Bayou Bakery

Bayou Bakery is a true gem in DC. Situated in a restored navy hospital, complete with memorabilia and decorations that evoke both a sense of history and a sense of New Orleans, I was blown away by the architecture. It’s incredible. From the beautiful windows to the various spaces you can sit and relax on couches, enjoy the outdoors on the grass or in the gardens, there is something GREAT for everyone here.
Let me say that I am from New Orleans and some of my friends and I were discussing how good the beignets and other food are here. We think it’s generally as good as New Orleans but they use less powdered sugar. Honestly, they use the correct amount of sugar so you don’t end up wasting a ton like we do back home in Nola. The gumbo and sandwiches are really stunning.
And the coffee and tea service, as well as the wide variety of baked goods, are quite excellent. The coffee is from Counter Culture and the baristas are pretty good.
In the Capitol Hill area, there are no options better than Bayou Bakery for escaping into another world to relax with a book or hang out with friends. I would rate it as a must-​see for a DC resident.

When I saw the word Bayou I was sure there would be some serious Louisiana cooking here, so I made my brother do a U-​turn. This U-​turn lead me to disappointment. One parking is a beast in this area on Saturday, so you may be looking for a while, esp. since this place keeps busy. After we found a park we went in and noticed the cute set up and decorations for this place. It felt more coffee shop then southern. Finally got to the register and reviewed the menu. They were 5 minutes from transitioning from breakfast to lunch – so I put in a quick order of bacon $ 2.00, a cup of gumbo $ 5, and a order of beignets – believe those were $ 4 or $ 5. These prices are very decent for the DC area, I’ll give them that as well. So they don’t bring your order to you even if you dine – you have to come back to the register when your buzzer goes off – and there is not much standing room by the register. Next there is a sign that says something to the effect of «this ain’t to momma house bust your own table», basically you have to clean your table after your self. Due to the limited seating my brothers and I had to take ours to go.
So let’s get to the food. My side of bacon initially came out on a plate and not boxed. On my plate was the two smallest pieces of bacon that I think I had seen and they were broken up. The offered to box my bacon and I think they realized that was a horrible side of bacon, because they added more pieces when I received it back. I am a bacon lover so I tried this first when I got in the car. Can we Say SALTyyyyy!!! The most salty pieces of bacon I ever had, I couldn’t even finish it – and I’m a bacon lover but my blood pressure was not worth it. Next I tried my cup of gumbo. I should have known better with this as well — this was not good! It tasted like canned hormel chilli. I was done after one bite. Last the beignets– I was praying that these tasted right – you know New Orleans style right. Wrong again, they tasted like some not so good donuts, with sugar on them. My suggestion, if you wanna sit in a cute place drink some coffee and enjoy the atmosphere this is your place. If your taste buds are set on some southern cooking, this isn’t your place. Trust this southern girl.

What a cool coffee shop! Spacious and lots of different books as crannies to chill out. I like that there’s one free refill with your coffee purchase and they give you a coin to claim it. Clever and fun! Definitely will be back.

Bayou Bakery is great. The location is nearby, the food is authentic, and the atmosphere is rustic and interesting. The outside seating is fun in the summertime, and the indoor seating has little nooks and cranny’s all over the place to have a perfect meal. I ordered a spread of dishes: the shrimp roll was perfectly seasoned with a soft bun, the gumbo was heavy and earthy with good spice, the cornbread was sweet and dense, and the beignets were beyond exceptional. The baker here knows how to prepare this perfect crispy, sweet fried dough.

Simply put, I have not had a bad meal here ever, and I’ve eaten here a lot. Their breakfast array is just one of the best places on Capitol Hill, but even their lunch/​dinner options are great. The location is at one of the more interesting spots on the Hill, i.e., The Hill Center, formerly the Old Naval Hospital. It’s a great spot, but even more so is the interior design of this place. No two rooms are alike, and the layout/​décor is absolutely unique and inviting.
Back to the food. For breakfast, the «build your own» biscuits are excellent, and of course so are the baked goods. For lunch/​dinner, the specials change, and it’s worth waiting until you get there to pick something, because they have excellent New Orleans staples, but you might go in thinking «Muff-​a-​lotta» and end up discovering something even better. I need to get here for dinner one night and really gorge. But suffice to say, this is THE place on the Hill for breakfast, even above Ted’s, and a great lunch choice too!

