The Village Cafe

This place serve a delicious black coffee to my taste. They have small seating area but it is worth it. This Sunday, I came a cross a sweet girl selling cakes as part of the Sunday Market. I wish I had a space in my stomach, to indulge in her mini cakes. Check her out at Instagram (@heysweetscakery) or grab a coffee from The Village and enjoy the delicacy.

Truly the best breakfast sandwich I've ever had. All handmade, with fresh ingredients! It was worth the wait - and while you're waiting, head over to Politics and Prose which is connected to the cafe!

Matcha Lavender Latte, Seed Toast (added egg) and Village AM Sandwich. Everything was amazing!! Very healthy and delicious. Limited seating, so get here early.

This food is packed full of flavor in every bite. This stuff is the most flavorful avocado toast I have ever had, EVER. Plus, the breakfast sandwich wasn’t light on flavor either. The beat iced latte was super adventurous and delicious too.

Super cool little cafe < 5 minute walk from Union Market. My fiancee said it was the "best pumpkin spice chai I've ever had". They used real pumpkin in it! I'm not a coffee drinker but got a delicious watermelon drink. AND they are adjoined to Politics and Prose!! Win-win-win.

Love this place! My favorite coffee shop and events space in Union market. The lavender honey latte is amazing, haven’t seen it on many menus in other coffee shops so the Village is my go to.

Literally the best vanilla bean latte I’ve had. Great vibes and customer service. Came on the weekend, loved the vendors and shops. 10/10, highly recommend. Bonus: it’s black owned!

These young men opened up a great cafe.. I pop in every once in a while and the food and drinks are always great as well as the service. Pictured are the hummus & veggie wrap and the smoked salmon avocado bread. Both really good 👌🏽

I've walked past this place a few times but it's usually closed whenever I have time to try it, but today the stars aligned!! The cafe is cute with a few small tables opening into other businesses and working spaces. I ordered a dirty chai and seed toast. The dirty chai was a bit sweet for my liking but overall pretty tasty. The seed toast was amazing, it's basically avocado toast, with tomatoes and seasoning. I felt like they ran to the farmers market and got some fresh ingredients that day it was so yummy!! The kale and pickled onions on top were perfection. There was one barista and wait time was appropriate. She was super nice and helpful. They have a variety of drinks so everyone should be able to find something to their liking. Also did I mention that this spot is black owned and conveniently located?! All in all check it out and thank me later.

I finally made it over to the Village Cafe. It is a small coffee shop connected to two other businesses with one being a bookstore. The guy behind the counter was very friendly and provided me with helpful information regarding the store and the surrounding area. I ordered the Cortado with almond milk and, I must say, it was one of the best cortados that I have had. I look forward to going back.

Stopped by here on a Sunday morning for a no-fuss breakfast in the area. Tucked away in a row outside of Union Market, this spot still had plenty people stopping by, though not many tables inside. Thankfully a couple people left, so was able to snag some seating towards the back after placing an order. Decided on the Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($10.50), to go along with a Latte ($4ish). Drink is ready after about 10 minutes, though was given iced, instead of regular, which they corrected after a few more minutes. Fairly strong coffee without any need for sugar. Sandwich comes out next, a toasted bun stuffed with a chicken breast patty, aioli, pickles, tomatoes, and greens. Disappointed in the chicken in particular, as it was a basic frozen chicken patty, not the crispy breast I was expecting. Otherwise, the bun is fantastic, as well as the tangy aioli on top. Overall the spot itself is interesting, as they have vendors selling multiple products while you're waiting for food, and some artwork displayed as well. Would prefer a non-chicken item next time.

I love the village!! Super small and cozy coffee shop. It's a tight squeeze but enough room to work if you get there at a good time ( there are only about three tables). While I like their coffee, I love their rooibos tea! Also, their village sandwich is delicious!! The chipotle aioli really makes it pop. I've loved it each time I go. They're also right next to a cute independent bookstore. Such a cute little area. You won't be disappointed!

HOLY PUMPKIN PIE CHAI! I am a total chai snob and this drink totally wowed me. They put actual pumpkin in the drink, giving it an earthier flavor than you get with many chai lattes. The spices really complemented each other. They don't have a ton of seating, but there appears to be an event space in back that they might open up for seating sometimes (when I was there an event was going on). It's in a super charming area, so you could totally wander around with your coffee. I will be back for this pumpkin chai before the season is up!!!

