I've Lived In Canada My Whole Life & Honestly, I'd Defend Tim Hortons Any Day (PHOTOS)
We all kind of know the coffee isn't the greatest, right?
A box of Tim Hortons pastries and Timbits. Right: A donut and iced coffee.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Like many who grew up in Canada, Tim Hortons was a staple of road trips, a place my parents took me to for a treat after skating lessons on Sunday, and a place to hang out after high school — so I have very fond memories of the chain.
Although Timmies certainly has its, shall we say, "quirks," it's undoubtedly a Canadian institution.
And, despite its shortcomings, it still deserves a whole lot of love — and here's why!
The drinks
I wouldn't say I'm a coffee snob, but I think Tim Hortons coffee is pretty bad. Perhaps it's because I drink my coffee black and unsweetened, but I legitimately think Tim's coffee is among the worst of all the chain brews out there.
That being said, we all kind of know the coffee isn't the greatest, right?
There are so many other beverages at Tims that are actually really good, though.
The hot chocolate is quite nostalgic for me and still slaps, I love grabbing an iced lemonade in the summer and I always enjoy trying out their new seasonal offerings, like the Freshly Brewed Iced Tea Quencher.
The food
\u201cthanks tim hortons for my buttered bagel!!!!! yum\u201d— ash\ud83e\udd42 (@ash\ud83e\udd42) 1477413488
Ok, so chances are when you get a bagel at Tim's there's going to be a huge glob of cream cheese on one half and absolutely nothing on the other, but that's nothing a little smoothing out can't fix!
For about $3, an everything bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese is always the best way to start off a road trip.
Pair it with a Timbit, which is just $0.33, and you've got yourself a breakfast of champions.
It's cheap, easy, and gets the job done!
The identity
While Tim's is fundamentally Canadian, I felt like its personality had lessened a little since I was a kid in the '90s — but then came Timbiebs.
The Justin Bieber/Tim Hortons collab was so fun and so quintessentially Canuck that it was hard not to get excited about the Bieber balls and cold brew.
In fact, it was so successful that crumbs of the Timbiebs and the boxes it came in sold for extortionate prices online. Iconic!
The experiments
In an ever-changing market, you can't deny that Tim's is trying just about everything to stay relevant.
Some of their attempts, like the Timbiebs and their recent foray into ice cream were met with success... but others, like the Flatbread Pizza, just became a bit of a joke online.
Whatever genius or whacky creations Tim's comes up with, I love seeing the creativity and the inevitable Canadian response, both good and bad.
The ice cream was a good one though — when I spot the Double Chocolate Donut flavour at the grocery store, I stock up on a few of the mini pints for that time of the month. Makes cramps a lil' more bearable!
The nostalgia
Remember when you were little and your parent would pack you up with Timbits to take to school? Or cutting class to eat cookies and drink green tea? Or being hungover as hell and getting a chicken noodle soup to soothe the turmoil in your body?
Honestly, the memories are priceless.
Thanks for everything, Tims, and keep doing you!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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