Chai Bar By David Rio

I am not your basic, coffee-​cup-​clutching girl. I usually stick with my plain water to get me through the day. However, since I missed my Caltrain and needed to kill some time, I decided to stop by the Chai Bar since it caught my eye when I walked passed earlier on the street.
I got the Super Chai with soy milk because it seemed to be the most mellow since I’m not really into a lot of spices. Even though there was only 1 person making all the drinks, my chai came out pretty fast! Kinda pricey at ~$ 4.50 for 12 oz, but expected for SF. I thought my chai was pretty good. Like a latte but with a kick. I wouldn’t drink it everyday but I’d say it was worth my money to try.
Overall, Chai Bar is spacious, has plenty of natural lighting, is clean and has comfortable seating with lounge pillows that still look new (i.e. not stained, sticky, or just plain nasty).
I’m not much of a chai person but I’d recommend a stop if you’re looking for a spot to study or kill some time while sipping on some quality chai.

This was my first time at Chai Bar by David Rio… I ordered the Elephant Vanilla Chai with Macadamia Nut Milk… it was so amazing… I need more of this Chai in my life. I’ve been wanting to come back here so for my second visit, I ordered the Chocolate Chai with Macadamia Nut Milk with a caramel waffle cookie. DELICIOUS!!!

What this place lacks in service and product they try to make up for in branding. It’s not bad, it’s just not as great as it’s been rated on here. Service way slower than molasses and had what in my profession would be termed a «restricted» or even «blunted» affect.
The chocolate chai latte I got was lack luster but palatable. It tasted smoky… maybe slightly burnt. Also, I kind of feel begrudgingly when places charge extra to make my drink lighter on the lactose. (It’s tacky in my opinion to charge for special diets, particularly involuntary ones.) Thankfully they offer something other than cheap, crappy nasty soy milk.
But damn did it take a long ass time to order and wait for cup of mediocrity. Like 25 minutes from getting in line to cup in hand. Do not go here with the intention to catch a train in a little while like I did. It wasn’t even busy… only like three people were in line in front of me and there was still open seats to spare.
The place does smell very good and appears to be very clean… which is good because even if you order to go you will be there a while. If you’re very familiar with the area and on your own this also leaves you plenty of solitary meditation time to contemplate all the cheaper, faster places to get a cup of chai. It also leaves time to reconsider one’s stance on Starbucks and its merits of often friendly service that is often too fast to debate how tacky you’d feel asking to be refunded so you can leave, sans chai latte, and get on with your life.
This place is mediocre and over branded much like Starbucks, only way slower. It strikes me as the sort of place one would go if they are afraid of the rest of the neighborhood.

I absolutely enjoyed the chaiffogato with Tiger Spice – which was around $ 5
The seating arrangement was largely «booth style» with some bar seatings. Outlets, from my observations, were mainly situated near the booths/​cushion seats. It’s a good place to catch up with friends or do work on your laptop. They also have wine and beer.
I would definitely come back to try their chai drinks. Would recommend. :)

I’ve chosen Chai Bar for many reasons: pleasant aroma, free Wi-​Fi, the Chai lab, and the right to protect and support endangered wild animals like Bengal tigers and elephants. Whenever I see good customers speak their own minds, I feel like I want to say something too. But, I’m not an eloquent speaker. Therefore I make up for it by writing a diary.
Last Monday, I tried just a small cup of Boldly Spiced Chai with almond milk. That first drink really gingered up my throat, but kept me warm during cold days. Tonight, I tried the Tiger Spiced Chai. Even without the added touch of cinnamon or cane sugar, this Chai was sweet. I would’ve liked the Boldly Spiced Chai better since it’s unsweetened and spicy.
Hopefully, I might be lucky enough to see what’s going on at the Chai lab. I also can’t wait to see whether or not they have camel’s milk!

