Best (Iced Oat Milk Vanilla) Latte in Rochester

All of my life has culminated to this one moment - a latte review!!!

Coffee has been such a large part of my life for as long as I can remember. I rarely miss a morning coffee, partly because of the caffeine but mostly because of the pure joy it brings me. I have a distinct memory of the very first coffee I ever drank. We were visiting family friends in Ohio and went through a Starbucks drive through, I was 9/10 at the time. In my parents defense it was a Frappuccino bottle so mostly sugar - but my life was forever changed. While I love coffee in all forms I am, at heart, a BB (basic bitch) and therefore my coffee of choice is an oat milk vanilla latte. IYKYK. All the reviews below are of an iced oat milk vanilla latte. Nothing more, nothing less. That brings us to the review qualifications.

All shops and lattes reviewed meet the following requirements:

1. Are first and for most a coffee shop. Food can be served but can not be the main objective of said shop.

2. Are Rochester local cafes. While there is a chain in one instance, it is a Rochester ONLY chain.

3. Must be in the city. No suburban lattes for this gal (yet).

Reviews are of the latte ONLY. Not the vibes of the cafe or the service - simply the taste of the latte. Price is taken into consideration but not a determining factor. Ranking will go from worst to best.

What makes a perfect latte? First and foremost it has to taste like coffee. Yes I know, I know, lattes are mostly milk but IDGAF. The perfect latte should have a hint of vanilla sweetness but mostly a full, robust underlying coffee flavor. A beautiful rich caramel color. End of story.

The reviews are the opinion of one gal and in some instances only one experience - do what you will with that information.

Here we go.

The Best (Iced Oat Milk Vanilla) Latte in Rochester:

10. Equal Grounds Coffee House

This latte was.....gross. Honestly, it was really not drinkable. It tasted like burnt coffee meets watery coffee but yet somehow was the most expensive (over $8). It may have been an off day but it left such a bad taste I had no desire to go back for a 2nd try. For me, this was by far the lowest out of them all.

9. Keepers '

Keepers' boasts an all natural, all organic menu. The latte had a very unique flavor, aka it tasted a little like dirt. It was a taste I have never experienced before and is really just not my vibe. The only reason this is above Equal Grounds is simply because it was one of the cheaper lattes ($5) and I like the whole "natural coffee" idea - just needs some (lots) of improvement on flavor.

8.Melo Coffee & Kitchen

This latte was, subpar. I have been to Melo several times and every time I'm left underwhelmed. The latte is too milky and there is not enough coffee flavor. This was - mid.

7. Rochester Coffee Company

Rochester Coffee Company, also known as RoCoCo is located inside the Mercantile on Main (side note this place is super cool and totally worth checking out). While I have only been twice both times were simply nothing impressive, too milky not enough coffee etc. etc. Much like spot 8, this coffee was very mediocre.

6. Java’s Cafe

Java's latte took me on a trip. It started off warm (even though it was iced) and undrinkable but as the latte cooled down a sweet/creamy flavor crept in. It tasted more like a milkshake than a latte but I did in fact drink the whole thing. All in all it was good, just not great.

5. Cafe Sasso

Cafe Sasso is so hit or miss. I've had amazing latte's and some really crappy ones. On the whole it tends to run too milky (although the latte picture below was one of the better ones). The inconsistency puts this coffee shop at the half way point.

4. Boulder Coffee Co.

I have been to Boulder Coffee Co. exactly 2 times. The first experience was wayyyy too milky; however, the second (pictured) was an AMAZING latte. The size/price comparison is very generous and if there had been more consistency- this place would have beat some of the competition below.

3. Fuego Coffee Roasters

Fuego is coming in hot at number 3. It is creamy and boasts a strong vanilla flavor. The coffee taste creeps up after and lingers around. If powerful flavors are your thing - this is the place to go.

2. Glenn Edith Coffee Roasters

Glenn Edith is the sleeper latte for me. Tucked behind Cafe Sasso many don't care to venture beyond, but man are they missing out. This latte is an incredible balance of sweet and bitter. If you've never bothered looking behind Park Ave. - this is your sign.

1. Ugly Duck Coffee

If you have not already heard it from a co-worker/friend/stranger on the internet let me be the first to tell you - Ugly Duck Coffee is the best coffee shop in Rochester. Their latte has a STRONG coffee flavor perfectly paired with a hint of sweet vanilla. I have NEVER had a bad latte from Ugly Duck - they are consistent and delicious. While they are one of the more expensive latte's out there - it is worth every. single. penny.

Honorable Mention: Village Bakery and Cafe

While I did not feel comfortable counting this latte in the official ranking as its Village Bakeries main design is for food, I did feel compelled to mention it because they offer a SOLID oat milk vanilla latte. The key is asking for 1/2 sweetness IMO.

There you have it, the (probably not) complete ranking of best and worst latte's in Rochester. Did I miss a Rochester Local Coffee Shop? Do you absolutely HATE my review of your favorite latte place? Do you want to ask how one gal survived drinking so many lattes? Let's connect. DM me, send a message on the site, write a smoke signal - I'll be here waiting to duke it out.