Falling for Pumpkin Spice

It’s that time of year. The stereotypical fall flavors are back. Autumn is filled with pumpkin carving and Thanksgiving pumpkin pie so I went around to some of the most popular food chains in America in addition to local eateries and tried their fall treats to help you know what treats to get this season.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

2/5 Pumpkins

The most popular fall coffee, the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, wasn’t what I expected. I had very high hopes for this drink but the appearance wasn’t appetizing and the taste was equally as bad. The drink was more spice than pumpkin but had a slight pumpkin after taste. The flavor was overpowered by coffee and was more bitter than sweet. The coffee was not horrible and if you like a very strong coffee then you might like it more than me. I personally am not a huge coffee fan so the drink wasn’t a taste I was fond of. I drink coffee on occasion but would not drink this. Coffee lovers might have a different appreciation than I do but to me it wasn’t very enjoyable. Even the service was bad; the workers were not very friendly and it took a while to get my drink. It was rather busy but was still very slow. In the end, I will probably not get Pumpkin Spice Latte the next time I’m at Starbucks. If you’re looking for an enjoyable fall drink this is not the place to go.

Pumpkin Spice Shake

5/5 Pumpkins

Iwas pleasantly surprised when I took a drink of the Pumpkin Spice Shake. I didn’t even think of Jack in the Box for a treat like this but it is by far one of my favorite shakes. The shake was colorfully swirled with orange and white coloring and came with a cherry on top. Although the shake was messy on the lid, it was overlooked by the delicious taste. It had just the right amount of thickness and was very creamy. It was the perfect balance of pumpkin and spice that made it a great fall treat. The shake was very sweet unlike the bitter latte. If you are not into super sweet shakes than you might not enjoy it as much as me. The service was quick and the workers were nice. The overall experience was very good and it was a very pleasant trip. This was one of my favorites to test and will definitely go back to get another before the end of the season.

Pumpkin Spice Pancake

2.5 /5 Pumpkins

When I first received the IHOP Pumpkin Spice Pancake, I was already not excited to eat it. The pancake looked very lumpy and dry. I ate it soon after it was served to me and it was only slightly warm; I was not surprised when I discovered it was undercooked. The middle was still very soggy which was disappointing because it tasted really good. The flavoring of the pumpkin spice was not something I was used to. It was very herby but still had a pumpkin taste. Although the pumpkin came after the spice taste it was still flavorful. It would have been a whole lot better if there was more effort put into the presentation and if it was cooked all the way through. The service was a lot better than normal and our waitress was very nice. I think I would come back and give them another try and hope that it’s cooked better than this one.

Pumpkin Spice Donut

3/5  Pumpkins

Getting the Pumpkin Spice Donut from Dunkin Donuts was more difficult than it seems. I went two different times and they didn’t have it. Finally, after the third time I received the last one they had that day. The very orange donut looked very appealing and I was excited to try it. The donut looked a lot like their chocolate glazed donut but had a very different taste. It had a very good cinnamon aftertaste and was overall very pumpkiny. It wasn’t overly sweet but you could really taste the pumpkin spice. The glaze was wet but the donut was dry and was slightly crispy. This could be because it was a cake donut, but it was definitely drier than normal. If you went early in the morning you would probably get a fresher version of it. The service was very quick and the lady taking my order pleasantly energetic and friendly. I personally thought the donut was delightful and enjoyed trying it. I would definitely recommend going in the morning to make sure you get one and to get it fresh.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake
4/5 Pumpkins

I was surprised when I stumbled upon the Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake at the quaint little bakery called Park Street Pastry. When I saw it in the display case, I knew I had to try it. Every time I’ve been to Park Street Pastry I’ve never been disappointed so I knew it had to be good. The service is always good, the workers are nice and the bakery has a cozy atmosphere. The first thing I noticed when taking a bite was the rich soft cream cheese and creamy buttercream frosting. It was definitely freshly made because the cake was still soft and wet. It was probably one of the best cheesecakes I’ve had but was let down because there was barely any pumpkin spice taste. It was flavorful in nutmeg but there was only a hint of pumpkin spice. I wouldn’t consider this a fall treat because it tasted like normal cheesecake with a hint of spice. Other than the unnoticeable taste of pumpkin spice the treat was very tasty.