The Tastiest Vegan in Washington

Busboys and Poets - Takoma

★★★★☆ 4 (755) • $$

"I have always had a great experience here! Though there are many tasty looking options, my order has always been pretty consistent lol. As a girl raised in the South, I have been satisfied with their grits for the most part. Yes, there are times when I add more butter, salt and pepper. Grits is the most important item to me, because I mix it with my scrambled eggs and have it with toast. I did try the crab grits once and it tasted just like what it sounds like, something like a crabcake. The best thing about this place is the atmosphere. They sell a lot of books and has a Cafe type vibe, which is great for business brunches in a casual and non distraction setting. The staff rounds it out by always being polite and efficient."

Busboys and Poets - Brookland

★★★★☆ 3.9 (788) • $$

"Busboys and poets food is always great but I really love coming to this location! I can always go in here and get quick service before I have to leave out and continue with the rest of my day! They do have a small book store section as well and I really love that addition as well because I can check that out while I wait for my food or before I head out. I come here on lunch breaks sometimes and get work done while I eat as well because it's nearby and they have WiFi as well! I love the artsy vibe and painting they have as well and it always looks clean and well kept inside. Side note: there is only street parking at this location that's close to the restaurant but there is a garage down the street and around the corner that you can park in if you plan on staying longer."

St. Veg

★★★★★ 4.6 (360) • $$

"My husband and I are always on the lookout for a good vegetarian place. This was our first time here and he got the mumbai burger and I got the caramelized tofu with pickled vegetables. Both were really good the Mumbai Burger had just the right amount of Indian spices and the tater tots it came with were nice and crispy. The burger has hot spices too, so be prepared for a little burn. Overall it's a nice "fast food" treat. The tofu was a lot of food I ended up taking half home. The pickled veges and tofu went really well together. I'd definitely get it again. We also got the hot lavender and the lavender lemonade. They were ok, I make this at home sometimes and I feel like mine is a little better so I don't think I'd get drinks again."

VEGZ

★★★★★ 4.8 (234) • $$

"My visit to Vegz, just before a show at DCAC, was a blend of hits and misses. The highlight for me was undoubtedly the samosas, which were delicious, and the fries, though standard, did not disappoint. The veggie Biriyani had a good flavor, but we encountered pieces of what seemed to be burned garlic, with an unpleasant texture reminiscent of tree bark, which detracted from the overall experience. The aloo palak, unfortunately, did not meet our tastes, but that's a matter of personal preference. On the plus side, Vegz offers a cozy and authentic atmosphere, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The charm of the restaurant and its authenticity are definite draws. While I have mixed feelings about our meal, the positive aspects make me open to giving Vegz another try, opting for different main dishes in the future.Didn't get pics of the entrees!"

DC Vegan

★★★★☆ 4.4 (266) • $$

"OVERALL: As a non-vegan I was shocked by how delicious the food was. It tasted like the real thing! FOOD: I had the calamari, lemon ricotta pancakes, and bacon. Upstairs I got a cheesecake. The calamari was flavorful and had the right texture. The pancakes were my favorite and filling. The bacon was the only miss for me as they were too salty. And the cheesecake tasted just like regular cheesecake I was shocked. The food was so good! I will definitely come back to try the rest of the menu. SERVICE: the staff was super friendly and helpful. Always attentive and made the experience great. VENUE: there are two levels. The downstairs is newer and is where you have the main dining room and a bar. The upstairs has some seating and an outdoor dining area as well as the bakery with vegan cheese! The decorations were super cute and festive. Dim lighting created a great atmosphere."

ELife Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (293) • $$

"One of the only Vegan spots in this area. Fresh, pretty good. Very nice staff and customers. Wish there was a sense of urgency - took 30 minutes to get food in the takeout line."

Indian Express

★★★★☆ 3.7 (273) • $$

"Delicious - even delivered (not eaten on premises) everything was delicious and fresh and perfect temperature. Very well packed.Highly recommend!"

Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (298) • $$

"I decided to test a theory about 3.5 star reviews being the sweet spot for international spots in the area, and boy did it pay off! The service was ok, the atmosphere was sparse, but they completely made up for it with the food. This is not a westernized version of Indian food. The menu is vast and the selection is from across India and some beyond! As usual we went a little crazy with our order, and of course I was so busy stuffing my face that I forgot to take pictures. We ordered mango lassis, idly and medhu vada appetizers, chana masala thali, kadi paneer thali and sarson sa kaag a la carte. The waitress didn't ask about heat level so I imagine we got medium on everything. Not a thing we ordered was bad. All of the adds that came with the thali were tasty, the naan was soft and the papadums were crispy. I will definitely be coming back"

Celebration by Rupa Vira - Modern Indian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.2 (161)

"This is the best Indian lunch buffet in the D.C. area. It is only on Sundays from 11:30am-3pm. The cost is $27 for adults. There are ample and excellent choices for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians and it has the look and feel of a high end Las Vegas buffet. There is also a made to order station for dosas. Few Indian restaurants are able to combine North Indian (Punjabi), Central Indian (Gujarati) and South Indian cuisines as well as Celebration does. It is a little bit of a trek from Arlington or D.C. but well worth the trip!"