Sooo was looking for a coffee spot and found this whole in the wall. Barista very solemn. Didn't smile at all. In fact I met nicer people I'm jail..seriously. Barely could hear him. Atmosphere is weird. Very quiet. Tok quiet. Sometime that works, but it drew from an already weird atmosphere. Coffee was quick but burnt beans... wow. Not the baristas fault but yea.. Overall I won't come back. Haven't even gotten to the food yet.. no need at this point.

Cool spot, stopped in over the weekend and got an iced latte which was perfect (and not overly sweet), as well as a drip coffee which was also very good. Spaces to sit inside and benches out as well.

Finally made it to Union Market to try The Village Cafe last weekend, and I am so glad I did. We grabbed a couple lattes-- vanilla bean, and date (!!)-- to go, and I am serious when I say these were some of the best lattes I've had in DC. Not too sweet, the flavors are subtle and compliment the coffee. Just, wow. I'm really hoping to try some of their food options next time-- I see you bacon, egg, and cheese with truffle gouda and apricot jam. And not to mention avocado toast :) I'd also recommend stopping in Sunday morning after 9 for their Neighbors Pop-up where you can shop small, local brands which are primarily black-owned. We snagged a couple DELISH cookies from Enica's Essentials, one of the businesses at the pop-up when we were there.

(4.5) I visited The Village Cafe without knowing what to expect, only knowing that some of DC's own, young entrepreneurs had hit the scene. I like cafes and like seeing what vibe they have to offer, so I paid a visit ASAP, especially to support the DC brethren. Nice set up, but wasn't sure if it was the bookstore's coffee shop or not. The small-ish menu didn't give me much to work with, but I just ordered because I had to veni-vidi-vici. Caramel latte, apple fritter (look! they support and sale goods from local businesses!) turkey classic sandwich and hot chocolates for my group. I sipped my latte-- perfection! I'm usually looking for some gourmet, eccentric concoction, but the fact that I didn't have to add sugar or suck my jaw because of bitterness from the espresso made my heart flutter. The fritter was a fritter, but good and was huuuge. I didn't taste the hot chocolate, but I did taste the turkey sandwich, which I will be honest and say I wasn't excited to order; it didn't sound exciting (aka gourmet and eccentric, lol). It was so good! I didn't see them carving the turkey, but I want to order this on Thanksgiving and reject the family turkey... "I'm good love, enjoy." I've been trying to get back there for the sandwich. I didn't see them on UberEats. I can't wait for the cafe to establish it's own vibe. It seems to have some cool things in store from what I read. Inside there were about 4 chairs. The cafe is pretty much their station and register. You grab and go. We were hoping to sit and enjoy our goods instead of in the car. Hopefully, they'll have their merch for sale soon. I did get a free sticker that I put in my planner :)

The Village Cafe is a small coffee shop/cafe in the Union Market District right next to Politics and Prose. Three guys from Wards 7 + 8 with a passion for DC started it as a cafe/event space/coffee shop. They source many of their ingredients from east of the river like greens from DC Urban Greens and coffee from woman owned Southeastern Roastery. They sell pastries, coffee, snacks and sandwiches for lunch and are open until 10pm Tuesday-Saturday. There aren't any tables, but a few chairs sprinkle through the cafe. WiFi is strong and the owners are awesome. Also, my latte was really good!

Great food and service. Breakfast sandwiches and lattes beat the major chains with no competition in my book. Proud to support this local, black-owned business!

The Village Cafe is connected to Politics and Prose (bookstore) and the whole thing is great. The owners/employees at the Cafe are friendly and the drinks and food are delicious. I hope that the food menu expands at some point, but I'm not complaining. I'd recommend the avocado toast with fresh tomatoes and basil. It's a yummy twist on "regular avocado toast" as silly as that sounds. My husband enjoyed the pumpkin chai tea latte, and the coffee, which is sourced from a local place. There are not tables to eat at, but there are a few chairs and a small side table. We got there right when they opened and grabbed those two seats. More seating would be nice, but the openness of the place is also nice! We'll be back. Thanks for coming to the neighborhood, Village Cafe!

