Tired of the Same Old Corporate Coffee? Visit Caribou Coffee in Springfield, VA

Caribou Coffee is a small coffee shop chain. This review will focus on the location in Springfield, VA, on Burke Lake RD, off Braddock RD.

Although it is part of a chain, Caribou Coffee takes great care to maintain the feel of a nice, local coffee shop. From the decor of the shop, reminiscent of a mountain lodge, with its bare wood pillars and paneling, stone fireplaces, and framed photographs of western scenes, to a bulletin board near the door labeled "Neighborhood News" for posting about local events and businesses, Caribou Coffee gives such a pleasant, local atmosphere that one might not realize that it's part of a small chain. The music is played at a good volume level - it is quiet enough never to be distracting or annoying, but audible, in case they play your favorite song. Also, the staff and customers are down-to-earth, regular people, and the shop has none of the pretentiousness that some coffee shops have developed, and the restaurant provides a small play area for young children with basic toys - fake coffee makers, plastic toasters, etc. - so that parents can come and enjoy coffee for an afternoon without having to hire a baby sitter or worry about their kids becoming terribly bored.

The pricing is on a similar scale to that at Starbucks, where specialty drinks cost between $3.50 and $4.50, while a basic cup of joe is around $2. A nice variety of pastries, muffins, and cookies are available for between $2 and $3. I must point out, however, that although the drinks at Caribou cost about the same as those at comparable coffee shops, the drinks are a much better. There simply seems to be more variety - all their specialty drinks taste different, whereas at some other places all the drinks taste like warm milk. My personal favorite of Caribou's specialty coffee drinks is called the "Mint Condition," a blend of espresso, steamed milk and flavors, with actual chunks of mint chocolate sitting atop the whipped cream. As the drink sits, the mint chocolate melts, and gives the Mint Condition a pleasant, and very distinctive flavor, that I've never found anywhere else. The shop also has a free pamphlet available detailing the differences between their varied types of coffee, to help patrons who are used to more bland coffee shops in selecting the right brew and flavor.

The muffins and pastries available at Caribou Coffee are of the highest quality. Again, variety is a major point here. There are many types of muffins available, and they are all quite good, and they all taste very different from one another. The variety and quality of snacks available at Caribou Coffee insures that almost anyone who comes into the shop will find something agreeable to munch on while they sip their excellent coffee. The service at Caribou Coffee is also very prompt - the last time I was there, the line stretched practically out the door, and I still got my coffee and muffin, both fresh, in under 5 minutes. It is also worth mentioning that the restrooms are spacious, tastefully decorated, and, most importantly, always clean.

The Caribou Coffee in Springfield is located right off of Braddock Road, a major artery in the Annandale and Alexandria area, making the location incredibly easy to find and convenient to reach. The shop is located in Kingspark Shopping Center, which has plenty of free parking and large signs, as well as plenty of nice places to eat lunch or dinner.