M E Swing Coffee Co

This industrial spot is a joy! Superb coffee and pastries. The cappuccino was perfect, rich, creamy and beautifully presented. One draw back; there never seems to be an open seat. They must be doing something right!

Very hip place right in Del Ray– not far off of Rt 1. They roast the coffee on site and have the menu right there on display for you to see. To me the coffees have a very Colombian overtone, and while I’m not a fan of that flavor or roast, I do think the atmosphere is bangin’ in there. Large, spacious, giant windows and ample seating.
As my daughter pointed out though… and this was huge in her world… they do not flavor lattes. Again– not my thing but if you are vanilla or hazlenut person, they have mocha and regular. BUT… they do some great art on top of the foam!

My sis was in town to visit me, so I knew I wanted to show her all the cutest places I’ve spotted so far, and Alexandria was definitely a must. I randomly picked this coffee spot, and I’m so glad I did. Both coffees came out just the way I like it, and boy oh boy, their cheese Danish is a Must Have because they use cinnamon bread and it was just heavenly good! If only this place is close to me, I’ll be there weekly =D

Swing has the best coffee in town, hands down. The only reason why I’m giving it 3 stars is because I believe they still have to find a balance between great coffee x quick service. I have limited my trips to Swing only for the weekends, when I don’t have a place to be afterwards. If I go there in the mornings before work, I almost give up my coffee because it takes so long. Parking can also be an issue in that location (much more on the weekends when the soccer fields, basketball court and dog park across the street are being used) so if you like to be in an out of a place for your coffee, forget it. But the coffee is the best I’ve ever had, no questions about it! Have a couple more spots for parking available in the front and make the baristas work faster, and you’ll get my 5 stars.

Oldest and best coffee roaster in DC. This review is for their location in Alexandria, where they do the roasting. The space itself is great, nice industrial feel and the staff is always friendly. Awesome customer service — you can definitely tell the barista’s love their work.
On Friday’s they do a coffee cupping that is open to the public. I’ve been once and really enjoyed it. You get to meet the coffee buyer and the roaster who both thoroughly explain how they maintain the quality of their roasts and evaluate new beans and roasts.
They also have pastries available in the mornings, with many good offerings. Do keep in mind, they aren’t open on Sundays.

Best coffee in town! The entire facility takes such great care putting out top quality coffee, and you can taste it in everything from their pour overs to their espresso drinks!

This coffee shop is so cute! I loved the ambience. The coffee was great as well! It was our first time coming, and the guy behind the counter looked pretty annoyed by that. We tried to rush and give him an order so we didn’t «waste his time», we had just maybe one or two questions that he seemed EXTREMELY annoyed to answer. He definitely made us feel unwelcome. So much, to the point that we won’t return.
If you’re a regular-you’ll be treated nicely. But if it’s your first time and you have a question, be prepared to be rushed and be treated like they don’t want you there.
Very disappointed.

Swings has great pour overs and espresso. They also added the Nitro cold brew. It’s like a smooth, non-​alcoholic Guiness. Recently, they expanded the pastries to include some savory options which is nice around lunchtime. The converted industrial space provides excellent light and atmosphere though the chairs are uncomfortable for sitting longer 45 minutes to an hour. For those with laptops, be aware that there are few outlets and wifi is a bit slow. Swings is clearly about being a coffeehouse not a second office. Sadly, they are closed Sundays.

Slightly hipster vibe, super friendly staff, and awesome coffee. The pour-​over is great on a rainy day. Sit back in one of their comfy chairs and watch the world go by.

