Sparky’s Espresso Cafe

closed. =(
this place was like my living room for the longest time. boooo.

R.I.P. Sparky’s

OMG! I an SO SAD that this place has closed! Did they relocate?
I love this place! It is a comfy community type coffee joint and I have so many good memories of eating hummus sandwiches and sitting with people journaling ourselves to death.
And I remember sitting on the ‘retro’ shabby furniture in the back room, having meetings and putting together workshops.
Or hanging out here right before going to the Black Cat.
I remember it having a comfy, warm vibe and it was a good place to go see what was going on in the area (in other words, their bulletin board is always packed and there were always periodicals to be had) and be with good company. Sure it was interesting to eavesdrop on conversations and people watch, but moreso just a really good place to be able to focus and feel at least somewhat connected to the people around you. As opposed to zoning out at Starbucks amidst white noise (but hey, not that there’s anything wrong with that).
It had such a great vibe and was more than just a place to eat or get coffee.
I am SO SAD! x2
Someone please tell me they just moved down the block…

Rest in Peace. You will be missed. :(

They have coffee.
It’s not bad.
You can access their intertubes for free, which is nice.

I want to like this place a lot more, but it is just not happening. The place has a bit of the dank lingering since the smoking ban. While it certainly is not unclean, I cannot say it’s very comfortable unless you get a booth. That being said, the coffee is decent and so are the booths, and if you drink, they have alcohol. I have sampled the bagels, a few pastries, and a sandwich or two. Decent, merely.
It would be easy to suggest this is a review of a pro-​Starbucks sycophant, but it would just not be true. I hate to do this to Sparky’s, but it’s not Starbucks that they fail to compare to, it’s Murky. The staff at Sparky’s is immeasurably more friendly than their counterparts (at least at the Clarendon Murky — I have not visited the E-​Mark location enough to say, though I noticed at least one barista works at both locations) but the Murky baristas are just miles ahead of the Sparky’s crew for quality espresso drinks.
So yeah, Sparky’s is a nice place to be a local, and an especially nice place to dogwatch (the regular pedestrian traffic is boosted by the pet-​daycare next door) but it’s not nearly the best coffeeshop in town by my crude measurement of product quality.

7÷5÷07: SPARKY’S IS CLOSED.
Seemingly for good. Anyone know why? What happened?
Previous Review:
Back in 2004, as the nation was grappling over the apparently difficult question of whether or not it wanted to stay the course, many individuals and institutions spoke out. There was Run Against Bush. There was Vote for Change. There was even Scientists and Engineers for America.
And then there was Sparky’s.
Large signs went up in their windows before the election bemoaning the fact that there was even a debate. And in January, the owners used signs and window soap to communicate their sentiment that those in town to celebrate the inaguration were not welcome inside. The signs lingered for weeks, and it certainly didn’t hurt their business.
Sparky’s isn’t just a coffee shop – it’s a de facto community center. I’ve seen meetings for recovering addicts. I’ve seen regular brunch groups congregate. I’ve seen ANC commissioners discussing DC politics.
In 2001 and new to DC, I lived around the corner and it became my favorite place to bring a guy for a first date. You rubbed elbows and shared tables with strangers. Some were emo, some were students with their laptops, some were neighborhood couples reading the Sunday paper. You intentionally overheard conversations.
I’ve been back occasionally since, and always feel a come-​as-​you-​are vibe. A few months ago, I was sitting outside with a friend on a Saturday morning and there were huge construction machines belching pullution and ripping up an entire lane of 14^th Street. The cacophony and lung poison didn’t matter a bit; I was sitting at Sparky’s.
The hot chocolate isn’t really that great, but everything else is just grand. The only thing sad about all of the reviews here is that it makes it that much harder for me to get a seat.
They may or may not take credit cards, but be nice and pay cash for your coffee and muffin. Give the profit to Sparky’s, not to your credit card company.

i have too many good memories of this place to give it anything but a five. the coffee is good, as american coffee places go, and the brownies are mysteriously delicious (no one there would tell me how they make them). they are the best brownies i’ve ever had. i moved away from the area so i don’t go there as much anymore, but i miss going there on a sunday, reading the washington city paper while eating a sausage and egg bagel and drinking a latte. they stopped serving booze and shortened their hours, but sparky, i still love you dearly.

Sparky’s is a great coffee shop. That being said, I’m not sure if they know a lot, technically, about brewing coffee, but for the fact that they brew EVERYTHING unbelieveably potent. They definitely know that.
The coffee here is like gasoline; a large cappuccino makes me shake.
The plus is that there are diverse people here. The minus might be that the shop is taken over by students around exam time. That having been said, an unusual enclave of anormative District residents.
Love it; go there all the time.

When i used to have to drag my laundry to the laundromat on 14^th an T, sparky’s was a great place to go read the paper and grab a cup of coffee. i appreciate the non pretention and the straightforward atmosphere.
alas, i have laundry in my current abode and don’t make it as often as I would like… thats no reason for you not to go, though!
hooray!

This is my favorite neighborhood place to grab my morning latte and sometimes a bagel with eggs and cheese too. The décor is very low-​key — some experimental art on the walls, beat-​up booths and tables, a mishmash of music over the speakers. The prices are much better than chain or chichi coffee shops and the espresso is strong and delicious. Only two complaints — it can be hard to nab a seat on the weekend and you get only an hour of wi-​fi per order. At least they still have wi-​fi on the weekends…

currently Sparky’s is relocating, the new location is still under wraps, I will post as soon as I know.
Sparky’s is the greatest coffee joint in Washington, DC. Complete with disinterested, somewhat grumpy wait-​staff … delicious coffee and down to earth ambiance, I love this place. The more you go and more you insist on being friendly, the staff will eventually open up a little. The Garden of Eden sandwich, with swiss and hummus is ridiculously perfect especially when combined with Sparky’s awesome Chai. Recently Sparky’s became all non-​smoking which was a great move for the small space. Be prepared to share a booth with strangers, or to have to wait a few minutes for a seat, it’s worth it if you love dive coffee joints like I do.

I found this place while waiting for doors to open at the Black Cat. Cute coffee bar, also comfy smoking section upstairs. a good place to come for a latte and read the city paper.

The only thing run down in this outstanding java joint is the furniture, which stands as testament to the popularity of this neighborhood watering hole. Honestly pleasent service (no one went through Starbucks «Star Service» training here — they actually care about their work and their customers, and it shows in its local popularity. And dare I say, it’s old-​school Dupont. An ecelectic mix of patrons who cherish this special gem on 14^th St.

Sparky’s is great if you look like everybody else there. If you’re weirdly dressed (y’know, shirt, tie, that kind of thing) you get odd glances. The coffee is inconstent and this especially shows in the espresso areas. I really *want* to like Sparky’s but I find myself up the road at Busboys and Poets much more these days. There’s just no Emo ‘tude, unlimited power outlets for the laptop, and free wifi at Busboys.

Awesome place. It’s friendly and inviting if you’re not expecting something cookie-​cutter. Good prices, great coffee, and good music as well. They have a selection of other beverages and food, but I’ve only ever had the coffee there. They do have a midnight breakfast option, but it’s limited to basics and doesn’t have what I really want (omelettes and has browns).