Restaurant Finder

Busboys and Poets

Cuisines: Deli/Quick Bites Greek/Mediterranean Pizza Neighborhood: U Street/Shaw

Based on 20 reviews.

Address	2021 14th St., Washington, DC 20009
Phone	(202) 387-7638

Rater Comments

These comments express the opinions of individual Restaurant Raters, not those of Washington City Paper.

Review by Feldman12 on February 26, 2009

By far the best neighborhood restaurant in Washington. BB&P has a politically progressive bookstore with some great children s books, a bar, good coffee, and a private lounge for movie showings/events. I go there with my boyfriend whenever we want a laid back, yet fun night. We have also been there for Sunday Brunch, which I highly recommend. Last Sunday, my boyfriend ordered the buckwheat pancakes with fruit and I ordered the eggs benedict. We both really enjoyed the simple and fresh ingredients. We both also ordered a cup of coffee which was just the right strength. Service was fairly good too, the place was busy but our food came in good time. For dinner, I recommend the Turkey Barley soup and the Spinach Pesto Lasagna. The menu has a good variety of healthy choices that are still hearty. Overall, I come to busboys for the food but I see a lot of people using the free wi-fi and the events seem to be popular. Definitely a place to check out for yourself!

Review by lifeswhatumakeit on September 8, 2008

i know its crowded all the time so people must like it but i ate there the other day and i hated it, the food sucked. straight up. i had some fish (cant remember which one) it was bland, with a sauce that didnt taste like anything over some gritty greens (always nice to hear dirt crunching in your mouth) there was also a corn cake which was decent but surrounded by fish the sauce and the dirty greens. wife and kids had similar experiences also the food thats described on the menu is not what they're making (for example: the gazpacho should have had basil oil or something and i ordered a white chocolate bread pudding to go and when we got home the wife tasted it and found out it was rum raisin, which i happen to be allergic too. anyway hated it.

Review by hagrid on January 31, 2008

great place to read, drink some wine or some espresso (even if it wasn't that good) and chill with some friends, and eat some brie panini. hmmm cheese.

Review by best_ever on June 7, 2007

This place is way too crowded for us to want to go for dinner, but sometimes you can get lucky at brunch time - we got one of the few open tables in the huge space. There aren't many places that have vegan breakfast options, but this place has plenty. The tofu scramble is on the bland side, but the soy yogurt/granola/fruit bowl is a real treat. My boyfriend's waffles were delicious, and even the toast is terrific.

Review by ramchopps on March 6, 2007

BusBoys is a great, chill place to go with a date or with a large group of friends. Comfy couches and chairs provide a laid back atmosphere and there's something on the menu for everyone.

Review by karhu on December 19, 2006

Overall, the experience was good; but, I am surprized that with all of the competition now arising on U Street, NW, that the prices were not more reasonable.

Review by ndm77 on November 27, 2006

Surprised by the main review here of the catfish + collards plate. I had it on Friday night and to echo another reviewer, I'm still thinking about it. It was excellent. Also, our server was great, we wanted to relax and take our time and he checked with us just as often as we needed him. Ambience was good, with a diverse crowd and it wasn't too loud. Recommended.

Review by VeggieTart on November 3, 2006

Busboys and Poets is owned by the same man who owns Mimi's American Bistro, but unlike Mimi's, Busboys has excellent options if you're a vegan (like I am). In the past, I have stuffed myself on the veggie burger (it's huge!), tasted the falafel wrap, tried the vegan pizza with tempeh, a tempeh sandwich, and the hummus appetizer, which comes with soft, warm pita slices. Unfortunately, they do not provide enough of the fresh, hot pita goodness. When you have a large bowl full of hummus, you need a lot more pita to scoop it all up!

I tried the baked tofu for the first time tonight and was simply stunned. I have never tasted tofu more delicious at an omni restaurant, and it comes close to beating out vegetarian restaurants. The tofu was crispy and salty on the outside (a tamari gravy, according to the menu) and tender on the inside. My boyfriend (a vegetarian) and his mom (an omnivore) shared a Greek salad and the Pesto Lasagne (neither is vegan) and loved their food.

