"Coffee," wrote the great Honoré de Balzac, "quells the rebellion of hunger, looses the cavalcade of imagination, and primes one's voice for shouting at the television." Enjoy the long-recognized benefits of this vigorous beverage with today's Groupon. For $7, you get $15 worth of food and drink from St. Elmo's Coffee Pub, located in the Del Ray community of Alexandria.
Named for the patron saint of sailors and '80s power ballads, St. Elmo's Coffee Pub has served as a java junction for Alexandrians since opening in 1996. In addition to more than 20 types of coffees ($1.50–$4.10), many organic, culled from the collection of local roaster The Daily Roast, St. Elmo's also offers tea ($1.35–$3.50), baked goods from local bunsmiths ($0.70–$6), and a variety of sandwiches delivered daily from Caboose Cafe & Bakery and Bread & Chocolate. As payment for a lost chessboxing wager, Bread & Chocolate also provides St. Elmo's with salads and additional hot items, including the all-natural Quiche sisters—Lorraine, Spinach, and Mushroom ($3.95).
St. Elmo's Coffee Pub hosts multiple community events within its bulletin-boarded and art-decorated walls, which make the art room at your local kindergarten look like it was done by children. Unveil a kazoo concerto at St. Elmo's open mic night, held the third Wednesday of every month. Sink someone's battleship during a game of "British rules" Monopoly with the coffeehouse's board-game collection, or count the different shades of fuchsia in the rotating art collection on display. St. Elmo's Coffee Pub offers free WiFi access to paying customers, best enjoyed while plopped down on one of the pub's comfy couches. It is also dog friendly, with a special area for caffeine-lovers and canines to congregate without fear of police reprisal.
Reviews
St. Elmo's Coffee Pub came in fifth on AOL City Guides for City's Best Coffee, and the Washington Post says:
- St. Elmo's Coffee Pub is everything one would expect from the name: a neighborhood spot to get your favorite bean-induced buzz, deli sandwiches, pastries, juices and exotic teas. The space is divided into two rooms -- one for lounging and reading the romance paperbacks lining the bookcase, the other for chatting and listening to the occasional live acoustic musician's performance...It just adds to the inclusive, welcoming atmosphere...Prices are quite reasonable, even on the cheaper side for the coffee drinks. – Bob Massey
Nine Yahoo! Locals give St. Elmo's Coffee Pub four stars, Yelpers give 3.5, and 74% of Urbanspooners like it:
- Great coffee, made by people who know what they are doing...Fabulous baked goods...On sunny days, the sidewalk patio is a perfect place to sit and watch the people (and a parade of dogs) go by. – FD, Yahoo! Local
- If you want a really good cup of coffee, a large selection of muffins and baked goods (try the quiche) and a warm and inviting atmosphere this is your spot...I absolutely adore this place. To me this is what a neighborhood coffee shop should be...Oh and the staff is awesome too. – nick2480, Urbanspoon
- Great to have a "one-ONLY-of -a-kind" coffee shop in the neighborhood! – Steve B., Yelp
Groupon Says
What a Difference a Cup Makes
Missing out on the ritual of a hot cup of coffee in the morning can throw off your whole day. What are some of the key differences between a day with and without that extra caffeinated kick?
Morning: You wake up to the sound of the coffee grinder and the smell of fresh-brewed Columbian bean nectar. You step out into the kitchen, rubbing your eyes, only to see that one model from that magazine about fitness, barefoot and wearing your old baggy T-shirt from sleep-away criminal justice camp. "Hey, lovely," she says, "How about you skip work and we stay in bed doing the crossword puzzle…of love?"
Without coffee: You wake up to the neighbor's dog licking your face. You are afraid to say anything because your neighbor is always shirtless and holding a hammer.
Afternoon: You grab a quick cup on the road to your job interview with Oople, the hot new tech company famous for employee perks such as on-site massages, nontoxic foam pit, and childhood bully revenge maze.
Without coffee: Daytime television bleeds together. Speaking of bleeding, how long has that bear trap been on your ankle?
Evening: You and your best friend George Clooney go out for Irish coffees to celebrate your nailing of the job interview. "It's a shame you're gainfully employed," says George. "I always thought you might like to direct me in something, maybe some kind of spy movie in Jamaica. We could call it Jamaica Spy, something like that."
Without coffee: You fall asleep curled up in the bottom of your shower like a grub crumpling in a skillet. You hope that tomorrow somehow dies.
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