Ailun H.
Yelp
I haven't been to too many lounges, but the Capital One Venture X Lounge is definitely the best I've been to so far. It's located right past security (TSA pre-check), which was very convenient. The people working this past Christmas Eve were extremely pleasant. I only had to wait about 20 minutes in the afternoon before I was able to enter.
After checking in, to your left, there is a pretty extensive coffee bar. There are a couple baristas who will craft any of their espresso drinks for you and pastries you can get to go along with your coffee. On the side, there are self-serving coffee options (cold brew, oatmilk draft latte from La Colombe -- sadly they were out) if you aren't feeling an espresso drink or don't feel like waiting in line.
There is a big cafeteria/seating area in the back with lots of food and a whole bar if you want drinks. They had a lot of small plates, bite-sized options, which is great for sampling every option as well as reducing food waste. I got to try everything, but my personal favorites were the double chocolate brownies, prosciutto toast (slightly spicy, with some goat cheese and fruity sweetness), the cheese & salami sampler and the corn/cheese grits. I thought the tater tots with cheese and chicken sausage with mashed potatoes were quite solid, but they were a bit stale from sitting out too long.
My favorite part about this lounge is that you can grab food (sandwiches, parfaits, acai bowls, etc.) and drinks (water, sparkling, soda, etc.) to go. You can ask the staff for a to-go back and pack some food for your flight. I brought back some sandwiches for my mom, who really enjoyed the turkey sandwich. Extremely generous, and the food is good. I'll never have to spend money for food on flight if I continue to fly out of IAD. Solid experience.