Great product, beautiful place, friendly staff, fast wifi, great appointments… everything you need and want in a café

Today I went into the coffee bar to order my favorite drink, an americano with the espresso pulled for a longer time (called «lungo»). I didn’t recognize the woman at the register, so I double checked that she understood my slightly-​odd order. The woman at the register said sure, they know what that is and it would be no problem.
So I paid, and listened while she conveyed my order to the barista…
-«He would like an Americano with the espresso pulled longer», she said.
-«Yeah, no. We don’t do that», the barista responded.
-«He just wants you to pour a longer shot of espresso».
-«I won’t do that»
The barista poured my drink and put it on the counter…
-«Was this made how I ordered it?».
-«No, we won’t do that here».
I explained that I frequently ordered my coffee this way. To which he replied…
-«I don’t know who would have done that? They probably just made it regularly and told you it was they way you ordered it».
-«Why won’t you just make my drink as I asked?»
He explained it would make it bitter and he would only pour the espresso to the specifications of the coffee and that if he poured it longer it would make it bitter.
At this point I was a bit upset…
-«Well I like it more bitter,» I pleaded
-«it’s not good that way, and I won’t make it»
-«Isn’t „good“ just an opinion? Who’s to say your opinion is right?»
-«It’s not an opinion, I am a Certified Barista Judge»
At this point, I decided to try another path…
-«Would you pour my drink as an experiment? Just so I can see if I like it better?»
-«I can pour it that way, but you’ll have to pay for another one.»
-«Sure, I’ll pay for another one just for the experiment»
So he poured another americano and set it on the counter. This drink was clearly pulled longer because the two drinks were sitting on the counter side-​by-​side and the new one had much more crema (the foam that floats to the surface of an espresso which is in greater abundance in a lungo).
I tasted both according to our agreed upon experiment and I liked my drink better. However, I admitted, «perhaps it’s my bias, or it’s just in my head, but I like the lungo better».
So I took both cups to the register… to pay for the experiment cup and to get my money back for the first cup.
I called the store to talk to the manager, the woman on the phone said the coffee bar manager was «Chris» the barista I had my above encounter with. I asked to talk to the store manager instead and I am awaiting my phone call back…
Update: I received a phone call back from a woman named Margret who attempted to explain the situation. She said that the coffee bar is there to showcase their coffee and therefore must prepare the coffee according to the company’s specifications. She said the coffee industry was going to the lighter fruity coffee, and M E Swing was following suit. She admitted also, the situation could have been handled better, and that it was unfortunate that they just will not make the style of espresso I like.
Overall she was kind and understanding and I appreciated Margret’s phone call.

By far the best coffee shop in the Del Ray/​Old Town Alexandria area. You MUST order a cappuccino when you go. It is hands down their best drink, and prepared much like a flat white. The coffee they use to brew the espresso is a very deep, bold, earthy and slightly bitter coffee that is balanced beautifully by the creamy steamed milk (I believe they are using whole milk as there is no way non-​fat milk will stand up to that intense of an espresso). At the end they will pour the steamed milk so as to top the foam with a design, like a flower or such. The result is a superbly crafted cappuccino, reminiscent of a flat white suitable for even the most demanding coffee enthusiasts.
I do also like the décor, which is built out of an old coffee roasting plant. On sunny days they will open the glass garage doors letting in tons of light. They do offer free WiFi as well so feel free to grab a seat at one of the communal tables and either pop open your laptop or grab one of the newspapers hanging on the rack (they have an old school newspaper rack near the back.
I can’t say enough good things about M.E. Swings as it is definitely a hidden gem in the Del Ray neighborhood that is a must try.

Gotta come here more often!
It’s a quiet café to work and collaborate with a co-​worker or friend on projects. There’s lots of table space, free wifi and natural light. The coffee is rich and the baristas are nice and accommodating. I wasn’t able to try some of their «fancier» coffees or their pastries, but I’ll be returning so I can do that the next round.
The only drawback is the lack of outlets really, but if you have a decent batter life, they’re only open till 4PM so you might not even need a charge.

For the coffee aficionados — this place is for you. I was intrigued by all their options: drip, pour over, and chemex (whatever that means??) in addition to the lattes and mochas.
Plenty of open space with lots of windows. Great for people with furry friends since there’s a dog park across the street.

I love coming to this place to get either a mocha or latte (haven’t tried the rest of the drinks because these are really really good). If you order a drink and have it in-​house, they serve it to you in this huge cup; best part about it is that it doesn’t need any sugar or syrup, the coffee comes out perfectly done.
The staff here are very friendly and will answer all of the questions that you have.
The ambiance at the roastery is nice, calm and very friendly.
Love this place!

