Independent coffee shops aren’t for everyone.  If you’re just looking for a quick cup of coffee, you might as well just go through Starbucks’ drive-thru.  However, there’s better coffee out there.  Most independent coffee shops either roast their own coffee beans, and their focus is more on the quality than quantity.  I’ve also noticed that there’s quite a different crowd in independent coffee shops, as opposed to corporate giants like Starbucks and Caribou Coffee.  They’re usually not infested with crying children, whipped cream rim jobs, and obesity moaning about sprinkle deprivation on their latte.

Throughout the Washington, DC area, there are a few independent coffee shops in scattered areas.  In my opinion, they’re a great place to relax, do some work, and keep you blood flowing.  Many freelance workers have made it their meet-up spots to work on projects.  I’ve even seen local witch groups hold their weekly witch… thing.  Here’s a few coffee shops you might check out.

Java Shack

We see ourselves as a true community coffeehouse; a gathering place for people of all ages and walks of life; an active partner making an investment of time, energy, and money to improve the community that sustains us.

The Java Shack prides itself on being more than a place to get a good cup of Java (coffee). We have the friendliest staff in town and are proud to serve you and get to know you.

The Arlington Courier Newspaper dubbed The Java Shack “Cheers Coffeehouse” of Arlington in April 1997. We earned this honor because we take the time to get to know our customers’ names, drinks and sometimes their lives.

www.javashack.com

Tryst Coffeehouse

Tryst stands, in the heart of our nation’s capital, in stark contrast to the suburban culture and coffee chains that proliferate the country. We’re a single location, owned and operated by the same couple that put this all together five years ago. No, our silverware doesn’t always match, and we don’t have 75 different kinds of trademarked, pre-made caramel-nilla-frapp-a-ccino-supremas. What we do have is excellent made to order food and drink, and a commitment to serving the community that has supported us through our growing pains. Enjoy a unique experience outside the cookie-cutter-corporate vein.

www.trystdc.com

Afterwords Cafe

Afterwords Cafe, opened in 1976, was the first Bookstore/Cafe in the country to feature cappuccino, espresso, a full bar and food. Since its inception it has established itself as ‘Washington’s pre-eminent cafe’.

www.kramers.com

Buzz

Buzz begins its days well before sunrise, warming ovens, mixing batters and shaping doughs. All of our food is prepared with a reverence for great ingredients, a passion for careful baking and a steadfast dedication to serving only the freshest items.

Buzz Bakery on Slaters Lane allows you to enjoy terrific baked goods and desserts accompanied by a great beverage in a fun and welcoming setting. Our team is there to ensure that you always have an exceptional Buzz experience; be it a quick fly-by visit to grab a latte and a brioche, a special order of cupcakes for your best friend’s birthday or a comfortable respite on one of our couches with a glass of wine and something sweet.

www.buzzonslaters.com

Modern Times Coffeehouse

The coffeehouse’s intimate space and distinctive atmosphere always features a diverse clientele of neighbors, writers, book lovers, and families. Our quality food and beverages draw locals as well as regular customers from the entire District of Columbia, and Montgomery County, Maryland.

Since becoming caretakers in 2006 of the decade-old coffeehouse inside Politics & Prose Bookstore, Coup d’Etat Coffee Co. has revamped the menu, improved the interior, and introduced live performances on the weekends. We offer free wireless internet and the perfect environment for reading, studying, and especially conversation and discussion.

www.moderntimescoffeehouse.com

M. E. Swing Coffee Roasters

M.E. Swing Company is committed to sourcing the finest quality coffees available in order to create the Traditional Blends that we are known for, as well as producing our highly regarded Swing’s Espressos. In addition, we offer a variety of Single Origin Coffees, Organic Coffees and Decaffeinated Coffees . Our mission is to continue what was started by Michael Edward Swing in 1916… to produce the best quality coffees possible, and deliver them fresh to our customers. This is achieved by hand-craft roasting all of our coffees in small batches, and continually cupping to ensure quality in the cup.

www.swingscoffee.com

Busboys and Poets

Leftist types listen to Che Guevara-inspired poetry readings while plotting the revolution over lattes and tofu cake at this U Street Corridor venue. The coffee is damn … good though: as the French know, all the best revolutions are fueled by caffeine. There’s also a full bar and food menu (no surprise: the granola is fantastic), free Wifi, a TV that usually shows sporting events, and a bookstore where the works range from diatribes against George Bush to communist manifestos.

www.busboysandpoets.com

Murky Coffee

Murky Coffee is devoted to the best that coffee has to offer. We are always learning, always improving, always developing, always changing anything that can be improved. From award winning whole bean coffees to world-class espresso drinks to the best home coffee equipment that we know of, we strive to serve only the best in the world. Thanks to our roaster-partners at Counter Culture Coffee, we’re able not only to offer the best coffee on the planet, but we are able to maintain our “no coffee older than 14 days off roast” standards for all coffee sold in our shops. This includes everything: whole bean, brewed, and espresso-brewed coffees.
Our espresso drinks are unmatched in Washington DC, and we strive to meet World Barista Championship standards behind the bar every day. Our espresso blend is ground fresh, for each drink served, and extracted on our custom-tuned espresso machines, resulting in espresso that is sweet, balanced, full-bodied, and smooth. We steam the milk for each drink per order, with care and expertise that results in an unexpectedly silky-smooth textured milk foam.

www.murkycoffee.com