
It’s not the food that draws you to Busboys but the atmosphere, with a lively bar area and communal tables that encourage conversation.īusboys has become synonymous with gentrification as Washington DC has transformed from the square and swampish center of government and power to the cool and hip center of government and power. The food is quite good, though nobody would describe it as a culinary destination, with a menu that will appeal to vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike featuring benedicts, omelets and other breakfast staples sandwiches, soups, burgers, salads, a handful of entrees and interesting world cuisine items, and several kids choices.
BUSBOY AND POETS TAKOMA PARK FULL
But visit on a Sunday at noon and it’s just like any other bustling restaurant buzzing with conversations serving pancakes or corn beef hash to tables full of young professionals, families with children, or retirees. Busboys and Poets is named after American Poet Langston Hughes, who worked as a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel in the 1920s prior to gaining recognition as a poet. The bookstore selection showcases books whose authors have contributed to conversations concerning great social struggles and the event space regularly hosts poetry slams, book readings, jazz and open mic nights. But its more than just a restaurant, it’s a coffee shop by day and a bar at night. It’s a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a side of social justice. Busboys and Poets describes itself as a community gathering place that serves as of a progressive and cultural hub for artists, activists, writers, thinkers, and dreamers.


As does a rotating selection of artwork from local artists. Murals of Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Barack Obama adorn the walls of Busboys and Poets locations throughout the greater Washington DC area.
