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Written by DCist Contributor Vince Wadhwani, of BuyIndie.net
Joe. Bean. Murk. Black Venom. Go Juice. The Nectar of Life. Call it what you want, but we love our coffee. And when you talk coffee it's hard not to think about the ever present Starbucks. Recently, they launched a service making it even easier to get your fix. Send a text message from your cell phone and get back the location of the three closest Starbucks. Three closest? How many could there be, we wondered? Well, a quick trip over to their website reveals over 50 locations within 2 miles of Dupont Circle. With that sort of density, what chance does the independent coffee shop have? Fortunately for those of us who don't like our coffee exceedingly bitter and our milk drinks lukewarm, Washington has a good supply of indie spots to check out.
We checked in with the owner of local coffee shop, Java House, to see where he stands on the issue of dealing with the mermaid. "I've always thought: you won't walk an extra block to have a good cup of coffee, but you will walk an extra block to meet with a friend. The one thing that is very rewarding in this business is the friendships you make," said Payam Yazdani. While the boutique coffee house along the 17th Street NW corridor offers pastries, bagels, and free wifi; it's perhaps best known for its coffee which is roasted and brewed right inside the store. Yazdani emphasizes this aspect as another asset of independent coffee shops, "We stay relevant through the senses. People smell the coffee we roast and they want to drink it."
But how easy is it to find an independent coffee shop, especially when Starbucks reaches out to grab you at nearly every street corner? To aid you in this quest for coffee, there are a number of websites out there that can help find and avoid chains. BuyIndie is working on improving its site, but until then our favorite service is Delocator. Simply give your zip code and click the button to get a list of places that are not Starbucks. Our search revealed 34 places to get your mudd on within two miles of Dupont; there's opportunity aplenty to go indie if you want to.
But why all the enmity towards Starbucks? Frankly any business that gives us free coffee couldn't be all that bad. Plus more than a few of us rely on the big S for mobile office space from time to time. Pile that on with good employee practices and you have a corporation that isn't completely heinous. Perhaps it's because two weeks ago Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz warned that the brand was becoming too commoditized, and pledged to refocus (though the company seems to be off to an odd start). Perhaps it's their disrespect for the local, independent coffeehouse's territory. Maybe it's because their food has increased in price while decreasing in size and quality, or because they raise the price of their coffee even though their profits have increased 26 percent in the last two years. Are those good reasons? What do you think? Are you tired of seeing the green and white logo at every turn, or does it call to you like a beacon in the haze of the morning? Where do you get your daily caffeine fix?
To read the full interview with Payam Yazdani, head over to BuyIndie.net.
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Sidamo Coffee & Tea, 417 H St. NE. Free wi-fi, friendly staff, coffee roasted on premises, cool exotic teas, good food. Check out the Sunday coffee ceremony.
Mayorga Coffee had their "soft" opening in the old Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights yesterday. I believe their more official opening is later this week.
a friend of mine was in dc this weekend from nyc. we were talking about the sad (although improving) state of coffee in nyc when the subject of starbucks came up. i said that there werent even that many starbucks in new york (at least compared to here, i dont remember seeing too many of them there).
his response:
"oh we call those bathrooms, yeah, there are more in dc"
The best latte I've ever had, I had at Soho on 23rd and P. Plus free wi-fi, crazy-delectable snickerdoodle cookies, and comfy chairs. Everything you need.
I highly recommend it if you're in Dupont, have twenty-thirty minutes to kill, and have a good essay collection to read.
I'm a fan of Mayorga, in Silver Spring. Does anyone know if they own the Kudo Beans franchise that is opening up in the Tivoli as well? I ask this because I notice that Mayorga's name is on the doormats, and on the building permits as well.
I'm also a fan of Juan Valdez. I know it's a chain as well, but they have the most delicious Espresso Cubano I've ever had.
(And to answer the question of what's wrong with Starbuck's, my beef with them is the same beef I have with almost all chains---oversaturation and strongarm competitive tactics means a dumbing down of the markets. Indy places encourage a creative approach to business that leads to a wider array of choice. Chains encourage a lowest common denominator approach that results in less choice. After all, if Starbuck's is the only game in town, I really have nowhere else to take my money if I don't like them or their product.)
Mayorga Lounge -- @ Park & 14th in the Historic TIVOLI -- just opened... very cool.
CH News Articla
I don't avoid Starbucks because it's a huge corporation or because it's ubitquitous (hell I get Au Bon Pain coffee almost daily) I avoid it because I like black coffee, and Starbuck's black coffee is dreadful and causes me to bounce off the walls.
As for independent shops, I really like M.E. Swing on G St. and 17th. It's got a ton of history in DC and it's good coffee. Frankly, I wish they'd expand throughout the city a little.
Of course, there's good old Common Grounds in Arlington (n.k.a. Murky Coffee). They coffee was decent, but the best part was the community center function they cultivated. While the interior has inexplicably become less attractive since the switch to Murky, a lot of the key people are still around. Too bad they don't do their lunches anymore. They made a killer grilled cheese sandwich.
