13 Mistakes You Might Be Making At Dutch Bros

Whether you just found out about Dutch Bros or you have visited a couple of times, it doesn't hurt to find ways to maximize your experience. As regulars at the coffee chain, we have some wise tips to share based on the mistakes that we wish we had avoided early on. We will give you insight into the error, why our advice works, and how it will benefit you. If you're already spending a few bucks for a beverage, it doesn't hurt to make the moment (and drink) as good as possible.

You can consider this article your crash course on all things Dutch Bros. If you don't currently have a location next to you, that may be changing; Dutch Bros plans to open 175 stores in 2026 — so you may very well see one debuting near you in the next year. Keep these tips close for when that time comes.

There's limited space on the Dutch Bros drive-thru menu, meaning it's less overwhelming than ordering on the app. But even so, scrolling through the website or looking at the lengthy list of secret menu drinks may start to feel overwhelming. There are just so many things to choose from. Are you in the mood for a matcha, espresso, smoothie, or shake? Something else? Not to mention, it seems like there are endless choices when it comes to flavorings — pomegranate, strawberry, almond, you name it. 

Take a deep breath, think about flavor profiles you're in the mood for, and work with that. Chances are, Dutch Bros can make it or already has a drink like it. Don't get flustered by the gargantuan menu. If you're indecisive, looking at the plethora of options may not work in your favor. Instead, avoid the menu entirely and ask the Broista for recommendations or popular picks based on the flavor profile you want to go with. When in doubt, keep things simple and get something you know you like, such as an iced vanilla latte.

The Dutch Bros app is the best way to experience many of the things the brand has to offer. First of all, the app allows you to see more items, customizations, and prices than on the drive-thru menu and website. It's the best way to streamline your experience and limit the time you spend researching what you want to order. The app is beneficial to download because you can use the search feature to type in a drink, and then it'll pop up, allowing you to find all the information in one go.

It can be a minor blunder not to have the app handy for other reasons, too. For one, the app will show you deals and bonuses. For example, you can earn points for your order, but sometimes you get double points or potentially more (one time, we went during a 4x points day). This alone may entice you to come visit on a specific day to maximize your points. The brand also has in-app stickers you can collect, as well as occasional in-store sticker drops; the app will allow you to stay up to date on these.

This tip goes hand in hand with downloading the app, but deserves its own mention. Let's start with the basics: Once you download the app, you can start accruing points for your purchases. The points start to add up and potentially earn you rewards, such as a free medium drink or a free drink of your choice. These are both redeemable at different point values (250 points and 325 points, respectively). 

However, assuming your rewards are automatically added to your account is a mistake. If you order in person or in the drive-thru line, you have to physically scan your Dutch Pass or provide the associated phone number to accrue those points. If you simply pay with a credit card or cash while you're in line, it doesn't connect to your account, and, you guessed it, no points for you. It's also worth mentioning that points expire after 180 days. It's easy to lose points because of this, so be sure to do your accounting. 

If you are someone who tends to order something directly from the menu, then this tip may help you have the best experience at Dutch Bros. It's a mistake to get your drink exactly as it comes on the menu, especially if you're in the mood for something customized. Say that the Lavender Matcha Latte is calling your name, but you also like a bit of vanilla thrown into the mix. Just ask for vanilla syrup to be added to your latte. If you like extra cinnamon in your chai latte, you can add cinnamon flavoring, or maybe get some chocolate sauce mixed in for a cocoa-y boost. Have you ever wanted to try a vanilla, hazelnut, caramel latte? You can make it!

When you're in the mood for something refreshing and fruit-forward, then try a lemonade with one or more of the fruit flavorings: peach, grapefruit, watermelon, or passion fruit are just a couple of options. Mix and match as desired to create your own concoction. You can have a lot of fun at Dutch Bros because of the number of flavorings and options — you can get a peek at the huge lineup of syrups when you order in person at the kiosk.

