Does anyone think Starbucks has horrible coffee and baked goods?

Question

Usually I drive 2 miles to Peets Coffee or go to Coral Tree Cafe 3 blocks farther from my house than Starbucks is. This mouring I decided to go to Starbucks for convienence. This was a huge mistake. I ordered an iced coffee and a zuccini walnut muffin. I ordered a large hot coffee and a chocolate crossant for my co-worker.

My iced coffee was so bad I couldn't drink it. The iced coffee has a wierd burnt taste. The zuccini walnut muffin tasted commercial. The muffin was not gourmet bakery quality. It was low quality and tasted like chemicals. I threw away the muffin and coffee. My Co-worker said his chocolate crossant was horrible.

Why is Starbucks so busy if their product is so bad? Every mourning when I go to the Coral Tree Cafe Encino I'm the only person inside. Peets will have 2 people inside. At my local Starbucks there is usually a long line of 10 or more people inside.

Answer 1

I am SOOO confused by it too!! I think Starbucks SUCKS & I will NEVER EVER buy from them again! I used to work at a coffee shop for 3 yrs So I know how good coffee drinks can & should taste! Starbucks to me taste very dark burnt bitter & nasty! I have friends who are obsessed with Starbucks & they only thing I can say about it is that those people REALLY DO think that the coffee is good because they have never had REAL quality coffee before! They just dont know any better! The sad thing is that the GOOD local shops are MUCH more cheaper too! Crazy Huh?? I know its frickin weird! Oh & about the nasty pastries? I got the like choc chunk bars a few times & then I was shopping at our local 'cash & carry' & I found the bars in the SAME packaging as Starbucks. They were in the freezer, not fresh!! Starbucks is GROSS!!

Answer 2

I cannot STAND their frappachinos.. CAN'T CAN'T CAN'T drink them.

My friend bought me one recently, and because he was paying I drunk it but I was not very happy. I even got the smallest size and ended up frowning. It tastes so gritty each time I end up having one.

As a former barista at a small franchise in DC called Greenberry's I can most definately say that they have better coffee than starbucks! Believe me, I used to think starbucks was the **** till I had REAL coffee, then I realized it WAS ****.

Here's a fun anecdote! A couple comes into our shop asking for a caramel machiatto. Me and an employee look at each other and adhere to their strange request. Machiattos are rather light, being only shots of espresso with cream. So we hand it to them and they asked what it is! Then we go "ohhhhhh so you want a STARBUCKS caramel machiatto!". So my co worker makes them a new one :) Which is funny because he used to work at starbucks. He was a huge coffee elitist and rather liked out shop.

Believe me, the smaller chains have better coffee. They work so hard to get their name out there and keep a good reputation that they HAVE to keep their service up to par.

Starbucks no longer depends on that, I believe. They are just expensive and taste mediocre. I used to love when people said they'd walk the extra block just to come to our shop... There were at LEAST 3 starbucks on the way there!

I hate that all people ever do is buy the blended drinks too. It's an odd craze.... And I grind my own beans at home as well... LOVE it. :)

Edit: Also, I agree up above about the sickly sweet drinks. Just because I'm a girl does NOT mean I want my drinks extremely sweet. This is why I now suprise the cashiers when I ask for an Americano. It's hard to mess that up, unless they have your espresso shot sitting there for 5 minutes. In which case I'll ask for them to do it again! But hey, if you're iffy about how long the coffee's been there, it's the next best alternative ;)

Answer 3

It is incredibly well-marketed, but average coffee. Starbucks also started the "dark roast" craze that needs to go away.

Baked goods are NOT prepared on premises. Of course they are some branded product provided by some preferred vendor.

They aren't that bad, but I rarely go. Horrible? No.

I'm one of those odd people who brew their own at home, and even grind my own beans. There are THREE Starbucks within 3/4 mile of my house. One is in a Barnes & Noble so it is always packed with Chinese and Korean high school students in the evening.

Starbucks made the "coffee flavored" drink popular, which is why people flock there. This is what the kiddies drink, not their "coffee of the day" which would be my preference. The teenyboppers think they're all grown up for drinking these fru-fru concoctions, but really they just get a buzz from the tiny amount of caffeine and large amount of sugar and cream.

Before I go to bed at night I grind enough coffee for three mugs of coffee (two for me, one for my wife). I add the water and grounds to the pot and set the timer. Coffee is ready by the time I make my way into the kitchen in the morning. (I'm a snob; I filter my water, too.) I do more on the weekend, but this is typical for a workweek.

Answer 4

Starbucks is over-rated, for sure. Barnies Coffee and Tea company has a much better and smoother taste; not burnt or bitter.

Answer 5

their coffee and baked are not bad...they are just too expensive and have really long a g*y names

Answer 6

yeah i know what you mean.

people talk about them like they are the best place on earth when really they arent that great at all.

Answer 7

I agree

Answer 8

I guess Starbucks is the new McDonald's. Everybody is hating on them. lol I love Starbucks but I don't touch their pastries or anybody's else's because they're super fattening.

Answer 9

i definatly agree. i went to starbucks the other day and got a hot chocolate, and it was GROSS. i dont know why so many people love it?!?!?!?!

Answer 10

I agree with that answerer who said it's the teenyboppers who like the sickly sweet sugary drinks that you see in the line at Starbucks.  I  have a coffee cart around the corner from my office  run by this old Italian guy and he makes the best coffee ever, good crema, not to strong, not too weak  and I go there often enough that he  knows what I like is making it before I even have a chance to tell him what I want.