I can't believeeeee I forgot to review this place sooner, because I love it!!! All I'm going to say is .... salmon avocado toast. Get it, and thank me later. It's seasoned so nicely, and is the perfect portion. I've probably had this about 5 times, and I'm still not over it! I've also had their paninis and love them! The mochas here are also yummy. The cafe/coffee shop is small, but has about 5 tables! The music is GREAT! Not super loud, and it's connected to a politics and prose! What stood out to me was the men that own/run this awesome place. Such warm personalities. They took the time to tell us the story about this coffee shop and what they intend to do in the future. This place will always be a fave of mine! Again....get the salmon avocado toast!!

This place had a great vibe and we were looking forward to the gluten free waffles! Did not disappoint in the slightest! This was delicious and nice to find a gf friendly place in dc! I will be back :)

Always worth every penny. The food/drinks/customer service is great, and they provide a place for other small local businesses to thrive too. Can't wait til they expand to ward 7/8. #blackowned #smallbusiness #dcnatives

Absolutely love this cafe! The coffee and food is amazing! Perfect way to start your Saturday mornings!

The Village has great coffee, a cool space, a relaxed atmosphere and good music. All around great place to visit when you're in or around Union Market. Sometimes it takes a while for the orders to finish, but this is a small business so patience is key. But the staff is really nice and take their time to make sure your order is right. I ordered a french vanilla bean latte with oat milk and yum yum yum!

The Village has excellent drinks and fabulous staff. My wife had the beet latte (iced) and said it was just right - not too sweet, great balance of flavors and very refreshing. I had the regular iced coffee - fantastic. Again, good quality beans, great extraction...excellent attention to the basics. We also had their breakfast sandwich. I'm from North Jersey...so I'm pretty picky with deli breakfast sandwiches. These guys blew me away. Interesting flavor combination, fantastic execution. Couldn't be happier and will be returning regularly.

The Village Cafe is my new favorite coffee shop! I generally don't like to share my favorite places to cozy up with coffee and my books, but this place is too wonderful to keep to myself(and I doubt it'll take long for others to find this gem)! The owners are great and have a wonderful vision behind the cafe, the coffee is smooth and delicious, and they have an assortment of tasty-looking treats (luckily I managed not to over-indulge!). It's connected to Politics and Prose, which is such a bonus. The location couldn't get any better-it's right outside of Union Market. After leaving the cafe, I took a walk to enjoy some of the other goodies nearby.

Since I work remotely a lot, I'm always looking for new coffee shops/cafes where I can hang out. This new spot came highly recommended from a friend, so I was excited to check it out. Regarding the space, it's intimate but doesn't feel cramped. I especially like how it opens up to the bookstore next door. It was later in the day and even though I wanted a coffee, I knew I didn't need the caffeine and ordered the herbal rooibis tea. Usually when I order tea out it's fine, but this was really, really delicious. Also, the food menu looks simple and yummy, so I'll check that out next time. Great addition to the area!

Their white chocolate mint mocha is what has me coming back for a $7 drink (with oat milk). WORTH every penny!

Gluten free Washingtonians rejoice! The Village Cafe just reopened for the first time since COVID temporarily shut them down in March and they have a newly revamped menu to boot! I'm a Celiac so I was happy to know they have a GF waffle (pictured) on their breakfast/all-day menu and a GF barbecue chicken pizza on their lunch menu. I still haven't tried the pizza but I visited today to order the waffle and an iced cacao latte (their twist on a mocha) with oat milk and both were exceptional! The staff could not have been friendlier. They are taking every necessary precaution - both to keep patrons safe from COVID and to help Celiacs avoid cross contamination - and have even set up some outdoor seating. I noticed they also had several vegan options. Please give this great, Black-owned and gluten-free-friendly small business a visit!

Great coffee! Hot mocha was delicious with a great tasting mocha sauce. Usually, you can get a pretty bad tasting mocha because of the sauce, but whatever is done at The Village Cafe is the best way to do it. Great ambiance too!

