The food at Busboys and Poets is not its main attraction. If you're a complete foodie looking for a unique food experience, this is not the place for you. There's no sushi, no calamari frite. But if you're looking to (re)discover your inner intellectual/activist/poet/whatever - as well as enjoying a hardy meal - Busboys is the place for you.
Busboys is an ode to late poet Langston Hughes. Hughes used to work as a busboy at a D.C. hotel while writing poetry. Part bookstore, part restaurant and part café, it's a place for anyone who wants a fun time while eating simple good food on the cheap.
Busboys exudes a revolutionary spirit without any of the pretentiousness of a typical literary café. The chic main draw is the Langston Room, a large space containing a mural of the Civil Rights Movement painted by the restaurant's owner, Andy Shallal. Even the menus themselves scream of literary influence with excerpts from the works of Hughes, the Dalai Lama and Albert Camus.
Busboys' menu symbolizes all the U Street neighborhood stands for: diversity. Appetizers include hummus on warm pita bread, beef chili with diced grilled chicken - jokingly called "The A.D.D." - and mussels drenched in garlic sauce and/or lemon grass wine sauce.
The entr?e selection includes American classics - burgers, pizza, fries - but also gives some obscure choices that reflect the various cultures of the area, all while keeping it cheap: catfish crusted with corn flakes and served with collard greens, a Southern standard; the habitual Chesapeake delicacy of crab cakes served with creamy grits; blackened Mahi Mahi sandwich with chipotle mayo, a Caribbean dish; Italian paninis; and harira, a Moroccan bean soup. Their burgers are so big that they need to be cut down with a knife.
Busboys also has a great variety of vegan dishes. Other than their wide salad selection, Busboys offers baked tofu cake served with rice and snow peas and veggie burgers with sprouts, avocados and tomatoes. Their vegan pizza - logically called "The Vegan" - is made with marinara, vegan mozzarella, garlic and vegan pepperoni.
But as I said before, the food is not the main thing at Busboys. Every night, Busboys holds some literary or musical event that's sure to wake the intellectual inside you. Go to any of their open mic nights, poetry and book readings, live band performances, and/or film screenings and you will always leave with something to tell your friends.
Political activism fills the air in this restaurant/cafe. Busboys has drawn in such speakers as Ralph Nader and poet Elizabeth Alexander, who recited a piece for the presidential inauguration. The restaurant prides itself on its fair trade coffee from Mexico and is a member of Local First D.C., a support group for local businesses in the area.
Busboys and Poets is located at 14th and V streets NW. The closest Metrorail station is U Street/Cardozo/African-American Civil War Memorial on the green and yellow lines.
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
