Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe & Grill

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | $$

Atmosphere: Right off the Metro, and a door or two down from Connecticut Wine & Liquor, which is the absolute mecca of "out of the market" destination for most of us.

Quality: Thank god for this place: My wife now has a place to shop for books, get her coffee, and grab an alcoholic drink in a one-stop-shop.

Service and Selection: Never eaten here before, but I totally appreciate the bartender letting me know a couple of beer whales were on the menu. I came here before when CBS was an offering. Pretty cool.

Value: Like the rest of the DC area: It is what it is. Whatcha gonna do, huh?

02-20-2013 06:29:28 | More by Chaney

jonmacklin

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$

Let me start off by saying that this is not a beer bar, but rather a bookstore, restaurant that also has cool little bar with some thought out and interesting drafts. From the outside you would have no idea what is actually inside. its not necessarily a destination place like church key or black squirrel but if you're in the neighborhood/area it is def worth stopping in.

anyway was in town for work and was shopping for beers next door at connecticut ave liquor and one of the guys in there reccomended I check out kramers as it was right next door.

I was super impressed to see that they had 120 minute on draft... first ever draft experience for me, so that was pretty cool. they have 10-15 drafts & a few other highlights included: brooklyn maple porter, old rasputin & troegs hopback.

again, its not a beer bar and it isn't trying to be. but it is a great neighborhood spot to check out and have a drink or two.

04-03-2012 12:03:30 | More by jonmacklin

ferrari29

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$$

Located smack-dab in the middle of DuPont Circle. Prime place for hipsters, suits, politicos and any other walk of life to stop by, check out a book, grab a drink, and eat some cafe style food in the wee hours of the morning.

I really like the idea and setup of the place. Book prices were a bit high, no discounts. The bar is perfectly situated in the back half of the bookstore and opposite the cafe. The cafe always seems to be packed, I haven't tried the food there yet, but I assume that the food is either great or everyone wants to be in the middle of the hippest area in town. I really dig the unique selection of beer, small choices, but a touch of everything. I'll be back again for sure.

Here's a selection what beers and/or brewers they had on-tap for the evening:

Special: Loose Cannon IPA
Great Lakes - Lake Erie
Brooklyn
Rogue
Tregs - Sunshine Pils
Allagash
Victory - Hop Devil
Lagunitas
Wyld - Organic Extra Pale
Abita Beer
DcBrau

06-25-2011 02:44:27 | More by ferrari29

smakawhat

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

For this area in Dupont circle this a great quick place to come in and get a simple drink.

There are usually about 10 offerings available all on tap, and some bottles, you won't find a single BMC product on tap here at all. There are also some nice whiskeys and upper shelf spirits to enjoy also.

Beer on tap here is actually very reasonable for price for this area. The bar area though is small but on a quiet day it's a great place to have a simple good cheap drink and kick back. However, after 5 PM the place gets busy.

Food here isn't that much great, but the one thing that it does excel at are the deserts which are step above average. My Wild Ale was served a little too cold, but other than that I don't have any major complaints.

03-07-2011 18:20:51 | More by smakawhat

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

My attempt to get into Pizzeria Paradiso at Dupont Circle was halted by the ungainly masses mobbing the entrance. There is no way I would want to fight a mob for a brew and a pizza.

So I walked down to Kramerbooks! I had read the BA listing and wanted to give it a try. WOW! This ain't no ordinary beer-bar-on-the-back-of-a-bookstore place. The lineup is tremendous- 15 taps including Goose Island Bourbon County, Sophie and Matilda, Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, Allagash White, Brooklyn Brewmaster, Rogue Dead Guy, Great Divide Wild Raspberry... serious selection!

The atmosphere is alright, not special. A pretty average-looking bar on the back of the bookstore. No wood, dim lights or comfy sofas here- this looks more like a Starbucks with craft beer. It can get a bit loud, but not crazy.

I didn't try food but looks more than decent: lobster cobb, pumpkin ravioli, seared tuna, scallops... not your average bar food!

Service was exceptional. Big friendly bartender didn't miss a beat (or maybe one, but only one) and was real nice. Not only that but he offered a half-pint of Goose Bourbon for free, just because! And then bought my pint of Loose Cannon too.

I understand this was due to the shocking $12 price-tag of my Bourbon County, but still, it is a most generous gesture. Other beers are priced at $6, good price for DC.

I would come back here often if I lived in DC, and will visit again next time.

01-14-2011 18:28:38 | More by DoubleSimcoe

jdense

Oregon

3.94/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Visited during DC beer sojourn 11.13.10.

Located in the posh and spending DuPont Circle neighborhood, Kramerbooks Afterwords is located in the rear of a busy independent bookstore, with food provided by an adjacent restaurant located via a backdoor on the next street. Atmosphere was like, err, a beer bar in the back of a bookstore, a 10 seat bar and about 4 small tables, not a lot of room. The taps were above average quality, 18 including Great Lakes Elliot Ness, Abita, Magic Hat, Goose Island Sofie and Matilda and a Brooklyn Brewmaster's Reserve they were out of (bummer). They also had an extensive wine menu. I didn't eat the food and didn't see anybody eating. Service was attentive and pleasant and prices were reasonable. A different business concept to be sure, worth checking out when in the DuPont Circle area to make sure you haven't missed anything on your beers to drink list.

