Tryst — Restaurant in Washington

Tryst is ok, I've been here several times over the years as I'm nearby for work frequently. I'll definitely mention it as a spot to go if somebody asks me about coffee in the area. I do have to warn them about the service model. Over the years the quality of service and coffee/food seems to be a little less nice since I first started visiting in 2017.

Drinks are usually fine, the last time I was there about 2 months ago, I had to re-explain an order about three or four times to the person behind the counter, but he seemed new. Another staff member eventually came over and helped him. I've never had particularly quick service, but people are generally nice.

It's kind of disappointing that they are frequently out of the pastries that were in the case as you walk in. I don't usually have time for ordering in because it takes so long there, so a pastry is a great substitute when I get my coffee to go. But there are usually are only a few options left, even if it's not late in the afternoon. I think looking at so many empty slots is more disappointing than if they only kept space for a couple of cookies in the first place.

One of my gripes though, is kind of petty, but it left me with a bad taste. There's a sign telling customers that there's a 10% service fee due to Initiative 82 that definitely comes off as an antagonistic response to what is essentially a democratic decision made by DC voters. Adams Morgan is not like the National Mall where everybody there is a tourist. A lot of the folks in the neighborhood live and vote in DC, and it's very likely people eating in the establishment voted for the initiative. Why would a restaurant scold its customers?

Instead of a passive aggressive swipe at voters/customers who shape their community into the place they want to live, hospitality and service-oriented businesses could just go ahead and raise prices to increase transparency and not make the cost of doing business a political act for customers to have to try and calculate. Restaurants didn't care to tell me what percent of my bill went to employees before I-82, and ironically, if the added 10% service fee does go solely to employees (which I cannot verify) I'm happy to pay it.

Yes price increases upset customers, but making a sign and framing it so customers know that it's their own fault it's happening is such a childish way to respond to what all businesses have to contend with every day. Nobody is posting signs blaming their price increases on the Fed's refusal to lower interest rates.

I think the final reason this grinds my gears is because Tryst's restaurant group website has a whole page about the fee and I-82. It really makes it feel like the restaurant ownership is really invested in making it known how displeased they are with how their city residents wants business done. Hey, free speech and all that, but making a case of this one thing and nothing else, does create a weird psychological vibe in the mental schema that holds the...

I gave this cafe a 5-star review in the past because I had great interaction with the other employees. Although, today, what pissed me off was a white woman who is probably in her late 30s with short dark blond hair, at least 5'7-5'8 in height, skinny white woman. I barely sat down, and I wanted to work on my schoolwork after work, and I already had a long day I was on the phone with my gf Who heard everything BTW. The white woman came to me, gave me a menu, and water. I didn't want anything at the moment because I wanted to go over my school work and just settle in. She came back 5 minutes later after she eyeing me for across the bar and said, "I can get you anything?" I didn't open the menu yet to go over what I wanted at the moment so I replied, "I am alright with the water for (Right Now) She gave me RUDE!!!!! remark: "You are just going to sit in a restaurant and not order anything!?" (I am alright with the water for Right Now, what does that tell her please come to me when I'm ready to order!--- I gave her a look and said, "Just leave the menu there I will eventually!" Mind you - I’m a regular - then she walked away with a horrible attitude. Then I ordered a Chai Tea after her return and It was given to me cold like What Did I do to you, Lady? IF she is the manager here, talk about a hostile environment. I work at a cafe too, and not ONCE I would say that to a customer. I understand if they are lingering around, and you ask them 2-3 times, and if they want anything and they still say no, then, by all means, you can ask them to leave. I've been coming here for 2 months straight and spent my money here had good conversations I always said Hello to the employees that I know! I made this place my original spot to come to after work or on my weekends off. (IT LOOKS LIKE I WILL CONTINUE MY SERVICE ELSE! WHERE!) As a brown person I felt beyond discriminated considering the fact she was only NICE to the white people around me smiled to them and spoke with customers service voice and then side eyeing me and never acknowledged me once to see how is everything going only to the WHITE PEOPLE around me. Thanks Karen for ruining my regular cafe. This is why we CANT have...

Several reviews I've read lately have highlighted the confusing table service policy, which I'd like to echo in my review. I recently came here for the first time. I placed my order at the counter and stated that I wanted my coffee "for here," which the gentleman who took my order had no issue with. When I received my coffee, however, it was in a to-go cup. No big deal really. I found a free table and sat down with my coffee, which I assumed was perfectly acceptable. However, within a minute, the sole staff member who was taking table orders rudely told me that I couldn't sit at the table unless I was ordering table service. So, basically demanding that I leave even though it's clearly the establishment's fault for the confusion. I'm frankly tired of places with rude and condescending staff that nonetheless proclaim to be "inclusive" and "welcoming" spaces. Having a young white (presumably) queer staff member bluntly tell an older brown queer man to leave a table doesn't feel very inclusive to me. And this man was very unresponsive (he just sighed and stared off into space) when I asked him to clarify Tryst's table policy. Thankfully, a black staff member happened to be walking by and told me that it was no problem for me to stay. Thanks, I guess.

Tryst clearly needs to a) hire more staff. There were at least 30 people sitting at the tables inside and one person running around taking orders. b) perhaps just scrap the whole "table service or get out" policy. I paid for my damn coffee so I will sit where I please, thank you. c) train your Gen Z staff better on how to respectfully address people; Being a supposedly queer-friendly, "everyone is welcome here" space doesn't give you a pass. Notably the rude staff member was very obsequious to the white couple sitting next to me :/

Coffee was fine. And my negative experience with the service was sadly not the worst I've ever had. But it's a lesson for establishments to not take their clientele for granted. We pay good money for quality products, and it's not too much to ask to expect quality service as well. Hope Tryst takes note of these reviews and takes the appropriate steps to improve the...