Before the days of Starbucks in every urban street corner and suburban strip mall, “iced coffee” was rare. It had not yet arrived as a mainstay of American morning beverages, nor had the $4 coffee drink become the norm.  

But now, iced coffee is here to stay — it’s come a long way since the days of the Starbucks bottled Frappuccino. Which is good news for just about everyone.  

This week, the Roll Call After Dark’s Iced Coffee Challenge continues with three more contenders for Iced Americanos (for those curious why, see here for the explanation ). Tynan Coffee and Tea: $2.75 for 16 ounces. for those who prefer their coffee on the bitter range, Tynan is for you. Easy to get a seat if you’re the coffee drinking type who wants to lounge with a newspaper. Even better if your colleague wants to drink a beer while you’re sipping your iced coffee. Soymilk is 60 cents extra. Tynan offers a Club Card loyalty program which tallies points and rewards loyal customers with $5.00 off every 100 points earned.  

Le Pain Quotidien : $2.50 for 12 ounces (to-go price) and $3.65 (dine in). LPQ wins for having a better iced coffee drink than their hot counterpart: who really enjoys drinking coffee out of a bowl*? For those who want to linger, It can be lovely to sit at one of LPQ’s clean wooden tables rather than a sticky laminate tabletop. Their service is friendly but doggedly slow, perhaps a nod to its European flair. Repeat customers won’t earn any points with their patronage: LPQ does not offer a rewards program. Soy milk is available upon request at no extra charge.  

Au Bon Pain: $2.49 for 16 ounces. Yes, along with just about any sandwich combination under the sun, ABP serves iced coffee. Their espresso bar is nestled in a corner, soy milk is included at the milk bar, and the high traffic locations ensure you can get in and out in good time. No rewards program available, though Roll Call’s iced coffees rang up with a “special price ” of $1.99.  

*Frequent cappuccino drinker and Roll Call political reporter Alexis Levinson recommends hot cappuccinos in an LPQ bowl because it provides more surface area for foam. Duly noted.
Have a suggestion for a coffee place Roll Call should try? Let us know: tweet @beckgale.

Read the Iced Coffee Challenge Part One