NOTE: REVIEW IS FOR THEIR FROZEN CUSTARD ONLY!!! We were a bit surprised to see a homemade frozen custard shop INSIDE a paint-your-own-pottery place lol. So we approached the front entrance with trepidation, not knowing what to expect when we stepped inside. But sure enough, just inside the front entrance was the custard counter. We arrived on a late Friday afternoon, walking over from The Sandwich Shop a few blocks down Church (same side of the street and walking right past Rita's (!!)) after having a late sammie lunch (also our first time at The Sandwich Shop - read my review). We had spotted Kiln & Custard as we drove past it to get to the sandwich place and made a mental note to save room to try their custard as a cap-off to lunch. What a great location! Walkable anywhere from old town Vienna and the downtown area (nothing is really that far), tucked away one block off busy Maple Ave, surprisingly lots of great FREE street parking (on Church) but also right there in their small shopping center parking lot so it's truly not a pain-in-the-butt to head over and not have to stress about where to park. The guy serving the custard was also tending to customers doing pottery painting (not many when we arrived) - dunno how service is if you just come in for the custard and the place is packed (we saw that pottery customers had to ask the guy each time they wanted more paint which he portioned out for them...vs customers self-serving their own paint and colors in other paint-your-own places we've been to - with a single worker, I can imagine that could be a bottleneck problem if the pottery side is busy AND there's a line of custard customers waiting to be served). The frozen custard is DEEEEELICIOUS. You can definitely see as it's being scooped AND TASTE that it's housemade. SOOOOO GOOOD. Very creamy, soft, pliable, rich custard flavor and not too sweet. They offer 12 flavors - see my pics of the 2 display cases of custards. PRICES IMO ARE VERY REASONABLE. $2.85 for a kid's size, GENEROUS HEAVY HANDED PORTIONS (and who doesn't love THAT in this economy?!). I had the Vanilla Oreo and my friend had the Nutella - a perfect after-lunch dessert treat. TREMENDOUS! For the price, generous portion sizes, quality of the custard combined with its easily accessible location in Vienna and no hassle parking options, this could for sure be a destination frozen-treat shop when I'm in the Vienna area (which is fairly regularly). That good! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this little hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop shop!!! read more

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Okay, this place is pricey. You could likely take your kid to the movies and dinner with how much you pay here. It was close to $100 for a unicorn mug for my kid, the smallest bunny I could find to paint, and two servings of custard. If you have multiple kids, just get the custard. They also complimented my painting in front of my kid which made her feel like her work wasn't as great. I will likely return bc my kid did enjoy it. But, please add more affordable options. read more

Cute place in Vienna. A little pricy. prices per piece range from $30-$50 but there is not extra fee for paint or processing. We made reservation for a larger party but it was pretty slow on a Thursday afternoon (after school). Girls 9-10y.o loved it and loved getting ice cream afterwards. Give yourself at least 1.5 hours to spend here read more

Kiln & Custard - Variety of ceramics to paint - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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Absolutely loved the experience. Adorable place, nice staff, lots of options!! Will definitely be back:)

My friends and I went here as a fun outing to do before we all leave for college. There was quite a limited selection of things to paint (lots of holiday themed pieces) and they were pretty expensive but no big deal we each found something. We were given almost no instruction from the employee at the front, who was also very cold, borderline rude, to us the entire time. We finished our painting and were told it would take 5-7 days to be fired and we would be called when they were done. After waiting nine days with no word I tried calling the place (they were open) but received no response, I tried calling later that day but again no one picked up. I then called two days later (so it's been 11 days since we originally went) and again received no response. I had called four separate times at this point. We live pretty close so I just went to the store. The same employee was there and again was rude to me. He interrupted me and did not seem to care that I received no response on the phone and that our pieces were four days late. He asked me to sign the receipt but it didn't have my name on it so I asked if I should still sign. Again he interrupted me and was rude, even sneering at me. My friends have already left for college and they didn't get their pieces. So yeah, not a good experience and I won't be coming back. read more

