kramerbooks & afterwords cafe

they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. to live up to that, my cousin told me that he had the perfect place in mind.
this place is my cousin’s favourite and after eating here, i figured out why. i started my day at kramerbooks & afterwords where i had a very delicious corned beef hash & eggs. with a bottomless brew on the side, i was content. the service here is fantastic as the staff are warm and courteous.
my breakfast (technically their brunch) came on a skillet filled with the beef along with two perfectly poached eggs on top. a small slit into the egg made it flow out into the dish and my gosh, it tasted awesome!
overall, this meal was so satisfying and filling that i had my next meal only past 11pm.
if you love reading, they have a greatbookstoreat the back and if you’re in the mood for a drink, their pub will definitely not disappoint.

love the crab pasta. it was awesome. we kind of missed it because in the front its abookstoreand in the back its a restaurant. however customer service could have been a little more up beat on the servicing time frame and new the menu more, since we were visiting washington. we would have like to know more about what's good on the menu.

service and food was awesome! we had three courses and each one was great. we came through thebookstoreside and it was so unique and different - would highly recommend!

wow. who knew this amazing little restaurant was hidden behind a books store. the food is delicious and far from your typicalbookstorecoffee shop fare. the appetizers, meals and dessert were all amazing. there is also a substantial bar menu. i highly recommend it.

affectionately referred to just as "kramers," kramerbooks and afterwords cafe feels like a national monument in dc.  first opened in 1976, afterwords cafe was the first bookstore/cafe in the country to feature cappucino, espresso, a full bar, and food. back in the day, i spent a lot of time at kramers as it was one of the few places in the late 80's that was open 24 hours on the weekends. so, we'd find ourselves at the cafe at 3 a.m. enjoying a huge entree or salad and talking until the wee hours of the morning. my days of staying up late are over, but apparently the enjoyment of kramers can continue. kramers is now hosting author talks and book signings and after attending one, i went to the bar for drinks and dinner. i ordered the catcher in the rye, which was absolutely fantastic. it was made with rittenhouse rye, orange turbinado syrup, and peychaud bitters. i might have had two, but i'm not telling. i inquired if there was anything vegan and was told there was only one entree that was vegan as-is. i ordered it and patiently waited. after about 30 minutes, i inquired about the status and it was brought to the bar soon thereafter. i ordered the cafe whole grain and veggie platter. it didn't sound exciting, but it actually was. when it arrived on the bar, chris exclaimed, "it's a thanksgiving feast!" and, right, he was. this huge platter was loaded with all kinds of good stuff. the mushroom crostini made with wild mushrooms was spectacular. in fact, everything was quite good. my favorite veggie -- broccoli rabe had been sauteed with sliced garlic and roasted red peppers. there was a black bean and corn salad, quinoa salad, grilled corn, and pan-roasted root veggie hash with sweet potatoes. it was all seasoned well and tasted delish! for $17, kramers isn't the cheapest place in the city, but i was quite happy with my meal and drinks. and who couldn't love the vibe. it's a hipbookstorethat existed before busboys and poets and continues to survive in this cutthroat

both the restaurant andbookstoreare popular at most times during the day. the restaurant gets pretty busy and the most favorable seats, outside or by the windows, fill up quickly.

a wonder of dc. this shop is really lovely & quaint. the people who work here are all friendly (shop and cafe). the store sells a ton of books i can't even find in the bigger chains and the cafe is awesome. this place is open really late at night and you wouldn't think it at first glance because it's abookstorefront but it's truly a "hidden gem" just about. the food is good at the cafe and so is the service.

novice idea.bookstoreand restaurant together is novice to me. i had maryland quesadilla with crab meat and it was ok. i had to ask the waiter for a token to be able to use the bathroom.

loved it!!!. thebookstorehas everything, and love the set up. a perfect place to wait for a table. loved the set up of tables, and the waitstaff were sweet and very patient. the food was amazing and very, very delicious. also, the fresh orange juice and pastries were perfect! can't wait to come back!!! thank you!

good food, great books.... this restaurant viabookstorenailed it...i love spending a rainy day in this dupont hideaway! a washington must

best place to read, eat, and drink any time. this place is a staple in nw dc. the food and drink are tasty, they're open later than most places, and they are abookstoreas well. if it were possible to live in this place i would. whenever i visit dc this is a spot i try to go back to.

so we went to abookstorein search of pie. seriously. kramerbooks is a wonderful independentbookstorein dupont circle. it has a wide variety of books, good customer service, and, as we recently learned, great pie! kramer's has a cool little cafe at the

"not quite what i've been looking for"

i wanted to enjoy kramerbooks, i really did. i can appreciate the bookstore-cum-cafe concept, but i don't like how it was executed here. while thebookstoreis fun to browse, i've found the cafe to be cramped and impersonal, a situation which could probably be remedied by the purchase of some new furniture. next time i'm in town, i'll take a peek and give kramerbooks another chance to wow me.