Dutch Bros Coffee

Drive-through coffee chain provides countless syrup options for a large variety of drinks at cheap prices

feinated options, but Dutch Bros’ unique customer service seems tailor-made to wake people up.

This is because their “bro-istas”(as they call them) are extremely peppy. Both times I’ve gone, they have had someone with an iPad walking ahead of the drive-through window taking orders, and their menu is so large that the most efficient way to get recommendations is to just ask. They are happy to tell you anything and everything about their menu, with a near excessive amount of small talk along the way. I enjoyed the conversation well enough, but if you hate social interaction with all your heart, perhaps Dutch Bros is to be avoided.

This is not to say that the drive-through experience is bad. On the contrary, even though there’s a lot of small talk at order time, the time to make drinks feels nearinstant. I don’t think I had to wait more than two or three minutes once I actually ordered. The drinks themselves are also high quality, easily better than Starbucks but perhaps worse than a dedicated local shop. I tried two drinks: a caramel vanilla coffee slush with the Golden Eagle blend and an iced Rebel, the Dutch Bros in-house energy drink with numerous customizable flavor options. All drinks have the option to come in a slush form, called “blended,” which seems to enhance the sweetness of the drink more than anything else. For normal coffee options, though, a medium coffee drink (iced or hot) is between four and five dollars and is larger than a Starbucks’ grande.

There’s almost too much variety. Between the blended option and energy drink customizations (mine was blackberry, blue raspberry and pomegranate), any potential caffeine intake from Dutch Bros can be tailored to a tee. Cold brew? They have it. Want a sweeter milk cap? You got it. Lactose intolerant? They’ve got coconut, almond and oat milk. They

Comet Comments

What is your favorite show at the moment?

“My favorite show at the moment is '30 Rock.' I first got introduced to the show because Donald Glover AKA Childish Gambino is a writer on the show, so I was like ‘alright let’s see if this is funny,’ and it is actually very funny.”

-Daniel Zargron, junior, global business have a secret menu (which is a bit pointless since it’s hard to see the full menu in the first place) with countless flavors. If you want to customize a drink perfectly and quickly, there are more than enough choices available.

If you’re looking for a quick drivethrough fix, I can’t think of a better option than the Dutch Bros near UTD. The Starbucks drive-through is a nightmare, and everywhere else that’s nearby requires a walk-in. Competitive prices, near limitless drink options and a bubbly, surfer bro, happy-go-lucky customer service attitude make Dutch Bros Coffee a fast and energizing spot to get your fix.

“One of my favorites is a Korean drama called 'Crash Landing on You'. I started watching [Korean Dramas] and I just got addicted because of the romance and everything, they take it slow.”

-Prisha Gupta, freshman, computer science

Lights, Camera, Play!

Will the real 'Halo' Master Chief please stand up?

Mercury Staff

Controversy and division among both critics and fans alike have turned Paramount Picture’s “Halo” series into a battlefield not even Master Chief might be able to win. But as much as I might be disappointed with it, there’s still potential to turn it around. With “Halo” greenlit for a second season, Paramount needs to take a step back and rework the series. Right now, it’s not where it should be; they will need to work overtime to turn this into the series it deserves to be and utilize its bright potential. It might have Master Chief, Cortana, and the title itself, but this isn’t yet “Halo.”

The first season of “Halo” is filled with stiff acting, shallow characters, contrived plotlines and laughably-bad CGI aliens. It just feels like a bloodier repeat of “The Mandalorian,” except the characters are bland and the archetypes are overdone. Had it come out at its initial date in 2015, this would have been a game-changer, but in the golden age of sci-fi and streaming, “Halo” only stands out because of its name. The show’s saving grace is that its costumes are unrivaled, the settings are masterfully convincing and the action puts a lot of Hollywood films to shame.

Still, the greatest sin of this adaptation is failing to capture the very essence of “Halo.” Divided fans are arguing how this modern take has changed the original game’s formula.

Master Chief removes his helmet in the first episode and rarely dons it again, many lore contradictions and inaccuracies are present, and the focus is on Master Chief becoming a political traitor and on his role as a Spartan instead of the faceless hero exploring mystery and developing who he is. There are six “Halo” games and 30 novels all about who Master Chief is; attempting to retell it for a new audience is great on paper, but the show’s lacking execution feels like a betrayal to that source material.

It can be argued that, perhaps, this series isn’t trying to impede on the memory of Master Chief and is making something new, as the story isn’t canon to the source material. Even then, though, the spirit that defines the world falls short in the current medium. The humor, patriotism and corniness the game partly became famous for are all gone in favor of a cynical realism that attempts to give commentary on the military industrial complex, which might be more appealing to the general audience, but is still missing what made “Halo” itself.

With the confirmation of a second season

SEE HALO, PAGE 8