As I sit here pretending to be a scriptwriter at a budget Starbucks Tim Hortons, feeling slightly out of place, I write this review.
This will be an attempt at a new series on my blog, since I've been dry with ideas since returning to Canada.
Tim Hortons is a Canadian classic coffee shop turned fast food restaurant while still retaining its coffeeshop status. Apparently, it used to be excellent until they changed coffee beans, but that was before my coffee drinking days so I and most people around my age probably feel the same (we don't feel anything about the changed beans). It also used to be cheap, but since high-status coffee shops like the aforementioned Starbucks and Second Cup somehow get away with charging 10$ for a drink, the friendly neighborhood Canadian brand jacks prices to compete. At least it still has its loyal customers.
Fun fact, the first Tim's restaurant was in my hometown of Hamilton!
It's also the usual go-to spot for a quick bathroom break on a roady.
As far as the coffee, they offer a lot of options, pretty much what you'd expect. Their food is decent as well, just pricey if you get anything other than a bagel.
Bagels are incredible here though. But come on, 6 or 7 bucks for a grilled cheese sandwich? I can get a whole bacon cheeseburger at Mcdonald's for less than $3.
I'm not sure how it is in other cities, but Hamilton pretty much has a Timmies on every corner of every street. I can buy a medium coffee, walk in any direction until I finish that coffee, and arrive at another Tims to get a second coffee.
Tim Hortons has also adopted a few nicknames, let me try to get them all here:
Tims, Timmies, Hortons.. also synonymous with: "I'm getting coffees", "want to pick you up a coffee?", and pretty much anytime anyone does a coffee run for a group of people.
Before the invasion of high-class coffee, Tim Hortons was a Canadian past time. And still is for budget-conscious coffee lovers. Need to meet a new person? First Date? Second, third, sixth date? Business meeting? Not dating a rich snob? Go to Tims.
Dating a rich snob? Starbucks will take your RRSP contribution for that month.
Speaking of Starbucks, Tims has tried to adopt some similar, fancy-pants drinks as of late. You will get a blank stare back at you if you order a triple mocha fat free no cream low-fat whip iced mochafrap.. or whatever, at Tims.. but you can get some flavored lattes and deluxe ice caps, etc. Generally, ordering a drink here doesn't make me hate you. Yet.
Timmies is still a great place, despite their aggressive air conditioning strategy in late September. Seriously, my fingers are so cold I am struggling to type this. But if you want a simple coffee and donut, or bagel and cream cheese, or anything a normal person would want to order from a coffee shop, I still think Tims is an excellent choice.
On my arbitrary fast food restaurant review scale, I give it a solid "meh, still pretty great" which numerically translates to about a 7 out of 10.
Let me know what you think of this review, and where you'd like to see reviewed next!
Thanks for reading and see you at a Tims, probably.
J
This will be an attempt at a new series on my blog, since I've been dry with ideas since returning to Canada.
Tim Hortons is a Canadian classic coffee shop turned fast food restaurant while still retaining its coffeeshop status. Apparently, it used to be excellent until they changed coffee beans, but that was before my coffee drinking days so I and most people around my age probably feel the same (we don't feel anything about the changed beans). It also used to be cheap, but since high-status coffee shops like the aforementioned Starbucks and Second Cup somehow get away with charging 10$ for a drink, the friendly neighborhood Canadian brand jacks prices to compete. At least it still has its loyal customers.
Fun fact, the first Tim's restaurant was in my hometown of Hamilton!
It's also the usual go-to spot for a quick bathroom break on a roady.
As far as the coffee, they offer a lot of options, pretty much what you'd expect. Their food is decent as well, just pricey if you get anything other than a bagel.
Bagels are incredible here though. But come on, 6 or 7 bucks for a grilled cheese sandwich? I can get a whole bacon cheeseburger at Mcdonald's for less than $3.
I'm not sure how it is in other cities, but Hamilton pretty much has a Timmies on every corner of every street. I can buy a medium coffee, walk in any direction until I finish that coffee, and arrive at another Tims to get a second coffee.
Tim Hortons has also adopted a few nicknames, let me try to get them all here:
Tims, Timmies, Hortons.. also synonymous with: "I'm getting coffees", "want to pick you up a coffee?", and pretty much anytime anyone does a coffee run for a group of people.
Before the invasion of high-class coffee, Tim Hortons was a Canadian past time. And still is for budget-conscious coffee lovers. Need to meet a new person? First Date? Second, third, sixth date? Business meeting? Not dating a rich snob? Go to Tims.
Dating a rich snob? Starbucks will take your RRSP contribution for that month.
Speaking of Starbucks, Tims has tried to adopt some similar, fancy-pants drinks as of late. You will get a blank stare back at you if you order a triple mocha fat free no cream low-fat whip iced mochafrap.. or whatever, at Tims.. but you can get some flavored lattes and deluxe ice caps, etc. Generally, ordering a drink here doesn't make me hate you. Yet.
Timmies is still a great place, despite their aggressive air conditioning strategy in late September. Seriously, my fingers are so cold I am struggling to type this. But if you want a simple coffee and donut, or bagel and cream cheese, or anything a normal person would want to order from a coffee shop, I still think Tims is an excellent choice.
On my arbitrary fast food restaurant review scale, I give it a solid "meh, still pretty great" which numerically translates to about a 7 out of 10.
Let me know what you think of this review, and where you'd like to see reviewed next!
Thanks for reading and see you at a Tims, probably.
J
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