Great Coffee Without the Wait

Written by Seth Thoburn

Looking for good coffee? Tired of Starbucks? The solution to your dilemma is right around the corner in a local bike shop. The first thing you notice when you walk into Green Lizard Cycling and Coffee is the smell of bikes, not coffee... One of the Oak Hill Quill team members asked, "Is it really going to be a good coffee place? There are bikes all over and everybody is a serious biker. Do they really know how to make coffee?" Hannah actually loved the smell of the bikes: "Even while drinking coffee?" we asked. "Mmhmm" she assured us, sipping her mocha.

Some got sodas and some got smoothies. After getting a raspberry Italian soda, Zoe remarked, "My tongue is confused. It looks like raspberry soda from 7-11, but it tastes like cream-water." Some found the soda refreshing but bland. However Bobby, a faithful lover of the drink, thoroughly enjoyed his cream soda. In the end, all of the team members agreed that if you are familiar with such drinks, then go for it. Karis tried a pineapple smoothie that turned out tasting more like banana but wasn't too bad.

Green Lizard features tasty pastries from a local bakery.

And of course we ordered some coffee drinks. One favorite was an Americano with Irish cream that Hannah called "perfect." Abigail commented that "it sits on your tongue after just one sip." The flavor was deep according to Zoe, unlike Starbucks. Everyone loved the coffee.

When we all walked in, the baristas looked a bit worried, but they had eight drinks ready in under three minutes. We all had time to think about what we wanted, and the staff was very friendly.

So in the end, if you want a cold drink, just run by 7-11 and grab a slurpee. But if you're looking for great coffee without the wait, stop by Green Lizard. Some people might prefer not to sit right outside (or inside) the shop, but there's plenty of seating right across the road. For anyone who wants to try it out, the address is 718 Lynn St, Herndon, VA 20170, right off the bike trail in Old Town Herndon.

Green Lizard Cycling and Coffee.

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