We've had a lot of Dutch Bros drinks, and sometimes they can be a little sweet or not have enough espresso flavor. If you prefer a lower sugar content, you can (and should) customize your sipper. Most coffee drinks, lemonades, matchas, and more can be made half-sweet or quarter-sweet. You can easily customize that in the app or simply ask for it if you're ordering in person. Just note that half-sweet is the only option in the app, so you'll have to order in person or at the drive-thru to get the quarter-sweet option. This is particularly helpful if you want to taste the flavors of the drink, rather than just the sugar. But it goes the other way too; you can ask for your drink to be made extra sweet.

The same goes for espresso. If you like a strong coffee, then you may want to order additional espresso in your drink. For example, perhaps you want to try Dutch Bros' most popular beverage, the Golden Eagle, which is made with espresso, half-and-half, caramel, vanilla, and a caramel drizzle. The half-and-half's richness can sometimes detract from the espresso; if you like strong coffee, it may help to give your beverage an extra boost with another couple of shots.

If you still want a sweet drink but want to reduce the sugar content as a whole, don't make the mistake of thinking Dutch Bros can't accommodate you. It has plenty of low-sugar or sugar-free drinks that you may like. All the Dutch Faves coffee drinks, such as the Double Torture or 911, can be made completely sugar-free. The Cocomo, which is made with espresso, half-and-half, sugar-free coconut syrup, and sugar-free chocolate sauce, is beloved. The coconut, chocolate, and espresso make a fantastic combination.

Available sugar-free flavorings include white chocolate, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, chocolate macadamia nut, hazelnut, Irish cream, coconut, raspberry, peach, and strawberry. So you may want to ask the Broista what kind of creation can be made with those flavors if you need guidance. Try the sugar-free Double Rainbro Rebel with the no-sugar strawberry, peach, and coconut syrups or a Sparkling Soda with your choice of one or more of the sugar-free syrups. Places like Starbucks have sugar-free options, but the actual flavorings are very limited, making Dutch Bros a must-visit if you're after a wider variety of sugar-free drinks.

Dutch Bros is known for having long lines, although if a town has more than one location, the lines tend to be more manageable. However, that doesn't stop those busy moments or rush hour from happening. Sometimes you don't have 20 minutes to spare, idling in a line of cars, placing your order, and then waiting for the beverage to be made. Plus, you never know if someone has an enormous order with 15 drinks for their whole office, which can make the wait even longer. 

If you are able to plan in advance, it's extremely helpful to use your app to check if your local store has the order-ahead feature. If it does have order-ahead, you can place your order and then pick it up, much like you would at Starbucks or Dunkin'. In this case, you should customize it to note that you'll pick it up at the kiosk rather than in line. It'll give you a time frame of when it'll be ready, so you can park your car, head to the kiosk, and let them know you're there. Easy breezy! Don't make the error of waiting in long lines when you don't have to.

Let's say that this tip was learned from our own snafu. We had a 20-minute drive and didn't want our iced beverage to turn into a watery mess, so we thought light ice might be the way to go. Instead, we found that the ice completely melted, altering the flavor of the drink — and yes, therefore, transforming it into a watered-down coffee we were trying to avoid. Alternatively, when we ordered the regularly made drink with the standard amount of ice for a similar 20-minute commute, it not only stayed incredibly icy, but didn't change the flavor. 

Think about it: There's a typical amount of ice that works proportionally to the drink — whether you get a small, medium, or large. So, asking for light ice to "get more" doesn't always work or result in a tasty drink; plus, it seems like the hack of ordering light ice to get more beverage can really range based on who is making your drink. Some baristas even say that light ice in drinks is gross because it can also change the overall temperature of your beverage, making it less pleasant to drink.

One of the easiest mistakes to rectify is not testing out your beverage before you leave the Dutch Bros parking lot. It may seem simple, but plenty of unpleasant drinks can be avoided if you give it a taste ASAP. Orders are usually made correctly, though there are some moments where the beverage didn't taste up to par – whether something seemed missing, such as espresso or one of the flavor profiles, or perhaps the staff used a different milk than requested.

