Best Gluten-Free Menu!

We thank all of those who voted Busboys and Poets: Best Gluten-Free Menu in Washington City Paper’s Best of DC 2015 poll. 

We’ve made it our mission to be an inclusive dining space, and the place to bring your friends and family for a great meal regardless of their dietary restrictions.  Accommodating gluten-free folks has been an utmost priority since the rise in celiac disease has been so rapid.  Word is still out on what is to blame for the growing per cent of the population that has to stay alert around food.  We know that eating out can be an anxious experience for many celiacs, and it’s encouraging to hear that City Paper readers trust us for a safe experience. 

What’s gluten free on our menu?

– Beef Chili
– Shrimp & Grits
– Nachos
– Gluten-Free Pizza
– Catfish
– Blackened Salmon
– Fried Chicken
– Beans & Wild Rice
– Cream of Tomato Soup
– Harira Soup
– All salads with the exception of Falafel and Spinach & Wheatberry

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

PHOTO 2024 02 01 07 10 14

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

9. The Art Factory (Fabrica De Arte Cubano)

Reflections from the Busboys and Poets Travel Tribe’s Cultural Exchange trip to Cuba (July 6-13, 2022)  Of all the places I visited in Cuba. Of all the events. The panels. The museums. The sights and sounds. The Fabrica De Arte Cubano (aka Fabrica) stands out. An old repurposed oil factory. Transformed into a multi level. … Continued

Fusterlandia

8. Fusterlandia

Reflections from the Busboys and Poets Travel Tribe’s Cultural Exchange trip to Cuba (July 6-13, 2022) By Andy Shallal (@andyshallal CEO/Founder, Busboys and Poets) Jose Fuster aka the Picasso/Gaudi of Havana is a bundle of energy. At 70 something he is charming. Engaging. Full of life. And a brilliant artist and entrepreneur. He is the founder … Continued

15 Influential, Iconic, and Inspiring Women Writers Through History

15 Influential, Iconic, and Inspiring Women Writers Through History

15 Influential, Iconic, and Inspiring Women Writers Through History Come into one of our Busboys and Poets bookshops and we can direct you to any number of wonderful books by women. From the high fantasy of N.K. Jemison to the sublime poetry of Joy Harjo to the intense investigations of Monique W. Morris we are … Continued

10. A visual and sensory feast.

Art percolates throughout Cuba. It shows up on the streets. In alleys. On the veranda at the Nacional. Where live music is on nightly display. Until the wee hours of the morning. It is present in the poorest parts of town. In restaurants. Where the sound of guitars and maracas fills the air. And in … Continued