Politics & Prose

12/9/2017

I'm proud to frequent this local business. The bookstore is very organized, the staff is very friendly, and they're happy to order a book for you if they don't happen to have what you're looking for in their extensive selection. They also have a wide selection of fun and witty cards for pretty much any occasion you could think of, and they're switched out for brand new ones every couple of weeks or so. I'm not sure how relevant this really is, but I also adore how the bookstore very blatantly adores Obama and Hillary Clinton, haha.

Downstairs they have the cafe known as The Den. The lattes are delicious and very Instagrammable (lol). They have delicious soups, sandwiches, and bowls. My personal favorite thing to eat there is the salmon toast with the whipped cream cheese, mustard seeds, and fresh dill *drool*. They have a ton of seating, despite inhabiting a smaller space than the bookstore; even when the cafe is packed during their busy hours, you can usually find a seat within a couple of minutes. I've always had very positive and friendly experiences with their attentive staff, and the food and drink is consistently high quality.

Both the bookstore and the cafe have a ton of really cool events. I personally love going to the open mic nights on the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to become members and keep up with their email newsletter so you can keep up to date with their events and member sales.

I'm moving across the country in a few days, and this is one of the places in D.C. that I'm going to miss the most. When I travel back to the area to visit, I'll definitely be sure to drop by Politics & Prose/The Den again :)

2/20/2018

Politics and Prose - how you made me spend that $$$.

I didn't honestly expect much from this location, it seemed a little more focused on their author events and from what I read, it seemed like an independent bookseller in a fancy part of town, so serving those fancy folks.

I was fully intending not to buy anything - but just glancing at their sale selection made me pretty psyched about what I could find here. It was very well organized and really well stocked. Prices were also more than fair. I was in general impressed by the selection here, the space is beautiful as well - just jam packed with books.

The coffee shop, that I will honestly say is just okay. The menu is limited, and while the Salvadoran corn cake was delicious, the coffee I had was just okay. That being said, I can definitely understand why people squat here for the day and read / work.

I would definitely find myself going back here. The folks who work here are also pretty helpful from my experience.

1/20/2018

This place is as authentic as they come. What sets it apart is the variety of authors that come by to talk at P&P. I do have to say, as one of the rare species of non-political people in DC, it would be nice to see more non- Political authors come to visit.

They have a calendar that you can check out on their website that lists the upcoming authors. Prices of books are reasonable, like market prices.

As to the cafe, I haven't had much, but their coffee is decent.

12/1/2017

I dig it. Charming neighborhood bookstore in a block of other small businesses.

They have a coffee shop downstairs with lots of seating.

4/13/2017

• 1 check-in

Great bookstore! Our family spent over an hour here on a recent spring break trip to D.C. Proved to be a great rainy day stop. Huge selection of books and a ton of clearance/sale shelves also.

The coffee shop was also worth stopping for. Delicious!

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• See all photos from Jason W. for Politics & Prose

7/4/2017

This is such a conundrum! On one hand, the bookstore deserves five stars with great events, deals and books, and staff! On the other hand, "The Den" deserves two stars at best all deserved to the food and not the pretentious staff.

I've been here a couple of times and each time they've been so unwelcoming and almost abashed that I would come and interrupt their time at work. I'm not reaching for the stars, and I know people can be self important and forget their manners to our service industries, but please rise above that.

Don't give in to the lack of "thank yous" and "hellos". Don't comment on the fact that people come in fifteen minutes before you're closed or act like people cannot get a coffee to stay two hours before you're suppose to close. Use the upstairs as your example and provide better service.

For the food and drinks, it's an overpriced but good latte and a good well priced Italian Cuban that I got today.

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  Italian Cuban Sandwich (missing one bite... by me)

  Italian Cuban Sandwich (missing one bite... by me)

10/25/2016

• 1 check-in

• Listed in Tea & Coffee, Sweet Tooth

I was cat sitting in the neighborhood, and searched Yelp for any low key coffee house genre places. This place popped up on my radar, and it sounded familiar. I was told I needed to try their pie fries, so off we went.

It sounds familiar because it's related to Busboys and Poets. I practically lived at Busboys during one of my semesters of grad school, so it clicked. The bookstore is upstairs, and downstairs you'll find the cafe. It's a small space, so on weekends they disable the wifi and encourage people to share tables.

I had the butternut squash soup, a green tea latte, and of course, the pie fries. All of it was delicious. The pie fries come with two types of dipping sauce; the key is to have both on the same fry.

I love the little knick knacks available near the register. I bought a hilarious crazy cat lady coloring book :)

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  Latte, matcha latte, pumpkin chilli with butternut squash, pie fries.

  Latte, matcha latte, pumpkin chilli with butternut squash, pie fries.

12/5/2017 Updated review

Great book store, but with dirty filthy bathrooms that need cleaning daily.

The DC health department would close this business down if they saw how disgusting the restrooms were/are.

12/8/2017

Although I've been loyal to pp for many years, I'm writing to publicly suggest that they reverse their refusal to honor customer loyalty coupons at their own offsite author events. Makes me want to support amazon instead of indie bookstore.

My car was also hit in back parking lot during pp trivia night, didn't feel like owners cared.

10/15/2017

This is one of my top favorite places in DC (and I've lived here for a dozen years). It's an independent store you'll want to support. I may look up a book on Amazon, but then go here to purchase it. Staff is incredibly well-read, and can always make a recommendation.

