Which Starbucks is the BEST Starbucks?

As most of you may know, we have a sick addiction to coffee. Out of all the cutesy, locally owned spots I've been to, by far my favorite is the Hudson River Coffee House on Quail and Hudson downtown. I will definitely be doing a full post about them in the very near future (because they are AMAZING). However, right now I want to talk about a good fallback for anyone-Starbucks. We have been to probably every single Starbuck in the Capital Region between the two of us, but we've agreed that a favorite is the 'bucks located on New Scotland Ave next to Albany Medical Center. Parking is a bit of a hassle, but if you find yourself in there, you are greeted with a calm atmosphere and Baristas who actually know what they're doing. It's relatively quiet in there too, so studying or a coffee date with friends is definitely doable. What I also love about this location is their outdoor seating. Although it is in a busy part of town, the patio gives you a sense of calm as the downtown hustle-and-bustle  surrounds you. Some other mentionable locations would be the 'bucks in Crossgates mall (I'm partial to this one from my years at Best Buy), Stuyvestant Plaza, and the one right off of Exit 6 on the Thruway in Latham. Where not to go? The Starbucks on Western Ave across from UAlbany. Yes, they have a drive-thru, but when you go there you are greeted with nothing but hit-or-miss coffee quality, slow service, and less than interested employees. Sorry guys, pick up your game. Stuyvestant Plaza and Uncommon Grounds (I'll post about this later as well) are both right down the road-go there instead.

 The reason I bring this up is because we stopped at the New Scotland location this morning for breakfast before we set out on some errands.

We got their chicken sausage and egg white wrap, and two iced coffees. Just this simple breakfast made me happy and ready to start our day...until I found out we were going to Home Depot (Blech!)

 New to the Starbucks thing? Somethings I think you'll love are the Iced Caramel Machiatto (I get the "skinny" version), and for your at-home coffee brewing, their Sumatra blend (they'll grind it for you too, depending on what type of coffee maker you have!).
What not to try?- Their Blonde Roast. It's a light Roast, but almost TOO light. I gets into Dunkin Donuts territory, bordering on the "dirty water" flavor.

I know I just rambled on about something that virtually everyone knows about, but we go here a lot so I figured I'd give the good locations a shoutout!