Coffee Shop Review: Weird Brothers Coffee in Herndon, Virginia
In November 2021, Xak and I were walking on the W&OD trail to drop off some packages at the post office for his brother. It was about 30 degrees outside, and I was extremely eager to stop by a new (to us) coffee place called Weird Brothers to pick up some hot coffee. Xak even promised he would get me a donut from the Dunkin Donuts next door.
After picking up our drinks at Weird Brothers, Xak then stopped by the Dunkin to get a donut for me while I waited outside. We went back on the W&OD trail where we stopped off near a little bridge so we could drink our coffee and eat the donut. As we took sips of our coffee, Xak pulled out one of the packages from the bag and told me to open it. It was a LEGO bouquet! I was quite confused, since these were packages we were supposed to mail off. During my confusion, Xak then handed me the donut bag, and as I opened it, instead of a donut was… an engagement ring!
Since then, we have gone to Weird Brothers every November to pick up coffee, take a walk down the W&OD trail… and also actually get donuts!
On November 5, 2023, we went back to the Weird Brothers in Herndon, Virginia to relive such an excellent day!
About Weird Brothers
Weird Brothers is a local coffee shop with three locations in Northern Virginia: two in Herndon and one in Leesburg. The Herndon location we were visiting is called the Roasting Factory and located on Sunset Park Drive.
The outside sign for the Herndon Weird Brothers Roasting Factory location. All the signs here are the same color! Inside the building, you’ll see this sign above the entrance when you’re seated in the loft.
Weird Brothers is located in a business center with a parking lot that is shared by all the establishments. Since all the signs look similar, you have to read carefully to know which building to enter. Weird Brothers is located very close to the Dunkin Donuts (aka the place where Xak didn’t get me a donut), and across from Amphora Bakery. There’s also a Woo Boi in the center if you’re interested in picking up a spicy chicken sandwich later.
Weird Brothers is less than half a mile away from the W&OD trail and quite close to Reston Town Center.
Decor at Weird Brothers
While the layout of each location is different, you will find a similar vibe at each place. In the Herndon Roasting Factory location, the shelves are adorned with several LEGO sets, artwork from local artists are hung on the walls, and nerdy trinkets are sprinkled everywhere. Lines can be long when ordering your drinks, but there’s so much to look at that you won’t be bored.
The Dark Trooper Lego helmet is the only one I don’t have at home! A stormtrooper decked out in some Weird Brothers gear A latte art on the walls leading up the stairs to the loft
Weird Bros has some seating downstairs, outside, and in a loft area. In the past, we’ve always gotten our orders to go and then headed back to the W&OD trail because there’s usually no open seating available.
Although there wasn’t much seating left, for this particular visit we did manage to snag the one available table left in the loft area, right next to Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s a small seating area with only a few tables and two lounge chairs. There were other people upstairs including someone working on a laptop, and a group of people from a meetup. The downstairs area also has a few tables, but you’re likely going to be touching elbows with the line of customers waiting to order or waiting to pick up their orders.
The Weird Brothers Coffee van and outdoor seating area in front of the building The loft area occupied with a few tables, two chairs, and Jack and Sally
The Coffee Menu and Food Counter
The Weird Brothers menu is as nerdy (and wonderful) as the store decor. Although I’m usually a stickler for ordering the same exact thing everywhere I go, I’ve never gotten the same thing twice here. This is the only place where I make that exception. The reason is because I am easily swayed by the drink names which are influenced by popular nerd franchises: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and more.
The coffee menu is listed on a big sign above the cash register, however there’s actually a paper brochure called the “Mischief Menu” which lists the cute names of all the available special lattes. This menu isn’t on their website and it also gets updated from time to time which is why I make sure to grab one every time I go.
Some of the drink names include the following:
- Mandalorian (a Caramel & Azteca)
- Golden Snitch (Honey & Turmeric)
- White Witch (White Chocolate & Lavender)
The drinks can be hot, iced, blended with alternative milk options like almond milk, oat, or soy if desired. There are lots off sweetener add-ins like toasted marshmallow, caramel, and also sugar free additions.
A list of tea flavors, ice cream, sweeteners, add-ins, and seasonal specials A list of drinks including a selection of the latte specials and Xak’s smiling face.
The Weird Brothers pastry counter contains a good amount of food options including breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and some vegan and gluten free treats from other local bakeries.
