Drinks were good! Service was standard, not terrible but didn't go above and beyond. Took my 8 yo…read moreniece who was visiting and we tried to replicate a drink that she was comfortable with and enjoyed at her local boba spot but after we received the drink, she mentioned that hers was more icy (blended). I asked if they could blend with ice and they said no - though they had blended drinks on the menu. Didn't dig deeper as to why, but seemed like they just didn't want to accommodate. But overall, drinks were good enough that we went back.

Went in for coffee and a snack around 4pm. Ended up ordering a cappuccino with oat milk and a…read morebreakfast croissant with egg and avocado. Was super excited they served a vegetarian breakfast sandwich all day as none of their other sandwiches were veggie. All good. Set up my laptop to do some work. The drink and sandwich came quickly. The sandwich was really terrific, warm and full of freshness, and there were condiments galore available if you wanted them. What dropped the visit was the lack of general awareness from the people running the store. Someone came to do deliveries (dad?) and they propped the door open to unload their van. They slowly moved things armful by armful - ok I get it, it's probably a family business, and it's hard work. Leave the door propped open. Gusts of cold wind were coming in and blowing so hard even the gals behind the counter would look over at the door open. I ignored it and went back to my laptop. It was open a while. After a bit I didn't see anyone going in and out, but the door was still open. Now other patrons were glancing at the door as they were getting blasted by the "feels like 21" wind. A little while later the guy who was bringing in items emerged from the kitchen, said goodbye to the people working there (his kids?) and walked out, closing the door behind him. Ok so we froze for no reason as he was done moving stuff but left the door wide open when talking with the staff. For a while. After that I couldn't get comfortable again. I noticed that they were not busy for a spell but one of the gals behind the counter played on her phone rather than cleaned up the spills on the counter or swept the floor. Those small quick things would have improved the inside greatly. Again I get it, this is hard repetitive work, but the awareness was lacking. The food and drink were not good enough to make up for this. I personally doubt I'll be back.

A yelp find that was delicious. Very unassuming from the outside but the inside is cute and the…read morefood I had was awesome. They have a sampler of their different toasts that was so cool looking and all were delicious. The iced mocha was good and they were very nice to interact with.

It is a quirky little place situated in a really industrial section of Richmond Highway. Getting on…read moreand off the highway isn't easy or trivial with no merge and potholes (not the stores fault) That said the menu is pretty diverse, serving B-L-D from 6a-8p most days. We had two small lattes and pound cake to split for $10. Good value and taste.

This is a special pastry shop tucked away in a little corner of Alexandria that is worth a visit…read more They offer wonderful pastries, cakes, and tarts in small, medium and large sizes in many different flavors. I am quite sure they are using butter too as they make their own croissants as well. They offer the best ham and cheese sandwich on a buttery flaky croissant. Made with a thick slab of ham, cheese , leaf lettuce and tomato, all for the the modest price of $9.50 or so. Recently when I could not get their ham and cheese sandwich I went to another sandwich shop thattsupposedly had a highly rated ham and cheese sandwich . For $17, I got a panini sandwich with deli style ham and cheese and shredded lettuce and tomato . No comparison in taste . Hollin Hall sandwich was far superior and cost half of the competitor. NOTE: At the present time (June 2026) the sandwiches are NOT made to order. You need to call in 1 to 2 days before to ask them to make it for you and coordinate pickup with the staff. A neighborhood gem that is worth checking out!

I ordered a cake for my best friend's birthday from Hollin Hall and couldn't leave without taking a…read morefew pasties with me too! I got a German chocolate cake and it was really good! My friend was so happy. And it was really pretty too. The pastries are really beautifully done and all look so good. I settled on the chocolate mousse and lemon mousse. However, I didn't know at the time what they were bc I asked the staff and they didn't know... um what? How could they not know... so I guessed. There was also an issue with my cake order. I was quoted one thing through email and then they tried to charge me more when I picked up, even though I showed them the email with the price I was quoted. I still think the pasties and cakes are really good!

Delicious spot with a great selection of baked goods, breads and deli items…read more Enjoyed their egg salad sandwich in whole grain and almond croissant. Excellent. I even bought a whole loaf of sliced grain bread and prepared egg salad to have at home.

I thought the waffles were good. The breakfast burrito I felt needed some spices. Over all I give…read moreit a 4 star

The food is freshly made, with that rare and civilized charm of seeming to have arrived from a…read moresmall French village, only one with polished floors and the comforts of modern life. The service was a wonderful: swift, gracious, and, most unusually, kind enough to bring the food directly to our table. The line to order moved quickly, which made the experience here all the more lovely. Their breakfast pastries and desserts are beautifully varied and tempting. I had the egg, cheese and chorizo croissant which was buttery soft fluffy and most importantly deliciously filling. The ambiance is cozy, modern French chic, yet still family-friendly. Grounded Coffee is an elegant little refuge among the hustle and bustle, where you can sit at the long tables, a couch, or a table and linger over coffee, do a bit of work, and nibble a pastry as though time had politely agreed to wait.

