Dunkin' Donuts
5760 Transit Rd Depew, NY 14043
Web: Dunkin' Donuts
Phone: 716-681-0034
Rating:    [learn more]
Pros:

The best overall coffee in the cheap chain group, with the leading drip and cappuccino drinks we've tested, as well as very good donuts in a wide variety of flavors. Good pricing.

Cons:

No mocha available at time of review; drinks are served in slightly smaller quantities than elsewhere. Service generally friendly but can vary in quality between locations and shifts.

See More Restaurant Reviews For:
Amherst Cheektowaga Clarence Coffee Depew Donuts Williamsville

"Dunkin' Donuts' cappuccino was the most accurate in the group - served 2/3 foam and 1/3 espresso, rather than all latte-like liquid - with nice consistency and flavor."

If there's any business story more improbable than Dunkin' Donuts' two-year-old effort to take on Starbucks as a serious American vendor of coffee, we can't think of it: Seattle's Starbucks was flying high, opening its 10,000th or 11,000th U.S. store, and Canton, Massachusetts-based Dunkin' was a maker of donuts and breakfast snacks with a small coffee menu and perhaps 5,000 U.S. locations. But along with McDonalds, Dunkin' Donuts has emerged as a major coffee challenger to Starbucks by focusing on lower prices, drip coffee quality, and a superior collection of popular baked goods. Even if its coffee drinks weren't impressive, its namesake donuts - sold in 52 varieties - would be enough to keep many people, including us, coming back for more.

Sizing and Pricing: Dunkin' Donuts small coffee comes in one of two 10-ounce cups, smaller than the 12-ounce cups offered by McDonald's and Wilson Farms, but the same size as Tim Hortons. A small hot coffee sells for $1.19, with cappuccinos at $1.99 each. We ordered a mocha and were given a hot chocolate for $1.49, as noted below. One donut was $0.89, bringing our total to $5.97 after tax.

Frills: Most of the Dunkin' Donuts locations we've seen in Western New York are drive-throughs, and they're now all over the area, making them convenient mid-commute stops for many customers. Additionally, the variety of drink flavors offered at Dunkin' Donuts is pretty impressive for a donut shop; eight different flavoring syrups are available for standard coffee, with several variations on the latte, plus espresso and cappuccino drinks with or without flavoring. Most of these drinks are available in hot or iced versions, alongside smoothies, blended fruit and coffee Coolattas, as well as a number of teas.

Oddities: Dunkin's approaches to both hot and cold drinks tend to be mass-market-focused; cold drinks we've previously tried were okay, and while the hot drinks are pretty good, they're not mind-blowing. The quantities are a little smaller than at some competitors. Cappuccinos are the exception; Dunkin' Donuts does them just right.

The Plain Coffee: Out of all the drip coffees we tried, Dunkin's was the best; it was a little sweeter than most gourmet coffee, but rich and fresh, lacking entirely in the burnt, stale taste of the Tim Hortons brew. Though we passed on adding flavored syrups, they were available. We found the standard cup with sugar good enough that we wouldn't hesitate to run in and get one if we needed hot coffee, quickly.

The Cappuccino: Dunkin' Donuts' version of the cappuccino was the most accurate in the group - served 2/3 foam and 1/3 espresso, rather than all latte-like liquid - with nice consistency and flavor. The drink was rich and complex, using a very good espresso roast, and though it was smaller than the McDonald's version, it was also less expensive, and the first one we'd go back to get.

The Mocha: You'll have to decide what's worse - not having a mocha on the menu, or offering one that is almost undrinkable. Unlike the three other chains, Dunkin' Donuts' employees were confused by our order for a mocha, charging us for and giving us a hot chocolate instead. When we noticed the "hot chocolate" markings on the cup, we asked for a mocha replacement, and were told that the drink is being "added to the menu soon." They poured us a mix of coffee and hot chocolate, which while in no way accurate to the actual drink, tasted markedly better than Tim Hortons' version.

The Donut: As donut shops go, Dunkin' Donuts is probably the best overall vendor right now in America, though we still have a weakness for original glazed Krispy Kremes, and really love Dunkin's Japanese cousin, Mister Donut. The donut we ordered was a chocolate-dipped ring, a fairly plain option given many of the chain's 52 donut types, and it was better than the others we tried in both freshness and overall quality. Dunkin's chocolate was better-tasting and creamier than the Tim Hortons and Wilson Farms versions.

Rank and Conclusions: Though Dunkin's nearly $6 total bill wasn't the cheapest of the bunch, this chain's quality, variety, and pricing make it our top chain pick for both hot coffee and donuts. While it isn't the right place - yet - to order a mocha, the cappuccino is a real standout, the regular coffee is very good by chain standards, and the donuts range from good to excellent. If you're still visiting Tim Hortons, you owe it to yourself to try Dunkin' Donuts instead; the sheer number of locations and consistently good quality of the food and coffee make this a very viable alternative.