Dunkin’ Donuts

I mean it’s small and their English is not great! Make sure the lid is closed on your drink before you sip! Hello lawsuit waiting to happen!

Dear ladies (and one gentleman) at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Lex in between 84^th and 85^th street–
I see you every morning at the same time. I like to think that we know each other very well. Every morning I order the same thing, and I’ve done so for the past three years now.
So why do you look at me like I’m a stranger? WE’RE LIKE FAMILY, FOR PETE’S SAKE. Look me in the eyes and tell me you remember my order! Or at least get it right! I keep coming back to you because I have faith in humanity. But this week alone you made my order incorrectly every day. Every. Day. And today you gave me some guy’s chicken biscuit that he was yelling at you about instead of the turkey sausage English muffin I ordered.
The UES is rooting for you, Dunkin’ Ladies (and one dude). Please get it together.

Nothing here has changed since the first one star review. I can almost do a cut and paste. This is a guaranteed morning stress experience. What a depressing establishment, making a mockery of the brand. The morning crush is a nightmare. The scene is like those old photos of twenty teens jamming into a phone booth. Great preparation for the subway ride to follow. Granted, excellent space usage to shoehorn seven employees into this closet of a space. Staff is frenzied, not friendly. If you are unlucky enough to be behind someone ordering for ten, you may fossilize. Orders are either filled incorrectly or with minimal effort, after an inordinate wait. I do not even want the coffee or donuts, but promotional offers on other products. But I will always be asked whether I want coffee no matter how many cups I see flying behind the counter. As an observant consumer, I am quite aware that they sell coffee. I would hate to taste their baked goods in the afternoon or evening, given the delivery issue. They have the area DD monopoly, so take it or leave it. If you are not getting a deal, I advise leaving it. No hang out, no wifi, no restroom, no need to patronize.

Dunkin’ Donots is more like it at this place. Stale. A waste of money and calories. Good for coffee but I drink green tea. When I’m going to splurge again, it won’t be here. And I asked if the donots were fresh and was told, «Yes.» Lying to sell is really bad for a brand.

What can I say about this place?
It’s not big. You can only fit about maybe 5 or 6 people in that tight space between the counter and window. It’s even tighter during the morning rush. The lines can stretch outside at times. The staff friendliness varies. Some of them are courteous and others are outright mean. You might get a staff member that takes care of your order properly. Or, you might have another that completely rushes your order and botches it up.
The freshness of the donuts and pastries varies. If you get them in the mornings, it’s fresh tasting. In the evening, it’s stale. Just keep that in mind.
Since this is the only DD around this bustling area, you either love it or hate it. I love Dunkin Donuts coffee and their donuts. But the service quality for this location is poor. It can do better if it provided better service.

Okay, the positive would be that it’s a DD so you know they have DD coffee… and that’s where it ends.
It’s a mini DD, meaning there’s a counter to lean on by the window which is literally 2 steps from where the cashier is. In other words, there’s no room here — don’t expect to hang out, use wi-​fi or the restroom.
And since it’s a small DD, they get their donuts delivered (as do the majority of DDs). Translation: If you don’t get them while they’re fresh, don’t bother.
Staff isn’t very friendly, but rather rush you to give your order which they’ll fill either incorrectly or with little to no effort. Translation: Wrong and/​or unsatisfying.
There is a step up to get into the place and sorry, but no way is this place handicapped accessible. :/​
What I wore to Dunkin’ Donuts: Jeans, t-​shirt, motorcycle boots, sweater.

I know. I’m a total tourist and don’t really have much of a basis of comparison, but after seeing what feels like a million dunkin’ donuts commercials and hearing how great the coffee is, the closest I have come thus far is sampling the ground coffee from my local grocery store (I searched the website only to find that there are no DD’s on the west coast)!
That being said, I was pleasantly surprised that the coffee lived up to my much-​hyped expectations. I was satiated by that sweet tangy brew, and the strawberry donut was pretty darn good too.
This isn’t fair. If you New Yorkers can catch on to our Pinkberry fad I think it’s only right that you return the favor and send us a Dunkin’ Donuts.