‘Tis the Season for Holiday Gift Cards

Delight a friend, family member, co-worker or maybe even yourself with a gift cards to Busboys and Poets! Our gift cards can be used to purchase food (mmm sweet potato pancakes), drinks (Langston Cooler, anyone?), books and any other items sold at our bookstore. This includes Busboys merch, notebooks, cards and other fun gifts.

Send a physical gift card by mail that takes 3-6 days to arrive.

Happy holidays, friends!

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

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Split This Rock Poem of the Week: Patrick Rosal

Split this Rock is a longtime poetry partner of Busboys and Poets. Check out the Sunday Kind of Love monthly poetry series at Busboys and Poets every third Sunday of the month from 5-7PM.   Typhoon Poem The teacher can’t hear the children over all this monsoon racket, all the zillion spoons whacking the rusty … Continued

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COVID-19 Update

UPDATE: March 25, 2020 We have made the difficult decision to close our Brookland and Takoma locations. Delivery and pick up are currently available from all other locations from 11AM – 9 PM daily via order.busboysandpoets.com UPDATE: March 17, 2020 All DC and MD locations are offering carryout and delivery services from 11 AM – … Continued