To attract customers, restaurants often add themed items to their lineup for a limited time throughout the year, and fall is no exception. A variety of restaurants have fall menus, especially with pumpkin-flavored items. Sonic, Starbucks, Dunkin’ and First Watch are only some examples of restaurants with new offerings, but these are the ones to be compared.
Starbucks, Pumpkin & Pepita Loaf
The crushed-up pepita, or pumpkin seeds, tasted like pistachio, and their unique flavor brought the loaf up a level compared to the Dunkin’ loaf. The pumpkin flavor was also apparent in the taste and smell; on the whole, it was a delightful treat, deserving of a 9/10. (Photo/Alex Ngo)
Dunkin’, Iced Pumpkin Loaf
From the moment I opened the plastic packaging, I could smell the pumpkin flavor. The loaf tasted very pumpkiny; it reminded me of those pumpkin and buttercream rolls that appear in my fridge every November. The icing is more solid than I feel it should be, though, and it doesn’t elevate the bread that much. 7/10, nothing exceptional. (Photo/Alex Ngo)
First Watch, Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Their pumpkin flavor wasn’t as prominent as I hoped, but the caramel helped to make the dessert unique compared to the others, giving it an apple-dipped-in-caramel taste. The glaze didn’t really feel like it helped in any way—it tasted like vanilla pudding. However, the caramel alone takes it from a 6/10 to an 8/10, possibly in part due to nostalgia. (Photo/Alex Ngo)
Sonic, Salted Caramel Toffee Croissant Bites
Sonic made the bold choice this fall not to put any pumpkin-flavored items on its menu. Instead, they chose a salted caramel toffee flavor to evoke the autumn theme. However, in my opinion, this was a poor choice, as the taste fails to reach the recognizability of any pumpkin flavor. There is nothing croissant-like about the pieces, either. Only the bland bread or syrup really came through, masking any toffee flavor. All things considered, they get a mere 4/10.
