Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Get your Caboose on Down to Starbucks @ Ottawa Trainyards

I visited the Ottawa Trainyards to do some shopping and before leaving decided to visit the Starbucks (100 Trainyards Drive, Ottawa) for some coffee. 

I arrived shortly after 8 A.M. to find a bustling coffee shop with only one customer at the counter awaiting their order and three Baristas working the counter including one adding more baked goodies to the display.

I placed my order right away as the other customer was finished and moving away from the counter. 

The Order: 1 Medium Blend Medium Sized coffee and 1 Chocolate Caramel Muffin.

The Barista who took my cash poured my coffee and retrieved my muffin.  A slight playful grimmace from the Barista who just restocked the baked goods was seen by me.  I apologized with a smile on my face at her misfortune of just finishing only to have to replace a single muffin. 

I left the store with coffee and muffin in hand. 

I dug into the $2.25 Caramel and Chocolate Muffin to see what sets it apart from anything to set the price.  Taste wise it was exactly the same as an Oreo Chocolate Muffin from McDonald's but with the added caramel.  But for an extra $1.25 it is much more pricier, and presumably upscale because it comes from Starbucks.  Was it worth it? No, better to visit McDonald's if your in search of the muffin because for the price of the Starbucks muffin alone you could have a muffin and a medium coffee at McD's.

The coffee was satisfactory medium blend from Starbucks.  Seems as though Starbucks has received the message from coffee drinkers that their old regular coffee was way to strong for most customers and have tamed it down.  A good starting point and I might get used to it. 

Overall this Starbucks is an interesting location.  Nestled in one of Ottawa's larger big box retail complexes, the Ottawa Trainyards, it is a decent spot to grab a coffee during or after getting your retail fix.  The location even spills over onto the oustide sidewalk providing decent sun and people watching opportunities.  But again, the downfall is the price of the baked goods, for the same price as an entire meal you could purchase a muffin or other baked good.  Good coffee but terrible baked good pricing.

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