Monday, September 29, 2014

My FIRST Dunkin' Donuts Trip


I always get jealous of all you bloggers who talk about Dunkin' Donuts, because up until earlier this month, we didn't have any in California (or at least anywhere near SoCal). We used to, but for some reason they all closed decades ago. So to my knowledge I'd never experienced they hype. And then one opened in Santa Monica and everyone within a 100 mile radius went insane.

I waited a few weeks for things to cool down, then finally made the 50 mile drive yesterday to get myself some of their coffee and donuts. And then my dreams were crushed.


There was still a line that wrapped around the building and we waited for about 40 minutes, only to be disappointed by both the donuts and coffee. I'd heard the latter was what people really enjoy about DD, and maybe my problem was that I got an iced latte instead of traditional coffee. The donuts were OK. The frosting was great, but the dough is thick and harder than I expected. We have Krispy Kreme out here and I'm used to their light, melt in your mouth goodness.

Maybe DD was just having a bad day? Or are they way overrated?
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This week's featured blog is Le Stylo Rouge:


If you love fashion then Ashley is your girl. Go say hello and see how adorable she is!





32 comments:

Unknown said...

Krispy Kreme is NC born (about 30 minutes from me) and I'm a KK, girl. As a matter of fact, on my blog today, you'll find that I had KK for LUNCH on Saturday. It was so delish! I am not a DD fan, but I do love their munchkins. Hate you were disappointed, but Krispy Kreme is the BEST! Happy Monday!

Kate at Green Fashionista said...

I'm sorry you had a so-so Dunkin experience... trust me when I say their coffee is AMAZING! I go to Dunkin for coffee and Starbucks for lattes/specialty drinks ;-)

Kerry @ Till Then Smile Often said...

I tend to do a French Vanilla iced coffee over latte so I am not sure if that compares. I like it much better than Starbucks coffee. If we are talking glazed donuts then I think KK wins, but for others I stick with DD.

Krystal @ Krystal's Korner said...

Krispy Kreme donuts are way better than Dunkin Donuts. There's no Krispy Kreme around here though so I settle for Dunkin. Their lattes are good but I don't like their coffee at all. I stick to Starbucks coffee or just making my own. Try a flavored latte next time, the hazelnut one with almond milk is my favorite drink there.

Lindsay @ Lovely Life Styling said...

I don't know if I would stand in line for 40 mins for their coffee or doughnuts, but I do know their coffee is pretty good. I'm a Tim Horton's girl myself. I am obsessed with their pumpkin spice doughnuts at the moment!

Ashley @ A Cute Angle said...

Yes! YUM! Dunkin Donuts are few and far between here in Michigan, but I grew up in Pennsylvania where there are plenty! I miss it!

~Ashley @ A Cute Angle
acutelifestyle.blogspot.com

Katie Elizabeth said...

Bummer that you had a bad DD experience, especially after driving all of that way! We've grown up with Dunkin and I think it's middle of the line... nothing extraordinarily amazing but always decently good. I agree with Lindsay though, Tim Hortons is better!

SMD @ lifeaccordingtosteph said...

I never get fancy coffee at DD - it's not their bag. Straight up hot or iced (with very minimal cream, they've been making them white if you let them) is where it's at. Their donuts aren't anything to write home about either.

I've also not had good DD experiences outside of the Northeast. Maybe it's the way their grounds interact with the water?

Leaving the Corner & Dipping My Toes said...

Oh no, I can't believe they didn't deliver... I do have to confess that I am not a big doughnut girl, and the one that I love is the Boston creme, now that I think about it might be because the cream makes the dough a bit moist... now I wonder.

But their coffee is definitely my favorite, I only do iced coffee so not sure about lattes or any other crazy combos. Give them one more try :)

Natalia

P!nky said...

I can't believe you've never been to DD! SOOOOOOOOO GOOOOD! their holiday coffee is delicious, too!

Jenna R. said...

Oh how sad! All the DD's closed around the same time in the St. Louis area and are just starting to pop back up. I loved their donuts prior to the disappearance, and have been meaning to stop by. Maybe I should stick to the local place. Thanks for hosting the linkup!

xoxo jenna @ sincerely jenna marie
PS- I'd love for you to stop by on Thursdays to link up!

DJ Fusion (Brews and Tunes) said...

Awesome! I love Dunkin Donuts!

Krissy @ Sneakers and Sequins said...

I haven't tried Dunkin Donuts either but yummmmmmm Krispy Kreme!!
xo Krissy @ Sneakers and Sequins

Bri said...

Yeah...when we went to Chicago, we were so excited to finally try DD...only to be completely let down. Coffee and donuts were nothing to brag about. So when we finally got ours out here, we were happy not to wait in the long lines as we knew we'd probably never go there lol...It's sad cause I really wanted it to live up to its hype.

