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Ashland Coffee & Tea
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for Ashland Coffee & Tea
13 reviews in English
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Review from Ray J.
Ashland, VA
2/28/2010
Pleasantly surprised for Sunday Brunch!
Around Ashland finding Breakfast usually means waiting a 1/2 hour at Cracker Barrel or some other chain restaurant. The Ashland Coffee & Tea was significantly better food and coffee, price was reasonable too, $14 per person for a full buffet.
They redefine comfortable when it comes to restaurants, come as you are and have a pleasant time. -
Review from Xerxes N.
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Little did I know that veering off of the interstate in what I consider is the middle of nowhere landed me in this awesome little coffee shop!
Coming back from DC from a few business meetings my office mate headed the opposite way suggested that we meet here and I'm sure glad we did. I'm over the Starbucks scene. You can't find a decent seat in Panera. This is way out of my stomping ground but I travel a bit and this place happens to be on my way up and down from wherever I typically go. It's nice that it is only about a mile off the interstate --- very convenient.
They do have Internet. While that sounds typical I haven't found many places in Virginia Beach or Norfolk that offer the web for a lone traveler or one who needs to work while out and about. Then again this joint is near a college campus so this is expected. Still, not being used to this I was able to pull out my laptop to get a few things done.
Even better was that this coffee shop served one kick ass lunch --- the ultimate treat. A club sandwich, although very simple, was absolutely delicious. They didn't use the typical packaged meat found at say a Subway... this sandwich was legit. Just enough dressing, not too much, and the sandwich wasn't too big to bite. The potato salad was just as good.
Staff was okay...nothing special. My mind was busy with other things so I wasn't so much worried about anyone's attitude or demeanor that day.
Overall, a cool place to get some work done while on the go. Get out and stretch your legs when your traveling to and from DC/VB. grab a cup of coffee, a bite to eat and be on your way. -
Review from Jennifer H.
Ashland, VA
1/26/2012
Living in Ashland makes me feel like I should stop here more.. then I remember why I don't. The service is the slowest I have ever experienced - just to get a bagel. And most of the time the kind you want is out.
Chai tea is good. Lunch sandwiches are tasty but they are expensive and slow yet again. I think this place has the potential to be great, if only they were more efficient. I'm sure if you set aside the time to sit down and relax with some tea and good food, it's perfectly good. However.. if you just want to swing by and grab something to go... you just can't. It's not possible here unless perhaps you time it just right. -
Review from Vanessa L.
Richmond, VA
11/25/2011
I initially thought that this establishment had to work on decor and set-up but now I find that it all just adds to this shop's charm. It's definitely not another "fast food" assembly line.
What I've ordered:
1. regular coffee
- self-serve thermos' with different coffees to choose from
2. bagel and cream cheese with tomatoes ( with or without pesto)
- not too happy with it since they spread the cream cheese on a hot bagel then serve it like a sandwich. It's messy.
3. "Fast Train" combo
- sausage, egg, and cheese on your choice of bread and a small coffee
- i love this one, this place makes and serves it just right.
4. Brownies
- "hits the spot" on chocolate cravings
5. Muffins (two kinds)
- the girl at the counter didn't know exactly what flavor muffins they had which i found amusing. I'll assume one kind would be coffee/espresso with bits of chocolate (though she told me they were pumpkin spice) and the other I'm sure was orange. They were both extremely good.
6. Sunday Brunch
- loved the food, the friendly people and the service
- food area needs more light
Ashland Coffee and Tea is short on efficiency but it makes up for good coffee, comfortable lounge/work space, and it's unique and cool vibe. -
Review from S W.
Alexandria, VA
3/31/2012
One of the worst coffee or public outings I have experienced. I gave an extra star to be generous in hopes that they will sometime soon alleviate their issues. I happened by while on a road trip. I walked in at 10:30am. The inner decore is cute and very roomy. I walked to the counter to order and the girl taking the order gave no smile though I greeted her with one. She was obviously bothered by us being there. I ordered just a regular coffee which I served myself. Though to my dismay, 6.5 out of the 8 carafes were empty. I had asked her for soy milk, but she didn't want to let me use it until she had filled other drinks...for which soy was not being used. As we left we overheard her complaining to her co-worker that, "of course she was in a horrible mood. she had been there all morning." The coffee was ok. My friends Mocha was like drinking syrup from the bottle.
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Review from Joel S.
