A hidden gem in NoVa, Foundation is a cute coffee shop behind a busy shopping mall. People travel from across the country to check this place out! The workers are always very kind and friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kholida Karimova
Coffee is great, low rating as they charge additional $1 for alternative milks. Not vegan friendly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Shahraiz Khan
It was a good time, but it was packed. Coffee was good, and the cheesecake was even better. I'd suggest getting it to go since the service was super quick.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pizza Jahanmir
The food is so good. It’s very cozy and it’s a great place to come with your friends the coffee here and a whole different word. I can’t even explain how good it is and don’t even get started with the bagel and cream cheese. My friend here has cream cheese all over his mouth. It’s so goodand the workers here are so kind and highly recommend you to come to this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Moonsun Cho
Accidentally found this place while waiting for a store to open nearby. Very cool location in the backside of a shopping mall. Ordered a pour-over Foundation coffee which blends three different single origins--ethiopia, brazil and columbia--and LOVED it! Has its own roastery so coffee was quite fresh and full of aroma. A great place to chill out with a cup of coffee in a quite and peaceful atmosphere. Agree with the other comment about using paper cup for pour-over: Bring your own ceramic mug, serious coffee drinkers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jomanah5 Alyahya
The coffee is delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful. The dessert isn’t perfect, but it’s acceptable. HaeK is the best staff member when it comes to making coffee!🤍
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jesse W
They do not disappoint!!! Delicious fresh made to order sandwiches! Coffee shop quality coffees. Calm chill vibe tucked away from the rest of the ships but very well-known. The dessert treats are yummy too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sam Dumas
Nice place good coffee
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
D Ra (Dr Evo)
I feel happy here. Ambiance atmosphere and spacing for remote work or large gathering is wonderful. Cold brew pour over is refreshing and top quality! Perfect for summer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pastries, Scones
H H
Servers were very nice and helped me find a tea o could drink. They don’t allow any outside food or drinks which was frustrating because I’m allergic to EVERYTHING on the menu and couldn’t eat my own snack with my friends who ordered from the coffee shop.
What a lovely location. I have worked across the street for years and never knew this was here. The atmosphere is nice, and the cappuccino was delightful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Meredith Adams
I love this place! Their coffee is the BEST and I’m not a huge coffee drinker personally. The industrial vibe inside is also a nice change of pace. Highly recommend making a pitstop here on your way to work.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oluwatunmise Oladejo
Some of the best-kept secrets don’t scream for attention — they whisper. And tucked quietly behind Fairfax’s Fair City Mall, this minimalist, mood-rich café is doing just that. It’s not visible from the main road. No big neon signs. No crowds pouring in from the front. You have to know it’s there — or stumble upon it like a local secret whispered between friends. But once you find it, you’ll never forget it.
This isn’t your typical espresso bar. With stadium-style seating, WiFi-friendly nooks, and a laid-back, design-forward interior, this café feels more like a creative hub than a coffee shop. Perfect for quiet meetups, deep work, or first dates that need just the right mix of privacy and buzz. “Unorthodox approach… a row of stairs for seating — absolutely cool!” “I believe all of their coffees and teas are better than the two corporate giants.” “The lattes are great! Iced vanilla, green tea, strawberry milk matcha — all on point.”
The menu blends specialty espresso drinks with subtle Asian twists — matcha, strawberry milk, tiramisu lattes — alongside cheesecakes, Oreo scones, and fluffy pastries that keep people coming back. “Basque cheesecake? Divine.” “The Oreo scone is life-changing.” “Strawberry matcha isn’t on the menu, but ask — they’ll make it for you.”
It’s the kind of spot where flavors are thoughtful, sweetness isn’t overdone, and staff are happy to riff off the menu just to make your day better.
With natural light pouring in, a layout built for thinkers and slow talkers, and just the right amount of hustle, this café gives you space — not pressure. “I love the stylish look from both inside and outside.” “Great for working with WiFi… even stadium seating!” “Parking’s tricky, but worth it.” Fairfax doesn’t offer many cafés that stay open late, but this one? Open till 9PM (except Sundays), giving creatives and night owls a warm landing pad.
Once you’ve had your fill of artisan lattes, cheesecake, and that soft lighting glow, elevate your evening with a visit to PullUpDC. Just like this café, PullUpDC offers a curated, elevated experience — except with premium cannabis strains designed for relaxation, creativity, or just vibing out. This is the café you’ll wish you found sooner — but now that you know, you’re in the circle. It’s quietly cool, deeply flavorful, and perfectly Fairfax. Pull up. Sip slow. Then pull up to PullUpDC.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sumaiya Nezam
Worst experience ever. Staff are super rude and do not have manner to talk. They came out of no where and started saying you cannot sit here, it’s for staff, despite there was no any sign or board or an isolated area, it was just another normal space within the rest of seating arrangements. Waste of money and time and uneducated uncultured staff( lady manager)!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ashwith Rao Neelagiri
Caution:- Don’t go because of the ratings⚠️⛔️
Went to the store because of reviews, but inside its totally different. So rude and Pathetic behavior by manager . Doesn’t show any respect to the customers.
