Mellow Mushroom

I'm a big fan of Mellow Mushroom and this location just opened so I had to give it a try.  Normally I order the Funky Q Pizza but I decided to try something different tonight so I went with the Kosmic Karma, which has red sauce base with feta and mozzarella cheeses, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and Roma tomatoes with a pesto swirl.  It took around 35 minutes to get my pizza, which is a little slow in my opinion, but they were very busy so I understand.  The pizza was good but not as good as the Funky Q and I don't think I would order it again.  The feta cheese flavor was very underwhelming and the pesto over powered the flavor.  The crust also wasn't as good as other Mellow Mushroom restaurants, they are probably still learning how to bake the pizzas correctly.  Also I was never given a large plate and had to eat my pizza off a small appetizer plate which was a bit awkward.  The service was very good.  My server was friendly, got my order correct, and kept my glass full.  This location is a bit of a drive for me but I'd defiantly come back if I was in the area.  You should definitely give Mellow Mushroom Herndon a try.

A new spot to hang out and have great food and drinks!

I came for dinner on their opening day, and the place was packed! Lots of PR had been done for Mellow Mushroom in Herndon, and it obviously paid off. Sitting next to the Guapo's, this location is a bit weird to get into, but there is a decent amount of parking in the complexes adjacent to it.

The floorplan is open and huge, so when you walk in, it feels almost like a warehouse, which is the feel they're going for (industrial minimalistic). To the right is a decently large bar and bar seating area, and to the left and upstairs (they may even have a downstairs ???) is normal seating. I just went for bar seating and was promptly introduced to a couple of the bartenders. They got my order in right away and set me up with a nice brew. The ambiance is definitely friendly and exciting, so I can see MM becoming a big happy hour spot for the working crowd after hours.

Of course, MM is known for their pizzas, so I had to go for the House Special (essentially a gourmet'd-up supreme pizza with premium ingredients like applewood smoked bacon and roma tomatoes). Do note that because all orders are made from scratch, pizzas will take between 20-30 minutes depending on the crowd. No problem for me, as the pizza came out piping hot and looking awesome. Large pieces of identifiable ingredients, and the aroma was great. Biting into an MM pizza is unlike most other pizza experiences you'll have - there is no additional sugar to sweeten the dough, so you get a hearty, semi-soft crunch texture to balance out the pizza sauce and toppings. For the House Special, this was perfect. The red sauce was luscious and not watery thin, the sausage was actually ground meat, the bacon was thick, the olives were olivey, the tomatoes were fresh, and so on. Also, the cheese was just chewy and stringy enough without becoming that take-out nightmare you sometimes find with large national chains. Overall, very impressed with the pizza at MM on their first day.

The staff was great at handling the neverending flow of people through the hour or so that I was there, and they made sure everyone felt welcomed.

I'm glad that MM is making a positive impact on the food establishment scene around here, and I'm looking forward to becoming a regular!

After weeks of waiting and anticipation, several coworkers and I showed up at Mellow Mushroom Herndon for opening day lunch. New business service jitters and such excluded, everything was spot-on and lived up to expectations set by visits to other MM locations.

Mellow Mushroom in general has great pizza and does offer many specialties, whether you are vegan (Daiya cheese), vegetarian, gluten-free (GF crust), or a total omnivore (lots of yummy meats). Lots of gourmet and classic choices. If you're familiar with one MM, you're familiar with them all. And that parmesan/butter crust is to die for.

This location is in a huge space that is well decorated, well laid-out, and seems to have a huge bar as well - apparently once they're operating at full-speed, they will have about 40 beers on tap!

I'm sure the service will improve as they get used to the cogs and gears - nothing totally wrong with our visits; server was prompt, friendly, knowledgeable, and was happy to be at work. Just some issues with processing the bills, but we did have a bill split among a party of six, so it wasn't totally her fault.

Needless to say, I will be back...many times!