WASHINGTON 鈥� While the D.C. area may not be known for its coffee joints, it does have some notable coffeehouses worth visiting.
Depending on what you鈥檙e looking for, these local coffeehouses have it all, from coziness and comfort to history and character.
Culture in a cup
Sidamo聽Coffee and Tea is a coffeehouse聽with a cultural flair.
鈥淲e come from the birthplace of Arabica and Ethiopian coffee,鈥� says Kenfe Bellay, the owner of , which opened in 2006.
To Bellay, coffee is not only a drink. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our tradition,” he says. Born and raised in Ethiopia, Bellay聽grew up with coffee and roasted beans every day.
Coffee is involved in every aspect of Ethiopian society, he says. Villages take part in coffee ceremonies where families gather to discuss and resolve issues.
Since Ethiopia is the only country known for coffee ceremonies, Bellay wants to keep the tradition alive.
At 2 p.m. every Sunday, Sidamo visitors can experience the coffee ceremony and see how the coffee is roasted, grinded and boiled.
Sidamo offers single-origin coffees and over 24 kinds of loose teas. It聽is located at 417 H St., NE Washington, D.C. 20002. Its second location is in Fulton, Maryland.
Coffee with a cause
Ebenezers is聽a casual coffeehouse with a socially conscious mission.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here to serve the community and we love giving back,鈥� says Andrew Jefferies, the assistant manager at .
The coffeehouse is owned and operated by the and all the proceeds go toward its community outreach projects.
Jefferies describes the atmosphere as lively and positive. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the coffeehouse hosts live music and other public events.
Ebenezers serves fair trade coffee from Pennsylvania-based roaster .
The most popular items, according to Jefferies, are the Honey Lavender Latte, Caramel Whip and Salted Caramel Custard Latte.
Ebenezers is located at 201 F St. NE Washington, D.C. 20002.
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Sweet escape
Since there is no Wi-Fi, the industrial-chic environment of La Colombe encourages undistracted friendly chats and an overall relaxing time.
鈥淚t鈥檚 laid back,鈥� says Mark Sundermeyer, a barista at . Sundermeyer says most people come to enjoy the coffee and hang out.
The coffeehouse, which has been open for two years now, is known for its cold brew coffee, Sundermeyer says.
In addition to the cold brew coffee, La Colombe offers single-origin coffees, draft lattes and pastries.
La Colombe is located in Blagden Alley. 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably the coolest part about it,鈥� Sundermeyer says, since new restaurants and bars are opening up nearby.
The coffee shop opened up its second D.C. location, in November, in Chinatown.
You can visit La Colombe at 924 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 or at 900 6th St. NW.
Rustic romance
The Coffee Bar is a cozy, quaint specialty coffee shop in D.C.
鈥淲e see a lot of first dates here. It鈥檚 kind of cute,鈥� says Dane Suarez, a manager at .
The communal area is a good place to sit and 鈥渏ust chill out,鈥� Suarez says.
For those flying solo, the relaxed atmosphere is ideal for a quiet study session or to get some work done.
The Coffee Bar focuses on single origin coffees and sources its beans from multiple roasters 鈥� from California and Colorado to Maryland.
鈥淲e like to bring the best coffees to D.C.,鈥� Suarez says.
The Dirty Chai and Cardamom Latte are the most popular items in the winter, Suarez says.
If you鈥檙e hungry, TCB serves food from local suppliers: , , and .
The Coffee Bar is located in聽the Historic U Street and Logan Circle area at 1201 S St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009. Its second location is in the Golden Triangle District at 1200 17th St. NW, Suite 150, which is more of a grab-and-go coffee shop.
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Heavenly hybrid
Both a bike shop and a coffee shop, Gravel & Grind is the first of its kind in the D.C. area.
鈥淭he best part of being a small-business owner is you get to indulge in your own passions,鈥� says co-owner of聽聽Tracy Hathaway, who shares her love of bicycles and espresso with co-owner James Johnson.
Gravel & Grind builds bikes from scratch, refurbishes old ones and sells聽. The hybrid shop specializes in bicycles for everything from touring, camping, town riding, to commuting and old school mountain biking.
As for the coffee, Gravel & Grind sources beans from聽a direct trade coffee roaster in Frederick, Maryland.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really balanced and low-acid coffee,鈥� Hathaway says. The Peruvian coffee beans are used in espresso, pour overs and the iced coffee. The coffeehouse also offers single origin coffees from ReAnimator in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland and Blanchard鈥檚 in Richmond, Virginia.
Apart from the coffee, Gravel & Grind serves food from baked goods and sandwiches to Oversized Belgian Waffles (Saturday and Sunday only).
Gravel & Grind is located at 124 S. Carroll St. in historic downtown Frederick, Maryland.
Putting the C in community
Kaldi鈥檚 Coffee Bar is more than a coffee shop, Emily Wertz says.
Wertz, a barista at , says the sense of community felt at the coffeehouse makes it unique from other coffee shops.
