I just love this place. I really do. It was my first time trying vegan chickpea tuna and I loved it. It definitely tastes like tuna. The beet juice drink was refreshing too.

We were visiting from out of town and visited this place for brunch. The atmosphere was pretty chill and the decor is filled with paintings/prints reflecting inclusiveness. We had brunch, french toast, pancakes, egg and meat. They were all very good. Loved the coffee! The server was very nice and attentive.

Crumbs on the table prove they did not wipe down or sanitize after the last guest. An employee who was not our waitress brought our food and when I asked for ketchup for my fries he never returned with it even though I realized later there was a bottle on the table directly behind me. He was wearing earbuds. As far as I am concerned any manager who allows their employees to use such devices while interacting with guests is not concerned with customer service and likely does not enforce other rules. As we left I saw our waitress hiding in the corner shoveling food into her mouth at the drink station, A CLEAR VIOLATION OF HEATH CODES. While the meal was good I will not return due to concerns over cleanliness and food safety.

Sitting there outside with decent temperature in the morning under the shade trees is a wonderful experience. It fills up quickly so try to be there as close to 9am as possible!SWEET POTATO PANCAKE! Yum

We ate here with a group of friends for a late dinner. Several of us had dietary restrictions (vegetarian, no dairy, etc). The staff were very accommodating and all of our orders were correct, including mine, which had some minor modifications. My chicken sandwich was great, and everyone else at our table also enjoyed their food.Overall, worth the price if youre coming for the food or the atmosphere. The book selection left a bit to be desired (most genres only had 1-2 small shelves), but thats not uncommon for small independent retailers.

Delicious pancakes! Amazing book choices! This place has everything a book lover could want: beautiful atmosphere, friendly staff, a cool, curated selection, delicious food and outdoor seating.

This is a well known franchise in the DMV. If you are on the fence regarding the dining experience, point taken. This is a culture supplement. Great food and drink reinforced with literature and entertainment. What are you waiting for? Look at the pics!

Great breakfast spot. Go find some books to nourish your familys mind after your meal. There is wisdom to be gained on a full belly.

Love books, poetry and dinner? Then this is the place for you. May not give you that cosy romantic dinner but will offer you a lively space bubbly with young people

I liked the food so much, was so yummy!People are nice and friendly, the place was so so busy.I like that we were able to reserve online and and to track our spot online, it was a big deal as the place was busy.

The atmosphere was wonderful. The service and food was nice. I love the as that its local and black owned ❤️🖤💚. A good place to chill, eat, buy and read a book if you are in DC. The sweet potato hash was good 👍🏿

Great Experience! More books than you can imagine. Quick service despite the crowd and the food was great! We will definitely be back. Sweet potato pancakes were a hit! The waiter was fantastic also. Love everything about this place. It was so nice to take my kids to a place where they could see pictures of people who look like them on the wall.

The food was good but took wayyyyyy to long. The thin mint espresso was excellent. The waiter mixed up my platter and then I think he forgot about it BC when my pancakes finally.came out the plate was on fire but the food was Luke warm. Very tasty pancakes though.

I love the vibe of this place. Its a bookstore and restaurant in one and it does not disappoint on either front. It was so delicious we went twice in one day. First round we had the shrimp & crab risotto fritters...sitting in a savory tomato sauce. YUM! Second round was shrimp with crab grits. This may be a close running for the best shrimp & grits Ive had. It was different from what Im use to but delicious. This is certainly a new go-to spot for me whenever I visit D.C.

Very friendly service and food was delicious.

Nice African themed space, with good service and okay food. Omelette was great. Benedict- okay. Burger- confused with the bun options when they came out with bread 🍞 instead of a burger bun. Medium-well cooking of the burger was definitely medium/medium-rare. They brought out some honey for the sweet potato fries and some ketchup and mustard for a somewhat dry burger.Dine in service was great.

Very cool vibe. The food and drinks were delicious. The server did an excellent job. I will be back 😊

Amazing crab and grits and sweet potato pancakes! The vibe is one in a million and warm, the bookstore is full of interesting finds and diverse messages for all ages.

Great food and ambiance. The service was also very considerate. Fair warning: there was a significant wait both to get seated, and then for the food to arrive. If youre impatient this might not be the place for you.

Catfish, crab grits and green with nice glass of DC tap water

Cool vibe. It’s bigger than it looks from the outside. Food and service was good. Very good prices. Got the Iraqi hash which was basically chili.Came back a second time. Food and atmosphere is still good but I wasn’t a fan of how they now do all ordering and paying on your phone. It’s not that the waiters aren’t helpful but rather another layer of technology to separate. And I had to input my CC in order to place the order. I get that walk-outs might be a problem but I was put off.

