Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe
Categories: Bookstores, Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle1517 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036 (202) 387-1400
- Nearest Transit:
Dupont Circle (Red)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner, Late Night
- Alcohol: Full Bar
182 Reviews for Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe
For a diverse selection, great location and lovely clientele, you can't beat this place. I didn't make it to the cafe as planned, but I enjoyed browsing the stacks as I waited for a friend. Somehow I ended up in the travel section and got sucked into books about South America. Perhaps the universe is trying to tell me something???
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I've been going to Kramerbooks for years. When I was in high school, my equally geeky boyfriend and I would go there after school and on weekends to read, look smart, eat, hang out. This was our meeting spot.
Nowadays, I get to partake of the bar. Yes, folks, there is a bar, and you can take your books in there. Some places offer a cafe so you can read over a spot of tea. Kramerbooks offers reading and pints. What could be better than that?
The other location (in Arlington) has live music, and it's a pity they don't offer that here, but what can you expect when almost all the available space is taken up by books on every topic you could imagine: from Paul Johnson's "Modern Times" to Taro Gomi's "Everybody Poops". Not the biggest selection, but there is a little of everything.
The cafe leaves a little to be desired, but is great for breakfast or a late night bite.
Kramerbooks is a great place to get your read on, grub on or drink on, or go completely broke in the name of more noble pursuits than surfing the internets. And it stays strong in the face of the larger chains.
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It's hard to diss Kramers, as it is affectionately known to locals who've loved it for years. I don't like to speak ill of it. As a native, you have to respect the place as a Washington institution. I remember coming here when I was 15, finally allowed to take my first solo trips downtown, and thinking it was the best place ever. The problem nowadays, I think, is that Kramers also thinks it's the best place ever -- which is true in ways but the service and atmosphere have really fallen off in recent years. I'll deal with the three components separately:
The Cafe: I've had friends who've worked here and I can tell you that these people work hard, so I'll excuse the occasionally lax service to a degree. Kramers gets my vote for a nice weekend brunch if you want to impress out-of-towners, but the menu is just plain overpriced for the quality of the food, which is simply okay. Good options and presentation, but the taste could be so much better.
The Bar: I've been at the bar at all times of the day and night (er, sorry Ma...) and what's funny is that I received faster, better service at peak hours on a weekend than I did when I stopped in for a quick drink during my lunch hour on a particularly heinous Monday. I mean, there were only one or two other people at the bar, neither needing attention at that moment, and the bartender didn't so much as acknowledge my arrival for several minutes...just stood there looking slackjawed and simple and doing nothing -- not even rinsing a glass. Plus they had these things called "infusions" but were missing key ingredients for the ones I wanted...lame.
The Bookstore: This is Kramers' only saving grace and I'm speaking strictly of the books, not the staff. On a recent lunch hour trip three employees were busy yucking it up and the store was a mess. One guy actually kicked some broken-down cardboard box in my direction, then charged past me without even mumbling "excuse me." Ordinarily I'm content to browse the small but awesome selection for a while, but at that point, I just hightailed it out of there. I couldn't believe such disregard for the customers. I've worked in retail and it's fine to enjoy it and have fun with your friends/coworkers, but still, never forget that you are in fact WORKING. And never let your local reputation convince you that your business is beyond reproach, or that it's an extension of your living room. Tsk, tsk Kramers...ours is becoming a love/hate relationship...
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Okay, so I want to like this place...but the service? Eeek. And the food is just "okay."
My fiancee and I went here for dinner for the third time last night. We ordered a salad and two entrees and the salad came out first, about 20 minutes after we ordered it.
The salad was terrible. They seem to have a problem here with dressing. I don't know if they are always short on it, but the last time I ate here, they FORGOT the dressing, and this time, they drizzled a TINY amount only on the outside of the plate, like for decoration. There was NO dressing on the greens...WTF?
Then we waited about another 30 minutes for the entrees, but they never came. Meanwhile, we had a salad plate sitting in front of us for that WHOLE TIME and no one came over to bus it, or to ask us how things were, or to give us an update on our entrees.