Service and Space:
The moment I entered this place, I fell in love. Chai Bar lives up to its name – it is, indeed, a bar, and one that serves wine and beer. Better yet, it serves tea, coffee, and chai tea. That last option is what makes this place one of my favorite stops in SF. There are seatings for those who just want to lounge around a table with their friends, but also a bar for frequenters to sit down and order their dose of caffeine or alcohol.
The workers switch in between bartending and barista vibes. They’re perfectly happy modifying your drink to your heart’s content, and I’ve also seen them converse with regular patrons with nothing but the utmost geniality. In any case, I’m impressed that the barista who took my order was patient enough to answer all of my questions about the tea and milk content.
Speaking of which…
Milk:
Can’t get enough of the milk options – this was the first place I’ve had macadamia nut milk. If you’re looking for a more chocolate, Nutella-​esque taste to your drink, ask for the hazelnut option.
Chai:
— Chocolate Chai: A Tiger Spice Chai with with cocoa, and only slightly sweet for those who want a chocolate delicacy without too much sugar. The balance between cocoa and chai is just right, since the chocolate doesn’t overwhelm other flavors.
— Bubble Chai: I’ll admit – I only got this to taste the pearls, which were just average. I chose to get this with the Power Chai, to get a more milk tea taste.
— Boldly Spiced Chai: Since I’m such a fan of unsweetened drinks, this extremely strong chai is one of my top choices whenever I head here. You can ask for some sweetener added to this drink if you’re a fan of the extra spice.
— Power Chai: Matcha and chai, my two favorite flavors, mixed together? Sure, it’s an odd combo at first, but if you’re looking for an earthier taste to your chai tea, this is a solid option.
Food:
Not only are the drink options phenomenal, the food provided at Chai Bar is even better.
— Onigiri: You can select from sushi rice, or Chai Bar’s own rice, which takes these rice balls to an entirely new level. Although the teriyaki options are delicious, my favorite is the pickled plum. If you’re more willing to embrace the fusion side of this cuisine, then go for the umeboshi with the mixed rice.
— Soup: Slightly overpriced, but the standout soup between all the options is the roasted red pepper and gouda. I’m not the biggest fan of cheese, but the addition of this delightful dairy makes an otherwise underwhelming soup slightly richer.
I’m going to be honest: I’m looking forward to more trips to this side of the city just to show off Chai Bar to my friends. I’ll only slightly regret how ridiculous (but delicious) this place is. Oh, Happy Hour serves alcohol? Maybe I’ll come for that… but for now, I’d rather get the chai.

I’m a hip old granny who can hip-​hop, be bop and dance till ya drop.
So naturally, I was attracted to Chai Bar which as it’s name proclaims is an establishment purely devoted to the art of drinking chai tea. As soon as I walked into this handsome spot, my eyes, heart and tummy grew about a zillion times looking at all of their amazing descriptions of chai tea blend lattes. Everything sounded better than the rest but I decided to go with their signature Tiger Spice Chai with macadamia nut milk for an extra dollar because… Treat Yo’Self.
The latte was a bit sweeter than I would have liked but that did not stop me from drinking every delicious slightly spicy drop. Unlike most cafes which feel the need to serve you scalding hot, potential privates burning drinks, my tea was served at a perfect temperature.
Two downsides:
+ Most of their products are from a powder and not brewed on-​site
+ Out of rice balls and pretty much all food which basically led to a caffeine crash later in the afternoon.

I don’t know who David Rio is, but he’s a genius and I bet he doesn’t even Chai. (Har har…)
I had several different samples here and found all of them to be quite tasty. However, I found my favorite to be the Cub chai because of how spicy it was. The elephant, tiger, and chocolate chai were all a bit sweet for my liking.
I got the Cub chai with almond milk and found that the almond milk gave it just enough sweetness to balance out the spiciness.
Four drinks from here totaled to just around $ 21, so definitely not cheap, but oh-​so yummy!
The workers were extremely friendly and there was plenty of seating inside to come and study or chat.

I love chai.
I love how open this place is.
I love how nice the people behind the counter are.
I love that they can answer any question I may have about my chai.
I love going there with a book or with a friend and enjoy a nice evening relaxing.

I love love this place, especially since there are various Chai Tea/​Lattes to try out & enjoy! I tried the Tiger Spice Chai Latte, and it’s definitely one of my favorite chai lattes ever. I recommend trying this, along with the Cub or Elephant chai lattes, too.
Next time, I would love to try out the Speakeasy beer with chai spices (Speakeasy ChaiIPA*). I love Speakeasy, so it would be interesting to try one out with their chai spices. I didn’t get to try one today because it was sold out already. Must be really popular drink from there, too! I would love to come here again and hang out longer.

Think hipster coffee shop meets trendy bar, decides they really want to read a book together, sipping on some chai.
They have a wide selection of beers on tap, an open space with ample seating that looks conducive to large groups. Plenty of comfy cushions for reading and/​or checking out people reading.
There is a strong chai line up, and while I’m not the best chai drinker I really enjoyed their dirty chai. It’s a great concept and I would definitely be back EXCEPT…
.that it closes at 7. So please close later!

Delicious chai! Subtly sweet and spicy unlike any chai you’ll get at Starbucks. Definitely worth the trip! Mid-​century modern décor inside.
Also, Chai Bar uses all compostable cups, utensils, takeout boxes, etc. and also partners with the International Fund for Animal Welfare so you can feel good and know that you’re helping make the world a better place by going here :)

Yummy chai!
Got the tiger spice chai which was nice and creamy. Very balanced. Will be back to try the different options.
The place is pretty cute too.
They also serve alcohol of that’s your thing.

