Dunkin' Menu Items The Staff Avoid At All Costs
Dunkin' is the most beloved donut chain restaurant in the United States by a landslide. Celebrated for its scrumptious coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and a large selection of donuts, muffins, sandwiches, and wraps, the fast-food franchise has over 9,500 locations nationwide. It seems there's never a time that the drive-through at your nearest Dunkin' isn't wrapped around the side of the building. Some Starbucks employees have even admitted on Reddit that their taste buds' loyalties lie with Dunkin' rather than with the coffee chain they work at.
But popularity doesn't necessarily equate to perfection according to the popular donut shop's employees. For the workers who know the ins and outs of the establishment, there's a definite list of less-than-desirable drinks and food products available. For reasons such as poor bang for your buck, off-putting flavors, or ridiculously poor nutrition, here are some Dunkin' menu items the staff avoid at all costs.
Large-sized frozen coffees
Various nutrition sites list frozen coffee drinks among the worst beverages that people can put in their bodies ... and Dunkin's variant certainly corroborates this. The company's online nutritional tool puts a large Frozen Butter Pecan Swirl coffee at a whopping 930 calories, which includes 185 grams of sugar. It's no wonder that so many employees report being incredibly grossed out when mixing the drinks. For many of them, the ample amounts of sugar, cream, and flavor swirl have turned them off the beverage forever.
"A regular at my store comes daily and gets a large with 8 pumps of caramel and I just can't imagine drinking all that," admitted one astonished employee on Reddit under r/DunkinDonuts. Another worker on the same thread explained that each flavor pump is about 50 calories — so the customers who request additional pumps are racking up their count even higher than the baseline listed on the Dunkin' website. "The frozen coffee is literally liquid sugar and ice with coffee syrup and cream blended together in ice," they finished, their disgust reading clearly through the text on the screen. While the frozen coffees may very well be delicious, we may just have to go along with the employees on this one now that we know they could easily account for half our daily caloric needs.
Cocoa Mocha and Caramel Craze Lattes without whipped cream
Lattes, the ever-popular caffeinated beverages made with espresso and steamed milk, are some of the most beloved drinks offered at Dunkin'. The chain's unique signature latte recipes — the Caramel Craze and the Cocoa Mocha — come topped with delectable whipped cream and sweet flavored drizzles that make them both extra special and delicious. According to employees, many consumers place an order for one of these two signature drinks ... but request that the whipped cream topping be held, presumably to save on calories and fat.
However, Dunkin' workers point out that taking this angle is essentially a waste of money. Without the epic drizzled whipped cream topping — the part that contains the flavor for each signature drink — you're basically paying extra for the equivalent of a standard latte. If you want the full, sweetened experience of the signature flavored drink, go ahead and order one with its original listed toppings. If that whipped topper is a concern, we recommend following an employee's tip and opting for a regular latte with no whipped cream instead, keeping your wallet and nutritional needs satisfied.
Snackin' Bacon at room temperature
Is there anything in this world that sounds better than a bag full of crispy bacon? We aren't sure there is. That's why Dunkin's Snackin' Bacon is a dream of a product: a handful of crunchy strips seasoned to perfection served in a warm, inviting paper sleeve. It's truly the breakfast of champions ... right?
Wrong, according to Dunkin' employees. Workers on Reddit admit that if you're lucky enough to snag the meaty snack first thing in the morning after it's been freshly cooked, all is well, but it is reportedly not so good after the magical early time slot. The bacon, which is allegedly allowed to sit out for up to four hours before new strips are fried up, quickly cools to room temperature.
And what happens to grease as it cools? That's right, it coagulates. There's nothing like potential slimy chunks of grease to destroy what should be a savory, pleasurable culinary experience. So the next time a hankering for Dunkin' bacon strikes, perhaps consider the time of day before placing your order. It might be worth holding off until bright and early the following morning to get your fix.
Matcha Lattes
Matcha is a flavor profile drawn from finely ground green tea leaves that has blown up in popularity — not only in East Asia where it originates, but in Western countries, as well. Like so many coffee shops worldwide, Dunkin' also hopped on the train in 2021 when it began offering up its very own Matcha Latte to craving consumers. In general, matcha is often considered to be an acquired taste — a drink people either love or hate, with not much in between. But according to employees, Dunkin's version appears to fall mostly on the hated side.
