Lacto
Ovo
American
Fast food
Salad bar
Take-out
Gluten-free
Counter service eatery with multiple outlets. First choose leafy greens or a grain and then add vegetables, which can be blanched if you want, and then other toppings like sprouts, seeds, nuts, etc. A few sauces are vegan. Reported fully vegetarian April 2023. Reported closed September 2024.
22 Reviews
First Review by shineonyou
Jazzman221
Points +260
Spicy bowl hit the spot! - Edit
Respect for the prior review about the elevated “spiciness” level, but we both ordered the Spicy Bowl and loved the Caribbean flavors!
Read morePros: Great veggies, nice flavor profile!, Very friendly staff., Corny/clever neon affirmations!
Cons: Fountain drinks (e.g., Hibiscus) were too sweet
Guest
LookingForAdventure
Points +283
It was ok - Edit
Popped in here for an impromptu lunch. The name always put me off so it took us a year to try it.
Read moreWe both went for a ‘build your own salad’. The girls serving us were not terribly helpful. They were too busy talking to each other to explain the dishes and quantities.
My husband really enjoyed his. Mine was ok.
The chickpea curry is very spicy. The crumbed tofu was really good and the Plantanes were delicious.
Next time I’d order a sandwich or something straight from the menu.
The bulls your own salad was marked as $10,50 each at the time but somehow we were charged nearly $40 for both salads.
Updated from previous review on 2023-09-01
Pros: Interior, Lots of vegan options
Cons: Expensive, Service wasn’t great
Guest
Unk
Points +1199
Top-Notch Bowl - Edit
I eat about one bowl a day. Must be 1,000 different places now. This José Andres place is fabulous. The sole bummer, the sauces/dressings that I ordered on the side were way too heavy on my grains and vegetables.
Read morePros: So much ingredient choice., Value!
Cons: Too much dressing and where I didn't want it.
Guest
Alysoun Mahoney
Points +921
Spice isn't right for everyone - Edit
Great concept with an emphasis on globally inspired bowls and salads made from fresh and flavorful ingredients. It could be so much better if they offered 1) more vegan (vs. just vegetarian) options, and 2) low-spice options. All three vegan bowls on the standard menu are apparently very spicy; I ordered the "Spice is Right" which they said was the mildest of the three, and for me it was still painful. And there are no vegan salads on the standard menu at all. I know there is a build-your-own option, but there doesn't seem to be a clear system for that.
Read morePros: Fresh and flavorful ingredients, Good value, Nice fast casual environment
Cons: Need more vegan options, Need mild-spice options
Guest
minthin
Points +1095
Creative and healthy - Edit
I just had the Mushroom MaPo bowl. It was so delicious and included such a creative assortment of vegetables, textures, and flavors. These folks are constantly coming up with innovative dishes. And, while the name may be misleading, beefsteak is a really veg  forward establishment : )
Read moreGuest
VeganGodzilla
Points +125
Solid - Edit
A decent amount of vegan options. The food is pretty good
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-09-18
Guest
Abuckhouse
Points +187
Incredible food! - Edit
This place is absolutely FULL of vegan options. We both had their build your own warm bowl with lots of veggies, quinoa, and they even had several vegan sauces including yum yum sauce and vegan Mayo. It was so flavorful, clean, and the staff is so friendly.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Fresh ingredients , Very affordable
Guest
50%Dakini
Points +860
Love the BEETsteak burger - Edit
Nice fast casual stop for vegans and omnis alike. Love the BEETsteak burger, which is a seasonal (winter) offering. Yummy house-made juice.
Read moreGuest
newlymintedvegan
Points +113
Tasty and interesting set up - Edit
I had the Little Wild Curry (a fully vegan option on the menu at the moment). I also added lentils for protein. It was tasty and quick. They put ingredients in a basket and then put it in hot water and then chuck the ingredients on top of the base (rice, soup, etc.)
Read moreI also got their pomegranate kombucha on tap which was refreshing. It’s a nice set up, and a nice location. There is a foosball table, and they have a section for where they grow some of their own veggies on display.
Apparently it used to be a fully vegetarian restaurant but then they started offering options with meat.
Pros: Kombucha on tap, Vegetarian and vegan menu items, Quick
Guest
HillsForestVegan
Points +109
Quick and cheap vegan food - Edit
Nearly all vegetarian restaurant. Had good vegan burger options and drinks as well.
Read morePros: Quick and cheap vegan options
Cons: Serves things in plastic, creating waste
Guest
levi24
Points +644
Healthy and Sometimes Busy - Edit
Healthy, whole food selection of veggies, grains, legumes, and sauces. A little pricey but well worth the bowl.
Read moreGuest
flatworldsedge
Points +1570
Good healthy option for quick food - Edit
I whizzed in here for a very quick, healthy, flavourful meal after an evening run. Good value for a very healthy vegan dinner in clean, calm setting. The only challenge was the menu which was a little overwhelming and confusing at first visit - lots of combinations and options to read through. It feels like somewhere you’d soon get to know and it’d make a lot more sense than late at night after a long run so I don’t hold that against it.
Read morePros: Quick, Healthy, Decent value
Cons: A little confusing on first visit
Guest
sglcklch
Points +3713
Surprisingly good - Edit
I got a credit card offer and decided to use it on the lentil curry here. I preordered it that same morning and it was ready to be picked up at the scheduled time. To be honest, I didn't have much expectation going in, but I came out pleasantly surprised! The curry was pretty yummy and the ingredients tasted fresh. For less than $10, I got some healthy vegan food that was quick and fairly tasty. What's not to like?