Luckily in the Virginia Square area, I have Daily Grind (a chain, but one that's donated to local nonprofits) and Murky Coffee both within a 10 minute walk!
I also want to add that I think that in cities like Washington, Starbucks probably inspired as many, if not more, independent coffee shops than they shut down. While there have been coffeehouses for a very long time, the recent popularity of them can be tied pretty squarely to Starbucks. Before Starbucks, things like expresso and lattes were the province of the beatnik and the Eurosnob. The average person bought their coffee from a diner, where it had been sitting in an unwashed pot on a hotplate for two hours.
That's not to say I like the place, and approve of its growth strategy, but I just think it's fair to point out that a lot of great little coffee joints may have never opened without Starbucks coming along first.
Aaron, I don't know where it started, but doesn't Soho have a reputation for being a spot to score heroin? Not that it matters, the coffee there is good.
I really want to hate Starbucks, but their iced coffee is delicious. Au Bon Pain just brews coffee, keeps it at room temperature, and asks you to put in your ice. Now that's dreadful.
Although I live in Chinatown (where there are at least 3 mermaids within spitting distance) every Sunday I walk a few blocks north to Mt. Vernon and spend my hard earned cash at the local coffee house Breakwells at 900 M Street NW and I hear Azzi's two blocks north of Breakwells is pretty good also.
I second the Murky and Juan Valdez shout-outs.
Also, another friendly, independently owned wonderful coffee spot (a few blocks away from Java House) is Steam Cafe on 17th and R. GREAT Paninis, crepes, and excellent coffee, free wireless, and they're open until midnight. I miss not being around these guys any longer.
Also, the artiZen cafe on Penn and 12th makes a wunderbar cappuccino.
If you need another reason not to go to Starbucks, consider their recent stance opposing trademark registration of coffee bean varieties by the Ethiopian government. Ethiopia is one of the major producers of beans, and tmk, the only producers of Hirrar, Sidamo, and Yirgacheffe bean varieties.
Starbucks' is opposing the government's attempt to register these names in the U.S. (and get a little more $$) and quite a few folks are up in arms about it, including Oxfam.
Rusty, hadn't heard that one. A quick Google search for ["Soho coffee DC", "heroin"] didn't pick up anything, but I'll keep digging. Although I probably won't search while I'm at to Soho. That has the potential for awkwardness; besides, I've got too much writing to do to snoop around in person for illicit drug hotspots.
DCWhee, thanks for that info on Starbuck's opposing the trademarking of coffee bean varieties. For a company that put alot of little guys out of business by trademarking their drinks, I think this shows their true colors.
Not for nothing, but only on a DC blog would someone use Google try to find out where to buy heroin.
Azi's Café up on 9th and O (1336 9th St. NW)!!
Azi makes a great café au lait for a reasonable price, and offers tasty paninis and muffins. Azi is incredibly nice, and has good tunes playing every time I visit. Free wi-fi and a good patio in the nice weather is also to be had there.
I will take Azi's over $tarbuck$ anyday.
Charbux is the McDonald's of coffee bars. I'm sick of their ubiquitousness but also find their coffee too strong/charred.
I usually hang out at Le Madeleine, Corner Bakery, Vie de France, or Panera, not because their coffee is great, but because it's unlimited.
In Kensington MD, hubby & I preferred a little indie place called Cafe Monet. Unfortunately they closed last Sunday, not because they knew a Charbux was opening across the street in the now-being-built Safeway, but because they sold to somebody who's going to remodel it into an expensive bistro...
DCWhee: I agree with you about the food at Steam. Their coffee is OK, but nothing special. Java House has GREAT coffee, but their food is mediocre at best.
Since I live and play near 17th St, and I also want to patronize local stores whenever possible, here is my beef with both Java and Steam: the decor is just BLAH. Neither is a place I want to spend hours on end chilling (by myself or with friends). What I really would like to see in the neighborhood is a Tryst on a smaller scale; good food, good coffee, pleasant environment, and fun crowd.
Aaron: Soho is on the corner of 22nd and P above that grocery store. That's a good place to hang out, I think.... although it's too far away from home for me to hang out unless I'm on my way to Apex :-P
Java House roasts, grinds, and brews their coffee in-house every day. They've been around since '92. Payam is the second generation of Yazdanis to run the place. 'Nuff said.
Um, make that "they've been around since '90". What do I know? They predate me.
Mayorga in Silver Spring has some of the best coffee I've ever had. The service there is friendly and the atmosphere is very comfortable- great for meeting a friend or doing some work. I think they roast their own beans too.
Mayorga does roast their own- at a local MD warehouse facility and very much on a large scale. I've toured their plant, and took home a couple of burlap coffee bags from various growers in various countries (the ones with the more interesting artwork) to frame.
Jeffrey, I hear that Google Drugs is in beta testing now.
