Sidamo Coffee and Tea — Restaurant in Washington

I went to Sidamo around noon today with the plan of doing a couple hours of work on my laptop. I have been to the coffee and tea shop a couple of times before but always on a weekday. After I ordered, I sat down at one of the many empty tables and pulled out my laptop. I barely had time to open my web browser before the owner came over to me and said he would allow me to stay for 1 hr and then I had to leave. He went on to say that on the weekends he does not allow people to do work there because " you spend $5 and then are here all day. If 8 of you come and use each of the tables then I make what $50, can I pay my light bill with $50?" Both his math and customer service skills are off. I told him ok and went to the counter to retrieve the pastry I ordered. He followed me over to say that I needed to wrap up what I was doing and if I wanted, I could go to the backyard area and work from one of the tables there. He emphasized that I had already used up 15 minutes of the 1 hr he had allotted me so I needed to move quickly. I collected my pastry, packed up and left. To stay would have been interpreted as consent for how I was spoken to and treated. I understand running a small business is hard but if there are constant issues such as people working on their laptops during the weekend and taking up space, then he could implement simple solutions such as signage on the tables and other visible areas that let customers know that you can't do work there on the weekends and there are time limits for the tables. He lacks effective communication skills which I believe is critical to running a business. I am also disappointed by this experience because I was hoping to introduce family and friends to it when they visit the area. 0/10, would...

I wanted to like this place a lot more than I actually did! The latte I got was decent but it seemed like the milk was scalded unfortunately. Hopefully the barista was just having an off day. I was interested in a bag of their Ethiopian coffee beans however I didn’t see a roast date on any of the bags, and the staff were too busy to bother about that. Also, I’m not sure why “cappuccino/latte” are considered the same thing on the menu. Both are offered in small and large for the exact same price, but really those should be two differently-prepared drinks of two different sizes, as is the standard in the majority of other coffee shops.

In terms of interior layout I think there’s room for improvement. The shop is really small and has often-occupied tables lining the walls, so there’s basically nowhere to stand unless you’re in line to order. Confusingly they put a big table with two chairs RIGHT in front of the barista handoff plane, so while you’re waiting for your drink you’re forced to either block the ordering line, the door to the restroom, or the area containing lids/napkins/sugar/etc. Be prepared for lots of “excuse me”s and “pardon me”s while you and others navigate the space.

I do want to come back and try the Ethiopian coffee pot (I believe the price was a reasonable $12.90, with enough coffee for 1-3 people) and some of the food, but I won’t be making this my daily coffee shop. In my opinion, better espresso drink options in the immediate area include Wydown, Maketto, Ebenezers, and Union...

A delightful gem! Popped into this coffee shop one morning to grab some food and do a little work, and had a really lovely experience! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked in—it has a homey, lived-in feel to it (unlike a lot of other places nowadays, especially in DC, that try to curate an “aesthetic” and offer “trendy” things). Instead, Sidamo is an un-fancy cafe serving up simple items at a high quality. I got a sausage/egg/cheese bagel, there was nothing special about it, but it was seriously so good! And for my drink, I went with the “Morning Chai”, which is basically just a dirty chai, and WOW! I’m so glad I chose this! It blows every other chai I’ve had out of the water. A bonus was that the barista had such a kind and calming demeanor :) and the shop was playing some slow and soothing jazz music (not sure if they always play this, but it really fit the vibe of a rainy morning 👌)

For anyone looking to do work from there, the vibe is great, but note that the cafe itself is small so there’s limited seating. But they do offer free WiFi!

Definitely give...