As a Boston college student, my favorite breakfast spot is definitively Dunkin’. Any reservations I ever had about the often too-bitter coffee and occasionally mediocre service have crumbled away in the face of the sheer amount surrounding me in the city. I swear, take five steps in any direction and you’ll see a new one. But even when I’m back home for summer, I find myself gravitating towards the app. I think that’s the true appeal for me. Their points system is probably my favorite compared to their competitors’, and I love obsessively scrolling through each category, seeing if there’s a new flavor shot or donut.
The changing of seasons is reliably thrilling for me, as I know I’m getting a new menu. Summer 2024 did not disappoint, and I’ve been anxiously waiting for the rumored items to drop. The summer menu dropped today, and I immediately raced over and ordered everything off it so I can tell you all my opinions.
S’mores Donut
The only returning item on this list, the s’mores donut is something I’ve had before. It's an incredibly solid donut, maybe one of my favorites in the history of Dunkin’. It perfectly encapsulates every part of a s’mores, and the donut doesn’t get soggy from the filling like some others. It stays firm, and I love it just as much as I used to.
Rating: 5/5
Bonfire S’mores Frozen Coffee
I do have to admit upfront — I did technically make a change to this drink. I deeply apologize to Dunkin’, as I know this could ruin the integrity of my rating. However, as someone who considers themselves to be lactose sensitive, I switched out the cream for almond milk for the sake of my stomach. Nonetheless, this drink was insanely good. Maybe not a breakfast item, but this was so decadent. The S’mores syrup is given more of a chance to shine here, complemented by the mocha drizzle and vanilla unsweetened syrup. While not something I could order everyday due to the richness, on taste alone this is perfection.
Rating: 5/5
Hot Honey Bacon Sandwich
Now I’m a huge hot honey fan. From hot honey wings to strangely delicious hot honey donuts, I’m glad the flavor is having such a renaissance right now. I was expecting a lot from these items, but they honestly didn’t fully live up to expectations. I didn’t really end up getting the full hot honey essence in any of these items. I tasted some of the honey here, but none of the hotness. I will say, though, that I love the brioche bun this comes on. Dunkin’ should definitely keep this as an option for the rest of their sandwiches!
Rating: 3.5/5
S’mores Cold Brew
I was very excited for the S’mores Cold Brew, cold brew being my most preferred type of coffee. I always get excited for a new syrup, too, as I can be very picky about my drinks. The syrup itself was slightly underwhelming in the drink, leaning more into the marshmallow flavor than the rest of a s’more. The Marshmallow Cold Foam is really delicious, though, and I love any drink with a topping, like the Graham Crumbles here. This did feel like it was missing that chocolate, though.
Rating: 3.5/5S’mores Oatmilk Iced Latte
Dunkin’ technically has two other drinks in the “S’mores SZN” section of the menu. One is the Cold Brew with Marshmallow Cold Foam, which just felt like the S’mores Cold Brew with less steps. The other is the S’mores Oatmilk Iced Latte, which I thought I could give a quick rating. The taste wasn’t too different from the cold brew, the milk being the main draw. It was okay, but it proved my theory that the s’mores syrup only adds sweetness to a drink, rather than its own distinct flavor.
Rating: 3/5
Tornado Twist SPARKD’ Energy
Dunkin’s new line of energy drinks have been confusing me since their introduction. They have a very typical energy drink taste, but the flavors themselves leave something to be desired. They do absolutely give that boost of energy I’m looking for in the morning though, and it's nice to know I could get an energy drink for free with an abundance of points. This new flavor isn’t too different. A strange mix of berry and peach, (notably the two separate flavors their previous energy drinks were) is a bit startling, but it doesn’t taste awful. I can definitely sip on it and not think too hard about the combo.
The Tornado Twist has little tie-in with the rest of the menu, and I have a theory on just why that is. Any Glen Powell fan will have heard of his next movie, yet another remake of Twisters. It's my conspiracy theory that closer to the movie’s release date, they’ll do some type of promotion with this drink, as I can see little other reason it could be named this.
Rating: 3/5
Hot Honey Snackin’ Bacon
I want to give Dunkin’ the benefit of the doubt and assume that maybe this specific location was a bit withholding with the sauce, but I can’t hide my disappointment. The Snackin’ Bacon was a bit spicier than their regular bacon is, but I really didn’t get much of a honey flavor. Still good for breakfast, but not so much on the hot honey front.
Rating: 2/5
Hot Honey Bacon Wake-Up Wrap
This was definitely the most underwhelming item on the menu for me. I love Wake-Up Wraps, and have started many a morning with them. But there was barely any hot honey on this! While my parents said they got a bit of the spice, it felt like I had just ordered a regular Bacon Wrap.
Rating: 1/5