Tryst Coffeehouse and Bar
2459 18th St. N.W.
Eighteenth Street N.W. – home to TomTom, Madams Organ, The Reef and Tryst.
Tryst may bill itself as a coffeehouse, but when I stumbled upon this hip locale at 1:30 a.m., it sure didn’t feel like one.
Yes, there are comfortable couches. Yes, there is a beautiful espresso machine. Yes, people had their laptops out. But Tryst also has a fully stocked bar, a friendly staff, funky music and fabulous drink specials every night of the week.
This bar pulls in a lot of locals (people actually do live in Adams Morgan), and I can easily see wanting to make Tryst “my bar.” Too bad I don’t live closer.
And though the neighborhood folk may be seen here frequently, there is no need to worry about fitting in. Featuring one of the most eclectic crowds I have ever seen, Tryst would work for me if I were dressed up or down. That means you’ll see polo-wearing yuppies, modded indie hipsters, swanky club-goers and the quintessential unclean homeless man.
If the interesting people in the bar and walking by don’t give you enough to talk about, the artwork will. From pictures of celebrities in their bathtubs with cigars and coffee mugs to black and white photos placed sporadically around the walls, they are an interesting complement to the bar’s living room feel.
Tryst is one of the few bars I have gone into that is happily offering drink specials for any and every occasion. In addition, the amazing espresso bar at Tryst has provided some unique opportunities to give your body an unusual pick-me-up instead of that usual Vodka and Red Bull (or Jager and Red Bull, God forbid).
Tryst’s specialties include Rude Boys and Defrains. A Rude Boy is a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream with a shot of espresso, and a Defrain is a pint of Guinness with a shot of espresso.
Mondays through Thursdays from 11 p.m. to close, the drink specials are $3 draughts, $4 for a glass of Shiraz and $4 Rude Boys and Defrains.
And if the weekend is when you find yourself milling around Adams Morgan, fear not. Friday through Sunday you can get $4 for any vodka drink of your choice, $5 martinis, $5 Kamikazes and $4 Rude Boys.
If you’ve got a hankering for a snack that is a little different from the usual pizza at Jumbo Slice, Tryst has you covered. Complete with a full lineup of waffles (covered in Nutella and strawberries, if that’s your fancy) and other small snack foods, it’s a great spot to hit up before or after your usual Adams Morgan routine.
With all the choices, I opted for the cheap Shiraz and a delightful hummus plate while sitting on one of Tryst’s overstuffed couches before heading back to my bed.
Bar Belle Rating:
