Slipstream

Quality is perfect. Was afraid to try Blood orange vanilla latte, but it was amazing. Nitro cake was super! Moist and smooth buttercream… My waiter Shantay was lovely! Customer service very welcomed.

My review is only for the chai. My system can’t handle coffee so I only drink tea. I’d been wanting to try this place since it’s opened. I was so sad to see Caribou Coffee close and leave this area without a good coffee shop for meeting up with people. So I stopped in and ordered the «home-​made» chai. But I was shocked by the price — $ 5! This is for one size, 12 oz. I mean, I’ve put up with $ 4 and even $ 4.25 for homemade chai before, but this seemed crazy. But I paid. When they handed me the cup, it wasn’t full — at least ¾″ space remained! I looked up at the server and thought, «Am I supposed to taste-​test and approve to get it filled to the brim?» I should have asked… but I walked out. And the drink was only okay. I won’t be coming back for tea. I may come back to try the food.

Damn, Slipstream. How’d you grow up into such a well-​rounded place?
Coffee shop
Lunch spot
Casual date spot
Cocktail spot
Lowkey Dinner Spot
How in the world can one place claim all of these labels? Dunno, but Slipstream does it and does it well.
Great coffee and one of my favorite chai lattes in the city, yummy baked good and nibbles/​bigger plates, interesting cocktails such as their take on dark and stormy but with nitro coffee.
Space is gorgeous too. Open kitchen, lots of seating to hang and work with a big skylight to let the sunshine in, big bar and windows in the front facing 14^th.
I’ll be back many more times.

I have so many good things to say about Slipstream. I’ll be back, I’ll bring friends, I’ve already worked out a way to stop in on my way to work to get more of their amazing capp with house-​made almond and cashew milk.
THE FOOD: Heavenly, decadent, hot and fresh out the kitchen with all the ingredients likely made in house. I had the blood orange marmalade and crème fraîche toast, which you’d think wouldn’t be a big deal. WRONG. It’s AMAZING and totally decadent. The bread is wheat but extremely fluffy, and you will DIE of deliciousness when it soaks about halfway through in that crème fraîche and marmalade. There are healthy options as well, like avocado toast with poached eggs, if you’re not wanting to run around like a kid on a sugar high.
THE COFFEE: It’s the good stuff. Deep and flavorful with that slightly acidic tang around the edge. The almond and cashew milk is made in house, aka no gross added sugar to take away from the coffee. So far, this is the only coffee house I’ve encountered in DC that makes their own stuff behind the counter, and it makes a huge difference. They do a «micro foam» cap that isn’t too thick. Foam art was perfect, as an added bonus.
THE ATMOSPHERE: It’s beautifully decorated in the slightly-​Scandinavian-​slightly-​farmhouse fashion I’ve come to expect from high-​end coffee shops. I especially liked the huge brass dome lamps. Slipstream is divided into a cheerful window-​front section – geared more for groups who want to eat and chat – and then a back house section aimed, seemingly, at laptop users. Customer service is friendly and excited to talk about the menu.
THE WIFI: The force is strong in Slipstream. I initially came in to meet a friend for coffee and brunch but ended up staying for another few hours to work on my laptop. Wifi was fast despite the fact that every seat was pretty much taken.
Loved it! Thanks for the lovely morning, Slipstream!

I visited Slipstream for the first time the other day and really enjoyed the atmosphere. Tucked away on 14^th street in Logan Circle area, Slipstream offers a plethora of coffee shop favorites and beyond. The beyond being some pretty insane tea (lemon basil to be exact) and some decadent toasts (can you say avocado toast with goat cheese mousse?!?)
Slipstream is a great place to grab a coffee, have creative conversation or hunker down and get work done at. However, be aware that at about five o’clock the place will start to get pretty packed with people there for dinner/​happy hour. At this point the vibe will significantly change from chill coffee shop to poppin’ restaurant, so laptop workers, ye be warned!
Overall, a great local hangout with decent prices, speedy (ish) wifi and quality atmosphere. I will be back.