Pierre served me well, food was delicious & vibe was amazing!

We visited Busboys and Poets for the first time during our trip up North. The food was exceptionally tasty. We tried the Shrimp & Chicken Chorizo Pasta, Busboys Burger and the Vegan Burger. The Pasta tasted out of this world. My kids loved it so much and rate it amongst the best Pasta they have ever tasted. The Burgers were prepared well and the portions are very generous. We tried the house beer, which was cool. The place has an awesome vibe with the books and memorabilia. The restaurant is spacious and can seat a lot of people. The only negative feedback I have is on their fruit juices. We thought we would be getting fresh juice, but we were served something that probably came out of a can. Nevertheless, we will definitely visit Busboys if we are ever in the vicinity of one. Great Food, Great Vibe and Great Service.

Brunch was a great atmosphere and did not disappoint with the food selections.

A huge selection of vegan options! We loved the avocado panini and vegan chicken sandwich. The green tea was fragrant and not just a typical tea bag. The staff was so kind, too!

Service was good, food great, prices higher than i like but fine for downdown DC. Had the Cubano and loaded chicken nachos

I enjoyed my meal and the lovely energy of the restaurant

Enjoyed a relaxing breakfast outside, the service was quick and friendly. QR code ordering and payment. Vegan options.

It was our first time visiting this restaurant and by far nice and the food WAS so delicious. I ordered the French toast and it was delicious. I read the reviews first and it was what I expected. MARVELOUS SPOT. The waitress was nice and helpful with our order. We will definitely be back when we visit D.C. again.

Went here regularly and usually have had really good to decent customer service. Today, however, was a particularly bad experience which has caused me to revise my review from 5 stars to 2 stars.On what is a particularly not busy holiday in DC, I walked in and requested a table for two, after two workers were sitting at a table somewhat discussed whose turn it was to go up. The worker who came up prepped the silverware and walked me outside, where there were many free tables that had not been cleaned. She then walked back inside and said she would get someone to come and clean some tables and seat me. She spoke to someone and then sat back down. No one came to get me, I was not put on a waitlist. More people came in and were addressed by a new hostess who handled them. The other hostess never came to the new hostess to tell her I was waiting and never got back up from her table with the other worker. I felt this was highly rude because she could have said something to the new hostess so that I wasn’t left waiting and then technically lost my spot in line waiting for a clean table because no one knew I was already waiting. When I came back in to complain about this the new hostess was very gracious in hearing my complaint, but the other two sat there not saying anything and pretending as if they didn’t know what was going on. Super super rude. This was on Labor day at approximately 4:30pm.

In from FL good prices, got the sliders they were not cooked all the way so make sure to let your server know how you would like them cooked. French toast and hot chocolate yummy. All in all nothing to write home about

Visiting from Detroit and had it delivered to the hotel. The Caesar Salad w/ chicken was so delicious. I should have asked for my chicken to be heated but since it was seasoned so well, it made up for it being cold. My husband had the turkey burger w/cheddar cheese and grilled onions, and it was phenomenal!! So flavorful. The food was excellent and will return on my next visit. Actually, we will be grabbing turkey burgers just before we leave tomorrow, when theyre 50% off. Definitely a place to check out, whether dining in, take out or delivery.

Simply MAGICKAL. Energy delicious. Food delicious. Service SPECTACULAR. Inclusive. All the things... also... Gluten free fried chicken and fish I didnt have to cook. 🙌🏾

Great food And Great Vibes. Sabastian our server was the best. I would love someone like him to represent my company. Love the entire creative theme nice surprise. Will highly recommend.

Salmon was the absolute best! Got there a little after brunch and our server was willing to accommodate our party. Drink machine was not in service so that was definitely a sour note. However this place was amazing. Great food and plentiful menu options. Service was a little slow but our server Bosh kept us informed. Indoor and outdoor seating is available and the set up is really nice.

Ordered Caesar was delivered a Cobb salad but other than that food and service was great!

The food was good. The restaurants decoration is very nice and original. However service, from the waitresses particularly wasnt good. This is something they should work on to improve the customers experience

Neat restaurant that also serves as a bookstore and coffee bar. I had their Egg and Cheddar burger and it was cooked perfectly to medium rare. Extremely juicy and the egg on top was delicious. I also had their Big Daddy coffee, which offered a great energy boost when it cooled down to a drinking temperature

Waited 1 hour for the to-go food and the french toast was burnt on one side. The burnt side was on the bottom.They arent answering the phone. I cant return to the restaurant right now. I WANT A REFUND.

