Starting this Sunday, Pound will be serving up more than your morning up of coffee and nutella scones. Our local coffee shop, which has been building a following for its lunch and dinner dishes, will start serving brunch. This is not the coffee shop excuse for a “brunch” that you may think – you know, the egg and cheese sandwiches that are made using a microwave and Panini-maker — Pound is stepping it up with a menu of options that showcases their ability to be more than just a coffee shop.
I had the opportunity to give this new menu a try this past weekend and was definitely pleased with what they are working on. While limited to only five choices, the food was very good, and the presentation was much more than I expected. In an effort to serve as a true restaurant for brunch, they brought in tablecloths for the back room and added full table service. The menu, which will change a bit each week, featured Nutella crepes, huevos rancheros, tocino pork, chipotle cheese grits with shrimp, and a gourmet omelet.
huevos rancheros, by Brunch Girl
While the nutella crepe sounded like a perfect sweet treat, and my southern heritage had me curious about the quality of the grits, I was craving eggs so I ordered the omelet with Portobello mushrooms, sautéed spinach and goat cheese. I’m a sucker for cheese and I had a feeling this one would hit the spot, and oh did it ever. My friend ordered the huevos rancheros, which were piled high with rice, beans and chorizo sausage, and came with a large side of fresh-cut avocado slices. It had a great spicy bite, although my friend did ask for some extra hot sauce…I guess my palate is not as southern as my heritage.
In the coming months, Pound will experiment with some new dishes on the menu and hopes to expand to Saturday as well. And with a pending liquor license application, they also hope to offer mimosas (but no bloody marys since the license will only be for wine and beer, not liquor). That liquor license will also allow them to serve as a wine bar in the evenings, so stay tuned for some more announcements as they get through the application process.
Brunch will be served on Sundays from 10am until 2pm. Pound is located at 621 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
This sounds good in theory but I wonder how they will deal with traffic and seating in their relatively small space? It’s already damn near impossible to get a table there on the weekend with the MacBookers taking hours to finish their latte, if this becomes popular enough, will they start waiter service and give tables only to those that are eating and move away from being a coffeehouse?
They have added some more seats to the front area for folks who want to just come in for coffee and working on their lap tops. By putting nice table cloths in the back, it gave a pretty clear signal to laptop folks that the tables were for people ordering meals. Space is definitely limited but they are actively searching for ways to ensure that they are accommodating patrons who are coming in for meals as well as those who just want coffee and wifi.
They have added some more seats to the front area for folks who want to just come in for coffee and working on their lap tops. By putting nice table cloths in the back, it gave a pretty clear signal to laptop folks that the tables were for people ordering meals. Space is definitely limited but they are actively searching for ways to ensure that they are accommodating patrons who are coming in for meals as well as those who just want coffee and wifi.
This sounds good in theory but I wonder how they will deal with traffic and seating in their relatively small space? It’s already damn near impossible to get a table there on the weekend with the MacBookers taking hours to finish their latte, if this becomes popular enough, will they start waiter service and give tables only to those that are eating and move away from being a coffeehouse?
@Rukasu – good point. We dropped by to get coffee today around 11:30ish and found non-brunch tables available. This was likely only because they had signs that said “no laptops, please.” The space is really small for how popular a place Pound is…
@Rukasu – good point. We dropped by to get coffee today around 11:30ish and found non-brunch tables available. This was likely only because they had signs that said “no laptops, please.” The space is really small for how popular a place Pound is…
From what I’ve heard, Pound has even more in store, including a redo of the outdoor space that will maximize seating (including heaters so it can be used long into the fall). I think that will be a welcome addition aesthetically, and offer more space for those of us wanting a place to sit while having a quick cup, and the lounging MacBookers alike.
I’ve noticed the new policy with “no laptop” and “90 minute limit” tables have at least been helping a bit with turnover.
From what I’ve heard, Pound has even more in store, including a redo of the outdoor space that will maximize seating (including heaters so it can be used long into the fall). I think that will be a welcome addition aesthetically, and offer more space for those of us wanting a place to sit while having a quick cup, and the lounging MacBookers alike.
