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Energy Kitchen had the grand opening for its first DC location last week, but the franchise has been serving up healthy-leaning fare in the District since early January. The restaurant prides itself on offering all dishes that are baked, steamed or sauteed, rather than fried. Everything's under 500 calories. But does healthy mean tasty? Here's what the first bloggers, Yelpers and commenters had to say about the new DC addition, which could open up to 10 locations in the area.
The Overpriced Cheese News: Right now, Energy Kitchen is earning 3 out of 5 stars on Yelp, with 12 reviews posted. One is from Aaron K., who says, "Much faster than Shake Shack, and healthier. I don't mind the smaller portion because, you know, low calorie offerings and all...Cons: Price. Please don't charge an extra $1.00 for a single slice of cheese. What are you guys thinking?" [Yelp]
The Food Beyond Salad News: Danesh I of Yelp calls Energy Kitchen "a delicious and healthy alternative to salads for lunch! If you're not a big "leaf-eater" like me, the idea of waiting in line for a salad for 15-20 minutes during the lunch rush as would be the case if you went to Energy Kitchen's neighbors Sweet Green or Chop't, this place is perfect for you!" [Yelp]
The Wormy French Fries News: On the negative end of the Yelp reviews comes this one from DeeJay K: "I like good food for a fair price. That said, I paid $11 for a mediocre turkey burger and THE WORST french fries ever -- wormy yet still frozen!??!?" [Yelp]
The NY Fan Club News: On PoPville's Energy Kitchen preview, commenter wasonh expressed excitement over the arrival. "Yummy!! – had one in my neighborhood in NYC – very delish for healthy food and reasonably priced – yay!" [PoP]
The Good News For Vegetarians: Blogger Two DC had this to say about the place: "Perhaps most surprising was that we liked the veggie burger the best. The patty is an Energy Kitchen-made blend of rolled oats, broccoli, carrots, celery, corn, edamame, peppers, onions and green peas. It sounds a little weird, but we found it to be the most flavorful of the burger bunch." [TwoDC]
The Solid Slaw News: From Glam Swagger: "The broccoli slaw was amazing! Probably my favorite thing next to the sirloin burger and sweet potato fries." [GS]
The Facebook Fan News: From commenter Patrice Kamara: "I visited today for the 1st time... the Energy Burger was amazing! So happy to have you in DC! [Facebook]
· All Previous Energy Kitchen News [-EDC-]
