CNCT Coffee Review: Starbucks

237 Pennsylvania Ave SE

Love it or hate it, you all know it. It was only a matter of time before we had to review this Capitol Hill coffee spot: the Starbucks on Pennsylvania Avenue.

There’s no denying that this spot has earned it’s ranks among the Hill coffee staples – it’s centrally located and does great business with Hill staffers in a pinch and tourists alike.

For this review, I was feeling a bit festive and tried the Iced Sugar Cookie Latte and the Sugar Plum Cheese Danish. The best part of this drink: the caffeine hit. Really, this is just milk (or oatmilk in my case) with a slight hint of coffee and sweetener. For coffee snobs, it’s a bit of a sham.

The pastry was nice, but left a lot to be desired. The sugar plum jam and (presumably) cream cheese in the middle were tasty, but the danish was soggy rather than flakey.

The real question: Does this Starbucks work as a good networking spot? The answer is a resounding “no.” Actually, I would go as far as to discourage it. The music in the café is very loud – even coming from a guy wearing noise-cancelling headphones. The seating area is tight and, being swarmed with tourists, rarely has open spots.

The staff is pleasant, the café itself has a “lived in” feel to it, but this is a mega-brand lacking any sort of quality coffee or environment.

CNCT’s Ratings

• Coffee: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (coffee that relies solely on sweetener – which is albeit yummy)

• Food: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (bringing Easy Bake ovens to the year 2025)

• Speed: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (for fast coffee, not as fast as even some smaller cafés)

• Ambiance: ⭐☆☆☆☆ (super loud music and tight seating area)

• Accessibility from the Hill: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (right by the Hill, but beware tourists)

Overall: 2.5/5 — It’s Starbucks! You know what to expect: a place for a quick caffeine fix, not quite networking.