Located in the old Church Street Pizza spot, comes Kiln & Co, a homemade frozen custard shop and clay cafe. My daughter recently stopped in for her (very first!!!) drop off birthday party and had an amazing time! She loved being able to choose her own clay figure, painting it, and customizing her very own ice cream sundae which she said was the BEST ICE CREAM she's ever had. The environment was very chill and gave her a lot of autonomy which made it an extra special treat for her. Their basement party room is deceptively large with room for 20 or more people + they have a few pottery wheels for clay throwing classes which looked interesting. The parents of the birthday child looked super relaxed and they were able to bring in extra food and drinks for the kids to enjoy. I would definitely consider throwing a birthday event here in the future! read more

This place is so cute! Part custard stand, part pottery painting, it's so much fun. The girl hosting and serving was so sweet and patient with us as we were indecisive at not only choosing what pottery to paint, but also about which custard to eat. The custard is super creamy but does melt fast! So a milkshake is best if you want a snack throughout your painting process (otherwise eat quickly). read more

Kiln & Custard - Hazelnut and vanilla custard - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

Loved my experience at Kiln & Custard! Walked in to pick a piece of pottery to paint. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Enjoyed the variety of pieces available. Would go again! read more

Kiln & Custard - glazed pottery spoon rest and ornament - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

Everyone in the reviews are hating on Dimitri but he is genuinely the best! He was our instructor for our private wheel throwing session and was very helpful and accommodating especially since our group was a little late. We didn't have a lot of time left but still came out with some cool pieces! Dimitri is humorous in his own way but always trying to be helpful and attentive. read more

Kiln & Custard - Painting the pieces before firing - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

Took my 12 and 10yo for a 1.5 hour appointment and they loved it! The staff is very friendly. The prices are reasonable- expect from $25-50 per piece. They also have discounts for military and first responders. Custard was pretty good too! Only con is that it is small- seats about 20. So call ahead and make an appointment! read more

Terrible service! And the place stinks. There aren't also that many choices of clay for painting. But the worst part is the staff's attitude, especially one of the young men there. He was just straight out rude to us and was not happy to have us there for some reason. I had to leave with my girl sadly. read more

Love this place! The vibe is kind and super welcoming! Place was packed, therefore the guy who runs the place did an amazing job on making sure that everyone is happy! Great for family with kids and friends gathering. We went there on Sunday, and yes! Their milkshakes are incredible! read more

Kiln & Custard - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

My husband and I came here for a paint your pottery session and we had a good time. The custard was also very good. The art staff on duty was great and I enjoyed talking to her! I highly suggest this place for a good time. Worth the money. read more

Really cool private pottery class and delicious custard. Business seems like it's hurting though. Needs some infused energy. Instructor was nice but seemed like he was depressed to be there. Said he couldn't find any other instructor to do it so I was grateful he took the time to do it but a thriving business is usually the other way around--they're grateful we came in. read more

Disclaimer: did not paint or eat anything here. Walked in on a Sunday afternoon hoping for a fun date activity with my boyfriend. The place was packed with people painting so we were immediately told they were at capacity, which was fine, but I still wanted to check out their selection of ceramics and services. The woman at the front was pretty helpful and friendly, but her male counterpart Dmitry had an attitude the entire time we were there, literally muttering "Lord give me strength" when he walked by us. After a look around, we asked about their pottery wheel classes, which is when we were told Dmitry is the instructor. Immediately, we were put off and left because nobody who hates their job that much should be teaching classes. read more

A lovely little place in Vienna to spend some time chatting and painting. I don't find the price per piece unreasonable when taking into account you get unlimited paint, firing, and helpful service from the staff. We love going when Dimitri is there since he gives great tips for which brush to use and how much water to mix in to get the results you're hoping for. Glad to have this shop in the neighborhood. read more

I did a birthday thing here and it was so fun & accommodating; I learned a lot about pottery within the 1.5 hours I was there (from DIMITRI). There's a lot of pottery to choose from with many different colors!! Also the Dimitri haters are silly fools with no humor :( he is awesome and just trying to help and run a busy business in Vienna read more

