The Portuguese language has many more terms for slightly different forms and served either in a large cup or in a glass, such as meia de leite or galão.

In both Italian and Portuguese languages, there is a lot of further elaborate terminology for clarifying the desired strength of the coffee, its roasting, the temperature at which the final product is to be served, ...

In many American coffeehouses, a café au lait is a drink of strong drip brewed or French pressed coffee, to which steamed milk is added; this contrasts with a caffè latte, which uses espresso as a base.

At Starbucks, Cafe Au Lait is known as "Caffe Misto" which is served with 1:1 ratio of French Press brewed Coffee and frothed milk.

In New Orleans, café au lait is traditionally drunk while eating beignets dusted with powdered sugar, which offsets the bitterness of the chicory.