Its open, modern layout encourages a social atmosphere. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a cool place,鈥� Wertz says.
Kaldi鈥檚 offers pastries freshly baked in-house. Coffee-wise, most people order a Caramel Macchiato or Espresso Macchiato, Wertz says.
You can find Kaldi鈥檚 Coffee Bar at 918 Silver Spring Ave. in Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
A hipster鈥檚 haven
Vigilante Coffee Company is both a roastery and cafe that specializes in direct trade coffee.
鈥淧eople get to see the beans before they are roasted and while they are roasted,” says Austin Redington, the director of retail and marketing for . 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very different and elevated experience.鈥�
The space looks and feels like a garage because it used to be an old Model T Ford showroom.
The welcoming atmosphere makes it a community space, Redington says. 鈥淎 lot of the neighborhood is here everyday.鈥�
You鈥檒l notice the open and airy space is decorated with skateboards and surfboards. Redington says it鈥檚 part of the brand. 鈥淎 lot of us are into edgy sports like skateboarding and surfing and there are a lot of skaters around here.鈥�
Music is also a hit at Vigilante Coffee. Every second Saturday of the month, Vigilante Coffee hosts a live music showcase.
Vigilante Coffee is located at 4327 Gallatin St., Hyattsville, Maryland聽20781.
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Coffee with a side of art
Killer E.S.P. is a hip and artsy coffeehouse in聽Old Town Alexandria.
A lot of people come to hang out and meet friends, says Cole Simko, a barista at 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty laid back coffeehouse. We鈥檙e pretty chill.鈥�
Simko describes the coffeehouse as eclectic. 鈥淲e like to do a lot of art in here,鈥� he says. Some of the artwork plastered on the walls and in other places of the shop is for sale.
Killer E.S.P. uses beans from Portland, Oregon. It also offers sorbet made in-house, and pies from in D.C.
The pies and the Nutella Latte are the most popular items, according to Simko.
Killer E.S.P. is located at 1012 King St. in Alexandria, Virginia.
Small town wonder
Clifton Caf茅聽is a quaint coffeehouse and creperie in the small town of Clifton, Virginia.
The town, which has a population of 200, was declared a National Historic District by the U.S. Department of Interior in 1985, and some of the historic homes date back to 1871.
The cafe itself is located in a century-old home called the Weaver House, which was originally built in 1898 for the Weaver family who owned the general store next door.
鈥淵ou come to town and you get the whole experience,鈥� says Dorian Pyzdrowski, a manager at the .
The caf茅鈥檚 menu includes items named after townspeople. One creation: the Bittner鈥檚 Bliss, is a crepe made with goat cheese, spinach, artichokes and grilled chicken, and is named after a resident who lives close to the cafe, Pyzdrowski says.
The cafe serves breakfast all day and offers PT鈥檚 fair trade coffee, alcohol, dessert and lunch crepes.
The most popular food item, according to Pyzdrowski, is Silva鈥檚 Savory, a crepe with grilled chicken, cheddar, guacamole and mango salsa. Another customer favorite is the Spicy Chicken Guacamole crepe.
As for drinks, the Hazelnut Turtle Mocha tops the list.
And if聽you鈥檙e into latte art, you鈥檙e in luck. Pyzdrowski says they add a design to all espresso creations.
Clifton Caf茅 is located at 7144 Main St., Clifton, Virginia 20124.
All in one
Whether you need a place to meet for business or want a place to relax, Bean Bar鈥檚 European environment is all-encompassing.
The atmosphere transitions from day to night, says Arian Pinedo, the director of coffee and head barista at聽. 鈥淚t pleases all different types of crowds.鈥�
Customers can sit in a private booth, at a community table, on a couch or on a comfy chair at the bar.
The coffeehouse鈥檚 design includes rustic and industrial elements from the tables to the wine barrels. The artwork on the wall is hand-picked from a pool of local artists and photographers, and is rotated throughout the year.
Bean bar specializes in single origin coffees and sources beans from .
鈥淓veryone really likes our lattes because of the latte art and the flavor,鈥� Pinedo says. The caramel lattes and vanilla lattes are the most popular, he says.
Although coffee is the focal point, Bean Bar also offers international teas and Virginia wines and beers.
You can visit Bean Bar at 1601 Village Market Blvd SE, Suite 122 Leesburg, Virginia 20175.
A place like home
Similar to Clifton Caf茅, King Street Coffee is in the heart of a historic town: Leesburg.
The coffee shop is in an old house from the early 1900s. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the hub of the town,鈥� says Benjamin Knighton, who has been working as a barista at for almost two years.
Some people come to the coffeehouse and work on their laptops longer than Knighton鈥檚 shift, he says. 鈥淭he atmosphere is very homey. It鈥檚 always a warm environment.鈥�
King Street Coffee offers from Winchester, Va. and baked goods from local bakers in nearby Lucketts.
The most popular items customers order are the scones, gluten-free muffins, lattes and regular coffee.
You can visit King Street Coffee at 110 S King St., Leesburg, Virginia 20175.
