Busboys & Poets

Busboys (named for a Langston Hughes poem) has, dare we say, become as much of a keystone of the U St scene as Ben’s Chili Bowl. It’s one of the first places this author takes all newcomers to the city, in the sense that is seems to capture that sense of what DC really is better than almost any one business. So what is DC? Intellectual, multiracial, opinionated, creative, takes itself just a little too seriously (just perhaps), supportive of its local community, but sometimes a bit too obsessed by its own laptop. Everything we’ve just described? Pretty much the daily scene inside B&P, the sort of place where everyone seems to gather for coffee, wi-fi and a progressive vibe (and attached bookstore) that makes San Francisco feel conservative. Oh, the food? Upscale diner stuff: sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and the like, all quite tasty and reasonably priced.