This is a guest post by Arliss Veldhuizen for the Travel Shop Girl website.
Finding a restaurant that caters to different dietary preferences can be difficult, and finding a restaurant can be especially difficult for the vegan foodie.
If you fall in this category, you’ve probably had this conversation at least once or twice at a regular restaurant:
You: “What are your vegan options?”
Waiter: “Uhh, salad?”
Sound familiar? Most likely, because most restaurants are not the most accommodating to these dietary preferences. Luckily, there are a ton of amazing vegan-friendly restaurants in D.C. that’ll serve you more than just a salad.
HipCityVeg
HipCityVeg runs its restaurant based on this basic philosophy: “Eat Well. Feel Good.” They create food that’s good for their customers so that they’ll actually feel good after eating it. All its ingredients are natural and organic, and most importantly, everything is genuinely vegan. The restaurant was founded in 2012 by Nicole Marquis in order to give vegans a tasty place to eat. Not only is everything vegan and naturally made, but all the materials are compostable. What’s not to love about this hip place? But here’s the best part: HipCityVeg’s menu offers burgers, philly cheesesteaks, chicken wraps and sandwiches, chicken nuggets and milkshakes. That’s right, HipCityVeg has all of these mouthwatering items on their menu—but they’re all made with vegan ingredients. This restaurant has so much potential thanks to its unique selling points, I just hope that it makes the most of social media platforms to advertise itself. They need to use somewhere like the Best Restaurant Marketing Agency to help them to do this and you can help them out too by checking out some of the mouthwatering photos of the amazing food served on their Instagram account. They’ve got meals for any time of the day with their breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. The official website describes the food as “fast-food style” with naturally fresh ingredients. That being said, keep in mind that HipCityVeg does not take reservations or offer delivery, but you can surely dine in and take out. There are also three restaurant locations in Philadelphia, so you’re bound to find one near you.
Location: 712 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Contact: (202) 621-8057
Hours: Everyday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Price Range: $11-30
Shouk
According to their website, the word ‘shouk’ signifies “an assault on all five senses.” We’ve gotta say: they definitely chose the right name, which you’ll quickly discover when you taste their food. Influenced by Middle Eastern flavors and textures, this outstanding restaurant doesn’t skimp out on taste or natural ingredients. All the ingredients used at Shouk are 100% plant-based and 100% vegan-friendly. They offer four main types of foods to choose from: pita, salad, burger, or a snack. Some of Shouk’s most interesting and popular items are the pita fennel and the pita ratatouille. All the items served on pita can also be substituted with a rice and lentil bowl. To add to the mouthwatering selection at Shouk, craft beer and tap wine are also available to pair perfectly with your meal. See what some of their dishes look like before trying it yourself by taking a gander at their Instagram gallery. Shouk offers services in catering, delivery, group dining, dining with children, take-out and walk-ins, so the options are plentiful. Stop by Shouk in D.C. as soon as possible to try some of these delicious dishes for yourself!
Location: 655 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Contact: eat@shouk.com
Hours: Everyday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Price Range: $11-30
Chaia
Ever experienced FOMO on a Taco Tuesday with your friends because you don’t eat animal products? Now you don’t have to miss out on the fiesta. Chaia in D.C. is a vegan-friendly taco shop. No really…vegan-friendly tacos, no typos present. They offer five different types of tacos: mushroom, kale and potato, collard greens, Moroccan carrot, and acorn squash. Talk about options on options! For an extra flavorful taco, you can opt for add-on pasteurized egg (vegetarian friendly) or jalapenos. There are a handful of different sides you can add to your order and two types of desserts. What sets Chaia apart from the rest is that they only use ingredients from local farms in order to support healthy local farming. That means you’ll be doing good and eating good. Then, you can complement those delicious farm fresh tacos with your choice of beverage, some options being tea, juice, wine, local beer, or coffee. Not only can you come to this vegan-friendly taco shop to dine in or for take-out, but you and your friends can throw your own Taco Tuesday at Chaia by booking a private event. Check out Chaia’s Instagram account to get a foretaste of what they’re all about. This is the perfect place to satisfy your taco cravings while staying true to your vegan commitments.
Location: 3207 Grace St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Contact: (202) 333-5222
Hours: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Price Range: $11 for 3 tacos, $3.75 per taco
So next time you are in D.C., don’t settle for the plain-Jane restaurants with the boring salads. The Capital’s got some serious vegan eats, and these restaurants are among the best. Make sure to share which one sounds most appealing to you in the comments below!
Arliss is the Managing Editor of trekbible as well a social media editor at IncomeStore. She is also a writer and aspiring novelist. Arliss has family all over the world including the Ivory Coast, Denmark, Germany, and the Dominican Republic—a fact that greatly contributes to her passion for travel and culture.