Killer E.S.P. (Old Town, Alexandria)

Ananda and Daniel are writing this post while enjoying coffee and pie at Killer E.S.P.

©Anandashankar Mazumdar

A.M.: We love Alexandria, Virginia, and we decided to write about all the good food and drink we get here and nearby. And, of course, that won't stop us from posting about any other things we like that we encounter.

But today we're going to start with Alexandria's Killer E.S.P. (Espresso-Sorbet-Pie), one of our favorite local coffee houses.


D.F.:  Locals come to Killer's for their tasty pies and quiches. Since Ananda and I both had a BOG (bacon-onion-gruyère) quiche today—for the record, it was my first time enjoying a quiche at Killer—perhaps we can start off by telling you a little bit about where Killer's quiches come from. 

©Anandashankar Mazumdar

A.M.: Well, we can talk about where Killer gets all of its stuff. Its coffee beans come from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, based in Portland, Oregon. Its Sweet and savory pies and its quiches come from Dangerously Delicious Pies in nearby Washington, D.C.

Killer makes its own sorbet right in Old Town. It gets empanadas, salteñas, and other Latin American baked goods from Julia's Empanadas, again a local source, based in Adams Morgan, D.C. 

©Anandashankar Mazumdar

There are several other items available—baked goods, sodas. Oh, I can't forget the sodas from Milwaukee's Sprecher Brewery. The root beer and the grape are my favorite.

Daniel, you want to say something about the best thing about Killer? The ambience.

D.F.: Killer's has a heavy metal theme; usually they're playing rock n' roll on the P.A. and it's often accompanied by a surfing documentary projected on a wall in the middle of the café. It's a dark place, like a bar, with bare brick walls covered with original art—drawings, paintings, and photographs, many of them of the owner's friendly dog, who is also known to visit frequently.

©Anandashankar Mazumdar

A.M.: The front part of the cafe has the ice cream freezer and a couple of larger tables, As you go back in the narrow townhouse, you get to the coffee, espresso, and tea bar and the register.


I'm not a huge fan of caffè espresso, so I usually go for the pour-over filter coffee, which is always made expertly by the baristas.

I have to say that the friendly and skilled staff are a highlight of the experience, as is the puppies-are-welcome policy.

©Anandashankar Mazumdar

After the espresso bar is another larger seating area where the movies are shown. There is access to a patio nestled in a small alleyway between the townhouses. Going back past the restrooms, you can also sit outside in the back parking lot.

©Anandashankar Mazumdar

It's a small and cozy place. If there's one criticism, I would have to say that the wi-fi has not always been reliable but I think they have gotten a better service provider recently.

D.F.: Ananda, to wrap this up let's say something good about the coffee.   The Cost Rican roasts we enjoyed today were excellent, per usual.  Rich, full-flavored, and not bitter are adjectives that come to mind.  I have a feeling we'll be back. 

The cold coffee brewer that comes out in the summer.
©Anandashankar Mazumdar

Text ©2015 Anandashankar Mazumdar and Daniel Firrincili