Dunkin' — Restaurant in Irvine

So my first thought was yeah Dunkin' Donuts opening in Irvine. I may go there for the grand opening. The morning comes and I woke up before my 5 am alarm. I choose to go to Dunkin' Donuts over going to spin class. Then I struggle to find my keys. Finally, I find my keys in between a couch and a cushion. 10 minutes of lost getting in line time is a lot. I arrive and I debate my life decisions after I seeing the length of the line. The car in front of me left but I parked and waited in the line. I don't do lines but some how a (potentially) free mug and delicious coffee made me stay. There is nothing fun about waiting in line for coffee at 5 am in the morning. I wish I drank coffee before. I am only here for the coffee and am not interested in the food or donuts. The good news there was someone directing the cars in the parking lot for the drive thru but I decided to wait in line because drive thru is a waste of gas. Also, we got a free $2 gift card from a cute worker. That's always a plus. It's not too cold but still chilly. I'm sure someone from Boston will say It's not cold and some comment about SoCal people are weak. Anyways, I'm shocked that people brought little kids with them. Ha-ha great parents. I don't think 5 am existed when I was that young.

I was hoping to get coffee within an hour but let's just say I can see the front of the building around the corner with 45 minutes of opening. I am killing time writing this review. I am not gonna over hype this place. I love the coffee. After the stupid Starbucks rewards program policy of raising the Star requirements and basing the model off of dollars spent I'm done with Starbucks. I'm not that desperate for their burn tasting coffee. Now you need to spend $62.50 to get a free reward verse DDPerks for Dunkin' Donuts spend about $40 for less expensive and better tasting coffee plus free first drink and birthday benefit! :)

Most people were courteous except for the few line cutters. Watching people coming out of the store don't look happy. Some cheerful employee greet you with how you doing? In my mind I'm thinking don't ask because you already know ask me after I get my coffee. Maybe it's more relief than happiness. Is it wrong that I'm waiting for an ice coffee when I'm already cold?

It turns out total wait time from 5 am was 1.5 hours and I missed the first hundred customer mark by maybe 10 or 15 people because I can see the empty handed. So no free mug even though a lady in line was taking down names. Maybe it was fate I couldn't find my keys or that people cut in line. Good news I reserved online ahead of time but I was hoping to get a second mug for my friend that missed the online reservation deadline. FAIL! I heard the first customer came 48 hours to wait in line. I guess I don't feel like an idiot as much. It's funny to wait in line for a location that will be open 24 hours daily.

I'm rambling but the conclusion is...

As someone who had fond memories of DD in the 80's, and enjoying the ubiquitous availability of DD on my recent visits to the East Coast, I've come to appreciate the consistency and staple it is in New England culture, while on the West there's needlessly a Starbucks on every corner.

I was so excited to have a DD in OC and Irvine.

Service is good enough, I appreciate how they actually give you cream and sugar ON THE SIDE when ordering coffee. The employees in NE for whatever reason could not comprehend that request. No matter how many times I explained it, they'd always prepare my coffee with all the cream/sugar thrown in....white, sugar saturated coffee, yuck. Must be the fast paced East Coast lifestyle thing.

Anyways, I agree that the selection of both donuts, sandwiches, and even Coolata flavors will vary greatly from coast to coast. But I think the menu pricing overall is very high.

In NE, classic donuts are consistently .99 everywhere($1.15 for premium)...the gas station DD, the Walmart DD, the train station DD, the Grand Central Station DD, the freestanding DD...pricing is always the same and affordable.

But, this being Irvine, and the IC Mafia holding tight reins on rent, they have to inflate their prices to operate....I get it.

But $3.98 for just a sausage egg cheese croissant? No coffee, no hash browns, etc.? Even Burger King and JackintheBox offer similar sandwiches with hash browns and a coffee for that price!!

And why doesn't this location have combos like every other DD in America? The breakfast sandwich menu is vastly less in variety than any random DD in the country.

No grilled cheese sandwich? No Arnold Palmer Arizona iced tea flavor Coolata in the summer? Travesty! I dunno... it just seems like any traditional chain/pastime gets ruined once they enter the Irvine bubble. Can't wait for more locations to open. On a positive note, at least the coffee tastes just as smooth and rich as...

Pros: Full selection of donuts on weekends Friendly staff Clean and new location Drive through moves quickly Tastes exactly like other Dunkin’ Donuts

Cons: Iced Coffee is too watery Single person bathroom that always seems to be in use

TL;DR This is a solid Dunkin’ location that is good for a quick donut and coffee. Clean and quick with the quality you expect from the franchise.

I am a pretty big fan of donuts, and I have had Dunkin' a few times in New York and Texas. I've always been told that California had Dunkin's, but I am too young to remember.

When Dunkin's started popping up in SoCal I was stoked. We have a few locations now, but the donuts aren't quite good enough for the extra effort. This location is fairly convenient to drive through on the way to work for a breakfast sandwich or a donut and coffee. The drive through is quick, even on weekdays around 7am.

When it first opened the lines were ridiculous and the staff was still getting into the groove. After my most recent visit, though, I can't recommend this location enough. The building itself is still very new and the staff keeps it clean. There is a good amount of indoor seating, and the wait time to order and receive food and drinks is relatively quick. The donuts taste fresh and are exactly as you’d expect from a Dunkin’s, so if you’re not already a Dunkin’ fan this isn’t going to convert you. I like the hot coffee and the lattes are decent, but the iced coffee is pretty watery. As reference, I like my iced coffee to be on the level of Peet’s or Starbucks in terms of strength.

There is bike parking nearby, but parking can sometimes be a nightmare. It shares the parking lot with a large number of restaurants and can get very crowded on the weekends. Plan on using the drive through if you’re going in the morning on a...