Dutch Bros Ordering Guide 2026: How to Order Like a Pro (Step-by-Step)
Ever walked up to a Dutch Bros drive-thru and frozen because you had no idea what to say? You’re not alone. Thousands of first-timers panic at the window every day, worried they’ll mess up their order or use the wrong coffee shop lingo. The good news is that Dutch Bros ordering is way simpler than you think once you know the basics.
Dutch Bros ordering doesn’t work like Starbucks or Dunkin’. They focus on flavor combinations instead of menu items with fancy names. You can customize almost any drink with over 30 flavor options, different milk choices, and toppings like soft top or drizzle. Whether you order at the drive-thru, walk-up window, or through the app, this guide shows you exactly what to say and do. You’ll learn how to build your perfect drink, avoid common mistakes, and order like you’ve been going there for years.
What to Know Before Ordering Dutch Bros
Here’s what first-time visitors should know before ordering at Dutch Bros:
What Makes Dutch Bros Different From Starbucks or Dunkin’?
Dutch Bros doesn’t work like Starbucks or Dunkin’. They call their employees broistas instead of baristas. The company focuses on customizing flavor combinations rather than serving named drinks off a fixed menu. You can mix over 30 flavors into any drink base, whether it’s coffee, tea, lemonade, or their signature Rebel energy drink. Most locations only have drive-thru and walk-up windows with no indoor seating.
How the Dutch Bros Menu Is Organized
The Dutch Bros menu groups drinks by base type instead of specific names. You’ll see categories like Dutch Coffee, Rebel Energy Drinks, Freezes, Teas, Lemonades, Smoothies, and Hot Chocolate. Each category lets you pick a size and then customize with flavors, milk choices, and toppings. You can order any flavor combo in any drink base. Small drinks run 16 oz for cold or 12 oz for hot. Medium sizes go up to 24 oz cold or 16 oz hot. Large drinks max out at 32 oz cold or 20 oz hot.
Drive-Thru vs. Walk-Up vs. Order Ahead: Which Should You Choose?
Drive-thru works best during regular hours when lines move fast. Broistas take orders while you wait in line. Walk-up windows let you park and order on foot, which saves time during peak hours. Order Ahead through the app lets you skip lines completely by placing your order 5 minutes to 1 hour in advance. The app works for both drive-thru and walk-up pickup. Choose drive-thru for convenience, walk-up when parking is easier, and Order Ahead when you’re short on time.
How Dutch Bros Ordering Works
Dutch Bros operates differently from traditional coffee shops with indoor seating. Most Dutch Bros locations run purely on drive-thru and walk-up service. When you pull into the drive-thru, broistas come out to your car with tablets to take your order while you wait in line. This speeds up the process so your drink is ready when you reach the window. The whole system focuses on getting custom drinks made fast without sacrificing quality.
You tell them what type of drink you want first, like coffee or Rebel. Then pick your size, temperature, and can customize with flavors, milk type, and toppings. After you confirm everything, they make your drink fresh while you move through the line. Payment happens at the window where you can use cash, card, or the app.
Step-by-Step: How to Order at Dutch Bros
Dutch Bros ordering takes just five simple steps that work every single time:
Step 1: Choose Your Drink Type
Dutch Bros groups drinks by base instead of specific names. The main drink options are coffee drinks, Rebel energy drinks, teas, Freezes, Frosts, lemonades, smoothies, and hot chocolate. Coffee drinks work as your base for classic lattes, mochas, and Americanos. Rebels give you energy like Red Bull but taste way better. Teas and lemonades offer lighter, fruity options without coffee. Pick whichever sounds good for your mood right now.
Step 2: Pick Your Size
Dutch Bros sizes work differently for hot and cold drinks. Small hot drinks come in 12 ounces while small cold drinks get 16 ounces to account for ice. Medium sizes go to 16 ounces hot or 24 ounces cold. Large drinks max out at 20 ounces hot or 32 ounces cold.
