October 15, 2022 – October 22, 2022

Join us at Busboys and Poets for Cuba Week 2022 as we celebrate the food, art, and culture of Cuba!

Come and experience the authentic taste of Cuba at Busboys and Poets! We’ve partnered with the Embassy of Cuba’s head chef to bring you four very special dishes for a limited time.


Saturday, October 15, 2022

5 PM @ All Locations* | Kick off Cuba week with dinner & drinks at Busboys and Poets!
Special pop-up performances by the DC Casineros at Busboys and Poets 14th & V


Sunday, October 16, 2022

4 PM @ 14th & V: A.C.T.O.R. presents The Evolving Revolution: Ensuring Human Rights And The Spirit Of Democracy In Cuba


Monday, October 17, 2022

8 PM @ Shirlington | Join us at our weekly open mic and read some Cuban poetry as part of your set! We will have the microphone and printed copies of the poems.


Tuesday, October 18, 2022

6 PM – 10 PM @ Columbia Join us to celebrate Cuba Week and the ending of Hispanic Heritage Month with a fun night of Cuban music at our Columbia location. Complimentary dance lessons by Stephen Jackson from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Music by DJ Elvira.

6 PM @ 14th & V | Diasporic Influences in the Art of Lázaro Batista with Carol Rhodes-Dyson. A Conversation with Lázaro Batista, Carmen Torruella-Quander (Artist), and Willard Taylor (Travel Consultant) Lazaro’s work is currently on display at Busboys and Poets – 14th & V

8 PM @ 14th & V | Join us at our weekly open mic and read some Cuban poetry as part of your set! We will have the microphone and printed copies of the poems.


Wednesday, October 19, 2022

6:30 PM @ Takoma | Busboys and Poets Books welcomes Emilio Cueto to the Nicolas Guillen room to discuss his book “Delivering Cuba Through The Mail: Cuba’s Presence In Non-Cuban Postage Stamps and Envelopes”

8 PM @ 450K & Baltimore | Join us at our weekly open mic and read some Cuban poetry as part of your set! We will have the microphone and printed copies of the poems.


Thursday, October 20, 2022 – Cuban Culture Day! Jornada de la Cultura Cubana

8 PM @ Hyattsville & Columbia | Join us at our weekly open mic and read some Cuban poetry as part of your set! We will have the microphone and printed copies of the poems.

*Cuba Week Food specials are not available at Busboys and Poets – Baltimore.


The Making of Busboys and Poets

A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets

We’re proud to announce A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets, the new memoir from our CEO and Founder, which reveals the vision, challenges, and triumphs behind opening Busboys and Poets. Packed with misadventures, unexpected triumphs, and insights on race, business and politics, Andy Shallal’s memoir takes us on a “How I Built … Continued

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For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

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Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

What to read: Celebrating National Poetry Month at Busboys and Poets

What to read: Celebrating National Poetry Month at Busboys and Poets

April in DC – a time to welcome the sun, greet the cherry blossoms and relish the city’s many parks in bloom. April is also National Poetry Month, and being home to a vibrant literary community, DC celebrates every year with a diverse offering of events, readings and books to savor. Here at Busboys and … Continued

Busboys and Poets Books Review: Brunch is Hell

Busboys and Poets Books Review: Brunch is Hell

First let’s agree that brunch at Busboys and Poets is a delight. That established, Brunch is Hell: How to Save the World by Throwing a Dinner Party (Little, Brown, and Co. $25.00), the newest book from hilarious hosts of The Dinner Party Download Brendan Francis Newman and Rico Gagliano, is certain to put “I will … Continued

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Everest Base Camp #8

Fasten yourself seatbelt it’s going to be a bumpy ride or There is literally nothing that duct tape can’t solve. Dawa picks me up at 5 am sharp and we make it to the airport by 5:15 for our 6:15 flight to you know where! There is no traffic to speak of. It is really … Continued