Chad's Chai — Restaurant in Winston-Salem

INTRO: Chad’s Chai is Winston-Salem’s NEWEST tea shop! Their use of HIGH ceilings, NATURAL lighting , and ABUNDANT foliage creates a WARM, INCLUSIVE environment that cultivates a sense of CALMNESS and PEACE within their customers. Their ambience is unlike any other cafe in town. The sound of light-hearted conversations and lofi study music resonate deeply throughout the open room, complemented by the EARTHY, HARMONIOUS aromas of their numerous high-quality teas and drinks. This tea shop is the beauty and the sublime of Winston-Salem! Check them out soon!

DRINK 1: Lavender Basil Matcha Latte - This is by far their best drink. I've tried a few of their other drinks, including their Muddy Chai, Vanilla Coriander Matcha Latte, and Dark Chocolate Matcha Latte. The lavender and basil blended perfectly with the matcha, and no one flavor was overpowering the others. It was the perfect rule of thirds, as each ingredient was the star of the show. I would honestly come back to Chad's Chai just for this drink.

DRINK 2: Muddy Chai - I thought that this drink tasted too watered down. The chai was good quality, which I could appreciate, but it was overwhelmed by the amount of liquid in the drink. I was slightly disappointed that the drink the shop is named after did not perform as well as the Lavender Basil Matcha Latte. If they can find the correct balance of the chai to water ratio, this drink will become exceptional, and customers will be able to appreciate the full flavor profile of the chai.

DRINK 3: Vanilla Coriander Matcha Latte - Honestly, the name should just be Coriander Latte because that's the only ingredient you'll taste. The matcha is present, as evidenced by looking in the cup, but you won't get much depth from it due to the overwhelming coriander.

DRINK 4: Dark Chocolate Matcha Latte - Not sure why they chose dark chocolate, but the bitterness of their chocolate does not complement the matcha at all. This drink has a constant clash of flavors between the dark chocolate and the matcha. I wasn't a fan. It was actually my least favorite drink of the 4 I got.

TEA FLIGHT: This is honestly the most worth at Chad's Chai. You'll be able to try 4 different drinks for only $8! Even better, the flight comes served on a wooden platform and the cups are made of ceramic, compared to the plastic and paper cups you get if you order their standard drinks.

WORTH IT? Absolutely! Their vibes are enough of a reason to check out one of the only teas houses in Winston-Salem!...

I worked from 8:30 this morning until 2:30 this afternoon, and had to be back to work at 3:30 pm. Why would I possibly imagine that anyone would have time to FILL UP A GROWLER on my one hour off from work??? How silly of me!!!

The place was busy and they had a lot of drinks to make. I get it; I worked restaurants forever. I finally got waited on. The person behind the counter takes my growler and then just sets it down, and proceeds to keep taking orders in the line. Ok fine .. get the orders back. I try to be patient.

I finally decide that if they haven’t filled it up by 3: 15 I am just gonna have to leave, and leave my empty jug there. Because I have to be back by 3:30.

Finally someone picks up my growler and fills it. Then they go to put sweetener in but the bottle is low and there’s not very much. They empty the bottle into a measuring beaker, don’t look at me, tum away, go put the bottle in the sink, and then head off toward the back.

I always just get my tea just lightly sweetened anyway. If it’s less than usual that’s OK and I needed to go. As the person heads to the back, I call out, “Hey! Hey,! hey”.. cannot get their attention… they ignore me and continue to head to the back, presumably to get more syrup but I did NOT have time to wait. All they had to do was just turn around and let me just ask them to hand it to me and I’d have been out the door and not writing this review. But no: I am loud, there is no way they didn’t hear me and they continued to walk away. The other person behind the counter dumped the little bit of sweetener into my growler and handed it to me. I have to work until 2:00 am. This is how I spent my ONE HOUR off between shifts. I’m regular in there. I always tip well. IDK what the issue was. Ignoring me when I’m calling you is just over the top. It’s not difficult to fill up a growler, is it? I mean…. Maybe that person was afraid of using the tap. IDK. Really crap experience today, and...

I adore Chad's Chai! Would 100% recommend to anyone thinking of checking this place out. Cozy, casual atmosphere with natural light coming in from the windows across the front of the shop. Unique tea options.

PROS: Creative tea drinks, all handmade with love! Typical tea you'd expect from most tea shops, in addition to extremely creative tea options you won't find anywhere else. Dairy free options that TASTE GOOD. Caffeine free chai options as well. Can purchase loose leaf tea to go and other tea accessories. Delicious looking fresh in-house baked pastry options, usually one gluten free option as well! Extremely affordable imo.

Terrific seating options, something for everyone, very comfy & inviting. Love their Japanese tatami style seating option too! Can come alone, with a friend, or even a small group.

CONS: None! I wouldn't even call this a con, just info about the location: Because it's downtown, sometimes parking close by is not an option. But if you go during slower hours, you can almost always find street parking right in front of the shop. Just be aware when it's busier, you may have to park one street over (super easy to walk a few blocks to Liberty from Trade St) or even from the Cherry St parking deck.

*I can't help but wish that they had more gluten-free snack options. There's usually only one option, it's always a mochi. But it's better than nothing! And every time I have tried the gf option, it's...