I’ve noticed the new policy with “no laptop” and “90 minute limit” tables have at least been helping a bit with turnover.
I’m not sure the dedicated brunch area is a great idea. We got there around 10, I think, and the brunch section was empty while the general area in the front was packed. Maybe not enough people know about the brunch yet, but I thought it was unfortunate that the quieter part in the back was not accessible to customers who don’t want to have a meal. We wanted to have brunch but then stay to do some studying afterwards; the staff was totally fine with this but it was a little awkward studying on a white tableclothed surface.
The food was great, though. I had the huevos rancheros and thought they were perfect. There are still some kinks to be worked out with the table service– for example they forgot to bring out cream and spoons for the coffee– but the staff was extremely attentive.
Personally I think Pound should let brunch customers and regular customers sit wherever they want, but have servers take their orders and deliver food and drinks to their tables, much like Tryst does. This would best utilize the space and allow brunch-goers to do normal “coffee-shop stuff” as well.
I’m glad you liked the food!
I actually think it’s a decent solution to serving both groups. It may not be perfect now, and the management is certainly not saying it is, but it’s something they are working on. I’ve always found it really challenging to find a table there — and every coffee shop on the Hill — because of how many people camp out for hours on their laptops. I’ll come in to get work done as well, but they are trying to also serve as a restaurant and have had a tough time ensuring that there are any tables for the people who want meals. To stay in business, they need to find some solution and I think this is better than turning off the wifi on weekend, like Port City Java does. Ultimately, while most of us are good patrons, not everyone is. The morning I was there, someone sat down with a cup of coffee from a different coffee shop…he had no intentions of buying anything, he just wanted to use the free wifi.
I’m not sure the dedicated brunch area is a great idea. We got there around 10, I think, and the brunch section was empty while the general area in the front was packed. Maybe not enough people know about the brunch yet, but I thought it was unfortunate that the quieter part in the back was not accessible to customers who don’t want to have a meal. We wanted to have brunch but then stay to do some studying afterwards; the staff was totally fine with this but it was a little awkward studying on a white tableclothed surface.
The food was great, though. I had the huevos rancheros and thought they were perfect. There are still some kinks to be worked out with the table service– for example they forgot to bring out cream and spoons for the coffee– but the staff was extremely attentive.
Personally I think Pound should let brunch customers and regular customers sit wherever they want, but have servers take their orders and deliver food and drinks to their tables, much like Tryst does. This would best utilize the space and allow brunch-goers to do normal “coffee-shop stuff” as well.
I’m glad you liked the food!
I actually think it’s a decent solution to serving both groups. It may not be perfect now, and the management is certainly not saying it is, but it’s something they are working on. I’ve always found it really challenging to find a table there — and every coffee shop on the Hill — because of how many people camp out for hours on their laptops. I’ll come in to get work done as well, but they are trying to also serve as a restaurant and have had a tough time ensuring that there are any tables for the people who want meals. To stay in business, they need to find some solution and I think this is better than turning off the wifi on weekend, like Port City Java does. Ultimately, while most of us are good patrons, not everyone is. The morning I was there, someone sat down with a cup of coffee from a different coffee shop…he had no intentions of buying anything, he just wanted to use the free wifi.
This might bring up a bigger question for Pound and similar places: what does the storefront want to be? Is it a coffee house? Is it a restaurant? Is it a restaurant with a small lounge (and if so, does it need wifi)? Does it really need a liquor license?
I hope the brunch works well for them, but there’s an obvious need for coffee houses on the Hill that can accommodate all the third-place work needing to be done. Focusing on the stellar coffee and small plates (which Pound does very well) and leaving brunch service to full restaurants may serve them and the neighborhood better in the long run.
Agreed. One reason I tend to prefer Peregrine over Pound is that despite Peregrine’s lack of seating, you don’t smell like grease when you leave. But I completely understand Pound’s need to make ends meet.