Food was really good. The decor is dark n wired, but in a good way (might be scary for some). Staffs are really friendly.Halal chicken is a plus, if you are looking for that.Loved the bookshop. There are some unique books that is not available elsewhere. Bought a kid-book, that talks about racial equality.

Excellent service and the food was delicious.

Just. Plain. Awful.To think Ive been dying to try this place for ages. The service was slow, the menu wasnt as expansive as I thought, and dishes were hit or miss. The burgers were delicious, but the chicken sandwich was unexpectedly extra spicy. The Mediterranean Pasta was doused in red pepper and overwhelmingly hot; no one at the table could eat it. Yet there was no signage or symbol on the menu denoting it as a spicy dish. Upon request, the order was redone. But it was obvious that the pasta had been literally rinsed off and then recooked, as the entire dish tasted horribly charred and burnt. What a disgusting way to treat your customers, already overcharged for sub par food. At least the server was nice. But well never set foot in here again.

We went for brunch and didnt know that they serve the lunch menu whole day, so that was a pleasant surprise! Good food and friendly service. Outdoor seating is pretty decent. Overall all good experience :)

I had the poached pair salad. It was very good! The atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant

This was a great experience. The food was delicious, and the indoor space is eclectic and unique. There is also outdoor seating if you prefer. The bathroom was very clean and tidy. Definitely worth a try or two.

I enjoyed my visit great ambiance! great food and super nice staff! Looking forward 9n my next visit to Washington.

Greatest brunch, the Mekhleme is amazing, a must! 👏🏻. Also strongly recommend the sweet potato pancakes!! 🥞. Mimosas were also great and cheap, $5 each. Plus you can beat the vibe of the place!

I got the vegan BBQ sandwich and fries. The food was excellent, I loved the bbq sauce they used. The concept of having a bookstore and a restaurant is very cute. Also, the hostess and waitress were very friendly.

Amazing food and staff! Recommend to get the avocado panini! Everyone was very nice and love the system when it comes to order and pay! Will come back!

I was not impressed with this restaurant. I was seated near the bar and the bar was packed. Yet the bartender was assigned to serve my party. It was 10-15 minutes before we were greeted to get water. Food was average at best and service was poor. The place as a whole wasnt busy, so why we were shown a table near the bar is beyond me and to overload the bartender is unfair to both the customer and server. With so many additional options in DC, Ill pass on this location next time.

Food is not bad. Shrimp tacos were decent. Coffee drink was lukewarm though I had them make it twice for me (first time was barely warm)

This place is super yummy! The food is great. I ordered the falafel wrap which I don’t think is as flavorful as the other items here but I would want to come back and try more.

This was my first time here. The breakfast selection by our waiter was great. The coffee was very good. Next time, Im in DC I will come back to this place. Service was excellent by the way.

Early sunday morning. Super friendly staff and amazing food! I ordered eggs Benedict and it was very creamy. The potatoes were crisp outside and soft I side with a good amount of flavor. Nice outdoor seating and people were respectful of social distancing.

A DC staple! The servers are lovely and the food is pretty great too. But would definitely recommend their drinks the most. Try out the DC tapwater! And the memlek for brunch!

Scrumptious food and the Customer service was second to NONE!!

Delicious food (get the french toast!) And awesome book selection!!! Cant wait to come back

Totally love this place! The food is amazing here and they have an awesome menu selection with reasonable prices too. Busboys is a must try while youre in DC.

Great lamb sliders and vegan quesadillas. The fries are awesome too. Definitely recommend.

Tasty, professional and lovely ambiance. We ordered the pasta, catfish and the chicken breast. It was perfectly seasoned with a substantial portion. We will be back, the decor inside was also nice.

Honestly this was the most chill, unique brunch place. The food was outsiding. The service was a bit slow but they were very busy.I also love the whole order online and they bring it to your table idea

Stopped in for breakfast while traveling, it was so good. We got some omelettes and they were beyond delicious. Great vibe inside, and extremely friendly staff. Will definitely be returning when we travel through the area again!

What a cute, fun place to eat! The pizzas were delicious, and we absolutely devoured the Brussels sprouts. Everything on the menu sounded wonderful, the wine list was nice, and the staff was very friendly. We didn’t get a chance to enjoy open mic night, but we did browse all of the books.

While looking for breakfast place, we came across this place relatively close to where we were staying. Short on time, we had ordered to go order. Pros for this place was that service was very quick, staff was accommodating, outdoor seating seemed very nice, and fresh juice was enjoyable. Cons were rest of the food, it want really a highlight (maybe wasn’t as good because we had takeout). We had ordered few different type of items from eggs to panini to veggie burger. None of the items were very well put together. They had incorrectly prepared our eggs, and veggie burger had unusually slimy texture. However, one highlight was the cauliflower dish, that was something memorable.