Speaking of Google, LooLoo, that might be an interesting conversation topic - which is more ubiquitous, Google or Starbucks?
Some others of note, none in Dupont:
Misha's in Old Town (still has a smoking section, very retro)
Sureia in Brookland (speaking of heart of a community, and good coffee in NE)
Caribou on RI/14th
Mocha Hut on U Street (with some damn fine food, as well)
I haven't had the chance to really get out and experience most of the local coffee shops. But Tryst in Adams Morgan had one of the best latte's I've ever tasted. And the waffles were to die for.
As for Starbucks, I don't have a problem with them. There are over 90 Starbucks in downtown San Francisco. But independent coffee shops have doubled in SF since they first opened. Love em or hate em, I believe they made the coffee shop mainstream.
HEY CHECK IT OUT!!! When I mention Starbucks, I'll use a dollar sign instead of an S, then people will know that I equate them with money or capitalism or greed or something. Here is an example, $tarbuck$. Alternately, maybe I'll call them Charbux. The Char will represent the fact that I don't think their coffee is good enough for me, the use of the X instead of CKS represents..uh..FUCK YOU STARBUCKS!!!
Seriously though, I do hate starbucks. If I want good coffee, I make it myself. Then, I drink it at home where I can go ahead and use the wifi I'd be paying for even if I was at a cafe that offered it for free.
One more thing. I never gave it much thought before, but I think Reid is exactly right about $tarbuX giving rise to the modern coffee house culture.
Hating on Starbucks is as much of a trend as flipped collars or oversized sunglasses. I'm all for indie coffeehouses but when it's Starbucks I walk past every morning, it's Starbucks I'm going to buy my coffee from.
In DC, I'm not really aware of any coffee spots in my neighborhood (it's only work, I drink the free keurig mocha-nut-whatever available here), though artiZen is nearby. Will have to check that out.
I live in Del Ray (Alex.) and have to give a shout out to the fabulous St Elmos and Caboose both! I prefer coffee at St Elmos and snacks at Caboose.
I think Quartermaine Coffee Roasters in Rockville and Bethesda has the best beans in town.
Java Shack in Arlington (one of the original coffee joints in the area) makes really good espresso drinks and has a great atmosphere.
I also think Tryst makes great drinks. It's too bad it is such an ordeal/scene to get a drink and a seat there, though.
Getting a seat at Tryst is like getting past the velvet rope.
"As for Starbucks, I don't have a problem with them. There are over 90 Starbucks in downtown San Francisco. But independent coffee shops have doubled in SF since they first opened."
Of course, there's also the fact that in 2004 SF passed a Formula Business Restrictions ordinance that with certain exceptions prohibits chains from operating outside of the downtown area. Check them out at: newrules.org/retail/sanfran.html
I'm not so convinced that Starbucks has really fueled that much of the coffeehouse craze. There have been a number of coffee companies that started and grew alongside Starbucks that have been just as influencial, just not as successful. Then, also, are the social forces at work that diminished community/public space and forced people to find new places to do the things they once did in that public space (such as political and social meetings, study groups, performance and the physical arts, etc). Add to that a youth culture in the mid-to late 80s and early 90s that embraced legal stimulants (again, tied to other social and technological advances) and the influence of Starbuck's is no more or less than quite a number of factors.
The big problem with Tryst isn't so much that it's tough to get a seat -- you can usually snag one if you're willing to hover for 5-10 mins -- as it is the terrible racket they have playing there most nights. It makes conversation very difficult, and working or reading nearly impossible if you'ree anywhere in the front half. Sure, live music is great, but enough with the Medeski, Martin, and Wood clones who crank up the volume up to to 11 five nights of the week.
Nobody makes frozen drinks as good as Frappuccinos. Mock me for my coffee tastes if you must, but I love those things.
That said, the food at Starbucks is terrible.
Don't know about heroin, but SoHo is a non-stop freak show. Only go there for an extended period of time if you're trying to meet Dupont "characters."
For my taste, I like Jolt N Bolt, which has an even dumber name than Java House. Once you enter their alley with the fountains and shrines you will wonder what happened to the auto-parts store you thought you were going into. And it's apparently family-run, so I don't have to suck up to an ever-changing staff of underpaid dropouts and teen artists.
i like sparky's on 14th but one dude there is totally a hipster elitist even though he has fried hair.
Shout out to Sparkys, though I'm not down with the chick who works there...the others who work there are cool and are fine with the linger-ers among us.
14U (on 14th and U) is supposed to be good too, though haven't been there
@Drippy:
What......exactly are Dupont "characters"?
The website indiecoffeeshops (dotcom) features a database of over 500 independent coffee shops in the US. It is a Google maps based site that helps people to find local indie coffee shops. The site was created by Washington DC residents, but the shops in the database have been added by coffee lovers around the country. No login or account is necessary. Just go to the site and add your favorite shop! Also find us on myspace username indiecoffeeshops.