The tables NEXT to us, however, got a lot of attention. Two people next to us who ordered about 10 minutes after we did got THEIR food, but ours was nowhere to be found and the staff didn't care at all.
Thirty minutes is TOO LONG to wait anywhere, let alone a "quick eat" place like this.
We put money down on the table for the salad and left.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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03/17/2008
This cafe is open late -- and that's one of the major things it has going for it.
Would I eat here… Read more »
I like Kramerbooks, which is why I brought a friend to the Cafe last week. I like that it is a cool bookstore that is open late, has a bar, and a cafe with outdoor seating. The food is overpriced, but I am willing to look past that.
So my friend and I sat in the cute outdoor cafe seating area, and ordered a beer and wine from the friendly waitress. The waitress earned my trust, so when she recommended the crab sandwich, I thought- looks good, why not? My friend had the "jerk shrimp" salad. Unfortunately, when my sandwich arrived I was in for a surprise. I had assumed, for some reason, that it would be some sort of crabcake. My sandwich consisted of a small, whole cooked crab on a bun, legs still on. What was I supposed to do with it? I couldn't very well munch on it with the long legs dangling out. So I did the only thing I could do, pulled the legs off and ate the now "crab body" sandwhich. Gross. I even had to pull off the hard shell part on the top. Why I didn't send it back, I don't know. How the waitress could have recommended such a thing, I also don't know. I still get the chills when I think about the crab's limp little lightly breaded body on the bun. It was the kind of meal that lingers in memory, and not in a good way. My friend's shrimp salad was far from jerk, with the poor shrimp n salad leaves drowning in a not-too-tasty unidentified honey mustardish sauce. So we did the best we could, had two drinks each, ordered a dessert, which was decent, and tried to concentrate on conversation, not food. We agreed at the end of the night that if we ever come back here to eat, which isn't likely, we will have dessert and drinks only. The food was just too scary.
A perfect combination of cool patio cafe, cozy bookstore and sexy bar. Come for a late afternoon nosh and a lazy stroll through the great selection of books. They'll seat you promptly and the staff are quick and cool.
Sunday brunch is great.... at least I think so... mimosa's make me forget.
I highly recommend for out of town guests or just for a decent late night bite.
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Love, love, love this place!
I wish Atlanta had a place like this! David and I came here for brunch and was surprised on how packed it already was. The menu is HUGE and a bit overwhelming, but it definitely had a fantastic selection. The prices were a bit high, but I realized you get more than what you bargain for! I mean not only do they start you off with mini muffins, water and OJ but coffee/iced tea AND Bloody Mary/Strawberry Mimosa too!?!? Talk about having a nice liquid diet first thing in the morning!
I ordered the crab cake benedict and David got the SoHo omelet. We loved the food and loved the edible fruit garnish that came with the meal. The strawberry mimosa was phenomenal...I think I could have ditched the wedding we were going to and sit all day drinking the stuff! Oh and the drink menu was fun to read with pretty much all the drinks being named after presidents or current political affairs.
Service was very fast and good! I really can't say anything bad about this place! I look forward on coming back!
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Live music + open late + good food + bookstore. Best idea ever? You decide.
The concept of Afterwords cafe (if not the pun) alone deserves four stars -- a cafe with outdoor seating, plus an intriguing variety of full-meal and appetizer foods, plus an array of self-indulgent desserts, all in immediate proximity to Washington's landmark Kramerbooks bookstore. The food has always been thoroughly enjoyable; my personal favorite -- yet again for the name -- is the "Best Piece of Bass in Town," a melt-in-one's-mouth grilled fillet of bass served with greens and mashed potatoes. That, a Rogue Dead Guy ale, and the Dysfunctional Family Sundae for dessert, and you have at least three key ingredients of a cleverly advertised and well-prepared dinner, available even on a drop-in basis after an evening movie.
That said, this is a generally-packed (and popular) urban venue in the center of one of the District's most vibrant neighborhoods, and particularly when seated outdoors, is better suited to casual chatter and people-watching rather than a quiet, intimate meal.
The first time I was in DC I was enamored by this place. The thought of a bookstore open 24 hours a day with live music and food, um, what could be better?