A very lovely experience, the glaze selection consisted of some very pretty colors, and my friends and I enjoyed the experience. Staff helped us out and answered our questions, and we were able to take our time painting and enjoying each other's company. And although random, the choice in music playing in the store was in great taste, we were singing along the whole time. May come back again to do more painting or do some pottery. Custard was also a nice bonus, I had a mocha that used espresso beans from Caffe Amouri next door. If I had any woe it would be that the paint brushes were a bit... let's say well loved ;) it would've been nice if they weren't as worn down. Would also love to see more inventory in the future, like teapots and tea cups. read more

Kiln & Custard - A cute little owl - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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Highly recommended for birthday parties! My daughter's birthday is in winter so we always struggle finding new and exciting indoor venues to entertain her and her friends that range in age from 5-13. Kiln & Co. was the perfect fit. Dimitry was awesome to work with scheduling. The store has a party room downstairs that accommodated 27 painters and some parents. There's a blue tooth speaker for playing your own playlist and a separate restroom just for the party goers. We had two great party hosts that were friendly and handled our bigger group with patience and a smile on their faces. And the custard was a fun treat. Recommend notifying guests where the location is and where to park beforehand since it's located in downtown Vienna and the location has moved. read more

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We love this place. Great place for kids -- and adults -- to come and relax painting pottery and eating ice cream! My kiddo says that this is the best ice cream she's ever had! read more

Kiln & Custard - One of pottery pieces available to paint, in progress. - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

DO NOT USE their online order service, fraudulent charges continue, 1 month later, I received a email invoice from Kiln&Co for $39.85!! They are is still trying to charge fraudulently after my subscription was canceled and my cc had to be re-issued because of fraudulent charges. read more

I miss Nielson's Frozen Custard. Ever since they closed, I've been craving frozen custard in Vienna and was excited when I discovered Klin & Co. I am not sure if what they serve is considered "custard". I got a single cup with scoops of creamsicle and very berry and both flavors were good; though it wasn't made inside the store. This might be the first frozen custard shop I've been to where the custard isn't made readily by custard machines. I do like that their custard is made with fresh ingredients. It's a frozen custard place and paint your own pottery studio. It's a cute concept. I think my main concern was one girl working the entire shop! When I arrived, there were at least 30 adults along with their kids ordering frozen custard and painting their own pottery. It was a weekend so most of the pottery painting were reservations. That poor girl scooped custard, made custard drinks, and rang all the customers up that she didn't even have time to attend and explain to the customers who were ready to start painting. The place was like a zoo and I couldn't believe they would expect one person to tend to all those job responsibilities. Either they were short by two workers that weekend, or they need to hire more people. Cute concept but not efficiently managed. read more

Just popped in fora sweet treat! Service was incredibly kind and thoughtful- mango is delicious! Also- the kids size is actually kid sized! I hate it when they give you a giant scoop! We will be back! read more

This my daughters and my favorite place to bond, we also enjoy painting and eating custard. We love an afternoon of kiln and custard.The crew who work there are perfect and very helpful. I recommend making many, many memories with those you love at kiln and custard. read more

Their primary service is very good. This review is based upon a visit today where we found the condition of their restroom deeply concerning. This is a place that primarily welcomes children and therefore we believe that they have no excuse for this unsanitary condition of their restroom. How could little children be expected to use their restroom during a fun activity? As an adult, we found the restroom to be appalling! We brought this to the Manager's attention while the owner was using it herself and perhaps not bothered by this. Extremely sad that this wonderful store is not up to Vienna standards for this reason. read more

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Kiln & Co is a great local resource for learning pottery or just stopping in for a fun few hours of painting. My 9 yr old and I took a pottery wheel class. Dmitry was our instructor and he is such a sweetheart and patience teacher. It's a lot harder than it looks! We really learned alot and plan to visit more over the summer. read more

Kiln & Custard - Potty Wheel - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