Big authors come here to do readings. Sometimes, the author is Hillary Clinton and sometimes, a local DC author publishing their first book. Check their website to see who is coming; there's readers almost every day.

Other bonuses:
-their $20 membership pays for itself in benefits and 10% store credit.
-they have classes for babies through preteens downstairs.
-the cafe downstairs, the den, is a hidden gem with great coffee, wine/beer, rice bowls, toasts, and pastries. Plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans.

8/14/2016

Today I was fortunate to waltz into this place in search of a tasty sandwich. Downstairs is the café and eatery. Patrons were minding their own business on their laptops enjoying a sip of coffee and such, or talking amongst themselves.

At the bar stood Alyssa the barista. Not familiar with their menu as this would be the first time that I ever eat here, I asked her if they serve sandwiches. Yes! She exclaimed, directing me to their sandwich menu. Telling her that I was very hungry, I asked what she recommended. Her response couldn't have been more perfect: either the egg salad sandwich or the Mediterranean tuna. I selected "B" and was so glad I did. It was not your typical mayonnaise-y tuna salad, but instead a lemon based mixture with tomatoes, basil and olives.

In addition to this, I was in my daily afternoon coffee mood so I ordered an iced mocha, and Alyssa made it with great success, and excellence! It was semi-sweet just how I like it, with the perfect balance of chocolate, espresso shots, breve (I custom-ordered it this way) and of course ice. This auspicious meal together with a chocolate coconut bar and a box of water gave me the necessary boost to power through my last job of the day.

Thank you Alyssa!

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  My iced mocha

  My iced mocha
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  My Mediterranean tuna salad sandwich

  My Mediterranean tuna salad sandwich
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  The menu

  The menu
• See all photos from Ven S. for Politics & Prose

1/3/2017

Politics and Prose is a solid classic.

It's super clean, organized and has an excellent selection of books that you can't always find everywhere else. They carry both new and used. Two stories of glorious books!

They also have great events, book clubs and member deals. They support a lot of local events, organizations and authors which is a plus.

I've never actually had their coffee or food, just tea. But their menu does look delightful. They seemed to have a generous amount of vegetarian options.

DC classic.

1/17/2018

The coffee here is great and the skillful millennial baristas are very cool. I love spending my hard-earned American money here

8/28/2017

Fabulous place to hang out, learn from some of the most fascinating authors and individuals, and buy wonderful books and quirky knick-knacks. It's great because it has a fair selection and is organized wonderfully inside, with knowlegeable people. The store itself has such character and is great for anytime especially rainy days. They get really famous speakers and not so famous fascinating ones all the same.

Although I miss the old coffeehouse: Modern Times Coffeehouse, the new Den is Trendy and coffee just as good. (high quality specialty coffee), and the sandwiches are quite nice, but change on the menu  a little to much for my liking. I get a favorite and then it disappears! Sitll nice for sitting and cold and hot drinks. Great staff.

12/1/2017

Favorite bookstore in DC!!! I have a been a DC area resident for over 10 years and this is one of my absolute favorite places to go to. The store is an independent bookstore and has a great, cozy atmosphere. They also have a coffee shop with seating and hold regular events there (book clubs, book signings, speakers, etc). Great place for both DC residents and visitors!

12/23/2016

An important DC spot in Chevy Chase. Great book selection and cafe, they also host authors for special events. Weekends are hectic, but luckily there is parking behind the store.

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  sign outside the bookstore, december 2016.

  sign outside the bookstore, december 2016.

8/13/2017

Really awesome bookstore with decent coffee shop. Had a few beers at "the den" while there was a rainstorm outside. Atmosphere was okay. One part of the coffee shop was sectioned off due to a leak. The bookstore itself has a great selection.

11/6/2017

Overall, this bookstore has a pleasant atmosphere, although it can be exceptionally crowded at particular event times. Parking can be difficult. The cafe itself -- known as "The Den" -- is more akin to a small New England morning diner than a more relaxed Western or Southern coffeehouse. The cafe food is from local bakeries and quite tasty, especially the brownies and crème brûlée.

The staff tends to be a bit curt and superior while the habitués are often conservatively attired in sweaters and slacks. Expect to be appropriately judged by any onlookers if you happen to be reading a less-than-stellar work of fiction while eating.

7/1/2017

One of the best bookstores in DC -- really great selections for a journalist-litteraire like moi.

Cozy cafe downstairs.

They also host some really superb writers, so make sure to check-out their events page.

Downside: cafe will scrape your pockets of lint and lucre... and to that point, the bookstore itself doesn't really have an initiative for supporting students and/or low-budget consumers. I would have hoped for more from this place.

1/24/2017

This is a review for "The Den" Cafe inside the bookstore.
Ah, where to begin? The staff were astonishingly rude, they charges 8 dollars for a tiny tiny bowl of "Red and White Quinoa" which they sell as "Lunch" and it was hardly a
"Side dish" ...the bowl is so tiny that you feel seriously? Am I an idiot or what?! and it was not even tasty! bunch of Arugula, a teaspoon of cooked quinoa, 3 tiny slices of squash and 2 or 3 pecans! That's it! The cappuccino was also lukewarm and blah! Gosh...it was such a bad experience. Nope! Never again!