You don't want to finally take a gulp 10 minutes into your drive to work, only to find out that the drink was made incorrectly. By then, it's too late to turn back or get it fixed without doubling your drive time. Taking a little sippy sip is a tiny step that can ensure you have your best experience possible when you're spending several dollars for a drink. Most of the time, your drink will be made well, but it's extremely helpful in that one instance where it isn't.

Dutch Bros is known for its coffee. The word is part of its logo, after all: Dutch Bros Coffee. When you browse the menu, the entire Dutch Faves section is all coffee drinks, so you know that those are the most popular. But assuming that this coffee chain only does coffee would be a big mistake, and it would mean missing out on its diverse menu. 

Snag a Rebel, its signature energy drink line. They're perfect for when you still want that caffeine kick, but in another form other than espresso. There are 69 Rebel menu items alone, including the Trixie (almond, orange, and pomegranate) and the Shark Attack (blue raspberry, coconut, lime, then a bit of pomegranate on top). After our Tasting Table writer sipped their way through a selection of matcha green tea drinks from Dutch Bros, they really loved the Passion Fruit Matcha Lemonade as well as the Peach Matcha Lemonade, placing them as their first and second picks, respectively. For something frozen and blended, the Vanilla Shake is the best shake that our writer tried. Needless to say, you can find plenty of appealing non-espresso-based drinks.

One thing we've realized from ordering dozens of Dutch Bros drinks is that size matters. Let's say that you typically order medium beverages because they hit that sweet spot between the small and large sizes; however, they don't always yield a strong or tasty result. Why is that, you might ask? A large espresso-based sipper will typically have four shots, while a medium and a small both have two shots. 

Medium coffee drinks, both iced and hot, tend to be milky and not as strong. Those who like a milky drink can leave the drink as is. But if you prefer the strength of the espresso in your drink, you may want to order a small size to keep the milk content lower — or pay for one or two shots of espresso to a medium drink. After all, a small iced drink is 16 ounces, and a medium is 24 ounces, and most of that difference is milk and ice. Not adding extra shots to a medium isn't a make-or-break mistake, but it can be the difference between an underwhelming coffee drink and a tasty one.

Some of the beverage monikers can be confusing. Ordering based on a name, rather than asking what's in something like an Annihilator or Double Rainbro Rebel, can be a mistake. Sure, the name may imply something, but it doesn't reveal much. Unlike other coffee chains, like Starbucks, many of Dutch Bros' drinks have whimsical names: Tiger's Blood Lemonade (strawberry and coconut with lemonade) or Kicker (espresso, half-and-half, Irish cream syrup). It helps to do some digging to find out what something is before ordering it to ensure that you'll like it.

The same goes for ordering seasonal drinks. You might see a flashy drink pictured on the menu and want to order it, but you should double-check the description (if it has one or you can see from where you're located) or ask what the flavor profile is before ordering it. For example, the winter holiday Mistletoe Rebel has a beautiful and colorful presentation, but you wouldn't know based on the name alone that it has raspberry and pomegranate flavoring.

A lot of consumers have been trained to think that any type of customization to a beverage comes at a cost. And that's partly true at Dutch Bros. Things like added shots of espresso, soft tops, sweet cream, and drizzles come with a fee, but a lot of other customizations don't. Skipping out on these free customizations because you think they'd raise the price to obscene levels is a mistake. Except for protein milk's upcharge, you can switch the milk on any of your drinks at no extra fee. Go ahead and get that latte with oat, almond, or coconut milk.

Other free customizations include sprinks, aka sprinkles — like birthday, sugar, or cinnamon. But seasonal sprinks, like the candy cane ones, come with an upcharge. The best way to view the free customization options is in the app. Using it ensures that you won't end up with a beverage that's more than you budgeted for.