The Mudd House

It’s usually ok. But today’s was burned. They should have never served that plate of food.

Nothing great about the breakfast. My macchiato was a let down. Oatmeal was just bland.

I unfortunately did not have a good experience the first time here. I was on my way to a job interview one morning, and had about 40 minutes to spare just for a quick coffee and sandwich for breakfast beforehand. I stopped by here on my way, ordered a beverage and a bagel sandwich, waited for over 10 minutes to not hear from anyone. Finally it started to seem too weird, and I approached them and asked about my order. The cashier who took my order shouted to the sandwich guy in the back about my food, who then appeared completely caught off guard and apparently he did not even know about it. Running out of time and feeling increasingly anxious about getting something to eat before my interview, I told the cashier I had to go since I couldn’t wait any longer. She may have mumbled an apology and refunded me in cash.
It was just a bad experience. I’m sure the stuff they sell may be of high quality, but the attention to detail is so minimal; it wasn’t even crowded when I was there (past 9am and wasn’t peak time any more). The customer service could also need a reboot. I was obviously in a hurry and displeased to find out they had miscommunicated about my order. I know some places — and Starbucks — would’ve tried to make it up to me by issuing me a coupon or something small as a sign that they understood my frustration. But nothing here.

The sandwich that I had was good, and the service and everything was fine. Nothing really crazy special. Good lunch option
The good: Good food at pretty decent prices. Friendly service. Lots of menu options. Good looking smoothies and other drinks.
The bad: Sandwich could have been warmer. A little expensive but its going to be in that area. No fountain drinks.
Overall: Not a bad lunch option by any means.
Atmosphere: ⁷⁄₁₀
Service: ⁷⁄₁₀
Food: ⁷⁄₁₀

When I worked a block away, I came in here almost every morning for either a hot chocolate or mocha. They use Ghiradelli chocolate so both drinks are excellent. The staff were always so friendly. Months after I stopped working nearby, I would come in and they’d recognize me. I still crave their drinks and every once in a while make a special trip to the neighborhood for my Mudd House fix. :)

Most bitter cappuccino I’ve ever had. Also, wanted to charge me $ 2 for an apple! So many better places in the area!

Coffee is alright, but let’s just say it is pretty dang expensive for the quality of coffee! The regular black coffee is just over $ 2 and the vanilla latte is sugar infused — i will not be coming back for more!
Although, I must mention, the owners are very friendly and inviting — looks like a family owned place to me. Overall, easy to pass up for the better coffee houses in DC!

Near where I work, why is it not good???
So sad.
I hear everything outside the coffee everything is slightly tasty?
I have not had it.
Owner is nice though.
Good points are that it is a great space, in and outdoors. Not loud and busy, but maybe because the coffee is not that good…

Maybe it’s the way they spell Mudd (like the really bad hard rock band) that keeps me from really warming up to this place completely, but I’d like to think I’m not that shallow.
I’d like to think I’m judging them on the prices of their sandwiches in relation to how small they are. And I’d like to think I’m judging them on the fact that their wi-​fi is very spotty at times. And I’d like to think I’m judging them on the price of their iced tea. But all of the good things about this place leads me to say that, yeah, it’s just the name.
For example, the Vegetarian Wonder is just that. A tasty sandwich filled with a mixture of fresh vegetables (maybe a bit heavy on the sprouts) that is pretty filling and served quickly to get people back to work.
And the counter people are extremely friendly. For how many people go through here (as a non-​corporate alternative to the dozen or so Starbucks nearby), they seem to know every customer and sometimes even their life story. It’s almost a familial atmosphere.
Plus the Southwest (U.S. not D.C.) inspired décor adds to the relaxing feel inside that assuages the fast paced feeling of Connecticut, only a few blocks away. Though it’s definitely not a boehemian hangout like the mascot would suggest (it’s purely filled with local type A twenty and thirty somethings in a hurry and in need of caffeine to take on the world). So what I want to know is, who came up with such a horrible name? It so lose a star worthy!

I love the Mudd House for quick coffee meetings during the day. They have decent coffee and great egg bagels! It’s typically not too crowded, which makes it ideal if you want to have a conversation with someone.

This is the go-​to coffee spot for my entire office. The staff is just lovely and the coffee is great. That being said, the food isn’t that wonderful. Come for the coffee or tea and avoid the food.

Casual little coffee spot tucked into a corner beside a Subway — easy to miss, but super friendly folks behind the counter. (It was a couple Asian ladies while I was there.) They’ve got an espresso machine and various syrups, and when they heard me wishing the honey vanilla latte came iced, they called over that it’d be no problem. They also do breakfast and lunch sandwiches and pastries and have hard-​boiled eggs sitting in a bowl at the register.
Nothing glamorous and it feels more like a place to grab-​and-​go, but with a little booth seating and a few small tables, it’s not a bad spot to sit down for a few minutes either.

