Fast food has come a long ways. Remember when Subway was the healthy alternative to McDonald’s? We’re now willing to pay a little more money, and in exchange we have radically better fast food: it’s fresher, more flavorful, healthier and increasingly less meat-centric. Some of the best chefs of our generation just want to make you a really nice, quick lunch you can afford, and we’re lucky that so many of them have turned to Washingtonians to try out their concepts. Here are a few of our favorites from a scene in full bloom.
A Taylor Gourmet sandwich (Photo by docmonstereyes via the Creative Commons)
TAYLOR GOURMET: If D.C. is where sandwich lovers come to mourn, then riddle me this: why is Taylor Gourmet so fucking good? This D.C.-based chain is all over the area, and we’re all the better for it. It has its old stand-bys, like its cheesesteak or chicken cutlet, and then each season it surprises with some fanciful new specials. My recent discovery is that this hoagie heaven also has the best salads this side of SweetGreen. They’re perfectly balanced with a mix of greens, carbs, crunch, and something snazzy—like cantaloupe. I’ve got friends who swear by Taylor’s risotto balls, but I’m so distracted by everything else this place offers that I haven’t even tried them yet. Plus, you might just catch President Obama and Vice President Biden sauntering over for some lunch. —Rachel Kurzius
Taylor Gourmet has six locations in D.C.
Black bean bowl with sweet potato, red pepper, tomato, arugula, and spicy harissa. (Photo by Jai Williams/DCist)
SHOUK: There are two kinds of vegan food: the kind that recreates the magic of meat with substitutes (see: HipCityVeg below) and the kind that feels like it just happens to be meatless. Shouk’s Israeli-inspired pitas are firmly in the second camp. Here vegetables and legumes cooked with Middle Eastern flavors are the star of the show. A favorite is the roasted cauliflower pita, which is given a kick by the jalapeño oil, tahina, and scallion. The black bean pita is made with creamy sweet potato spiced with a fiery harissa. The tahina is imported and so are the pillowy pitas, which come from New York and are finished in ovens on site. Each of the pitas can be turned into a rice and lentil bowl, if you so please. Share some polenta fries that come with a tahina tomato dip. You can wash down your meal with a dry rosemary lemonade, a sweet Almond Delight or try the spicy-sweet Spice Market soda. —Emma Gallegos
Shouk is located at 655 K Street NW; (202) 652-1464
Those Chicken & Pork meatballs are magic (Photo by
SHOPHOUSE: Though this might technically be the “Chipotle of Southeast Asian food,” that description undersells just how wonderful the food is. No disrespect to one of the O.G. fast casual chains, but the D.C.-based ShopHouse greatly surpasses its parent company. The food is fresh, the Southeast-inspired spice combinations are genius. The set-up is similar to Chipotle in that you point at layers that you’d like added to your bowl. There are delicious meats (and tofu), complex curries, vegetables that add tartness and fire, and all of this goes atop your choice of rice, greens or noodles. My favorite combo is the pork & chicken meatballs on noodles with charred corn, green curry and green papaya slaw. (But really anything with the pork & chicken is golden.) —Emma Gallegos
Shophouse Southeast Asian Kitchen has four locations in Chinatown, Dupont Circle, Georgetown and Union Station
Buredos (Photo by jennipah via the Creative Commons)
BUREDO: A sushi burrito sounds like a cheap punchline for a joke about fast casual food, yet here we are. Less than a year into its debut, the D.C.-based Buredo has multiple outposts hawking pornographically-sized maki rolls. Unlike a lot of lunchtime favorites, this eatery doesn’t allow for much specialization—it has a menu with Kill Bill-themed roll names stuffed with way more than fish. As a serial re-arranger of all the food I eat, whether pizza, sandwiches, or salads, Buredo’s offerings stymie my attempts to rearrange their innards. That means one bite might be full of fish, while another is all kimchi slaw, but honestly, I don’t even care, because all of them are pretty delicious. —Rachel Kurzius
Buredo has two locations: the Franklin Square location is at 825 14th Street NW; (202) 289-0033 and the Dupont location is at 1213 Connecticut Ave. NW; (202) 838-6602
Roasted squash with pomegranate molasses, za’atar and parsley (Photo via Little Sesame)
LITTLE SESAME: Hummus as the main course? I’m not even salty with Little Sesame for stealing my go-to meal for when I haven’t been grocery shopping, because they serve it with such panache. Rather than a rice bowl—a fast casual staple—it’s a hummus bowl, with rotating toppings like a Southwestern corn salsa, beets, or roasted cauliflower. Some days, you might score a meat option like chicken, but not always. It comes with a side of pita for dipping, and you could also get a salad for a couple of dollars extra. It’s the kind of meal that leaves you utterly satisfied without feeling too full.—Rachel Kurzius
Little Sesame is located at 1306 18th St NW; (202) 463-2104
Disco Chick’n (Photo via HipCityVeg)
