The Starbucks Rival That Has Everyone Talking Is Finally in the U.S.—I Tried It First

I take my coffee—and my Starbucks—seriously. While I tend to brew my own drip coffee at home and have a soft spot for my beloved dark Italian roast, I’m not immune to the weekly Starbucks run for specialty drinks, seasonal coffees, or a fancy espresso-based beverage. So, when I heard that Luckin Coffee—a chain that, as our sister brand Food & Wine recently reported, surpassed Starbucks in one of the largest, most populated countries on the planet—was coming to the U.S., I knew I had to try this new competitor for myself.

But does Luckin really live up to the global hype? Here’s my honest review.

Luckin Coffee Opens First U.S. Locations in New York City

Over the summer, the Chinese chain Luckin Coffee opened its first four locations in the U.S. in New York City. And while the brand may be fresh on the U.S. coffee scene, Luckin has already surpassed Starbucks by store count in China. As Food & Wine reported, the chain was founded in Beijing in 2017, opened more than 26,000 stores in more than 200 cities in less than a decade, and boasts nearly 92 million customers per month. But now, some of those millions of customers are in NYC.

Because the chain is so young, Luckin was founded with the digital age in mind. The coffee shop uses a tech-driven model to increase efficiency and minimize physical store space. Payment is all digital here. Orders are placed online (either through the Luckin site or its mobile app) for pickup or delivery, so it eliminates the need for traditional cashiers and counters.

And in NYC, that mobile-based approach makes Luckin ripe for post-gym pick-me-ups, a grab-and-go latte on the way to work, or pre-ordering before running errands around town. I was mobile ordering on my way to the subway, and the experience couldn’t have been better.

My Honest Review of Luckin Coffee

Upon my first visit to Luckin, I was offered half off my order when I downloaded the mobile app to order, rather than scanning the QR code to order on the web. The standard prices are pretty comparable to national chains, if not better, but my entire coffee order for half the price? Say less. I ordered an Iced Americano (which is regularly $5.45) for a mere $2.22, and an Iced Kyoto Matcha Latte, which is regularly $6.45. The Iced Kyoto Matcha Latte also included a free size upgrade as part of a five-day promotion for the end of summer, so the 20-ounce latte cost just $3.22—half the price of a grande Matcha Latte at Starbucks. 

The total cost for the two drinks? $5.92 with New York sales tax, which is less than I paid for my single Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks last week. In addition to my order being ready in just five minutes, I was super impressed with the price—but when it comes to quality, are you getting what you pay for at Luckin? No, it’s even better.

I was definitely wary of a matcha latte that came out to just a few bucks in NYC, especially given the rising popularity of the green tea and the steadily increasing prices. (For context, a “Big” matcha latte at Blank Street Coffee in the city retails for $7.45 before customizations.) But Luckin’s Iced Kyoto Matcha Latte, which the chain advertises as “100% Japanese Matcha,” wasn’t just good by New York City standards; it was great.

The tea was rich and earthy, but not overly grassy. It didn’t need any additional sweeteners or flavors, and it was just so smooth and creamy. I ordered it with dairy milk (lactose intolerance be damned), and the matcha was whisked thoroughly throughout, with no clumps or powder stuck to the walls of the cup. Plus, it was the absolute perfect shade of green.

Considering that Luckin knocked the matcha out of the park, I was optimistic for the Iced Americano. Instead of a latte or even drip coffee with milk, I wanted to try the Americano to truly taste Luckin’s espresso and see how it compared to other popular brands and chains. The coffee was bold but not bitter, and it was the perfect ratio of espresso to liquid. No light brown bean water or dark motor oil here. Instead, the coffee was bright, smooth, and easy to sip, and tasted amazing on its own. And, like the matcha latte, the Luckin Iced Americano was cheaper than major chains—particularly Starbucks 

Despite cashing in on my new user deal, I’m still getting consistent offers from the Luckin app that put my Starbucks Rewards to shame. So far, the app has offered two discounted coffees at $1.99 each (which is roughly one-third of the regular price), a 99-cent drink for referring a friend, and a 50 percent off coupon to use any time in the next month.

Regardless of the incredible deals, though, the coffee and tea speak for themselves—and I’m officially a Luckin Coffee convert.