Rue Cafe opened earlier in the year and has quickly become a favorite spot for locals.

by Maya Gold

The minute I walked into Rue Cafe on 14th Street, I felt utterly at home. Between the soft lighting, comfy looking chairs, and gentle white noise of people hanging out and coffee being made, it was clearly the kind of place you want to stay for a while.

According to owners Nebiyou Haddis and his daughter Bethlehem Nebiyou, that’s absolutely the goal. Haddis has been in the area for more than twenty years — the family also owns the grocery and convenience store next door. “We know this area, we know this place,” Haddis explained.

When they acquired the space that would become Rue Cafe, they spent a long time thinking about the best use for it, and ultimately decided on a coffee shop. They had its soft opening in late February.

“The neighborhood really needed a hangout spot: a community area where people can come and do their work,” said Nebiyou. “We decided on coffee because we’re Ethiopian, so coffee means a lot to us. We really wanted to bring a piece of Ethiopia to the neighborhood.”

*Two of the cafe’s owners, Bethlehem Nebiyou (L) and her father Nebiyou Haddis (R ). The family also owns the grocery and convenience store next door to Rue Cafe.*

To that point, all of their coffee is brewed from different regions of Ethopia. A mural on the far wall of the cafe explains the different types of coffee, from Harar to Yergacheffe. The name of the cafe is also a shout out to Ethiopian coffee.

“Rue is the name of an herb in Ethiopian culture that we put in our coffee,” Nebiyou says. “It takes away the bitterness and has a lot of medicinal properties.”

I try the latte and the quinoa bowl, and both are as delicious as they are pretty. The latte is sweet and satisfying, and the quinoa bowl is crisp and refreshing. It’s a perfect meal for someone doing some work or just enjoying the space.

More than coffee, though, the family wants the café to be a part of the community — they put up a newsboard for the neighborhood to utilize. “We don’t want to tie ourselves to the traditional cafe,” says Neibyou. “We want it to be much more than that. We want to be really involved and support local community organizations. We want everyone to know that this is that place.”

Nebiyou explains further: “People can come here, give us suggestions, tell us what they want to see. We obviously have an idea of what we want to bring but we really want to listen to the public and hear what they’re looking for in a cafe.”

Rue Cafe
3906 14th ST NW
7am - 5pm Monday - Friday
8am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday
ruecafe.com