Notes Cafe

this isn't notes anymore -it's the sparrow tavern. and it's just that - a tavern. Not a coffee place.

Notes Cafe gets four stars for being the ONLY place in downtown Washington offering something to do after dark.  During the day, it's a coffee shop.  At night, it's a sort of dive bar / lounge.  On weekends you can often find a cast of local folks performing live music here.  (I actually joined in the music-making myself this past weekend, and had a good time.)  Notes also has some sort of video projection system that operates as a big-screen television--not bad for watching games.  There is outdoor seating in the back, but your only view is of a parking lot.  People don't seem to mind, though.  Actually, I'm not even sure "street-side" outdoor seating exists in downtown Washington at all.

Be prepared for a few inconveniences.  First, there is only one commode; and I don't mean one toilet per gender, I mean one toilet total.  So don't "break the seal" if you can help it, or you'll spend an awful lot of time standing in the bathroom line.  Second, it takes a long time to get to the counter to order drinks; there is only one ordering station, and the line stacks up pretty quickly.

The bottom line is that I hope Notes can stay open for a long time.  Washington really needs something like this, and I think the owners are making an admirable effort to run a good business.  Check it out if you're in the area.