If asked where to go for brunch in Adams Morgan, LeftBank would be very low on our list. Call us cheap, but we’re no fans of $12 cocktails or the restaurant’s pricey menu. In a pinch, however, we might have considered the place. But a reader pointed out a policy that now puts LeftBank on our “do not ever ever go there” list: $2.50 refills for all cups of coffee.

Sure, coffee beans don’t come for free. But the custom of providing free coffee refills at restaurants seems common enough that we wonder whether a cuppa joe at LeftBank is flown in directly from the Blue Mountains or delivered in a golden mug. If you agree that the restaurant’s policy is insane, you can now let your voice be heard: a recent patron of LeftBank has offered to place a protest ad in the City Paper, given donations. The effort to call out LeftBank’s coffee policy might be quixotic, especially since there are persistent rumors that the restaurant might be closing, but the offended diner’s grassroots effort is admirable.

So, turned off by a long line at The Diner and looking to brunch on 18th Street? We recommend going to The Reef. When it’s warm you can sit on the roof, and we think it has one of the best Bloody Marys in the city — a claim we do not make lightly.

UPDATE: We’ve just been informed by the offended patron that LeftBank has gone out of its way to apologize and correct what was an error by the patron’s waitress. More information in the comments.