6 Starbucks Canada Exclusive Menu Items To Try And 6 To Skip

One of my first introductions to coffee was Starbucks. Beyond the freshly ground beans my mother brewed every morning when I was dipping a toe into caffeinated waters, I also relied on its sugar-laden drinks to get me through the years — because nothing feels as sophisticated as being a preteen and sipping something caffeinated with the green mermaid stamped on the cup. 

Being in Canada, I have the opportunity to enjoy plenty of Starbucks options that may not be available to those living in the U.S. As such, I've taken it as my responsibility to taste, review, and educate those who might find themselves at a Starbucks Canada location in the near future and need to know what's worth spending your money on, and what's best left off your order.

The Starbucks Canada items I selected were only available on its Canadian website — not the American one — and included everything from drinks and breakfast items to a few sweet treats. Some were bonafide hits, and others didn't quite reach the standards that had been set for them. Whether you're just visiting or happen to live here, you can be sure that these are the Starbucks Canada items you'll want to try — as well as those you're better off skipping.

So humble. So simple. To look at this Oat Bar in the pastry case of your local Starbucks Canada location is to totally ignore it. But like the girl who takes off her glasses and shows how beautiful she really is in a classic '90s teen movie, this Oat Bar has absolutely got it going on.

First off: the texture. I initially thought that this baked good was going to be stiff, dry, and crumbly, sort of like those Nature Valley bars that burst into crumbs at the slightest touch. Instead, it was more like the soft-baked Nature Valley bars (one of the better oatmeal breakfast bars another Tasting Table writer tried). This bar was downright delicious, and perhaps all the more so because I didn't expect it to hit as well as it did.

It's made with ingredients like Canadian oats, brown sugar, and real butter, and there's something so simple about this treat. It was sweet, certainly (thanks to the brown sugar and corn syrup), but not too sweet (despite containing 10 grams of sugar). This bar was homey, hearty, and something you could make in your own kitchen in a pretty short amount of time. If you want something that satisfies and isn't too saccharine, this is definitely a Starbucks Canada item to try.

These are absolutely adorable and ideal for snacking on the go. If you're a fan of a bagel and schmear, you might think that these are an easy, portable alternative. Rather than having all that luscious cream cheese slathered on top of a sliced bagel, Starbucks Canada decided instead to inject the cream cheese directly into a ball made of bagel bread. While the concept was great, the actual execution of these Mini Dill and Rye Bagels left much to be desired.

While I personally found an adequate amount of dill in the cream cheese, I couldn't detect any of the lemon that was promised in the description on the Starbucks website. Two of the other tasters lamented that there wasn't enough dill, either (although both are admitted dill fiends, so take that with a grain of salt). The bagel bites themselves were also too chewy, without that tangy earthiness I associate with rye bread. One taster who has sampled the everything version of these bagel bites stated that they are a better version of this concept, and for that reason, I have to label this cute snack a regrettable skip.

When the temperatures are climbing, I want this Cool Lime Lemonade Refresher in my hand. When I bought this drink, I didn't know that there was mint in it, but that fresh, herby essence was apparent the moment I took a sip. This drink is indeed refreshing, with a nice punch of lemon that doesn't skew too tart.

My fellow tasters and I did find that the lemonade stole some of the spotlight from the lime, but I wasn't mad about it. Instead of lime playing a starring role, it was more of a supporting character, but that just made this whole drink an ensemble affair: the lemon, lime, and mint all had their part to play.

This is another simple drink that you could easily make yourself at home, but who has time for that? If you're in need of something thirst-quenching and, well, refreshing, this Cool Lime Lemonade Refresher is the one to try. If you wanted to gussy it up a little and make it alcoholic, I also think it would pair beautifully with a white rum for a lazy mojito.

The previously mentioned Cool Lime Lemonade Refresher had a trio of flavors working for it: lemon, lime, and mint. This Cool Lime Refresher is lacking in two of those three, rendering it incredibly ho-hum. There is no lemon or mint — only lime, sweetness, and water. Sure, it's refreshing enough, especially when sampled on an afternoon in July, and it's sweeter than the Cool Lime Lemonade Refresher, because there's no lemonade to temper it.