What is also truly awesome about Busboys is that it has a few vegan desserts: sorbets, a soothing silky vegan parfait (soy yogurt with granola and fruit) and a moist, rich, and chewy brownie topped with soy ice cream. The portions are fairly large, so you are unlikely to leave hungry.

Now a few negatives: you may have a wait, as the restaurant is very busy. However, there is a lefty bookstore you can browse through while you wait. The restaurant is rather crowded and noisy, but the tables are far enough apart that you can walk through without bumping your hips against other people's tables. I still like the atmosphere and the friendly, efficient service, even if I do have to raise my voice to be heard.

I would absolutely recommend this restaurant to people looking for a place where vegans and omnis can happily coexist. The food is good, the portions are generous, and the atmosphere is fun and suprisingly relaxing.

Review by bguerard on March 28, 2006

The food is servicable, but OH MY GOSH the service is soooo bad and soooo slow. I have been three times (granted, all for brunch and usually with a group of 5 or more). Each time, I thought: "I'll give it another shot. I really want to like this place. The service can't suck as much as it did last time." And each time the service is actually WORSE. How can this be? This time, aside from the ridiculously low rate of speed at which the servers move, my complaints are as follows:
1. Items were brought out piecemeal and auctioned off--often incorrectly and usually missing important elements (no avocado on the "avocado burger," wheat bread rather than french as advertised, etc).
2. One meal was clearly never even entered into the computer, and came 15 min late.
3. The server was unable to distinguish the tofu scramble from the egg whites. We had to conduct our own taste test to settle the matter!
4. the server was also unable to tell the Kahlua and coffee from the Bailey's and coffee (I mean, what the?!)
5. We (attempted to) split the check on a few credit cards, one of which was charged for the whole bill, one of which was charged twice, etc... my bank is still holding the charge twice...
6. when asked about discrepancies the server never apologized, but said "I am new. It is not my fault." No communication from the manager about the atrocious service either. I'm not asking for free stuff, but just a kind word would have been appreciated.
It's really too bad--BB&P shows wasted potential.
I know at least 6 people who won't be going back.

Review by hakim on March 12, 2006

We walked a few extra blocks to try something new. The atmosphere, while okay initially, slowly starts to gnaw and wear on you with a Sunday School pastel nausea. The place tries to mimick other more successful urban cofeee houses without the attention to detail that makes the good ones stand out and last. The coffee was awful. The Americano was watered down and tasted stale. My friends latte was similarly thin. I'm fine with drip coffee or coffee boiled straight in a pot. It's not about pretensious taste, but about: taste. The automated espresso machine behind the bar explained much of the caffeine mishap. They used a hard and unripe tomato for the tomato and mozarella plate my friend ordered. The mozarella was mealy and in addition to the tomato being off-red plastic, the kitchen decided that of the three slices of the "fruit" used, two end-pieces would add nicely to the wax-museum prop of something edible.
I'm not really interested in reviewing the rest of the place as I really don't know (a theatre in the back for instance) and don't feel to eager to give the place a second trip. The service, however, was not that bad.

Review by krs10 on February 15, 2006

I was surprised to see so many positive food reviews for this place. I will say the sandwiches, pizza and soups are all executed very well, but I believe they should stop there. It’s a coffeehouse, not a gourmet restaurant. I found the entrées vastly overpriced and not worth the money. Especially since I doubt there is a real chef de cuisine in the kitchen. My friend ordered the NY Strip mid-rare and it came out looking like a charcoal briquette, even after we were assured by our server the chefs were adept at cooking the steaks to temperature. Also, it didn't look like strip steak to me! My crab cakes were all back fin meat and heavily sauced with what promised to be luscious tarragon lobster, but what in fact tasted like béchamel from a box. The corn grit mash was mealy and the coleslaw had so much mayo it was practically leaking off my plate! Just a bit of fine tuning and care taken by the kitchen staff would benefit these main courses greatly. Maybe it was just a bad night? I would return for the ambience, the friendly service and the burgers, but would not order the entrées again.