Hive Bar x &bar

★★★★☆ 4 (176) • $$

"Found this gem within the Hive Bar, &pizza is nestled in a very hip part near GWU. This is one of the few times I've seen pizza in this style. Very shareable and love to the American Honey's sweet and savory pairing. The Maverick's basil adds a nice touch to the rest of the pizza. Overall very delicious and quick service."

Shouk

★★★★☆ 4.4 (144) • $$

"Located in a shopping center with ample free parking. Picked up a late lunch and it wasn't busy, so the order came out quickly. There's a good amount of seating inside and outside, but most people grab and go. Service was nearly non-existent since you order everything on the kiosk (or app) and when you have a question, it's hard to flag down someone at the kitchen to ask. Not what I expected, thought it would be more of a Cava or Chipotle where you go down the line with what you want. The falafel pita was mid, but the packaging in the box was nice."

Rohobot Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (136) • $

"I've ordered delivery (through doordash) twice from here now and both times the food was great. The items are always packed well. The food is so flavorful and yummy. They give plenty of injera bread too. I've gotten the yawaze tibs, which are delicious. I've also gotten the side of lentil sambusa which is also super flavorful and yummy. My boyfriend has gotten dullet and loved it. He liked it so much that the first time he ordered it he told me to make sure we remember this place so he can keep getting it. You also get a lot of food. I don't know how in person service is, but for delivery my experience has consistently been good. You also get a free can drink with meals, which isn't even stated on doordash, so that was a pleasant surprise."

Dodah’s Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 (104) • $$

"Came for lunch and it was great! All the food taste so REAL! And the benefits are that it's super healthy. The service was great. The ambiance was great.Would 100% recommend!"

Pow Pow

★★★★☆ 4.1 (98) • $$

"Got the General's Chick'n and Sichuan Dumplings for takeout. The online ordering process was easy and since it was my first time ordering from here (thanks to a recommendation), I appreciated the description on their website. When you get there, there's a neon "Pick Up" sign that makes it easy for you to pick up your food. Everything was so tasty and really savory. The sichuan dumplings' skin was a tad too dry for me, but even that wasn't enough for me to knock off a star."

&pizza

★★★★★ 4.5 (80) • $$

"&pizza is a great, quick, reasonably priced option for a single made to order pizza for lunch or dinner. You can create your own pizza from fresh toppings or select one of the recommended combinations. After your pizza is made it is baked within a couple of minutes and then additional finishes such as parmesan cheese or roasted garlic oil can be addedThe staff is very efficient and friendly, I thoroughly enjoyed talking to the person who made my pizza. Prie is very reasonable, there is seating both inside and outside the restaurant. &pizza is a welcome addition to the Williston Center."

Elfegne Ethiopian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.4 (72)

"I really love coming here. The portions are highly generous, the service has always been wonderful and the food is amazing at affordable prices. I am Eritrean and grew up eating Ethiopian food, even though I was born in the US. I have the most serious.....I mean seeèeeriousss cravings for Ethiopian food!This has been my main go-to place to meet that dire need. I really like that they have a wide variety of seated options, whether you want a booth, table or bar...even nice outside tables. They also have spacious and clean bathrooms, which is important. There's a lot of places to check out where they are located on 18th Street, even with a new Ethiopian restaurant in close proximity along with one that's only a little further down. I will continue to come here because I like the comfort of their consistency."

Dama Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (44) • $

"I am reviewing a slice of fruit cake I had here, so please take this review with a grain of salt as it does not reflect the overall food here:First of all, I've learned that I'm not a fan of cakes unless it's a sheet cake from select grocery stores, so by the transitive property, vegan cakes will never be as good as a sheet cake from select grocery stores. If you have the same low brow palate as me, know thyself, and don't buy vegan cakes from restaurants. They'll only disappoint you. I've only had one good slice of vegan cake since turning vegan, and it cost me $8. Thankfully, the slices of cake here were affordable, and I only lost $4, but I finally learned a valuable lesson for myself to never buy vegan cake again (and that desserts are rarely worth it)."

Rooted3

★★★★★ 4.5 (31) • $$

"A plethora of options. Great options for the price and fresh products. My colleague went back for dinner after we ate there for lunch she liked it so much."

