Busboys and Poets – 14th & V

It was pride week and we were visiting from out of town. A couple on the street recommended we go here for a diverse offering and this place did not disappoint! I had the shrimp and grits, and also ate some fries which were absolutely fantastic. Anytime I am in DC I will definitely make a trip here for the great food and great atmosphere.

I really like this place, I have been here 3 times and have enjoyed every meal. The food is really good and the atmosphere is chill. The place was inspired by Langston Hughes and you can find hid work in their library. They also have different events. I will keep on coming back

I really like Busboy’s. The vibe is so unique. The selection of books are awesome. The poetry nights I absolutely love. This location in particular is just very cool and chill. If I had more time I could see myself just stopping through to grab a drink and read a book. Great ambiance.
During dinner time especially (or any peak hours) expect for it to be loud. I decided to go on a date here and my oh my how awkward. Lol My date had to keep putting his ear over to my mouth because he was having a hard time hearing with all of the other conversations going on in that same space.
Otherwise, always good service with good people serving.
As far as the food goes, I’ve been to several Busboy’s locations and I’ll be honest. The food has been just okay. I never walk away like «WOW, that was so good!» Well, hold on. I’ll take that back a little bit. I like their omelettes.
But the shrimp pasta I had last night left more to be desired. I added pepper, salt and a lot of hot sauce and still felt like «meh». I’ve had the vegan burger before too and I can’t remember it. I saw a few people ordering crab fritters and the waiter suggested them so I decided to order them. In my opinion the crab fritters weren’t worth $ 10. They didn’t come out hot and they were on the bland side to me. I saw a fish dish land at another table. It looked good. Perhaps I’ll try that next.
Oh and if you’re wondering about my date. The guy was cool. But I think we’re better off as just friends.

Really cool looking place and tons and tons of seating. I came here for breakfast when there was no wait, but I can’t imagine you’d ever have to wait long here due to the large amount of tables. But if you do, there’s plenty of books to keep you busy.
The breakfast was pretty good. Nothing extraordinary, but overall decent. My omelette was tasty and I loved the bread they use for toast (pretty thick) but I couldn’t eat the homefries. They were just swimming in oil. I wanted a side of bacon instead of the homefries to begin with, but when I asked, the waiter just shook his head no. I wasn’t even given the option to sub it out and still pay full price for the side of bacon, I was just told no. I guess the customer isn’t their priority.
Just a heads up that this place does do takeout, but apparently not for brunch. I waited for them to open one morning to grab takeout only to find out they don’t do it for brunch. So, plan accordingly.

Comfortable place for any meal. Several different areas, including the Bar and store.
I really enjoyed the Vegan Tuna Sandwich!
Great presentation, delicious with flavor and very satisfying. I didn’t leave room for dessert. Will return when in DC.

My first impression when I walked into Busboys and Poets was that it was a LOT larger than I anticipated! Yes, there is a small bookstore section, but I was surprised that the dining area was big! We asked for a table of 4 on a Friday evening, and was told that it may take some time. No worries, we hung out at a bar and ordered a drink. Luckily, the table became available before we even finished our drink!
The food was great (I ordered the shrimp and chicken chorizo pasta) and the server was very attentive as well. We sat by the window and I loved that it brought in a lot of natural light as well as provided me an opportunity to people watch.

Do you need to grab some delicious food late at night? Well, this is the place for you! Busboys and Poets has a unique, artsy atmosphere. They have open mic nights, so show off your talents or watch some great talented people do their thing!
Now onto the important part, which is food of course! Our server was great; he was very accommodating, polite, and had great suggestions on what to order. I tried the Reuben panini and it was delicious. It also came with a side of fries. However, there wasn’t anything special about the fries. I had a wonderful experience and I will definitely come back here when I am around the area again.

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE PLACE — a bookstore, an eatery with tons of vegan options, and the best coffee! We escaped the rain while sight-​seeing in DC, and found this lovely surprise. Do yourself a favor and order the kid-​sized sweet potato pancakes with whatever breakfast you choose. They’re small enough to just give you a taste, and not too big to overstuff you. I had the tofu scramble, and some incredibly tasty coffee. Loved this place so much!

Motherf*cking delicious food for your mouth B. Expertly prepared. The chef is fire B.
Yo if you come in here you might be like yo wtf there’s books for sale and a bar and sh*t? Then you sit down and look at that menu and see OD vegan and gluten free options as well as something for my carnivores. Yo bring ya moms and ya girl. No one will be fighting because they gonna be too busy chewing down on this right here. We bout to be back up in this piece whenever we in chocolate city. 100

A must-​eat destination in DC. The food is flavorful and of good quality; good portion sizes too. I’ve had the famous sweet potato pancakes multiple times and have yet to be disappointed. The oatmeal is perfect, too. Equally as perfect as the food is the atmosphere. It’s busy with culture, art and expression. There’s a small, well-​stocked bookstore in the front, and a small stage and performance room in the back. Go and expect to love it.