But this drink is so boring. It's completely inoffensive as far as Starbucks drinks go, and that in and of itself is offensive. The taste almost evaporated the moment I swallowed, and it left no aftertaste or anything worth reflecting on. More lime was needed, more zip, more something. Instead, it was the equivalent of spa water, except I had to pay for it. Mint or cucumber would help to wake up this drink and give it a little more oomph. As it is, I can't in good conscience recommend that you pay for something so dull, especially when you can probably make your own version at home for a whole lot less.

Who said waffles are just a breakfast food? Starbucks Canada begs that you reconsider them as a sweet pick-me-up or simple dessert. While there are many different kinds of waffles, Starbucks chose a Liège waffle here.

The yeasted waffle is fluffy on the inside yet crispy on the outside, with a beautiful caramelized sweetness courtesy of the invert sugar and pearl sugar. Its crunch gives way to a soft interior. Even after I came back to this waffle when it was cold, it still maintained that ideal texture. Rather than being dry or tasting flabby in the mouth, this Belgian Liège Waffle was moist and just sweet enough.

There are plenty of toppings you can use to elevate frozen waffles, but this waffle from Starbucks Canada needed no such accompaniment. It was sweet enough, with a whisper of vanilla and an enviable bite, that it works best all on its own. If you come across this delight on your next trip to Starbucks, I definitely recommend giving it a try.

I knew that this sandwich wasn't going to fare well because it was served on ciabatta. When I tried all of Panera's breads, the Artisan Ciabatta Bread Loaf ranked super low. Personally, I find this type of bread stales easily and has a hard, chewy, and often gum-cutting crust. Suffice to say, this Turkey, Provolone, and Pesto on Ciabatta had the odds stacked against it from the start.

As it turns out, I was right. This sandwich was dry from both the bread and the lack of sauce. Sure, the thick-sliced turkey was generous for a fast-food sandwich and there was a decent pesto, but it needed something zippier to lift it and add moisture. Mayonnaise would have been a good choice, especially since the provolone didn't provide much added flavor and instead melted into a gummy layer that was all but absorbed by the bread. Starbucks Canada markets this sandwich as being a high-protein option and with 33 grams, it's not lying. However, unless you like gnawing on a dry ciabatta roll and swallowing down equally dry sandwich fillings, give this lunch offering a pass.

Unlike the disappointing Turkey, Provolone, and Pesto on Ciabatta sandwich, this double-meat medley was much more successful. If the pursuit of protein is your thing, opt for this sandwich instead. It has 28 grams and a whole lot more flavor.

First, the brioche bread was an excellent choice. Its fresh taste and springy texture made each bite enjoyable rather than an exercise in mandibular strength. Secondly, the chicken was incredibly well seasoned. On the Starbucks Canada website, it describes this chicken as being "herbed" and "slow-cooked," and that's evident in the taste. This sandwich was the best smelling item I purchased. It smelled smoky, herbaceous, and delicious, and was promising from the jump.

On the website, Starbucks states that this sandwich has maple mustard and Neufchâtel cheese. The semi-soft cheese (not to be confused with cream cheese) is too mild to do much work here, and provides more softness than anything else. This is definitely a buy, but I do think something fresh or crunchy would help wake up the flavors more. Some crisp lettuce –– while not ideal for pre-packaged foods –– and a smear more mustard would elevate this sandwich that much more.

Starbucks Canada offers the Maple Mini Pancakes in servings of four or eight, depending on how hungry you are. If you were parcelling these out for toddlers (mine was a fan) or, perhaps, birds, this might be a good thing. Unfortunately, these quarter-sized pancakes, while adorable, didn't quite make the cut.

The good: As I already mentioned, these things are cute and fluffy. As for the bad, well, they just didn't taste like much. The Starbucks Canada website describes them as being infused with both maple sugar and maple flavor, but I couldn't taste much of either even though I was really searching for it. There was the vaguest hint of what was maybe maple or vanilla, but not enough to earn the "maple" in the name of this item. Plus, the greasiness they left behind was also not worth enjoying, and the lackluster flavor didn't merit that level of oilness. As a novelty, these could maybe merit a one-time purchase, but after having tried them, I wouldn't add them to my order again.

