14U

14U is closed now.
We went a few Sundays ago, wanting to reminisce the fond memories of sitting in a comfy couch, reading our paper, goofing off online with no one bothering us, but discovered that it was closed and thought maybe it was just too late. But we walked by again 3 days ago and it was still closed. And after confirmation, it is safe to say that 14U will be closed for a while with no definitive re-​opening date.
I will miss the simple yet comforting breakfast sandwiches and teas. A shame since there seems to be fewer and fewer local, independent coffee/​tea shops around these days.

UPDATE: just dropped by last night and found a sign on the door saying they are closed while establishing new management — unknown when they would reopen.
sad, i hope they are able to reopen bc it was a nice place

UPDATE: Out of business a week later, I wonder why… hahahahahah good riddance.
I can’t say too much about this place as I was only once, but I can say it was the first coffee shop I actually walked out of. I frequent many coffee shops, and love Murky Coffee (arlington), so I am always game to try out and support another non-​Starbucks shop.
The person working the counter on Sunday ⁰⁴⁄₂₀ was exceptionally rude (tall, skinny black guy). He took about 4 minutes to help us, as he was preoccupied with putting a new DVD in the TV to watch. He asked my friend what he wanted (iced coffee), then proceeded to stare at me until I ordered. I know baristas can be surly, I appreciate that, but at least *ask* me what I want. I took it upon myself to order a 2% iced latte. He informed me that they only had skim and whole milk. I politely asked, since it was iced (no frothing involved), and he was simply going to dump milk in a cup, if he minded mixing the two milks to make 2%. He said no, he doesn’t mix milk. No explanation, no apology, just an adamant NO I dont mix milk. At this point we suggested an alternate place he could put his milk and coffee and walked out. Keep in mind we were the only people in line, its very little to ask. Oh and another reason not to go, I noticed their «baked goods» Quaker granola bars and Grandma’s cookies, mmm just like 7 – 11.

With a little tweaking 14U could be the perfect coffee shop. It has the cozy atmosphere, great location and interesting music that many independent coffee shops strive for but never attain. But… as charming as it is, it could stand to make the following improvements:
1– hotter coffee (I’ve had a few lukewarm cups, and this cranky grad student needs hot coffee)
2– a few more lamps (they could still be quaint and aesthetically pleasing)
3– better snacks (might keep me there longer)

Great to see an independent coffee shop keeping up with the chains in the 14^th/​U street area, even if it means seating can be hard to come by at peak times. This is a low-​frills place stocked with mix-​n-​match furniture a la Tryst.

As coffee shops go 14U is better than most, but not something I’d really write home about.
14U does have the emo charm that everyone touts and in abundence. Overall it’s a cozy décor,; mismatched couches, small tables, cheap chairs, and a counter composed of rocks behind chicken wire (nice touch?). Reminds me of a small «cybercafe» I went to in NYC, and not unlike the Murky locations, though with a lot more on the wall. Somewhat feels like it’s trying to be hip and urban where Murky just kinda has that feel.
As for the coffee it’s better than average coffee by Starbucks standards. My Americano is good, little crème on top, but tasty without any bitterness, typical of Intelligentsia beans, though it does taste like a lighter roast rather than most places black as sin espresso roasts.
Wifi works, or at least must since I’m writing this review (though is this there wifi? I hope so), and that’s always something that wins a place in my heart. Overall a nice place, but not enough to make me take the Metro all the way to U Street from Ballston, but if I were a local I could see myself stopping by from time to time when Busboys and Poets (up the street on 14^th) was too packed (like today).

1 * for playing Clifford Brown. Nobody plays hip jazz let alone vintage horn blowers who invented «cool» simply by being cool.
2* for the barista/​musician who knew that he was playing Clifford Brown.
3* for the comfy, low-​key space. It’s almost anonymous. A Hollywood starlet could hide out here and paparazzi wouldn’t dare follow. Hint for Paris.
4* for an AWESOME cup of joe!

One for me, one for you, one for all of us! I love this place. It’s quaint and cozy. Reminds me of a college coffee house where people want to support the local, independent business and stick it to the man. My friend and I spent one cold, rainy evening trying to find a coffee shop that was not $tarbucks and it proved to be a hard feat. We trekked around Chinatown to no avail and finally decided to go to U-​Street. We narrowed it down to 14U or Mocha Hut. It’s not hard to guess which one we decided on as we plopped ourselves down on comfy couches, sipped on chai lattes, and read newspapers. All this to mellow tunes like The Cure, Aqualung, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Death Cab For Cutie, you know… emo to the max. Yeah, emo is so passé but that’s where the college nostalgia fits in. 14U, indeed, for which I utterly confess to having a soft spot.

