Patch's Guide to Hyattsville's Busboys and Poets

Patch patrons often—probably at least three times a week.

By now, we should know how the place works. But after three months of sitting, ordering, working and watching, we still didn’t get it.

We thought you might like to know just how to make the most of your Busboys experience.

Seating

has several options:

• You can sit outside on the brick patio at one of the tables or benches. You can seat yourself here and be waited on from the full menu.

• Inside there’s a dining room with tables and booths. When you walk in, a maitre de will seat you with menus.

• To the immediate right of the dining area is a café-style section with couches, overstuffed chairs, bistro tables and high-backed chairs. You can walk in and sit wherever you’d like. This is community seating, so you won’t find much “sprawl-out” space.

• Past the café is a bar with stools, a TV and some of the restaurant’s exquisite art. Give the maitre de a heads up and sidle on over to for a cocktail and full ordering rights.

• On the other end of the building is the . This is a performance space with a stage and plenty more table and bench seating. You can only sit in here if you’re attending an event. The room is generally closed to the public when it’s not in use—which isn’t often.

Watching/Reading/Working

The dining area has a big screen TV with movies and documentaries playing on it pretty much all the time. At the bar you can watch the news, a game or commentary on the TV.

Busboys doesn’t provide reading material, but you can bring your own book or newspaper to pore over. The café area is best for this because there are a lot of comfortable chairs there.

If you’re there for a meeting or to use your laptop, you’ll definitely want to be in the dining or café areas. There are electrical outlets on the floor in the café and in some of the booths.

Ordering

Your hostess will seat you with wine and food menus. Wait staff will find you and take your order.

The wine menu includes reds, whites, roses and bubbly. A legend directs you to organic, biodynamic, fair trade or sustainable varieties.

Flip the wine menu over and find draft and bottle beers, cocktails and “eco: sips,” drinks made primarily with organic, sustainable and healthy ingredients.

For a truly local sip, try the DC Tap Water, the DMV Sundown or the Zinn Cocktail.

On the food menu you’ll find sandwiches, entrees, sides, cold beverages and warm drinks. Legends direct you to gluten free, vegan or vegetarian food.