This place has got great atmosphere. Its feels cozy and its perfect for this oncoming autumnal weather.
Let me just say. I have the a few of David Rio’s mixes and obviously a mix is not as good as getting it freshly made at the Chai Bar. Chai is such a comforting drink to sip on especially when the weather is starting to get chilly. The baristas here are super helpful.
I went with the sweet route and opted for the Vanilla Chai with Soy. Oh man. It is super creamy, sweet but not too sweet and slightly spicy and cinnamony. It tastes like fall in a cup. The small size is $ 4.50 for a chai which is pretty pricey but nothing crazy compared to all the other coffee shops around the area. Its pretty standard but its worth the splurge every once in a while.
I’d definitely come back… probably on a rainy day. bundled up in scarces and boots. :)

Spacious tea shop with an interesting selection of tea (I had a lightly sweatened iced genmaicha), plenty of seats and table space.
There’s also wifi but it was a bit spotty… Overall it’s a pretty decent place to drink some tea and do some work.

Wow… nice!
That’s the first impression I got when I walked in yesterday.
I had just dropped off my baby for her oil change/​checkup at Automotive Technicians, about 3 blocks away. Even though I had my man & his car w me, we decided to walk over to check this place out before driving off into the world.
Walking from Turk between Jones & Leavenworth to Market between Jones & Taylor streets?! This is the tenderloin! I only agreed cuz the man was w me, & it’s too close to call for an Über (allegedly). Plus, we had a getaway car waiting for us back at Auto Tech…
It was quite a walk.
One I won’t soon forget.
Nothing like a strong stench of urine to fragrance your morning walk to tea, right?
That whole «we’re cleaning up the tenderloin» thing?
So far it’s not happening…
So imagine how happy I was to be welcomed by a sweet barista, a large chic & cool space, & house made treats.
The barista was a rockstar. Informative & personable.
They have hazelnut & macadamia milk?!
They bake all their pastries right here?!
The chocolate chip walnut scone was fantastic. Crisp, lots of walnuts, good chocolate. I loved it.
I went w a matcha latte w macadamia milk. It’s not sweetened, so if that’s what you’re used to it might be a bit off-​putting. The matcha is high quality. It was just what I needed.
They have all the espresso drinks in addition to chai, for all the espresso die hards out there.
Very cool artwork representing the city adorning the walls.
We were even thanked for coming in w a big smile after we walked out.
This place is a huge treat, especially for this area.
5 stars.

Upgrading my review to 5 stars because of all-​star customer service!
I’ve been coming here since they open in May 2015, and this place has become my regular meeting spot (I come 2– 3 times a month).
I always feel welcomed here. There’s usually a friendly greeter at the door, and the staff is helpful. They truly want you to enjoy your drink, food, and overall experience. Luis (the GM) always takes time to interact with customers and ensure each one is satisfied.
They’ve expanded their menu– offering several creative chai drinks, beer, wine, tea, baked goods, and light lunch food. All tasty and made with care.
More people are finding out about this place, so it’s getting busy!

Has chai actually become a «thing» now? Apparently so judging by the surprisingly expansive space opened by chai connoisseurs David Scott Lowe and Rio Miura, former spouses who continued as business partners. They see it as the intractable bridge between coffee and tea. I see it as a good excuse to reinvigorate an area adjacent to the problematic corner of Sixth Street and Market. Between this business, Equator Coffee across Market and Montesacro Pinseria on Stevenson, I have a guarded optimism about seeing something of a commercial lift in the neighborhood. I came by around 7PM on a Tuesday and noticed they were already starting to get ready to close by 8. At the same time, they didn’t rush me along either.
In fact, there’s a greeter who stands at the door and does a bit of a commercial about the place. He seemed too skinny to be a bouncer like the guy who constantly stands in front of the door at Equator. As I perused the eight choices of chai on the menu (photo:
), I decided to try their signature drink, the $ 4.50, 12-​ounce Elephant Vanilla Chai where they blend black tea with Madagascar vanilla. What I liked in particular was the big cup in which they serve it plus the pitcher where they place the overage amount (photo:
). I sat myself at the orange banquette at a large table since there were only three other customers in the place. It was smooth though maybe a tad sweeter than I was hoping it would be.
They sell tea and coffee in case you’re not willing to jump on the chai bandwagon. They even offer an Arnold Palmer-​like cold drink called the Steph Curry, of course. There are baked goods including pretzels and a caramel cookie waffle that looked intriguing (photo:
), although nothing was appealing to me at that hour. Probably of most interest is a laboratory-​like set-​up in a room behind the counter where Lowe apparently comes up with new variations on chai. I noticed he’s adding a bubble chai selection which made me think he could take advantage of customer spillover from Sharetea in the Metreon. I hope its hipster-​centric following can keep Chai Bar by David Rio afloat for the foreseeable future.
CHAI — 4 stars… one big cup of sweetness but it’s rich enough to keep my interest
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… nothing wrong with a lot of space, especially in this neighborhood
SERVICE — 3 stars… a bit terse and coolish
TOTAL — 4 stars… chai me up, chai me down