"I tried making myself one at work, and did I do it wrong?" reads an employee's description on a r/DunkinDonuts Reddit thread. "I [...] mixed it, and it tasted like actual grass and I felt like throwing up. [...] Sorry to be an insult if it's your favorite drink, but it literally tastes like grass and I'm wondering how you drink that." Similar descriptions of an unattractive earthy taste extend across many workers, who describe a seaweed-like flavor or a fishy scent reminiscent of decaying foliage. With so many naysaying workers out there, our sudden suspicion of Dunkin's Matcha seems warranted ... but, as an added bonus to cement our feelings, employees note that the green powder used to mix the drinks contains a warning label disclosing the fact that it contains trace amounts of lead. Yikes.
Stuffed Bagel Minis
Dunkin's miniature round bagels stuffed with cream cheese are so cute, you can't help but want to buy them. A hybrid between a donut hole and a cream cheese bagel, the circular creations come in plain, everything, or chive & onion flavored deliciousness. And while the adorable breakfast treats might be a craze among consumers, employees are not convinced by their good looks. Surprisingly or not, workers report the product is not at all cost-effective — especially when compared with the chain's regular bagels.
Little do many consumers know, there is a fabulous bagel-with-spreadable-cheese offer available for a less flashy product. "We have a deal where you can get 2 bagels w/ CC [cream cheese] for $4," said an employee on Reddit, "or buy 2 mini bagel bites for $3." Given the greater surface area of a regular-sized bagel versus a cute — but undeniably tinier — mini one, you're definitely getting a lot more bang for your buck by taking the employee's advice on this one. It may not be as good-looking, but it will do a better job of filling your belly.
Breakfast sandwiches
"Dunkin' food tastes like plastic sometimes?" reads a post under the subreddit r/DunkinDonuts, in which a consumer describes their regular order of a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant as having a strange chemical taste. Others — employees and customers alike — report similar experiences across multiple platforms, claiming that their heated breakfast sandwiches sometimes come with an odd, artificial taste.
Handfuls of alleged Dunkin' workers have taken to Reddit to report their theories as to the cause of this off-putting phenomenon. Many speculate it has to do with bad liners or trays that aren't being cleaned as they should, but the most interesting theory of them all points to the turbo ovens used to heat the food. These rapid-heating appliances are used in many fast-food kitchens for their ability to quickly put out food. But the downside to this near instantaneous doneness, according to those who operate them, can be the strange flavor they sometimes infuse into the food.
"It's 1000000% the ovens," a former employee shared on Reddit. "I worked at various Dunkys [...] and can vouch it is absolutely the ovens that are the home of that awful fumed flavor [...] I avoided being on sandwich station as much as possible but I knew right away I hated them because of the taste they imparted." Whether or not this is truly the cause, the fact remains that many people find the breakfast sandwiches unappealing due to this mystery flavor.
Ice Spice Munchkins Drink
Though consumers might have originally believed that one of Dunkin's newest specialty drinks, the Ice Spice Munchkins, would simply mimic the flavor of the company's signature Munchkins, it goes beyond that. As confirmed by an employee on Reddit who shared an image of the recipe hanging in the Dunkin' kitchen, the drink contains actual Pumpkin Spice Munchkins blended into the mix. In addition, there is cream, liquid sugar, coffee syrup, blended caramel syrup, whipped cream, and a caramel drizzle finisher. There are really only two words on the minds of those charged with mixing this concoction: holy sugar.
"America Runs On ... a drink with 1,080 calories and almost 200 grams of sugar. I would immediately enter a coma," reads a comment beneath the posted recipe. Another user brought up the fact that just looking at the drink gave them a toothache, while someone else wondered who could possibly have pitched the idea for the drink at corporate. "Work at Dunkin here, it taste nasty and looks like throw up, has no flavor and just a weird texture [...] don't waste your money on it," said an employee on an additional thread discussing the beverage. Between the ridiculously high sugar content and the promise of a not-so-special taste, we can hardly blame employees for keeping their distance on this one.
Hash Browns
When you order the Hash Browns at Dunkin', you'll receive a perfect little bag of crispy, seasoned potato circles ... and an aftertaste reminiscent of cleaning products. Though it sounds bizarre, customers have complained about a sanitizer-like taste coming from their batch of Hash Browns across multiple social media platforms. "Hash browns smelled and tasted like chemicals," described one user on Tripadvisor, encompassing the sentiment. Various employees have stepped forward via Reddit, both to verify these concerns as well as provide some possible explanations.
