I Tried Dunkin's Avocado Toast and Here's What I Really Thought

The sign on the Dunkin' shop near my apartment screamed out Avocado Toast, and I couldn't have been more excited. This tiny little cheerful oasis next to the subway station on 77th and Lexington is nearby my normal commute, but for years, ever since eating plant-based, I've had to steel myself to pass by, undeterred by the temptation of the donuts, everything bagels, and muffins that lay on the racks inside. None of them were plant-based unless I brought my own Tofutti plant-based cream cheese and smeared it on a bagel, or had it dry. But now, with Dunkin' adding avocado toast to its menu, there was finally something for me.

Watch the video of this recent trip inside for my first taste of their avocado toast. (It won't be my last.)

Growing up, DD (as I used to know it), was always a favorite destination, and my mom would take us there on special occasions for their jelly donuts, or glazed donuts (her favorite), and of course their coffees. I supported my own daughter's West Side Soccer team's halftime and post-game snacks with orange slices and a white box of donuts, a box of coffee for the parents, during the time in my life when I still ate dairy (and coached soccer!).

For the past two years, DD has been off-limits, until now. Yes, they had introduced the Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich but honestly, by the time I removed the egg and cheese (not plant-based), there wasn't much left to it, and I'm no fan of real sausages, so I felt no need to go out of my way to replace a food I thought disgusting with a product that mimicked a taste I didn't like. On a positive note, the chain has added Oat Milk Lattes nationwide, so it's feeling more like a place I can go and enjoy a fully plant-based breakfast.

Now, avocado toast beckoning me from the street, I could go back in again and order something that I could actually eat, enjoy and feel good about.

@Dunkin

The Avocado Toast which just dropped a few days ago is made of pure avocado spread (ingredients are avocados, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper) so that's a promising start. I watched the worker toast the sourdough bread, spread the avocado on it, and then sprinkle the top with Everything Bagel Seasoning. Now perhaps I am biased, but so far, these ingredients get a 10 out of 10. Who knew there was such a thing as Everything Bagel Seasoning? I would have ordered that and told them to hold the bagel. I love the mix of sesame and poppy seeds, onion flakes, and sea salt. It's pretty magical, so the avo-toast had an advantage right out of the gate.

Not to be COVID-selfish, I wanted to make room for others to enter the tiny store and took my little baby box of toast outside of the store, opened it, and ate it right there standing by the window. People heading to the subway on the crowded Lexington Avenue sidewalk passed by and looked, practically sniffing it as I took a bite ... and ... drumroll. It was GOOD. Better than good. It was great.

I vowed to take home the half of the slice that I didn't eat on camera, but my tastebuds got the better of me, and four quick bites later that avo-toast was history. Put it this way: If you make your own you might toast the bread a little stiffer, and perhaps they would do that for you if you asked them for well-done toast. But other than that, this thing gets a 10 out of 10.

You will see me back there at DD. I'll be the one asking if they could run that toast through the toaster one more time to make it well done, and please add a little extra Everything Bagel Seasoning while they're at it.

For more on vegan options on the go, check out these stories:

A Guide to Vegan and Plant-Based Options at Starbucks

The 6 Best Fast Food Chains With Plant-Based Options

Dunkin Releases Meatless Sandwich Made With Beyond Meat