Love this place! I’ve never seen a bar/​café like this before. This is why I love the Bay so much! We are creative and we come up with ideas that help being more flavor to the city.
A bar dedicated to French chai?! I’ll take it. Their menu is extensive with lots of different chai mixed drinks to choose from. I ordered their famous Tiger Spice Chai which is black tea infused with cinnamon, cardamon, and cloves. I had my creamy chai with 2% milk. The chai was fluffy and creamy textured. For about $ 5 this was worth it. It comes in a fancy wide mug & artsy saucer. The baristas do a great job taking their time on the drinks and serving efficiently.
I’m so glad I got to try this place out because now I’ll be taking some people to enjoy too!

The Tortoise Chai made with green tea and cardamom is just what I’ve been looking for! And by the way, long live Hawaii and her Macadamia nuts!
The citrus-​infused water available at the end of the counter is *SO* refreshing. I find I’m often overheating.
*BIG* points for hearty, strong wooden tables for reading, writing, sipping, snacking and chatting! *heart eyes*
The Chai Bar by David Rio sits beneath Zendesk, who renovated the 1909 building back in July 2014. It’s surrounded by the grit and movement and endless traffic of Mid-​Market in the once avoided underbelly of San Francisco. Business in now booming, much in part to Mayor Ed Lee’s invitation to some small (now big) technology companies and others.
Chai Bar doesn’t just stop at chai. For the general coffee-​loving crowd, there’s Espresso, Macchiato, Americano, Cappuccino, Latté, Mocha, Café Au Lait, a spiced coffee and a brew of the day drip coffee. For the tea-​freaks, like myself, black, green and Oolong teas like Ti Kwan Yin (delicious!) and Jasmine. Matcha shots and Tea Frost, chilled and blended, are other choices. The Steph Curry is ice cold with ginger! The Munich is great for a sore throat with sliced ginger, honey and hot water ($ 4).
I love that they have so many options for milk! Unlike Starbucks and others. You can opt for whole Strauss organic, non-​fat Strauss organic, or Lactose-​free. And for non-​dairy, there’s soy, almond, hazelnut, and Macadamia nut. They do charge extra (75¢ to $ 1.50) for the non-​dairy, however.
You’ll find Ongiri (Japanese rice balls wrapped in nori or seaweed), priced @ $ 2 to $ 3. Each has spunky local names like The SoMa, The Ferry Building, The Treasure Island, The Pier 39, The Forbidden City (which has spam! — so Hawaiian) and The Japantown. There are also salads — edamame, kale and a seasonal mélange ($ 11 to $ 12). You’ll also find an antioxidant wakame seaweed salad topped in rice vinegar and toasted sesame seed oil ($ 6).
David Rio is not a real person, by the way. It’s the middle name of Scott Lowe and the Rio comes from his wife, Rio Miura. They started DIY at their Bernal Heights kitchen in 1996 with their first chai flavor, Elephant Vanilla Chai. The Tiger Spice Chai is the most popular. Each chai is named after an endangered or at-​risk wild animal. David Rio is very interested in stopping the encroachment of wild life. Portions of their profits of Tiger Spice Chai go to help fund protection, rehabilitation and release efforts around the world. It’s quite admirable. They even adopted a rescued rare Bengal tiger named Atlas. Atlas lives in Mead, Washington at the Cat Tales Zoological Park. Scott & Rio also list the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA as an organization that they support.
Side note: I met Scott, who is so warm and inviting and Luís Ruvalcaba, the general manager who graciously posed for me with the Coffeega Korean slow drip coffee /​tea maker! See my pictures. It’s a fascinating contraption. I can’t wait until they start using it in-​house for the patrons to view.
Another plus when sipping and slurping at David Rio is that the teas are all kosher /​halal, gluten-​free, non-​GMO!!!
There’s a subtle easy breezy flow of chi at this chai bar. Hints of Asia and Africa are woven throughout. I felt this immediately and then I learn that they like to think of their family-​run small chai business within the context of ‘Kaizen’ — a Zen approach to life that encourages continuous and fluid movement and growth.
I’m in the chai of the Tiger, here. I’ll be back. xo