Really great addition to Barracks Row and the Hill Center! Such an inviting space with both indoor and outdoor seating options. A great selection of freshly baked goods including some of the best croissants I’ve had and super sweet and tasty pralines.
I’ve only had the beignets once, and they left a bit to be desired, but I definitely will need to go back for a re-​do.
Dinner options are plentiful, but heavy on the pork side. The cheesy mac and collards are delicious and if you order the Hot Nuts in a Jar be prepared to share because the portion is plentiful! The quiche is also rich and delicious and good to share with a friend as well.
Can’t wait to go back and try more!

Sunshine Central!
I have been suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency for about two years now so anywhere I can get some extra sunlight receives an a-​ok for me. I’ve always been a fan of the Bayou Bakery in Arlington and I can happily say that this spot has the same great food and service that I’ve come to expect only in a bigger, better location.
You enter through a well-​manicured garden patio full of moms chatting with friends, strollers proudly parked beside them. When you walk in there are several living rooms with an array of comfortable tables, couches, and chairs that make it easy to catch up with a friend, grab a bite to eat, or if you are WiFi dependant like me grab a cup of coffee and get some work done.
My must haves when I come here are: the breakfast sandwich, a cup of gumbo, and Zapp’s chips. I hope that their bigger patio also means there will be lots of crawfish boils in the summer too!

Really cute New Orleans style brunch location. This place used to be a horse stable back in the day and they’ve kept the historic feel to the restaurant. Its really cute how all the mugs in the restaurant were donated by local residents when they first opened. so each mug is different and unique.
Really liked the bacon scone, biscuits and gravy, and beignets. First time having a savory scone nd it was buttery, smokey, and satisfying. The biscuit was fluffy and moist and paired well with the creaminess of the smokey bacon gravy. The beignets were made to order and was like little pillows of sweet heaven, hot, soft, and sweetend with powdered sugar… perfect with a hot cup of coffee!

We’ll start with the negatives. There are only two of them.
1. I wish they served their breakfast sandwiches all day. Since they serve the biscuits all day, why not have the option of also throwing some turkey sausage or cheese on there as well? Come on, guys! Please?
2. The napkin holders (both inside and out) are positioned up above most of our heads. When my wife pulled napkins out, the whole container came crashing down on top of her shoulder. She was fine, but the large capacity holder is bulky. It’s lightweight in theory, but once it gains momentum, if it fell on a child, it could cause serious harm. A business should know better.
The good news!
+ The place is adorable! It’s quaint, cute, hip and rustic, all at the same time.
+ There’s excellent outdoor seating that’s pet friendly and comes equipped with with water bowls and grass. Plus, they don’t close it at the slightest breeze!
+ The place serves good food at a reasonable price. (The coffee mugs are cute too.)
+ They have beignets and they’re topped with lots of powdered sugar! (I really should just stop here.)
+ If you’re looking for something more substantial than sweet carbs (but why?!), they have plenty of salads and soups as well. Oh! Everything is homemade, including the bread.
+ Their daily specials offer a wide variety of choices, like today’s tomato Mac & cheese, or the mushroom & spinach quiche. You’ll never get bored!
Go there! Give them a try. I just might be there again too though, so please don’t order the beignets. (Thanks!)

Came here for lunch with some friends on a Sunday. Really cute café, nice outdoor patio, and the niceness ends there.
There was nothing good that my friends or I had. The mac-​n-​cheese was bland. The gumbo was cold and tasteless. The red beans and rice was dry and flavorless. The lemonade, was tart. Just no go on the food. If you go, just stick to the baked goods and a cup of coffee or tea.

Great mix of sweet and savory baked goods for breakfast.
Came by on a Sunday afternoon and despite a short line to order, had my food and drinks within 15 minutes!
Savory highlights: Bacon scone! Quiche (could have been served warmer)
Sweet highlight: beignets! Served freshed sugared and piping hot!
Drink highlight: specialty latte had orange zest in it — very tasty!
Nice outdoor patio that is child and dog friendly.

Very nice café next to the Hill center in a big red building. I was excited to come to Bayou, and surprised it took me so long to actually come, but since it’s somewhat tucked away they don’t get much foot traffic.
My favorite part about Bayou Bakery is definitely the setting. There a few lovely indoor seating areas that are charming and peaceful. You can also sit outside in the sun or under their awning. The location is surrounded by greenery and you forget you are in the city.
The food is good too, they have a somewhat small menu. I had a breakfast biscuit sandwich which was tasty and the perfect size. The lady helping us recommended we tried the tater tots so we split an order. They were pretty blah with very little flavor, I think I will pass on them next time.
I recommend this place if you are looking for a quiet place to get a cup of coffee and perhaps do some work. I could spend hours here enjoying the beautiful interior and outdoor seating area.
They have a great concept going on!

