Zeke’s Coffee of DC

I really wanted to give this place a higher rating. We bought a house in Woodridge two years ago, but went to Zeke’s for the first time today. We’ve always been «meaning to» go, but the hours don’t necessarily fit in with our schedules very well.
Anywho…my sister and I stopped in after running errands, and were pleasantly surprised by how wonderfully bright it is. No, there isn’t a lot of seating, but it was nice not to see people hovering over a single cup of coffee and the omnipresent laptop you see in Starbucks, Tryst, etc.
When we approached the counter, the cashier said nothing. I explained that it was our first time there, thinking it would engender a recommendation, a welcome, or something, but we were met with stony silence. Alrighty then!
I couldn’t decide what kind of pastry or beverage I wanted, so I told her we needed to look at the menu for a bit. Even though there was no one waiting behind us, she acted like we were an inconvenience. I finally decided on a pastry that I saw on The Great British Baking Show (best show ever, duh!), and a caramel and vanilla latte. No, I’m not a purist. I like my cream and sugar with a side of coffee. :)
It took a while for the barista to make the coffee, and it didn’t have the foam that I’m used to from Starbucks, but it was by far the best coffee I’ve ever had. There was a creaminess to it that I’d never had before, even without the foam. She somehow managed to imbue more flavors in that one little cup than I could’ve imagined possible.
So, 5 stars for the barista and the ambience. 1 star for the cashier who wasn’t friendly, and didn’t make me want to come back.

There is just something ineffable but entirely apposite about the idea of inner city microroasting that inspires coffee creativity of cult-​like proportions. Zeke’s channels into that West Coast white-​on-​black, small batch vibe quite nicely, sporting clean lines, cool signage, and old-​school brown bag packaging in 16 oz. quantities for the price (around $ 14/​lb.) that San Francisco’s cult roasters charge for 10 oz (Blue Bottle) or 12 oz (Sightglass, Four Barrel, Ritual) portions/​rations.
So, whether you order an espresso brew or a pour-​over — made not from a rotating daily menu but from ANY of the beans on the purchasing wall — you’ll enjoy the pilgrimage to Rhode Island Ave, esp. if you haven’t been to the District lately and sampled some of its mixed-​use, return to the streets renaissance.
So … how «cult-​like» can one get with the aid of a Zeke’s coffee bag o’ caffeinated dreams? How about grinding Bali Kintamani beans (organic, highlands location, volcanic soil, the works) for a French Press home brew, using a mortar and pestle to do the grinding? That’s like small batch roasting meets stone-​age, hands-​on, grind-​as-​you-​go technology, and the results are excellent. For one, you get to earn your brew one turn of the pestle at a time. And the beans get very gentle treatment as the slowly are transformed from whole bean to grounds in the mortar (you need a big one to make this work).
Kintamani beans from Bali have distinct flavor profiles, unlike many other Pacific and Indonesian offerings I’ve tried from Sumatra, Sulawesi, or Java. It’s dry-​processed with «east African» elements in the cup, citrus mixed with malt and chocolate undertones, and well roasted to light-​medium by the folks at Zekes, using beans from a NY importer.
Do you really need to mortar and pestle your own coffee beans for brewing to «get» what makes a place like Zeke’s so special?
No.
But it helps.

Love Zeke’s! They’ve improved hugely since their start. We used to buy beans there once in a while, and that was all. Then they started carrying Potomac Pastry’s delicious koign amanns which are always sold out by 10am, so we started stopping there on weekends for breakfast treats… then they trained their baristas, got a real espresso machine, and started serving cold brew. More and more, I find myself stopping there (it helps that its just a few blocks away from home… win!) Love the gentrification of this strip of Rhode Island Ave and can’t wait for more.

Very cute! The coffee was delicious!

