The Best Coffee Stop
As a relatively new coffee drinker, I have been on the hunt for both my favorite coffee style as well as the best place to get it. When I had the idea to try coffee from three different places, I was going to try the same type of coffee then compare and contrast. The problem with this was, I really don’t have a favorite or a usual style, so I changed my mind and decided to order what I thought sounded the best from each place. This would open my horizons and also allow me to see which location offered the most variety.
My very first time adventuring into the coffee world was through Dunkin, so I started off a little biased. At the beginning of quarantine, I enjoyed my morning trip to Dunkin the most. The first drink I ordered was “The Charli” which consisted of cold brew and caramel. Being someone who loves sweets, I assumed I would never like coffee, but surprisingly, I enjoyed this. As the year went by, I have tried many different coffee drinks from Dunkin and have leaned towards their cold brew with some kind of flavor in it. Right now, I would say my choice is the chocolate stout cold brew. For a medium, this drink runs for $3, a very reasonable price. Overall, Dunkin is a great coffee spot and has very good prices. The only downside is they do not have as much variety compared to some other competitors.
The next stop is Starbucks, another classic. Compared to Dunkin, I would say Starbucks is a step up. I say this because of the variety they offer and the aesthetic of the whole franchise. Starbucks was never much on my radar because of the distance from my house and mainly because of the higher prices. I did not want to like Starbucks because I knew, as a high schooler, my bank account would not be supportive of a Starbucks addiction. With that being said, I of course had to try a few things. It seems to me that every time I am at Starbucks, I order something new just because they have so much to offer and are constantly coming out with more. My opinion on Starbucks is that they have better coffee than Dunkin and are more customizable. The only thing is, it is a lot more expensive. You can add a lot to a drink, but it definitely comes with a price. For example, a previous order I had was a Grande iced shaken espresso and it was $5.95. This size was much smaller than Dunkin’s and was almost double the price. Emily Padva, a Starbucks connoisseur says, “my favorite part about Starbucks coffee, isn’t the coffee… It’s the experience of going through the drive-through, talking to the barista, and I just think my day is better with a Starbucks in hand”.
Lastly, I ordered from Brown’s Doughnut & Pastry Co in Dublin. Before even trying their coffee, I was a huge fan of Brown’s in general. Their food, pastries, and other drinks are very good, so I decided to try some of their coffee options. In relation to Starbucks and Dunkin, Brown’s definitely did not have as many options, but this is expected because they are a small, local business. I tried their Irish Cream Latte in their medium size (16 oz) and it was under $5. This is the middle ground between Starbucks and Dunkin. By ounces, it is the same as Starbucks but smaller than Dunkin’s medium which is 24 ounces. Overall, I enjoyed this drink and the other coffee drinks I have had from there. I would definitely say their coffee is good and they do have a selection of specialty drinks. Employee Abbie Iannetta says, “working here is a lot of fun because I get to experiment with different flavors. I love expanding my coffee palette and have become very coffee savvy in the process”.
Out of these three options, I would choose Starbucks to be my favorite. I would recommend all of these to anyone, but for me, being able to customize my drink and have that many varieties is key. Getting coffee is all about the experience and the vibes at Starbucks impressed me and made me want to go back. I am excited to adventure to new coffee shops and try all their unique drinks, but for now, Starbucks will be a staple that I will be able to get almost anywhere I go. Sadly, my taste is expensive, so I will have to hold back a little and consider other options as well. With that being said, the coffee journey continues.