As usual great food & ambiance, the wait staff definitely couldve moved a bit faster -- waited nearly 10min to order and to get check after finishing meal.

Amazing place for some really yummy food.Tried their thin mint coffee, it was really good a bit on the sweet side, so ask them not to add sugar. The nachos portion is very generous more than enough for two. The chicken penini is really good as well. Highly recommended.

Goodness it’s been ages since a good breakfast! This place completely aced everything we ordered and we left completely full and happy. The staff was unbelievably sweet and accommodating. Can’t go wrong here!

I enjoyed my visit to this location of Busboys and Poets chains. The restaurant is uniquely decorated and well maintained. They have great menu options and excellent happy hour options. I tried their Lamb Sliders, Brussels Sprouts, Curry Vegetables and Shrimp and Grits. I highly recommend them. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. There are not a lot of site parking, however, there’s a parking lot and street parking located on 5th and K street.

Loved the place! The food was delicious. They have a separate vegetarian and a vegan menu. The pecan pie was delicious!

It was a very nice atmosphere. I got breakfast even though Im not a breakfast person. Im sure the food was good. I just didnt care for it. (Sweet potato and regular pancakes, the Iraq corn beef and hash) I really enjoyed the coffee.

This restaurant is great. Amazing service, delicious food, and great prices. I love the French Toast, Oaxacan omelette, and sandwiches.

Such a cool spot. Great food, services, staff and ambiance.

What a great time in DC! Exploring the city with its museums and history was a beautiful weekend, to top it off, we found a great breakfast place..Busboys and Poets! Want a great real fresh breakfast and great service.. a must see restaurant, background scene like your in a library, grab a book and I suggest to try a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice! Sorry no pics! I took pics on my Snap Chat lol! But look at one book I picked up to read.

The food was very tasty with a lot of vegan and vegetarian options. The vibe of the place is also very cute because it is a bookstore and a restaurant. However, there were two areas where the restaurant could improve. First, the service was not great and they twice did not bring what we ordered or utensils. The waitress took a long time to check on us even though it was not busy. Second, you have to order your food on your phone through a QR code rather with the waiter/waitress. This was a bit redundant since we had a waitress and it was also a little confusing since we had a third guest join later in the meal and it didnt automatically add him to our table on the online ordering. All in all, I would get rid of the online ordering platform. The place is also not the cheapest, but the food was very good.

We ordered mimosas when we first sat down. 10 minutes later we ordered our meals - still no mimosas. Our meals comes out 20 minutes later - still no mimosas and no server! We start to eat our meals and I go to the bar to talk to the manager. He said he would check on our mimosas. I go back to our table. Finally our server comes back and said “I didn’t forget your mimosas, we don’t have any clean glasses!!” REALLY!!! Ten minutes later the manager comes out with the WRONG mimosa for me and NO APOLOGY! I said no thank you I don’t want it. 5 minutes later the server comes back with two more mimosas and once again we declined the LATE drinks!! Never did we get an apology from Mr. Manager!! NOT GOING BACK!!

We really tried to like this place bc of all the rave reviews. We came a few months ago for brunch and waited for 10+ minutes for anyone to even come to the table. We got the sweet potato hash and it was fine, nothing more. Tonight we came for early dinner (no wait to be seated) and ordered drinks and the portobello panini. The panini came out before the drinks. Then we finished the panini before the drinks came out. The panini was actually delicious, but the sweet potato fries were not warm and meh in general.

Love the vibe of this place, the staff is super friendly! Would 100% recommend this place for brunch! Lattes and cappuccinos are delish!

The food is really good. I had the Ratatouille. But, also tasted the catfish. Some may find the catfish to be a little salty. But, it is flavorful. The downside is the service. Our glasses of water were never refilled. The waiter dropped a quesadilla on the table. We had to cancel a replacement order because the entrees came out first. And, items were left out of the order. Needless to say, its a good atmosphere. Especially for literary aficionados because you can buy books and catch live acts.

The food here is good quality, creatively presented and delicious. The menu caters to the food-sensitivity issues of the average millennial. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun with a little book store to peruse while you wait for your table. The staff were friendly and accommodating.

Really robust vegan/vegetarian options and the ones ive had (chickpea tuna salad) were amazing. Very good atmosphere. Packed on weekends for brunch so reserve a spot ahead. We had to wait 45 minutes when walking up. food was worth it.

