Location: 316 Dominion Road, Vienna
Undergroundz is a small coffeeshop inside the Soundry artist studio that took over an autobody shop in late 2007. While the concept of an espresso supply for the artists-at-work is nifty, I would not consider Undergroundz a destination coffee shop.
The coffee shop is very small, appropriately so, and is located just under the garage door. Four 2-person tables and free wi-fi are available. The quality of the espresso drinks rank somewhere between Starbucks and Caribou, and is poured into paper cups (no ceramic available) by unknowledgeable, but friendly teenagers. Think: mild, flat, milky coffee. I ordered my usual medium cappuccino ($3 for 16 oz.).
The sound system is bad (small boombox). The art goings-on is interesting. It's worth the time to wander the studio and perhaps see an artist creating his next work.
We were the only patrons on a Friday afternoon.
Vibe level: low
Parking: 2-3 spots in front.
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Hey there Kay Z,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting The Soundry and writng about us. I hope you will consider coming for another visit. I own The Soundry and I just want to add a little to the review and correct some inaccuracies. Sometimes, one visit is just not enough to get a true feel for a place--especially a place like The Soundry. We also have things in development which you may find interesting.
We opened about 9 months ago (late 2008, not 2007)We actually have 5 tables in the coffee shop as well as tables and chairs in the gallery if people want a quieter place to talk and view art.
We also now have ceramic "for here" cups and have never employed teenagers--everyone is in their mid twenties and older with previous barista experience. I am glad you found us friendly though! We take pride in our coffee and espresso drinks but you won't ever find us snobby about it:) We are also always striving to improve and be the best at what we do.
Please check back in the next 3-4 weeks--we are partnering with a micro roaster which produces small batches of beans with mega quality control. We will be renaming the coffee bar shortly while also investing in additional, artisan espresso training.
Although we do need better parking signs, we actually have 35 parking spots and even more in the evenings when our neighboring businesses close. We are also open until 1am and offer free wi-fi. Our sound system is through an online XM Radio, not a boombox. It isn't fancy, but it works for now. On Thursday nights we actually play records on an old-school turntable:)
Everyday day and night is different here because we have a variety of regular and special events going on. The variety of artists who work here also keeps things colorful. Tonight for instance is our weekly open mic which starts at 8pm and goes until 1am. We typically get 20+ performers and a wide range of genres which makes for an interesting evening.
I hope you will visit again and introduce yourself. I always enjoy meeting fellow coffee fiends!
Thanks again,
Jennifer Crawford
owner
The Soundry, LLC
316 Dominion Rd. NE
Vienna, VA 22180
http://www.soundry.net
703-698-0088
"A whatever place for artists, writers, musicians and everyone else"