TLDR: Amazing food and the overall vibe and service knock it out of the park! Food: Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast is FIRE The salmon is flavorful, the avocado is fresh, and the seasoned tomatoes take it to a whole new level Drink: Iced Chai Latte is delicious It's a little hard to mess this up, but I got it with almond milk and it was delightful Vibe: Perfect! The music is just right, the bookstore gives you something to browse through or buy from which adds to the overall experience. The people assisting you aren't rushing you to order and they're helpful with navigating the menu and your dietary needs. I'll definitely return

Connected to the politics and prose bookstore, with a nice selection of coffee and amazing breakfast sandwiches.

Good place but very slow! He washed his knife 10 times while making my toast Tooooo slow!

The chai latte was superb, a great way to start off a snowy Sunday. I would highly recommend.

Maybe this place is very different when dining in (although the third most recent review makes that seem not the case), but ordering delivery this place is very unreliable. First time they cancelled the order, and the second they forgot one sandwich and didn't put requested avocado on the second. And they don't pick up the phone when you call to try and make it right.

The Village Breakfast sandwich is must have! This was my first time here and I'll definitely will be coming back when I visit DC. The Vanilla Latte was so good too!!!!

Now, let me preface this review by saying that I am a former employee of Au Bon Pain out of Boston, Mass. I started working part time after my 2 youngest children went to PreK and Kindergarten. I started as a gofer and worked my way up to cashier and then the summer came and I had to become a teacher again but as fate would have it, I returned in 2002 and learned the business from hostess to Associate Manager of The White House store. So I know coffee and tea as well as knowing how to bake so I'm going to try this place that I never heard of based on the menu and I'll let ya'll know what I think.

I ordered the waffle breakfast sandwich with turkey bacon and drove down to the store to pick it up. There were a man and woman working there who I assumed to be the owners who were friendly and gave me my food promptly so I was in and out in less than a minute. It was so deliciously prepared, the waffle fluffy and light, the egg nicely crusted with salt and pepper and served with preserves and syrup on the side. Every time I took a bite I would look at it and tell it I loved it. I've never had that kind of experience with food before but I will for sure be again.

I really love and appreciate this cafe. The owners give wonderful service - kind, professional, and communicative if busy and a bit of extra time is needed. If there's a wait it's always worth it because the food and drinks are phenomenal! I've tried their mint lemonades, am bowl and sandwich, and beet latte and highly recommend them all! Bonus points for being black owned!! Village Cafe has a loyal customer and fan for sure !

The quality of their food and coffee is great. Everything I've had is delicious and made from quality ingredients. However, service is slowwwwww, and the food often comes out cold. If you're in a hurry, find a Starbucks!

Prepared with care and very delicious. Also they play good music :) coffee was great. The line was short and my food was ready in minutes. Next door to a great bookstore

I've had coffee from some amazing places and countries, but The Village Cafe is top notch! I love that it's a Black Owned-Operated establishment. I took one sip of my caramel latte with oat milk and quite literally froze. The flavor was well balanced; it was as if I had eaten a freshly made caramel candy. The staff is small and kind, so be patient. Your tastebuds will dance in glee as a reward. Can't wait to return, and I'm telling everyone!

I stopped in for a quick coffee fix, and glad I did. The display case was full of distracting goodies, but I decided to be virtuous and ordered an avocado toast and a latte. Standing around chatting with the other clientele and the shop owners was very pleasant and friendly. The toast was delicious - very slightly spicy avocado and ripe, tasty tomatoes. Definitely a great breakfast treat. As you may be able to tell from some of my previous reviews, I am very picky about coffee, especially if I'm going to spring the extra bucks for a specialty brew. This met my expectations - both for flavor and strength. I was also pleased to learn that the coffee is supplied by a woman locally owned business. I look forward to a return visit.

Came back a second time because the coffee is good, better than all the chain coffee shops around. Coffee was excellent! Pastry was nice! But what really set it off for me was Rare Essence playing on the sound system. Felt like I was in DC. Which, as a native Washingtonian is pretty hard to come by these days! I like the feel if this place!

