It's rush hour and you need to get to work ASAP. The metro is delayed by twenty minutes and all you can afford to do is run at hyper-speed from your stop to work. Your stress levels are at an all-time high, but at the same time you are mentally and physically drained of energy. These two feelings acting at the same take a larger toll on your stamina than you can imagine. In an attempt to regain your strength, you think of the one six-letter remedy that rids you of all your anxiety and gives you the boost you need to overcome rush hour - COFFEE! And the next thing that jumps to your mind is a nine-letter word - STARBUCKS. It's found everywhere, in basically every neighborhood around Arlington and every town or city in the nation. It is well-known for providing the sacred beverage everyone needs to get through the workday. However, this Garden of Eden comes at a price. The high demand for Starbucks leads to long lines that can set you back up to ten minutes or even more, thus making your stress levels skyrocket and stamina plummet. And service is not always of the best quality at every place. The better and more efficient the service, the faster you'll get coffee, the more refreshing your coffee will be, and the more stable your stamina will be. To save you the time and effort of looking for a Starbucks with high-quality and efficient service, here is a list of the three best Starbucks in Arlington, ranked subjectively in terms of factors such as efficiency, quality of service, wait times, etc.
1. Ballston, 901 Stuart St.
This Starbucks is the best in Arlington because the wait time here is the shortest one I've ever witnessed. Not just in Arlington, but nationwide. I stood in a long line, but only took two or three minutes before I put my order in. The baristas were really nice and were able to keep their cool and give customers a warm, welcoming experience in spite of an extremely large heat of orders.
2. Crystal City Shops, 2231 Crystal Dr.
The wait time at this Starbucks is a little bit longer even though the line isn't as large here, yet the baristas are still really outgoing. The reason why the wait time is a little longer is actually a plus factor - the baristas put more time into making sure the beverages are of the highest quality possible.
3. Pentagon City (across from the mall) 1100 S. Hayes St.
This place has a very short wait time and friendly baristas who do a fantastic job at balancing quantity and quality, yet what is also nice about this place is the ambient environment aside from its proximity to public transit. Besides being situated one block away from the Pentagon City Metro station which makes it easy to access for commuters, the large windows that allow a tremendous amount of sunlight in and subtle jazz music create a truly relaxing environment that allows one to de-stress and regain stamina, particularly during the rush hour.
