Don’t blink, or you’ll miss the charming alley that leads to this local coffee bar on the sunny side of 18th Street NW between T and Florida Streets. The beverage menu holds the usual array of coffee and tea, alongside a bakery case of local treats and energy bars. I tried an Americano first time out — this one is dark and rich, smooth rather than bitter. Next time: Vietnamese coffee, maybe iced.
The all-day breakfast menu is a treat, healthy comfort foods cheffed up on sight (not nuked!) — bagel sandwiches, acai bowls, avocado toast, even salmon lox. Smoothies are made from scratch too, there’s one for anything you lack that day. The Energy Boost, green and thick with banana and Greek yogurt; the Mood Boost, with avocado, spinach and flaxseed; the Vitamin Pack, with OJ, carrot and kiwi; or a Morning Detox, with fennel, lemon, cucumber and kale. Add on protein, hemp, raw honey, tumeric or matcha, to name just a few, to make your own concoction.
Eat inside in a cozy booth or at the window bar and watch the world go by, or in the narrow brick seating area alongside, with tables, chairs and string lights overhead. At the bottom of Adams Morgan’s busy strip, this is more a neighborhood joint than hangover heaven. Kids stop in for gummy bears on the way to school, locals get a bowl of water for their dog along with coffee. Order ahead to go, or stay a while.