Can be skipped, unless you don’t care about the service, and of-course if you want to spoil your mood!!!
A hidden gem in NoVa, Foundation is a cute coffee shop behind a busy shopping mall. People travel from across the country to check this place out! The workers are always very kind and friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Coffee is great, low rating as they charge additional $1 for alternative milks. Not vegan friendly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
It was a good time, but it was packed. Coffee was good, and the cheesecake was even better. I'd suggest getting it to go since the service was super quick.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is so good. It’s very cozy and it’s a great place to come with your friends the coffee here and a whole different word. I can’t even explain how good it is and don’t even get started with the bagel and cream cheese. My friend here has cream cheese all over his mouth. It’s so goodand the workers here are so kind and highly recommend you to come to this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Accidentally found this place while waiting for a store to open nearby. Very cool location in the backside of a shopping mall. Ordered a pour-over Foundation coffee which blends three different single origins--ethiopia, brazil and columbia--and LOVED it! Has its own roastery so coffee was quite fresh and full of aroma. A great place to chill out with a cup of coffee in a quite and peaceful atmosphere. Agree with the other comment about using paper cup for pour-over: Bring your own ceramic mug, serious coffee drinkers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The coffee is delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful. The dessert isn’t perfect, but it’s acceptable. HaeK is the best staff member when it comes to making coffee!🤍
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
They do not disappoint!!! Delicious fresh made to order sandwiches! Coffee shop quality coffees. Calm chill vibe tucked away from the rest of the ships but very well-known. The dessert treats are yummy too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice place good coffee
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I feel happy here. Ambiance atmosphere and spacing for remote work or large gathering is wonderful. Cold brew pour over is refreshing and top quality! Perfect for summer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pastries, Scones
Servers were very nice and helped me find a tea o could drink. They don’t allow any outside food or drinks which was frustrating because I’m allergic to EVERYTHING on the menu and couldn’t eat my own snack with my friends who ordered from the coffee shop.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
What a lovely location. I have worked across the street for years and never knew this was here. The atmosphere is nice, and the cappuccino was delightful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this place! Their coffee is the BEST and I’m not a huge coffee drinker personally. The industrial vibe inside is also a nice change of pace. Highly recommend making a pitstop here on your way to work.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Some of the best-kept secrets don’t scream for attention — they whisper. And tucked quietly behind Fairfax’s Fair City Mall, this minimalist, mood-rich café is doing just that.
It’s not visible from the main road. No big neon signs. No crowds pouring in from the front. You have to know it’s there — or stumble upon it like a local secret whispered between friends.
But once you find it, you’ll never forget it.
This isn’t your typical espresso bar. With stadium-style seating, WiFi-friendly nooks, and a laid-back, design-forward interior, this café feels more like a creative hub than a coffee shop. Perfect for quiet meetups, deep work, or first dates that need just the right mix of privacy and buzz.
“Unorthodox approach… a row of stairs for seating — absolutely cool!”
“I believe all of their coffees and teas are better than the two corporate giants.”
“The lattes are great! Iced vanilla, green tea, strawberry milk matcha — all on point.”
The menu blends specialty espresso drinks with subtle Asian twists — matcha, strawberry milk, tiramisu lattes — alongside cheesecakes, Oreo scones, and fluffy pastries that keep people coming back.
“Basque cheesecake? Divine.”
“The Oreo scone is life-changing.”
“Strawberry matcha isn’t on the menu, but ask — they’ll make it for you.”
It’s the kind of spot where flavors are thoughtful, sweetness isn’t overdone, and staff are happy to riff off the menu just to make your day better.
With natural light pouring in, a layout built for thinkers and slow talkers, and just the right amount of hustle, this café gives you space — not pressure.
“I love the stylish look from both inside and outside.”
“Great for working with WiFi… even stadium seating!”
“Parking’s tricky, but worth it.”
Fairfax doesn’t offer many cafés that stay open late, but this one? Open till 9PM (except Sundays), giving creatives and night owls a warm landing pad.
Once you’ve had your fill of artisan lattes, cheesecake, and that soft lighting glow, elevate your evening with a visit to PullUpDC. Just like this café, PullUpDC offers a curated, elevated experience — except with premium cannabis strains designed for relaxation, creativity, or just vibing out.
This is the café you’ll wish you found sooner — but now that you know, you’re in the circle. It’s quietly cool, deeply flavorful, and perfectly Fairfax.
Pull up. Sip slow. Then pull up to PullUpDC.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Worst experience ever. Staff are super rude and do not have manner to talk. They came out of no where and started saying you cannot sit here, it’s for staff, despite there was no any sign or board or an isolated area, it was just another normal space within the rest of seating arrangements.
Waste of money and time and uneducated uncultured staff( lady manager)!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Caution:- Don’t go because of the ratings⚠️⛔️
Went to the store because of reviews, but inside its totally different. So rude and Pathetic behavior by manager . Doesn’t show any respect to the customers.
Can be skipped, unless you don’t care about the service, and of-course if you want to spoil your mood!!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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