It would be premature to judge Highland Origin Coffee (8200 Fenton St), Silver Spring’s newest coffee house. After all, the paint is barely dry and half the shelving is waiting to be screwed onto the wall.
But from the looks of things, Highland is gonna be big.
The dining area is bright, airy and seems to be geared towards hosting musical performances. The bright yellow walls (still bare at this writing) reflect light from the room’s large windows, giving the place a warm, natural glow.
The setting contrasts with that of South Silver Spring’s Mayorga Coffee Factory. Mayorga’s dark moodiness is conducive to solo web surfing the Washington Post. Highland works better with streaming Penguin video on the ice rink.
But what’s up with the coffee?
Taste testing conducted on two occassions last week revealed a weak, dilute brew lacking any body, bouquet or flavor. This can be attributed to many things — stale beans, too course a grind, not enough coffee in the press — but a mild roast is not to blame.
However, the cakes are friggin’ awesome, thanks to the same culinary geniuses who supply the District’s Watergate Hotel.
The white chocolate mousse cake ($2.50) is velvety, moist and creamy, topped with shaved white chocolate. The same goes for the tiramisu ($2.50), though it strays from traditional mascarpone cream cheese sandwiched between espresso-soaked, soft, squishy ladyfingers. Instead, a light yellow cake alternates with fluffy mousse and a chocolaty topping. It’s still good eats.
The cheesecake ($2.50) is rich, smooth and creamy, brightened with a hit of lemon. Its crust moves away from crumbled Graham crackers and leans towards dense cake. Again, good eats.
The bottom line: Luxurious desserts and great ambiance beat lame coffee any day of the week.
Highland Origin Coffee, 8200 Fenton St, Silver Spring, (301) 495-6302.
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Hmmm…
I think the coffee is awesome.
Based on your recommendation, my husband & I tried this place yesterday for brunch. My father used to own an independent restaurant and I am always looking for new places that are not chains. So we went in looking to like.
Coffee was OK, but we are not really connaiseurs of that. Got 2 sandwiches from the very limited selection. Both fillings were forgetable and they were served on packaged bread that was not the freshest. Then chose 2 desserts from the yummy looking dessert display case. Both were barely edible, not as good as Entenmann’s, in my opinion. All told, a big disappointment!
I’ve been there on more than one occasion in the last two weeks, using the shop’s WIFI connection to check email and do work. The owners are very friendly and hospitable. The coffee was strong and gave me the jolt I was looking for. I didn’t notice any watered-down taste.
One complaint: I had a frap, that was more ice than ice cream. Very disappointing.
I haven’t tried any of the desserts.
Everything I had–the coffee, the baklava–was great. The air conditioning seemed to be on “low”, and as a result, it was rather hot in there. maybe they’re still working out the kinks. Having a neighborhood coffeehouse rocks. I wish them well.
Thumbs down on the coffee, a frappe that was watery, and an iced coffee latte. My guests weren’t happy and wanted to go to Starbucks — which brought up the topic of eating local. Probably won’t go there again.
Can Silver Spring really support another coffee shop? With chains Caribou, Starbucks, and the thing inside the bookstore, plus Mayorga and local favorite Kefa Cafe trying to make a success, are we reaching the limit?
Why can’t it work–in theory? Before the Starbucks phenomenon, coffeeshops were a real local enterprise–serving a specific, small section of a neighborhood, or whatever. I live within a 1/4 mile of Highland, and I prefer hanging out there with my laptop over all the other places in the area. It’s relatively quiet, and has a superfast (free) wireless connection, and isn’t an overcrowded *scene*.
I’m one of the biggest Starbucks coffee addicts you’ll ever meet, but I like the atmosphere at Highland. I’d like to see them succeed. Maybe someone can give them a gentle nudge–and ask that they make the coffee a little stronger.
Don’t forget about Tiramisu
I visited this new place and didn’t see any negative stuff as others commented.
Air condition working great ! Coffee really taste great, and as name implies organic !
I think having a new coffee shop like Highland in our nebourghood is wonderful and need to give them our support to succeed.
It is a success for and to check for the
[...] p.m. Painter Solomon Asfaw meets and greets the masses at Highland Origin Coffee (8200 Fenton St). Some of his work is already on display [...]