Well, I went back on my second trip to DC only to realize it wasn't as cool as I first thought. It's only open 24 hours on the weekends, they only have live music on the weekends, and a random weeknight, Wed night the week I was there, but I was there on a Tues. I bought a book and went outside to try the food. I got the crabcake salad which was recommended by the waitress. (I couldn't decided between the 4 crabcake items on the menu.) Well, it really was less of a salad and more of an appetizer. It was around $17 and had like 3 pieces of lettuce with absolutely know dressing, like 3 little drops on the plate as a garnish. The crabcake was very good, but did not fill me up at all. I also got the pumpkin pie, which was good, but they brought it to me with a broken crust. If I'm paying $7.95 for something it should look perfect when I take my first bite. It was good and had unsweetened whipped cream which was different and some candied walnuts.
My server was good, but some of the other people I ran in to ignored me, like when I was trying to get seated. I almost think I shouldn't have come back, so I could have still held it in high regard.
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Kramerbooks doesn't have the biggest selection in the world, but that's not the point -- it has a casual, friendly atmosphere that you won't get at the big chains. Besides, how many bookstores also offer coffee, booze, and food? Great for brunch, a late-night bite, or a place to chill and browse if you have an hour or two to kill before meeting someone in the area.
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A fun place to get a late night snack and the bookstore setting maes it a good place to take out of town guests. Service is often rushed as they are typically crowded, but their menu has some decent offerings at reasonable prices. Their late night bites are a favorite and check out the dessert menu!
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You either love it or you hate it and I loved it. It didn't blow my mind, but it was definitely better than average and I don't know if it was just me being a tourist but I didn't see too many breakfast options around the Dupont metro station.
This place had omelettes galore which were of a generous size.
I really like the idea of a bookstore with a place to eat. We should have more of those.
I would go back again if I was in the neighborhood.
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Nice place to eat lunch, but quite pricey for the portion sizes you receive. I ate the cafe lobster roll sandwich which was really tasty, however small for $14. You often have to wait for a table so the adjoined bookstore is nice to have. The outdoor patio is also pleasant. If you need the bathroom, be sure to ask the waiter for a token to open it before walking up the 3 stories of stairs. ;)
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Pros:
How often can you eat a decent meal in a groovin' independent bookstore?
Food was tasty and well executed.
Nice vib and great bar.
Cons:
Service was inconsistent and on the slow side. I was by myself at a corner table and felt I was lost in the crowd at times.
Entree sat under the heat lamp a little too long...parts of the meal, although tasty, were lukewarm.
Would like to go back for just coffee and dessert and enjoy the sights and snd sounds of the crowd.
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I have never seen Kramerbooks having a sale, so if you are looking to save some green, I would buy from Amazon. However, Kramerbooks is a local bookstore if there ever was one, and I don't feel bad supporting them for this reason. They sell a very good selection of books and they manage to pack them in a daunting set of shelving that reaches up to the ceiling. Their selection (arranged by dozens of subjects) seems to be hand-picked and shows a great deal of care as to the intellectual interests of their customers.
One thing I really like about Kramerbooks is that they are open late (I think 24 hours on weekends?). I once went there at 11pm on a rainy Friday night and there were dozens of others who apparently had the same idea as I did.
There is also a cafe and bar attached. I have eaten brunch at the cafe once but I've never been to the bar. The Sunday brunch is reasonably priced for DC, but I thought the food was just OK.
The way I would sum up the Afterwords Cafe is greasy and expensive. The food was very diner style - everything felt greasy! The bloody mary we were served were probably sitting on the counter for some time cos it was really very diluted (think ice melt!) - we noticed other people leaving their bloody marys untouched when they left the table. You are much better off eating at Cafe Du Coin nearby for the amount you will have to pay at Afterwords.
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Super duper bookstore with an inclusive atmosphere. I had squash ravioli and it was extra tasty but there wasn't enough of it.
Come on! There was Kraftwerk playing when I walked in.
