<p class="ingestion featured-caption">I tried custom off-menu Starbucks drinks from baristas in California. Paige Bennett</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>I had five <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worst-drinks-to-get-at-starbucks-according-to-former-barista">Starbucks baristas</a> make me their favorite off-menu drinks.</li><li>All of the drinks were tasty, though I was shocked one customized grande latte cost me $8.20.</li></ul><p><a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-starbucks-ceo-brian-niccol-could-change-c-suite-menu-2024-8">Starbucks has a new CEO</a> coming — and analysts predict that his reign could come with changes to store operations and, of course, menus.</p><p>The chain's menu typically changes seasonally, with <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-and-worst-things-on-starbucks-breakfast-menu-ranked">special drink releases</a> popping up throughout the year. But Starbucks is also known for the wide variety of customizations it has available to customers — and many play with them to create <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-things-to-order-at-starbucks-according-to-a-former-barista">"secret menu" drinks</a>.</p><p>Instead of putting my own creativity to the test, I stopped by two Starbucks locations in the Southern California area and asked five baristas to create their <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviewing-starbucks-baristas-favorite-drinks-off-menu-secret-2022-4">favorite off-menu beverages</a> for me.</p><p>Here's how it went.</p>