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Ahi watermelon tuna nigiri at Planta Bethesda
Ahi watermelon tuna nigiri at Planta Bethesda.
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16 Top-Tier Vegan Restaurants Around D.C.

No meat? No problem

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Ahi watermelon tuna nigiri at Planta Bethesda.
| Planta

Gone are the days when going to a vegan restaurant meant choking back tasteless food served with a whiff of patchouli. These days, the D.C. area is a rich wonderland of plant-based restaurants, and each is as varied in personality as the people who eat at them. There are chic, upscale tasting menus; homey vegan comfort food spots with hefty, filling plates; and massive, consistent fast-casual chains. Atlanta’s popular burger bar Slutty Vegan just announced plans to debut in D.C. this year.

Though this list is limited to restaurants with no meat on the menu, it’s worth noting that quality vegan meals can be found all over town.

At Michelin-rated Oyster Oyster in Shaw, chef Rob Rubba’s ever-changing tasting menu celebrates in-season produce from small farms. Downtown’s long-running Elizabeth’s Gone Raw opens its townhouse doors a few nights a week with elegant, $105-per-person vegan spreads. At nearby Equinox, Todd Gray puts high-end veggie dishes front and center at this showy, sun-filled restaurant.

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PLNT Burger (Multiple locations)

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Celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn’s expansion-minded stall is planted inside Whole Foods all over the DMV (plus outposts in Pennsylvania, Boston, and New York). PLNT Burger forms plant patties to order and griddles them on a flattop. The burgers get paired with crispy sides like herb fries and oat milk soft serve. For 2023, new items include green bean fries made with sunflower oil and quinoa and an Actual Veggies burger made with kale, broccoli, and spinach on warm pita. Buy one, get one half off for the rest of January with the code VEGANUARY. Order online for pickup or delivery.

PLANTA | Bethesda

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This ultra-chic, plant-based restaurant in Bethesda serves up a colorful menu that manages to feel both healthful and indulgent. The Bethesda outpost hums with warm Miami vibes while serving a menu of hits like vegan sushi, fresh juice cocktails, pasta blanketed with a rich and spicy rosé vodka sauce, plus a vegan version of Maryland’s iconic crab dip made with fresh hearts of palm flown in from Hawaii three times a week. Asian-influenced sibling Planta Queen is en route to the West End.

Cielo Rojo Restaurant

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David Perez and Carolina McCandless, the owners of this cute cocina in Takoma Park, met a decade ago while working at San Francisco’s revered vegetarian Mexican restaurant Gracias Madre. A substantial chunk of their Maryland menu is vegan, including gorditas, quesadillas stuffed with tequila-sauteed mushrooms or grill cactus, and believable (cashew) cheese and cream.

Donut Run

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This vegan donut shop from self-trained bakers Shawn Petersen and Nicole Dao has brought serious buzz to Takoma since opening in 2021. Customers wait in line rain or shine, and sometimes before sun-up, for the plump, lighter-than-air rings in fun flavors like tiramisu, French toast, and pineapple upside-down cake.

MushDC at miXt Food Hall

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Brentwood’s miXt Food Hall welcomed vegan vendor MushDC last year. The mushroom-obsessed sandwich and salad shop comes from D.C. natives Tarik Frazier and Alex Hamilton. Opt for a believable banh mi or steak and cheese, plus Peruvian and Caribbean bowls and braised collard greens. Order online for pickup.

NuVegan Cafe (Multiple locations)

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Soy substitutes for fried chicken, crab, and chicken fried steak fill platters and sandwiches at this vegan soul food spot near Howard University. Meanwhile, a vegan brunch menu hits the classics with burritos, “cheezy” grits, and scrambled tofu. Order online at any of the three area locations. NuVegan also maintains locations in Baltimore and Richmond.

sPACYcLOUd Lounge

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This vegan hangout/skate shop in Adams Morgan is known for its believable “fish and chips” built with vegan fillets and peasant potatoes. A new “mushroom experience” menu includes a la carte items like a portobello “steak” burger, mushroom barley soup, and vareniki (Ukrainian dumplings) stuffed with mushrooms and potatoes.

DC Vegan

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Dupont’s upstairs deli and catering company comes from vegan-obsessed couple Leah Curran Moon — an animal activist with a PhD — and Michael Jantz Moon, a musician who’s toured with the likes of Paul Simon. Tasty vegan takes on bar fare include include trumpet mushroom “calamari” rings, barbecue cauliflower “wings,” a beet burger, fried artichoke sandwich, and “Philly cheesesteak” sub (or bowl) constructed with braised jackfruit and a cashew cheese drizzle. Sit and stay in the sleek space or order online for pickup or delivery. The owners opened a botanical cocktail den below in May and recently debuted a dinner menu full of Italian dishes.