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Kramerbooks has:
*Books
*Booze
*Bdessert
I went here with some friends for dessert, and got their delicious carrot cake after a recommendation from the waitress. They probably could have given more for what it cost, but certainly tasted good. I also had the Irish Dream: hot coffee with Jameson's and Bailey's. It was also good, and reasonably strong. Good for dessert, at the very least.
Also, the bathrooms require tokens you get from the waitress.
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This place is good to go one time but way too expensive for brunch. I had a brie omelet which tasted pretty good but the potatoes that accompanied it were blah. The omelet was $14.75 which is pretty pricey. You are paying Dupont prices. The place does serve a complimentary strawberry mimosa which is decent.
I would rather go to Luna Grill and Dinner for breakfast which is a better value.
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You either love this place or you hate it. There's no in-between. They don't have a huge selection of books like those other bigger stores but you're more than likely to find something of interest. I've never been to Kramer Books for food other than for Sunday brunch. The Sunday brunch is pretty good and not too pricey. All items on the brunch menu come with a cocktail, coffee, juice, and some muffins. The service is usually quick. There is one guy in particular who is slow and inattentive. Stay away from him! He's the guy with the 70's porn mustache. You can't miss him. Be sure to come early if you don't want to wait for a long time. People usually leave due to the long wait so you might get your table quicker than what you were told.
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The books are great. The service ... less than great. Boyfriend and I popped in on a Sunday afternoon to grab a seat at the bar for some liquid refreshments and a pastry or two. I asked for an iced tea, Boyfriend paused a millisecond, and the bartender walked away. A little odd. There were three other people seated at the bar and two tables behind us. We thought maybe Boyfriend would get to order his drink when the bartender brought mine out ... but apparently he had some other things to do beforehand.
We watched him clean two trays of dirty glasses, grab a check from the man sitting immediately to my left, and chat with the other bartender for a few moments.
::: tick tock, tick tock :::
The bartender came back to us, stared blanky at Boyfriend who requested a cappuccino, please. The bartender turned on his heel after not saying a word and then proceeded to clean more dirty glasses.
So far, ten minutes, and no tea, no coffee, no nothing.
We waited three more minutes (I counted) before I walked up to the bartender standing idly at the espresso machine (definitely not making a cappuccino). When I told him we were leaving he only replied "Okay." Not "your drinks will be right up," not "I'm sorry," no nothing!
We're planning on going back and trying out the food sometime soon as it all sounded delicious ... but hopefully we'll be able to actually get drinks in under 15 minutes (from a BARTENDER no less, who does not have to walk more than five steps to deliver them)! My two stars are for the book selection alone ... I'll update the review if anything changes on our next visit.
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I'm a SF yelper who came here while visiting DC, and I have to ask: Why the hell does San Francisco, hipster central, not have a place like this???
This place is:
- Bookstore
- Cafe
- Bar
- Restaurant
The bookstore might not have the biggest selection (I just think we are all spoiled by Borders & BN in America), but it is no worse than most neighbourhood bookstores (Did I mention they have a kickass history books section?). The restaurant might be super-cramped, but no more cramped than any of the restaurants in the Mission district in San Francisco.
Sure, this place is like having an all-in-one printer-scanner-fax device, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Damn it, sometimes I just want my Dostoevsky with a nice piece of filet mignon, Jane Austin with a pint of Boddingtons, or Victor Hugo with my morning omelette.
Literature, alcohol, and food...The Holy Trinity ain't got shit on Kramer Books.
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I may be biased coming off of a trans-con red eye and in desperate need of coffee and breakfast but this place put out some decent food.
I had the whole wheat waffle with bacon and eggs and enjoyed every aspect of it. There was nothing to really write home about concerning the food but there was plenty of it and I managed to down a few cups of coffee which helped get me going for some sight-seeing.
The seating area is a little cramped and the delivery people kept bumping into me as our table was next to the main walkway. We were also told that as a party of two we couldn't sit at a 4 person table, so we just went and took up two 2 person tables. Our cameras need a place to sit as well.
I can't comment on the bookstore, I was too groggy to really notice anything other than food and coffee. I have priorities.
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Kramer Books is the kind of place you can get lost in for hours. Their food is pretty good but it is a little noisy. The bathrooms with tokens are a little annoying.
