Qualia Coffee

I don’t visit Qualia much anymore, but on a recent weekday afternoon I was really dragging. So I ducked into Qualia for an espresso.
The shot I got was *bitter*! I mean undrinkable bitter with no crema whatsoever. After two miserable sips I returned it to the barista, and… she just stood there giving me the, «So what do you want me to do about it?» stare. No replacement, no offer to refund my money. Dumbfounded I left, and I probably won’t be back.

I came here to access wifi for a couple minutes on Sunday while my home internet was down. I bought an overpriced latte from them to do so only to find out they turn off their wifi on the weekends, no exceptions.

Sometime after my review they began being ready for customers at 7am. That was really nice and despite still disliking the coffee tanginess I was going back pretty regularly. Then my bus schedule changed and now I leave before they open, which isn’t their fault.

I asked for Yak milk — and they didn’t have any. Never coming back to this dump as well

I came the morning of ⁵⁄₆ to grab breakfast and coffee for 5 people.
Nick sighed and was visibly irritated as I placed my order.
Kept saying this is was just too big of an order all at once and people don’t usually order this much this much. It’s just too early. (Well when else do people have breakfast and coffee?)
He kept apologizing to the person in line behind me saying If he was a minute earlier he wouldn’t have to wait for all this.
As he made the lox bagels he seemed to be slapping stuff on and didn’t cut the bagels in half or toast. The scones were all broken.
When I asked a question he would say what?
I didn’t tip him on the $ 67 bill because I don’t like the way he spoke to me and that left him even more irritated then. It was odd that he expected a tip with his attitude.
To make matters worse me and my family had been in a hospital waiting room because of a family medical emergency for four days straight I and wanted to take back breakfast for everyone.
Nick — I think it’s ridiculous to be upset because someone ordered 4 lates, 3 lox bagels, and 3 scones.
You work at a coffee shop, there was one person in line, and you weren’t even the one making the coffee. If this order gets you all stressed and frazzled, you may not be cut out to work at a coffee shop.
If you feel strongly that people shouldn’t order that much at 7 am maybe you should discuss your concern with management and have them implement a rule. «Customers May Not Order More Than Two Drinks and Two Scones at a Time».

I will always thank my daughter for bringing me my first bag of Qualia Coffee. The main room with the coffee bar is almost always pretty crowded, but there are two rooms upstairs, one with a nice round coffee table, so you can usually get a space, at least in the middle of the day. They roast their coffee onsite just off the bar, and the roaster is usually happy to talk about the roasting process, and show off the two-​digital-​screen display that keeps track of some of the major parameters (heat, moisture, etc.) during the process.
Now that the weather’s warmed up, there’s a little deck on Georgia Ave., and a much quieter larger outdoor space in the back. It’s only a couple of blocks walk from the Petworth Metro station.

Great environment if you are looking for a quick picker upper and getaway. Cozy and homie feel. Great knowledgeable staff. Wifi and awesome variety of coffees, teas and pastries.

I’ve been to 4 places on my Indie Coffee Passport (ICP) so far, so it’s not saying much, but Qualia Coffee has been by far my favorite as far as atmosphere, service, and attention to coffee detail.
It was a beautiful day when I walked in, so their windows were all open plus an overhead ceiling fan offered a nice breezy and sunny atmosphere. I claimed a spot along what I call the «work wall» that had an outlet and was pleased to see a «flight» of coffees as an offering on the ICP.
The woman the counter was GREAT – very informative on the coffees and was more than happy to clue me into the coffee world and make some recommendations for my flight. I liked that she had an opinion of her own, as well, telling me what her favorite beans were. The beans were ground and the coffees were made-​to-​order. (I gotta give it to them, the work that it takes to make such a small batch of each of the coffees in the flight.) Also, points for the staff realizing that I kept on checking the downstairs bathroom availability and told me the code for the upstairs bathroom.
These guys are coffee snobs (in the best way) and are receptive to both fellow connoisseurs and clueless frapp drinkers like me. If it weren’t so out of the way for me, I’d hit it up on the regular!

a flight of coffee?
don’t mind if i do! but which?
all three were superb.
plus one: seats outside
plus another: seats upstairs
plus more: roasting here.
innovative teas
— blended, spicy, not too sweet —
we’re happy campers

I love their regional varieties. I am a BIG FAN of Brazil Mogiana and this place carried it for some time and then they stopped carrying it, which really disappointed me, however, I found some other replacements which are equally as good. They do a pretty good job of categorizing the flavors and notes of the coffee beans. II will say their brews are on the strong side. Come here for a wired experience. One drawback is their customer service, which is hit or miss. I have been coming here since this place first opened because its near my condo, and I have seen the shift of customer service. Its also like there is an attitude shift (for the worst). Also, location wise, good luck, because on the street parking is always a pain in the you know.

I really wanted to like Qualia, I really did. Sadly, my visit today left me with mixed feelings. First, it’s hard to tell where the entrance is with a bunch of other doors nearby. The barista wasn’t at all friendly, and got my order wrong (probably because she was texting while I was ordering). Then she proceeded to make fun of me for ordering a soy chai. Sorry I had already had coffee prior to that?
The décor was mismatched, and flyers from months ago littered the walls. Seating was minimal, so you definitely couldn’t come here to get work done. But who knows, maybe that’s what they’re going for.
My drink was meh, but the bagel with cream cheese was to die for. I might return and give their espresso a shot (pun intended), but Qualia won’t become my regular place any time soon.

