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Busboys and Poets
By Eden Miller
Translating a politically-charged D.C. restaurant to the suburbs should be a challenge. After all, The Village at Shirlington smacks of well-planned hipness, with its "downtown" streets and a collection of coffee shops, restaurants and theaters. But the concept of Busboys & Poets remains pretty well intact, even if discussing politics across from a Harris Teeter does feel a little strange.
Busboys & Poets' progressive theme greets you at the door, with art praising Barack Obama on the walls and events celebrating poetry and documentary filmmakers. The cozy coffee-house feel doesn't come across as calculated, though, with comfy couches and low lighting making this a perfect place to grab a drink or an espresso made with fair-trade coffee (the free wifi helps there, too). Still, Busboys & Poets is basically for liberals only – they're preaching to the choir, more or less. You probably don't want to bring your Republican friends here.
Wait times for tables can stretched beyond the usual claim of "20 minutes" (especially on the weekends) but the attached bookstore is a good distraction. The shelves are filled with multicultural fiction and poetry and nonfiction covering gender issues, the environment, and of course, as fitting for a restaurant, food and cooking. Browsing here makes the time pass quickly. I do have to wonder how many books they actually sell, though. For those that do buy, the proceeds go to non-profit Teaching for Change, so you can feel good about your purchases (or conversely, guilty if you're just thumbing through the books while waiting for your table).
But this is still a restaurant, no matter how you dress it up. The food ultimately needs to be the focus. The menu is your typical eclectic American – burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, with a few more exotic, Asian-inspired dishes thrown in. Surprisingly, though (and fittingly, given the restaurant's politics), Busboys & Poets has a large selection for both vegetarians and vegans, including a tofu scramble at brunch and pizzas offering soy cheese.
The food, overall, is mostly serviceable and pleasant. These meals aren't going to be the best you've ever had, but not the worst, either. It's relatively unoffensive but good enough to sustain repeated visits. It's simple, honest food.
Because of the food and of its location, Busboys & Poets makes the perfect the place you take your out-of-town parents (provided they're not going to be offended by the politics. Unless, of course, that's what you're going for). There's basically something for every taste and the food does provide a good backdrop for conversation. In this way, Busboys & Poets feels little bit like Applebee's for hipsters – it's no so much about the food as the company you're keeping around the food.
And it also makes it a great first-date spot, especially when coupled with the nearby arty Shirlington movie theater and The Signature Theatre. You can't get more impressive than that combination.
But the lack of a nearby Metro stop does isolate Busboys & Poets. I can see how the D.C. location would be a good starter for an evening out, but since you mostly have to drive to the Arlington one (I have yet to be convinced the bus is a viable option to get there), it becomes too much of a one-stop destination. Like I said, good for dates and out-of-town parents (and maybe a casual, low-pressure dinner between friends), but it's not the sort of place that will rev you up on Friday night.
Still, if organic beer happy hours and open-mike poetry nights are your speed, there are much worse hangouts. Despite the décor and the somewhat contrived ambiance, Busboys & Poets is surprisingly unpretentious and comfortable.
Busboys and Poets
challenge. After all, The Village at Shirlington smacks of well-planned hipness, with its "downtown" streets and a collection of coffee shops, restaurants and theaters. But the concept of Busboys & Poets remains pretty well intact, even if discussing politics across from a Harris Teeter does feel a little strange.
