Dunkin’ Donuts

Maybe one of the worst DDs I have ever been to. They don’t know how to work a customer line. Smaller than average, less of a donut selection than average and to top it off the last time I went, an employee spilled Coolatta on me and never apologized. Didn’t get anything free out of the deal, just a Coolatta drenched shirt. First world problems. It could have been hot coffee.

They seem to want to me sick. The same grumpy cashier who always looks like she would rather be anywhere else, never tells the 15 people making coffees what the orders are. On more then one occasions (actually every one of them) she has given me a regular coffee instead of decaf. I am willing to pay more at Starbucks. They seem to know customer and their orders.

Every time I get my iced coffee they mess it up. I have given up on getting coffee there. Also, I have no idea if they realize that they get the bad bagels on the daily but no other dunks has had stale bagels and their everything bagel had almost nothing on it.

Old reliable. Of course Marblehead isn’t fond of chains or anything that distracts people from that preserved, historic feeling. Alas, we need our Dunkin Donuts (and that other place we need not name). Dan runs on Dunkin. The spacious, clean, efficient organization of this location deserves ample credit. Although it’s not 5-​star dining, I evaluate based on the type of establishment, my experience, and individual characteristics of the business.
The quality is consistent, the service is quick (even with a line out the door), and there is ample parking. The absence of a drive-​thru helps the storefront blend-​in with its surroundings in the strip mall where it is located. To compensate for the lack of convenience, you may be entertained by the retirees that regularly occupy the tables and the frantic Marblehead Soccer moms. Overall, expect a top notch DD experience.

Chains are not big in Marblehead. Heck, neon signs were outlawed growing up. They may still be. I can’t think of one since the Warwick closed.
Dunkin Donuts, White Hen Pantry, Starbucks (but of course) and CVS are some exceptions to the chain «rule». This is a large Dunkin Donuts with lots of tables. It’s clean and bright inside in that fluorescent lighting kind of way. It seems to have a steady stream of clientele.
Long ago this location was a Brigham’s. All of a sudden I have a craving for a Raspberry Lime Rickey and a Vanilla Cone with Jimmies. But I’m way off the subject. My favorite thing at Dunkin Donuts is the Coconut Donut. Nothing else matters. My eyes always lock on this donut but the jelly donuts, crullers, old fashioneds and Boston cremes look very tasty indeed.
There seems to be a cult of DD coffee. I’ve had my Left Coast friends ask to bring them back a bag as they swear by the stuff. My father, the family coffee aficionado, says it stinks. He loves his sludgy Cuban espresso so this may be comparing apples to oranges. Luckily, I don’t have to haul beans back as it is now available in grocery stores.
I think the donuts at Ziggy’s in Salem are superior to DD. The coconut is to die for. DD makes a solid donut. Given it’s so close by is a major selling point. They’ve never done me wrong. Except for the rats at the Downtown Crossing location in the late 1980s. But that’s ancient history.