Additional Coverage:
- I spent $10 on breakfast at Dunkin’, Starbucks, and Tim Hortons. One chain provided the best value by a long shot. (businessinsider.com)
A Morning Showdown: Dunkin’, Starbucks, and Tim Hortons Battle for Best $10 Breakfast
As a New Yorker, I usually grab my morning egg sandwich and coffee from a local deli. But sometimes, the convenience of a coffee chain breakfast is too tempting to pass up. So, I set out to see which popular chain-Dunkin’, Starbucks, or Tim Hortons-would give me the best bang for my buck with a $10 breakfast budget.
Here’s how it all shook out:
Dunkin’ Delivers a Deal, But Falls Short on Flavor
At a Manhattan Dunkin’, I took advantage of their $6 meal deal: a medium iced coffee and two Wake-Up wraps. I added a coffee roll for $2.99, bringing my total close to $9, with a dollar left unused since nothing else fit the budget.
The two wraps-a sausage, egg, and cheese and another with bacon and hash browns-felt like a decent portion. The tortillas were fresh and warm, but the eggs were a bit dry. The sausage wrap had a nice peppery kick, but the bacon wrap’s barbecue sauce was a touch too sweet, and the bacon lacked crispness.
The coffee roll turned out to be an apple fritter by mistake-fine but a bit too sugary for my taste. Dunkin’s coffee, known for its acidity, didn’t win me over, though I appreciated the iced coffee option in the meal deal.
Starbucks Offers No Combos, Stretching the Budget Thin
Next stop was Starbucks on the Upper East Side. Without any breakfast combos, I ordered a small hot blonde roast coffee for $3.25 and a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for $6.75, maxing out my $10 budget with no room for extras.
The sandwich came on a buttery, flaky croissant, with nicely melted cheddar adding a subtle earthiness. However, the egg was bland, and the bacon lacked crunch and flavor. The blonde roast coffee was fresh but felt small for the price, and a cold option would have been preferable in the summer-though that would have pushed me over budget.
Tim Hortons Tops the Taste and Value Test
Finally, I visited Tim Hortons in Queens, using their app to order a $6 breakfast meal featuring a medium iced coffee, sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit, plus a doughnut of my choice. I also added an everything bagel with cream cheese for $3.49, stretching my budget to just under $10.
This biscuit sandwich was my favorite: fluffy, flavorful egg and rich sausage on a fresh, crumbly biscuit that wasn’t overly greasy. The glazed doughnut was soft, airy, and sweet without being cloying. The iced coffee was smooth and refreshing, with no sour notes.
The everything bagel wasn’t quite on par with a classic New York bagel-lacking chewiness and with just poppy and sesame seeds-but it was better than expected.
The Verdict
- Dunkin’: Two wraps, iced coffee, and a doughnut for about $9. Good deal, but the flavors didn’t fully satisfy.
- Starbucks: Breakfast sandwich and hot coffee for $10. Enjoyable, but felt like a smaller portion and less value.
- Tim Hortons: Sausage biscuit, doughnut, iced coffee, plus an everything bagel for under $10. The best value and taste all around.
In this breakfast battle, Tim Hortons emerged as the winner, delivering a filling, flavorful meal that made the most of my $10 budget.