Finally got a chance to try Slipstream after a couple of failed attempts. I used to live around the corner and remember this place as an art gallery/​event space, so its definitely an upgrade, IMO. 14^th street was really lacking a casual, but high quality spot to get a coffee or a light meal, and Slipstream filled that gap wonderfully.
Service: The hostess and our waitress couldn’t have been nicer. We sat around for about 45 minutes waiting for our friend to meet us, who was stuck in the #SurpriseSnow2016 in Virginia. She ended up getting in a car accident in her über and couldn’t join us after all, but our waitress was more than accommodating and patient.
Food/​Drink: Still not drinking this month (booo), but I ordered an almond milk latte, and my friend got a hot green tea. The presentation of the tea is adorable and feels so fancy. Coffee turned out to be a bad idea, as I rarely drink coffee, let alone at night, and couldn’t fall asleep! The coffee itself could have been a little warmer, but I appreciated that they had Stevia sweetener! Turns out neither of us were that hungry, so I got the kale/​sunchoke salad and my friend ordered the famous avocado toast! My salad was good, nothing amazing, but nice to have just a clean salad option on the menu! I agree with some of the other Unilocalers that the cheese/​avocado to bread ratio on the avocado toast is a bit off, but she loved it and honestly it looked delicious. Alas, Im abstaining from bread and cheese this month as well. There is legit nothing to live for.
They have a food/​drink happy hour that goes till 7, and I appreciate that you can order it all through the restaurant! I can see myself posting up here on a cold weekend day to read and drink some coffee, or return in February for some inventive cocktails!

I’m a big fan. Came here to do some research/​work on a weekday afternoon. Sat at the bar and was able to focus pretty well. The noise was at a reasonable level and not too distracting. Most patrons were also doing work or in small groups. I first tried one of their coffee specials (Kenyan I believe?). It was a little bitter for my taste, so I switched to tea. The carrot/​ginger tea was REALLY good. It came with its own little steep pot with fresh carrots, ginger and spices, and they refilled the water upon request. I also ordered a salad (which they were kind enough to adjust to my crazy dietary requests) and it was really really fresh and tasty.

Why did it take me so long to find this place? I’m a coffee newb (grew up a tea drinker) but the wait staff were really helpful and patient in explaining their many coffee options. Their happy hour has a good selection of all manner of drinks and snacks — the toasts are notable, especially the goat cheese/​avocado and mushroom ones. I’ll definitely be back for full meal service sometime. I love that you this place is a perfect fit no matter what you want — a coffee meeting, drinks at happy hour, a quick snack, or a full meal.

Super über friendly. Server came back to check on us so many times that I lost track and apologized when she didn’t stop by after 10 mins. :)
Ordered their house version of the BLT and the roasted squash butter with sea salt. The boys liked their BLT (though a bit on the smaller side– maybe add some fries or something?) and the roasted squash butter had the consistency of an apple butter spread and was just the right amount of sweet. However, I think they needed to add a bit more of the sea salt in order to get the salt and sweet combo just right.
Desserts are all made in daily in house by their pastry chef. We had the biscotti, single source chocolate cake, ginger loaf and pecan pie. All very yummy– the biscotti is bigger than your traditional biscotti and so it’s less crunch and more bulk. Still good though– but just to be aware this isn’t something you dip into a coffee.
Overall, very pleased with the experience and would come back to try their brunch. The vibe reminded me a lot of places in Silverlake/​Echo Park… so if you like that kind of vibe– this is the place for you.

This is a great place to have a casual meal, or hang out for a bit and study or read. It gets pretty packed during the day and you’ll probably never get a table with an outlet, but luckily the bartenders are super kind and they’ve let me charge from behind the bar before.
The food I’ve gotten has mostly been pretty bomb. Especially brunch, the gumbo is to die for and I’ll die if it’s seasonal and I can’t get it all year round. However, what they seem to be super famous for, the avocado goat cheese toast, is definitely not something to write home about. The bread is too thick, the avocado slices too thin, and the dollop of cheese too tiny. It would be great on bread of normal thickness, but that may be lowering expectations, I guess.
However, it’s a super chill and easygoing atmosphere and their non-​alcoholic drinks are great. like that they make their own almond-​cashew milk, and have more types of coffee/​espresso drinks than I could dream up. Supposedly their pastries are super as well, and the one I tried was good. Last comment; I ordered a side of pickles with my toast and was presented with a plate of carrots and beets. To the bartender’s credit, he did ask how I felt about the carrots, since I left all of them. I was surprised and impressed that he asked, because I did have a lot of feelings about them – too hard, too cold, not pickled enough/​at all.
Overall, I like it as an easy place to go and spend time in, but if I’m not getting the gumbo then the food is just alright.

