Basecamp Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Tysons

TL; DR — ordered to pour over that was very over extracted. Staff is not knowledgeable about coffee. Please hire baristas who understand and are passionate about coffee.

I met some friends at Basecamp coffee roasters one morning. I mentioned to the barista that it was my first time there, that I like light roasts, maybe something from Ethiopia, and asked for some recommendations. It was like I had encountered a deer in headlights. The other barista came in to help, telling him to look at the packaging. I looked up, and thought that the labels on the bags look really familiar. Turns out they get their coffee from a local roaster in Vienna, Virginia, which I really like, Caffe Amouri. I was a little surprised, because I thought given the name that Basecamp Coffee Roasters was a coffee roaster. But okay, I’ve always enjoyed every coffee I’ve gotten or had had Caffe Amouri (their Ethiopia, Guatemala and Mexico decaf are regulars in our kitchen).

My barista found a light roast from Columbia, so I said let’s do it. I was surprised at $7 for a pour over (around $5 is more common for a 12 oz pour over in this area), but all good.

It took longer than I would expect, there was no order he was working on ahead of mine. But again, all good. I peaked behind the bar and saw the V60 filled.

Sadly, what came out was way over extracted. I went up and shared my feedback. Again, he seemed like a deer in headlights.

And this is my real problem with the situation: he is blindly following instructions provided on a piece of paper. He doesn’t understand coffee. When something goes wrong, he Isn’t in a position to understand and resolve the problem. I asked about the grind, the brew ratio, the drawdown time. His brew ratio was fine (roughly 1:14). Telling me you used a regular grind or then providing me a numeric setting on your grinder doesn’t help me understand what you are working with. He didn’t know the drawdown time, but seeing how long it took for him to provide the cup tells me that that’s probably the culprit, that the grind may have been too fine, resulting in over extraction.

They did offer to remake the cup, but I passed. If you don’t understand the problem, and you aren’t going to take a different approach, you’re just going to waste more good coffee.

There are great baristas in the area. SCA has some great classes. And there are great coffee labs in the area that provide training. In fact, Caffe Amouri, where you get your coffee beans, hosts a number of classes. Please take the...

Coffee Shop No. 418 Basecamp Coffee Roasters Tysons, VA September 21, 2024

I was so excited to finally get to have coffee with one of my CrossFit buddies. We made our way to Basecamp Coffee Roasters. It’s located in the back corner of a very busy parking lot, but we had no problem finding parking. The shop was much grander than I expected. Colorful vintage style posters of National Parks are hung on the wall. Gorgeous live edge wood bar height tables are available to relax at. The space was very open and the lighting gave off an uncluttered spacious feel even though the shop was busy when I was there. It seemed like great spot to get remote work done; an entire side of the shop was full folks on their computers. Be sure to take a glance at the coffee bags they have for sale. The bags are bright with vivid colors; several were for sale. Above Basecamp Coffee Roasters is Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness Center. My son used to be an avid climber so I made my way up the stairs to check it out. The space is large and it focuses on bouldering. In one corner is a fitness center and classes are available. Obviously, I went there for the cortado and it was delicious, but I was too busy chatting with my friend I forgot to take a picture. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Enjoying life one...

After a climbing session at Vertical, my friend and I went downstairs to visit their coffee shop.

The Drinks: I went with a class Iced Caramel coffee here. The coffee was good, mixed well and didn't have a burnt taste at all. Well flavored for my liking and at an affordable price as well.

The Service: Service was good! The staff here are friendly and welcoming when you walk in. Ordering was easy and straight forward with orders being sent out in a timely manner.

The Atmosphere: With the climbing gym being upstairs, it only makes sense that the decor and atmosphere fit into the "climbing/adventure" aesthetic. The coffee shop is spacious with plenty of seats to either relax/hangout or get some work done. They had nice National Park posters/stuff decorated around the shop as well. Really nicely decorated.

Overall, a 5/5! Great coffee, very chill and relaxing vibes. Would...