Dunkin' — Restaurant in Maryland

Multiple bad experiences at this Dunkin and today's was the final straw.

My husband did a mobile order, and since he was working around the house I told him I'd go grab it for us. I get there and the first thing they tell me is that they don't have the drink I wanted because their machine is broken and would I like something different.

I politely said no thank you. The only reason I did the order was for the returning caramel creme coffee. I've never had it and it looked good. To make matters worse I don't have the card or the app on my phone (all on my husband's phone). So, the gentleman at the drive thru processes the refund and shoves the cash through the window with a "here" and then turned away. Alright, guess I'm dismissed.

And I get it. I really do. It was already really busy there and I created a problem for him by not wanting a different drink. I worked in retail for years so I'm sympathetic to it but you can't let the customer know you're not happy about it. You didn't have the drink I wanted because your machine is broken but I didn't cop an attitude about it when I didn't get my way.

My suggestion is maybe a drive a couple extra miles to another Dunkin nearby, or order...

I walked here only to find that it was drive through or curb side only, with an enormous drive trough line. After the hassle of downloading the app, and working past bad user interface design that hindered me from placing an order, an employee exited to tell us that they were understaffed and therefore closing (?!) After I complained about him leaving work without providing the donuts I had paid for, he went back in, returned with my donuts and left in a huff.

The only reason I’m giving two stars instead of one was that another employee was very understanding, and she gave us two extra donuts and she gave us a choice of which donut to replace the one we ordered that was out of stock. Thank you for your kindness.

I recognize that it was a holiday and nobody wants to work a holiday, but it’s your job, this is the type of business expected to be open on a holiday, and if you can’t do it you shouldn’t be working there. And that young man in the first paragraph needs to take some responsibility to do his JOB and treat his customers...

The best way to beat the post-medical-visit blues? A seasonal bev at this local Dunkin! I’m staunchly anti-waiting in drive-thru lines, so I strutted inside. The service? Stellar. Quick and friendly, like a caffeinated hug from an old friend.

As an added bonus, I got a delightful dose of donut history from the friendly gentleman behind the counter. Apparently, the original “Dunkin’” donut had a little nub handle so you could “dunk” it into your coffee. Genius, right? It’s a shame that in today’s world, nobody has time to actually dunk—talk about a lost art!

Now, onto the drink: my “basic girl” pumpkin spiced latte was spot-on! No syrupy disaster here—just the right balance of flavors. Kudos for avoiding the gallon of sugared syrup that could send anyone into prediabetes!

However, I do have to mention the hash browns. Normally a crispy delight, this time they tasted like they were swimming in old oil. I’d suggest asking for fresh ones if you give them a try.

Donut worry about a thing...