The Wydown

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Wydown
Location visited: 14th St, Washington DC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Long weekends on the road often make coffeeshops the perfect oasis for some leg stretching and refueling. Recently after spending some time relaxing with friends in Crystal City, my family was heading north towards NJ, when a (typical) major traffic upset sent us on an odd detour through the middle of DC. While driving through our nation's capital can be an inconvenience, in this case it actually made for a perfect opportunity to hit a coffee establishment that's been on my list for some time: the Wydown.

With two attractive locations, I found myself easily detouring to their 14th St location and finding some easy parking right across the street. Walking past the patio patrons enjoying the warm afternoon, I ducked inside to find a pleasantly lit shop complete with monochromatic walls accented with light, natural woods. 

Already aware of their serious approach to coffee, I was thrilled to find their dueling espresso machine setup with a host of reputable roasters such as Heart, Passenger and Sump. For my coffee that day, I ordered an espresso of Heart's Stereo Blend and a pourover of a Colombian single origin from Sump. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, exploded with notes of chocolate, croissant, seltzer, blackberry, raisins and vanilla cake. The pourover also made for an excellent brew, full of honey, cream, pear, grape, berry jam, sourdough and bran in a light/medium body.


Feeling fully sated and reenergized, I left the Wydown pleased with my experience and ready to tackle the rest of the drive back to Jersey. If you happen to be near either Wydown, definitely make a stop in for some excellent coffee.



These wonderful folks made this visit possible in part. Make sure to check them out!