Buzz
Whether you're in need of a morning jolt like a Caffè Americano, latte, iced cold brew coffee, or espresso, or perhaps craving a chilled drink on a hot day like a refresher or Frappuccino, with over 34,000 Starbucks locations worldwide, you'll undoubtedly find one nearby that caters to your unique preferences.
With a variety of customization options such as selecting a specific type of milk, increasing the syrup, choosing a different flavor, swapping sweeteners, or adding cold foam, customers can seemingly tailor their drinks to perfection. Starbucks also provides a selection of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, bakery treats, and cake pops to pair with your chosen beverage.
Although there have been occasions where customers place orders with extensive customizations from the available options, the individuals featured here received some truly unpleasant and bizarre additions to their Starbucks orders, both in drinks and food, which were certainly not part of their requests.
10. Cleaning Tablets
Kelly Burns and her mother, Karen Molnoskey, were regular patrons of their local Starbucks in San Marcos, Texas. However, their fondness for the coffee chain quickly evaporated after a shocking discovery in their order.
On the morning of August 31, 2016, Burns drove through the San Marcos Starbucks drive-thru and ordered a venti mocha for herself and a venti coconut mocha for her mother. Unfortunately, after consuming half of her drink, Burns began experiencing stomach discomfort and noticed a strange rattling sound coming from her cup.
Burns rushed to the sink to pour out the coffee, hoping to identify the cause of the sound, and that’s when she discovered two wafer-like objects inside. Molnoskey then took the cup, along with the objects, back to the Starbucks store, where the manager explained that the items were cleaning tablets used for daily machine maintenance.
Burns went to the emergency room for an evaluation, and fortunately, she was told that she would recover in a few days. While Starbucks offered to cover her medical expenses, she wasn’t worried as her health insurance would handle the costs. Her main concern, however, was for others, including her five-year-old daughter, who also orders hot chocolate from Starbucks, and how a similar situation could affect them.
9. Dead Bugs
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
On September 6, 2019, Sara Lyle ordered a Skinny Mocha from her nearby Starbucks in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. However, after drinking about three-quarters of her coffee, Lyle felt something unsettling in her mouth. Believing it might be solid coffee grounds, she removed the lid, only to find a dozen dead bugs floating in the coffee and stuck to the inside of the cup.
Lyle called the Starbucks store to report the incident and informed them that she would bring the cup as evidence. According to Lyle, the employee she spoke with acknowledged the bug issue at the store but explained that they struggled to resolve it due to the constant stream of customers.
Lyle also reached out to the local health department, who inspected the store but found no signs of contamination in the food, beverages, or on the surfaces. As compensation, Lyle was offered a $20 gift card, though it's doubtful she would want to return to the establishment.
8. Barista’s Blood
On February 6, 2016, Amanda Vice and her two-year-old daughter Payton were enjoying a Java Chip Frappuccino from a San Bernardino Starbucks. It wasn’t until Vice’s mother-in-law noticed a metallic scent coming from the drink that Vice began examining her own and discovered blood inside the cup and around its rim.
Vice contacted the Starbucks store, which confirmed that one of their baristas had been bleeding and assured her that the employee was no longer preparing drinks for customers. The store attempted to make amends by offering Vice free drinks for a week, but she refused, insisting that the employee undergo testing for health concerns like HIV. When Starbucks declined her request, Vice sought legal assistance.
7. Metal Wire
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
On the morning of October 25, 2017, Matt Miller and his wife were in London when she decided to stop by a local Starbucks to get a Mango Passion Fruit Frappuccino. Unfortunately, when she took a sip, a twisted piece of metal got lodged in her throat. Fortunately, she managed to remove it without any serious harm.
6. Dead Lizard
In August 2015, Kim Dillon and her husband Brian were spending a weekend out when they stopped by a Starbucks inside Fry’s Marketplace in Phoenix, Arizona. The couple both ordered the same drink—a venti sugar-free latte.
