November 1, 2022

Part II: Clean Commutes to DC-Based Cafés and Coffee Shops

by Korrea Johnston

Now that the weather is cooler, there’s nothing like a hot cup of coffee to warm you up! Even if you prefer iced over hot, black, with or without cream, or any variation in between, Washington, DC has plenty of spots to get a quality cup of joe. And since the city has so many staple coffee shops and cafés, goDCgo encourages you to take a tour of all of them! Continue following our blog series to discover more of DC’s popular coffee spots and learn about the best ways to get to each of them by bike, bus, or Metro. Stay tuned for more café commutes to come!

Grace Street Coffee

This independent, locally-owned shop brews simple, specialty coffee roasted on-site in the heart of historic Georgetown. But it is more than just a café — thanks to their partnership with High Road Cycling, Grace Street Coffee doubles as a bike shop! What’s better than the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans in a bike-friendly space?! The Grace Street team is passionate about what they do and considers coffee making a hands-on craft to offer the best possible coffee customized to satisfy your tastebuds. They strive to teach their coffee drinkers how to get the most out of the coffee experience.

Address: 3210 Grace Street NW

• Capital Bikeshare:
  • C & O Canal & Wisconsin Ave NW
  • Potomac & M St NW
• DC Circulator: Georgetown-Union State route to Wisconsin Ave & M St NW
• Metrobus: 31, 33, 38B, or DCDGR to 31st & M St NW

Harrar Coffee & Roastery

This cozy coffee shop is known for its authentic Ethiopian coffee that is roasted in-house on a near-daily basis, so you can enjoy a fresh cup any time of day. Stop by to sample their roasts, choose your favorite, and buy a cup for now or coffee beans to brew at home — though it may be hard to leave the traditional yet contemporary Ethiopian ambience!

Address: 2904 Georgia Avenue NW

• Capital Bikeshare:
  • Georgia Ave & Columbia Rd NW
  • Georgia Ave & Fairmont St NW
• Metrobus:
  • 70 to Georgia Ave & Gresham Pl NW
  • 70 or 79 to Georgia Ave & Irving St NW
• Metrorail: Green/Yellow Line to Shaw-Howard U

La Coop

This family-owned and operated business sources directly from a coffee cooperative in Guatemala, paying premium prices to farmers in order to provide the finest, single-origin specialty coffee. Founder Juan Luis grew up farming the same coffee he is now roasting and serving locally here in Washington, DC. La Coop aims to make a sustainable impact on the coffee industry by empowering farmers and showcasing their high-quality coffee to continue investing in the health and education of their families and community. Working as a cooperative also provides opportunities for the farmers to receive training and certifications. 

Address: 5505 1st Street NW

• Capital Bikeshare: Kansas Ave & Longfellow St NW
• Metrobus:
  • E4 to Missouri Ave & 2nd St NW
  • K2 to North Capitol & Longfellow St NW

Le Bon Café

This quaint, Parisian-inspired sidewalk café and espresso bar nestled in Capitol Hill has served as a popular, neighborhood gathering place for residents, tourists, and Congressional staffers alike for over 20 years. Before opening Le Bon Café, owner Sandra McCluskey worked at a Michelin-star restaurant in Paris to learn first-hand how a French kitchen operates. She also attended classes at La Varenne Culinary School and spent hours visiting and researching French café life before opening her store doors here in DC, offering a full breakfast and lunch menu.

Address: 210 2nd Street SE

• Capital Bikeshare:
  • 3rd St & Pennsylvania Ave SE
  • 3rd & D St SE
• DC Circulator: Eastern Market-L’Enfant Plaza route to Pennsylvania Ave & 8th St SE
• Metrobus: 32 or 36 to Independence Ave & 2nd St SE
• Metrorail: Blue/Orange/Silver Line to Capitol South

Lost Sock Roasters

This small-batch specialty coffee roaster is dedicated to developing sustainable coffee by exclusively sourcing through select importers and direct trade farming collectives that share their core values. Lost Sock Roasters pays a premium for their coffees, finding value in high quality, unique processing, and environmental responsibility. Roasted in Brightwood Park, they experiment with the taste of coffee outside of its typical flavor, looking for notes that are sweet, bright, complex, and juicy. A variety of offerings is important, so they also understand the need for a straight-up, classic cup of joe. At the end of the day, they want their roast profiles to showcase the work of the farmer.