Bucatini and meatballs sit prominently under a shower of cashew Parm and dollop of almond ricotta. 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Bubbie's Plant Burgers at Plant Food Lab

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The magicians behind the plant-based, classic American food that comes out of Bubbie’s kitchen have hit a home run with the D.C. community. The one-time pop-up that became a Dupont Circle brick-and-mortar is getting ready to move again, this time to a larger, full service restaurant in Adams Morgan. For now, the Dupont Circle location churns out pulled jackfruit barbecue, plant-based burgers, and more with all proteins, sauces, cheese, and ice cream made in the restaurant’s kitchen.

Chaia Tacos (Multiple locations)

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Almost everything at this vegetarian taco shop can be made vegan, from the braised mushroom tacos to black bean enchiladas to the smoky collard green tacos and cinnamon-coconut cookies. There are also locations in Chinatown and Bethesda. Order online for pickup or delivery.

Shouk (Multiple locations)

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Shouk’s aim is no big deal: It’s just a world-saving mission. This super-casual homegrown shop for modern, all plant-based Israeli street food has five area locations in D.C. and Maryland serving standout dishes like oyster mushroom shawarma, filling bowls of hummus, and veggie burgers that aren’t grown in a lab.

Sticky Fingers Diner

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Fare Well rebranded and reopened as Sticky Fingers Diner, putting all the pieces of Doron Petersan’s vegan mini-empire under one umbrella. With more seating, a cleaner look, and a full menu of Fare Well comfort food favorites like a Reuben, plus all the treats from the bakery, the diner is D.C.’s most approachable plant-based restaurant. Meanwhile, an e-commerce site ships Sticky Fingers products nationally and the and the Columbia Heights-based Sticky Fingers Bakery is still the baking hub.

Fancy Radish

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The debut D.C. restaurant from perennial James Beard award finalists Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby serves up pastrami-spiced carrots, rutabaga fondue, and spicy dan dan noodles in a dreamy garden-like setting. The menu is all vegan, but no one is preachy about it.

Stuffed avocado on a white plate.
Stuffed avocado with pickled cauliflower and romesco at Fancy Radish.
Fancy Radish

Fruitive (Multiple locations)

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This organic fast-casual restaurant from Virginia Beach serves everything from cashew cheese-topped pizzas to kale salads to liquid meals (the dragon berry smoothie is electric pink). The best-selling dish is avocado herb toast with pesto on whole grain bread.

Pow Pow

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This kosher, vegan-friendly shop channels Asian flavors and techniques in a variety of starters and bowls, like Taiwanese fried cashew mozzarella and the yoga dragon bowl with grilled chicken substitute tossed in peanut sauce. A downtown location just debuted last fall.

Hipcityveg (Multiple Locations)

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The Philadelphia-based, fast-casual restaurant, with D.C. outposts in Chinatown and Navy Yard, delivers burgers and sandwiches like a smokehouse burger with Beyond Meat and a crispy chick’n ranch. Pair them with green smoothies, soy milkshakes, and banana whips.

PLNT Burger (Multiple locations)

Celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn’s expansion-minded stall is planted inside Whole Foods all over the DMV (plus outposts in Pennsylvania, Boston, and New York). PLNT Burger forms plant patties to order and griddles them on a flattop. The burgers get paired with crispy sides like herb fries and oat milk soft serve. For 2023, new items include green bean fries made with sunflower oil and quinoa and an Actual Veggies burger made with kale, broccoli, and spinach on warm pita. Buy one, get one half off for the rest of January with the code VEGANUARY. Order online for pickup or delivery.

PLANTA | Bethesda

This ultra-chic, plant-based restaurant in Bethesda serves up a colorful menu that manages to feel both healthful and indulgent. The Bethesda outpost hums with warm Miami vibes while serving a menu of hits like vegan sushi, fresh juice cocktails, pasta blanketed with a rich and spicy rosé vodka sauce, plus a vegan version of Maryland’s iconic crab dip made with fresh hearts of palm flown in from Hawaii three times a week. Asian-influenced sibling Planta Queen is en route to the West End.

Cielo Rojo Restaurant

David Perez and Carolina McCandless, the owners of this cute cocina in Takoma Park, met a decade ago while working at San Francisco’s revered vegetarian Mexican restaurant Gracias Madre. A substantial chunk of their Maryland menu is vegan, including gorditas, quesadillas stuffed with tequila-sauteed mushrooms or grill cactus, and believable (cashew) cheese and cream.

Donut Run

This vegan donut shop from self-trained bakers Shawn Petersen and Nicole Dao has brought serious buzz to Takoma since opening in 2021. Customers wait in line rain or shine, and sometimes before sun-up, for the plump, lighter-than-air rings in fun flavors like tiramisu, French toast, and pineapple upside-down cake.