As Xak and I reviewed the menu, we decided to try out some new things:
- Hundred Acre Woods (Honey and Gingerbread latte)
- The Weird Brother (Cookie Dough Latte with a hint of Chai)
- Cinnamon Scone
I ordered the Hundred Acre Woods since I enjoy gingerbread lattes and also due to it being an obvious nod to my favorite stuffed bear, Winnie the Pooh. (I’m seriously swayed by cute names)
I was really happy Xak chose The Weird Brother since I love chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I’ve even made it before at home with extra chunks of (safe to eat) cookie dough. A cookie dough flavored coffee drink sounded intriguing and I couldn’t wait to have a (small) sip.
For the food, Xak chose the cinnamon scone. We both enjoy cinnamon in baked goods. In particular, powdered cinnamon donuts are my favorite, but I also really enjoy cinnamon rolls, snickerdoodles, and the occasional bite of Xak’s churro from Costco.
There are also plenty of bags of coffee, t-shirts, and some of the artwork from the walls available for purchase.
Some of the coffee available to purchase. Also a sign saying you get 50 cents off if you bring your own cup. Another coffee shelf that you will likely browse as you’re standing in line to order and pay. A closeup of one of the special Weird Brothers brews featuring an a-wing, x-wing, and a y-wing.
Frequent Buyer Card
As we placed our order, I remembered to take out the frequent buyer card to get a new punch. For every 8 punches, you get one free drink. Unfortunately, the employee rang us up before we handed over the card, so instead of a free drink, he gave us another card with a stamp so we could get a free drink in the future.
That’s one way to ensure we have to come back. 😄
The Seating Area
One issue with sitting in the loft area is that you have to travel up a flight of stairs to carry up your mugs of coffee. We had to make two trips to avoid any spillage. Since it’s a loft, not only does heat rise, but the sounds of the coffee shop float upwards as well. Unfortunately the sound system that day was also having issues: every single song that played out of the speakers (very close to our table) was skipping! Luckily, we take our food experiences seriously and are pretty good at staying focused.
Food and Drinks
Since we always get to-go orders, I’ve only had my Weird Brothers coffee out of a to-go cup. For patrons staying in the shop, you get your coffee in a mug. Unfortunately, no latte art which I was ultra sad about since it would have been awesome to see a Pooh Bear composed out of foam.
American scones are not my favorite things. They’re typically triangle shaped, large, sweet, and pretty dense. You usually don’t put any additional condiments on it. I personally find them a bit dry and I generally crave something a bit more decadent. The cinnamon scone tasted about on par with the other American coffee shop scones I’ve consumed, which isn’t a bad thing by any means. I just prefer donuts, coffee cake, and croissants.
Xak, on the other hand, enjoys all scones. Xak enjoyed it because he thought it had a nice cinnamon flavor without being too overwhelming (no cinnamon challenge here). Outside of the glaze, which didn’t have too much impact, the scone itself was a pretty simple baked good but still tasted delicious with a hot beverage.
However, when it came to the actual beverage, Xak wasn’t too keen on his cookie dough latte with the cinnamon scone pairing. When I took a sip, I had a difficult time discerning the cookie dough flavor. The Hundred Acres Wood latte had the honey flavor I was expecting and both Xak and I preferred my drink over his. However, neither drink from this visit beat our favorites from past visits:
- Luck Dragon – Toasted Marshmallow & Coconut – 4/5 stars
- The Fluffernutter – Chocolate, Toasted Marshmallow, & Hazelnut – 4/5 stars
- Potions Master – Hazelnut, Chocolate, Cinnamon – 4/5 stars
- Smugglers Run – Coconut, Caramel, Chocolate (this is my favorite!) – 4.5/5 stars
Not so coincidentally, all of our favorite drinks have about 2/3s of the same ingredients 😄
Final Thoughts
I like Weird Brothers, but I’m not sure if it’s because of the comforting Star Wars memorabilia which makes me literally feel at home, or if it’s because I associate Weird Brothers coffee with one of the happiest days of my life. There are definitely some tasty drinks here, however I think for next year’s visit we’ll just get our order to-go (and free).
Bonus: Donuts
When Xak initially proposed, he went into the Dunkin Donuts to pick up a donut and walked out with what looked like a donut bag. What really happened was that Xak had brought in an empty donut bag with him, put the ring in the bag, and walked out so it looked like he had picked up a donut. In reality, there was never any donut!
While we try to relive our proposal day, the one thing we change is making sure there are donuts present!! Although we didn’t stop off at Dunkin during this Weird Brothers visit, we had plenty of donuts at home. Xak and I like to patrol the discount bakery goods in our grocery stores to see if there are any good deals. On this particular weekend, we found a box of 6 donuts featuring chocolate and blueberry for only $2! And yes, they were DELICIOUS.
