So many things to love about Emma's torch! First and foremost is their mission - providing culinary training to refugees to empower them to have the skills and confidence to succeed in the food industry. This was apparent in the warm, welcoming atmosphere where everyone was working together as a team, learning, being patient, and you could see the growth and confidence happening in real time. It was really inspiring to see. Service was great - quick, friendly, and helpful. The food was very tasty and inexpensive - breakfast sandwiches were well-portioned and under $10. They also had lattes, coffees, and teas. They have an outdoor patio overlooking Rhode Island Avenue and seating inside with their nternet if you are looking for a workspace, meeting place, or coffee/snack shop. Emma's Torch seemed to be a community favorite with returning customers greater warmly and community activities and events posted in the store. This will become a regular part of our rotation! read more

See all

I randomly found Emma's Torch on Yelp while looking for a breakfast spot in the area. Upon entry, I noticed how small and quaint it was. They were also playing great music. Customer service was great and I was greeted immediately. It wasn't crowded but there was a steady flow of customers while I was there. I ordered the Breakfast Wrap, which was fantastic along with a Granny Smith apple lemonade. I would've never thought to put those two items together but it was easily one of the best lemonades I've ever tried. I had to order a second one when my daughter decided my drink was now for her. Speaking of, my daughter ordered the Nutella Stuffed French Toast and rated it a 100/10. While waiting for my order, I had a chance to speak with one of the head chef's and he told me about the culinary program their offer to teach refugees culinary skills. I loved hearing that tidbit about the shop and found it truly admirable. Overall, my only gripe is the street parking situation can be a little tough but it wasn't too bad on this particular morning. I would absolutely return. read more

See all

Cute little place tucked in an inconspicuous stretch on Rhode Island. It has a few tables inside, with outside seating when the weather permits. Very informal, comfortable vibe. The latte was nice, and a huge egg and cheese biscuit all for $12. The staff is all really pleasant and contribute to the welcoming environment. read more

Emma's Torch - Egg and cheese biscuit, and latte - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I hate to to give this place such a poor review because they seem to support refugee communities and run by quite good people. However the food and coffee were exceptionally underwhelming. I got an iced oat milk latte with brown cinnamon sugar. It tasted like 11 ounces of oat milk with half a shot of espresso. The bacon egg and cheese and chicken sausage egg and cheese my partner and I had were also not good. The biscuits were really dry. The bacon was overcooked and burnt. Would not recommend read more

Emma's Torch - Bacon egg and cheese - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Wish I lived closer, this would be one of my neighborhood spots to go to on the weekend. I knew nothing about this place when I walked in, but wanted to try the hawaij mocha which I've never seen before. There was some confusion when ordering and I noticed the cashier was having a hard time understanding me and I couldn't figure out why at first. But It finally dawned on me that the staff was learning English and I saw this place helps refugees. I made sure to speak a little slower and use more common words. Learning a new language is really hard and it's easy to get overwhelmed so I get it. The owner was really nice and caught me staring off into space when I was waiting for my coffee so she wanted to make sure I didn't have a bad experience. I thought that was really kind of her, I forget I get lost in my own head sometimes and it probably looks weird to other people. I didn't get a chance to try the food, but if I'm ever in the area I'd like to try it. The hawaij coffee had a very hearty flavor to it. Hawaij spices are often used in soup, so it almost reminded me of a hearty soup with coffee. I'm happy I tried it, but I think I'll try something else next time. Overall I wish I had a place like this closer to me. They take feedback really well and everyone is so nice. I go out for brunch every weekend, it would be amazing if every place had a good cause like Emma's Torch. read more

Cute, relaxing ambiance, delicious drinks and food - the breakfast wrap was HEAVENLY. Service was good. read more

See all

Emma's Torch is more than a coffee shop. They employ refugees and asylees, providing culinary and employability training. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., some items on the menu are inspired by flavors from around the world- homemade chai, hawaij (a Yemeni spice blend) mocha, shakshuka, chai spiced donuts. There are open seats and WiFi. My little family of three went Sunday around 9 a.m. and there wasn't a wait despite a few other customers in the cafe. We ordered the donut, blueberry muffin, and banana bread. My wife got the hawaij mocha and I the latte. (They use Zeke's coffee beans.) Everything was great! Not loving sweet drinks, my wife really enjoyed the hawaij mocha. The cafe has water for everyone and restrooms. read more

See all

I came here at the very beginning when they offered a family style brunch and it was delicious. This visit, we had matcha, dirty chai, cherry blossom lemonade, breakfast burrito, chocolate chip cookie, and the Caesar salad wrap. Everything was delicious. The wrap was a bit dry and could use more dressing but I brought it home and put some additional sauce on it and it held up for the next day as a late lunch. Highly recommend Emma's Torch. 6/05- went back for lunch today and split the burger and chicken sandwich. Burger tasted chargrilled and the chicken sandwich had a delicious homemade slaw in it. The crinkle fries were salted to perfection. Emma's Torch is really delightful! read more

See all

Great food great service. Had excellent avocado toast and latte. The employees were very attentive and the service was very speedy.

