The Chai Cart

I love the chai cart, although it being across the street from my office is deeply dangerous for my wallet. I can’t go back to any other chai now that I’ve tried the chai cart, and I love how friendly the service is as an added bonus to that awesomely warm, cozy feeling I get when I gulp down this delicious treat. Please please please, Chai Cart… NEVER LEAVE US.

I will never drink chai tea anywhere else again. Either it is too sweet — yuck– or imitation tasting like the box chais. This is the real deal. I recently gave up coffee so my quest for something hot and creamy in the morning ended at the Chai cart. Bored with my herbal teas, I would pass the cart every morning and see a line. Must be good if there is a line!
I have only tried the Masala and that’s my favorite. Just the right amount of spice! They have a frequent card so you buy so many chais you get one free.
My only small gripe is that I cannot walk and drink the Chai without spilling all over myself or it’s running down my chin. They need those stoppers! They do office deliveries too so guess what I just suggested to my office! That’s right! Chai Tea cart!!!

I tried both Rose chai & Masala chai and they are both great choices.

I am so thankful for these guys, camping out on Market St in the Financial District in the cold winter months. I’ve never been to India, so I don’t know what authentic chai tastes like, but I have had Indian people make me chai, so from my experience the Chai Cart is as good as it gets. If I weren’t so lazy I’d try making real chai at home, but with the Chai Cart around to save me during work hours, I’m a happy clam. They have 3 flavors a day that rotates. Even for someone on the hunt for «authentic», my favorite of theirs is the Soy Chai — it’s very creamy and doesn’t have an overwhelming taste of soy. The Rose Chai is also nice if you’re looking to feel little rosier :)

Chai Cart makes you realize how bad chai lattes from a box really are. This is the real deal — spicy, hot, and decidedly not syrupy-​sweet.
I haven’t tried the mythical «malt chai» yet, because they always sell out early! (Wait, why am I telling you this???)

Well finally a place where you can taste authentic Indian Spice tea. I loved it. Refreshes you totally.
Well winters are coming and I am going to be a regular here.
Nothing gives you a better warmth than a hot Masala tea.
Forget chai lattes and try THE CHAI

Maybe because I’m not a huge authentic chai fan, I didn’t love the Chai Cart. I think coffeeshop chai lattes have made me into a fake chai lover.
I do like that the Chai Cart lets you sample their three types of chai. They are tasty. They are also hella HOT. Be careful. Damn. Don’t expect to be able to comfortably drink your chai until you’re already where you’re headed (work, home, wherever). A bit pricey for me especially for a small 8oz cup, but I like the concept and I’d recommend for true chai lovers to try it out for sure!

LOVELOVELOVE! love chai, love hot liquids– makes me happy– they brew a rose water chai– sooo lovely in my mouth!
it’s placed right outside of peet’s coffee & tea on the street level of embarcadero bart on market, making it so much easier to give my money away– HA! but i feel better giving it away to the cart & not the big company.

tried the rose chai for the first time. I LOVE IT!!! the lady was also nice… she asked me whether if I wanted to try it first n gave me 2 tiny cups. I also took a sip of masala chai, omg! it was gooooood tooo! i definitely will get the masala chai nxt time. both are good n perfect. the spices is perfect. not to overwhelmed. right amount of spices. it tastes goooooood n fresh.
If you think starbucks chai drink is good, please go to chai cart and for sure you’ll think that starbucks chai is fake.

I ordered the soy chai and unfortunately I didn’t like it. I believe it was more of a personal inclination thing than anything the person making my drink did.
If you’re a fan of your chai lattes distinctly tasting like the chai tea with barely any hint of the milk, then this will be the place for you! Unfortunately, I like my chai tea lattes to have more of a «latte» taste so this drink didn’t hit it off for me.

Tasty chai. Though I’m an avid coffee drinker, I was Intrigued by the Chai Cart — the concept of a chai cart in the heart of the financial district and the vibrantly packaged cart are appealing. I’m no chai expert, but I often find most chai sold at coffee/​tea shops to be too sweet or syrupy. Not so here. The regular masala chai was balanced: a satisfying combination of richness, spiciness, and heat. My only gripe was service was a bit slow, and there was no adequate cardboard sleeve for for the 8 oz cup.

I love the Chai Cart! It has become my new best reason to get out of the office for a break in the afternoon.
This is some of the best chai I’ve ever had and you can tell it’s made with love for the drink. It’s nice and spicy with a bit of sweetness and very warming on a cold morning or windy San Fran Financial District afternoon. This is no Starbucks Chai Latte, but obviously made with fresh spices and tea. They offer Masala Chai which I usually get, and a soy version of the same which is lighter and half the calories but not quite as satisfying. The Cart also offers a Rose Chai with a floral flavor (not my cup of tea) and sometimes, Ginger Chai which is also good. Whatever one you get it warms the throat which was very soothing when I was fighting off winter colds.
They also offer some really good gluten-​free muffins and cookies, but the supply is limited and often times they have sold out when I get there.
The folks who run the carts, 1 per cart, are really friendly and helpful. I admire their fortitude standing outside all day in any kind of weather during SF winter. The «chaiwallas» hock their wares at Market St. at Drumm, conveniently near the Embarcadero BART station, and 545 Market St (between 2^nd St & Sutter St).
Apparently they do delivery for larger orders on their website. I haven’t tried this yet, but I am looking for a good opportunity!
Go check them out.

My review is for the bottled chai from Chai Cart that I bought at Whole Foods Market while I was living in the Bay Area. I came upon it after reading a story on Daily Candy and learning that certain Bay Area retailers carried Chai Cart chai. I am a chai lover; and I don’t mean the sugar laden Oregon Chai or similar sugar chai concentrates. Chai Cart chai is expertly prepared in small batches from whole spices and loose leaf tea. There are no added unnecessary ingredients (i.e. sugar, preservatives). This is the real deal. After moving to SoCal I learned that you can also order Chai Cart chai online! Awesome! You can even buy the dry blend and brew yourself a cup at a time. I hope Chai Cart is here to stay!

Thank you for opening a location closer to the Embarc. It’s a real treat. I married into an Indian family and have been a big fan of the chai treats my wife and mother-​in-​law can put together. This place has improved their Masala, adding a little more kick since I last reviewed it. And it’s made all the difference. Especially on cold days like we’ve had this week. Kinda wish you dispensed a little more for the money, as it seems to be at the top end of reasonably priced. But then, you can never get enough of a good thing.

This is my favorite chai in SF, hands down. So flavorful and fresh. Perfect for chilly SF days… plus, there’s iced chai on warm days. My favorite is the masala, and my mom really likes the rose chai, which is floral without being overwhelming. Both really yummy.
I also love that this second location is close to the Ferry Building and embarcadero centers– it is so nice to have a cup of chai while running errands downtown.