Tasty honey vanilla soy latte. Cute space for mtg up or reading a book.

Based on the reviews, the chai tea is a winner, but as for food this place is on the never again list. I got a roast beef sandwich… pretty simple, beef, cheddar, lettuce, tomato. They advertised a «fresh crusty roll» but mine was soft and not so fresh… but I can live with that… the worst was the roast beef, which had a strange taste… I think they heated it up first so I’m not sure if that was what did it, but it was terrible. Perhaps the other food is good but I know I won’t be back. Spend your money on an overpriced DC lunch someplace else!!!

I’m not a coffee fan.
This place is right next door to my office.
This review is basically for their Chai tea.
With all that said, the tea was amazing!!!
perhaps, the best tea I have ever had. It’s perfectly creamy, sweet and not terribly laden with fat so your guilt over consuming such a luxe beverage should be minimal.
I suggest pairing it with a bagel with cream cheese if you’re feeling extra decadent (they go heavy on the cream cheese). It starts the day off right and makes that evening run a requirement opposed to a suggestion.

Currently eating the first and last thing I’ll be getting form them. It’s called a shakshuka — egg whites, tomato and onions on a pita. Absolutely no flavor and some water or other liquid is drenching the pita and making it a very soggy sandwich.
Wishing I spent that $ 5 elsewhere, but you need to live to learn. Not giving it one star because maybe the coffee is good or something, and I cant judge that.

The Mudd House is an odd sort of place: South West décor (complete with Kokopellis, stucco walls, log ceiling, cactus upholstery, and kiva fireplace), owned by Koreans and manned by Ethiopians. Not sure what the «Mudd» refers to; Dr. Samuel Mudd, Lincoln conspirator? In any event, it enjoys a following at nearby National Geographic.
In addition to the aforementioned design details there are five bar stools at the small breakfast counter and booths lining the wall. They use Cimbali equipment with built-​in grinder for their espresso beverages. Their signature Cinlatte with Cinnamon and honey was good, if a little too sweet for my tastes. It makes for a respectable alternative to the chains, but it’s only open Monday to Friday.

If you know the NYC Mudd coffee truck, you’d understand my decision to try this place out. While it didn’t live up to my hopes, it wasn’t half bad either. Breakfast fare is varied, with fresh pasteries and bakery items as well as hot egg dishes. The «shakshuka», at about $ 5, is an egg-​white & tomato omelet in a wheat tortilla. A bit messy, and a tad on the bland side, but nicely satisfying nonetheless. Their muffins are pretty good — decent bang for your buck in terms of size and taste (comparable to S’bucks prices), but the drinks are WAY overpriced. The $ 4.50 fruit smoothies (for a medium) are too watery and too forgetable to be worth it.
In all, friendly and prompt service, good food but not outstanding, and prices a bit too steep to be a regular breakfast-​on-​the-​go place.

I recommend that you DO NOT try their chai tea latte. You may find yourself addicted. This is not your run-​of-​the-​mill syrupy Starbucks chai tea. This is a perfectly spiced, sweet, amazingly delicious warm treat that you will not be able to resist. Your pocketbook and your waistline WILL suffer. Try it if you like but you’ve been warned.
–1 star because most of the food is just so-​so and the prices are pretty high.

Background:
I love espresso. Macchiatos (espresso with a dab of milk foam on top) are my favorite drink and provide a good litmus test to determine how good a coffee place is. Not having to explain what it is, is your first good indication. Also, because it is mostly espresso, you can get a very good taste of the coffee. Here are some examples of my Macchiato test in action:
Spendbucks Macchiatos are actually cappacinos (or lattes). BAD.
Saxby’s needs Macchiato explained each time. At least its good once they make it.
Caribou’s Espresso is a bit weak for me. But, at least I can go in and order a «Large Macchiato» without having to stoop to the shameful, caffeine addled, gluttony of saying «Quadruple Macchiato» that I would otherwise revert to else where.
Review:
Still desperate to find my perfect Macchiato, I tried Mudhouse, mistakenly thinking the mud referred to overly strong coffee, not adobe despite this initial gaffe, I was satisfied with my drink. I had forgone the milk this time and went with straight espresso. It was strong enough, not too bitter either. Overall, a passable cup, though not worth the 4 blocks to walk there. If you work close by, I suggest giving their other stuff a try, though with the crowded downtown food market, I doubt I’ll be heading back.
PS, I’m still looking for a solid «red state» way of saying Macchiato, any suggestions?