I had a chance to have Sunday brunch at the Brookland location before it closed. I loved everything about the place: food! atmosphere! staff! and of course their mission to community!!! I look forward to visiting the SS location soon. read more

The food was spot; price was a bit high but the entire experience was worth it. The salmon bagel was topped with thick pieces of salmon (pictured is only half the order) and the cream cheese tasted whipped (light and fluffy). The avocado toast was so flavorful on a small, thick slice of bread (sourdough?) and also had a spicy kick to it. The chai latte was not overpowering, smooth and tasty. We came on a rainy Saturday, and the ambiance was wonderful for brunch. Music level was appropriate, welcoming staff, and the herb propagator in the corner was a lovely touch. The space is small with 7 tables but plenty of seating as many customers took their orders to go. If dining indoors, the food comes on recycled throwaway plates. They ask that you "don't bus your dishes" as you're part of their culinary training program for students learning restaurant skills. Standout notes: eco friendly plates and cups! Diaper changing station in bathroom! Free water! read more

Emma's Torch - Half the order of salmon bagel. Look out thick the salmon pieces are! - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

so in love with this place && mad it took me this long to come visit as its been on my yelp list probably since they opened! simply from coming in && learning their mission && the education they offer to refugees to empower them through culinary is amazingggg! everything is fresh and the coffee comes from zekes which is next door! the customer service is great as long as you have patience as everyone seems to be learning (but i loved it)! its a smaller eatery but they offer outside seating when weather permits && the music is a vibe. the leaders here teaching everyone is great! thank you boss lady for my first matcha that i couldnt stop thinking about -i told you i would be back! i look forward to keeping visiting as i lived in the neighborhood! read more

Emma's Torch - THE MENU - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great quality home made biscuits! Biscuit sandwiches are awesome. Price point is lower than most places too! Great service and cool friendly staff! read more

I have been a number of times and every time was pleased with the service and food. I stopped by this Sunday for breakfast and again Emma's Torch did not disappoint! The biscuits and the crispy chicken sandwich are my favorites. Also the coffee is great. I was happy to see that they are slowly expanding their menu. They added happy hour with wine and beer a while ago and this time I noticed new menu items like a burger and fries. It's a cute little shop, nothing fancy. Overall their mission to help refugees and immigrants overshadows any missteps, which a very few and far in between. read more

This place is amazing. The mission is to empower refugees through employment, which of course is a worthy cause to support. Additionally - the food and drink offerings are top notch! Try the breakfast wrap, crispy chicken sandwich, or the black eyed peas hummus wrap (note many GF and vegetarian options!). Lots of drink options as well, including a house made chai that is divine and a hawaij mocha (hawaij is a traditional spice blend from Yemen). I don't know of any other place in the DC area that serves hawaij drinks and it's a really unique and delicious flavor! There's even a W-F happy hour from 3-6 pm to check out. Definitely give this business some love, both for its fantastic mission and delicious fare. read more

The egg and cheese breakfast sandwich comes on a delicious biscuit. The coffee is great too. Very nice laid back setting on a Saturday morning. read more

Emma's Torch - Egg and cheese - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is my second time visiting this spot. The first time was a pleasant experience, I enjoyed the music and the staff were on point. I went there today to meet a client who lives nearby; the location was convenient, as I live 30 miles away. When I came in, most of the tables were occupied, so I figured I will have my meeting outside, until it started to rain. By the time I came in most of the customers left, so I sat a table for three. The Supervisor asked me to move to a smaller table because the table that I was sitting was reserved for larger parties. I indicated to her that I was expecting a client and his daughter for a meeting. She then asked me how long will they be, which I thought was kind of rude, especially since the store was empty , and she and another co worker were occupying two tables. When my client finally arrived, he was by himself, and I asked him where his daughter was, and he told me it would have taken too long to bring her, and he was already late for our meeting. I then proceeded to open my laptop to show him the drawings that I were workng on when I noticed that the Supervisor was giving me the side eye. I told her that I was expecting two people for this meeting but the situation changed. She then asked us to move to a smaller table!!!!! As mentioned, the store was empty of customers, and if she was that concerned about table space, maybe she and her coworker, work on their paperwork elsewhere in the store. I have several clients that live in the area, so this would have been a perfect spot for meetings. The young lady that waited on me was very polite, but the Supervisor need to get a dog and name it Clue, then she would have one when it comes to Customer Service. I will never, and I mean NEVER visit this establishment again!!! If I'm in the area, I will go to Zekes Coffee, on the same block, and I'm sure they will appreciate my business read more

the pastries are great and they have some good options for lunch! The space is very sunny and cute and people are friendly. Definitely recommend stopping in. read more

Love the mission which led us to try Emma's Torch - the art, the coziness and friendliness of the staff was so welcoming. The food was fresh and delicious. Lots of different choices with reasonable prices. The black eye pea fritter salad was unique with great flavor. Suggest - please use less wasteful plates, utensils, etc. Otherwise, love it! read more

Emma's Torch - Love the mission! - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This place is so cozy and delicious! The Nutella French toast, crispy chicken sandwich and pancakes were out of this world! The service is so friendly and you are supporting an amazing group of people read more

Had a breakfast bowl and some coffee. Reasonably priced. Nice atmosphere and good cause. Glad it is in the neighborhood.

Fantastic breakfast. The breakfast wrap is absolutely delish. Staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. Highly recommend!

Amazing food and awesome purpose!!! Can't wait to return!!! We split the pancakes and another entree. Also had the amazing hot chocolate and brought home baked goods to our friend who couldn't join us. Everything was delicious!!! read more

See all

My wife and I finally had the time to stop in this charming restaurant. The staff and leadership are phenomenal. I had the crispy fried chicken sandwich it was cooked to perfection and extremely tasty. My wife had the breakfast bowl, it came with eggs, potatoes, bacon and grits it was delicious. The concept of the restaurant is amazing, training g immigrants with a desire for culinary art to have a career in culinary arts. Go try this place. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. read more

everything that i ate here was really good. all of the staff was super friendly and helpful! would definitely recommend stopping by.