It's hard for me to relate to your experience of Starbucks in the US. But in Australia the quality of a Starbucks coffee is inconsistent and typically bad. Australia has a relatively old coffee culture, so most coffee drinkers are discerning.
In the absence of reliable information in a strange town I will always gamble on a the small cafe, as they have to work to get customers as opposed to depend on an advertising budget and novelty style sugary drinks.
Starbucks coffee in the US is just as bad as Starbucks coffee is in Aus, possibly even worse because US customers seem to have much lower standards for coffee. Last time I had to drink Starbucks in the US I had to get 5 shots in a latte so that I could actually taste the coffee.
In the absence of reliable information in a strange town I will always gamble on a the small cafe, as they have to work to get customers as opposed to depend on an advertising budget and novelty style sugary drinks.