Ebenezers Coffeehouse — Restaurant in Washington

The fam and I stopped by here after a trip the Postal Museum (review to come on that for those of you who follow...aka my wife) and were really impressed. Coffee shops are a dime a dozen in the city, but good coffee shops can be pretty hard to come by.

Ebenezers was a breath of fresh air both metaphorically in the sense that it's a beautiful shop and had a really refreshing, open atmosphere, and literally because they pump the AC inside and it felt great coming in from the muggy outdoors.

The coffeehouse itself it's surprisingly spacious. On the main level there's a good amount of both indoor and outdoor seating. When we came (early afternoon) we were able to walk right up to the counter to order and had no trouble finding a spot to sit. They also have a basement seating area that had a lot of seating, but it looks like they open and close that for private events, so not sure frequently it's available. Nevertheless, it was open when we were there.

The staff was super friendly and helpful. They took our orders quickly and we were able to just sit down and wait...and wait...and wait some more. I think there was some issue with the espresso machine because the barista kept pulling shots and then smelling the coffee that came out. After doing this a couple of times he called over another employee and did the same thing with him. After a brief consultation they didn't do anything to the machine, pulled the shots for me and my wife and handed them to us.

I'm not really sure what that consultation was, but I've got to say, that little demonstration didn't give me a lot of comfort about what we would be drinking.

Nevertheless, putting that behind me, we grabbed our drinks, went outside and started sipping. Honestly, they were both great. I ordered a latte and it was wonderful, my wife ordered a lavender iced latte which was also quite nice. Maybe the barista pulling shots was just THAT exacting, who can say for sure?

All in all, this is a great spot to stop off. It's really close to Union Station, easy to walk to and a nice place to sit down and do some work. I'll be coming back and hoping the espresso machine is...

Coffee with a cause! Ebenezers is tucked away a block away from Union Station in an unassuming Capitol Hill neighborhood. I wasn't expecting too much when I decided to step in one Saturday afternoon, but once I did, I felt like I was stepping into a real-life version of Central Perk. The interior is airy and welcoming. There are lots of high top tables and upholstered chairs, as well as a communal table with about 8 seats to share. Plenty of natural light filters into the coffeehouse. Their downstairs level has additional seating, but this is also where they play live music. You can also reserve this lower level for private events.

Ebenezers is owned and operated by the National Community Church, and all profits go towards community outreach projects. Their retail coffee is all fair trade, with their main roaster being One Village Coffee.

They serve your typical coffee and espresso drinks, but I really steer towards their seasonal menu. On this menu, they've got apple cider, honey lavender latte, blackberry vanilla latte, lavender lemonade, pumpkin pie latte, marshmallow latte, pumpkin spiced chai, and so on. I had the honey lavender latte and it was very good, perfect for a fall day! If you're not a fan of any of these, they do sell bottled drinks like OJ and sodas.

Ebenezers also has a food menu, which has pastries, scones, croissants, cookies, coffee cakes, and other coffee accompaniments. They also have breakfast items like oatmeal and bagels, sandwiches like an egg and cheese, and salads.

The service is friendly and warm. For the specialty drinks, it takes a little longer to prepare but it's worth it. I love that they have stickers for you to decorate your cups....

I'm overwhelmed by the fact that I've already found more than one exceptional coffeehouse in the area. Ebenezers happens to be one of them. This coffeehouse is owned and operated by Mark Batterson's National Community Church and is located right down the street from Union Station and the SEC on F Street. Once you go inside you're greeted by a beautiful interior and professional baristas. If you come early or on the weekend before noon, it has a steady flow of customers, but does not start to become packed until later in the day when it seems that more people take their coffees to stay a while. I haven't been here in the spring or summer, but they do have outdoor seating which I can't wait to use in a few months. They have food which people seemed to like including cinnamon rolls and kolaches. For me, the coffee is the highlight. Ebenezers serves "coffee with a cause". Their main roaster is One Village Coffee, a B Corporation using certified organic and fairly traded beans. The coffee is delicious and they serve something for all tastes whether you like flavored lattes, black coffee, or the simpler espresso drinks like cortados (my favorite!). I've been told that they make a mean hot chocolate too! I love coming here to sip coffee...