Exactly what I was looking for in a quiet study space. A huge community table and smaller tables with the traditional café (2 person) tables along the front windows. The baristas were very welcoming and explained the coffees that were available. Good for groups or studying alone.
Huge space so folks can spread out and have their conversations or find a place to set up their laptop. Only a few outlets and in specific spots in the shop. Even the music is conducive for reading.
4 stars only because there wasn’t any food available to munch on while I drank delicious coffee. Also wish the hours extended 4pm during the week. This place would be perfect for evening studying. For now it will be an option for summertime and Saturday studying.

Great service and the staff is very knowledgeable about their beans. Definitely coming by on a Friday for their free cupping classes.

Gray days really bum me out but espresso helps. I’d visited M E Swing’s downtown shop while a student at GWU and had been wanting to try the roastery’s café since it opened. Since I was already in Old Town, I asked my friend if she’d want to pop by/​get me wired.
There was a smaller selection of pastries than the downtown shop but enough for my taste. They had croissants, turnovers, and muffins. I ordered an apple turnover, which I originally thought was a hand pie, and a flat white. Although the turnover had a granulated sugar on the outside, the turnover’s filling was not too sweet, so I would order it again. My flat white was strong and the microfoam was velvety. The drinks were made quickly but with care.
The building has a nice open, industrial feel. The floors are concrete, the ceilings are high, and there’s lots of wood. Unfortunately, it is part of a new building, so it doesn’t feel quite right. I cannot wait to spend time in the café come summer. A great part of the business’ design is its garage door that opens up.
We arrived around 2:15 pm on a Saturday, so there was a bit of a dead, closing-​up vibe. I would suggest coming earlier. There were lots of seating and people working on their laptops. I might come by when I have a project to work on and and a caffeine craving.
Try their roasted coffee beans. I mean that is the focus of the building! I picked up some MEScO espresso for a friend for Xmas. Her boyfriend made lattes for us and WOW, I’ve never tasted anything like it.

Upon entering M E Swing Coffee Co, you are transported to a unique and interesting (but also, calm and quiet) environment for reading a novel or newspaper, studying, or simply enjoying a nice cup of coffee.
I love that the place has HUGE glass windows, and it is very open. Literally. This morning, they actually had the «garage» doors open, which let in the beautiful sunlight and fresh fall air.
My first impression was that it is very small (either not many people know about this place, or they have a good amount of tables and chairs in their minimal space…) Either way, my friend and I had no problem finding an outlet and had plenty of space to study.
Only issue was that I ordered a latte, but after waiting 30 or so minutes, I realized they probably forgot. However, the guy was very apologetic, and sincerely apologized again when I was stirring in my sugar at the counter. The latte itself was actually very delicious. The soy iced coffee was good as well.
I recommend this place for quiet work, or just relaxing because it is a treat for the eyes and a great place for coffee lovers.

It boggles my mind that M.E. Swing Company has been part of D.C. culture for almost 100 years (it was founded in 1916). It’s clear from their ethically sourced beans to their community-​like cafes and demeanors that these people care about a good cup of coffee. Situated across a dog park in the Del Ray neighborhood, this location is a large, open space with a large windowed front, reclaimed industrial furniture, and beautiful coffee bar. This location is particularly awesome because it’s also home to their roasting facility. Not to mention, if you come by Fridays at 10am, you can see their cupping lab and take part of their public coffee cupping. M.E. Swing Company also has a location on G Street near the White House.
While their specialty and focus are in pour overs, Chemex, espressos and drip brews, they also prepare lattes, cappuccinos, iced tea in mason jars, hot chocolate, as well as an assortment of pastries. You can also purchase beans and pour over supplies here. This is a great place to have a cup of coffee, read (they provide free newspaper racks too), and hang out with friends and family. I had a latte here and it was really good. The cup sizes are also pretty large, so you get a fair amount of latte for $ 3.50.
Closed on Sundays!