Address: 6833 4th Street NW

• Capital Bikeshare: Takoma Metro
• Metrobus:
  • 52, 54, 62, or 63 to 4th & Butternut St NW
  • K2 to Takoma Metro
• Metrorail: Red Line to Takoma

Maketto

This communal marketplace combines retail, restaurant, and café experiences, offering a variety of java, street food, and cool fashions. The modern, minimalist space includes a mix of two buildings, a courtyard, roof deck, and catwalk connecting the different spaces together. You can find the café on the first floor serving local coffee roasters and providing a full coffee bar experience six days a week.

Address: 1351 H Street NE

• Capital Bikeshare:
  • 10th & H St NE
  • 13th & H St NE
  • Bladensburg & Benning Rd NE
• DC Streetcar: Provides free, daily trips along the H Street NE Corridor and Benning Road. Check the hours of operation.
• Metrobus:
  • B2 route to 15th St & Benning Rd NE
  • X2 or X9 route to 14th & H St NE
  • X8 route to 14th St & Maryland Ave NE

Peregrine Espresso

Founded in 2008 by a husband and wife team, this DC-based shop has two locations that serve delicious coffee, accompanied by great service, education, and a focus on sustainability. They try to set a standard of quality coffee with friendly service for all customers. Many Peregrine Espresso baristas have competed at regional and national Barista or Brewers Cup competitions to continue their coffee education and inspire excitement at the shops. To spread their love of coffee, this shop hosts classes and events to educate the public about coffee brewing and espresso. Classes are two hours long and include a 12-ounce bag of whole bean coffee. Another priority for them is implementing environmental sustainability efforts, including composting, recycling, tapping into wind power, and utilizing reusable glass milk bottles.

Eastern Market Address: 660 Pennsylvania Avenue SE

• Capital Bikeshare:
  • Eastern Market Metro / 8th St & Pennsylvania Ave SE
  • Eastern Market / 7th St & North Carolina Ave SE
• DC Circulator: Eastern Market-L’Enfant Plaza route to Pennsylvania Ave & 8th St SE
• Metrobus:
  • 32 or 36 to Pennsylvania Ave & 6th St SE
  • 32, 36, 92, or DCN22 to Pennsylvania Ave & 8th St SE
  • 90 or 92 to 8th & D St SE
• Metrorail: Blue/Orange/Silver Line to Eastern Market

Union Market Address: 1309 5th Street NE

• Capital Bikeshare:
  • Union Market
  • 5th & Morse St NE
  • 4th & Florida Ave NE
• Metrobus: 90 or 92 to Florida Ave & 5th St NE
• Metrorail: Red Line to NoMa-Gallaudet U

Sankofa

Sankofa is an Adinkra term for “going back to our past in order to go forward.” Named after the internationally acclaimed film, this Black filmmaker-family-owned and operated bookstore and café specializes in books, videos, and programming about people of African descent. With the largest collection of African American and diasporic children’s literature in DC, their books explore a broad array of subjects, while still embracing the pleasure of pastries! You can find this staple store nestled in the college campus corridor across from Howard University.

Address: 2714 Georgia Avenue NW

• Capital Bikeshare:
  • Georgia Ave & Fairmont St NW
  • Georgia Ave & Columbia Rd NW
• Metrobus:
  • 70 to Georgia Ave & Gresham Pl NW or Georgia Ave & Euclid St NW
  • 70 or 79 to Georgia Ave & Howard Pl NW or Georgia Ave & Irving St NW
• Metrorail: Green/Yellow Line to Shaw-Howard U

Sidamo Coffee & Tea

Sidamo Coffee & Tea is proud to provide unique and conventional coffees using Ethiopian coffee beans roasted in-house to ensure that quality is not compromised in the process. They also offer a variety of gourmet teas, breakfast, lunch, a selection of desserts, and free WiFi to enjoy while basking in the vintage feels of this 15+ year old shop. Whether you want to stay and sip or choose a bag of coffee beans and/or tea to brew at home, we encourage you to explore this Ethiopian experience.

Address: 417 H Street NE

• Capital Bikeshare:
  • 2nd & G St NE
  • 3rd & H St NE
  • 5th & H St NE
• DC Circulator:
  • Congress Heights-Union Station route to Massachusetts Ave/Columbus Circle
  • Georgetown-Union Station route to North Capitol & H St NE or Union Station Parking Garage
• DC Streetcar: Provides free, daily trips along the H Street NE Corridor and Benning Road. Check the hours of operation.
• Metrobus:
  • D8 or X2 to 3rd & H St NE or 6th & H St NE
  • D8, X2, or X9 to H St & Union Station Garage
  • X2 to 6th & H St NE
• Metrorail: Red Line to Union Station