I have spent the better part of a year ordering iced vanilla lattes across every coffee shop in Ames and giving each one an honest score. This is the running ranking. If you only have time to read one post on this site, read this one.
Why the iced vanilla latte?
The iced vanilla latte is the perfect benchmark drink. It is on every cafe’s menu, it requires a baseline level of skill on three components (espresso, milk, vanilla), and the same recipe can taste wildly different depending on the bean, the pull, the syrup quality, and the milk to coffee ratio. If a cafe can do an iced vanilla latte well, they can probably do anything else well too.
My scoring is on a 10 point scale based on:
- Espresso quality: extraction, body, crema, freshness of the beans
- Vanilla integration: does the vanilla support the coffee or drown it
- Milk texture and ratio: smooth, cold, not watered down by ice
- Overall balance: do the three components taste like one drink
A 10 is a drink I would recommend to anyone in Ames. A 5 is drinkable but not memorable. Nothing has scored lower than a 5 yet, which says something about the baseline quality of coffee in this town.
The best iced vanilla latte in Ames, ranked
1. Morning Bell Coffee Roasters: 10/10
The only 10 on the entire site. Morning Bell roasts its own beans, dials in every step of the drink, and the result tastes like one balanced cup instead of three components fighting each other. Thick crema, well integrated vanilla, smooth milk, clean finish. If you have time for one iced vanilla latte in Ames, this is the one.
Read the full review: Morning Bell Coffee Roasters
2. La Tosca: 9/10
A near-perfect iced vanilla latte and a real surprise the first time I tried it. La Tosca uses Counter Culture Coffee, which is one of the most respected specialty roasters in the country, and you can taste the difference. The espresso shot has real depth, the vanilla is balanced rather than syrupy, and the milk integrates cleanly. The Welch Avenue location and the patio seating are a bonus. If Morning Bell is the technical winner, La Tosca is the close second that more people should know about.
Read the full review: La Tosca
3. The Dot Cafe: 8/10
The Dot pours espresso from Morning Bell, and you can taste it. The vanilla is forward without being syrupy, the milk is well textured, and the whole drink feels intentional. The vintage west Ames cafe vibe is a bonus.
Read the full review: The Dot Cafe
4. Burgie’s Coffee North: 7/10
Solid, well above average, and a reliable everyday latte. Windmill Coffee Roasters provides the beans, and the medium roast holds up in milk-based drinks. The vanilla runs slightly sweet for my preference, but for a drive-thru friendly latte on the north side of town, this is the best option.
Read the full review: Burgie’s Coffee North Ames
5. Cafe Milo: 6/10
The espresso is on the darker side and the vanilla is light, so the drink reads more like a regular iced latte with a hint of sweetness. Strong if you want assertive coffee, weaker if you want a balanced vanilla-forward drink. The space is one of the best for studying, which is half the reason to go.
Read the full review: Cafe Milo
6. Starbucks Lincoln Way: 6/10
A predictable, reliable cup. You know what you’re getting and the Lincoln Way location nails the campus convenience factor. Not exceptional, not bad, exactly what a Starbucks iced vanilla latte tastes like wherever you go.
Read the full review: Starbucks Ames Lincoln Way
7. Cafe Diem: 5/10
The bitterness pushed through more than the vanilla did, and the drink didn’t feel balanced. Cafe Diem has a lot to offer (flexible hours, downtown location, food menu), but the iced vanilla latte is not what I’d recommend ordering here.
Read the full review: Cafe Diem
8. Labyrinth Coffee: 5/10
Labyrinth has a great mission as a not for profit social enterprise and they use Windmill beans, so I expected more from the latte. The drink came out underwhelming. The cause is worth supporting, just maybe order something other than the iced vanilla latte.
Read the full review: Labyrinth Coffee
What’s still being tested
This ranking is a snapshot, not a final verdict. A few cafes are still pending or excluded:
- Cafe Beaudelaire: reviewed but the espresso machine was down on my visit. The latte score is pending another visit.
- Lockwood Cafe: reviewed for food and atmosphere, latte tasting pending.
The ranking will be updated as new visits happen.
The bottom line
If you live in Ames, drink iced vanilla lattes, and want to know where to go: Morning Bell first, La Tosca a close second, The Dot third. Skip the bottom of the list for this specific drink, but don’t write those cafes off for everything else (Cafe Diem and Labyrinth have other strengths worth visiting for).
If you disagree with the ranking, that’s the point. Try them yourself and form your own opinion. The whole reason I started this site was that nobody else in Ames was actually comparing these drinks side by side. Now you have a baseline to argue with.
Want more honest reviews? Browse the full Coffee Shop Reviews hub for individual write-ups on each cafe.
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