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Whether you prefer it black or sweet and creamy, many adults owe their ability to function on any given morning to coffee. The data speaks for itself: 74% of Americans drink coffee every day and 49% drink as many as three to five cups every day, according to market research company Drive Research. In other words, there’s a whole lot of coffee guzzling that goes on in this country.
When you don’t have the time, motivation, or ability to make it yourself, coffee chains can be a dependable and consistent source for your caffeine fix. But coffee drinkers can’t just subsist on the dark, brewed beverage alone.
Luckily, certain coffee chains across the country have curated craveable food selections so the coffee-drinking masses have something to fill their stomachs, from sweet pastries to salads and hot sandwiches. These include some of the major national brands that any coffee fanatic likely knows, as well as some regional gems that most may not be familiar with.
Here are seven coffee chains in the United States with the absolute best food options.
The best part about the food lineup at Peet’s Coffee is that there’s truly something for everyone. Those with a penchant for sweets and carbs can opt for a pastry, dessert, or any of the other treats that are freshly baked and delivered daily to its shops. (The baked goods vary by location, so check directly with the closest Peet’s for exact details.)
Those who have bigger appetites or need something a little more substantial to start their morning have several breakfast sandwiches, frittatas, and flatbreads to choose from. And for the lunch crowd, there are even several grab-and-go snacks and regular sandwiches perfect for a midday bite. A standout among these options is the Toasted Caprese Sandwich that features toasted focaccia packed with herb-marinated roasted tomatoes, pesto, and cheese. One Peet’s customer swears that this item tops the caprese-style sandwiches from other rival coffee chains.
Dunkin’ is one of the most recognizable coffee brands in the country, but don’t let that distract you from its food lineup. The brand’s selection of eats is long, varied, and very popular with customers.
One of the standout food categories at Dunkin’ is, of course, the doughnuts. To say that Dunkin’s flavor options for these sweet pastries are plentiful would be a grand understatement. Classics like Boston Kreme and Munchkins are always on the menu, but Dunkin’ also frequently updates its doughnut lineup with seasonal options (like the Pumpkin Cake flavor that returned last month).
Those craving something a little more savory on the savory side can opt for one of the many bagels, breakfast sandwiches, or Wake-Up Wraps. Whatever you do choose, consider pairing it with an order of Dunkin’s famous hash browns, which some fans swear are “the best” that money can buy.
PJ’s Coffee is a Louisiana treasure, but thanks to its expansion across the South, Midwest, and Northeast, plenty of coffee lovers outside of the Pelican State have the ability to stop by the fan-favorite chain.
PJ’s does sell traditional coffee shop snacks like muffins, scones, and breakfast sandwiches. Still, it goes a little further than some of its rivals by offering egg bites, oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, and a handful of lunch sandwiches, depending on the location.
PJ’s also serves up one of the Big Easy’s most iconic foods of all: beignets. Some have rated them even better than the famous beignets from Café Du Monde in New Orleans, which is major praise considering the high standing of the New Orleans institution.
Starbucks certainly made a name for itself by slinging coffees, but food has also become a major part of its menu over the years. Walk into any of the chain’s more than 20,000 shops across the world and you’ll find a glass display case packed with craveable eats, from Chocolate Croissants to cookies and hot sandwiches.
Starbucks devotees surely have their go-tos, but customers have been particularly vocal about their love for the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich and muffins.
If you ever find yourself at one of Starbucks’ special Reserve Roastery locations, you’ll find an especially large and elevated list of food options. The Reserve Roastery in Chicago, for example, goes well beyond the chain’s typical croissants and breakfast sandwiches by serving up avocado toast, salads, entrees, cheese boards, and even pizzas.
Whether you stop by for breakfast, lunch, or a snack in between, Caribou Coffee has plenty of different food options to please a range of different tastes and appetites. Its all-day breakfast menu highlights traditional and trendy morning foods, from plain croissants to a Honey Sriracha Bagel Sandwich packed with jalapeño bacon and a creamy honey sriracha spread.
In addition to a range of different pastries and sweet snacks, Caribou also has more midday options than you might expect from a chain that specializes in coffee. These include a sourdough grilled cheese (which one customer once declared the “best” ever), ham and swiss croissant sandwich, and smoked salmon bagel packed with all the classic accoutrements: tomato, red onions, capers, and cream cheese.
Like Dunkin’, Tim Hortons understands that great coffee deserves to be paired with one of the most dunkable sweet treats of all time: doughnuts. The selection may vary depending on the restaurant, but the main thing you need to know is that each location bakes its own doughnuts in small batches throughout the day. Afterwards, those fresh-made rounds are hand-dipped, glazed, and decorated by Tim Hortons’ bakers.
If doughnuts aren’t your thing but you still need to cure those hunger pangs, the Tim Hortons menu boasts plenty of different breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, wraps, and even some trendy items like avocado toast for you to choose from.
Biggby Coffee’s menu isn’t quite as vast as some of the other chains on this list, but it still boasts several solid options. For starters, the chain serves many of the coffee shop classics, like breakfast bagel sandwiches, regular bagels, and muffins.
However, what makes Biggby’s food menu a little extra special is the fact that it isn’t afraid to blend sweet and savory flavors. The chain currently serves two breakfast sandwiches, available with either bacon or breakfast sausage, that use maple waffles in lieu of bagels, croissants, or English muffins. Unsurprisingly, these have become a major fan-favorite among Biggby patrons.
“The Maple Waffle Sausage Egg and Cheese from Biggby‘s might be the greatest breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had,” raved one a fan.
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