Back in June, Dutch Bros coffee announced that they would open a Bakersfield location on the northeast side of town. The coffee shop, located at 1517 Columbus St., would be the first store to open in Kern County. Many coffee fanatics were raving about the opening and anticipated for the coffee chain’s arrival for months. After waiting a whole summer, residents were able to get a taste of the Oregon based company.
I was able to order five drinks. I kept on hearing remarks such as “It’s way better than Starbucks.” Well, I am here to be the judge of that.
When I first arrived at Dutch Bros, there was a long line of cars waiting to order the drinks. The line passed the Foods Co building. I waited for 25 minutes until I was able to order my drinks. But along the way, I was greeted by friendly employees.
When I met the employees, I was greeted with genuine smiles on all of their faces and they provided me with a mini menu, stickers, and a car freshener. As soon as I ordered, I waited for less than a minute to receive my drinks.
My order: Annihilator Cold Brew, Blue Rebel Aftershock, Palm Beach Tea, Chai Smoothie, and the Caramelizer.
The Annihilator contained chocolate macadamia nut with cream. This coffee was smooth and light. It wasn’t too sweet nor was it bitter. It was real coffee with real flavor.
The Blue Rebel contains strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and lime. It contained an energy. This would be a perfect drink for any college or high school student who is cramming on homework late at night.
The Palm Beach was a tea that contained pomegranate and peach. As soon as I took a sip, I was hooked. I am not a tea drinker, but these flavors complement each other.
The Iced Chai was just a slushie version of Chai tea. It was not amazing, but it did have hints of cinnamon which was nice. This is a perfect drink if you are craving chai tea on a hot day.
The Caramelizer was an amazing sweet treat. It is a frosted caramel mocha drink. I know it sounds very basic but trust me when I say that it is truly amazing. If I had to choose one of these drinks to try, it would have to be the Palm Beach tea. It has a satisfying taste and does not contain caffeine. The drink can still make you feel awake without caffeine.
There are still more drinks that I need to try, but from what I have tasted, Starbucks has a lot of competition coming its way. All in all, Dutch Bros may be out of the way for most Bakersfield residents, but I would say it is worth the drive. Dutch Bros has fast paced service and truly amazing employees, which we as consumers deserve more of.