Came for brunch on Saturday with a couple friends. The menu isn’t very extensive and the portions aren’t terribly large so if you’re hungry, look elsewhere.
I ordered the spiced latte which was pretty great and my friends both ordered coffee drinks which they enjoyed. Seems like a great place to work and have a coffee/​snack.
My biggest qualm was the poached eggs. All of us ordered dishes with poached eggs and all of the eggs were overcooked. The eggs didn’t run at all which left the toast awfully dry.
We sat at the bar and our server was decidedly unenthusiastic. I don’t expect the friendliest service in the world or even a lasting smile but our server’s expression and voice inflection didn’t change once during our meal. It seemed like she’d had fun once, hated it and vowed never to feel emotions again.
Good for coffee-wouldn’t brunch here again.

A great place to come for:
+ A casual brunch with a friend or two (imagine a late morning walk around U street, where you need some sustenance but aren’t quite feeling the DC brunch scene)
+ A midday coffee or tea (they take coffee brewing seriously!)
+ An afternoon of low-​key working (the restaurant has great lighting, fast WiFi, and isn’t too loud)
The menu is simple, but quality. Like something you could make at home… but you don’t, cuz a place like Slipstream will do it for you. My go-​to is the avocado toast with goat cheese mousse. Yum! I also really like the mushroom duxelle with goat cheese mouse.

Whatever you do, keep walking.
In search of great coffee and breakfast on a rainy Sunday, we stopped in after reading the great Unilocal ratings and reviews with high hopes.
In the first place, the menu is WTF. Looking for breakfast– where are the scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, oatmeal? Coffee is extremely bad and pretentious– elaborate tasting menu cards served alongside high clear glass carafes of pour over coffee that’s lukewarm and tastes like beans. Not coffee beans. Like black beans blended into a warm pasty water.
The toast is Texas style, with a strange salty layers

In one word: unique. I left feeling excited, this place was a total score.
Cold brew coffee? No. Better. Nitro iced coffee. From what I gathered it is brewed in a keg, served from a tap, and delicious. It has a foamy head on top and tastes sort of like a Guinness. Guinness is not your thing? Well this is, trust me. Think smooth and vanilla.
To accompany the coffee, I got poached eggs and avocado on toast. The meal size was perfect, it tasted great, and you can feel good about eating it. You have plenty of options to customize your toast so there’s something for everybody.
I’m curious about the libations but did not have enough time during my trip to DC to find out. I tried to pull up a menu online to see what I was missing out on but it is not available yet. The blog has been active for most of the year so that helped solidify 4 stars for me.
Coffee and cocktails are two things that can really stand out from the crowd when somebody takes the time to go the extra mile and I really appreciate that personal touch. Add some unique food to the list (like the toasts) and you have a place that sets itself apart in a really good way.

I gave into the hype of the avocado toast and headed to Slipstream after work a few weeks ago. My hopes were high… I was seated right away while the restaurant was about 25% full and was promptly handed a HH menu (yay!)…and then things went downhill. There was immediate confusion about which server would be taking my order, which they flat-​out told me («Sorry…we were confused…»). I ordered a mezcal cocktail and the avocado and goat cheese toast. No complaints about the drink, but on the continuum of avo toasts, this one ranks somewhere in the middle… kind of around «I could’ve just made this at home» territory. So, whatever… that’s what I get for ordering the world’s easiest food at a restaurant?
I wanted to order another drink, but lost patience after about 20 minutes of trying to track down my server… who, like a good proportion of the staff, spent quite a bit of time talking and joking amongst themselves at the expense of their customers. Not impressed. I had to go to the hostess stand to get my bill, and had to pay there as well since my server (again) disappeared.
So, bottom line: mediocre beverages and food, terrible service staff.

