**UPDATE:** I'm raising my rating from 2 to 4 stars after speaking with local management and learning more about the work already happening to address the concerns in my original review.
I still believe some of these issues should have been addressed much sooner, but I also want my rating to reflect how I genuinely feel about Aslin DC. I love this location, and the managers and staff are THE reason I keep coming back.
I work in the construction and architecture industry, so I understand that buildings have maintenance issues. Equipment breaks. Things need repairs. That is normal.
What matters is how those problems are addressed.
I have watched the local team troubleshoot equipment, make repairs, find workarounds, and do everything they reasonably can to keep this place running and customers happy. There is also a limit to what a local team can fix themselves. Larger building and infrastructure issues require support and investment beyond the people working here every day.
That was the frustration behind my original review.
Over the past year, I have personally watched customers leave because the space was too hot or because they came for coffee and the espresso machine was down. There have also been refrigeration, water, restroom, pest, and other facility issues.
Coffee really matters here. Aslin DC is a coffee bar in the mornings. Families come in, neighbors meet for coffee, people work here, regulars make it part of their routine, and later the brewery crowd comes in.
This is a neighborhood institution and a genuine community space.
I'm encouraged that some of the issues I raised have already been corrected and that larger improvements are moving forward. I hope that investment continues.
I also hope ownership spends more time at the DC location and sees firsthand what this team has created. The people running this location know their customers and their neighborhood. I hope they continue to get the support, resources, and investment they need.
And thank you for changing the wine! The new selection is a huge improvement. I can't speak to the beer because celiac disease keeps me from trying it, but I hear it's great!
I wrote my original review because I care about Aslin DC and want it to thrive.
There is still work to do, but I'm encouraged by the changes underway.
The people working at Aslin DC have created something special. They deserve the support to keep building on it. read more