Maddie~The Whimsy One said...

I love DD! and their munchkins, I agree that KK is better...when they are hot, otherwise dd trumps it. But Raleigh and Durham have crazy amazing coffee shops with fresh donuts...so, DD is a rare stop these days. haha

Marta said...

I've actually never tried their coffee before. Thanks for hosting the link party!!
Marta
www.sweatersstripesandsweets.com

Claire said...

Ok, you just answered the question I had been thinking to myself. I grew up in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks/Studio City. I still have family who live there, and they were so excited about the opening on DD. They were there on opening day, and were like first DD in LA. As a child however I remember seeing DD all around when we were driving, I thought I was going crazy when they said it was the first one! So you were very helpful in saying they used to be, but they all closed down. Thanks! Also, I'm with you there overrated. My mom says the donuts taste like soap..haha.

God bless,
XO, Claire
Http://www.littlemissfashionqueen.blogspot.com

Katie @ The Macarthurs Lately said...

Totally overrated! Gimme Krispy Kreme any day of the week over DD! Although, DD's chocolate crème donut and their Dunkachino (Half hot chocolate, half cappuccino) is super yummy!

Anonymous said...

I love Dunkin Donuts, especially the iced coffee, although I totally agree that it's worth a 40 minute wait! The donuts definitely don't melt in your mouth like Krispy Kremes though;)

Marie said...

Dunkin's is totally overrated. The coffee and the donuts aren't very good. However, the pumpkin muchkins are delish!! If I lived in cali I would totally go to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf every single day. I love their vanilla ice coffee!! Oh and I wish we had Krispy Kreme here, such good donuts.

Unknown said...

Oh I miss DD so much - firstly we don't have then in the uk and secondly I was diagnosed coeliac. Doughnuts are what I miss more than anything!

Elegance and Mommyhood said...

My first and only trip to Dunkin Donuts was only 3 years ago so you are not alone. I don't like donuts though so that's ok.

I do however adore Ashley's style and blog. Great feature.

Thanks for hosting and I love linking up here.

Enjoy this week Leeann!!

Nadine said...

Oh no! I hate that you had a bad experience there! I loved their iced caramel coffee with cream and sugar. It is by far my favorite. Their donuts are ok, my favorite is the blueberry cake which is supposed to be a heavier donut than the traditional kind. Krispy Kreme's chocolate frosted glazed is another favorite of mine too.

Alyson said...

When it comes to donuts, I much rather prefer Krispy Kreme for the exact same reason you do:) However, I have never had any of their coffee but am thinking of trying since they recently advertised offering Almond Milk with lattes.

Amanda - Voyage of the MeeMee said...

I haven't been to DD in AGES. I'm a Tim Hortons gal for donuts and whatnot myself. I do like Starbucks, but, their snacks aren't as good as Tim Hortons.

Brianna said...

I always get DD when I'm visiting family back east. I LOVE their boston cream pie donuts and sweet tea!

Sabina@OceanblueStyle said...

Ha u got me confused there for a sec. DD in SD when I was living there but just never really attracted to it. I am more a Danish pastry kinda girl I guess. Last year we got a branch in Frankfurt and had people flocking to it! Have a great day. Sabina @Oceanblue Style

awhite said...

What a bummer that Dunkin' didn't live up to the hype!

Thanks so much for featuring me in MMG- you girls are da best! :)

-Ashley
http://lestylorouge.com

Veronica-VeroSays! said...

I love Dunks.. We have one in very corner here in Boston..! It's a big battle between them and Starbucks.. But Starbucks is just way too strong for me and I think I'll go broke buying Starbucks every morning haha .. Found you through Katie! Yay!

VeroSays.com

C said...

Oh man, it sucks that it was so crappy when we literally could have walked into one on any block in Philly. Sorry we didn't do that! I had DD for the first (and only) time in Salem and I didn't care for it either. But we got doughnuts and bagels around 2:00pm, so I thought that was why. I'm still a sucker for KK. And Seattle has Top Pot Doughnuts which is so good, but again, they're really only awesome in the morning.

Unknown said...

DD is overrated. There's a lot of nostalgia around it growing up on the East Coast. They used to be more delicious or perhaps those are childhood memories. But the franchised stores in the city are awful. I do like their Peppermint Hot Coco though.

Selma @ Crazy Little World Of Mine said...

I never liked DD. I don't know why people are so excited about it. I have had it plenty of times on the East Coast, and even in other places but to me it's just not good. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, yet, it doesn't surprise me much. I definitely like KK more {even with my gluten intolerant gut...it's worth the pain eating 6 {!!!} KK donuts beautifully melting in my mouth and leaving a sweet taste in my mouth}. YUM.