Awesome little café. The brunch food looked and smelled amazing. We came for coffee after brunch at Ambar, and the way the food looked here made me want to eat again.
Coffee is the traditional/​authentic, macchiatos and cappuccinos, not the Starbucks version.
Cute and comfy swatting inside and relaxing seating outside, with a partially covered patio area of you want to hide from the direct sun.
Not sure about wifi, but I saw several people on laptops, so I assume yes.

I loved this place and everything about it. I tend not to venture out to food places outside my neighborhood but I was so glad to have tried out Bayou Bakery. It feels like we have a little piece of New Orleans here in DC. They’re best known for their beignets, coffee and other traditional southern dishes like shrimp and grits and jambalaya. My friends and I visited for dessert but I know I need to head back here to try their other dishes.
We ordered tons of beignets to share and I had a caramel latte which was amazing! The beignets were so fluffy and sweet and cooked to perfection. The latte was delicious and paired well with the beignets.
The outdoor patio is fabulous with tons of seating and the inside of the shop is just as amazing. You get such a warm, welcoming feeling with the rustic vibes of the place and friendly staff. Definitely give this place a try! It’s tucked away on Pennsylvania Ave in SE and such a great find.

A taste of the «Big Easy» is in our Nation’s Capital!
I am so glad Bayou Bakery now has a location in DC! I was here for the soft-​opening about a month ago and decided not to write a review out of fairness; because there were a few service kinks and issues. This is now my third visit and already the service has improved as well as there are more food items available.
This place is unique within its own rights and the location setting for it couldn’t have been a better choice. It’s a hidden gem, located in a private setting away from hustle and bustle of the ‘restaurant row’ that you typically would frequent; while in this area of Capitol Hill. The building is a former carriage house located on the grounds of the Historic Old Naval Hospital; that dates back to the 1800’s! It served as a stable for horse-​drawn ambulances to care for the Civil War wounded. The building still has some of original 19^th-​century features, such as the hay and grain chutes. Original wrought iron gates and garden grounds, coupled Zydeco music and the building’s original architectural details… all come together to give you a piece of NOLA in our Nation’s Capitol.
There’s a lot of charm and character one would notice immediately upon entering the place. Eclectic spaces and a seating flow throughout… but still it feels like your in someone’s home. The menu options expand across baked goods, coffee beverages, cajun-​creole eats… and has a southern homey-​vibe that’s certainly is great for meeting up with friends, grabbing a quite bit of Cajun fare or simply, stop in to… put things on pause & enjoy a good cup of coffee!
During this visit, I tried their:
* BEE HIVE (Signature Coffee Drink Iced)
–Contagious concoction of coffee, vanilla and orange zest… that surprisingly melds well together and zings the senses.
* GUMBO
–Thick dark rue, rich and full of flavor! The Cornbread tho’! Delicious!
* HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
–Thick and buttery. Not as moist and chewy as I would like, but was loaded with chips!
* PRALINE (to-​go)
– Mardi Gras party in the mouth. Very sweet, buttery and full of pecan bites! A confectionery high at its best!
In all, everything was delicious. I actually like this location better than the original location, in Arlington. It has more seating space and the vibe-​ambiance is exceptional. You can’t go wrong making this your next meeting spot, date or quick stop on the go. Hopefully, the menu will soon expand to highlight more seafood & native N’Awlins dishes like Baked Oysters, Fried Catfish, Oyster and Shrimp Po’ Boy sandwiches, Jambalaya, or Shrimp Étouffée! When they do… You can bet I will be moving into this carriage house permanently.
I don’t get to New Orleans nearly as often as I’d like, but in between visits, Bayou Bakery in DC is where I will fly to get a taste of what I miss in the Big Easy.

This is a FANTASTIC addition to the neighborhood!!! The space is gorgeous and I love that they have outdoor tables in addition to the inside seating. This location is very charming compared to the Arlington location. The beignets are better than the ones I had in New Orleans (Café du Monde and the Ritz), and they were very reasonably priced at 3 for $ 3. I also loved the original pralines and the iced coffee. The only misstep during our visit was that my husband’s egg and cheese biscuit came out with no cheese. But the staff corrected this immediately and fixed the sandwich.
As an FYI, this location is *very* family friendly (which depending on who you are could be a positive or a negative). It is possible to get items to go have and have a little picnic on the lawn outside. While we were there kids were running all over the patio area and lawn at the Hill Center.

