Formerly the Trolley, owner Mike Peters has transformed the venue into a thriving neighborhood wine bar and restaurant located in Mount Pleasant. It is also worth mentioning that the venue turns into a nightclub on weekend evenings that provides a great alternative to the chaos in Adams Morgan.
Cost – $$
Service – A
The bartenders and wait staff are cool as all hell. I’m sure a great deal of the positive energy oozes down from the owner, a former part-time DJ at the 9:30 club.
Food – B+
Marx Cafe has a good selection of comfort foods and tapas, and has also quickly become one of my favorite places to grab brunch on a Sunday afternoon.
Decor – A-
Marx Cafe has an unpretentious, bare-bone aesthetic that feels clean, comfortable and hip – the venue additionally passes the daylight litmus test for cleanliness.
Feel – A-
Marx Cafe is multi-faceted in the sense that it is a good brunch venue, good neighborhood wine bar for a weekday drink, and even provides a laid-back alternative spot for a weekend soiree. It is still relatively new and remains a hidden gem that is likely to gain steam as the word gets out.
Marx Cafe is at 3203 Mount Pleasant St. NW. They can be reached at (202) 518-7600.
I was told that Mark Peters sold the place to the owners of Heller’s Bakery over a year ago.
There is a new small plates restaurant *tapas style* that is opening up in Columbia Heights on 14th. I think it’s called Social. It will be interesting to see how it measures up to a place like Marx Cafe because they are pretty close by.