Settled in between two sports shop in the shopping center in Fairfax City, Cameron’s Coffee and Chocolates turns on the charm as soon as we passed over the threshold. Cameron’s Coffee was an overall pleasant experience. Situated in an out of the way shopping center, the space is compact, but well used. Periwinkle walls adorned with green and pink ornate decals met an open ceiling, with painted pipework in full view.
The founder of this company is named Cameron Graham, who graduated from Langley High School through the Davis Center Special Needs Program. She specializes in catering, and with the help of her parents founded this quaint coffee and chocolate shop.Most of the employees are employed through a non-profit organization called Every1 Can Work, which creates permanent employment opportunities for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
The menu has an assortment of espresso drinks, teas, and hot chocolate, and desserts like cupcakes and their famous hand dipped chocolates.There is a viewing window into the kitchen where one can watch employees make the delicious chocolates available for viewing in the display case next to the register and counter. Food and drink prices were fair and various merchandise was available for purchase. T-shirts, greeting cards, and extra sweets were placed along either side of the room.
The initial impression of their hot chocolate was, true to the name, very hot. While it was surprisingly scolding, the hot chocolate did deliver in taste. It was sweet and flavorful, different than any I’d had before. It is in stark contrast to Starbucks’ use of dark chocolate since this one contained milk chocolate and I enjoyed the subtle difference. Similarly, their latte was steamed to a very high temperature and was only served in a to-go cup, which took away from the overall authentic coffee-house feeling, but was a tasty drink none-the-less.
The toffee was very salty and crunchy but with sweet chocolate undertones. The mint truffle was a nod to a reinvented York Peppermint Pattie. Shaped like a heart, the truffle fit right at home with the cute and quirky atmosphere. The raspberry truffles were by far the best hand-dipped chocolate, the fruity and dairy flavors complementing each other perfectly. The other sweet item on the menu was their assorted cupcakes, of which we had one with chocolate flavor and vanilla icing. Although the cupcake was a little dry, the frosting was excellent, and saved the overall taste of the cupcake.