HIPCITYVEG: This Philadelphia import recreates fast food guilty pleasures without meat, so you can probably throw in a #cleaneating hashtag, if that’s your thing. You can try a burger made with smoked tempeh, a Philly “steak” that was tested in Philly, or a number of meatless salads. But it’s famous enough for its chick’n sandwiches that maybe traditional fast food should just give up the charade and stop using pink slime and any chicken whatsoever in their sandwiches. The fried chicken knockoff, the Crispy Hipcity Ranch, is a standout. Get some sweet potato fries on the side, and wash it down with some kale lemonade sweetened with agave. And if you saved room for dessert, you can get an organic soy milkshake or a surprisingly delicious ice cream made only with bananas. —Emma Gallegos
HipCityVeg is located at 712 7th Street NW; (202) 621-8057
Crusty bread and some salad (Photo by Ted Eytan via the Creative Commons)
SWEETGREEN: Sometimes a salad with a hunk of crusty bread just really hits the spot. Sweetgreen wasn’t the first chain to use the assembly line mode of production to make an entrée-worthy salad but the homegrown chain does feel most in tune with the zeitgeist. I mean, this is a place that decided Sriracha was too sugary to be considered healthy, and that broccoli leaves, a food once considered scraps, deserve a place at the table. No matter how much you hate your job, these salads never feel like sad desk lunches. They’re fresh, delicious, seasonal and no matter how many diet restrictions you have, you can probably figure out a dozen options at any given time. There are warm bowls with hearty veggie combinations, too, for cooler months. And for a generation that is spurning soda and artificial sweeteners, their fruity frescas with just a hint of sweetness hit the spot. —Emma Gallegos
Sweetgreen has 11 locations in D.C.
District Taco (Photo by m01229 via the Creative Commons)
DISTRICT TACO: District Taco started out as a taco truck in Arlington, but thanks to its popularity, it now boasts seven locations throughout the region. It hasn’t reinvented the taco (or burrito) but it executes the standards well. The barbacoa, carne Asada, and al pastor (which comes with pineapple) are all winners. The burrito mojado comes drenched in a delicious spicy sauce. And because this is fast casual, of course you can get your favorite meat in a bowl (“burrito desnudo”) or on a salad. And everything clocks in at $8 or less, including the 3 for $8 taco special. Perhaps best of all, the breakfast tacos are served all day. — Emma Gallegos
District Taco has three locations in D.C. in Dupont, Eastern Market and Metro Center
(Via Facebook)
CAVA GRILL: I have a confession to make: I was a horrible snob about Cava when it first opened in Columbia Heights. I’d scoff as I walked by, convinced that they were bastardizing the foods of my heritage the way that Chipotle blandified burritos. Making good falafel is hard, and it is also definitely not Greek; I would not sully memories of my grandparents’ cooking from both sides. I don’t remember who finally got me inside, but I have been eating my arrogance ever since. The customizable options offer more choice than almost any other fast casual joint I can think of, starting with the base of your choosing; salad, with four different greens options; three different kinds of grains; greens + grains; a large pita; or two mini pitas. I can’t speak to the meat, but while the falafel isn’t what I grew up with, it is still tasty (and never dry). From there, you can add on fresh dips that are good enough that they sell them at Whole Foods. And they aren’t stingy with unlimited toppings (pickled onions! mint! who are these people?) I also can’t say enough nice things about the staff, who are almost uniformly excellent, or the drinks. How have I not gotten to the drinks yet? You’re guaranteed a glass of something refreshing—and critically, never oversweet—from their rotating options. I have truly never been proven more wrong about anything. — Rachel Sadon
Cava has locations in Chinatown, Dupont Circle, Columbia Heights, and Tenleytown in D.C. proper, along with a number in Maryland and Virginia.
(Photo by Samer Farha)
PRET A MANGER: Admittedly, the name presents a problem. Non-French speakers have to decide if they’re going to attempt to say it with some semblance of an accent; actual French speakers have to decide if they’ll say it correctly or like the rest of us; nobody is happy. But once that embarrassment is over, there is no faster way to get a consistently good sandwich or wrap downtown. The cafeteria-style coolers stretch the boundaries of fast casual, since they don’t allow for customization, but the variety of options and quality of ingredients make it count in my book. No one uses things like avocado, pomegranate, and goat cheese as liberally as Pret. And because they donate all leftover food at the end of the day, freshness is guaranteed. The Union Station location is a major saving grace for anyone perpetually running late but still in need of a snack. — Rachel Sadon
Pret a Manger has seven locations in a close cluster downtown, one at Union Station, and one on Capitol Hill.
