Starbucks has finally released an official application titled myStarbucks! The app’s features include;

• Store Locator: Display the closest stores, directions, store hours and amenities—find stores with a drive through, oven warmed food, and more!
• Drink Builder: Create and share your perfect Starbucks® beverages
• Food Menu: Browse the menu and see detailed nutritional info and ingredients
• Coffee Menu: Explore every Starbucks® whole bean coffee
• myStarbucks: Save all of your favorites for quick recall and sharing

There are a few things I really like about this application and one feature that is missing. I love that you can quickly locate nearby stores as well as view all the details about them (that way you know if they are open, if they have a drive through… etc). I also like that you can create favorite drinks for both you are your friends. This is awesome for those Starbucks runs where you are picking something up for a few people in the office or a friend. No need to ask them what they want (again!)… you already have it entered into your iPhone, exactly how they like it! Another cool feature is the ability to invite a friend to Starbucks. Once you have chosen a specific Starbucks location, you can choose to invite a friend from your Contact list to that Starbucks. It gives you a nice template (that can be emailed or text) that includes the store location and a blank space where you can enter the time.

The most obvious feature that the application is missing is the ability to send your order to a store. As far as I can tell, there is no way to do so. It would be awesome, if on your way to Starbucks, you could send in all your drink orders and they could get started on them (or have it done) by the time you get there!

Other than that… I like the app, but I’m totally addicted to Starbucks so I might be slightly bias. Though, I will say that the app doesn’t quite live up to the Starbucks Concept App from back in the day.

ScreenShots

App Store Description:

Finally, the official iPhone application from Starbucks! Want to find a store that’s open, with a drive through? Now you can do that and more with myStarbucks. Explore our whole bean coffees, find nutrition information, and build your own perfect drinks. Want to share? You can send your drink to friends by email, SMS, or directly to their iPhone or iPod® touch.

FEATURES
• Store Locator: Display the closest stores, directions, store hours and amenities—find stores with a drive through, oven warmed food, and more!
• Drink Builder: Create and share your perfect Starbucks® beverages
• Food Menu: Browse the menu and see detailed nutritional info and ingredients
• Coffee Menu: Explore every Starbucks® whole bean coffee
• myStarbucks: Save all of your favorites for quick recall and sharing

And this is just version 1.0 – we will be adding new and exciting features in future releases. Want to join the conversation? Go to www.mystarbucksidea.com to contribute your opinion on what Starbucks should do next.

Would you like to keep track of your Starbucks Card balance on the go? Download the Starbucks Card Mobile app on the App Store. Just use the “Other Apps” link below.

Yesterday, Chipotle’s official application hit the App Store – Chipotle Ordering. I don’t know about you guys but, I seriously love Chipotle! Like seriously. So as you can imagine, I was totally stoked about the new app. The app allows you to find the nearest Chipotle restaurant, view the menu, learn more about Chipotle (and their quest to serve fresh, natural, organic products. YAY!) and pre-order your meal.

The interface is lovely and self explanatory. It is extremely easy to create your order exactly how you would like it… you are able to choose the exact toppings, sides and drinks you would like with your order. After you have selected everything you would like, it gives you a nice breakdown of what it will cost. I also love that you can create Favorites for quick ordering.

In order to actually place the order, you do need to sign up for a Chipotle account which is done from right within the app. To create the account you will need; First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Password, choose a Challenge Questions and give the answer to the Challenge Question.

I don’t know about the Chipotles where you live but, where we go, the line is always hugely long. Now, I can order from my iPhone and go pick it up… no more waiting in line! I just love this app.

ScreenShots

App Store Description:

Ever have an uncontrollable craving for your favorite Chipotle burrito but don’t have time to stand in line? Or maybe you’re traveling and need a quick taco fix but don’t know where to find the nearest Chipotle. Don’t despair, with the Chipotle Mobile Ordering app on your iPhone or iPod touch, ordering a carnitas burrito with extra guac and no lettuce is as simple as touch, pick and pay. No wandering the streets. No sitting in front of a computer required. Just grab your iPhone, place your custom order, pay with credit and pick it up at the Chipotle nearest you.

FEATURES:
* Easily order your food right from your iPhone or iPod touch. No computer needed… and no waiting in line.
* Pay with a credit card. It’s password protected, secure and easy to save.
* Locate the nearest Chipotle when you’re away from home. There are even directions to get you there.
* See the full menu of options and customize to your heart’s content—just like you would in the store or on the web.
* Save your favorites for next time. It makes ordering faster than ever.
* Use a single sign in from the web and access all your favorites and credit card info in an instant.

It’s hard at times to choose my favorite hobby. Technology or Food. Gadgets or Gourmet. iPhone or Chocolate Lava Cake. Well, with iFood Assistant, my two loves are merged into one $0.99 app. Ever since I purchased the iPhone, I’ve been on the lookout for a solid native app that would allow me to search recipes, save favorites in a recipe box, and create a shopping list or better yet, integrate with my lists on Remember the Milk. Unfortunately, the search continues (BigOven is the closest so far), even after this attempt from iFood Assistant.

Overview
With iFood Assistant, you can browse recipes, take suggestions for dinner, and view cooking videos. In addition, with a login to kraftfoods.com, you can add items to your shopping list from recipes, as well as store favorites into an online recipe box. If you have a particular idea of what you’re looking for, the search function is available, or you can just roll the dice with the Recipe of the Day. Under the “more” button is a settings menu as well as a grocery store locator.

Yum-O!
Visually, iFood assistant is very easy on the eyes. Menus are well laid out, pictures are vibrant, and each recipe is well organized. Since I usually prep all of my ingredients in advance (mise en place, if you will), I liked seeing the ingredients on one tab and the directions on a separate tab. The ability to add recipes to either your shopping list and/or the recipe box is handy and similar to what I already do with my online account at allrecipes.com. Most of the recipes that I viewed were very simple and easy to follow. I also enjoyed having access to cooking videos, both demonstrational for a recipe (How to make an Enchilada Bake) and for technique (Basic Knife Skills). If Kraft continues to add to their library, this could be a great resource.

A Limited Palette
Unfortunately, iFood Assistant and I didn’t get off to a great start. The program did not load initially, so I chalked it up to a needed restart. Unfortunately, I had the same problem again later, so I’m officially calling it a bit “buggy”. Loading times varied, and this was on WiFi, so I can only imagine what it would be like living on the Edge. However, what frustrated me the most was the rather limited recipe collection. For example, while a search for “salmon” brought up numerous recipes, typing in “tilapia” produced no results. I wondered why, but then I noticed a pattern among all the recipes that came up. Each recipe highlighted one or more Kraft products, and thus, if your recipe doesn’t contain Kraft, I’m betting that your recipe won’t show up here. Plus, there are ads for Kraft products on many pages, including before each video, so I suppose the $0.99 price did not cover an ad-free app.

“Please pack your knives and leave.”
Overall, I really like the interface of iFood Assistant. It’s almost exactly what I would want for a recipe and cooking iPhone native app. Now, all I want are the recipes. The ones that I find online at Allrecipes, Epicurious, and Food Network. Now that I have iFood Assistant, I’ll probably browse through their included recipes every now and then for ideas, and if additional instructional videos are added, I’ll probably check those out as well. For $0.99, you can do the same, but I’d recommend holding off for something more polished from one of the aforementioned sites.