Sometimes you start the morning with a hankering for something stick-to-your-ribs to get you through until lunchtime (provided a big breakfast doesn't make you need a nap immediately afterward). The Everything Croissant and Roasted Ham Sandwich is more than capable of such a job. Plus, it looks darn good, too.

This breakfast sandwich is served on an everything-seasoned croissant bun with a slice of smoky ham, a fried egg, and cheddar cheese and is packed with grease and goodness. While the croissant bun itself is slightly dense –– no patisserie creation or Aldi croissant bun here –– it's still seasoned beautifully, with the everything trio of onion, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds permeating the rest of the sandwich. The ham is roasted and smoky while the cheese is nicely melted without any of that processed taste that can be present in so many other fast food breakfast sandwiches. Together, these four simple components–– egg, croissant, cheese, and ham –– work together in harmony, making this indulgent sandwich a definite try for busy, hungry mornings.

If you were having a picnic for one, simply wanted to nosh on something at your desk, or couldn't be bothered to prepare a real dinner and were instead living your best girl dinner life, you may be intrigued by the Artisan Charcuterie Snack Box. However, I suggest you look elsewhere.

This boujee, corporate take on the classic Lunchables so many of us grew up with (which may be fonder in our memories than in reality, according to a Tasting Table ranking) is not great. To begin, the dry-cured salami was too chewy and lacked much salt. Plus, it was too thick, and it was like chewing on shoe leather. Then the crackers, which, while adorably shaped, didn't aid much in the eating. I can't build a mini sandwich with a tubular cracker, so I'm forced to eat it solo — which would be fine if it tasted okay, but the flavor was muted. The same issue affects the cheese, which Starbucks Canada says is creamy Fontinello cheese. Mild cheese has its place, but since neither the chewy salami nor the crackers are assertive enough in their own respective flavors, the balance is way off.

I went back and forth on where to put this drink. When I (and my fellow tasters) first tried it, we all found it underwhelming. I wanted something creamy and refreshing, with a tropical twist. The first few sips instead gave me a drink that was kind of bland and watery, muted on both the coconut and lime fronts. Coconut only made an appearance after I swallowed, which is something the Cool Lime Refresher didn't have.

However, after some vigorous stirring, I sipped again. And folks, the result was something close to a revelation. The coconut, when mixed in properly, gave the creaminess I was looking for, along with a tropical flavor that didn't taste like sunscreen. It was refreshing, it was subtly sweet and downright delicious. While I don't like the idea of having to stir a drink repeatedly to get it to a place where I can fully enjoy its taste, the difference between a properly mixed and a settled Lime Coconut Drink was almost night and day. This is a try; just be sure to give it a good stir before slurping.

When I placed my order for this test, I ended up receiving the Egg, Pesto, and Mozzarella Sandwich instead of the Three Egg and Cheese Sandwich I ordered. Had I been reviewing the latter, I would have suggested you try it. Alas, even though I had to wait and visit another location to get my Three Cheese and Egg Sandwich, it was not, in the end, worth the extra effort.

This is a perfectly respectable sandwich, but it is bland. Starbucks Canada says it features an egg frittata made with Parmesan and Monterey and is topped with sharp cheddar, hence the "three cheese" name. However, I couldn't detect any nutty Parmesan or Monterey and I question the use of the word "sharp" to describe the cheddar. This sandwich was hearty and easy enough to eat with one hand. Plus, it had the approval of my three-year-old. But ultimately, it really wasn't a standout item, especially not when you expect something a little more inventive from Starbucks. A crack or two of black pepper might be all this sandwich needs to be worth a buy but, as it is, I would only add it to my order if the aforementioned Egg, Pesto, and Mozzarella Sandwich was unavailable.

For the purposes of this article, I selected items across all areas of Starbucks Canada's menu, from drinks to breakfast, lunch, and treats. Each of these items appears on the Starbucks Canada website, but not the American one. 

I ranked items based on how much I and my fellow tasters enjoyed them, and the likelihood of purchasing them again. I considered taste and texture as well as value, although this was a minor concern and was only something I thought about if size was incongruous with the price. Novelty, like in the case of the Maple Mini Pancakes, was also mentioned where applicable, but it wasn't a determining factor in this ranking.