Protein Bar

While visiting DC this past weekend, we happened upon Protein Bar. What a nice delightful quick, healthy and tasty place. Many options for all types of eaters and most meal options are adaptable for vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten free, etc. It was perfect for our family as we consist of many types of eaters. Staff was very nice and helpful and everything ordered by the family was enjoyed.

The quinoa bowl was very good. you can add vegan cheese, avocados and some other stuff. Give it a shot!

If you're looking for some really good healthy fast food, this is the place for you. They had such a large variety to choose from. I wish we had a place like this everywhere in the world. We ate the quinoa chili and had a vegan protein shake both of which were delicious! Staff is great and knows a lot!

The reviews are in for Protein Bar: good, slightly pricy, vegan friendly, and all served with some 'tude. At 11 am on a weekday, you know there's tude because the music blaring is serious hip hop with more rap leanings... I am not a music critic, but, it definitely set the flavor. So, I was not surprised despite having only 2 other customers here that the 6 people behind the counter were not willing to help. Reluctantly, one did help with some energy and moderate cheer.

The order was produced rather quickly considering the staff were all engaged in serious discussions about who knows what but definitely not the good or customers or work. Still, they seemed nice though maybe not the fastest.

When you order, the menu notes vegan items and those that can be made vegan. They like fake cheese, quinoa, tofu/ soy and protein! Surprise? It would be nice to see mushrooms or nuts, but pepitas are a nice tough and chia dressing. Whole wheat flax tortilla is standard vegan wrapping- nice. The smoothies can be made with soy protein, then non-dairy milk (soy or almond) and fruit (bananas, berries) or even pb. Nice touch to have agave nectar! Raw juices and soups are vegan accessible, too- so I hope to go back and try the chili or soup. Brekkie is sort of vegan friendly, but only from a carb perspective.

I like this place for the fresh choices that mix burritos and salad concepts with smoothies. It's a healthier option in this area of DC! Prices are a bit high but not for this part of DC- the prices are clearly marked, too. Plus, the portions are large, as well as nutrition intensive, justifying the prices. It would be great if there were a few more vegetable options to jazz up a salad or bowl!

We stopped by here after finishing up on the museum part of the itinerary. We were starving and I'm pretty sure the place was 20 minutes before closing. However, when we walked in, I caught one of the guys in the back say in a "why now" tone of voice to someone else that they had new customers. Nice welcome.

The menu looked good. However, most of them contained onion and garlic so our choices were slashed down significantly. We ended up getting the burritos... that was essentially a salad wrapped in tortilla. No flavor, but everything they made that provided the flavor had onion and garlic and we couldn't really blame them (that much) for that. I was a little miffed that the price still stayed the same, but I was hungry and we did walk in relatively close to closing time. (I used to work in a restaurant so I could sympathize a little.)

In accordance with my usual habit of drinking a smoothie at home, I also got a smoothie (green tea). It was good - not too sweet and you could taste the matcha.

All in all, not bad, but I probably wouldn't return. It would also be nice if they could hide their thoughts better, but the service was decent considering (as long as they were directly talking to you), but you could definitely feel like they wanted you out so they could close.

I popped into the branch on 7th and D while waiting for a friend to arrive to meet me in Washington, and I must admit that the first thing I noticed was that there seems to be very little visible price info on the menu - a lot about nutritional value (and there's a lot of nutritional value to this food, admittedly), but almost nothing on price. That's usually a red flag for me, but I was hungry, and the place was listed on Happy Cow, so I figured I'd give it a go.

Overall, I'm glad that I did, even though I was stung a bit on the price - the trick, it turns out, is not ordering a drink, as their smoothies cost around $7, which was a bit unexpected. The food, however, was very good - I had the garden city burrito, with tofu, kale, chick peas and a creamy sauce, and it made a pleasing change from the standard 'vegemince and cheese' veggie burrito you get in many other places. The staff were quick and courteous, and for a fast food restaurant, the ambience was pretty laid-back and upmarket.

Overall - recommended, but maybe check the price of things before ordering.

Protein Bar is a Chicago-based quick service place with the idea of serving healthier food fast. It has a menu of "bar-ritos", salads, and quinoa bowls (as quinoa is, of course, rich in protein). They have several locations in the DC area, including this first one at 7th and D, a few blocks from Verizon Center and right near the Archives Metro station (Green and Yellow lines).

They have a number of vegan options, which are clearly marked. They offer vegan chili and vegan cheese. You can get a smoothie or a soda (cane sugar sweetened), plus some chips. You pay at the counter and get a beeper that will buzz when your food is ready.

The food is pretty tasty. I love the Green City Vegan, a chilled bar-rito with tofu, kale, chickpeas, pepitas, salad mix, and a creamy chia dressing. The portions are pretty big, but all items clock in at less than 600 calories each, which is pretty good.

The seating is a bit limited, with a lot of high stools (which I dislike), but I've rarely had trouble getting a bench seat there.

It's good for a quick, fresh meal.

We went before a play and they were friendly, fast, and the food was uniquely yummy. Vegan options clearly marked, loved the quinoa chili. You order and they give you a buzzer for when your food or smoothie is ready. They sell their own packaged brownies and also have kombucha on hand.