Which popular coffee shop is better? Caribou or Starbucks? This seems to be the ultimate question, in North Dakota and Minnesota especially.

Even though Caribou is the much smaller coffee chain, 500 shops vs. 9,000 worldwide, it seems to be just as busy as Starbucks around here. Whenever I go out for coffee with my sister, we try to decide which one we are feeling that day, or which one is less busy.

Unfortunately, both are pretty busy the majority of the time, so we are typically out of luck. This constant stream of traffic in both coffee shops just goes to show how popular they are. So really, which one is better?

In my personal opinion, I find pros and cons for both places. Therefore, I simply choose which particular type of coffee I prefer that day. Let’s start off with their menu options.

If I’m looking for a tasty, unique mocha with a bite to eat, Starbucks is definitely the place to be. They have a relatively large menu for both breakfast and lunch, and also offer a wide variety of diverse coffees to choose from, such as the chestnut praline latte. Who has ever even heard of that?

I’m also very calorie conscious, so if I need a skinny mocha and a salad that day (I know, basic white girl, right?), I know I can rely on the employees preparing exactly what I want.

On the other hand, some days I am really feeling the smooth taste of Caribou Coffee. My mother, for example, hates the taste of Starbucks black coffee because she thinks it tastes burnt. A friend of mine told me the same thing about its espresso. I agree, it tastes a bit burnt, but for some reason, I truly enjoy the bitter and charred taste.

If I’m really feeling something sweet, Caribou is the place to be. For some reason, its espresso drinks taste more sugary, and I love its mochas in particular. I also enjoy their Northern Light drinks, in case I’m watching what I’m consuming that day. Even though their food menu is fairly tiny, its cute sandwiches and blueberry oatmeal taste awesome.

Now, let’s move on to other factors such as prices and customer service.

First of all, the prices do not drastically differ. In fact, they are incredibly similar. If I get a small coffee at Caribou, the price is $1.69, and a small Starbucks, which they call a “tall,” is $1.85. A medium Caribou vs. a medium  Starbucks, which they call a “grande,” only has a one-cent difference.

So even though Caribou’s black coffee is a bit cheaper, it is not by much. Now, this is where it gets interesting. Caribou’s espresso drinks are actually more expensive. A small latte, for example, is $3.19, while Starbucks is $2.95. Still not a significant difference, but definitely interesting.

On a final note, I am quite impressed with the customer service at both locations. However, I do have a smidgen of a problem with Caribou. Even though no one has ever been rude to me, they have screwed up my drink a couple of times at various locations.

That, and they made my mocha too milky. Maybe I have not been to Starbucks enough to have someone screw up my drink, but every time I have purchased a mocha, I have been purely satisfied.

Kassidi Andres is a staff writer for The Dakota Student.

She can be reached at [email protected]