Step 3: Choose Hot, Iced, or Blended
Tell your broista whether you want your drink hot, iced, or blended. Hot drinks come with steamed milk. Iced drinks pour over ice cubes for a refreshing cold option. Blended drinks mix with ice to create a smoothie texture similar to a Frappuccino. Most coffee drinks work in all three styles. Rebels and lemonades usually come iced or blended
Step 4: Customize Your Drink
This step makes your drink according to your craving. Dutch Bros has over 30 flavor options, including vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, white chocolate, strawberry, coconut, and lime. Choose your milk: either regular 2%, oat, almond, coconut, or half and half for extra creaminess. Tell them your sweetness level, from quarter sweet to extra sweet. Also, you can finish your drink with toppings like Soft Top, Whip, Float, Drizzle.
Step 5: Confirm and Pay
The broista repeats your full order back to you. Confirm your order and pay with cash, card, or through the Dutch Bros app. If you’re using the app, scan your phone at the window for rewards points.
What to Say When Ordering
Start with your size, then the drink type, then the customizations. Say something like “Can I get a medium iced coffee with vanilla and caramel, oat milk, and soft top?” If you don’t know what to order, just tell them your flavor preferences, and they’ll suggest something good. You can also ask for recommendations based on drinks you like at other coffee shops.
Dutch Bros Secret Menu Ordering Tips
The secret menu isn’t actually displayed on the official menu. These drinks come from customer creations that went viral on social media. Don’t ask for secret menu drinks by name because broistas might not know them. Instead, tell them the exact ingredients and flavor combinations. For example, instead of ordering “White Zombie,” say “Can I get a breve with white chocolate and vanilla?” Popular secret menu drinks include Golden Eagle (vanilla and caramel breve), Bob Marley (banana, coconut, and chocolate), and Unicorn Blood (strawberry, almond, and white chocolate). Dutch Bros ordering from the secret menu requires knowing specific flavor combos.
Dutch Bros Order Ahead
Here’s a complete guide on Dutch Bros Order Ahead:
Can You Order Dutch Bros Ahead?
Yes, Dutch Bros offers Order Ahead through their mobile app. The feature lets you customize and pay for drinks before you arrive. Your order starts getting made based on your pickup time, so it’s ready when you get there. Order Ahead works at most locations, but availability varies by store. Check your app to see if your nearest Dutch Bros accepts advance orders. Dutch Bros ordering through the app saves time during rush hours.
Step-by-Step: How to Use the Order Ahead Feature
- Download and Sign In: Open the Dutch Bros app and log in or create a free account.
- Select the Order Tab and Location: Tap the Order tab, search for your area, and choose your preferred shop.
- Choose and Customize Your Drink: Browse the menu, pick your drink, and customize it just like ordering in person.
- Review Your Cart and Pickup Option: Check your order, select drive-thru or walk-up window, and confirm payment.
- Place Your Order and Pick It Up: Tap Place Order, receive confirmation, and collect your drink at your scheduled time.
Order Ahead vs. Drive-Thru: Which Is Faster?
Order Ahead usually saves you five to ten minutes during peak hours. Drive thru lines can get long but move pretty fast since broistas take orders while you wait in line. Order Ahead wins when you’re in a huge rush or the drive thru looks packed. Drive thru works better for spontaneous stops or when you want to chat with broistas. Both methods get your drink made fresh. The speed advantage depends mostly on how busy the location is when you arrive.
Order Ahead Troubleshooting
If your payment fails, check that your card info is current in the app. Sometimes the shop stops accepting orders when they get too busy. The app will show “Order Ahead Temporarily Not Available” if that happens. Try a different nearby location or just use the drive thru instead. If you placed an order but the shop didn’t receive it, contact Dutch Bros support through their website. They respond within 24 hours and usually fix payment problems fast. Make sure you’re at the right location too since you can’t change pickup spots after ordering.