Zeke’s is a coffee shop I stumbled into based purely on its proximity to my house. I’m glad I did. I am, admittedly, not a coffee snob. I’m just someone who likes a good latte, made with a nice non-​dairy milk. But, I can tell that the people who work at Zeke’s, and many of the customers, ARE real coffee people. That said, no one at Zeke’s (unlike some other snooty shops I’ve been to) makes me feel dumb for knowing very little about fancy beans and just wanting to get my caffeine buzz on. Zeke’s also introduced me to the kouign-​amann (which is amazing and everyone should try one), made by Potomac Pastry, and is one of the small but delicious selection of pastries Zeke sells. It’s a cute shop with tasty drinks, nice people working there, and nice customers from the neighborhood coming in to grab coffee and treats.

Zeke’s is steadily improving.
There is a quality line-​up of hot and iced coffee for sale each time I come by lately.
Growlers are now available.
Outdoor seating has been added.
More staff is on the scene. I remember the first year, one person was doing everything.
Pricing continues to be good.
Roasting is still the mainstay of this site, but the coffee «shop-​lab» seems to be expanding.
I hesitated to post this review. I want both the sale of freshly-​made coffee and the roasting operation to succeed – don’t want to jinx it.
You got pluck, Zeke’s, and I’m pulling for ya at this spot in Woodridge.

Warning: this coffee packs a serious punch! If you have a sensitive stomach, I would suggest getting a sample of their coffee before making a purchase.
Are you serious about coffee? Do you loathe Starbucks? Are you comfortable branching out beyond U Street to get your caffeine fix? Well, here’s the next DC jam.
This less-​than-​ideal location only appeals to me on chill weekends when I have the time to really savor my coffee. Not on weekdays, when I need my soy chai latte stat, to rush get back to my desk and continue hammering away at emails.
Zeke’s offers beans and grounds by the pound in 46 different roasts! Impressive, no?! If you’re looking for something specific, the helpful staff can provide some awesome suggestions.
On this trip, I got a vanilla latte with almond milk. I was stoked to learn that they do almond milk, as it’s still a rare occurence in the city! The latte isn’t too sweet, which was perfect.
The boy got their signature nitro cold brew, and some grounds for homemade cold brew. The cold brew is delicious — possibly the best in the city. There’s a reason it’s known for being the «Guiness of the iced coffee world». So smooth and foamy, you can’t go wrong with this!
The small seating area inside holds 11 people, and outdoors can seat up to 12 people. I can see it getting crowded fast, but as I write this at 12:30 pm on Sunday, I’ve observed most people grab what they need and take off.
All in all, I’m happy to have discovered Zeke’s! 5 stars for their passion for coffee, and their execution of it.

This ain’t your Double-​frappé-​soylent with a side-​of-​mermaid-​merch kinda’ place. Real whole bean coffee. Roasted on-​site.
Knowledgeable and friendly staff.
Big fan of the Balinese Blue Krishna and the Uganda Bugisu.

Good coffee, sh*tty location.
If you like sipping great coffee on a warm, sunny Sunday morning at a table on the sidewalk while watching the local drunks and homeless walk by multiple times while yelling, talking to themselves, smoking and yelling profanities then this is the place for you! Coffee was great but felt VERY uncomfortable and felt I had put myself and my guests in a compromising position and we couldn’t leave fast enough. We won’t be visiting this location again unless they move to a more «friendly» part of DC.

It was ok. Great service but not spectacular coffee. I’ll definitely give it another chance since other reviewers seem to rave about it. But in all honesty, I can’t say I was overly impressed.

This place rocks! The nitrogen cold coffee is really good — not acidic at all, flavorful and very strong!

This is my favorite coffee shop in all of DC! I am a huge coffee drinker and Zeke’s is wonderful because they roast everything in house so it is the freshest coffee you can get. They have a huge selection of whole beans you can buy by the pound and they will do a pour over cup of coffee on the spot of any variety you want to have that day.
The staff is always friendly and they really know what they are talking about when you ask about what the different flavors are in the beans. Great atmosphere, absolutely my favorite.