However, after taking a sip, Kim noticed something odd in her mouth. After spitting it out, she discovered it was a legless, skinless lizard. The Dillons quickly placed the creature in a bag and returned to the Starbucks to notify the staff. While the employees were apologetic and offered gift cards as compensation, the couple declined the offer.
Both Starbucks and the grocery chain Fry’s initiated an investigation into the incident, which included deep cleaning and consulting with a pest control company. The Dillons' experience was labeled as “an isolated incident.”
5. Cleaning Solution
On August 30, 2021, Matthew Tyler Mitchell walked into a Starbucks in Greenwich, Connecticut, hoping to order a simple black coffee. Unfortunately, he was served something far from coffee—it was cleaning solution instead.
One sip of the ‘coffee’ led Mitchell to experience an immediate burning sensation in his mouth, throat, and stomach. When he examined his drink, instead of black coffee, he found a blue chemical solution. Realizing that he had ingested an unfamiliar substance, Mitchell felt dizzy and nauseous.
Upon informing the Starbucks manager, Mitchell was told that the error occurred due to a new employee who was unaware that the coffee brewer had been filled with Urnex Urn and Brewer Cleaner, a cleaning solution, instead of coffee. Apparently, the only system the store had in place to signal employees about the presence of cleaning solution was placing an empty upside-down cup on top of the brewer.
Mitchell has since filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, citing the employee’s negligence and the ongoing medical issues he has faced as a result of his traumatic experience.
4. Shards from a Whipped Cream Blender
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
On November 27, 2014, Kirsten Sutherlin visited a West Virginia Starbucks and ordered hot chocolate for her son. However, when her son started drinking it, he complained of something hard in his mouth. After spitting it out, Sutherlin discovered a metal nut, a cylindrical plastic piece, and several sharp plastic fragments in the drink.
When Sutherlin returned the cup to the Starbucks store, an employee explained that the objects in her son’s drink had come from a broken whipped cream blender. To make matters worse, despite being aware of the malfunction, the employees continued using the faulty blender to prepare drinks for customers.
As a result of the contaminants in his hot chocolate, Sutherlin’s son required a pediatric upper GI endoscopy and additional medical treatments. Consequently, Sutherlin filed a lawsuit against Starbucks for their negligence and failure to provide safe beverages for customers.
3. Rusty Nail
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
On March 15, 2009, David Dixon ordered an egg and sausage breakfast sandwich at a Starbucks in Seattle, Washington, where he was having breakfast with co-workers. Unfortunately, when he bit into the sandwich, he encountered a “pungent iron taste and pain from a back molar.”
A manager, noticing the disturbance, approached Dixon to check if he was alright. The manager also offered Dixon a replacement breakfast sandwich, but only if he handed over the rusty nail. Dixon agreed, but not before one of his co-workers took photos to document the incident.
After suffering from a fractured tooth, ligament inflammation, and an injury to his temporomandibular joint, Dixon filed a lawsuit against Starbucks as well as their suppliers, Sara Lee and SK Food Group.
2. Cleaning Cloth
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
On June 19, 2020, an off-duty LAPD officer visited a Starbucks inside a Target store in Diamond Bar, California, and ordered a Frappuccino. About halfway through his drink, he discovered a fuzzy, cloth-like object, which he initially thought might be a tampon or some other feminine hygiene item.
The officer initially suspected that the item had been deliberately placed in his drink, as he had paid with a police union credit card. After conducting an investigation, reviewing surveillance footage, and interviewing the barista on duty, the barista confessed to accidentally scooping up a cleaning cloth that had fallen into the ice. The cloth was then unknowingly blended into the drink. The matter was forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for review, but no malicious intent was found in the incident.
1. Mold
In May 2021, Taylor Boullard purchased a cake pop from a Starbucks in Boston, Massachusetts, on her way home from the airport. When she bit into the cake pop, she noticed the frosting appeared to peel away from the exterior. Before she could continue chewing, she saw the mold inside and quickly spat it out.
After Boullard shared a video on TikTok about the incident, Starbucks reached out to her, confirming that they were looking into the matter. They also sent her a $25 gift card as a gesture of goodwill.
