Review of Busboys and Poets

Busboys and Poets is one of my favorite spots in town. It's a restaurant, a bookstore, a bar, a community center, and a venue.

The owner, Andy Shallal came here from Iraq when his father was sent here as some sort of diplomat. He fell in love and never left. And he has created a U Street icon.

The part of the restaurant pictured here is the more traditional part, but you can still see some of the art on the walls. Before this part is a cozy section with sink-in couches. Next to that is a bar area.

There is another room at the end for private parties and performances. That room is covered in murals painted by Andy. Chris and I have seen a couple great musicians in there. There is also a bookstore in the front run by a nonprofit called Teaching for Change. There mission is to "transform schools into centers of justice where students learn to read, write and change the world."

Andy hosts writers and speakers of all sorts (more on one of those tomorrow). He also hosts a world famous peace cafe where Jews and Arabs get together to speak about the conflict in Israel. Often the peace cafe will host Israelis or Palestinians working for peace in some way.

All that and I haven't even gotten to the food. It's good. And it is very reasonably priced, particularly by DC standards. Last I ate there I had a poached pear salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette that was sweet and savory and quite perfect. It's also a popular brunch spot, with all the usual breakfasty options. But my favorite item may be the banana bread pudding. It's to die for.

Busboys is funky, diverse, socially aware, intelligent, artistic, and fun. What more can you ask for in a neighborhood restaurant?

Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street, Washington, DC