The second day of my DC coffee express extravaganza stopped at Compass Coffee in the Shaw area of our Nation's Capital. The area has a real neighborhoody (I know I made that word up) feel to it and frankly that was really appealing to me. The shop was founded by two former Marines which instantly endears them to me due to my family connection with the bad ass division of our country's military. They actually roast the beans right there in the coffee house so there is no chance these beans wont be as freshly roasted as possible. They source their beans from all over the world and I think I will have to come back to try as many flavor profiles as possible. We are off to a good start here.
Ambiance
The facility has a somewhat modern look and feel with a lot of their coffee wares for sale displayed in large open shelving. More on that below. When you walk in you are greeted by friendly faces behind the counter and a somewhat open and very sunlit space. It has a different feel from many coffee houses in that way. There is nothing dark and cozy about this place. The downstairs features the coffee bar and and some bar seating facing out to the front window. The upstairs has several communal tables. All of the sitting is not meant to look or feel comfortable. Metal stools! It's like they just don't want you to stay long. Overall the place is very clean including the restrooms. The employees were all very friendly and attentive. They were quick to offer some assistance and were knowledgeable about the product. I sank my butt into the uncomfortable seating from 9 AM to 11 AM and it was very busy pretty much the entire time. Constant walk-ins and people seemed to know each other and the employees. The place is not overly loud, but crowd noise was more noticeable. The music was more upbeat with a hip hop flavor. I definitely liked it, but they decided to switch it up to some oldies. Definitely not my jam for a city coffee shop. This was a mixed bag. They do offer Wi-Fi. You will need to ask for the password once you have ordered something from the coffee bar. That to me is the best way to offer Wi-Fi and I hope will be the norm. Overall, Compass feels more like a neighborhood establishment. It is basically embedded right off Florida avenue in a residential area so that seems to follow.
Sidebar: There seems to be a theme developing where a lot of coffee houses display their bags of roasted coffee, tools of the trade, and other supplies out in the open. I am not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand it makes for good marketing of the products, but on the other hand it feels a little more like a production facility. I generally prefer my coffee houses to feel comfortable and relaxed. In this instance it works well because Compass wants to sell their take home coffee offerings. They offer a huge selection of brew at home beans, Chemex pour over pots, and other accessories. Again, the issue with this approach comes back to the fact that when I go to a city coffee house, I don't want to think retail so much as unique coffee drinking experience. I will reserve judgment until I see some other presentations.
Ambiance Rating: 2
Coffee
Ok, lets get to the main reason one would actually visit a coffee shop. THE COFFEE! Overall, the menu features some pretty standard offerings. You will find espresso, americanos, cappuccinos, and other assorted latte beverages. No pour overs or special drips. The key here is their variety of coffee bean. The owners do an excellent job of sourcing flavorful options from all over the world. So you are not likely to get the same brew experience twice. They also have nitro cold brew, which is something I discovered in Portland at Stumptown and I always enjoy a taste where I can find it here on the right coast. I ordered an americano as my initial beverage. It was nice and hot and had some really great flavor. The dark intensity of the espresso burst through the hot water to offer a wonderful flavor. I would get this option again. The americano cost $2.45. I also ordered the nitro cold brew on my way out the door and boy was it good. So much more intensity than a standard iced coffee. No watered down coffee taste here. I really picked up on the smoky flavor of the coffee roast. This is a must order when you visit Compass. It will set you back $3.00.
My biggest beef with Compass revolves around the presentation of the coffee. They served their in house coffee drinks in disposable cups. I was given no option to even drink it out of mug as an alternative. Something about that really bothers me. Perhaps its for efficiency. Maybe they control costs by not having ceramic mugs, but I love my coffee in a nice mug made for drinking hot beverages. The paper cups were a turn off. I wonder how many places do this? Perhaps I had to ask. I do not think that I should have to ask. I didn't notice anyone else drinking out of a mug while I was there, so I do no think it was even an option. This definitely will impact the final rating.
Coffee Rating: 5
Food
As for the food, Compass offers pretty standard coffee house fare. They have some pre-wrapped sandwiches, yogurts and granola. They also sell a lot organic juices. There is nothing special and I didn't order anything to even try.
Food Rating: NA
To wrap things up here with a tidy bow, Compass does one thing really well. Coffee. Despite the lack of pour overs and other fancy brewing styles, they do have good flavorful coffee. That is a big positive. However, the seating and style of the coffee house just doesn't suit me as well. Also the lack of mugs for serving coffee is just a no no. That being said, I would pop in to grab coffee to go anytime.
Final Rating: 3
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