I know, I know — I write about Busboys all the time. Hey — I live next door to them so I just can’t help but check out all their new offerings. At this point, Busboys and Poets needs no introduction. They are a hip internet café-​style, poetry venue that serves great food and lots of vegan options. So just go there already.
They have a new Mezze Platter that combines a lot of goodness all in one. It features their great hummus, babaganoush, and tabbouleh with whole wheat pita. The tabbouleh is about as perfect as it can get.
For my entrée, I wanted to order my usual Tofu and Quinoa, but the dish is now called Quinoa and Mixed Vegetables. I figured they improved on the dish, but I gotta say, I miss the fried tofu. It was a tasty mix of asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, roasted butternut squash, and zucchini, but they should put the tofu back in this dish.
We also ordered the Vegan Pizza with the vegan pepperoni, which is a classically good dish.
To end a great night, we went with the warm brownie and coconut ice cream. To die for. This rich, warm chocolatey brownie was loaded with chocolate chunks and served with delicious ice cream. I could eat this every night.
No surprises here — the food is always good, atmosphere lively, and service sufficient. It’s my go-​to in DC.

We were introduced to Busboys and Poets as a great brunch restaurant and to meet up with friends. Consistent with its reputation, the place was fully packed during our visit with tons of people waitlisted for a table. On this day, the restaurant included an outdoor patio, two floors of breakout dining rooms, a full bar, and a bookstore by the door. They also hold screening of presidential debates. There were several diners studying with their laptop, and words cannot adequately describe how crowded it was with people everywhere. The hipsterish activist edge, bustling atmosphere, tightly arranged couches, small and communal tables, and high noise level made this one of the most happening places nearby the convention center.
The Crab Cake Sandwich ($ 16) came with a crab cake, thick slices of sharp onions, and tomato slices served in-​between bulky brioche buns. The buns were dry and unimpressive. Despite the amount of fillers, I did enjoy the crab cake accompanied by the old bay tarter sauce. The sharp onions carried great textures, but were also too thick and overwhelming. The dish also came with a Harira soup ($ 1) that was bland and underwhelming.
The Sweet Potato Hash ($ 10) came with a mix of roasted sweet potato hash, kale, onions, poached egg, and brown rice served in a skillet. The chuncky sweet potato hash was noticeable and delicious. The poached egg was made perfectly, and the kale, onions, and brown rice provided great texture. Previously I had tried something similar served chilled in other restaurants, but this version fared better.
Santi also ordered a side of Sweet Potato Pancake ($ 3). The size of the pancake was modest, and so was the taste of sweet potato. The pancake was easy to cut into, but didn’t render that thick fluffy wow factor I was hoping for.
The menu also included vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. Service was hit or miss, but the food did arrive quickly. Overall, there were a few bright spots, but the food was not as exceptional as stated by many reviewers. I was encouraged but not impressed by this place, and would be interested in trying other dishes at one of their sister locations. 2.5 stars for the experience.

Oh my! Who knew DC would have so many vegan friendly restaurants. Busboy and poets is a coffee house /​restaurant with a full bar. They even have a book store inside. There are plenty of seating, sofas, loveseats, communal tables etc so you won’t have trouble finding a spot, whether your a group of two or a party of 5 (ba dum tss).
My appetite and need for a caffeine fix brought us crawling in here. After seeing so many sights, a gal can get hangry. I scarfed down a delicious vegan quesadilla with sauteed mushroom and daiya cheese, along with a large side of fries with Chipotle aioli. The quesadilla was so cheesy with a buttery flavor, the mushrooms had this distinct flavor which made for an scrumptious and filling quesadilla. I can’t recall what beers we tried that day but I know that the ipa on tap was quite good.
So happy to have stumbled here, until we meet again!

My husband and I love Washington D.C. especially with all the food choices available. On our most recent trip, we were invited by our friend to have brunch at Busboys and Poets.
The atmosphere was hopping with young to old patrons enjoying their meals with a rapid vibe and loud conversations. The staff were happy to be here and it was obvious they worked very hard. We admired the portraits that made a positive impact in the world and the en vogue interior décor. Attached to the lobby was a small bookstore for your pleasure to purchase. I noticed they had a spiral staircase leading upstairs but was closed for a private party.
Surprisingly, we waited less than 15 minutes after we dropped our name with the host on a rainy Saturday before noon. We were seated tightly in a cluster of tables, which seemed rather cozy to the other diners.
Looking at the menu, the first thing that caught my eye was the Sweet Potato Pancakes dusted with powdered sugar (3 for $ 10) and the Sweet Potato Hash $ 10 (roasted sweet potato hash, kale, onions, poached egg, brown rice in a skillet). Instead of denying my sweet potato craving, I ordered the hash plus a side order of one pancake ($ 3). Daniel was in the seafood mood and ordered the Crab Cake Sandwich $ 16 with the Harira soup extra $ 1.
We shared our single sweet potato pancake and wasn’t blown away with the portion. What made it worse was it didn’t scream with much flavor. One thing I did appreciate was the real Vermont maple syrup. My hash was served in a miniature skillet and was basically a combination of all the listed ingredients but could have used more seasoning or pizzaaaazz! I used the hot sauce to help bring it back to life. The poached egg was nicely cooked with a slimy yolk that oozed out when I cut it. The portion for both of my dishes could have been bigger for the price.
Daniel’s sandwich consisted of an enormous brioche bun which took most of the sandwich and had way too many red onions for one person to eat in a day. Nice texture of the crab cake but the bun to cake ratio wasn’t working for us. The side order of Harira soup was filled with chickpeas and vegetables and the soup broth was very thin. Again, no pizzaaazz!
With all the reviews, I was hoping to be blown away but I walked out sadly because it didn’t «wow» me in the end.