Grounded Coffee shop is a pleasure and a treat! French inspired and American admired. I love to…read morestop in here when I'm in the Alexandria area. This time I sat and had lunch. The Croque Monsier was delicious; the ultimate grilled cheese with smoked Gouda, Gruyère, ham, and topped off with a creamy mornay sauce. The sandwich just oozed with cheese. Next time I'll get it to go and have it with tomato soup. Then I had a plain cappuccino which was slightly bitter and smooth. They have so much to choose from; a bakery and a wine bar. Next on my list is the short rib panini, the raspberry cream bear claw along with a few other items. It's a lovely place to have lunch and get work done. The noise level was low and parking was plenty. Truly an amazing escape!

The place has beauty on the inside. The place inside is nice but only a few tables. I got a drip…read morecoffee with some cream and that was not bad. The chai latte was also sweet but good too. I would go back and try their dirty chai and maybe some of their food.

Good food, great coffee, and excellent service. The people are very nice and want to please.read more

Their pan de dulce is soft and sweet. It's really the best pan dulce in the area. Their conchas are…read moremy favorite. They're massive - I wish they sold them in smaller sizes. The staff are friendly. The bakery is pretty small but also offers drip coffee. Important to know this place is CASH ONLY.

I felt like a cartoon following the smell to the entrance, as soon as I parked and got out of the…read morecar I could smell the delicious breads from around the corner. The bakery is small, but it has a lot of offerings. I was pleasantly surprised to see that everything is freshly baked in the back, you can get a glimpse from the store. They definitely carry authentic Mexican bread such as conchas, bolillo, piloncillo cookies and pan de muerto in November, which is how I ended up here! Prices are reasonable and the bread is very tasty and authentic. Glad to have found this place! Only downside is that they only accept cash.

Friend and I went here for brunch and really enjoyed it…read more Between the two of us, we ordered: - a pumpkin pie latte - a veggie lover omelet - eggs florentine - coffee cake Everything we got was quite good, and the service/atmosphere was wonderful too. Not to mention, it felt so fairly-priced compared to most places in Old Town! We spent about $50 between the two of us, which included a 20% tip on our bill. Hard to beat in this area honestly, especially given the quality of the food and service. I look forward to coming back and am so glad to finally have an answer to "where do you recommend going for brunch in Old Town?" -- a question that I've historically struggled with when people asked!

We stopped into HomeGrown on King Street for breakfast while visiting Alexandria. First impressions…read morewere very positive--the restaurant is clean, modern, and has a welcoming atmosphere. The staff was friendly, and the menu had several items that sounded interesting. Unfortunately, the experience didn't quite live up to the setting. I ordered the biscuits and gravy, which came with eggs and breakfast potatoes. The meal itself was good, and I liked that the eggs were included since that's not always the case with biscuits and gravy. I also ordered a Bloody Mary that was advertised on the menu as being garnished with bacon, celery and a pickle spear. When it arrived, there was no bacon, celery or pickle spear, and I was told they were out. Not a huge deal, but it would have been nice to know before ordering. The biggest issue was service timing. There were four of us dining together, and three meals arrived while the fourth entrée didn't show up for about ten more minutes. Since nobody wanted to eat while one person sat without food, our meals cooled off while we waited. Ironically, the delayed meal was a BLT--which did have bacon on it and even a pickle spear.... I finished my first Bloody Mary and ordered a second. After waiting 15-20 minutes with no drink arriving, our check was brought to the table and I ended up canceling it. My wife's meal was the biggest disappointment. It was served with corn chips that were extremely stale, which really hurt the overall dish. HomeGrown has a lot of potential. The atmosphere is great, the staff was pleasant, and parts of the meal were enjoyable. However, between the service delays, missing menu items, stale chips, and drink issues, there is definitely room for improvement.

I visited Sharbat for the honey cake, but I really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and the Nutella…read morelatte. The Nutella latte is as good as the original Killer ESP Nutella latte. The savory pastries are also very good, and their blueberry latte comes recommended (I couldn't stray from the Nutella latte though!) There are ample plugs for working while you enjoy your treats and the seats are pretty comfortable.

Cute spot serving delicious pastries and drinks!…read more I got the honey cake, mixed greens pastry, chicken borek, and a hot vanilla matcha drink. There was only one slice of honey cake left when I went, so it's definitely one of the more popular options. Would recommend going earlier if that's what you wanna try. It was my first time trying honey cake and I really enjoyed it! Loved all the layers. They heated up the chicken borek and mixed greens pastry for me, which I really appreciated. Both were amazing. Staff was so sweet and accommodating. There was a good amount of seating here. Gave cozy vibes. Would definitely recommend this spot!!

December 21, 2025........... Born and raised in a multi- cultural family in Los Angeles and Boyle…read moreHeights, CA I know a thing or two about Hispanic food! Since being transplanted here a year ago I wanted some tamales and pastries. My granddaughter went here last night and purchased 6 tamales, beans & rice, 2 elotes, 6 pastries, 1 drink the cost approximately $60+. The tamales were soggy, no flavor and appeared to have been sitting in a steamer for too long, inedible and all soggy masa!! The beans were watered down so much (I first thought it was gravy) I could have used a straw to drink if it were tasty which it wasn't! I tried a pastry, and it was definitely more than a day old because it was stale and dried out. I was surprised that any food at a place like this should not have a quick turnover of their food and freshness should be paramount! Perhaps they saw an unfamiliar face that probably wouldn't know any better and decided to push old food on a paying customer in lieu of disposing of. Never ever again will anyone in my family patronize this establishment. Take pride in your job and business!

Terrible service, I just bought two fish and they sold them to me uncleaned.The fish cleaning was…read morenot complete.