We’ve all been there –
…in a strange city or driving down the interstate
…want coffee
…only see chain coffee shops
…don’t know where to go.
Starbuck, Peets, Dunkin, McDonalds……Where’s the best place to go for dependable coffee?
We have attempted to answer the question for you below. For our list of coffee chains, we used chains that (1) have locations in at least 5 U.S. states and (2) serve specialty coffee drinks. Next, we used Yelp and looked at reviews in the hometown for each chain. (Tim Horton’s is Canadian, so we used Detroit locations for it.)
Here’s our list ranked best to worst. We added some quotes and comments below the images to help add more detail to each ranking.
1. Starbucks
Headquartered in Seattle, WA, locations nationwide
Rating: 4.03
Telling Coffee Quotes
“The coffee was Starbucks, nuff said there. ”
“Coffee tasted as it should.”
“Expensive and over-roasted.”
Other Random Comments
Busy, but efficient and convenient.
Baristas are good and friendly.
Good specialty drinks (and wine and beer).
Comfy chairs, good outlets and wifi.
2. Caribou Coffee
Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, locations in 40 states
Rating: 4.03
Telling Coffee Quotes
“Good cup of coffee, consistent every single time.”
“Caribou is greater than Starbucks!”
Other Random Comments
Cozy, friendly.
Happy staff, quick service.
Rustic with wood, leather, and even fireplaces.
3. Peet’s Coffee & Tea
Headquartered in Emeryville, CA, locations across the country but mainly in West
Rating: 4.00
Telling Coffee Quotes
“The coffee is strong, never tastes burnt or watered down.”
“Lacks the uber-strong, hard-to-get-used-to burnt flavor of Starbucks.”
“Beats Coffee Bean in pure taste.”
“An enjoyable, smooth, satisfying blend.”
Other Random Comments
Friendly baristas.
Atmosphere is chill.
Staff remembers customers.
4. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, locations in over 10 states, but mainly in West
Rating: 3.95
Telling Coffee Quotes
“the best chain coffee.”
“Real coffee.”
“Worse than Peets but better than Starbucks.”
Other Random Comments
Awesome staff.
Fast and super-friendly service.
Indie feel.
Use whole leaves in their teas.
Comfy seats.
5. Dunn Bros
Headquartered in Linden Hills, MN, locations mainly in Midwest
Rating: 3.92
Telling Coffee Quotes
“Good coffee, but not better than Caribou.”
“Coffee was tasty as ever.”
“Tasty, delicious.”
Other Random Comments
Not crowded.
Nice baristas.
Good breakfast foods.
Comfortable, attractive space.
Wooden chairs and leather sofas.
Each location has unique atmosphere.
6. Seattle’s Best
Headquartered in Seattle, WA, locations in over 20 states
(owned by Starbucks)
Rating: 3.83
Telling Coffee Quotes
“Coffee is OK, kind of like Dunkin Donuts quality.”
“Nothing too special.”
“The brewed coffee is fresh and delicious.”
Other Random Comments
Very fast – almost like the lattes come from a machine.
Friendly.
Good food.
7. Coffee Beanery
Headquartered in Flushing, MI, locations in many states
Rating: 3.80
Telling Coffee Quotes
“Good coffee.”
“Nice enough coffee shop.”
Other Random Comments
Inconsistencies between locations.
Great specialty drinks, but the orders often get messed up.
Friendly staff, but some are incompetent.
Comfy place.
8. Biggby Coffee
Headquartered in Lansing, MI, locations mainly in Midwest
Rating: 3.73
Telling Coffee Quotes
“It tastes thick.”
“Coffee is fair.”
“Coffee is terrible.”
“Coffee is always great.”
“Good coffee.”
Other Random Comments
Nice workers.
High priced.
Service is slow.
Comfortable chairs by fireplace.
9. Gloria Jean’s Coffees
Headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, CA, locations across the country
Rating: 3.60
Telling Coffee Quotes
“I have had coffee from here many times and sometimes its not bad.”
“Their coffee, if you can call it that, is downright icky.”
“Good brewed coffee.”
Other Random Comments
Nice, cheaper than Starbucks.
Clueless staff.
Not busy.
Inconsistencies between locations – some poorly managed.
10. Tully’s Coffee
Headquartered in Seattle, WA, locations mainly in West
Rating: 3.60
Telling Coffee Quotes
“Brewed coffee is really just not very good.”
“Drinkable, smooth and ‘conversational’ coffee.”
“Coffee was strong and dark.”
Other Random Comments
Top-notch service.
Friendly staff.
Good bakery items.
Great shakes and matcha green latte.
Comfy chairs and ample space.
Good wi-fi.
11. Tim Horton’s
Headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, locations mainly in West and Northeast
(sale pending to Burger King)
Rating: 3.00
Telling Coffee Quotes
“Fantastic coffee served one way….FRESH!”
“Their (Canadian) extra large, is WAY LARGER than ours.”
Other Random Comments
Good doughnuts – fresh and soft.
Fast service.
Canadian.
Service varies between locations.
12. Dunkin’ Donuts
Headquartered in Quincy, MA, locations nationwide
Rating: 2.95
Telling Coffee Quotes
“Coffee is meh, but when you really need coffee it’s passable.”
“Coffee is always great.”
“Coffee seems bitter and over priced.”
Other Random Comments
Inconsistencies depending on location.
Sketchy characters.
Slow, inept service.
Nice and clean.
13. McDonalds
Headquartered in Oak Brook, IL, locations nationwide
Rating: 2.60
Telling Coffee Quotes
“Sometimes they don’t put sugar in a ‘cream and sugar’ coffee.”
“It’s a McDonald’s.”
“It’s always hot.”
Other Random Comments
Unhealthy.
Low expectations.
Convenient.
Ashamed to be going there.
Orders are often wrong.
A couple of final notes:
- Service can be pleasant or horrible depending on location.
- Most airport coffee is generally bad – even from these places. Don’t order a fancy drink at the airport – keep it simple.It is important to note that the rankings are for the entire experience, not just a rating of the coffee.
All photos licensed by CC-BY-2.0.
Featured photo by lynn Dombrowski, Starbucks photo by Trevor Cummings, Caribou Coffee photo by m01229, Peet’s Coffee photo by Michael Allen Smith, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf photo by Aditya.Sengupta, Dunn Bros Coffee photo by bradleypjohnson, Seattle’s Best photo by /\ \/\/ /\, Coffee Beanery photo by Zach Ware, Biggby Coffee photo by David Shane, Gloria Jean’s Coffee photo by LWYang, Tully’s Coffee photo by MIKI Yoshihito, Tim Horton’s photo by Kulveer Virk, Dunkin’ Donuts photo by Mike McCune, McDonald’s Coffee photo by Sergey Podatelev,