Good news…as part of our improvements, we are also installing better ventilation 🙂
Clarification though….we RARELY ever generate grease in our styles of cooking…
Thanks Caroline and everyone for commenting. The issues you are all discussing are all things that the ownership of Pound have been over and over and over again. We’ve always intended to have an internationally inspired cafe while maintaining a very local, neighborhood vibe. We originally intended to do that with a primary focus on the coffee shop approach but unfortunately that just doesn’t fly for a space as big as ours (relative to a normal coffee shop). With the rents of Eastern Market and all of the other barriers to doing business in DC, you just can’t pay the bills in a space like ours by selling coffee and pastries. It’s just not possible.
We’ve always been a lot more than just coffee and we want our great food to help us grow, but it has not been possible because our customers can never find a place to eat. We have a chef and a full culinary team. We have a lot of international cuisine experience and we have a huge passion for delicious food from all over. But when you can’t find a place to sit in a restaurant, you simply don’t eat there. That’s obviously a huge problem for us and one that requires us to make changes. 90% of our tables are consumed all day long by one laptop and one cup of coffee. We love the coffee shop culture, but it doesn’t pay the bills.
Pound The Hill will continue to be a neighborhood focused cafe, just one that is more full service and can provide great food and coffee and a spot to hang out during the day, as well as a place to meet with friends for a glass of a wine or a micro-brew at night and have a great, unique dinner experience.
I don’t want us to really have the complete (often confusing) Tryst experience, we plan to only have waited table service during brunch and dinner (once we implement our new dinner service with beer & wine). We want to remain a casual neighborhood spot. But if you guys would prefer waited service at all times like Tryst, we are always open to feedback!
Thanks so much for the feedback, we are super excited about growing and remaining a favorite Hill spot! We live here too.
This might bring up a bigger question for Pound and similar places: what does the storefront want to be? Is it a coffee house? Is it a restaurant? Is it a restaurant with a small lounge (and if so, does it need wifi)? Does it really need a liquor license?
I hope the brunch works well for them, but there’s an obvious need for coffee houses on the Hill that can accommodate all the third-place work needing to be done. Focusing on the stellar coffee and small plates (which Pound does very well) and leaving brunch service to full restaurants may serve them and the neighborhood better in the long run.
Agreed. One reason I tend to prefer Peregrine over Pound is that despite Peregrine’s lack of seating, you don’t smell like grease when you leave. But I completely understand Pound’s need to make ends meet.
Good news…as part of our improvements, we are also installing better ventilation 🙂
Clarification though….we RARELY ever generate grease in our styles of cooking…
Thanks Caroline and everyone for commenting. The issues you are all discussing are all things that the ownership of Pound have been over and over and over again. We’ve always intended to have an internationally inspired cafe while maintaining a very local, neighborhood vibe. We originally intended to do that with a primary focus on the coffee shop approach but unfortunately that just doesn’t fly for a space as big as ours (relative to a normal coffee shop). With the rents of Eastern Market and all of the other barriers to doing business in DC, you just can’t pay the bills in a space like ours by selling coffee and pastries. It’s just not possible.
We’ve always been a lot more than just coffee and we want our great food to help us grow, but it has not been possible because our customers can never find a place to eat. We have a chef and a full culinary team. We have a lot of international cuisine experience and we have a huge passion for delicious food from all over. But when you can’t find a place to sit in a restaurant, you simply don’t eat there. That’s obviously a huge problem for us and one that requires us to make changes. 90% of our tables are consumed all day long by one laptop and one cup of coffee. We love the coffee shop culture, but it doesn’t pay the bills.
Pound The Hill will continue to be a neighborhood focused cafe, just one that is more full service and can provide great food and coffee and a spot to hang out during the day, as well as a place to meet with friends for a glass of a wine or a micro-brew at night and have a great, unique dinner experience.
I don’t want us to really have the complete (often confusing) Tryst experience, we plan to only have waited table service during brunch and dinner (once we implement our new dinner service with beer & wine). We want to remain a casual neighborhood spot. But if you guys would prefer waited service at all times like Tryst, we are always open to feedback!
Thanks so much for the feedback, we are super excited about growing and remaining a favorite Hill spot! We live here too.