Restaurants that cotton themselves around meat—or even a single animal—are common enough in D.C. And is there a bigger Washington dining cliché than congressmen and lobbyists cutting into overpriced steaks at Morton’s or The Capital Grille? (Besides, you know, cupcakes.) And what’s with putting bacon in everything?
OK, OK. Bacon is and always will be amazing. But believe it or not, not every meal needs porcine back fat. Or even any animal protein at all. D.C. has lots of great options for vegetarians, vegans, or just those who want to do their cardiologist a solid and take a brief refrain from animal fats.
Via Mandarin Oriental
CITYZEN: This restaurant inside the Mandarin Oriental features an incredibly pricey and incredibly fancy, but incredibly delicious vegetarian tasting menu. If you have specific vegetarian requirements or dislikes, the kitchen are happy to customize your order. The kicker is the cost—it will set you back a whopping $115 per person, and that’s before the booze. It’s incredibly good, and would be a luxurious gift or anniversary dinner. —Lynne Venart
CityZen is located at the Mandarin Oriental Washington D.C., 1330 Maryland Avenue SW.
Photo by Erin M
GALAXY HUT: When envisioning bar food, the first things that come to mind are meaty options like nachos, burgers and buffalo wings. But Galaxy Hut in Arlington made the bold choice last year to go meatless by default, with vegan options available for some of its patrons’ faux-cheesy needs. So, while the menu options still look (and taste) like bar food staples: BLT, frankfurter, and so on, the bacon is made of tempeh and the hot dog of soy. Galaxy Hut will provide dead-animal choices for those customers that absolutely must have chili made out of ground pork or beef, but that’s not the default option. Get the grilled cheese with either sweet potato or eggplant fries, or share a basket of the famous tots. —Valerie Paschall
Galaxy Hut is located at 2711 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington.
THAI X-ING: Most Thai restaurants will be great for vegetarians, but on Sunday nights, Thai X-ing is all vegetarian, and the food is fantastic: pumpkin curry, tofu soup, mango sticky rice—all delicious. Just don’t expect to be able to choose what you’re eating. Chef and owner Taw Vigsittaboot makes what he wants, and all diners get the same, wonderful dishes. All for $30 per person, with bring-your-own-bottle service. Trust me, it’s well worth the price. —Lynne Venart
Thai X-ing is located at 515 Florida Avenue NW.
Photo by Christopher Chen
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Some may just know it as the food counter where they take a breather for a beer and a snack between sets at a Black Cat show, but the venue’s Food for Thought Café has one of the longest histories of any restaurant on this list. Opened in the early 1970s by Bobby Ferrando, the restaurant operated for 26 years on Connecticut Avenue NW, in the space now occupied by Bistro du Coin. During that span it became known for a commitment to organic, unprocessed, healthy dishes, vegetarian and vegan fare, and local sources on the meat dishes it did offer, as well as for community activism and ties to the burgeoning D.C. punk community. Ferrando’s son, Dante, played in local post-hardcore legends Gray Matter (whose debut record was named after the restaurant), and the younger Ferrando went on to found the Black Cat, where the restaurant ended up moving, in limited form at least. The menu may not be as extensive as it once was, but it’s still better (and better for you) than you’ll find at any other music venue in the area, with highlights including vegan lasagna, a barbecued seitan sandwich, vegan nachos, and a veggie burger made in-house from scratch, as well as a number of vegan dessert options. —Ian Buckwalter
Food for Thought is located inside the Black Cat, 1811 14th Street NW.
Photo by Craig Steinberg
STICKY FINGERS: This is a go-to for sweets, with good vegan sandwiches. It’s all vegan and has a great, friendly neighborhood vibe. And, the cupcakes are delicious enough to have won the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars twice—competing against non-vegan bakers. That’s a feat. —Lynne Venart
Sticky Fingers is located at 1370 Park Road NW.
Bourbon is also vegetarian. (Photo by Jen Morrissey)
SMOKE AND BARREL: Don’t be thrown off by this Adams Morgan bar’s meat-heavy barbecue menu. It also features numerous vegetarian options including vegan wings and smoked tofu tacos. Johnny Adrade’s punk rock ethos transcends into all of his bar and restaurant food. Smoke and Barrel also has solid vegetarian and vegan brunch options; a fitting successor in that location to Asylum, which had one of the first vegan brunches in the city. —John Fleury
Smoke and Barrel is located at 2471 18th Street NW.
Photo by John Winder
VEG OPTIONS AT OMNIVOROUS PLACES: Etete does a great vegetarian platter (as do most Ethiopian places, but Etete and Zenebach Injera are the best). Also, if pescatarians can add an awesomely crispy whole fried fish to an order. Zaytinya is quite vegetarian-friendly; the menu features a full page of meatless options. In particular, try the brussel sprouts or crispy eggplant. —Alicia Mazzara
Etete is located at 1942 Ninth Street NW; Zatinya is located at 701 Ninth Street NW.
Photo via Yelp
EVERLASTING LIFE CAFE: Appearances can be deceiving. Everlasting Life from the outside, isn’t exactly a standout in Park View. The sign advertising a “juice bar” looks like the relic of a 1980s health fad. But push aside your cynicism, and go ahead inside to enjoy the laid back atmosphere, an eager, friendly and knowledgable staff and food full of flavor and nourishment. Try the garlic kale, the macaroni and “cheese,” the curried tofu, or any of their shakes—like piña colada. As someone who embraces meat, I can tell you, eating here is like one magic trick for your taste buds after another. It even makes ‘brewer’s yeast’ seem like an OK thing to eat. —Alexis Hauk
Everlasting Life Cafe is located at 2928 Georgia Avenue NW.