I really wanted to like it but it wasn't for me. The coffee came from an urn and was fairly meh. I don't know what the deal was with the service, there was a older dude working the register who was totally out of it. The sink was overflowing, and when I asked for the coffee in a ceramic cup he was totally confused about the concept and he didn't know where clean mugs were. The location is kind of weird too, they share a bunch of door-way style space with the bookstore next door. There is a ton of foot traffic in the back of the space. I don't know if it's a condo or what. I'll try them again sometime, but there's too many better coffee options in the immediate area.

i went here for the gluten free chicken and waffles, but they dont sell that anymore. i got a date latte which ende up being $7.70. it was fine, but i probably wouldn't have known it was a date latte or anything special without knowing

Local never tasted so good! Read about this coffee shop and have stopped by several times now. It's my go-to coffee spot in the Union Market area and you should make it yours too! It's adjacent to the Politics & Prose and doesn't occupy a large space, so don't expect to hunker down with a group or to do work. Those apple fritters are also a great excuse to visit, but share them with a friend so you don't feel guilty (I didn't say anything about splitting it evenly folks). I'll be be back again and make sure to point every this way ^_^

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this cafe. They make one of the best dirty chai's I've ever had in my life! I always get a 16oz dirty chai with oat milk and I keep going back for more. I asked if they would be making a reward card of some sort, and I was told it was in the works. Service is always incredibly friendly and fast. And they always play the best music! Take my money - The Village is where it's at.

My first visit to The Village Cafe was a stop for coffee. Had the Vanilla Bean Latte. I definitely think it's one of the best in the city! Delicious! I got there too late for the AM menu but I will be back to try one of the AM sandwiches.

Fantastic Service and Great Food, Finer Coffee, Specialty Lattes, Locally Sourced. Team of Young, Urban Staff are making a difference in the community. Spread the Word. It Takes a Village! Located next door to Politics and Prose Bookstore. Buy a Drink and Read a book and Grow the Village. :)

I got a caramel latte with oat milk- it was probably the best latte that I've ever had. The Village AM Sandwich was also delicious. Maybe best of all owners/staff were incredibly friendly- I can't wait to go back and can't recommend this place highly enough.

After a long day of walking through museums we stopped at the Union Market and had some wonderful food. I wanted to end the day with an espresso. I ordered a double espresso and received maybe an ounce of the most bitter coffee I have ever tasted. I first noticed the issue when the cup had barely an ounce of coffee with almost no crema. I was then mansplained that an ounce of coffee is the correct way to make a double espresso and the caffeine is the same. I have been drinking and making espressos for 30 years, and that was one of the worst espressos I have ever had. The barista should head over to Blue Bottle and learn how to make a proper espresso and also learn how not to be so condescending. Too bad Blue Bottle was closed at the time. I would have dumped the coffee in the trash and walked across the street.

Best cafe in the area bar none. A community building mecca in the heart of the capital delivering culture alongside your favorite sandwich and a house drip

My all time favorite place in Union Market. I am so happy they opened back up because I have never enjoyed a cup of coffee as much as I do theirs. I have been coming here since last year, and the employees and owners are so so friendly and warm. They have created such a welcoming, friendly environment and serve the BEST coffee I have had. I've tried a couple of their food items as well, and loved every bite. I 100% recommend checking them out, I have tried all the coffee in the area and keep coming back to The Village Cafe.

Really nice space inside. They've put in the work to generate a relaxed, low-key, refined atmosphere, and it really shows. Their coffee and food is amazing as well. 10/10 recommend for a relaxed breakfast or lunch.

Had high hopes for this place, but after trying their coffees a couple of times, they all have been pretty disappointing. Cute place, but would not return there for the caffeine fix.

Gravitated towards The Village after reading about its back story as one of the rare black AND native Washingtonian owned coffee shops. I was instantly excited about its opening and its potential. However, in terms of my experience I have found the coffee and food mediocre. At the same time, The Village has the best coffee, after Blue Bottle, in the Union Market area. I have mainly ordered the chai or dirty chai iced latte with Almond milk, which is a hit or miss depending on who's making it. When it is a miss, I am always regretting the almost $6 I paid. When it comes to the food, I have had their Turkey BLT sandwich and I wasn't impressed. It was pretty dry and not as flavorful, the cookie that came with the lunch was it's only saving grace. In terms of the cafe environment, it has a pretty nice ambiance where you can do light work or have a coffee meeting. The space is pretty clean and also gives off this minimalist slash creatives gathering spot vibe. I also like the fact that it's connected to the Politics & Prose bookshop, with a direct opening, so you can quickly go to the other side and back for a book to read while you eat and drink. The owner and the baristas are nice, I just wish the drinks were consistent in terms of quality.