Who has the cheapest fall menu coffee in Fort Worth? Hint: It’s not Starbucks

Starbucks rolls out its Pumpkin Spice Latte earlier and earlier every year. This year, customers started drinking the bright-orange, sweet, fall-flavored coffee drink before September even began.

But in 2025, the 16-ounce treat costs more than a Taco Bell Cravings Box or a McDonald’s Meal Deal. A 16-ounce iced Pumpkin Spice Latte costs $6.75. The hot version costs $6.45.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the return of the Pumpkin Spice latte gave Starbucks a record-breaking week of sales this year. But is there a Fort Worth coffee shop that serves a cheaper alternative?

The Star-Telegram Service Team set out to price check how much fall menu coffees cost at several Fort Worth coffee shops.

But there is a factor to consider. Local small businesses import their coffee beans from South American, Africa, or Asian countries. They also usually make their flavors and syrups in-house. Even if they are not cheaper than Starbucks, their quality makes the price worth it.

Here’s what we found.

Methodology

To gather the data, our team visited six Fort Worth coffeehouses and tried a drink off of the fall menu at each one.

At all six places, we got the regular size, which was usually 16 ounces.

Lastly, it’s important to know which Fort Worth locations we bought from.

• Ampersand: 3009 Bledsoe St.
• Avoca Coffee Roasters: 835 Foch St.
• Branch & Bean: 2624 Whitmore St.
• Cherry Coffee Shop: 1121 W Magnolia Ave.
• Pax & Beneficia: 101 W 5th St., Suite 105.
• Townes Coffee: 4100 Bryant Irvin Road.

Where to get the cheapest fall menu drink in Fort Worth

Keep in mind that according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, an average cup of coffee cost $7.20 in February 2025.

From least expensive to most expensive, we found that Ampersand and Cherry Coffee Shop served the cheapest fall menu drink out of the places we tried. Pax & Beneficia served the most expensive fall menu drink.

• Ampersand: Cinnamon Roll Latte: $6.50.
• Cherry: Autumn Goodbye (pumpkin spice and caramel latte): $6.50.
• Avoca: Iced Salted Caramel White Miso Latte: $6.75.
• Branch & Bean: Iced Pumpkin Spiced Latte: $7.
• Townes Coffee: Carrot Cake Cold Brew: $7.25.
• Pax & Beneficia: Iced Pumpkin Spiced Dirty Chai Latte: $8.50. 

Honorable mention: Townes Coffee sells 35-ounce coffee buckets filled with lattes for $10. For specialty “Townes Classics” lattes, a bucket is $12.

If you are going to pay $7 to $8 for a latte from Starbucks, you’re probably better off getting a latte from a local coffeehouse that sources better ingredients.

Which fall menu drinks were my favorite

Disclaimer: I am not the biggest pumpkin fan (perhaps Starbucks ruined it for me). However, I do enjoy a cinnamon, maple or caramel-flavored drink.

Here’s what I thought of all the coffees I tried.

• Ampersand’s Cinnamon Roll Latte: Can this be on the menu year-round? The soft top of sweet cream with cinnamon gives you a melt-in-your-mouth gulpful of whipped cream in every sip. It’s like the best part of a cinnamon roll, which is the frosting.
• Avoca’s Iced Salted Caramel White Miso Latte: I love a salted latte. And this one you could absolutely taste the salty caramel and salty miso. Despite its price, I would reorder.
• Branch and Bean’s Iced Pumpkin Spiced Latte: The classic pumpkin spice latte is not normally my favorite, but I would order this one again. Their in-house pumpkin syrup is not too sweet or pumpkiny, but spice-filled instead. It reminded me of a dirty chai latte.
• Cherry’s Autumn Goodbye: This latte was also not too pumpkiny. The caramel adds a good sweetness, though I could go without it (I prefer less sweet). Also, it doesn’t have as much pumpkin as it has spice, which is a plus for me.
• Pax & Beneficia’s Iced Pumpkin Spiced Dirty Chai Latte: This was the best pumpkin latte I had. The shot of espresso in the chai tea toned down all the sweetness and spice going on, but I could also taste the chai the most. I wish I had ordered a larger size.
• Townes Coffee’s Carrot Cake Cold Brew: THIS! Carrot cake as a fall flavor is genius. And I will be going out of my way to work to order this again. The cold brew is bitter but topped with a fluffy, whipped cold foam that tastes almondy, sweet and spice-filled. Every sip had the foamy goodness. I finished before my ice melted which is always a good sign.

This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 4:00 AM.

Ella Gonzales

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.