++
— Great for large groups or just people watching
+
— Staff is extremely friendly and helpful
— Drinks are very well prepared
+/​-​
— Make your resey for a weekend night, it’s gonna be busy

Great place for coffee, food, and work.
The restaurant/​book store is super spacious, there’s great music in the background, and they have a great food menu. We stopped in for breakfast and drinks before heading out for a day at the museums. We ordered the Oaxaca omelette and the two egg breakfast. The portion sizes were perfect and the prices were great.
They also have a great drink menu. Tons of great options that make it really difficult to choose. We ordered a latte and a soy blueberry bliss tea latte before heading out. The blueberry bliss tea was a fun drink. A little too sweet for my taste, but still good overall.

Busboys and Poets is somewhat of a DC institution; not only is it a restaurant, but it’s also a bookstore slash venue that plays host to everything from slam poets to political speakers. Its founder ran for mayor a couple years back, too. Even if social activism isn’t your cup of tea, Busboys is a no-​fail place to take visitors to DC for brunch or a chill dinner. It has something for everyone and is particularly welcoming to those who are vegan, vegetarian or gluten-​free, with the menu denoting what dishes are suitable for each group. While the menu includes the typical burgers, pizzas, and salads you’d expect, I appreciate the unexpected and interesting dose of international cuisine, such as Egyptian foole dip and Iraqi «corned beef» hash.
I met up with two friends here for brunch on a Sunday at 11:15am sans reservations and was told that there’d be a 20 minute wait (you should go thrift-​shopping down the block at Crossroads if you have a lengthy amount of time to kill). Fortunately, they ended up seating us about ten minutes later. Phew.
The free refills on coffee are excellent (note: they charge an extra 25 cents for soy milk). I also love that they place a container of raw brown sugar on the table — best type of sugar. We ordered the moist and fluffy sweet potato pancakes, which were accompanied by a fruit salad that wisely did not include any melon, which is always cold/​hard/​bad in fruit salads. We also had the grilled brie panini with spinach, caramelized onions, and tomato on ciabatta, which likewise came with the fruit salad, and was pure comfort food at a reasonable $ 10.
Coke-​lovers beware: they don’t serve your beloved beverage here! My friend had specifically ordered a Coke, but the second she took a sip, she said, «This isn’t Coke.» She suspected that it was Dr. Brown’s instead and posited that Coke isn’t socially conscious enough to be served at Busboys. It probably would’ve been nice if the waiter had warned her ahead of time, but I guess most people don’t get too mad about it.

I love busboys! It’s a great spot to get brunch or dinner. I had been a few times to the college park location, but came to this one for the first time over the weekend. I was a huge fan. Busboys is a cool place. You don’t even realize there’s a wait time because they have an awesome bookstore inside the restaurant. They have a good selection of books, so it’s fun to look through them all as you wait to be seated. Even if there’s no wait, I highly recommend checking out the bookstore before you leave. You might find the next book you want to read!
Everything on the menu here sounds so good. It’s really hard to choose one thing. They have a mixture of eggs, pancakes, yogurts, skillets, and then lots of salads and sandwiches for lunch to choose from. Really anything you could want for breakfast or lunch they will have. If you’re looking for a place who cared about healthy eating and fresh foods, this is the spot. I chose the chicken omelette which had chicken, feta cheese, spinach, tomatoes, and onions in it. I got a side of potatoes and toast. The omelette was delicious and fluffy. I’ve never had chicken in an omelette before but I really liked it and was a fan. I hoped that my potatoes would be a bit warmer though. Also the service was a little slow.
Overall great place to venture to if you’re in DC or college park. A great place for groups to go since everyone can find something they would like on this menu.

Busboys and Poets is a local franchise combining a bookstore, coffee lounge, dining, and live music. I’ve been to most of the locations like Shirlington, Brookland, and Convention Center. This was my first time in this location and although it is not the newest that being the one in Brookland, the chain has a consistent positive vibe that wants me to go back for more.
I had a chai latte and split a rustic pizza with friends.
The service was great and the food and drink was good too at a great price point.

Great Brunch and Lunch joint!
They literally have everything you could crave for and their staff is super super nice! The ambiance is a cute bookstore, café with couches and tables. They had a special seasonal pumpkin pancakes and it was so yummy! Their pannini are a perfect size and crunch, served with fries.
Their mimosas are not really that great so I recommend you get another drink, but everything else was perfect!