Review by Ron77Moz on January 20, 2006

A friend of mine wanted to check out Busboys and Poets. I joined in, and I didn't regret it. The food was great. It has many great items on the menu. Heck, it even has PB and J sandwiches. It reminds other of Tryst, but it isn't that hectic and it's more laid back. My sandwich was great, and I enjoyed the pizza they had on their menu. It's great food minus high price.

Review by monkeywlu on January 17, 2006

You can't beat the ambience at Busboys... easily the most diverse crowd I've ever seen in a DC restaurant, bar, or whatever it is... and if I was single right now I would be there on a regular basis. It's popular, so prepare to wait. The only thing I sampled was the catfish, but that is worth a review in itself. Perfectly cooked catfish in what I think was a mustard sauce with capers, on top of tender, shimmering collard greens without a hint of grease... all on top of two delicious corn cakes (more like corn pancakes than gritty corn bread). I cleaned my plate and I've been thinking about it for days!

Review by veggiegal on December 1, 2005

The best chocolate cake I have ever had anywhere, hands down! And they have a ton of vegan and vegetarian items, which automatically ups their rank in my book as DC is a hard city to find good American-style vegan food. Nice space, good bookstar for leftie folks like myself, cozy but stylish atmosphere and a huge stage for movies, bands, and other performances. Great place, but people are starting to notice so if you're going to go on a weekend night, be prepared for a bit of a line. :)

Review by mapahari on November 24, 2005

While the food is good the most memorable part of the experience in this restaurant is the ambiance and excellent service. Our server was attentive--but not in our face--and had an excellent sense of humor! Unlike other hip cafes in the city, I did not feel rushed to eat my food and leave the table. If the evening calls for a relaxed, yet chic atmosphere, this is definitely the place.

Review by hstefania on October 14, 2005

D.C. finally has a progressive and meaningful place to have both lattes and martinis! And to sweeten the deal it is smoke-free. Owner Andy Shallal (Skewers, Luna Cafe, Mimi's) opened his newest restaurant paying tribute to poet Langston Hughes. The name Busboys and Poets refers to the beginnings of Hughes career as a "poet busboy" in DC after giving a poem of his, written on a napkin at a restaurant where Hughes was bussing tables to the famous poet, Nicholas Lindsay who later spoke about him to the press.

Busyboys and Poets excels more as a cafe than restaurant, as well as the place to be for everything, be it films, happy hours, finding clever and edgy books. What is very impressive about the place is that it lacks the pretension present in similar places you may find in the district. The ambiance is closer to being in New York or San Francisco. The food is superior to most food you may find in a bar and more varied. The Moroccan bean soup, Harira is lovely for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. For a creative cocktail, try the Sporktini, a mixture of Stolichnaya vodka and blood orange and a bit of something else. The staff is eager to please and quite helpful.

Review by hyojong on October 13, 2005

I love this new cozy but very stylish place! BP is my the-favorite spot now. It has everything. food, good coffee, comfortable couch and friendly and cute atmosphere. I can move somewhere nearby to just go to BP more often!

Review by emannie on October 12, 2005

Love this place. Although only open one month, I can see why it is always so busy. The food is great and the prices are excellent. My party loved the catfish, crabcakes and pizza. The bruscetta was a generous portion and very tasty. We had to wait about 15 to 20 minutes for a table for 4 at prime time (Saturday, 8pm), but the progressive bookstore and friendly bartenders made it palatable. Ask the bartender for a DC-Tap straight up. I will defintely be back for a nice dinner or just to soak up the ambiance and people watch.

Review by peteyboyjames on October 11, 2005

Obviously, the food is not the major factor for this coffeeshop/bar/theater/bookstore. But it is not a weak point. It is definitely inexpensive for fairly good food. While it's not the most gourmet fare, they have perfectly adequate pizzas and sandwiches. I love the setting, and I think that the coffee and food will bring me back for the occasional snack.

Review by PhiloDC on October 11, 2005

2 blocks away from the U street metro. Awesome lounge-coffee shop type atmosphere to hang out with friends and become educated about the world. there is coffee, food, bar with wine, a bookstore, dvds for sale, and a community center with events at least a few times a week, mostly free. there are sofas to share and tables for more formal visits. great place for a date, to hang out, read, study and people watch!!!