Okay, this is a 2.5 SOLID. But unless it's super late I really don't see why you'd be here. If you have time on your hands and don't mind waiting around for your poor, overworked server then I'd say do it. You'd be able to enjoy a leisurely meal here. If you're in a rush, say no go! That's the bad.
The good- the food here isn't bad but I'd never come here for that strictly really. They're trying to do too much and they do it...but it's just not great. The vibe is pretty cool. It's mixed with families, scenesters, and actual cool people.
The great- GOOBER PIE! Great chocolate topped, peanut butter mousse pie with graham crust. A MUST!
Go here for a date, go here to kick it and catch up with your buddies, or go here when it's late as hell and you're hungry. Especially go here if you're craving a good dessert.
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Judging by the other reviews, Kramer's isn't for everyone. But it's definitely for me.
I've never been disappointed by the food -- in fact, i've always been very surprised and delighted. The wild mushroom gnocchi, the crab penne, all soooo tasty. Just thinking about them i've almost convinced myself to go out there right now, except that it's 1am and they're closed.
The deserts are expensive (about $7), but they are _big_. My companion, a die-hard chocolate lover, ordered the double chocolate cake. It's the first time I've seen her defeated by a chocolate dish, a possibility she scoffed at just moments before the slice arrived. And she didn't even order the Death By Chocolate... good thing, because i almost had to carry her home as it was. Really the deserts are meant for two people.
Oh, yes, and there's a bookstore too.
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You absorb coolness just standing here. There are no seats.
Sometimes the music is too loud, probably to discourage you from reading the entire book while standing there. Avoid rush hours and weekend nights, it's packed.
Usually I browse here and then buy on Amazon.
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Kramerbooks is a nice place to hang out in when you want to just spend a relaxed Friday evening. The food is OK (I've had the crab quesadilla, the grilled chicken sandwich, and their red snapper, all good). Their frozen margaritas are pretty strong to me...but most of their other alcoholic beverages are too sweet for me. Never had dessert there but would definitely try. I love that I have something else to do like go through books besides standing in line to be seated. The service is just ok. I do enjoy eating in the patio area though. It is a very relaxing atmosphere out there...
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Anyone else notice the smell in Kramer Books? I've tried eating there three times and I can't even manage to stay--it smells very weird. Off putting.
Kramer's used to be the hip place to hang out back in college - now I don't make my way out to Dupont as much anymore, but have very fond memories of the Kahlua pie, which is TO DIE FOR. All of their dessert selections, in fact, are quite tempting especially when you stop by for late night snack, but Kahlua pie wins the prize, topped with whipped cream. I also like their pina coladas, which are very yummy and refreshing on a warm evening. As for their actual food, I'm not a huge fan - seems a little bit too greasy no matter what you order (like pasta that comes with a layer of oil at the bottom) and not very good portion control. Wait, what am I saying about portion control - their desserts are pretty large in portion too, so I guess what I am encouraging is indulge in one or the other.
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The food was good. I was there during a Saturday brunch, and got the "free" OJ and muffins when seated, which was nice as we looked over the menu. I ordered the Buffalo Cheese burger, rare as recommended on the menu, and it was tasty. What wasn't tasty was the pile of unseasoned/dressed greens that took us 1/4 of the plate. While the food was good, I thought it was pricey for what was received. Another downside was that the place was extremely noisy, perhaps due to the low ceilings. I would go back though for brunch again. The pies in the case looked to die for---
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Dupont Circle. It's got a little bit of everything. Except poverty. Generally.
Kramer Books is one of those great DC bookstores run by DC-type people who actually care about things like life, liberty, and the pursuit of death-by-politics. When you walk in, you get a pretty smartly arranged display of books on various political and socioeconomic topics. Hot button issues and the like. Which is fine, it just reminds you of what you're city you're in and won't let you forget it! They have everything else a bookstore needs to have to, so...good for them.