11-21-2010 19:36:08 | More by jdense

BretSikkink

Mexico

4.14/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Went a little out of the way to get up to Dupont Circle for this one. It was early afternoon by the time we arrived, so we were the only patrons at the 10-seat bar except for a very sad and sodden gentleman - a risk you run anywhere alcohol is served. I don't hold it against Afterwords.

Close to 20 taps, which is great. Prices are acceptable for their location, and they are uniform here, which is nice. Our server was pleasant and friendly, but not overly knowledgeable. In general, books and brews go great together, and putting an indie bookstore with some great micros and imports is a fantastic idea. Kramerbooks and Afterwords both get a big thumbs up from me.

12-25-2009 03:24:26 | More by BretSikkink

macpapi

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Kramerbooks and Afterwords is quite a unique place that seems to thrive on catering to a niche market. It is a great locale for book lovers who appreciate good craft brews.

Walking in the front door of the establishment, one encounters an independant-type of bookstore. As both a beer and book lover, let me just say that for a store that is much smaller than your normal Borders or Barnes and Noble, Kramerbooks has a great selection of many essentials and several unique literary offerings. I have spent quite a while in the book section on more than one occasion, and think just going to this place to look for reading material alone is worth the trip. But since this review is about the restaurant/bar (which really is separate from the bookstore) I do not include that part of the establishment in my review.

The dining/drinking portion--undoubtedly the Afterwords described in its name--includes both a small barroom and larger dining area. The bar seats 10, maybe 12 people with small table space for about 10-15 more. It is rather dark and cozy, without a television, which would seem to fit a place dedicated to reading. The restaurant portion includes many tables, yet still manages to retain an intimate atmosphere. Several interesting posters adorn the walls, lending to the ambiance.

Beer selection is quite good. There are 16-18 drafts. Just about all of them are craft and gourmet Euro offerings. They are listed on the beer menu from light to dark, with an informative description of each. A sampling of their beer list includes Founder's Porter, Allagash White, Magic Hat Odd Notion, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Bellhaven Scottish Ale, Bell's Two Hearted, Hofbrau Maibock, and Smuttynose Brown Dog. On the last visit I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that my 8+ percent Victory Hop Devil actually came in a real sixteen oz. pint glass!! All drafts are six dollars, a relative bargain for downtown D.C.

Service is very friendly with a bit of knowledge about their beers. The description provided by our waitress of the seasonal offerings were not perfect, but still helpful. I was quite impressed with the amount of attention that our servers have given at this restaurant. It is definitely a plus in my book.

Food is appetizing and somewhat unique, if a bit expensively priced. I'm giving a reasonable value rating based on the good value of beer and slightly above average cost of food. Nonetheless, the food is good and flavorful.

On the whole, Kramerbooks and Afterwards is a pretty cool place. I really enjoy combining perusing their book selection before or after having a fine brew or two and some good grub. A nice find in Dupont Circle.

12-06-2009 23:47:02 | More by macpapi

hmarebel02

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 2 | food: 4 | $$

This is a bookstore/brewpub/all night cafe. Its a great place in the heart of Dupont circle. The beer is pretty average so you won't find any microbrews. However, they do have palatable selections other than Bud/Miller/Coors. The food is great, and the scene for meeting singles is great due to the bookstore aspect of the cafe. Great place to do as a night-cap or after party. More caffeine heads at this place than beer heads, but people are nice and its open super-late!

Come to this place if you are looking for any of the following:
laid-back atmosphere, good desserts, a place to meet literate people, an eclectic atmosphere.

04-20-2009 23:19:56 | More by hmarebel02

timmay41

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Went on a bustling Friday night around 9pm but only had to wait 20 minutes for a table. The service at the bar wasn't great while we waited, but it was excusable because of how busy it was. Draft selection included all American craft brews as I recall, from Great Divide (Titan IPA) to Brooklyn Brewery (Chocolate Stout) to Allagash (White). Pint prices ranged from $5.50 to $7.

The restaurant section of this bookstore-cafe hybrid is a somewhat confusing little labyrinth, especially after having a couple. The dining room is split up in weird ways, with mirrors indiscriminately posted in some, but not all, walls. Disorienting. The bathrooms are a couple floors up, and you need a token from a server to get into the door to do your business. But our server was great--attentive but not pushy. The food was really interesting and creative, and for DC the prices were fine. The big deal was a full pint of Brooklyn Chocolate Stout for $6. That was a great dessert.

Overall this establishment fuses two of my favorite things--books and beer. A funky, unique place worth checking out.

04-16-2009 05:24:52 | More by timmay41