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The Fast Food Chains With the Best Coffee

There’s nothing like a good cup of coffee to start your day or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

Although fast food coffees sometimes get a bad rap, there are many fast food chains that offer good quality coffee for a reasonable price.

Most fast food restaurants do not serve breakfast all day, but you can order a fresh cup of coffee any time of day.

In this article, we’ve rounded up the 15 best fast food coffees to order when you’re in a hurry.

Each of these chains offers a quick, delicious, and refreshing cup of coffee, the perfect way to get a little boost of caffeine!

15. Burger King: BK Café

Burger King is one of the world’s largest and most popular fast food chains, specializing in burgers.

They operate over 7,000 locations in the US, with at least one in each of the 50 states. 

Although Burger King’s breakfast menu is not available all day, you can order coffee anytime.

They call their signature coffee BK Café.

BK Café is a smooth and medium-bodied coffee made from a blend of 100% Central and South American Arabica coffee beans.

It’s available in three sizes: small, medium, and large.

If it’s too late in the day for caffeine, Burger King also offers a decaf version of the BK Café.

Finally, if you’re more of an iced coffee person, they offer three different flavors: plain, mocha, and vanilla.

14. Carl’s Jr.: 100% Arabica Coffee

Carl’s Jr. is a fast food chain most famous for their signature charbroiled burgers.

They operate over 1,000 locations in the US, most of which are on the West Coast or Southwest regions.

Like Burger King, Carl’s Jr. does not serve all-day breakfast but serves coffee all day.

Carl’s Jr. serves their own premium dark roast blend, made with 100% Arabica coffee beans.

It comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large.

If you prefer decaf, Carl’s Jr. also serves a decaf version of their 100% Arabica coffee, which also comes in small, medium, and large sizes.

13. Wendy’s: Fresh Brewed Coffee

Wendy’s is another of the largest and most popular fast food chains in the US, famous for its burgers.

They operate almost 6,000 locations in the US, with at least one in each of the 50 states.

Like several other fast food chains on this list, Wendy’s does not offer breakfast all day but sells coffee all day.

Wendy’s fresh brewed coffee is made from a medium roast blend of 100% Central and South American Arabica beans.

It comes in two sizes: small and large.

Wendy’s also offers a decaf version of their fresh brewed coffee in small and large sizes.

12. Sonic Drive-In: Green Mountain Coffee

Sonic Drive-In is a fast food chain famous for its 50s drive-in theme and wide-ranging menu of American fast food classics.

They operate over 3,500 locations in 46 states.

Sonic is one of the fast food chains that serve all-day breakfast, including coffee!

They partner with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to offer Green Mountain Coffee, brewed fresh on the lot and made with 100% Arabica beans.

You can enjoy your coffee plain or add French vanilla flavoring for a bit of sweetness.

If you prefer iced coffee, Sonic also offers two kinds: Original Cold Brew, which is poured over their ice and sweet cream, and French Vanilla Cold Brew, similar to the Original Cold Brew but contains French vanilla flavoring.

11. Jack in the Box: High Mountain Arabica Coffee

Jack in the Box is a fast food chain famous for its eclectic menu items like egg rolls and mini tacos.

They operate over 2,000 locations in 21 states.

Like Sonic, Jack in the Box offers an all-day breakfast menu, including coffee.

Jack in the Box serves High Mountain Arabica Coffee that comes in regular and large sizes.

The decaf version is also available in the same sizes.

If you prefer iced coffee, Jack in the Box offers black, vanilla sweet cream, mocha sweet cream, and caramel sweet cream iced coffee flavors.

10. McDonald’s: McCafé Premium Roast Coffee

You probably already know that McDonald’s is the largest and most famous fast food chain globally.

There are well over 13,000 McDonald’s locations in the US alone!

Unfortunately, McDonald’s no longer offers all-day breakfast but serves coffee all day.

McDonald’s dedicates an entire section of their menu to coffee, which they call McCafé products.

Their signature coffee is called the McCafé Premium Roast Coffee.

It’s made from expertly roasted, 100% Arabica beans and is freshly brewed every 30 minutes.

It comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large.

McDonald’s also offers a variety of espresso drinks, like the caramel macchiato, cappuccino, caramel cappuccino, French vanilla cappuccino, mocha latte, Americano, latte, caramel latte, and French vanilla latte.

If you prefer iced coffee, McDonald’s has many options, including iced caramel macchiato, iced mocha, iced French vanilla coffee, iced latte, iced caramel latte, and iced French vanilla latte.

Finally, McDonald’s offers frappés, which are icy blended coffee drinks that come in two flavors: caramel and mocha.

9. Culver’s: Blue Spoon Blend Coffee

Culver’s is a Wisconsin-based fast food chain famous for its Butterburgers, cheese curds, and frozen custard.

They run almost 900 locations in 25 states.

Culver’s does not offer all-day breakfast, but they do serve coffee all day.

They partner with Blue Spoon to offer 100% Arabica beans that are Rainforest Alliance Certified.

If you prefer decaf coffee, Culver’s also offers a decaf version.

8. Tim Hortons: Coffee

Tim Hortons is a beloved coffee and donut chain with over 600 locations in the US, plus many more in Canada.

Tim Hortons’ specialty is coffee, so they serve it fresh and hot all day long!

Tim Hortons’ coffee is made from 100% Arabica beans sourced from South American locations like Huila, Colombia, and Santa Rosa, Guatemala.

It comes in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-large.

Tim Hortons also offers decaf and dark roast options for their hot coffee.

