As a college student on the verge of actual adulthood, I've had my fair share of coffee, to say the least. If we're being realistic, I've had so much coffee in my life that I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's flowing through my veins instead of blood.
As I've gone through school, I never really stopped to consider the fact that not all coffee tastes the same. There are so many different brands and methods of coffee, but I've found that my all time favorite is an iced mocha from Dunkin Donuts, the best coffee chain to exist.
Of course, growing up and going to school in Texas, Dunkin Donuts stores aren't very common––the closest one to my campus is a 30-minute drive. The lack of DDs in my area lead to masses of people telling me that Starbucks is better, which is obviously far more convenient.
There are five total Starbucks stores in my college town, but that isn't enough to convince me that it's better.
First of all, I'm not a fan of shelling out $5 every time I need a decent sized cup of coffee. Starbucks is notorious for overpriced coffee, which is often slightly burnt-tasting. This morning, I got my medium drink (24 fl oz) from Dunkin for $2.17 during happy hour, when it's normally $3.59. The exact same drink at Starbucks in a 24 oz cup is normally $4.15, and you only get the happy hour discount if you're a rewards member.
Second, calories are a huge thing for some people when it comes to coffee. Depending on your order, most of the time Dunkin has Starbucks beat on a smaller calorie count. My medium iced mocha from DD weighs in at 260 calories in 24 fl oz. The same sized drink at Starbucks ends up with 340 calories, which is almost 100 more than Dunkin.
Lastly, the two menus are drastically different.
As I'm sure you would've guessed, Dunkin Donuts' main specialty is in the store's name––donuts. From coffee to soft serve ice cream and donuts to breakfast sandwiches, there's something for everyone.
Sure, Starbucks does have food items such as breakfast sandwiches and bagels, but the selection is limited. The cake pops are just about the only thing that Starbucks has over Dunkin, because I'll be honest, I love a good cake pop.
So while Starbucks is great on its own, it can't hold a candle to my one true love, Dunkin Donuts. They're pretty rare to come across if you're not certain of where they're located, but my heart (and my wallet) will always belong to them.
