Fall-flavor-inspired coffee drinks have become so popular over the past two decades, with many thirsty consumers seeing Starbucks as the go-to. The Seattle-based coffee chain’s fall menu has pioneered the pumpkin craze that can now be found at most any cafe during the fall season. 

Their popular coffee drink combines espresso, milk and the staple fall flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte was first introduced in stores in 2003, and since then many other coffee shops have sold their own versions. 

I tried a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks for this review. The Grande size goes for $5.95. After taking the first sip, I had to stop. The drink was so sickeningly sweet that I could not finish the rest. Not only was the drink too sweet, but I found the pumpkin flavor to be very faint. While it does feel like fall, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a pretty serious sweet tooth. 

With a price tag of nearly $6, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is definitely overhyped. Seems I’m not alone in that opinion: Sophomore Andrew Salinas said that he gets most of his fall drinks at Starbucks, but he hasn’t tried their Pumpkin Spice Latte. “I’ve heard a lot of hype about it, but just never got to it…Pumpkin Spice does sound overhyped,” said Salinas.

One of Starbucks’ competitors, Dunkin’, similarly has a fall drink menu selection including the Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte and the Nutty Pumpkin Coffee.

On Dunkin’ Newsroom, a page on the company’s own website, Chief Marketing Officer Jill McVicar said, “Every year, we can practically feel the buzz around our pumpkin lineup. It’s truly amazing to see our fans light up for this cherished flavor. Catching their excitement both on social media and in our restaurants underscores how much Dunkin’ and the fall season go hand in hand.”

A Medium Nutty Pumpkin Coffee at Dunkin’ goes for $2.89, less than half the price of the Starbucks original. I found this drink to be much more…drinkable. The coffee was less sweet, with a good hazelnut flavor that was balanced out by the pumpkin. While the coffee flavor was buried by the sweetness in the Starbucks version, I could actually taste the coffee in the Dunkin’ drink.

In my opinion, the Dunkin’ version outperformed Starbucks. 

The third stop on my fall flavors tour was Wheelys Coffee Lounge, an independent coffee shop which opened in downtown LaGrange in 2019. They also offer a wide variety of fall drinks. Owner Adam AbuHamdan began by selling two fall-inspired flavors, but in the past 4 years has expanded to eight. 

AbuHamdan said, “I’m sure pumpkin spice is the drink that some people who wouldn’t go to Starbucks or any other place, go and buy at this time.” With seasonal drinks often going viral on social media, an increasing amount of customers make their way in to try these popular drinks. 

Even regular customers like to switch their orders, said AbuHamdan, with most going from their typical order to a seasonal drink like Wheelys Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte. After trying their pumpkin flavored Chai Latte, I can confidently say that it is worth the hype. 

The Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte is a popular option at Wheelys during the fall season and for good reason. The drink has a perfect balance of sweetness and spice, and can be customized to hot or iced. I tried the iced version, I’m sure the hot version is just as great, especially on a crisp fall day. 

Of all the drinks I tried, the Wheelys drink was