If you’re more of an iced coffee person, Tim Hortons has a ton of delicious iced coffee drinks.

Some of their most popular iced coffee flavors include mocha, vanilla, caramel, iced lattes, and iced caramel macchiato.

Tim Hortons is also famous for its Iced Capp, a frozen, blended coffee beverage with flavors like caramel, mocha, and Oreo.

7. Krispy Kreme: Classic Brewed Coffee

Krispy Kreme is an American coffee and donut chain with over 360 stores in 42 states.

Naturally, they serve coffee all day long.

Their signature classic brewed coffee is made from a balanced coffee blend with a bright, smooth flavor profile.

It comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large.

Krispy Kreme also offers a decaf version of their classic brewed coffee in small, medium, and large sizes.

If you prefer espresso drinks, Krispy Kreme serves a variety of lattes, cappuccino, Americano, and straight-up espresso shots.

If you’re more of an iced coffee person, you can order iced coffee and iced lattes at Krispy Kreme in flavors like vanilla, original glazed, caramel, and caramel mocha.

6. Del Taco: Café del Olla Coffee

Del Taco is one of the most popular Mexican chain restaurants famous for its Tex-Mex-inspired menu.

They operate nearly 600 locations in 16 states.

Del Taco does not have an all-day breakfast menu, but they serve coffee all day.

Their signature coffee is called Café del Olla Coffee.

It’s a medium roast made with 100% single-origin sustainable Arabica beans and features brown sugar and cinnamon notes.

If you prefer iced coffee, Del Taco offers the Café del Olla Iced Coffee, which features the same medium roast Arabica beans and brown sugar and cinnamon notes.

5. Chick-fil-A: Coffee

Chick-fil-A is one of the most popular fried chicken chains, with almost 3,000 locations in the United States.

Chick-fil-A’s breakfast menu is not available all day, but their coffee is!

Chick-fil-A’s coffee is sourced by Thrive Farmers and is made from a custom blend of high altitude-grown Arabica beans.

It has notes of caramel and nuts and tastes delicious black or with cream and sugar.

Chick-fil-A also offers an iced coffee drink with 2% milk and pure cane sugar.

It’s available in regular and large sizes and can be sweetened with vanilla.

4. Panera Bread: Hazelnut Coffee

Panera Bread is one of the largest and most popular bakery cafe chains in the US.

They operate over 2,000 locations in 48 states and Washington DC.

Although Panera’s breakfast menu is not available all day, you can order coffee any time of day.

Hazelnut is one of Panera’s most popular coffee flavors.

It’s made from 100% Arabica beans, balanced with the buttery, smooth, sweet flavor of hazelnuts.

It’s available in three sizes: small, regular, and large.

If you’re not a hazelnut fan, Panera offers cafe blend dark roast, cafe blend light roast, and decaf hot coffee drinks.

They also offer many iced coffee flavors, including iced cafe blend dark roast, Madagascar vanilla cream cold brew, Madagascar vanilla almond cold brew, and regular cold brew.

3. Taco Bell: Hot Cinnabon Delights Coffee

Taco Bell is one of the most popular Mexican fast food chains, with over 7,000 locations in the US.

Taco Bell’s breakfast menu is not available all day, but you can order coffee all day long.

They offer one of the most unique fast food coffees: the Hot Cinnabon Delights Coffee.

It’s a sweet, delicious treat made with premium roast coffee, vanilla creamer, and Cinnabon Delights flavored syrup.

The Iced Cinnabon Delights Coffee is also available if you prefer it in iced form.

If the Cinnabon Delights flavor is too sweet for you, you can order Taco Bell’s regular hot or iced coffee drinks.

2. Starbucks: Pike Place Roast

Starbucks is the world’s largest and most popular coffee chain.

They run over 15,000 locations in the United States alone.

There are many different roasts and coffee drinks at Starbucks, but their signature coffee is the Pike Place Roast.

It’s a medium roast hot coffee made with a blend of Latin American Arabica beans and features notes of chocolate and toasted nuts.

It comes in four Starbucks sizes: short (available at select locations), tall, grande, and venti.

In addition to Pike Place, Starbucks offers other hot coffee blends, including dark roast, decaf Pike Place, and Veranda Blend, which is a light roast.

If you’re not craving hot brewed coffee, you can order Starbucks’ iced coffee drinks, cold brews, frappuccinos, and lattes.

1. Dunkin’ Donuts: Hot Coffee

Dunkin’ Donuts is of the largest and most beloved coffee and donut chains in the US.

There are over 8,500 Dunkin’ locations in 41 states.

Dunkin’s famous hot coffee is made from 100% Arabica beans and is ground and brewed fresh throughout the day.

It comes in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-large.

If you prefer espresso drinks, Dunkin’ offers hot and iced Americanos, lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and straight espresso shots.

If you’re looking for a sweet, icy treat, try their frozen coffee, which comes in four flavors: plain, mocha swirl, caramel swirl, and French vanilla swirl.

Conclusion

If you think fast food chains do not offer good coffee, you may want to think again.

There is no shortage of great coffee from fast food restaurants, and we’ve rounded up some of our favorites.

The next time you’re on the go and need a quick caffeine fix, give one of these fast food coffees a try!

About the Author

Eril Eti is the founder of Shopfood.com. He has over a decade of experience in consumer goods and launched many products sold at retailers like Walmart, Costco, Amazon, Target, Kroger, Publix, and more.

Eril loves food, traveling, and trying out new restaurants. Outside of work, you can find him on a hiking trail in New England or playing soccer with his kids.

February 28, 2023