Fast-casual restaurant Eatsa‘s claim to fame is an automated process that keeps food costs low and wait times down. As we previously reported, it’s a boon for people who prefer minimal human interaction.
But the San Francisco-based chain is more than its food delivery vehicle. In fact, it seems to have everything that fast-casual seeking Washingtonians seem to love. It’s healthy, efficient, affordable, and, most importantly, tasty. The company’s outpost at 1627 K St. opened at the end of November and it is Eatsa’s largest location in the country.
“We want to dispel two common food service notions: that food served fast must be junk food and that healthy food is always more expensive,” Eatsa CEO Tim Young said in a statement.
To that point, the filling, quinoa-based bowls measure in at between 500 and 700 calories and start at $6.95 per bowl. Ordering is done via iPad and credit card. Your name then goes into the queue and up on the wall before the dish is deposited in a dedicated cubby.
Eatsa’s dishes are all vegetarian and inspired by world cuisines, with recipes that are balanced in terms of both flavor and texture—especially for being meatless. And while the ordering system allows for customization of the more than 70-plus ingredients, the signature bowls offer a lot to like and hit a range of cravings.
The Aloha bowl combines a handful of ingredients for a Hawaiian flare: “Island-style” quinoa, edamame, portobello poke, lomi lomi tomatoes, taro chips, wakame, and pickled ginger. For something warm, try the No Worry Curry. It’s a blend of stir-fried quinoa with egg, arugula, roasted potatoes, spaghetti squash, apple-cabbage slaw, red Thai curry, and curried wonton strips. Eatsa’s bento and burrito bowls are two other of the regular items. Bowls can be supplemented with sides like chips and guacamole, falafel and harissa, fresh fruit, and a selection of not-too-sweet sodas like sparkling ginger lime.
There are also breakfast options from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m, priced starting at $3.95. That’s something hurried D.C. residents can always appreciate. Choices include bright Southwest- and Mediterranean-style scrambles along with lighter options like spiced apple quinoa, fruit, chia parfait, and coffee and tea.
Equally appealing is that grabbing a meal here is super efficient. The line on a recent visit snaked all the way to the door, but the total wait time in and out was under 10 minutes—and much of that was spent perusing the menu. Food can also be pre-ordered online. There’s ample seating indoors as well as on the sidewalk.
At a fraction of the price of some of its healthy-eating competitors here in the city, Eatsa is primed to become a new favorite weekday meal option.
Eatsa is located at 1627 K St. NW and is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.