I love Starbucks. I love the variety of flavors and I love the convenience, but one thing I do not love is the price. It’s crazy expensive to make a habit out of picking up the newest flavors. I make coffee at home, but my Folgers and creamer can’t hold a candle to a salted caramel mocha. It’s just nice to have a special drink from time to time (or maybe even a little more frequently than that).
When Lucky Goat opened, it immediately caught my attention. It’s not too far from my apartment, I love cute cafes, and of course, I love coffee. I was sure it could hold up to Starbucks in terms of flavor, but could it potentially be easier on my wallet and save me time? It was time to put on my investigating cap and buy some nice coffee. Strictly for science, of course.
The points of comparison are as follows: flavor (I ordered a hot mocha latte), price, overall bang for your buck, convenience, and the store itself. Let’s get started.
Courtesy: freepik
I went to Starbucks first because I had time to kill between classes. The Dirac Starbucks is literally just a hop skip and a jump from Fischer Hall, so even if the drink were to take twenty minutes to make, I would still get to class on time (I didn’t wait twenty minutes, but I waited for about forty at Strozier once, though I digress). As is the case with most Starbucks, the ambiance was nice, clean, and modern. However, seating is always an issue at Starbucks, especially on campus, but since I had somewhere to be this wasn’t an issue. If I was just looking for a place to write, noise certainly might have been a problem.
When I got my drink, I was struck by how rich it was. Granted, part of this might have been the whipped cream, but the chocolate flavor was also lovely. However, as I continued drinking, that lovely flavor went away and the drink seemed almost watery to me. I’m not sure if I noticed this just because I was looking to make notes, or if this is really the first time a mocha has tasted this way, but I don’t remember my mocha lattes ever being like that. The drink was $3.45—not bad for Starbucks—but I did order a Tall. A Grande would have been between $4.15 and $4.25, depending on the store as prices do vary slightly.
A few days later I tested out Lucky Goat. As I’ve said, I hadn’t been there yet, so I was excited to test out this new little café that wasn’t too far away. I stopped by there before class to order my mocha latte. I immediately noticed that the menu is smaller than Starbucks by a long shot, but that being said, they have a flavor station with plenty of options if you want to make your coffee a little fancier. As far as I could tell, there was only one size, depending on what drink you got. This screwed up my experiment a little bit, as the size they gave me seemed to be equivalent to a Starbucks Grande, but I could still do a little comparison. My drink cost $4.30, very close to Starbucks’ price but a little more expensive. There is an option to get it in a mug and drink it there, which I love, but since I had to get to class I opted for to-go. In the future, however, I would love to sit in there and write. There was a lot of seating and there were even cozy couches to lounge on. It was modern but homey.
I was pleased to see that the barista had done a nice little design in the foam of my coffee. That kind of thing just makes the buying experience more special. Though I was on the go, I was still able to appreciate how smooth and creamy the coffee was the whole way through. The coffee itself also had a unique flavor—I know they use different types, but I didn’t think to ask what the bean was. (I’ll have to do that next time.) Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the drink and would definitely have it again.
So, Starbucks or Lucky Goat: who takes the cake? Let’s tally it up.
Flavor: Lucky Goat for sure.
Price: Starbucks wins by a slight margin.
Bang for your buck: Though prices do vary, all drinks at Starbucks of a similar size are a similar price, ranging between $3-$5. At Lucky Goat, you can get an espresso, which I believe is two ounces, for about $3.25, whereas a latte (about 12 ounces) is $4.30. This one is too close to call, so let’s say it’s a tie.
Convenience: Five times out of seven, Starbucks is more convenient for me. That being said, if I’m just chilling at home, Lucky Goat is much closer than Starbucks.
The store: I enjoyed the ambiance of Lucky Goat a lot more and would rather sit and write there. No shade to Starbucks.
And it’s a tie! This really wasn’t planned. From the gate, I thought Lucky Goat would be our winner, but it seems there are certainly some ways that Starbucks is better.
Now let me say, not all drinks are made equal. Each barista makes the coffee a little different. If you frequent a coffee shop enough, you know which barista you want to make your drink and which ones you don’t. It is possible that I got a very good drink from Lucky Goat and an awful one from Starbucks, or vice versa. The only way to be totally certain would be to have multiple trials. If I’ve learned anything from my double major in psychology, it’s that a larger sample makes a more valid and reliable study. Unfortunately, your girl does not have the time or money for that right now. So, the only way you can really know which coffee is superior is to go out and try it for yourself!