Sweet Tea?

I've recently moved to Chicago from Georgia, and I already miss the sweet tea.

where, if anywhere besides McDonald's can I get sweet tea in chicago?

thanks

I'm pretty sure Popeye's also serves it. I would also check Heaven on Seven (Just a guess)

Isn't "sweet tea" nothing more than sweetened iced tea?

Most places where you get iced tea provide various sweeteners along with it, so you can sweeten it to your taste.

Adding sugar just isn't the same. While that may make the tea sweeter, the sugar rarely dissolves completely and instead one ends up with granular tea. Sweet tea is brewed with sweetened water then chilled.

just brew the tea, add like a 5 lb bag of sugar and then put it the refridgerator. wow that stuff is sweet.

Diannie wrote:Adding sugar just isn't the same. While that may make the tea sweeter, the sugar rarely dissolves completely and instead one ends up with granular tea. Sweet tea is brewed with sweetened water then chilled.

Is it brewed with sweetened water? I always thought sweet tea was sweetened after brewing (while hot,) and then chilled. Go figure.

BTW - Bombay Kabab House

smoque has sweet tea.

Sweet tea is made by super-saturating warm liquid with sugar in the brewing process. The way that we made it growing up is that the sugar is put in a pitcher, then warm water is poured over both the sugar and the tea bags so that the sugar dissolves thus making a super-sweet concoction that's a natural with southern food. A couple of stirs during the seeping process and it's done.

I certainly don't consider the Nestea product served from the soda fountain "sweet tea" which is as traditional to southern
eating as are collard greens.

Where to get it, Barton? Any soul food place worth it's salt serves it including Priscilla's, Johnson's and MacArthurs. I'm pretty sure, if my memory is correct that BJ's Market also serves it You won't find in everywhere like you do back home. In a pinch, I dump a couple of equals in my tea in a restaurant because it dissolves better in cold tea.

Welcome to Chicago, Barton. You'll find plenty of good southern eats among Chicago's many restaurant options.

abolt wrote:smoque has sweet tea.

Yup, and it's sweet enough to make your teeth hurt just thinking about it. In other words, authentic.

IIRC, Fat Willy's has some pretty authenic Sweet tea.

Edna's on the west side has sweet tea. Edna's quite proud to have it--she was just telling me how she likes her tea and lemonade sweet and made in-house.

Edna's
3175 W. Madison St.
Chicago

Hi,

CJ's Eatery has sweet tea. So does Feed.

Regards,

Hey, Blu 47 has sweet tea too in Bronzeville: 4655 S. King Dr., Chicago, (773) 536-6000. In fact, a ton of South Side restaurants serve it because it's a Southern thing.

Just curious - do most of these places that serve sweet tea, also offer conventional, unsweetened iced tea?

nsxtasy wrote:Just curious - do most of these places that serve sweet tea, also offer conventional, unsweetened iced tea?

In my experience, yes.

Regards,

Altho there aren't many places (the Southern cuisine spots mentioned above sum up my knowledge for Chicago-based sources as well) you will find unsweetened offered at most any place that also offers sweet tea.

When I lived in Asheville NC I was taught the correct way to make a batch of authentic sweet tea (I worked at the Biltmore Estate's buffet-style restaurant so we went through tons of the stuff). For the brewer we had - I think it was maybe 2-3 gallon urn - we would take one 64oz pitcher and fill it with white sugar, then fill that with hot water until the liquid reached the top. The sugar would eventually dissolve, resulting in a very thick simple syrup. that was added to the full batch of freshly brewed tea...mmmm, "southern-sweet" and delicious! And yes, when it's sweet enough to make your teeth hurt, then it's done correctly!

As a side note, I found this site which has a history of sweet tea.

One can find "sweet tea" in Chicago but the trick, and I haven't found any made the "proper" way.... is to find it made with Luzianne tea leaves. Most of the Southern folks I know (including my Mom) will not use any other tea when making their own and will typically not order it out if made with something else. So, if anyone knows where one might be able to find sweet tea made with Luzianne tea, I'd be one happy camper!