I’m kind of a coffee snob, and I feel like I get that from one of my beloved friends who started roasting his own coffee. That being said, Qualia is quality stuff (not very original, I know).
I usually judge a place by its vanilla latte, which seems counter to the whole «coffee snob» statement, but it’s just my go to. The coffee was really good and reasonably priced. It’s a really cute place with outdoor seating on the front porch, some outlets and seating inside (that was pretty busy when I visited on a Sunday afternoon) and more seating in the back patio as well.
This is gonna sound weird, but the bathroom is probably the coolest part of the place. It’s covered in old newspapers and posters, and if coffee gets you in the mood for makin’ whoopee, there’s a fish bowl attached to the side of the wall with plenty of free rubbers to prevent the spread of STD’s!

If you are looking for high quality coffee, this is a great spot to visit. I do not consider myself a coffee snob, but if I did, I would consider Qualia the place to be. The number of options is large, and I was a bit overwhelmed at first. The woman at the register was very helpful — I told her I wanted something dark and roasty, and she suggested two to pick from. I had the Sidamo dark roast, which bills itself as containing hints of nut and cherry. It was truly delicious. I enjoyed it on the patio out back and went on a flavor journey rarely experienced through coffee. They have lots of unique choices, and they come from around the world with a variety of roasts, so you’re sure to find something you will enjoy. Espresso drinks are also on the menu.
They have a small food selection, mostly bagels and pastries. I tried a jam oat bar — granola with cherry. It’s extremely soft, recommended if you need a quick bite. I was just passing through, but I must say, it’s a very small space — I wouldn’t recommend coming here if you’re looking for a study spot, though if you don’t need an outlet they have a cool little patio out back covered in canopy.

I read an article about Qualia’s $ 12,000 pour over coffee robot, and I was intrigued to give it a try. We made it in about 5 minutes before closing, and I was pleased that service was still good and friendly. I ordered a small Sumatra coffee and a peanut butter cookie.
The cookie was excellent, but the coffee was just OK and overpriced. I understand they have to charge a lot to recoup the cost of the machine, but the quality just wasn’t worth the price. My friend had a Colombian coffee and made the same assessment. It was interesting to see the robot in action, but I think once is enough.
I would give Qualia another try if I were in the area, but I definitely would not go out of my way for it. Also, they need some minimal signage indicating where the entrance door is located.

Got a chance to try the Colombian roast at the farmers market today. Wasn’t very impressed. It just wasn’t as flavorful as I expected. Might give it another chance if I can get to the actual shop or if they put a different roast out at the market… we’ll see.

I’ve been putting off my review of Qualia because I’m not a coffee drinker and felt like it was wrong to review a coffee place. That said, their teas are delicious, the wifi is plentiful, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is cozy. I’ve had their baked goods, which are also really good, especially the mint chocolate chip scone. I love that I live so close to Qualia and love coming here when I work from home.

This is the type of coffee you enjoy without milk or sugar. The flavors are amazing! Don’t be intimidated by the options (varieties and ways to brew).
The place is small. There is a back patio (which is not so picturesque, but it’s seating outside). And their bangles are pretty good.

The good:
1. The coffee
2. The back patio and porch in front.
The not-​so-​good:
The staff can be a bit rude (but sometimes can be perfectly friendly too). Oh well, it is what it is. Certainly better than going to Starbucks, and the product is above average. Overall a solid coffee spot in Petworth.

It’s shameful how I pass this place every day and never made it in. I had their coffee for the first time when one of their staff did a coffee cupping and coffee education event at Petworth Library. It was so interesting and the coffee I tried so good, that I knew I had to make time to come in to their actual shop.
It’s more of a homey, old school coffee shop feel in here than I was expecting. Staff was super friendly and helpful when I had questions about their special beverages, and I actually wound up with a specialty drink that was like a chai — not bad, but I think I’d probably try their London fog next time.
The space is definitely teensy, but they also have a space with more tables upstairs next door. The barista gave me the code to get into that space, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to work the code lock. After he finished with the next customer, he kindly took pity on me and helped me get in. Upstairs there’s a bathroom and several tables with worn chairs. Relaxed place to hang out, study, work, etc. though you can hear everything in there, so you should probably take your private conversations at home. I found out way more than I needed to about some guy’s doomed relationship. Though points to his friend for giving extremely wise advice. Follow it, random guy!

Outstanding coffee and a cozy, welcoming environment. What more could you want from a neighborhood coffee shop?
The first time I entered this shop I ordered a latte, huge mistake. The latte was fine, but what sets this place apart from the chains is the incredible selection of roasts, sourced globally and hand-​poured. There are more than a dozen, oft-​changing offerings, labeled by region and flavor-​notes. I’m not enough of a coffee snob to know what’s good for me so, trusting the regulars, I generally go with whichever canister looks emptiest. I have yet to be disappointed. A brand-​new fresh, flavorful experience every time I decide to treat myself to a visit.
Moreover, Qualia offers a great environment for enjoying coffee. The staff is friendly and the seating is varied– from a cushy couch to high-​tops to outdoor patio furniture. A wonderful addition to the Petworth neighborhood.