The food was good. The menus are available through QR codes to avoid transmission of diseases. Prompt and friendly service ♥

I understand they were understaffed. However that is no excuse for cold food after waiting almost an hour to receive it. I have visited several busboy and poets this is by far the worst experience I had.

I love this place. Its a DC staple. Part bookstore, part cafe and also a restaurant. We came around noon on a Sunday for brunch and were seated immediately. The service was superrrrr slow. We were seated by 12 and left at 1:30. The food came rather quickly and was delicious. The chicken omelette is great but the vegetarian omelette is AMAZING--highly recommended! I needed cheese for my corned beef dish. After 10 minutes of waiting the waitress (Angel) explained that the manager had to ring it in. Then another 5 min later the manager came to ring it in but by that time my food was no longer hot so I told them to forget it. The Check took forever to come and it took forever for her to bring back our cards/change. Its still a great place and I would come back again. The server was nice but it seemed like she forgot about us. This space is very nice. Love all the art and the music they played. Very nice ambiance.

Is just amazing. The food is incredible and super healthy, awesome place for vegans. The attention is the best. Good music. Good books. Awesome deserts.

Good food, good service, and a good cause. Lots of great vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options- but enough normal food to take your parents.

Loved it! Reuben Panini was one of the best Ive ever had and the fruit was great considering its December. Pretty affordable menu and the restaurant has a great vibe and is conveniently located near some popular spots to visit in DC. Service was pretty quick and friendly and I really dont have any complaints!

Great food from a great place. I ordered the lamb sliders with a side of Crab Fritz and a Chai Latte. It was really good. My friend had Corned Beef Hash and ate it all. Our host was very welcoming and our Server Tyneika was very responsive, proper, and delivered great service to us. I highly recommend this place! I am always on the road and traveling and this place is definitely a go to from now on when Im in D.C.

We chowed down on the best gluten free fried chicken ever! I love the collard greens and mash with the chicken. My husband had the Rustic pizza and just loved it! Great food and a lot of fun!!

Good was great and wasnt that bad on price. Service was great and location was great. Had a overall great experience at this location.

My family and I are vegetarians and we came here for dinner after checking our the reviews online. Busboys and poets is such a unique place. Its a restaurant, bookstore, cafe hangout all rolled into one. We ordered the vegan mac and cheese and the vegan burgers. They were absolutely delicious. Add the sweet potato fries and we didnt want to leave. The walls and TV are filled with inspirational quotes from civil rights movements, world leaders. The staff were super nice and its what family restaurants should be like.

Their professionalism and the service forget about the food, that was very great, and I am planning to go back there again in the future.

This Mediterranean Lamb burger is Amazing!!!! This place was a hit all around. Everyone loved their food

Was not sure what to expect from this place as it looks like on of those trendy yuppie type places but I am glad we ate here. Food was really good and the prices were reasonable. Very interesting décor and they do take out bags which was good as we order too much! This place is good for families as well as just adults. They have a kids menu and we did not need to book. I would suggest you reserve on some evenings as they can get busy

I had their busboys burger and it was DRY, I had to drench it with ketchup. Fries was alright. I ordered the appetizer chicken tacos and that was better. The wait was too long, and it was raining so the fact they asked if I wanted to dine outside was kinda ridiculous.

Food served cold, not what i exactly ordered, waitress was not friendly at all. Asked for fresh grapefruit juice and found they don’t serve any fresh juices only orange and end up in ER for 6 hours from stomach pain caused by the food. I ordered falafel wrap. I might try another location just to support local businesses.

Really great food options, even vegan ones, along with a fun and quirky environment and small bookstore area with a solid selection. Fun and quirky art on the walls that also supports positive messages. Enjoyed my visit with my girls overall, though my server didnt seem all to pleased to wait on us which is honestly my only complaint. As a former service industry worker, Im very patient and understanding when servers are busy but am also very aware of the shortness and disdain on your face at my table versus others. Treat everyone the same, as this restaurant preaches, and youd be surprised at those that repay the kindness. We wont be back for this reason, especially with so many local options with wonderful service; however, I appreciate everything else theyve done with the place!

Bookstore on one side, restaurant on the next. Great menu that caters to vegan/vegetarian/meat lovers and everything in between (which is hard to find in one place).Busy place, small tables. Highly recommended.

Great menu, offers a variety of vegetarian options. Good food and music in a very chill atmosphere. Would recommend making a reservation. The chicken panini was outstanding and so were the red potatoes. Very affordable drinks ($5 mimosas).

Open Mic Night was amazing. The drinksal, atmosphere, host etc..

I enjoyed the vegan options and the customer service was GREAT!