Emily S.
Yelp
This place might be good for meat eaters, thus the reviews - the cooking meat certainly smelled good when we came in. But my friend and I both ordered vegan entrees for lunch on a weekday and they were incredibly disappointing. Which is unfortunate, because we picked this place specifically because it offered several good-seeming vegetarian/vegan options, but if you're a vegetarian, I would 100% skip this place.
I wish I had remembered to take photos while we were there, but portions weren't just disappointing - they were laughable. Again, if you're serving meat you can get away with leaner portions because meat is super filling (and a more expensive ingredient) but my tofu stir fry came with, count em, three one-bite pieces of tofu, a cup of rice, and some mushy veggies. My friend ordered a quinoa and felafel bowl and there were like 3 or four tiny, bite-sized spheres of felafel. Both these dishes were around $20 and they were portioned like side dishes.
Then there was the quality and flavor. NOPE. Half the veggies in my dish were broccolini, which I can't digest, so I set them aside and I can't judge them - that one is on me b/c I saw broccolini elsewhere on the menu and didn't ask. What was left was cut up - I'm going to say matchsticks, slice is too generous - of bell pepper and onion. They were overcooked and slathered in an oily, viscous, flavorless sauce that tasted like it came out of a jar. My rice was just plain, boring jasmine and it was overcooked. The tofu was fried and yet somehow had no flavor, including the batter, and wasn't crispy. I don't think there was a single seasoning in the batter
I mean, this wasn't just bad. It was gross. I ate very little of it and ended up eating a full size baguette sandwich at Pret at Union Station immediately after. If you have to get a second lunch, that's pretty bad.
My friend was sorely disappointed with her felafel. It was bland. She said she could make better at home. There are tons of places in DC that sell better tasting, better portioned felafel for less than half the price (like the felafel place at the Wharf).
Again, this place is well-reviewed, and my theory is that this has to be related to the meat dishes. As a pescatarian looking to eat more strictly vegetarian, I am never coming back here.