Caribou Coffee

This is now a Peet’s and it is now open, internet says so.

3.25 stars
Is this place really closed? That is a bummer. While I do not like it as much as Zeds, it is cozy and staff are friendly enough. Perfect place to chill and converse for a bit. Prices are good for what you get and quality is better than starbucks and also without that yuppie vibe you get from SB.

This location is closed for renovations and scheduled to reopen as a Peet’s Coffee on 4÷28÷14.

What is the story with the loud fan in this place? It is horrible.

If I were not waiting for a table for dim sum at the horrible restaurant next door, I would not have discovered this place.
Coffee was quite good and, after adding two shots of espresso, was quite strong. Prices were on par with Starbucks.
The décor makes this place comfortable, but loud.

solid.

Their coffee? Meh. But their coffee mugs are *the* best. I have yet to find another line of cute, stylish, modern, and colorful mugs of all shapes and sizes anywhere else. I always find myself popping in to see what new designs they have and I’m glad this one is just a hop and skip from my apartment. Yay!

Excellent alternative to Starbucks. Hot drinks here are satisfying, and I love the couches and seating in general. Sure wish we had caribou in NYC

Always packed by NOAA, Discovery, and other local business.
Has better coffee than the nearby Starbucks!
Some but not all staff are friendly.

I like this Caribou. Coffee is good! Other than being super close to my home, the service is always great. One downfall is it is always PACKED! Ugh, good and bad weather there is no winning. Sometimes, I want to grab a cup of coffee and read a newspaper inside and I can’t here. It’s usually loud, and full of people. People that sit there for hours and do not leave. They loiter and it gets old. This is something they probably need to pay more attention to.

I like this Caribou but it’s always crowded!
Free refills on coffee!

Great place to read, relax, and study. Excellent coffee and food items. Only negative is that they operate by an under-​achieving business model. Not enough of them around.

While I don’t drink coffee, this is my go-​to spot to get iced tea (I’m addicted). The best part about this place is definitely the staff — I don’t think I’ve been to another food/​retail place in this area that is as well-​run as this Caribou Coffee is, and I swear that’s not an exaggeration. They’re unfailingly polite, quick, usually remember my name and drink and just generally seem to enjoy being there and put the customers first.
I also love their current summer promotion where they give you a sticker on a card for every drink you buy, and the eighth drink is free. I hope the company will continue something like that in the fall.

This is a working coffee shop (or at least it is on the weekends), full of people on laptops trying to write or do work or study.
Thankfully the tables a big, there are tons of power strips, and you don’t have to beg the barista for a bathroom key.
They have SOME food to sustain you, but it isn’t great. Thankfully there are other dining options.
It is pretty much next to the metro too.
Drink-​wise, it is the same old chain coffee shop quality. Not bad, not great.
Music is pretty good. I’d say it is more mellow than Starbucks.
But here’s why it is only 4 stars — the internet connection is quite poor. Cannot maintain a Pandora connection.

No matter which Caribou I go to, the service is always über friendly and quick. This one was no exception. Cutie Anthony aimed to please, and recommended the apple honey sausage biscuit.
The house was packed at 11am on Saturday. Lots of tables, but at that time of day, it was hard to get a seat. But good people… walked in to friendly smiles, not Starbucks stares.
They have a fireplace in the center… why wasn’t it on? It’s 40 degrees in February… crank that baby up!

I have to agree with general sentiment here; the staff makes this place… Keep up the great work! It makes you forget that this is a national chain.
I also love that they serve different coffees each day of the week, both light and dark roasts. If variety is your thing, this Caribou will satisfy every time.

What’s with the chipper baristas here? It’s almost like they like their jobs or something. The smiles, the thank yous… they must be huffing the whip cream cans in the back.
The small line moved along quickly and the staff seemed to be on top of things. It took just a few minutes before my iced coffee was handed to me, not pushed across the counter like at some other places.
Also, love all of the seating here. There is plenty inside plus a pretty spacious outdoor area to the side as well. Most people that go to this location are grabbing and on the go, so if you need a place to plop for a bit you’ll probably find space here.
Plus, plenty of parking in the massive shopping center parking lot so matter if you’re by foot or car, getting in and out of here is likely to be a pretty smooth experience.

Clean, semi-​efficient, and tasty, this Caribou Coffee provides the perfect respite while you’re waiting in line to get seated for dim sum at Oriental East. I do have to agree with Zachary that the coffee does have more character than McDonalds, which is up the street with Einstein.

PROS: Staff is generally very friendly and engaging
CONS: Crowded with laptop and coffee shop wannabes
It’s a Caribou — good coffee, reasonably priced, clean … the area is across from the NOAA headquarters so I come over at least once a day along with about 20% of all NOAA employees — therefore, avoid between the hours of 7am and 10am as it can get crowded. The store isn’t very large but offers outside seating. The staff is friendly and courteous which is more than the Starbucks on Colesville Road — which appears to be the going trend according to the reviews.

Coffee drinks taste sooo much better when they are free. Even though I never drink regular coffee, I do like a tall mocha frappé machiato latte (or whatever the kids are calling it these days) every once in a while.
If you register your email at their website not only will you get lots of annoying emails, but also $ 1 off coupons AND an email for a free coffee drink on your birthday. Any kind! Any size!
I tried their pumpkin latte and it was very good, with a bit of spice to it. It was much better than Starbucks, and was not a weird glowing orange color. It went great with a pumpkin cupcake from CakeLove. It is even worth paying for…
… with a dollar off coupon, of course!