I got the same breakfast at Tim Hortons in Canada and Dunkin' in the US to see how they stack up

Sophie-Claire HoellerJun 30, 2020, 02:07 IST

Insider

Canada's Tim Hortons is often compared to Dunkin'.
To see how the two compare, I tried the same breakfast items at both during a trip in January: a hot black coffee, an iced coffee with milk, an English muffin breakfast sandwich, and hash browns.
I preferred the food at Tim Hortons, though I found the coffee was similar at both.
I found breakfast at Tim Hortons was cheaper than Dunkin'.

If America runs on Dunkin', Canada runs on Tim Hortons.

Much like Dunkin', Tim Hortons is a casual, counter-service spot for coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries that can be found on almost every corner in Canada — with almost 5,000 locations, it's Canada's largest restaurant chain and claims to serve almost eight of every 10 cups of coffee sold in the country.

On a trip to Quebec City back in January, I had to see for myself why Timmy's (as it's affectionately called by Canadians) is so synonymous with Canada — as well as how it stacks up to its US counterpart.

In terms of décor, I found Tim Hortons and Dunkin' to be incredibly similar.

A Tim Hortons in Quebec City, Canada. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

I ordered an iced coffee with milk, black hot coffee, English muffin breakfast sandwich, and hash brown at each.

I ordered a hot black coffee, an English muffin egg, cheese and ham/bacon sandwich, and hash browns. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Tim Hortons' iced coffee was absolutely delicious, but not at all what I expected. It was incredibly sweet and tasted more like a Frappuccino than a regular iced coffee.

The iced coffee at Tim Hortons was very sweet. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Tim Hortons' iced coffee was absolutely delicious, but not at all what I expected. It was incredibly sweet and tasted more like a Frappuccino than a regular iced coffee.

The hot coffee at Tim Hortons was super hot when it came out. Once it cooled, it was easy to drink: not too strong, smooth, maybe a touch watery. A solid cup, but nothing to write home about.

The coffee came out piping hot. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

The hot coffee at Tim Hortons was super hot when it came out. Once it cooled, it was easy to drink: not too strong, smooth, maybe a touch watery. A solid cup, but nothing to write home about.

The hash brown was good: crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.

The hash brown was nice and crispy. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

The English muffin with egg, cheese, and bacon did not have a lot of meat, unfortunately, but it was still good on the whole.

The muffin was toasted perfectly. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

The iced coffee at Dunkin' was a lot more like the iced coffee I am used to: slightly bitter, but unobtrusive enough to be easy to drink.

I ordered my iced coffee with a splash of whole milk. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

I found the regular coffee at Dunkin' was very similar to that at Tim Hortons. It was mild, smooth, and unremarkable — but in a good way.

The coffee was mild enough for me to drink without milk. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Instead of the single hash brown I was expecting, my Dunkin' order came with six little ones. While less crispy than the hash brown at Tim Hortons, these were better seasoned, in my opinion.

At Dunkin', you get six mini hash browns. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Instead of the single hash brown I was expecting, my Dunkin' order came with six little ones. While less crispy than the hash brown at Tim Hortons, these were better seasoned, in my opinion.

I got a ham, egg, and cheese English muffin breakfast sandwich at Dunkin', as the fast-food chain doesn't have a bacon version on its menu. While the egg was really good, the bread was way too squishy for my liking.

There was a generous portion of ham, though the cheese looked dubious to me. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

I got a ham, egg, and cheese English muffin breakfast sandwich at Dunkin', as the fast-food chain doesn't have a bacon version on its menu. While the egg was really good, the bread was way too squishy for my liking.

Overall, I found the food at Tim Hortons had a slight edge over Dunkin'. It just felt a little fresher and more natural to me, while the muffin and cheese, in particular, stood out as better.

The soggy bread at Dunkin' lost points for me. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Overall, I found the food at Tim Hortons had a slight edge over Dunkin'. It just felt a little fresher and more natural to me, while the muffin and cheese, in particular, stood out as better.

As for the coffee, it's a tie. Both chains offer a solid and easily drinkable, if unremarkable, cup.

Both Tim Hortons and Dunkin' have good coffee. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

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I got the same breakfast at Tim Hortons in Canada and Dunkin' in the US to see how they stack up

In terms of décor, I found Tim Hortons and Dunkin' to be incredibly similar.

I ordered an iced coffee with milk, black hot coffee, English muffin breakfast sandwich, and hash brown at each.

Tim Hortons' iced coffee was absolutely delicious, but not at all what I expected. It was incredibly sweet and tasted more like a Frappuccino than a regular iced coffee.

The hot coffee at Tim Hortons was super hot when it came out. Once it cooled, it was easy to drink: not too strong, smooth, maybe a touch watery. A solid cup, but nothing to write home about.

The hash brown was good: crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.

The English muffin with egg, cheese, and bacon did not have a lot of meat, unfortunately, but it was still good on the whole.

The iced coffee at Dunkin' was a lot more like the iced coffee I am used to: slightly bitter, but unobtrusive enough to be easy to drink.

I found the regular coffee at Dunkin' was very similar to that at Tim Hortons. It was mild, smooth, and unremarkable — but in a good way.

Instead of the single hash brown I was expecting, my Dunkin' order came with six little ones. While less crispy than the hash brown at Tim Hortons, these were better seasoned, in my opinion.

I got a ham, egg, and cheese English muffin breakfast sandwich at Dunkin', as the fast-food chain doesn't have a bacon version on its menu. While the egg was really good, the bread was way too squishy for my liking.

Overall, I found the food at Tim Hortons had a slight edge over Dunkin'. It just felt a little fresher and more natural to me, while the muffin and cheese, in particular, stood out as better.

As for the coffee, it's a tie. Both chains offer a solid and easily drinkable, if unremarkable, cup.