Nestled on the corner of 9th Avenue and 15th Street lies a Starbucks. Just not your average one. Starbucks Roastery Reserve is a high-caliber version of the popular coffee joint with several floors, restaurants and a variety of blends and beans to choose from. I spent the day trying different items off the many menus the store had to offer, so you’ll know what to and what not to try when you go.
On a rainy day, a hot chocolate is a perfect way to cope with the cold. It ranges a little pricier than a typical cocoa would at your average Starbucks, but they serve it in a special black mug on a wooden tray. If you have the time to sit and enjoy it, I definitely would. Personally, I would’ve taken less whipped cream on the drink since it made it hard to drink without making a mess or spilling.
Ranking: 8/10
If you would have told me that Starbucks sold not one, but several different varieties of pizzas, I likely would have laughed and not believed it. It’s true and they do. It’s delicious. I opted for a simple cheese, just to start off with. They cut it into six tiny squares, so the eating is much more manageable. The dough was really light and fluffy, which sometimes doesn’t always work with pizzas, but in the Roastery’s benefit, it made it taste ten times better. The sauce was probably my favorite part of the flavors, but then again, I’m a big sauce person.
Ranking: 9.5/10 (bonus .5 points for a coffee joint making actually tasty pizza)
Dessert time! Who doesn’t love a cannoli? I usually do. The presentation of this one is what drew me to pick it from Starbucks’s dessert bar. Yet, looks were somewhat deceiving. The candy orange strips they placed on each end of the cannoli did not fit at all tastewise. If you order this, I recommend removing them before you take the first bite. Trust me, you’ll regret it. I did enjoy that they had chocolate chips throughout the entirety of the cannoli, rather than just at the open ends like most places usually do. The bottom of it did get a little soft because of the ricotta. I didn’t really mind, but it did play a role in my ranking of the dessert.
Ranking: 6/10