Busboys and Poets
$$$ ā¢ Restaurant
Most Recent Reviews
I have eaten there about 10 times, and have now been glutened twice-- both times symptoms showed up after a few bites, then I confirmed by a lateral-flow gluten test that the food was cross-contaminated. I had a third near-miss when my food was brought out with croutons on it. Fine for gluten-sensitive folks, but not for celiacs.
After reading reviews on here about the gf fried chicken for our daughter did not disappoint. Cute restraint with gf clearly marked on menu.
Really fun spot with the most delicious GF fried chicken!
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The food was good (though the portions were a little small for the price). GF is labeled on the menu but there are TONS of options that you can get and substitute the bread for GF bread. They’re knowledgeable, labeled my food as an allergy without me even having to ask, and have the ingredients of the food on their handheld notepad in case you have questions or want to do subs.
Got dinner, Salmon with rice and the house salad were delicious. However they was a lot of miscommunication between staff on what was truly safe or not.
There is little I could eat here- because of having Celiac's. However the wait staff is very knowledgeable and helped me pick out a salad.
I didn’t get sick however ordered omelette and they still brought regular toast even though I specifically said no toast and “serious gluten allergy - celiac” … also thru said cheese grits were not gf but they couldn’t say why. Didn’t inspire confidence
II was recently diagnosed as having Celiac so I am new to gluten free. Based on how my order arrived at the table, this is not a dedicated GF facility. I ordered the Oaxaca Omelette with home fries (not deep fried). I did ask the waitress to make sure it was a gluten free item and she assured me it was. There was no toast listed on the menu, but when the plate showed up there was toast. I took the toast off immediately and the servers went to the kitchen to see if it was gluten free - it wasn't. The omelette and potatoes was very good and I had no issues after eating the meal.
The service was very good as was the food.
Great spot for brunch + books! Omelet and breakfast potatoes were delicious, and so were the mimosas. They had GF pancakes on the menu as well!
large number of items are marked gluten free and when I asked the waiter about the fried chicken (because I was a little doubtful), she said that sometimes things with gluten go into the fryer (which didn’t make it clear if there was supposed to be a dedicated fryer or if it was just a shared). Had the beef chili soup which was good along with the nachos (I didn’t feel sick so those may have been safe, I was just really hungry and powered through those).
Based on the different knowledge levels of waiters from these reviews, I’d just go with your gut on what is naturally gluten free or what could potentially have cross contamination on how it’s made. A shame that they’re not better with their cooking because it is a very good looking menu.
Items are marked gluten-free, but done in a shared fryer. We ordered the brussels sprouts told they were gluten-free and later that they were in fact done in a shared fryer. I would not recommend if you are celiac.
Food was amazing I took every last crumb home they had gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian marked on the items that applied on the menu. the only issue was that the service was not so great, they seemed distracted and unorganized.
Not a good choice for ones with Celiac. Yes they have gluten free choices on menu, however fryer is shared and my “gluten free” salad came with two strips of crispy bread on it. Wait staff did not seem to be knowledgeable about celiac
No dedicated fryer for the fried chicken. I called to confirm that they have a dedicated fryer and was told that they do not. The fryer is shared with food with gluten. They told me the fried chicken was not safe for people with celiac.
Clearly marked menu and the server knew what she was talking about. I was able to have FRIED CHICKEN for the first time in years. They have a lot of breakfast options too but they stopl serving at 3 and I missed it. Very good, cute place, worth it.
Had the nachos and they were delicious. Would recommend.
I was a little worried because the waitress did not know if the fryer was dedicated, and didn’t return with a for sure answer. But I had tacos and fries and they were excellent and I did not get sick.
This is my second visit! I ordered the gluten free fried chicken the other night and it was amazing!! I'm ordering the nachos tonight, and confirmed GF so I think results will be good. Nice place with wonderful people. Feels good here! I'm Celiac and it's been good!
This location has moved across the street to 450 K St., NW. Tasty food, lots of options. I have eaten here safely many times.
The gluten-free fried chicken and french fries were delicious. And I had no negative reactions. They use a dedicated fryer.
We were so excited to try this place out and were disappointed that at the hostess station a sign was posted saying that foods are in a cross-contaminated kitchen. We left.
Babe you were the other night. Their food was delicious and I didn’t have any digestive issues. Thumbs up for me
I got sick from the food - The manager then told me that they cook the gluten free french toast, etc. on the same surface as items containing gluten.
GF fried chicken (!!) and hazelnut chocolate cake. Both were lovely, neither gave me trouble. Space was a bit loud, but staff took the time to understand my needs through the noise.
So happy to be able to eat gluten free French toast! They do warn you that it may not be completely free of cross contamination but they try their best. I am super sensitive and did not have a reaction. My mom is also very sensitive and she didn’t have a reaction either.