Luzianne was definitely considered the only way to go when my family lived in South Carolina.

Coincidentally, I just saw a Mcdonald's ad (while watching the Colts game) touting their new sweet tea. Anyone tried it? Apparently its been offered in the South since this summer & they are expanding the areas where its available.

wino66 wrote:
When I lived in Asheville NC I was taught the correct way to make a batch of authentic sweet tea (I worked at the Biltmore Estate's buffet-style restaurant so we went through tons of the stuff). For the brewer we had - I think it was maybe 2-3 gallon urn - we would take one 64oz pitcher and fill it with white sugar, then fill that with hot water until the liquid reached the top. The sugar would eventually dissolve, resulting in a very thick simple syrup. that was added to the full batch of freshly brewed tea...mmmm, "southern-sweet" and delicious! And yes, when it's sweet enough to make your teeth hurt, then it's done correctly!

As a side note, I found this site which has a history of sweet tea.

This is the method I use as well, but instead of sweetening the whole batch, just serve the simple syrup on the side , allowing everyone to sweeten to taste. Using simple syrup is the only way to do this at the table.

Athena wrote:Coincidentally, I just saw a Mcdonald's ad (while watching the Colts game) touting their new sweet tea.

I saw it too. 32 ounces for $1.

thank you all for the replies

There's a place called Chic-fil-A that has sweet tea. Not sure if there are any in Chicago yet. They are in Indiana.

Cracker Barrel usually has sweet tea.

LAM026 wrote:There's a place called Chic-fil-A that has sweet tea. Not sure if there are any in Chicago yet. They are in Indiana.

Cracker Barrel usually has sweet tea.

chic-fil-a is one of the things i'll miss most about Georgia.

Dixie Kitchen in Evanston has sweet tea. I don't know about the Hyde Park restaurant.

barton wrote:

LAM026 wrote:There's a place called Chic-fil-A that has sweet tea. Not sure if there are any in Chicago yet. They are in Indiana.

Cracker Barrel usually has sweet tea.

chic-fil-a is one of the things i'll miss most about Georgia.

It's always one of my first stops when I head back home. There has been some talk of them having expansion plans for Chicago. Until then, your best bets are West Lafayette, In or the Regency Mall in Racine, WI.

YourPalWill wrote:

barton wrote:

LAM026 wrote:There's a place called Chic-fil-A that has sweet tea. Not sure if there are any in Chicago yet. They are in Indiana.

Cracker Barrel usually has sweet tea.

chic-fil-a is one of the things i'll miss most about Georgia.

It's always one of my first stops when I head back home. There has been some talk of them having expansion plans for Chicago. Until then, your best bets are West Lafayette, In or the Regency Mall in Racine, WI.

It really is the only fast food I crave ... man I could go for a classic sandwich with a side of waffle fries right about now...

-Dan (Charlottesville, VA native)

EvA wrote:Dixie Kitchen in Evanston has sweet tea. I don't know about the Hyde Park restaurant.

fantastic news. I actually ate there last thursday(i work at NU) but didnt even think to inquire about sweet tea(just assumed it didnt exist up here).

i know where i'll be frequenting after work and the gym.

I agree that the way to sweeten the tea is with a simple syrup not granulated sugar.

Every time I go to Wishbone, I drink about 3-4 glasses of the stuff. Some bbq places will have it as well (Smoque, Fat Willy's, and I think Smoke Daddy).

Welcome to Chgo...

barton wrote: didnt even think to inquire about sweet tea(just assumed it didnt exist up here)

really??? what other things have you found "down south" that you can't find here?? i doubt there's much you can't find here

dddane wrote:really??? what other things have you found "down south" that you can't find here?? i doubt there's much you can't find here

Well, this time of year, there's warmth from the sun.

I rarely see hush puppies. Got any recommendations?