Best Drinks to Order for First-Timers
The Golden Eagle leads Dutch Bros’ menu as the most popular choice among regulars. This breve combines espresso with half-and-half, vanilla and caramel syrups, plus a caramel drizzle on top. First-timers love the Kicker for its smooth Irish cream flavor blended with bold espresso, while the fruity Aftershock Rebel energy drink mixes strawberry, blackberry, raspberry and lime for people who want caffeine without coffee.
Ordering With Dietary Restrictions
Dutch Bros offers three plant-based milk options to replace dairy in any drink. You can choose oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk at no extra charge for most beverages. The chai concentrate they use contains no dairy, so you can safely order chai lattes with your preferred milk substitute.
Soft Top and whipped cream both have milk ingredients with no vegan alternatives available. White chocolate sauce and caramel sauce contain dairy, but you can request white chocolate syrup or caramel syrup instead since those versions are dairy-free. All food items at Dutch Bros contain milk, including granola bars and muffin tops, so stick to drinks if you avoid dairy completely.
How to Save Money When Ordering Dutch Bros
Here are the tricks on how you can save your money when ordering at Dutch Bros:
Using Dutch Bros Rewards Program
Download the Dutch Bros app to earn 3 points for every dollar you spend on drinks. You collect points by scanning your Dutch Pass or giving your phone number at checkout. Once you reach 250 points, redeem them for a free medium drink, or save up 325 points to get any drink size you want for free.
Best Value Customizations
Request half sweet or quarter sweet on any drink to reduce sugar without paying extra for modifications. Sugar-free syrups cost nothing to add and work great in lattes, mochas and Rebels. Skip the large size because it doubles the syrup pumps and cream, which means you pay more for extra sweetness.
Free Birthday Drink
Join Dutch Rewards through the app and enter your birthday during signup. Dutch Bros automatically loads a free birthday drink reward to your account on your birthday, valid for any size up to 32 ounces. The birthday reward stays active for 30 days, so you have a full month to use it before it expires.
Dutch Bros Ordering Tips & Tricks
Dutch Bros gives you way more control over your drink than the standard menu shows. You can take any flavor combination from one drink and put it on a completely different base. Love the strawberry, blackberry, raspberry and lime flavors in the Aftershock Rebel but want it without caffeine? Get those same flavors in a lemonade instead. The menu shows you what exists, but the real options come when you start mixing things yourself. Dutch Bros ordering becomes an art form once you learn this trick.
Ask for sweetness adjustments on every single drink to match your taste. You can swap regular milk for almond, oat, or coconut milk at no extra cost. Choose between five different coffee options like traditional espresso, white coffee with more caffeine, or nitro cold brew. Top any drink with soft top, whipped cream, a float scoop of your favorite flavor, drizzle, or sprinkles to make it your own.
Common Dutch Bros Ordering Mistakes
New customers make Dutch Bros ordering harder than it needs to be with these common errors. Here are the common Dutch Bros ordering mistakes that mess up people’s orders more than they realize:
- Using other coffee shop terms like grande or venti instead of small, medium and large.
- Ordering drinks exactly as shown on the menu without customizing sweetness, milk or flavor combinations to match your preferences.
- Forgetting to mention whether you want regular or sugar-free syrups, then getting stuck with a drink that tastes too sweet.
- Not asking broistas for help when confused about menu options or flavor pairings.
- Skipping the app entirely and missing out on rewards points, free birthday drinks and exclusive promotions.
FAQs About Dutch Bros Ordering
Conclusion
Dutch Bros ordering becomes second nature once you understand the basics. Start by picking your drink base, size, and temperature, then customize with any flavors, milk options, and toppings you want. The drive-thru, walk-up window, and Order Ahead app all work smoothly once you know what to say. Visit during off-peak hours for your first time, ask questions without hesitation, and remember that every regular customer started exactly where you are right now.
