City spots: M.E. Swings Co. Coffee Roasters

Since I have lived in D.C. for three years now, I have definitely found many restaurants, cafes, parks, nooks, and crannies that have come to be my "favorites" for one reason or another. Perhaps every once in awhile I will feature one of these "City Spots" on my blog.

M.E. Swing Co.

flickr/ by tvol

Today's feature? M.E. Swing Co., Coffee Roasters on G Street, not too far from my work or the White House and Eisenhower Executive Office Building. I have always been a fan of discovering local coffee shops, for both their charm and their home-brewed coffee taste. Although I can enjoy coffee from Starbucks, Caribou, Panera, etc., I much prefer supporting a local establishment and find their coffee is often more flavorful.

M.E. Swing Co. has both the quaint historic ambiance, as well as truly amazing coffee. The coffee shop began in 1920, in it's original building on E Street, which at that time, also housed a large German roaster that was used to roast hundreds of pounds of coffee every day.

As M.E. Swing Co.'s website describes their rich history:

"The coffee business boomed in the Roaring 20’s, which saw D.C.’s E Street corridor filled with fashionable stores, soda fountains, restaurants, and clanging streetcars. Throughout the Depression of the 30's, and then the difficult war years, M.E. Swing continued to roast delicious coffee. By the 50's, Swing's Coffee was practically a D.C. institution. Congressman, ambassadors, senators, and the professional and working people of Washington came regularly to buy Swing's fresh-roasted coffee beans. As the decades passed, Swing’s has become a D.C. tradition, passed down from parents to children.

The now legendary Swing’s Coffeehouse was opened in 1994 at 1702 G Street, across from the historic Old Executive Office Building. Swing’s at G Street is filled with the original mahogany and mirrored fixtures, vintage burr grinders, wooden coffee bins, and counter-weight scales that graced the Mesco Building on E Street. Today’s M.E. Swing Coffee Roastery, located in Alexandria, VA, still operates classic German roasters, with the same craft and artistry as before, continuing the Swing’s tradition to this day. "

This coffee shop continues to be a "DC establishment" to this day. When I head there for an afternoon cup of Joe during my lunch hour, the line is often out the door, 25 people long. Lots of white-collared young professionals, government employees, and even White House special police officers frequent the joint. It really is the place to be.

My favorite coffee? If I'm ordering out, a soy latte is my beverage of choice. They also sell coffee beans by the pound, and yesterday I bought a pound of their chocolate raspberry blend. Mmm, it's just scrumptious. Almost good even to make me excited to get out of bed in the wee hours of the morning.

Definitely the next time you head down to the Capital area on a weekday (their shop is only open business hours), you must stop in and have the M.E. Swing experience!