MushDC at miXt Food Hall

Brentwood’s miXt Food Hall welcomed vegan vendor MushDC last year. The mushroom-obsessed sandwich and salad shop comes from D.C. natives Tarik Frazier and Alex Hamilton. Opt for a believable banh mi or steak and cheese, plus Peruvian and Caribbean bowls and braised collard greens. Order online for pickup.

NuVegan Cafe (Multiple locations)

Soy substitutes for fried chicken, crab, and chicken fried steak fill platters and sandwiches at this vegan soul food spot near Howard University. Meanwhile, a vegan brunch menu hits the classics with burritos, “cheezy” grits, and scrambled tofu. Order online at any of the three area locations. NuVegan also maintains locations in Baltimore and Richmond.

sPACYcLOUd Lounge

This vegan hangout/skate shop in Adams Morgan is known for its believable “fish and chips” built with vegan fillets and peasant potatoes. A new “mushroom experience” menu includes a la carte items like a portobello “steak” burger, mushroom barley soup, and vareniki (Ukrainian dumplings) stuffed with mushrooms and potatoes.

DC Vegan

Dupont’s upstairs deli and catering company comes from vegan-obsessed couple Leah Curran Moon — an animal activist with a PhD — and Michael Jantz Moon, a musician who’s toured with the likes of Paul Simon. Tasty vegan takes on bar fare include include trumpet mushroom “calamari” rings, barbecue cauliflower “wings,” a beet burger, fried artichoke sandwich, and “Philly cheesesteak” sub (or bowl) constructed with braised jackfruit and a cashew cheese drizzle. Sit and stay in the sleek space or order online for pickup or delivery. The owners opened a botanical cocktail den below in May and recently debuted a dinner menu full of Italian dishes.

Bucatini and meatballs sit prominently under a shower of cashew Parm and dollop of almond ricotta. 
Rey Lopez/Eater DC

Bubbie's Plant Burgers at Plant Food Lab

The magicians behind the plant-based, classic American food that comes out of Bubbie’s kitchen have hit a home run with the D.C. community. The one-time pop-up that became a Dupont Circle brick-and-mortar is getting ready to move again, this time to a larger, full service restaurant in Adams Morgan. For now, the Dupont Circle location churns out pulled jackfruit barbecue, plant-based burgers, and more with all proteins, sauces, cheese, and ice cream made in the restaurant’s kitchen.

Chaia Tacos (Multiple locations)

Almost everything at this vegetarian taco shop can be made vegan, from the braised mushroom tacos to black bean enchiladas to the smoky collard green tacos and cinnamon-coconut cookies. There are also locations in Chinatown and Bethesda. Order online for pickup or delivery.

Shouk (Multiple locations)

Shouk’s aim is no big deal: It’s just a world-saving mission. This super-casual homegrown shop for modern, all plant-based Israeli street food has five area locations in D.C. and Maryland serving standout dishes like oyster mushroom shawarma, filling bowls of hummus, and veggie burgers that aren’t grown in a lab.

Sticky Fingers Diner

Fare Well rebranded and reopened as Sticky Fingers Diner, putting all the pieces of Doron Petersan’s vegan mini-empire under one umbrella. With more seating, a cleaner look, and a full menu of Fare Well comfort food favorites like a Reuben, plus all the treats from the bakery, the diner is D.C.’s most approachable plant-based restaurant. Meanwhile, an e-commerce site ships Sticky Fingers products nationally and the and the Columbia Heights-based Sticky Fingers Bakery is still the baking hub.

Fancy Radish

The debut D.C. restaurant from perennial James Beard award finalists Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby serves up pastrami-spiced carrots, rutabaga fondue, and spicy dan dan noodles in a dreamy garden-like setting. The menu is all vegan, but no one is preachy about it.

Stuffed avocado on a white plate.
Stuffed avocado with pickled cauliflower and romesco at Fancy Radish.
Fancy Radish

Fruitive (Multiple locations)

This organic fast-casual restaurant from Virginia Beach serves everything from cashew cheese-topped pizzas to kale salads to liquid meals (the dragon berry smoothie is electric pink). The best-selling dish is avocado herb toast with pesto on whole grain bread.

Pow Pow

This kosher, vegan-friendly shop channels Asian flavors and techniques in a variety of starters and bowls, like Taiwanese fried cashew mozzarella and the yoga dragon bowl with grilled chicken substitute tossed in peanut sauce. A downtown location just debuted last fall.

Related Maps

Hipcityveg (Multiple Locations)

The Philadelphia-based, fast-casual restaurant, with D.C. outposts in Chinatown and Navy Yard, delivers burgers and sandwiches like a smokehouse burger with Beyond Meat and a crispy chick’n ranch. Pair them with green smoothies, soy milkshakes, and banana whips.

Related Maps