Buzz

Owner: Meghan Sullivan
Location: 901 Slaters Lane, Alexandria, VA
Clientele: khaki-sportin' managers and pro staffers, well-heeled and focused

I would say that Buzz is a bakery first, coffeehouse second. It occupies a beautiful and well-kept space on Slaters Lane, an area recently renovated in Alexandria.

I'm far too frugal to spend $3 on an itty-bitty cupcake or $4.95 on a choco tart (though one such tart was sure lookin' at me), but they are well known for their in-house-baked goods. So, I didn't imbibe on the sugar goodies. They also have panini and other such savories available.

Coffee drinks default to ceramic cups unless otherwise requested. This was my second visit to Buzz and I found the coffee drinks to be pretty bad, unfortunately. Consistent to my first visit, my routine order of a medium cappuccino came in a ~12 oz cup ($3.25), had kinda crappy foam, and tasted watery and burnt. The barista was a young college girl on her summer break. While attentive and helpful, I don't think she received good training in the coffee arts. Ugh, a waste of good coffee molecules.

Most customers were working hard in their laptops on the weekday afternoon I visited, but a few were reading magazines or otherwise enjoying rare free time. Seating is well available during the week, a bit tighter on the weekends.

Awesome outside, shaded seating area. This is a nice place to watch the Alexandria folks drive by or walk to Rustico, the restaurant across the street. Parking available behind the building, if you are lucky enough to score one. Additional street parking readily available.