Photo by KentonNgo.
AMSTERDAM FALAFEL: A falafel sandwich is often greater than the sum of its humble parts, depending on whatever you choose to top it with—tahini, yogurt sauce, fresh or pickled vegetables, hot sauce, the list goes on. At Amsterdam Falafel, it’s hard to go wrong with their dizzying salad bar of sandwich toppers. Cram as much as you can into that pita—it only costs $6-$7 either way. And unlike fancier joints, where a tiny tub of sauce will run you $1 or more, accouterments enthusiasts can take as many fancy mayos and ketchups as they want. — Alicia Mazarra
Amsterdam Falafel is located at 2425 18th Street NW and 1830 14th Street NW .
(Photo via Facebook)
BEEFSTEAK: While the premise of “unleashing vegetables” is a little pompous (exactly where were they tethered?), Jose Andres’ first foray into the fast casual game is a worthy addition to his empire. A wide array of options greets diners, who can be as picky as they like about their veggies; they come steamed on top of bulgur, quinoa, rice, or leafy greens, and meat or other proteins can be added for an extra charge. The whole thing is then graced with crunchy and fresh toppings and the sauce of your choosing. Truth be told, the end result often reminds me of dishes that I’d make at home. But that’s a good thing! I like what I cook, and I don’t always have time to do it for lunch. The surprisingly awesome burger, which replaces the traditional patty with a thick slice of beefsteak tomato, is also worth a try. —Rachel Sadon
Beefsteak is located at 800 22nd Street NW; 4531 Wisconsin Avenue NW; and 1528 Connecticut Avenue NW.
(Photo by Joe Flood)
SURFSIDE TACO STAND: “There’s a place that serves tacos 24/7 in D.C.? Tell me more!” I said when I heard about the opening of the Surfside Taco Stand near Dupont Circle. It turns out that the people behind Surfside DC, a restaurant in Glover Park, thought the city needed non-stop access to their Mexican dishes, and I agree. The stand has nearly a dozen taco offerings, including breakfast varieties. Some of them are served on corn tortillas, and others on flour. The stand also has several burrito, quesadilla, and salad items. The extensive menu also includes appetizers like chips with salsa and guacamole. I visited the spot on a chilly day with my partner. I had the maui taco with black bean and corn salsa, avocado, cilantro, and lime sour cream, and he had the special of the month, which featured lamb—both were delicious. The limited outdoor seating area was heated and covered for the season so we were able to “dine in” with no complaints. While I believe access to quality Mexican food at all hours of the day is a novel idea, I’ve only been to the stand that one time. But rest assured, if I lived in the neighborhood, I’d be a regular customer—probably rolling out of bed several times a week for a chicken quesadilla, or whatever my nighttime hunger pains desired. — Christina Sturdivant
The Surfside Taco Stand is located at 1800 N Street NW.
Photo via Chix
CHIX: Rotisserie chicken might be the perfect fast food. Chix serves up a couple Latin-inspired versions, including its Peruvian chicken. Accompanied by a side of sweet potatoes or rice and beans, it makes for some very wholesome comfort food. Speaking of comfort food, the chicken and rice soup hits the spot on a soggy or sick day (they deliver!). The restaurant founded in 2007 also offers flavorful wraps and chopped salads made with chicken and vegetarian options with black beans and hummus. — Emma Gallegos
Chix has three locations on 11th Street NW, 14th Street and Navy Yard
Photo by Noe Todorovich
UNION MARKET: If fast casual is the new fast food, food halls are the new food court. Some of the food options here are higher end (i.e. they come on plates you really shouldn’t throw away), but most are quick options. (You’ll never be hurting for booze or dessert options either.) DC Empanadas runs a small stall, as does DC Dosa, which serves made-to-order vegan dosas. Toli Moli is now serving savory Burmese food as well as sweet faloodas. TaKorean, which began as a food truck, offers their take on the delicious Korean-Mexican trend. And after years of trying to find the Arepa Zone food truck, you’re guaranteed to find them at Union Market. Plus, many of our favorite breakfast sandwich options have a home here. —Emma Gallegos
Union Market is located at 1309 5th Street NE
Shake Shack (Photo by Lucas Richarz via the Creative Commons)
Honorable mentions: Shake Shack, Protein Bar, Seoulspice (see our take here), BAB Korean Fusion, Veloce, Merzi, Little Beet.
