"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–$1.90), many organic, culled from the collection of local roaster The Daily Roast, St. Elmo's also offers espresso drinks ($1.50-$4.10), tea ($1.35–$3.50), baked goods from local bunsmiths ($0.70–$5.95), 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. 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 DC'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. – Bob Massey

Eight Yahoo Locals give St. Elmo's Coffee Pub an average of 4.5 stars. Yelpers give it 3.5 stars on average, and 72 percent of more than 50 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
• I like that in a world of franchises and pre-fabricated molds, it's something else--a place connected to a neighborhood, a community, and a comfortable lounge that doesn't take itself too seriously. – Laura M., Yelp