{"id":297812,"date":"2026-05-18T05:59:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T05:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/297812\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T05:59:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T05:59:10","slug":"matcha-map-rating-every-matcha-spot-on-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/297812\/","title":{"rendered":"Matcha map: Rating every matcha spot on campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tCup of Matcha from Kokee Tea, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 in Houston. (Oscar Herrera\/The Cougar)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tCup of Matcha from Cougar Grounds, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 in Houston. (Oscar Herrera\/The Cougar)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tCup of Matcha from Kokee Tea, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 in Houston. (Oscar Herrera\/The Cougar)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tCup of Matcha from Shasta\u2019s Cones and More, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 in Houston. (Oscar Herrera\/The Cougar)<\/p>\n

Matcha has become a staple for students who are looking for a delicious, satisfying drink between or after classes. While the continuing reign of matcha has created a variety of satisfying outlets for students, the stakes for good brew have become higher than ever.<\/p>\n

With multiple places on campus selling matcha, things to look out for are taste, price and convenience. Here is an honest review of the matcha available on campus.<\/p>\n

The gold standard: Cougar Grounds<\/p>\n

Set at the front of the Hilton Hotel<\/a> and in the Health 2 building, Cougar Grounds<\/a> notably deserves its gold star. The matcha latte sits at $5.45, available with alternative milk options and a variety of syrups. Unlike other spots, the Cougar Grounds unsweetened matcha has a smooth consistent flavoring that does not need any add-ons.<\/p>\n

\u201cCougar Grounds is the best because the unsweetened is enough,\u201d said pharmacy doctoral student Jenny Hu.<\/p>\n

The reliable chain: Starbucks<\/p>\n

Starbucks is a staple of Student Center South<\/a>. The matcha latte is $5.45 and it is not one that will disappoint. The matcha is consistent and can be made to fit exact taste buds.<\/p>\n

The budget-friendly Matcha: Shasta\u2019s Cones & More<\/p>\n

In Student Center South, it\u2019s hard to miss Shasta\u2019s Cones & More<\/a>. It offers the best price on campus at $3.50. A common combination bought in the spring time is the iced matcha latte with strawberry syrup.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that it\u2019s spring people are getting fruity flavors, but overall usually it\u2019s vanilla syrup,\u201d said barista and computer science senior Meenakshi Vinod.<\/p>\n

With a variety of options for customization, the syrups will add a sweet side to enjoy.<\/p>\n

The gateway: The Nook Cafe and Shake Smart<\/p>\n

Located in the RAD<\/a> (Retail, Auxiliary and Dining Center), The Nook<\/a> is a perfect introduction to matcha. At $5, the matcha has many options for customization. The taste is not the strongest initially, since half of the drink is milk, but upholds the matcha essence.<\/p>\n

In the heart of campus at the Rec<\/a> (Recreation & Wellness Center) is Shake Smart<\/a>, a go-to for a pick-me-up after a workout. The matcha protein shake, at $4.75, is not the strongest matcha tasting, but is a great option for vanilla-flavored protein.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the shake. It\u2019s not super matcha flavored, it kind of has a vanilla flavor so people like it if they aren\u2019t super matcha-crazed,\u201d said psychology senior Denise Boateng.<\/p>\n

An acquired taste: Kokee Tea<\/p>\n

On the back end of campus on University Drive, Kokee Tea<\/a> does not reach the high bar set by other student hubs. It\u2019s the most expensive of the bunch at $6.25, and it may not be a good go-to for a natural and earthy-brew flavor; the taste leans towards a pre-sweetened profile that is not the signature matcha brew taste.<\/p>\n

For matcha purists or budget-conscious students alike, UH has a whisk for every palate.<\/p>\n

news@thedailycougar.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cup of Matcha from Kokee Tea, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 in Houston. (Oscar Herrera\/The Cougar) Cup of Matcha…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":297813,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[108396,56,58,57,108397,55545,73531,108398,108399,10945],"class_list":["post-297812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-cougar-grounds","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news","tag-kokee-tea","tag-matcha","tag-rec-center","tag-shake-smart","tag-shastas","tag-starbucks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}