Slipstream is extremely underrated — and the selfish side of me kinda hopes it stays that way because I love this place! Literally 2 minutes from my house I find myself here too often.
For a coffee shop, they are doing something right because this place is packed before and after work! My only complaint is they open at 7ish so when I walk by after my 6 am workout they aren’t quiet ready for my energized face.
I am in love with the kambucha latte, they will describe it as their spin on a pumpkin spice latte. I am from CA and CO so kambucha has become an obsession of mine — mix it with coffee and I am one happy girl.
Their other drinks are great. And oh ya… HAPPY HOUR. Coffee shop turned into a happy hour spot is brilliant and this place is fun to hangout at after work. Their cocktails are also unique and delicious!
Haven’t tried the food in the afternoon yet. But their breakfasts are delicious. The avo toast is so good, and on the lighter side. I also get he muffins Togo sometimes. They also have more filling options. I think they should add an acai bowl — this would officially make me an addict.
Check this place out — the owners are also super cool. A non chain coffee shop perfection.

I love my local café at home, but I wish I had the option to come here every day.
Select awesome coffees from a lovely ever changing menu, why not try certain beans as both espresso and filter as each bean is indicated with the brew that suits it best. Trust that they will be perfectly poured with quiet pride and delivered with a smile.
Cafes serving toast seems like an everywhere and semi-​senseless trend, though with a Scandinavian background used to celebrating life with open faced sandwiches I am a supporter at heart of course, and Slipstream makes a delicious art of this. A massive slab of amazing bread, a goofy dollop of crème fraîche, a smother of homemade blueberry jam — or maybe peach compote and sea salt? Toast you want to curl up with, not feel finicky about, plus toast is far from the only option so you don’t feel… cornered.
It’s a calm beautiful room with a long wooden bar and a nice little patio out front. They have the fixings to make some excellent thoughtful cocktails, wish I could have gone back to sample of that. Next time!

Definitely one of my favorites in my favorite neighborhood, 14^th Street corridor. I love coming to Slipstream to relax and catch up with a friend over some coffee or tea or a crunchy toast. The bread they use is apparently uniquely sourced from a Maryland farm that only sells it to the café. Downside is there’s no wifi on weekends and once my friend and I had to emigrate to the Starbucks on P Street to resume doing work.
I’ve tried the espresso zest — iced espresso with lemon zest to give it a kick. It was interesting but I didn’t fall in love with it. The prices are also not low here and you don’t feel you’re getting a lot of value-​add for trying something inventive. But there’s a happy hour menu even for food and on weekends, and I’m sure you can find something in the tea and cocktail section that’s appealing. I love the ambiance and the versatility of the place (coffee, tea, bakery, café, and bar). There are teas that smell so good you’ll want to devour them, and there’s always something new to try on the menu regardless of the mood you’re in.

Slipsteam is a hip café and restaurant that fits right in the Logan Circle neighborhood, but it’s just not for me.
I came with a friend at noon on a Saturday and I was seated immediately. However, the spot they gave us was right where the sunroof shined in the room. Needless to say, it was extremely bright, hot, and uncomfortable.
Pros
— Eclectic space with nice wall art
— Good-​looking food
Cons
— Very loud. The space echoes.
— Not great for big groups.
— Few bar seating
— Not a café where you can study and read a book. It’s more of a restaurant that serves coffee.
— Slow service. I was very thirsty coming in to Slipsteam, but I sat for 15 minutes before a server came to greet me. We ordered toast and a rice dish and it took an hour to prepare. They gave us a chocolate and cherry scone to excuse the long wait, however.
— Overpriced
— Mediocre coffee
What I got
— Nitron iced coffee, $ 4
— Breakfast bowl, $ 7
What I thought
— The iced coffee was bitter and heavy. We tried putting in milk and simple syrup to mellow out the flavor, but the drink’s taste did not change at all. We wanted to try their espresso drinks, but we were so hot that iced coffee was the smart choice.
— The breakfast bowl was beautiful and instagram-​worthy, but it was rather small and a tad under-​seasoned.
I really wanted to like Slipstream, but I was unimpressed.

Love this place and it’s a great addition to Logan Circle. We went on a Saturday around 11 and much to my surprise, there wasn’t a wait.
I ordered a dirty almond chai and a ragu, topped with a poached egg. My chai was mediocre, but drinkable. My meal was excellent and I enjoyed every bite. My partner loved her meal as well and commented that everything was «fresh and tasty, the poached egg was cooked to perfection and the smoked bacon was delicious. I’d go back now.»
This is a beautiful restaurant, service is great, and the food is delicious. I’ll most definitely visit again.