Apparently, after being cooked fresh in the morning, the potatoes often sit in "hot hold" — a warm area for prepared food until it's ordered — for hours. Here, they sometimes become "soggy and weird," alleges a worker. Another suggests perhaps gloves aren't being changed after workers clean surfaces, or – most compelling of all — that the liners used to catch drippage at the bottom of the ovens are bad. "It's most likely the liners that we cook food on," reads the comment. "We don't always change them after every single use [...] but at a certain point it should be changed and people don't usually do it. When food (particular hash browns) are cooked on an overused liner, they come out sort of chemically tasting. It's because the liner is burnt." It's an interesting bunch of theories ... theories that may just cause some consumers to skip the potato side altogether on their next visit.
Drinks calling for pumpkin syrup
The return of the pumpkin spice flavored drink lineup is a reason for celebration come fall every year, and at Dunkin', things are no different. With choices like the Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte or the Nutty Pumpkin Coffee up for grabs, the popular coffee and donut chain should make for a delicious autumnal-tasting paradise. But what might dampen this exciting seasonal experience? Diluted pumpkin syrup.
According to an employee on a recent Reddit thread discussing the pumpkin syrup used in seasonal drinks (which the original poster reported as being underwhelming and less flavorful than in previous years), the chain sometimes runs out of its stores due to the popularity of the spiced beverages. When this happens, workers will allegedly create a half-and-half mixture of liquid sugar and pumpkin syrup to save on supplies until a new shipment can be delivered. This, the employee claimed, could be the root cause of the less-than-stellar pumpkin flavor in some of the fall drinks.
Whether or not this is truly occurring during the mixing of some of our favorite beverages behind the scenes, we can't say for certain. However, there do seem to be quite a few consumers — employees and customers alike — corroborating the bland pumpkin flavor. Who knows? There may very well be something to it.
End-of-day donuts
We can all picture the stacked shelves of inviting, colorful donuts when walking through the front doors at Dunkin'. While generally considered more of a breakfast indulgence, the craving for one of these sweet, deep-fried pastries can strike at any time of day. But seeing as most Dunkin' locations open their doors at 5 a.m., one might wonder about the freshness of the coveted treats come the end of the day. This exact question was posed by a consumer on Reddit, who assumed the chain had a fresh new batch put out at some point in the middle of each day.
As confirmed by employees, this is not the case. "We get one donut order around 4/430am when I get in and that's it. Lasts us throughout the day," said a Dunkin' worker conclusively on the thread. "Once a day," echoed another. "Better set that alarm!" While the reality of the single delivery appears to be undeniable, some employees report it has caused problems with consumer satisfaction. One worker described frequently angered customers, complaining of stale-tasting donuts by the middle of the day. So the next time you want to surprise the kids with a donut for dessert on your way home from work, it may make more sense to swing by a bakery that produces fresh pastries all day long.
Iced coffees
"Pro tip," reads a comment on Reddit under r/DunkinDonuts: "Don't buy the iced coffees. It's a tub of diluted swamp water. Get the iced lattes instead. They taste consistent." Unfortunately, reservations regarding both Dunkin's flavored and standard iced coffees — which are reported as having a watery taste due to the excessive quantity of ice melting — are notorious among consumers as well as employees. "Idk I love the cold brew but the iced coffee is not good to me lol. I'm an employee and have no idea why," divulges a worker on a separate thread.
While there seems to be a universal ill feeling toward the iced coffees among Dunkin' employees, there appears to be a much more positive agreement on another issue; either the Cold Brew Coffees or the Iced Lattes are the way to go when ordering a cold caffeinated beverage. If you must get an iced coffee, workers advise requesting light ice to minimize the over-watering effect that will inevitably occur as those cubes begin to melt.
Hot drinks ... because of leaky cups
Imagine it's Monday morning and you're headed to a meeting in a fresh white shirt. You raise your piping hot cup of Dunkin' coffee to your lips and tip it back ever so gently to avoid spillage ... but then, at no fault of your own, you look down in horror to find that the front of your shirt is covered in brown spotting. Leaky Dunkin' cups have been a common recent issue for consumers, and employees are acknowledging the problem too.
"I just can't get over how they continue to get away with leaking coffee cups," read a Reddit comment. "Literally, the worst thing to have in a moving car is a leaking coffee cup. I no longer go there as much because of that." An employee piggybacked off of this, describing how the leaking vessels cause problems for those on the other side of the drive-through wall, as well. "I'll finish a drink, put the lid on, & notice it's leaking," it reads. "So now I have to make the customer wait longer because I have to transfer the drink to a new cup." Whether or not this issue will be fixed anytime soon, we can't say; but for the time being, it might be a good idea to work a black top into your wardrobe on the days you're planning to swing by the popular coffee shop.