Colada Shop
244 19th Ct S, Arlington, VA
Crema's Take
“Colada Shop brings Cuban coffee culture to Arlington with genuinely bold, rich espresso drinks that live up to the hype, paired with a thoughtfully designed space that encourages lingering and conversation. The vibe is refreshingly low-pressure—you can order at your own pace, seat yourself, and soak in the open atmosphere with good music and clean, cute decor—while the staff's warmth and genuine friendliness makes you feel genuinely welcomed. It's the kind of place where creative specialty drinks and an in-house kitchen mean you could easily spend hours without feeling rushed.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
Any place where I don't have to directly interact with someone to order my food is fantastic! I was able to come in, seat myself, go through the menu on my own, and even grab my own water. But other than that I was able to sit down and enjoy my dinner in peace. Also their cocktails are phenomenal!
The coffee at Colada Shop is absolutely amazing—rich, bold, and perfectly Cuban. But honestly, it's only bested by the incredible customer service! The staff is so friendly, welcoming, and genuinely nice every time I visit. They make you feel like a regular from day one. Highly recommend stopping by for a cortadito or colada—you won't be disappointed!
The Colada shop has been a wonderful place to spend time. The atmosphere is phenomenal and they do a great job with their menu. Tasty drinks and the food is pretty good. A little on the higher side with the price point for what you get, but there’s good flavors and intention behind the menu. The reason I have to give 3 stars is because I’ve come here plenty of times but my recent visit during a weekday morning didn’t sit right with me. The staff is usually great, and there’s a person up front that is always nice. She’s making drinks, taking orders, and bringing them out. But the most recent person I got wasn’t her and she was incredibly rude to me. I go out of my way to be nice to people in the service industry because I’ve done it. But this was actually unbelievable. It wasn’t my fault you were out of something and I was deciding what to get next. I didnt take long but the attitude was rough. I am debating whether or not I want to go back which is sad because this place is good overall
An enjoyable and easy experience top-to-bottom. The food is very creative and flavorful, the service kind and attentive, and the atmosphere comfortable and clean. I personally adore it when an in-house customer gets to drink out of a real mug instead of a to-go cup. I’d come here anytime, especially during their Happy Hour deals.
This place is really cute with a nice open vibe and good music. The decor is nice. The staff was friendly, but didn’t seem to know much about the menu. One of them rushed me to order even though the place was pretty empty, and both the girls I spoke seemed really unsure when I asked basic questions about the food and drinks. This made ordering difficult because I kept receiving “I don’t know” when I asked simple questions. The Sofrito Chicken Wrap tasted good but was basically all lettuce, there was barely any chicken (maybe 3 tiny pieces worth) and zero chickpeas at all like the menu said there would be. On the bright side, the croquetas were so good. The La Negra Tiene Tumbao cocktail was just alright… it tasted like an overly sweet piña colada. The menu said it had fernet, but I only saw a few drops added on top, and I couldn’t really taste it. Definitely didn’t look like the picture, which made it seem a lot more balanced. Overall, it was underwhelming, but I’d give it another shot. Prices were actually really reasonable for this area, which was a nice surprise. Might be because they skimp on proteins.
Crema Reviews
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