This review is for whole coffee beans. First, I think they only use Arabica beans, which speaks for quality! Second, they have a range from light to medium to dark roasts. I tried the Guatemalan, which was a perfect light/​medium roast. I have my eyes set on the Ethiopian for next time. Third, they offer both organic and/​or free trade, both of which are important to me. Finally, it’s local (even though a little far my neighborhood in DC)!
I know the beans may seem expensive at $ 14/​bag but you have to compare apples with apples. You’d be hard pressed to find Arabica, organic, and free trade whole beans at a better price point.

Close to my home — I like to visit on Sunday mornings. I have had iced, brewed and latte’s and they are all excellent.
I purchase my beans here as well.
Aside from whole milk they also offer soy and almond. There is a small case that holds fresh baked goods.
I have sat and enjoyed coffee alone and with a friend
Head over — you will not be unhappy.
Also, try the chocolate covered espresso beans. Yum.

I’m mostly giving it three stars for the ambience, since it’s not really a place to sit and hang out. There are just two tables and a counter along the window, so it’s definitely mostly a roastery.
It’s nice that you can get any of their dozens of beans as a pour-​over coffee. They also offer a couple coffees that they’ve brewed in big jugs that are a bit cheaper.
I like that the place isn’t too hipster– one of the baristas explained to a girl that came in that the caramel macchiato she wanted to order wasn’t actually a real macchiato (since those have two shots and some foam, I think he said), but that he could make her an approximation of what she wanted based on the Starbucks drink.

An off the cuff discovery at the Brookland Farmers Market, Zeke’s is one of the best cups of coffee I’ve had in DC. Nothing frilly or fancy, just a solid coffee from incredible coffee beans. You can taste each note and nuance of the coffee, which is exactly how coffee should be. (Not the burnt taste of genetic coffee — I’m looking at you, Starbucks)
The barista was extremely knowledgeable about the various types of coffee beans and was excited to share if you were looking to pick up a pound of beans.
I’m so glad I discovered this coffee addicted dream and can’t wait till my next visit.

I love a good cup of coffee and you sure can get it here. The place limited bar type seating. No outside but was told there working on it. If you’re wanting something to go with your coffee like a muffin or cookie the selection is not very good. But again great coffee good selection to bring a pound home. They just got a espresso machine so there growing.

What a great little hidden gem!
I was staying in DC with a friend, and she had found this place. The first morning I was there was a Monday, so we weren’t able to go (I guess they’re closed Monday?). But Tuesday, we stopped in for some great iced coffee. My friend had also purchased some of their freshly roasted beans to make cold brew and french press at home, both of which were fantastic. The moment we opened the beans the aroma rushed out to meet us!
I wish I lived closer to this wonderful little coffee roasting shop; I’d be in every day!

Bought some Ethopian Sidamo beans here for $ 14/​lb as I was compelled to go when I walked by and smelt the coffee beans roasting! Such a delishus smell. I guess they just opened about 10 weeks ago according to the bean roaster person insider (Brian). This location is in the Woodbridge strip of shops along Rhode Island Ave NE. There is parking nearby (meters are broken but that didn’t seem to matter!). I made a French Press of the ground beans when I got home and it was awesome. I will probably go back for some of the Jamaican Blue Mountain which is $ 25/​lb I beleive. I think they sell cups of coffee too but I didn’t notice the price. Before going here you should note they close early each day and aren’t open on Mondays.

This Rhode Island Avenue Zeke’s Coffee is the single DC outpost of the Baltimore coffee roaster. You may have seen their coffee around at various farmers’ markets and the DC holiday market; they specialize in organic, fair trade, and sustainable beans (including Jamaican Blue Mountain).
The brick and mortar location is a bit off the beaten track and doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic (it’s over a mile from the Rhode Island Ave Metro), but that’s because Zeke’s is primarily a roaster; the retail is only secondary. It is bright and airy inside with just a window counter for seating. In fact, they don’t even do espresso beverages. They do offer some baked goods in addition to two or three drip varieties on hand (I am partial to their Tell Tale Dark). They also pour-​overs of their single origin beans and have occasional ticketed tasting events.
All in all, a win for DC and hopefully the start of increased retail opportunities for Woodridge.