Read morePros: good and healthy, reasonably priced
Guest
nafanc
Points +1615
Impressed - Edit
I really liked this place. By appearances, it’s like many other fast-casual spots, with simple yet attractive decor and a menu with a handful of bowls, salads, and sandwiches. I had the beet poke, which really impressed me. The vegetables were fresh, delicious, and well-seasoned. It was a simple dish, but super tasty. It’s also an affordable option in an expensive city. I’d definitely recommend trying Beefsteak if you’re near one of their locations.
Read morePros: Affordable, Fresh, Colorful
Guest
vegnfamily
Points +20
Nice and fresh - Edit
5/5!! Amazing beet burger.
Read moreGuest
cookiem
Points +5952
Not bad - Edit
This is the easy part of vegan dining: pick raw vegetables for a salad that have had nothing done to them. If you want things steamed, you can do that, add some grains too. The sauces except the yogurt-based one are vegan. The default appears to be vegan, so it's nice. The cucumber salad and kimchi are NOT vegan.
Read moreHowever, as far as the Beefsteak approach, this one seems to have challenges when I order a bunch of veggies and just want them raw.
Also, if you're gluten focused, this place helps you too.
For the veggies, you can go pretty crazy and get them all! They just don't all taste good together. Some premium add ons, of course, like avocado for your salad, but most of the veggies are whatever you want!
Pros: Vegan galore, Salad or grains
Cons: Not enough dressings, Not all vegan
Guest
Cam
Points +2088
Nice salads and vegetables bowls - Edit
I don't get the name but the bowl I got what delicious. Filling and tasty with different layers and texture.
Read moreInside you feel like in a upscale Chipotle, the prices are fair for what you get.
Pros: mostly vegetarian, quite a few vegan options, good prices
Guest
Cherly
Points +17
this is tagged wrong, is full vegan with vegetariam options - Edit
Very nice staff, craft beers and rootbeers, nice burguers and bowls/soups. Combos dish drink or chips for like 11dollars or less. Tasty, everything vegan and some vegetarian options.
Read morePros: Everything vegan and vegetarian
Guest
davehk
Points +42
Amazing fresh food - Edit
Almost ignored this restaurant because of the name but reading other reviews made me try it. You can create your own food bowl so you have full control of what you're eating. This makes this restaurant one of the healthiest possible venues and their veggies are super fresh and tasty. Most of the menu is vegan, what is not is clearly marked. Tried it for brunch yesterday, will go again today. Perfect for me! Very moderate prices too.
Read morePros: Cheap, lots of options, fast, healthy, friendly, d
Cons: No WiFi
Guest
Lomky
Points +750
Beefsteak is Wonderful - Edit
I ignored this place for months, not looking past the name. Eventually I wandered in and realized it was almost all veggies!
Read moreSo much of their menu is vegan that they label things "vegetarian" and "meat", rather than the other way around. The food is healthy, portions are filling but not too much, and the price is solid for DC.
I try to go to a Beefsteak every month now. Great place to get carnivores into veggies.
Pros: Delicious, Price, Fast
Guest
Katie Le
Points +553
90% vegan -- best lunch place! - Edit
There is too much to say about this fantastic little lunch joint! It's what they call veggie centric. You start by selecting from an array of beautifully presented and cut raw vegetables, which are blanched, and assembly-line style you then can add your choice of grains, sauces , and crunchy/salty additional toppings. All unlimited! If that's too confusing, (it's really not, after you've done it once), you can choose a pre-set bowl instead . Among the many excellent features-- 1. You can basically get unlimited vegetables. If you do a build your own, you just keep loading it up and they never stop you :-) same thing with unlimited toppings. It's a very reasonable price. Roughly 9 dollars for a bowl. 2. The menu labels the non-vegan ingredients, and there are just a handful of them. 3. Many people (including, it seems, some of the staff, since this is the less usual option) don't realize, but you can keep your vegetables raw! The normal way, cooking them, is delicious, but always makes me feel a little heavy afterwards. In contrast, if you keep the veggies raw, you can still load up with sauces and toppings and you just feel so good and healthy after!
Read morePros: cheap and unlimited portions & delicious toppings , beautiful presentation of raw veggies , veggies at, almost all vegan (they label the non-vegan items)
Cons: none!
Guest
shineonyou
Points +984
All about vegetables - Edit
Definitely a welcome addition to the fast casual restaurant scene in DC. I'm a fan, my husband (who isn't vegetarian) is probably an even bigger fan. Definitely check it out if you're in Foggy Bottom.
Read moreBeefsteak (named after the tomato!) is the creation of Jose Andres, who is a famous Spanish-born, DC-based chef known for his high end small plates restaurants. I personally am not a big fan of paying a lot for small amounts of food, but Beefsteak is the opposite. You pay fast food-adjacent prices for a ton of food. You choose however many vegetables you want, plus a grain and sauce. It is seriously very filling!
If you like eating a ton of vegetables, this is your place. It's not a vegetarian restaurant per say (and has a few non-vegetarian ingredients), it's a VEGETABLE restaurant.
Edited June 2016 for this detail: I emailed to ask if the seasonal beefsteak tomato burger was vegan, and I received a response back confirming that is it. The mayo is Just Mayo brand and the olive oil brioche bun is vegan according to the person who emailed me back.
Pros: Unlimited vegetables in your meal, Inexpensive, Very filling
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 6464 times.