Quaint little coffee shop right off the corner of 14/​U. Good hot chocolate, lots of room in the back, and free WiFi!

This place can be hit or miss. That being said, I came in on a Friday night to do some studying (maybe that tells you something about me…) and totally fell in love with 14U. The barista was awesome, funny, and made a mean double shot small skim latte. After sufficient caffeination and friendly conversation, I finally got down to studying. An hour or so later, a local band trucks in and sets up shop. The place filled up and I ended up making (platonic) bff with the lead singer’s dad. All-​in-​all, a rando, but fulfilling, evening.
The crowd that hangs out at 14U is generally pretty chill. Sometimes it can be a wee bit weird, but that’s part of the charm. Occasionally the music can be too loud to read, but it’s still good for social gatherings. And now and then you’ll get a clueless (but still very nice) barista. Food-​wise, go for a sandwich (which is excellent) and not the pie (which is not).
In summation, I dig 14U. It reminds me of coffee shops back in Portland.

Oh, god, I was so glad when I found U14. I was looking for a place to just sit for the night and write some emails, and decided to poke around 14^th/​U St. Busboys and Poets (it was, admittedly, 10 on a Saturday) was already in full bar mode, Tryst was getting there (and no internet on the weekends!) and U14 was exactly like my favorite coffeeshop in New Haven: laid back, unpretentious — compared to its counterparts — lots of places to sit, wifi. I got a sandwich, which was tasty with plenty of advacado, and a latte, which was pretty standard, and chilled in a corner for several hours.
I was really excited when about a half hour into my sit a guitarist shows up and starts playing — he was pretty good! The music lasted from 10 til well after midnight, and gave the place a nice community feel. It was really just what I was looking for.
The owner accosted me a few times and swore he recognized me (I’ve been in DC for about a month), but he was nice and charming. The only thing I wish this place had was more variety on the menu — I would have liked a better selection of baked goods, or maybe paninis. Still, it was nice to feel like I was home.

I came to here to do a little work, and it was fine, but odd.
The guy who was working there was very friendly, to the point of being a bit intrusive. At one point he annouced that the ethiopian woman who works there was going to conduct a traditional coffee ceremony. That’s cool, I thought. then he demanded that all the patrons (there were about 5 of us in there) watch the ceremony, as it would be rude not to. Fine. but it started with roasting the beans. I’m thinking, how long is this going to take? eventually I went back to my work. It was kind of cool, but kind of bizarre.

I reserve the right to adjust this review after I actually try the coffee, but I just popped in with a book and had some tea, and I was pleased. The teas are loose and you can (should, even) ask to smell the bags. I had the Jasmine green and it was quite nice. I ordered a pot, and it was plenty to split with one other person.
As for the atmosphere, either Medieval plague houses (see Laura T.‘s comments) are brighter than I would have expected, or the proprietors at 14U have read the writing on the walls. The place was lit up like the freaking sun tonight, and it was actually too cold (see John B. — «it is too hot inside»). Maybe they’re over-​correcting, but at least they are listening.
The furniture is totally bricolage, but I tried a few of the seats out and they’re mostly comfy. The couches are nice and not at all Salvation Army, in my H.O. The folks are friendly, and the music was not too distracting to get some reading done. All in all a very nice little establishment, but I will have to stop by for an espresso drink before I cast my final vote.
[Edit June 03] I popped in a couple of times recently and had various coffee drinks. The coffee was of good quality, but it could have been more fresh, though it was late in the day. I ordered a soy latte on another visit and it tasted great (again, good beans) but the preparation was all wrong and was not nearly as expertly-​prepared as Murky, which I consider to be the gold standard. Also, every time I went in the staff was friendly and the music was fantastic.