Vegan Junk Food DMV

★★★★☆ 3.5 (28)

"You can find Vegan Junk Food DMV within a food hall (which was kind of confusing based off of GPS). The food hall was nice and offered live entertainment. To place an order you utilize one of the kiosks within in the hall. I ordered the bang bang broccoli egg rolls and tots. Quite surprised at how good the egg rolls were. Overall it was delicious."

Nuvegan Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.5 (11)

"LOVE this place. I've been going to their Howard University location for over a decade and I'm thrilled to now have them in Alex. Their lasagna, Mac and cheese and greens are my go-to but I also love the chicken drumsticks and cabbage. Basically, I've never had a bad meal here. The location can be hard to find (behind the 7/11, in a Food Coop shared space), and you have to call to order in advance or call when you get there. You can also order online but their business isn't showing up on the order screen there yet so you can't order from the computer stand there, you have to call or order from the NuVegan site."

Dodah’s Kitchen

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (12)

"New to District heights food was delicious, seasoned well I didn't miss eating meat at all. the cake was moist and sweet but not overpowering. the only thing the cheesecake had a weird after taste I'm thinking the tofu , but overall I will be going back !"

Herby Vegan

★★★★☆ 4.4 (5)

"I picked up lunch for my mom and I and everything was incredible! We tried the empanadas, ravioli and cheesecake. Everything was very flavorful and the portions were generous. Will definitely be coming back here often!"

BDG's Ghicken Vegan

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (9)

"The BEST Vegan in town! I changed my diet to vegan due to inflammation joints from the meat. I am foodie person I am forever gratefully with this amazing place and amazing foodie experience!! You gotta try this!! Vegan chicken curry with rice and steamy vegan cheesy broccoli, and mashed potatoes with dinner rolls were incredibly delicious!!! I ordered vegan strawberry cake and chocolate cake. Oh my goodness!! So fucca good!!!! Mind-BLOWN!!! My new favorite place!! Good bye sushi!!"

ELife Restaurant Anacostia

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (5)

"They need better advertising and signage. Being inside the center, alllll the way in the back, does them no favors. The menu is paired down even further on the weekends. Food is great, tasty as always. Grab some great food, and get some knowledge on the way out. Even though the HQ is much livelier, this location is the little sister. The Jerk Chicken is a little too sweet & BBQ'y. But, it is tasty in that alternative way. It is a hidden gem, up the way. IYKYK"

MRYANGS 100% Vegan Chinese

★★☆☆☆ 2.3 (3)

"Underrated vegan option, open late! I got late night delivery, food came before the expected time and was hot and tasty.I ordered:* General Tso's: Delicious, not super saucy but full of flavor. Vegan protein had a good texture, wasn't mushy or off tasting like it can be sometimes.* Spicy vegetable stir fry (extra spicy): More like fried rice than what I would think of as a "vegetable stir fry" because they mix the rice or noodles you pick with the vegetables, but the portion size was hefty so there probably are the correct amount of vegetables in there. Not crazy spicy or anything, but the spice was detectable for sure.* Garlic rolls: Well made bread, not a whole lot of garlic flavor but they had some fun herbs sprinkled on top. I don't think they went well with the other things I ordered but that's not MRYANG's fault.Overall, a good experience and I would recommend it!"

Busboys and Poets - Shirlington

★★★★☆ 3.9 • $$

"I'd forgotten the last time I had an opportunity to dine at Busboys and Poets. Years later, this dish reminded me of why I enjoyed it so much: flavorful, perfectly fried catfish accompanied by collard greens my maternal grandmother would've given the stamp of approval. Service was fast and the bookstore was a bonus!"

Busboys and Poets - Hyattsville

★★★★☆ 3.9 • $$

"I case here on a Wednesday evening and it was pretty empty inside maybe just 3 other tables. It took me 1 min to get seated and 30 minutes to get a waiter. We started with drinks and HH Apps this all came pretty quickly once we got a waiter. For the apps we had Brussel sprouts that were extremely good and I would recommend , wings they were decent but they charge you an extra $2 for sauce ?? That makes no sense , we also got lamb meatballs and they were really good. For my meal I got the lamb burger which was more than amazing and I think whoever should try it , the Caesar salad was DOUSEDDDDDDDDDD in dressing i couldn't taste the greens just dressing."

Busboys and Poets - 14th and V

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"I came here for a weekday lunch with a friend and WOW this was such a cute spot!! I loved all the decor and cozy cafe vibes and the staff was super nice, seating us pretty quickly. They also accommodate a lot of dietary restrictions which was nice to see. My friend decided to order brunch, getting the pancakes, but I decided to go for lunch, getting the Chili Tofu Bowl. Everything was absolutely delicious!! I loved the sauce on my tofu and the veggies were crisp and fresh and just a really filling meal. Overall, cool spot and I would love to check it out again, especially all the community events they have going on!"