Northside Social Coffee & Wine
| Address: | 3211 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201, USA |
| Phone: | +1 703-465-0145 |
| Site: | northsidesocialarlington.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 6AM–11PM 6AM–12AM 7AM–12AM 7AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
DA
David Combs
Very disappointed. This was one of my favorite places in town. But, alas, I will never return after today. First the good. -- The food and coffee is always great. On to my rant: Today my wife, six month old son, and I went for breakfast. As usual, the downstairs was full (naturally, its a popular place for breakfast). No worries, my wife noted that they have upstairs seating so-- she would order breakfast if I would go grab a table upstairs and get our little boy situated. Great! Went upstairs, grabbed a seat and my wife soon followed with our cups of coffee and breakfast sandwiches. Unfortunately, one of the employees soon came over and told us that the upstairs was for full service breakfast only and orders from downstairs cant sit upstairs. Ah. So--- ok, our mistake, but, that wasnt noted anywhere-- or, hell, lets be charitable and say that I just didnt realize this fact because Im carrying around a squirmy six month old, a diaper bag, etc. So, the employee kicks us out of the table because "thats the rule" and back downstairs. Great-- now Im trying to stand with a six month old, a coffee mug, and a breakfast sandwich all while hoping a table downstairs comes open. I think "I know, this is just a silly misunderstanding, Ill ask the supervisor behind the counter what we should do..." He responds "Yeah, thats the rule." Awesome. So, we continue to just stand there with all of our stuff and baby and eventually just had to ask them to put our coffee in to go cups, box our sandwiches etc and we got to eat in the wonder that is our Toyota Corolla. Again-- I get that we probably made a mistake, but, it seems to me that they could have been just a little accommodating instead of tossing us out. Point is, food is good, but staff are assholes. Very disappointing. The whole experience was rude on their part and embarrassing for us. We will never return.
AL
Alice Wang
I came here with a friend for brunch on Sunday morning. Holy guacamole was it crowded. Theres seating both inside on the first and second floors, as well as outdoor seating right out front. At least 80% of the seats were already taken. However, we were able to score seats outside despite the mob. Northside serves up Counter Culture coffee, Rishi tea, and Trickling Springs Creamery milk. In addition to coffee (drip, French press, pour overs), teas (varieties range from green, red, black, herbal, and everything in between), hot chocolate, espressos, lattes, and the like, Northside also serves pastries like pop tarts, muffins, scones, cookies, and pies; breakfast sandwiches and paninis; quiches; salads; soups; and other sandwiches. They also have cheese, charcuterie, and hummus platters. And wine! Its an all-in-one shop for all your major food groups. I decided to get the genmaicha tea and a nutella pop-tart. Both items came out quickly. They gave me a tray with a cup, my tea in a loose leaf teapot, and a sand timer for perfect brewing. Everything was delicious. The pop tart was fresh and hot, and I was head over heels for that chocolatey goodness. I thought my choice of tea was the perfect balance to my sweet tooth. Love the food, the drinks, and the atmosphere. This is a popular spot for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, and its pretty obvious why. A wonderful place to catch up and hang out with friends, family, and pets (they allow dogs on the outdoor patio).
PE
Penny Anthopolos
I love this non-pretentious, very affordable place with great "atmospheres"--theres the (wonderful-in-warmer-weather!) outdoor seating where one can sit for hours, sipping lemonade, a beer, iced-coffee--whatever--and just have a nice, relaxed evening with friends--about people around you who may well become your friends--I met my husband there! Theres the first "inside area" that you come upon when you walk in, which can be pleasant (but it sometimes a bit loud and possibly crowded--many people like this establishment!) A little further back, theres a generally quieter area, where a lot of folks seem to use their laptops and tables, either alone or while seated with a friend, and upstairs, theres a comfortable, non-"rowdy," non-overrun-by-sometimes-a-tad-annoying college and just-post-college folks--rather, it is essentially a wine (etc.?) bar--so if you go up there, be prepared to buy some spirits--thats required if you want to enjoy the somewhat-"calmer," darker, nice atmosphere--and somehow the music [non-live] is always-pretty-good! Just a great place that, despite its relatively modesty, does a good job of bringing together people who are awesome Arlingtonians, and offering non-expensive treats and a variety of "atmospheres." Very authentic and pleasant--and I greatly hope it never goes out of business while Im around--and that its real estate isnt bought out by a Paneras or develops who want to crowd in some unneeded hotel or whatnot.
VE
Veronica Yeh
This is an Arlington institution. Its a two-story coffee shop that has amazing food and drinks and is almost always packed. Upstairs is a wine bar, with extra seating, but be aware that if you order downstairs you cannot eat upstairs because I believe it has a separate owner. My favorite place to eat is on their charming patio. I have tried to many of their dishes from their poke to the baked goods. I love their smoked salmon sandwich, quiche Lorraine, roast beef sandwich, white bean soup, Cobb salad and their potato salad. Try them all! They are so yummy! Service is also fantastic. Im a dark roast kind of girl and the lady who took my order once told me that they didnt have a dark roast that day but had a medium roast. When I tried it I wasnt a fan and they let me switch it up with their loose leaf jasmine green tea, which tasted amazing. I really appreciated that gesture. I come here about every week even though parking is not optimal, but I know that Im getting quality food, drinks and service here. I Highly recommend trying Northside social if you havent!
A
A Private User
Northside Social is one of my two favorite places in the DC area (the other being Cassatts Kiwi Cafe). Being from the upper Midwest, I miss all the independent coffee shops with a casual laid back atmosphere but good food and coffee, which Northside has. They have a dedicated pastry chef, and you can tell: Once youve tasted Northside scones youll never be satisfied by anyone elses. Come early to get them warm. The more substantial food (sandwiches and salads) is good too. Two minor quibbles. They get half a star off for the price: Even by DC standards, this place is pricey for a coffee and pastry (wine prices are more typical). On the upside, the reason for the higher prices is by all accounts the fact that they use organic and locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. Another half star comes off for the fact that on weekends it is packed - I mean really packed. Very tricky to get more than one seat on a Sat or Sun afternoon. Nonetheless if you live in the area - or are visiting Clarendon - definitely dont miss it!
EM
Emily Simmons
You cant go wrong with the food here. Brunch options are delicious, and cookie/muffin/scones boast both traditional flavors and foodie-friendly options (lemon lavender and whiskey chocolate chip). Counter culture coffee is hard to go wrong with and they always have at least two brews going. Plus if youre a major addict you can buy a 5 lb bag. The addition of the evening wine bar, craft beers and summer summer cookouts make it a consistent local favorite. The downside is the staff are quite impersonal, but you cant blame them with the high traffic, and parking is stupid expensive ($1.5/hr and a four hr time limit). That said this is still a favorite place to get work done or to catch up with friends. The patio is the best place for brunch and conversation, and the upstairs and back room provided plenty of outlets and space for laptops. Most spaces are a narrow bar however so dont expect to have room to spread out books, notes, etc.