14U is what any self-​respecting coffeeshop should strive to be. Cozy furniture, cool art on the walls, a friendly dude behind the counter and a good selection of fresh, tasty coffee drinks and pastries. The prices are good too. There is always quality, «coffeeshop» music playing in the background and, time permitting, you could easily lose a few hours here chillaxing. Lastly, a «quiet room» in the back provides ideal circumstances for studying if need be.
P. S. There is also the ubiquitous supply of local publications and a community activity bulletin board if you want to know what is happening in and around the neighborhood.
P. P. S. (5÷13÷08) I wrote this review a year ago, oh those were heady times… apparently 14U fell by the wayside and has temporarily (or not) closed its doors. Alas, you will be missed, local coffeeshop.

I walked all the way to 14^th and U from Adams Morgan and didn’t end up going in. Here’s why:
Today, March 27^th 2007, it is warm and breezy, the trees are blossoming, the birds are singing and the sun is beaming benevolently down upon DC. So why oh why is this café lit like a Medieval plague house?
I peeked in through the doors where I could see a few shadowy, enigmatic figures sprawled on the undoubtedly vintage couches (I don’t know, I couldn’t see any of the furniture) about the narrow room, their pale, intent faces barely illuminated eery blue in the glow of their MacBooks.
There are a few things I like in cafes. One of them is that they shouldn’t call to mind words like «dank,» «gloomy» or «Lovecraftian.»
I’m sure it has very many strong points otherwise.

14U feels like a 70s basement. As other reviewers mentioned, the furniture is mismatched and in my opinion, somewhat awkwardly placed. Still, 14U gives hope that anyone with a dream to sell good coffee in a cool neighborhood can set up shop in spite of (or because of) an eclectic, falling apart Salvation Army furniture collection that owes to the owner’s inability to invest in fancy plush sofas. Most importantly, the coffee is nice, as 14U sells Chicago-​based Intelligentsia. Woo-​hoo. My major beef: the lighting is too dim for those of us who come to coffee shops to read. The indirect lighting is a nice idea, but 14U would do well to invest in brighter lamps.

I recently read that the name of this venue is «one-​for-​you», and I may be wrong in my interpretation, but it seems like it was meant to be a coffee shop for the locals… for us!
I like 14U a lot. It has an authentic feel to it, unlike Busboys, and is pretty small, which I think lends to its charm.
I’ve had good coffee there but cannot comment on the rest. All and all, its a great place that I hope people frequent!
it is a pretty great coffee shop… and place you go for coffee, maybe a sandwich… the couches don’t match and some of the chairs aren’t comfy… but at least you won’t fall asleep while working on writing that report! and another thing — its a small business that doesn’t seem to be backed by tons of cash coming in from the owner (and if it is, well don’t tell me about it!)…so heres one for you, and me too!

«I’ve come home!» … These were my first thoughts when I walked into 14U. I used to work at a café that tried its best to be this place, and almost made it. But here it is, folks: my dream café. For me, not much tops the feeling of stepping out of the cold to sip tasty Kenyan coffee, nibble at a chewy brownie, and peruse the paper on a comfy couch while Iron & Wine and a fantastic blast of heat make me feel warm and fuzzy. It’s only slightly farther from the U St metro than Starbucks, so you lazy types have no more excuses for choosing the mega-corp’s bitter brew over this delightful café. And anyway, you’ve got to see the bizarre artwork!

Whew. Still open. This is a new-​ish coffee house that I want to stay that way.
You’ll think you walked into a seventies vintage store. The tables don’t match and the sofas are old (nice check print!), but that’s part of the charm at 14U. Sit and stay a while. This spot has fair trade and organic coffee as well as free wifi (2 great things that are excellent together).
Hang and listen to the old records or, if the radio is on. classic rock. Sip some Intelligentsia– cause 14U is the only spot that is serving it right now. Oh, and have a slab of that cherry pie. You’ll thank me.

There’s a sign on the door: «Please close door behind you!» It’s an old wooden door with squeaky hinges, and it exemplifies the overall feel of 14U: Lots of antique furniture and colors reminiscent of grandma’s. Make yourself at home. The furniture is not very useful (the tables are too low to write at), and it is too hot inside (I had to sit by the door just to get some fresh air)…but still it’s a nice and cozy place, unlike anything else in the area.
Check out the back «lounge», where you can sit in leathery old chairs around a coffee table that holds a dusty old volume called «Japanese Temples». There are some Japanese pillows in the front bay window, along with lots of other pillows – «comfortable and worn-​in» seems to be the theme here.
They’ve only been open a few weeks, so come now to take advantage of the staff’s general good-​will.