Our weekly search for restaurants that probably aren’t on your radar. As young, broke college kids we will bring you our honest reviews of affordable restaurants in dope neighborhoods.
This week we’re taking you to a restaurant unlike any other we’ve reviewed before. This place is part bookstore, part restaurant, part cafe, part slam poetry venue. It’s called Busboys and Poets.
With five great locations all over the District, we decided to check out the one on 14th Street and V Street, right in the U Street corridor. Now, you’re probably thinking, “wait, U Street, that isn’t on the Green Line?” But we promise you, this place is worth the trek.
Since Busboys and Poets is well-known for their Sunday brunch menu, we decided to check it out as a way of recovering from a long Halloweekend.
As soon as we walked in, we were really feeling the vibe. The entire front of Busboys is modeled after an old-school bookstore, and the shelves are stocked with all the hottest bestsellers. Given the slight line to get a table, being able to check out the big selection of books is an awesome way to kill a 15-minute wait period.
Right next to the bookstore area is the cafe section, where you can sit down, do work or just chill, and right off of that is the main traditional dining area. The only difference from a normal restaurant is the custom stage built in that gets used for concerts, poetry nights and book talks.
The menu offers a great selection of breakfast classics. Z was feeling something sweet and got the house French Toast. A got the Eggs Benedict, and Jill Davis, the newest member of our team got the Sweet Potato Pancakes.
Are you a vegan or vegetarian? No worries, Busboys and Poets has an entire vegan and vegetarian menu for you all, so if you’re going with a group of friends with different dietary restrictions there really is something for everyone.
The food wasn’t earth-shattering, although it was certainly tasty. We definitely think it’s worth your while to check this place out. We were impressed by the service. Despite a packed house, we were able to get our food in under 15 minutes.
Be sure to check out their website for upcoming events they are hosting.
Zak Bedrosian and Aylon Berger are food critics for The Eagle. Additionally, they are the co-founders of TheMove, a weekly social guide for American University students.
