Caribou Vs. Starbucks (488)

            Having relatives in Minnesota, I was excited every time I got to go up there. Not only because of the huge mall or Valley Fare but because of Caribou Coffee. So after years of the same old Starbucks, I was very excited when I heard that Cedar Rapids had gotten one located in the Oakland Road Hy-Vee. For years since Caribou blessed us with one of their coffee shops, I have been going back and forth about whether they or Starbucks is the better coffee shop. Of course Starbucks has the most popularity but is it really better in quality?
          I wanted to test this to see which one was really worth getting up an extra 15 minutes before I had to every morning just to go to one place or the other. One of my favorite types of drinks is a mocha. At Starbucks you have a variety to choose from. The peppermint mocha, white chocolate mocha, or just a plain mocha all have a special place in my heart. At Caribou, though you can also have the option of a dark chocolate mocha which is my all time favorite drink. To test which one was really worth it I first went to Starbucks to grab a normal mocha which is said to be the equivalent of a dark chocolate one from Caribou.
          It took it awhile to cool down which I didn't like. In my opinion, Starbucks makes it's drinks too hot so you can't even drink the coffee that you're craving for awhile. I also didn't even think it tasted like "dark chocolate" like the barista had told me. The taste was very smooth, though, and I really liked how much milk they put in it because it was just the right amount. A huge problem I have with Starbucks is it's prices. I paid almost six dollars just for a medium and I personally think that is ridiculous.
        At Caribou, it's a little more time consuming because you have to actually walk into Hy-Vee to get the coffee because they don't have a drive through. To my surprise, the prices were way lower than Starbucks which was a great benefit. I ordered a dark chocolate mocha and enjoyed it much more than the one I got at it's competitor. The chocolate taste was way more prominent and it actually tasted dark. One down side I do have is that when you get closer to the bottom of your drink, the bottom is usually filled with a grainy chocolaty substance.
      In conclusion, I think Caribou has the better bang for your buck. With the better tasting and less costing drink, it's a win-win for your wallet as well as your taste buds. From now on, I will be spending a little extra time on my morning commute to get the delicious mocha, but that doesn't matter to me as long as the drink is good.