In the US, their slogan is “America runs on Dunkin.” Having
lived in Boston for a couple of years and spotted Dunkin Donuts outlets bustling
within mere blocks of each other, I can confirm the foregoing. In Lebanon, they
may not be as ubiquitous, but their prominence is unmistakable. Numbering 30
outlets—that’s nearly double the count of Starbucks—and occupying prime
locations in malls and shopping centers, Dunkin Donuts are the haunt of both
Coolatta-loving teenagers and black-coffee-sipping professionals.
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| The donut display at Dunkin Donuts Downtown (Martyrs' Square) |
I’ve always found the consistency of donuts in Lebanon to be
substantially lighter than their American counterparts. The round pastries don’t
strike you as cloyingly sweet, and you don’t get that fried aftertaste
lingering on your palate. I’m not going to pretend to make a case for their
nutritional benefits, but they’re certainly no worse than éclairs now, are
they?
The great news is that Dunkin Donuts Lebanon offers a decent croissant and bagel breakfast fix that has recently been promoted through the campaign #MyBBF, or "My Best Breakfast Forever." Every conceivable combination of egg, cheese
and turkey can be stuffed inside a pleasant golden-brown croissant, with fresh
veggies as garnish and a lick of mustard for good measure. The croissants are
delectable, not leaving a trace of oil on your fingers and perfectly tucking in
all ingredients without fail.
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| Egg, turkey and cheese croissant garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and olives |
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| Up close and personal |
Bagels come in plain, oat, and poppy seed varieties, and there’s
a myriad of filling possibilities you can get creative with. The classic is
rich cream cheese either solo or paired with wild berry jam or a slice of deli
turkey. Again, locally-baked bagels are less doughy than their American
cousins, so their calorie content is no cause for alarm.
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| Oat bagel |
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| Oat bagel slathered with cream cheese and layered with a slice of deli turkey and veggies |
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It’d be a little ironic if I overlooked the heart of the
Dunkin Donuts experience, that liquid black gold more familiarly known as a cup
of joe. The Original Blend is very delicate to the point where it feels light
on your stomach. It’s nowhere near as intense as Starbuck’s roasts, so it’s
probably wiser to avoid comparing those two beverage behemoths. I’ll just say
that if you like a more subtle coffee, DD’s is worth your time. I’ve already bought
a few bags of their ground coffee to brew at home!
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| A cup of Original Blend coffee |
On a side note, I’d love to see a wider array of donut types
at Dunkin Donuts, including old-fashioned cake donuts resembling flying saucers,
and yeast donuts, both the sugar-glazed and Twists. The former have an
irregular sort of indented ring shape, whereas the latter are soft and pillowy.
Both are heavenly.
do you have any branch in tripoli?
ReplyDeleteفي شي فرع بطرابلس؟
Hi Lina, all the branch outlets are posted on ddlebanon.com/about.php. I think the nearest to Tripoli is Batroun.
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