In case you missed it, matcha is trending in a big way in metro Atlanta. The centuries-old green tea powder has recently worked its way into cocktails, desserts, and a bevy of vibrant drinks at coffee shops, bars, and restaurants all over town. Matcha’s broad appeal spans the gamut, from the health-conscious to those with earthy-inclined palates to people who prefer a less severe caffeine jolt.
Check out this guide to Atlanta coffee shops, cafes, and pop-ups serving matcha drinks, matcha baked goods, and even matcha soft serve and floats.
Bearly Awake Cafe
Various locations
This darling Kennesaw-based coffee cart uses Wave 3’s Shoko matcha, a blend of the Yabukita, Samidori, and Gokoh cultivars. Bearly Awake takes things further with innovative syrups, which range from caramelized pear and banana to horchata. The cart also has a knack for developing cultural latte flavors, like pan de muerto, horchata, and guava, along with creative flavors such as banana pudding and Fruity Pebbles. Check out Bearly Awake on Saturdays at the Druid Hills Farmers Market. Follow on Instagram for pop-up details.
Common Coffee & Cocktails
5677 Buford Hwy, Doraville
Doraville’s newest dual coffee shop and bar sources tea from Passenger Coffee and serves matcha tonics and an array of flavored lattes. Current offerings include jasmine, blueberry, and the Shangai-based viral trend known as “sheep”. The menu also features a few hojicha (late-harvest, roasted green tea leaves) lattes.
Enid Coffee
655 Highland Ave., Old Fourth Ward
Step inside Communidad Taqueria’s front door and you’ll instantly encounter Enid Coffee at the counter. The espresso drinks convert quite well to specialty drinks like a caramelized banana latte and strawberries and cream latte. Afternoons on the patio call for the citrusy uchuva tonic, which can be made with espresso or a iced salted honey matcha cloud.
Fujissa
3875 Venture Dr., Duluth
Metro Atlanta’s best matcha soft-serve, hands down, comes from a tiny counter in the Jusgo supermarket’s food court in Duluth. Choose from regular or stronger matcha soft serve, which packs an extra earthy kick. Fujissa also offers matcha dango, milkshakes, a crepe cake, and a Swiss matcha roll. Prefer a drink? Choose from matcha soda with passionfruit and citron honey, trendy blue lattes, or iced matcha.
Related story: Atlanta is in the midst of a matcha craze
Momo Cafe
95 8th St., Midtown
Since opening in 2018, Momo Cafe in Midtown has introduced a swath of Atlantans to matcha, from jewel-toned drinks to smooth soft serve and pastry chef ChingYao Wang’s collection of matcha-infused pastries and desserts. Choose from hot or iced matcha and other drinks like matcha lemonade, layered strawberry, blueberry, or banana bread iced lattes, and even a matcha soft serve float. Top your latte with coconut matcha cloud foam.
Notcha Matcha
Various locations
Queenesha Gregory’s pop-up Notcha Matcha alternates between Atlanta and Augusta, offering some of the most locally inspired drinks around. (Think peach cobbler, banana pudding, and sweet potato flavors.) Gregory sources her matcha from Shizuoka, Japan, and pulls flavor inspiration from her Southern roots and local culture. The hot lemon pepper latte, for example, is undeniably Atlantan. Follow on Instagram for pop-up locations and flavor updates.
Oohmami Matcha
Various locations
Chanel Allen launched direct-to-consumer matcha brand Oohmami Matcha after realizing she could make a less processed version at home. The result is yabukita cultivar powder, made with first harvest (ichibana) leaves from a sixth-generation farm in Uji, Japan. While Oohmami’s matcha is intended for home use, Allen offers both powder and drinks at the Grant Park Farmers Market on Sundays. Oohmami also pops up at wellness-oriented venues around Atlanta.
The Postcard
3145 Peachtree Road, Buckhead
Formerly home to Wave 3, The Postcard now uses the brand’s powder to make some of Atlanta’s best matcha drinks. The shop is best known for its Wave Blue, a blueberry matcha latte. You can also find classic, jasmine, and strawberry-rose lattes at The Postcard. Purchase Wave 3 tins and gifts like matcha kits and ceramics here, too.
Shogun Matcha
Various lcoations
Whether you’re looking for tins of high-caliber matcha or creative drinks made with it, pop-up Shogun Matcha will provide. Shogun partners with a 10th-generation farm in Uji, Japan, to create a beverage that stands out not just in metro Atlanta, but in the United States. Shogun Matcha launched a prestige series made with rare cultivars. Catch Shogun Matcha at Poke House in Buckhead on Fridays, the Sandy Springs Farmers Market on Saturdays, and the Avondale Estates Farmers Market on Sundays. Follow Shogun Matcha on social media for pop-up locations and other updates.
Storyteller Goods
Inside Home Grown, 968 Memorial Dr., Reynoldstown
Located inside Home Grown, Storyteller Goods sources Yama matcha from Mizuba Tea Company (Sound familiar? It’s also used at locations of Little Tart Bake Shop and Valor Coffee in Dunwoody.) The Yama cultivar comes from the foggy, mountainous Honyama region, reflecting terroir through deep umami notes with soft floral elements. The cultivar expertly pairs with the strawberry syrup and crushed cherry blossom in Storyteller’s Secret Garden matcha drink.
