground when I saw them using an electric mixer instead of a bamboo whisk — one of the worst matcha-making crimes. Rue De La Course may do some caffeinated drinks right, but matcha is sadly not one of them.

I can confidently say that Trumpet and Drum is my favorite matcha spot that I’ve been to in New Orleans thus far. Located in the middle of the famous Magazine Street, this spot delivers on matcha lattes. I have been to this cute café more times than I can count now, and they consistently make matcha that actually tastes like what it’s supposed to: fresh, smooth and vegetal, with slight sweet notes. 

It also looks like good matcha — the color is a vibrant green, basically screaming “I’m so much healthier than coffee!” I’ve only had one matcha from here that was just okay, which is a pretty good track record considering my number of visits. However, all the other times, the matchas from Trumpet and Drum have been delectable and they keep me coming back.

Tucked into a dark space on an idle street, Fourth Wall is hard to come by unless you know it’s there — a fact underscored by the “This is the door to Fourth Wall” sign outside. However, I highly recommend navigating to this unique coffee shop Downtown because not only do they serve tasty matcha lattes, they also sell high-quality powder, which is not typical for spots not solely focused on the green tea. 

The matcha drinks from Fourth Wall are well-balanced, perhaps overpowered a bit by the milk, which slightly takes away from the earthier notes typical of the green tea. This could probably be offset by adding more powder when making the beverage.

This small roundup only scratches the surface of matcha spots in New Orleans. With so many cafés and creative baristas in this city, there’s no doubt plenty more remains to be uncovered — and I’m excited to keep seeking out the best of the best.