With the end of the semester nearing, it is safe to say that most students are tired with their typical Route 1 dining options and ready for a healthy home cooked meal, but before packing your bags for winter break, make sure to stop by Bus Boys and Poets in Hyattsville, Md. for a soothing escape.
Bus Boys and Poets is a green-driven restaurant and lounge that offers food, drink, Internet, books, films, and a stage for live poetry readings and performances. Their mission statement posted online says that “Busboys and Poets is a community where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted… a place to take a deliberate pause and feed your mind, body and soul… a space for art, culture and politics to intentionally collide… we believe that by creating such a space we can inspire social change and begin to transform our community and the world.” (Photo credit to busboysandpoets.com)
The restaurant caters to all your hunger needs. Brunch is served Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays until 3 pm. There are a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options including my favorite, the Busboys and Poets French Toast, served with fresh fruit. Also served are gourmet salads, all-natural free-range burgers, paninis, sandwiches, and pizza.
If you’re looking to splurge, stop by Busboys and Poets for dinner. The entrees, typically priced around $15.95, range everywhere from blackened salmon and tilapia to pan-seared basil tofu and pesto lasagna.
“Bus Boys and Poets has a very diverse menu to fit anyone’s need. My favorite thing that I’ve ordered twice is the tilapia. It was cooked perfectly and it comes with a side of rice,” sophomore journalism major Paige Hymson said. (Photo credit to richardmorrisauthor.wordpress.com)
In 2010, the Bus Boys and Poets chain won the Mayor’s Environmental Excellence Award. Not only does the kitchen recycle their oil for biofuel, but also a great number of their products including paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum are environmentally friendly and recycled. The facility is also 100 percent wind-powered by Clean Currents. This means that any source of energy that is used is either renewable or produces little to no pollution.
The name, which is confusing to some, refers to American poet Langston Hughes. In the 1920s, Hughes had worked as a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel. He later became recognized as one of the innovators of jazz poetry. So came to be the name “Bus Boys and Poets.”
Inside the restaurant, the décor alone can keep your eyes busy. The walls are covered with artwork, wall murals, and other unique decorations. Throughout the restaurant different style seating, including high and low top tables, comfortable couches, and a bar, is offered.
Additionally, there is open microphone poetry every Thursday from 9-11 p.m. with a $4 cover at the door. On their website, www.busboysandpoets.com, a scrolling feeds offers a list of the times and dates of other upcoming events.