This place is great. Today we had eight girls from our Girl Scouts making pottery and having yummy ice creams. Girls loved the experience, and they all be back to paint the potteries another day. Dimitri and Ally both are great instructors. Kudos to the whole team. Cheers! read more

Kiln & Custard - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

We just had our daughter's birthday party here. It went very well. The kids had a lot of fun and our daughter's teacher told us that her birthday party has been "the talk" of the classroom. The pieces the kids painted came out great after the glazing. It feels good to support a small local business. Oh, and the custard is delicious. I'll be going back for some of that! read more

This experience was a gift to me from my husband as a birthday present. It was supposed to be a wonderful outing with my kiddos to have them paint me some beautiful pottery. Instead it has been a frustrating and disgusting experience. We did our research online, and although we saw some negative reviews, figured that going on a Monday afternoon should be a good time to have fun painting pottery. We had a Groupon valued at $92.50 that we used at the Vienna, VA location. The Groupon is misleading. It states it is good for two people and a mug, plate and bowl. However upon arrival, we were told we would only receive one piece per person...Is one mug and one plate really worth $92.50? Also we were then charged tax. This is something I have never encountered before with any other Groupon. This was not listed on the voucher as an additional expense. Either it should have been included with the cost of the Groupon, or stated on the voucher that it would be charged separately. On top of all of this, the older woman in the store (I am guessing the owner?) was incredibly rude to me and the other employee working there. She told me to get my kids their own paint, and when I did, she scolded me, telling me that I was giving them too much paint. I filled up the small plate that was given to us. My kids used every drop that was provided. Please keep in mind that the instructions are to paint over the design three times so more than one squirt of paint was needed, but she still scolded me for "wasting." Furthermore the signage for the custard is misleading. The sign shows the kids cup does not include toppings, a single scoop gets one free topping and so forth. After we were rung up for two single scoops and a kids cup, we were told all the sizes include toppings. If that was told to us up front, my kids would have just gotten the kid sized scoop, since that's all they can eat anyway. The toppings bar was also unsanitary. Fruit flies were all over the exposed toppings as well as clumps of sprinkles in the bowls, indicating stuff had been dropped in them. The chocolate toppings all looked old and hadn't been changed in quite some time. After getting the custard that was promised to the kids, we were directed to eat outside...the tables outside were covered in ants. After this experience, the rude service, the bait and switch with the voucher, and the general lack of cleanliness, we will not be returning for another visit and will be pursuing a refund from Groupon. read more

HUGE fan of Kiln & Co.! I brought my 7 year old cousin in on a Friday evening, and let's just say that it is HEAVEN for anyone who would like to get a kid to settle down and be quiet... It's a really nice open venue that is very clean and organized, which is rare for an arts studio. I've been in professional studios and "paint your own pottery" studios --- and this place is immaculately clean. The owner, Sarah, is super nice. I met her with her mother and daughter, who joined in and painted with my cousin and me. It was really nice to chat with them! They also have a nice table of sweet snacks! Like one of my favorite pottery places in NYC, they don't have extra charges for paint and time. You just pay for the piece that you want to paint. And no time limit. I will definitely be going back! read more

Solid spot! Just make sure to check their hours. Once I showed up on a Tuesday. Turns out it's the one day they are closed! Haha Anywaysss so I suffer from FOMO...so picking out a piece alone was time consuming for me. I ended up choosing a mug (classic...basic...leave me alone! lol) Picking out colors was another drama, but it was all fun and laughs. No one is rushing you! Loved feeling the freedom to take my time! So it's pretty straight forward. You choose a piece to paint, grab a pallet, put some paint on pallet (return it to it's assigned spot, labels are by #), and start painting. Usually you can pick a work station on your own, but it does depend on availability (private parties for example). Each station is equipped with supplies such as pencils, masking tape, brushes, water, and paper towels. There are more tools available in one of the center tables such as stencils, stamps, etc. TIP: check their chart for dried paint color samples. The paint does not dry the same color it is wet. All of this is explained by the employee who seats you before you start. In my experience the employees have good tips and ideas if you get stuck. There will probably only be one or two people working at a time. This means you have to be patient if you need help, especially if there's a kid group. There's no time limit that I am aware of. After you are done you just go to the cashier counter. They label your piece, ask for your contact info, and receive your payment. You'll receive an email notifying you when your piece has been glazed and ready for pick up. Easy peasy! O! Did I forget to mention they sell custard?! Randomm but I'm not hating on it. :) read more