I didn't eat at Afterwords Cafe. But I did make a stop at the tiny bar stuck in between it and Kramer's. I loved it. It's really small and cozy and you can chat it up with other Dupont transients. The bar had a small but educated beer selection, include two picks from Bell's Brewery (a brewery which, by the way, can do no wrong). Anyways, they also have wine and liquor and all those good things. The bartender when I was there was this young 20-something Hawaiin type who didn't feel like you're typical bookstore or cafe employee. Also, they have live music here that I didn't get a chance to check out. But it sounds like a cool idea.
One odd note: The bathrooms are located on the 4th floor or something and you need a bizarre little token from someone at a register and you feed the lock and the door opens. It's really bizarre.
One last note: They are open late, even 24 hours I think. Awesome.
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For a bookstore cafe, Kramerbooks/Afterwords is surprisingly fancy. The menu offers an appetizing selection of gourmet salads, meats, pastas, and desserts. While I was way tempted to skip dinner and try the pie, I decided on the simply-named "noodles and mussels," and my friend tried the portabello mushroom salad which she said was good. The mussels were served in a butter-wine broth alongside noodles that were a little bit thicker than spagetti, with a ribbed texture. The flavor of the broth was tasty, and complemented the mussels very well. I did find the noodles a little bit too al dente for my taste.
I considered the menu a bit on the pricey side, especially for the casual outdoor atmosphere, with most entrees between $13-20.
The service was very friendly and prompt - our waitress was a hoot. I'd probably go back here again, hopefully for dessert next time!
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WHY does every guy in DC want to go here on a first date? I've had three first dates here, and both the food and the drinks (and the guys) were disappointing. I've had their chicken quesadilla, the lobster ravioli, and a couple of their salads, and while the food is edible, it certainly isn't that good, especially in view of the prices. For bar food, it's definitely too expensive. If I'm getting treated to dinner, I want better food than this.
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Kramer's is a nice bookstore, but it's small and always very crowded. The food is overpriced for its quality.
It's definitely a "hip" place to hang out -- I enjoy the music and the selection (which is much better than that at Books-a-Million). I will come to browse, but won't return to eat.
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Ever since I first ventured out to Dupont after moving to DC I always wanted to eat at Kramer but there has always been a long wait, so I never got the chance until tonight.
Of course, we had already eaten at Amsterdam Falafel but we decided we could just get some coffee and other drinks here. After all it does say CAFE on the door. Our wait was supposed to be ten minutes but I don't think it took nearly that long to have us seated.
When we were finally seated it was in the very back left hand corner but it wasn't really a big deal. We sat down and they gave us only dinner menus and we couldn't find the cafe menu at all.
When the waiter came by to take our drink menus my friend asked for a decaf Cappuccino (I didn't even know there was such a thing) and I got a vanilla shake.
"What else?" said the waiter with this weird, judgmental look in his eye with one eyebrow slightly raised. When we said that was it he grabbed quickly picked up the drink menu with a seeming hostility and came back none to pleased with our drinks.
I do want to come back here and try the food because it looked good, but I was also very disappointed by the service we received just for ordering drinks. Its not as if we just asked for two waters and took up their table for two hours...
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Overall great place for "input" (i.e. literature, food, music, etc.). I had breakfast on a rainy Saturday morning and did some browsing (and bought something too!).
The breakfast item prires were high and few a la carte options... but the French toast I had was out of this world. Service was very good - good mix of "how is everything" service and "I'll leave you alone" know-how.
I'd go there again when in DC next ......
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Open late. Good deserts and appetizers. Bands playing. Bar. Book store for while you're waiting.
Nothing here is really spectacular, but its aways a fun atmosphere here and I always have a great time! It's the total package that warrants the high rating.
PS it says "only beer or wine" But this place definitely has hard liqueur too. I know, I am slightly toasted from said liqueur.
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I know it's an independent bookstore but I just don't like this place. I've been in a million times because I find it impossible to walk around Dupont Circle without popping in. But the problem here is the place is too cramped, too crowded and too tired looking to be much fun to browse or sup. The coffee is lousy and the desserts are over-priced and uninspired. I once sat next to a woman in the cafe who talked to herself for the entire meal and had b.o. to boot; that was fun. Obvious the owner's here do well enough to keep it open despite the rising rents of this desirous downtown location; but