For me, summer road trips mean fast food coffee. Because while I usually like supporting local coffee shops and cafés, it's not worth the extra miles off the highway with Siri (and my toddler) yelling at me just to track down some off-the-beaten-path purveyor of fresh-roasted, whole bean cold brew.
So whether you need it to stay alert on the road, or whether your kids are doing a pretty good job of that already and you just need a boost while you play tourist over the summer, I hope this guide to the best fast food coffees I've tried will be a life saver.
In no particular order....
Dunkin' hasn't established the cultural dominance in the South that it enjoys in the Northeast -- let alone New England, where there's one on every corner it seems! -- so I hadn't made the trip to grab their iced coffee. Until recently. What a nice surprise! Their iced coffee is smooth and dark, and definitely does not taste like fast food iced coffee. Plus, they now sell cold brew coffee in most locations if that's more your jam.
Type of beans: 100% Arabica
Price: $2.79 for large
Pros: Rigorously tested so every cup tastes the same. Several roasts and flavor add-ins available.
Cons: The servers are often not great with customization (like if you try to order "just one pump of caramel" or less ice). The sweet coffees are also SUPER SUPER SWEET; if you're used to a Starbucks Iced Vanilla Latte, the Dunkin' version will shock you, so you might consider sweetening yourself. Plus there's that temptation to order their new Donut Fries on the side.
Related: 5 easy, not-too-messy travel snack recipes.
Starbucks Iced Coffee
Okay, so while Starbucks isn't technically fast food, it's become a staple at so many rest stops and is now included on so many "next exit" highway signs, so I'm counting it for this list of the best fast food iced coffee. And y'all, I love a Starbucks iced coffee. Plus it's a solid, consistent, and delicious option, especially if you prefer dark roasts. Type of beans: 100% Arabica Price: $2.95 for a Vente Pros: Tons of options for personalizing your iced coffee. Plus you can find healthy snack choices, from string cheese singles to protein boxes, fresh fruit, and greek yogurt, though reststop S'bux are not generally as well stocked as your neighborhood branch. Cons: You may need to specify "unsweetened" (though they generally ask) to be sure they don't add simple syrup to an iced coffee. If you're a fan of sweet iced coffees though, those calories add up -- a Vente Iced Caramel Frappuccino can be as much as 510 calories, with 17g fat and 84g sugar. Whoa.Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee
Dunkin' hasn't established the cultural dominance in the South that it enjoys in the Northeast -- let alone New England, where there's one on every corner it seems! -- so I hadn't made the trip to grab their iced coffee. Until recently. What a nice surprise! Their iced coffee is smooth and dark, and definitely does not taste like fast food iced coffee. Plus, they now sell cold brew coffee in most locations if that's more your jam.
Type of beans: 100% Arabica
Price: $2.79 for large
Pros: Rigorously tested so every cup tastes the same. Several roasts and flavor add-ins available.
Cons: The servers are often not great with customization (like if you try to order "just one pump of caramel" or less ice). The sweet coffees are also SUPER SUPER SWEET; if you're used to a Starbucks Iced Vanilla Latte, the Dunkin' version will shock you, so you might consider sweetening yourself. Plus there's that temptation to order their new Donut Fries on the side.
