Introduction
McDonald’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Panera are some of the most popular fast food and coffee chains in the world. They have become household names, and are known for their delicious food and drinks. McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast food chain, with over 36,000 locations in over 100 countries. Starbucks is the world’s largest coffee chain, with over 30,000 locations in over 70 countries. Dunkin’ is the world’s second largest coffee chain, with over 11,000 locations in over 40 countries. Panera is a fast casual restaurant chain, with over 2,000 locations in the United States and Canada. All four of these chains offer a variety of menu items, from burgers and fries to coffee and pastries. Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a full meal, these chains have something for everyone.
Fast Food Showdown: McDonald’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Panera
When it comes to fast food, there are four major players in the game: McDonald’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Panera. Each of these restaurants has its own unique offerings, from burgers and fries to coffee and pastries. But which one is the best? Let’s take a look at each of these restaurants and see how they stack up.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast food chain, with over 37,000 locations in over 100 countries. It’s known for its classic burgers and fries, as well as its breakfast menu. McDonald’s also offers a variety of other items, such as salads, wraps, and desserts. The restaurant is also known for its value menu, which offers items for as low as $1.
Starbucks
Starbucks is the world’s largest coffee chain, with over 30,000 locations in over 75 countries. It’s known for its specialty coffee drinks, such as lattes, cappuccinos, and frappuccinos. Starbucks also offers a variety of pastries, sandwiches, and other food items. The restaurant is also known for its loyalty program, which rewards customers with free drinks and food.
Dunkin’
Dunkin’ is a fast food chain with over 11,000 locations in over 30 countries. It’s known for its coffee and donuts, as well as its breakfast sandwiches. Dunkin’ also offers a variety of other items, such as bagels, muffins, and breakfast burritos. The restaurant is also known for its loyalty program, which rewards customers with free drinks and food.
Panera
Panera is a fast casual restaurant with over 2,000 locations in the United States and Canada. It’s known for its soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as its bakery items. Panera also offers a variety of other items, such as breakfast items, smoothies, and coffee. The restaurant is also known for its loyalty program, which rewards customers with free food and drinks.
The Verdict
When it comes to fast food, there’s no clear winner. Each of these restaurants has its own unique offerings, and it’s up to the individual to decide which one is the best. Whether you’re looking for burgers and fries, coffee and pastries, or something in between, there’s something for everyone at McDonald’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Panera.
Whether you call it hot cocoa or hot chocolate, the season of festive sweetness is upon us. After a snowy day or chilly football game, there is nothing that warms the soul quicker. Plus, today, Dec. 13, just so happens to be National Cocoa Day, so it’s the perfect time to grab your favorite type and sip away.
In honor of the day, we tried the signature hot chocolate drinks from Starbucks, Dunkin’, Panera, and McDonald’s to see which is the best tasting—and you’re going to be surprised by the results.
The Method: Four people tasted the four hot cocoas side-by-side in a blind taste test, to not be swayed by fancy packaging or lack thereof. All hot cocoas were tasted in a take-out setting so fancy swirls and the whipped cream topping had disappeared by the time we had tasted them, negating the effect of the accouterments. Here are the hot cocoas ranked from bottom to top—purely based on flavor.
Regular: 430 calories, 11 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 230mg sodium, 73 g carbs (3 g fiber, 53 g sugar), 12 g protein
The look: Panera’s hot chocolate wins the award for most unnecessary extras. It is made with a mixture of “bittersweet” chocolate syrup, reduced-fat milk, whipped cream, and a caramel drizzle. The caramel syrup, while probably pretty in the restaurant, had melted along with the whipped cream into a syrupy, milky mess. It did, however, have an inviting color and was dark and chocolatey.
The taste: Panera’s taste ranked at the bottom of this list. Although everyone liked the tongue-coating texture of this drink, two testers commented on a strange aftertaste, and all commented on the excessive sweetness. “I couldn’t drink more than a sip of this,” said one. One did enjoy the sweetness, and ranked this drink as #1, but agreed a whole cup of this would be an overdose.
Overall: With 53 grams of sugar and a total of 73 grams of carbs, and a whopping 470 calories—the most in this taste test—this drink is like a meal replacement with a heavy dose of the sweet stuff. Panera should have a super small version of this or just leave out the caramel to smooth out the flavor and lower the calories.
Small: 370 calories, 14 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 170mg sodium, 52 g carbs (1 g fiber, 48 g sugar), 11 g protein
The look: McD’s hot chocolate is made with steamed whole milk, “rich hot chocolate syrup,” whipped light cream, and a chocolate drizzle. Again, because these were takeout, we didn’t see the fancy drizzle. The drink did not look like a chocolatey drink, and every taster commented on the extremely pale color of the drink.
The taste: This was the thinnest of the cocoas, and everyone noticed. They called it “mild,” “not bad,” and “suitable for kids.” One noted that it essentially tasted like warm chocolate milk, not rich hot cocoa. One did think that it was creamier than the others. No one loved it and no one disliked it.
Overall: At 370 calories and 52 grams of carbs, this small drink is not worth the heavy dose of calories.
Tall: 280 calories, 12 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 105mg sodium, 32 g carbs (3 g fiber, 27 g sugar), 10g protein
The look: Surprise, Starbucks didn’t win. It came close with one point separating the top two. It had a slightly grayish-brown hue, and a slick of oil on top, probably due to the homemade whipped cream that had, again, melted.
The taste: This hot chocolate tasted like “melted milk chocolate,” said one taster. It smelled good, said another. It lost some points for texture with some thinking it was watery and slightly thinner. But overall, everyone would get this hot chocolate again.
Overall: Starbucks hot chocolate is by far the most natural with steamed milk, its signature mocha sauce, and housemade whipped cream.
Small: 220 calories, 7 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 1,450mg sodium, 46 g carbs (2 g fiber, 32 g sugar), 2 g protein
The look: Dunkin‘ took the top honors in this taste test, which is stunning considering the ingredients. The first ingredient in Dunkin’s hot chocolate is water, the second is the one that surprised us: hot chocolate powder. All of the other hot chocolates used fancy syrup, steamed milk, and whipped cream. The Dunkin’ hot chocolate was the darkest of the four—probably because it used water— and looked the most like hot chocolate.
The taste: The thick texture and chocolatey flavor earned this cocoa top marks, though most admitted they would not be able to drink the whole thing, as it was very sweet.
Overall: Dunkin’ won by a small margin, but it won nonetheless. Did Dunkin’ win because it tastes like hot cocoa you’d have at home after a chilly walk in the snow? Maybe. All of the tasters commented that they didn’t regularly drink hot chocolate, except in that very specific scenario—after a wintry walk—or when they didn’t want coffee or tea. Dunkin’ kept it simple and somehow unlocked that memory of drinking cocoa as a kid.