Great place! We celebrated birthday party and everyone had a blast! So creative and fun! Amazing stuff! We completely recommend:))

This review is specific to walk-in painting. Came here with a small group on Saturday, there was plenty of seating available. I would imagine with a birthday party going on it would be quite different! You simply pick your piece, self-serve your paint, grab some brushes, and get to work. Very low-key DIY. Most pieces started at $25-$30. There is no studio fee, so guests are welcome to pick a bigger piece or one with more detail and stretch the work out over several visits. They did have a $5 off coupon that I used and the cashier noted that sometimes there are B1G1 coupons as well. Got emailed a $5 coupon to share: http://my-referral.link/KilnCo/hptzr read more

We've come here twice for pottery painting and had a great time both times! There's tons of colors to choose from and you can take all the time you need to paint. They are killed and ready to be picked up pretty fast (from a few days to 2 weeks). Our bowls look great and are the perfect size! Great place for kids, parties, families, and dates! read more

Painting the pottery was fun and ice cream was good, but service and treatment from staff was pretty terrible. It didn't feel kid-friendly and we had to wait for paint, ice cream, and to pay for a long time even though they weren't busy. Would've been a much better experience with a friendlier staff. read more

We went for a birthday celebration and it was a very nice, relaxing activity. The shop is well organized and you can paint as much or as little as you want. They have beautiful examples as well for inspiration. Best of all though is Dimitri. He is not only an extraordinary employee, but he is also an incredible artist! He was so kind and helpful. Highly recommend! read more

I'm going to give a 3, because I feel like my expectations are blinding me and I don't want to be too critical. I only came in for the custard, so if you're looking for a review on the pottery painting part of the establishment, disregard this review. This place just makes me miss Nielsen's. I heard that Rita's wasn't the only place serving frozen custard on Church Street, but having been disappointed by Rita's I was hoping that Kiln & Co.'s custard would be better. It is, I guess, but just marginally. I miss having super fresh custard just out of the churning machine, and the custard here didn't even really seem like custard to me. It's good ice cream but if you remember what Nielsen's was like this place is never going to live up to your expectations. Service was slow and distracted (I asked for one scoop but was given two - not the worst mistake to make but it still baffled me). Overall I doubt I'll be back for custard, but maybe I will come for the pottery. read more

I visited Kiln And Co. in Vienna with my granddaughter on Oct. 19. The employee working that day was horrible because she was looking after her own 3 kids (all under 5) that were there with her along with their dad. She did not assist in any way and her children were loud and distracting. They could not help it, they were bored kids! I could not enjoy my time with my granddaughter and we had planned this special day for months. The employee was scooping out tons of custard for her kids and giving inventory to the kids to paint. Maybe the owner told her that was ok. Anyway, I had a great experience there when a teenage girl was working but I won't go back if this lady is there. read more

I am updating my review on the Kiln and co. My changed opinion has much to do with Dimitry who has made creating art with my family much more enjoyable. The staff is on top of their game and very helpful. They do not rush us when we come for several hours and they are nice to my kids (a must!!!). I would give them a five, but Yelp keeps deleting those reviews, so while only four starts are highlighted, know I am sending Dimitry a five star rating. read more

I decided to take my girlfriend to a pottery date, and wanted us to just enjoy ourselves without needing someone to "babysit" us. We had 0 experience with clay, and had absolutely no clue what we were doing, but damn it! It was Great! The girl at the front desk was extremely kind and helpful, she put together a little kit of things we could potentially need for our masterful creations, and helped us setup the spinning wheel thing tables (we purchased the $25 day pass bundle). I highly recommend this place for your date and non-date days, whether you're a pro like us, or an actual pro. Cheers Kiln & Co.! read more