outro nyc Cafe Review: Matcha and More
outro was one of the first cafes I discovered back when I was living in New York City. Located in the Union Square area, not far from the park, it probably remained my favorite cafe overall. Not only does it have delicious food, but there were so many matcha and tea drinks—so many I never even got the chance to try them all. Here is an overview of some of the amazing food and drinks I did get to try from outro.
Matcha Rose Latte and Honey Cinnamon Banana Waffle
I ordered the matcha rose latte right around Valentine’s Day as a festive treat. It is described as a lightly rose flavored and sweetened matcha latte, and it was perfect for the time of year. I absolutely loved the floral flavor, and have been looking for a matcha rose latte or rose-flavored matcha powder ever since. If you only get one thing from outro, I would probably recommend this. I never got to try it as an iced latte, but I feel like it would also be yummy.
On that same visit, I tried to honey cinnamon banana waffle, which is topped with strawberry, mascarpone, and granola. I ordered my food to-go, so they left the mascarpone on the side and my application was not pretty, but it was delicious. The whole waffle was just sweet enough without being overpowering. I have tried many of outro’s waffles and they never disappoint, but I definitely recommend this one.
Matcha Cocoa and Pancakes
After my success with the matcha rose latte, I wanted to try one of outro’s other specialty matcha drinks. They actually have quite a few, though some also contain coffee, which I don’t drink. The Matcha Cocoa was instead mixed with hot chocolate, which is one of my favorite drinks besides tea. The description says this creation is for those who enjoy bitter notes and less sweet drinks. Personally, I have quite a sweet tooth and typically like my matcha lattes at least lightly sweetened, but I did really enjoy this drink. I do prefer the rose matcha, but this was great for a cold winter day. Technically you can order it iced, but I think I would stick with ordering it hot if I were to get it again.
The pancakes are served with seasonal fruits, lemon curd, mascarpone, blueberry compote, and granola. Overall this was very yummy, but I think I prefer the outro’s waffles—and this is coming from someone who is usually not a huge waffle fan.
Honey Yuzu Tea and Greenwich Sandwich
I wanted to try one of outro’s teas that wasn’t matcha, and the honey yuzu tea sounded the most interesting. Available hot and iced, I thought the honey yuzu preserve would be best suited for an iced tea. I definitely made the right choice here, as the citrus-flavored iced tea was incredibly refreshing, though I would be willing to try it hot in the future.
The Greenwich Sandwich is avocado, scrambled egg, and pesto on brioche. Though I really enjoyed the pesto with my eggs and thought the bread was yummy, the sandwich was so small and not very filling. It paired well with the iced honey yuzu tea, but I would have liked to have been able to add a side of fries or something similar to this order.
Iced Matcha Latte and Avo Smash Toast
After two interesting matcha creations, I thought I should try outro’s plain matcha latte, which I ordered iced. They used ceremonial grade matcha (though I’ve learned that could mean lots of different things), and it tastes very good. With other, more unique matcha specialties available, I’m not sure that I would order a basic matcha latte from outro again, but this is definitely a solid option if none of the specialty matcha drinks interest you.
As a zillennial, I’ve had my fair share of avocado toast, especially from brunch places in New York City. outro’s avo smash toast comes with avocado, feta, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on sourdough, and I added a poached egg. I didn’t realize that it came with two pieces of toast, but I still think I made the right call for me personally with only adding one egg. The toast was very yummy both with and without the egg and I especially enjoyed the crunch from the pumpkin seeds. Personally, I’m disappointed I never tried the the fig + honey toast because it is always unavailable to order online, but this was satisfactory replacement.
Others I’ve Tried and Want to Try
Some of my other favorite items from outro are the Avocado Chicken Waffle (not listed on the website, but I think available in store) and the Ricotta Berry Waffle that has seasonal fresh berries, cranberry, honey, and granola (pictured below, with lemon and edible flowers as well). I also may have tried the passion fruit green tea, though I think it was more likely a peach drink that is no longer on the menu (at least online).
The main tea-related item I never got around to trying, but wish I did, is the matcha tiramisu waffle, served with fresh strawberries and matcha gelato. And while outro does offer full-leaf tea from Harney & Sons, I’m honestly more interested in their refreshers. When I find myself back in Union Square in NYC, I’m definitely going to cross some of these items off my list of things I want to try.
So, What’s the Tea?
If you live in or near Union Square in New York City, you absolutely have to try outro. And if you’re visiting the city, particularly the Union Square Christmas Market and/or greenmarket, I highly recommend walking a few blocks over to give this cafe a try.
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