I had a severe reaction here from the burger and sweet potato fries. Potentially cross contamination but those who are sensitive I would avoid.
GF Fried Chicken was AMAZING! I made my husband order the sweet potato fries too so I could try them and they were incredible! So thankful we tried out this place!
This place is amazing! So many clearly marked GF menu options. I had the falafel as a starter which was amazing and a good portion for two to share. I ordered the vegetarian curry which was on point. According to the kitchen stuff they have four separate deep fryers in order to separate gluten as well as separate the meat from the non-meat dishes. I had some of my spouses meal and which was the catfish and corn cake which was so so so good. Zero problems with cross-contamination.
Yummy. It’s hard to find gf fried chicken but they nailed it. I will be dreaming of their sweet potato fries until I visit D.C again next
We went for brunch, there are clearly marked GF options and everything was delicious. Definitely will be a restaurant we go to every time we are in DC!!
I have had both the pizza and the chicken without any problems. I have visited maybe 3-5 times without issues and staff is very knowledgeable about gluten!!! I will continue to go back!
This place is my DC favorite. GF options are clearly marked and staff are very pleasant. The fried chicken is a definite win AND they have gf dessert options
Highly recommend! Over 50% of the menu is GF! Chicken is cage free. Most food and product is organic and VERY fresh! Every GF item we ate was DELICIOUS! We enjoyed the fried chicken, GF bread used with the grilled bacon and cheese sandwich, and delicious hazelnut chocolate cake. Yum! Everything was super fresh. Super yummy. We will definitely go back again!
We really enjoyed dinner. The gluten free folks dined on French fries, fruit, mashed potatoes, the BEST nachos ever, poached pear salad and beans and wild rice. Seriously delicious. The only things fried in the fryer are GF. When our server didn't know the answers to my gluten free and allergy questions the manager came over. Very nice and very knowledgeable
I appreciated the fact that I had more than one gf choice for dinner. I get irritated when there is only one thing...and it is something I don't like. I had the shrimp and grits. They were very good. I did taste my husband's fried chicken, also gf. Everything was good. I had the gf hazlenut cake. It was a little dry...but I'm not complaining. As a side note, my bil is df and had the regular pizza with the df cheese--and loved it. He ate the whole thing, which is very unlike him.
Was excited to get fried gluten free foods, but asked before ordering if they use a dedicated gf fryer and the manager said no. They have 2 fryers... One for vegetarian food and one for non-vegetarian foods. Ended up going somewhere else since I have celiac and can't have foods cross-contaminated.
Excellent fried chicken. There is a good selection of gluten free items and service was great. They have a good knowledge of gluten allergies and take every precaution to assure the customer it is safe to eat.
Amazing food and diligently gluten free! Plus I met Angela Davis here š
So thankful for places like this where a Celiac can eat fried food safely. I had the fried chicken with mashed potatoes under delicious white gravy. Southern cooking without gluten, and it was only about $15. First time I'd had fried chicken at a restaurant since diagnosis. The gravy made it even better. As an appetizer, we had nachos. The toppings were great, though the chips left a bit to be desired.
Very reliably delicious. Went for brunch and got Mekhleme, an Iraqi dish with eggs, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and spices. Delicious. This local chain clearly marks regular menu with GF symbol, though not brunch menu. They were happy to check with chef on dishes for me the first time I came, so I ordered the same thing this time around. Most brunch items come with toast, and as a non-celiac I didn't bother alerting them not to include it this time - I simply didn't eat it. It wasn't a problem on my first visit asking them to leave it out, and I'm pretty sure they let me sub for fruit. they're very knowledgeable and cater to special diets (vegan, etc.)
The waiter let me know that vegan and gluten were their specialty, so they would make sure I was taken care of. I ordered an omelette, and asked for mixed greens instead of their other side options. It was great, I'd definitely go back!
I was looking at their menu to see what their gluten free options were. I noticed the Chicken Barley Soup was listed as one of their gluten free options!!!! I called the restaurant and was told there was not wheat in the soup and was therefore gluten free. I educated the manager and he said he would contact their department/person who handled the menu to have them change it. Based on this error, I did not feel comfortable going to this restaurant and I was not sure what other mistakes have been made in their labeling.
Reviews of this Chain
Quality food but not safe for celiacs
Amazing fried chicken! Fun atmosphere. Knowledgeable server.
Although gluten free options are available, the staff were not at all helpful or interested in allergies. Our order was messed up with half the food missing.
I loved the fried chicken here! So nice to have southern comfort food. I will say I’m only intolerant not celiac so no symptoms for me. Cute little bookshop too.
Went here for a work gathering and asked the manager about their kitchen policies to ensure food is gluten free and minimize risk of cross-contact. Was told that no such policies exist. Shared fryer, shared stovetops, shared utensils. Ended up not ordering anything.