Mechanicsville, VA
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Brunch is fabulous, try the PB&J waffles. Coffee shop side has lots of comfy couch's to read the Sunday morning paper.
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Review from Mos D.
Tampa, FL
12/9/2010 6 Check-ins Here
I've been coming here recently when I discovered that not only is their coffee, better and cheaper than Starbucks... but the food is pretty good too. I love the relax, drop in some change, pour yourself a cup of coffee attitude. The couches and chairs are comfortable, the music is always good, and the place just has a great rustic country feel.
The food is in fact good, but I feel it's what holds this place back from 5 stars. If the Paninis were a little more thought out and they used better ingredients I'd easily go up a notch. -
Review from Stephanie W.
Arlington, VA
2/12/2009
When I was on the east coast in January and felt myself suffocating during my 24 hours in Virginia (not used to the south or the space or the people), I made a breakfast trip to Ashland Coffee and Tea with a good friend. It was like being back in California all over again! They had the large overstuffed sofas, the slam poetry and live music in the evenings as well as delicious scones and a pretty decent nonfat cappuccino.
They brought the coffees out to our table at one of the sofas. They let us sit for as long as we wanted and were quite amiable for as long as we remained there. The foam on the cappuccino was a bit too light but overall it was a decent drink in a place with a great atmosphere. And best of all, Ashland has proclaimed itself "The Center of the Universe" (look it up on their website or anything in this tiny town.
I mean, when else will I be able to go to the middle of nowhere and say I had coffee in the center of the universe?Listed in: Just a Cuppa' Joe
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Review from Franco C.
5/19/2007
This is one of the 3 places that appears to have any life after dark in Ashland.
As coffee shops go, this one is very well done. They had live entertainment in a big back room, but I just grabbed my cappy and spent a few minutes listening to the music and browsing the front room.
They had quite a large menu of small finger type foods and I guess if you are a regular you can leave your mug there. The place was wireless - but alas I was without my gear so didn't get to try it out.
Definitely good and the people working there all seemed happy to be there. -
Review from Mark G.
Mechanicsville, VA
Very cool coffee house setting with big sofas and lots of areas to just relax. Coffee was good. Will go again.
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Review from David W.
Falls Church, VA
6/16/2011
Good WI-fi, tasty tea, pretty setting. Great place for an on-the-road work afternoon
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Review from Jane M.
Charlottesville, VA
6/24/2008
Ashland is a small town of a little more than 6,000 people. It's only a minute or two from I-95, and sits just north of the edge of suburban Richmond, but feels self-contained, like a definable place, in a way that's all too rare these days. The town is home to Randolph-Macon College, one of America's most hyphenated institutions of higher learning. In the early part of this decade, Ashland's residents unsuccessfully fought Wal-Mart, using pink flamingos as a symbol of la resistance (source: Wikipedia and my friend). Smartline....er, Frontline, even did a show about it. All this in a county that gave George W. Bush 71!(%) in 2004. So, Ashland...and its Coffee and Tea. ACT is a snap to find from I-95, and sits right on a main drag through town. Look for the railroad tracks...just don't stop on them. I visited ACT on a recent mid-afternoon. It being summer, there weren't a whole lot of college kids around, so the shop was quiet and relaxed.
But get to the point, how was the coffee?!
Well, it was $1.50 for a mug, and 50 cents for a refill, which I consider reasonable for an independent establishment. I got the hazlenut variety. It tasted great, but because it was in a thermos and not over a heat source, as I think is the case with all of their blends, it wasn't as hot as I'd have liked. I put a moderate amount of milk in my coffee, but still.
What else is there to say?
ACT looked like they had a nice selection of pastries and cookies, and a chalkboard indicated a suitably collegian beer selection. More importantly, Ashland Coffee and Tea seems to be truly community oriented. There were dozens of posters and fliers up for past and future music acts performing there, and for events taking place in the greater Richmond area. I just checked their website, and ACT is hosting 10 music acts over the course of July 2008. So many places try to establish a critical mass of local involvement, but I'd guess that few seem to do so as successfully as ACT does. I don't live there, so I can't say how Ashland Coffee and Tea works on a daily basis, or during the school year, but everything I saw suggests it's a real place in a real place, and one you can partake in at a reasonable price. -
Review from John K.
Arlington, VA
11/10/2010
Great atmosphere and incredibly cozy place. Love the coffee selection, food options, and location. Service is great and you will never feel uncomfortable or in the way here b/c of the seating options. Also, great live music :)