I came here 20 minutes earlier than I had agreed to meet a friend and while waiting, I chose to sit outside this converted carriage house of the Old Naval Hospital (now Hill Center). Perhaps it was the novelty or the weather or my excitement to be reunited with New Orleans style food, but my disposition was one of content, calm, and peace.
There were at least half a dozen tables, some with umbrellas, on top of a bed of rocks which made it difficult to walk on. There were some tables under the canopy of the building and a bench with cushions and a random chair with cushions so lots of outdoor seating last night. My friend and I ended up sitting outside and we saw lots of people rotating through enjoying a perfect summer evening (even though it isn’t summer yet).
I could not stop gushing at how beautiful the space was and neither could my friend. We were so impressed with what they did in terms of offering communal style seating, a reading room of sorts with a couch and a couple of comfy looking chairs, an entryway that had seating for at least 4 people and a picture of a stick figure plugging in a laptop and on the opposite side a long bench, and a floor to ceiling greenhouse type room that had the A/​C on and lots of tables and chairs.
The person who took our order at the register was difficult to hear because she was so soft spoken but other employees were much louder but not unbearably so. The place was kind of quiet and low key. I saw some people reading and some people just sitting and working on their laptops or having quiet conversations from 7:15 — 8:30 pm.
I ordered the gulf shrimp roll and it did not disappoint… except for its size. I knew it would taste great, and it tasted awesome: fresh shrimp on top of a soft buttered and toasted potato roll, what’s not to love? It was just on the small size and I devoured that in under three minutes.
My friend ordered the kale salad with shrimp. It had the most delightful parmesan crisps which she shared with me. My observation was it lacked kale and was more romaine lettuce.
We bused our own tables (signs tell you to) and ended up going inside to get dessert. We ended up sharing the DAT-​O and pecan praline. The DAT-​O was huge and is their take on an Oreo. It was pretty good but the cookies were kind of hard and made a mess to eat. The cream was just like Nabisco’s. The praline was practically pure sugar; parts of it melted on my tongue as it went into my mouth. They sure don’t skimp on the sugar and butter around here.
I’d like to come back for the double chocolate chip cake that my friend was raving about, but after talking with the employees, the baker makes when she feels like it or there is a request. Kind of challenging if you want to come for a slice of cake and they don’t have any but they did say their cakes sell out on the weekends and it’s way more crowded.
I think it’s a lovely place to spend a summer evening especially since the outdoor seating is fenced off and not on the sidewalk like a lot of places. It could be a good place to people watch and enjoy rich food.

I’m glad someone else posted a picture of the bathroom because I was going to do the same. I will post my veggie sandwich.
This is the best PLACE!
mom had the shrimp sandwich and I had the veggie sandwich — great bread and food.
then, because my pants weren’t snug enough, we went back for beignets. yes. three of them.
love the décor of this historical building. amazing. staff is pleasant and helpful. very family friendly and the grounds are gorgeous!
how I held off on getting some desserts to go is a mystery. easy walk to the Eastern Market Metro.
prices —
.reasonable.really.
Funny signs about cleaning your own table too.

There’s something in the water in DC and coffee shops are springing up everywhere from Maketto on H Street to even Mia’s in Capitol Hill East. Bayou Bakery is the latest edition to DC’s coffee shop sensation.
I went a week after their soft launch and it’s very clear they need to work out a few kinks. The layout is a little wonky. They have bar seating with plugs in the atrium, a long community table off to the side, a room of tables but they don’t allow computers, another room with a couch and a few cushioned chairs, and then lots of outdoor seating. It’s a lot of space, but still it was trouble finding a good place to sit.
They have free wifi (The password is their phone number), but one of my friends could not even connect to the network.
The food was decent to good. The beignets are AMAZING! They come with heaps of powder sugar and three per order. Amazing!
All their other food was poor to mediocre. The mac and cheese lacked flavor as did the Bayou taters ($ 6.60 and it’s just a side. What?!). I think their sweet spot are beignets. You leave feeling still hungry.
The sausage was not very good. The casing was so think that it was hard to chew.
I’ll give it a three star rating for now, but they have potential to hit 4 once they work out their kinks.

David Guas hit another Grand Slam with his Bayou Bakery. Best New Orleans cuisine in a stylist historic location near Eastern Market. You walk up into the wonderful front yard with patio seating and garden. Entering into the café you emerge into a eclectic mix of historical and unique kitchen art. There are separate sections where you can enjoy your meal. A good place for a relaxing visit is the big wheel room. Or on a perfect day sit outside in the patio.
The staff is friendly and patient. Great selection of classic New Orleans breakfast and lunch. How can you not enjoy the beignet and another of my favorite pain au chocolate.
I think I have tried all his sandwiches. Today I had the smoked douille dog. I have a hard time deciding my favorite. All the entries are delicious. Just pick one!
A perfect place for great bites and conversation with friends or hangout as your office away from home.