Vegetate, Washington, District of Columbia Restaurant Details

Food:

I am sad they have closed - it was the classy and best restaurant. I loved their special cocktails. Food was fantastic. Hope they reopen soon.

Food:

I've been to many gourmet vegetarian restaurants, and this one is decidedly overpriced. The food was tasty, but not brilliant - the execution was blase and the portions were really really small. For the price I expect something more creative and interesting. Even the cocktails, which are 10-12 dollars, are tiny. The atmosphere is great.

Food:

Vegetarian dining is often nothing fancy. Vegetate is proof this does not have to be the case. They use the best local ingredients and cook them with an extremely skillful and caring hand. The choices were all so good we had trouble deciding, but our knowledgeable waiter's suggestions were spot on. My only gripe is the location... i.e. not where I live in Texas. If you are at the convention center in DC though you have no excuse.

Food:

I had high hopes for this place given their status as the supposed "best vegetarian" restaurant in D.C. Boy was I disappointed. The food wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't good and was not AT ALL worth the price. The main problem was that it all tasted pretty much the same--relying heavily on fat for flavor and using too many of the same ingredients--and they served you an insultingly piddly portion. Between two people, we spent $80 and did not feel full when we left (and we're by no means sumo wrestlers, just regular vegan diners hoping for a decent-sized meal). The appetizers--they appropriately and perhaps by way of warning call them "Bites"--were tiny, pretentious servings spaced out on a plate just larger than a saucer. We ordered the vegi-burger samplers (you only get two Krystal-like burgers of something resembling a Morningstar Farms pattie on a dinner roll), the gnocchi (literally 10 marble-sized pieces costing a whopping $7 and tasting like something you can easily make yourself), and the crochets (a mere three ping-pong ball-looking pieces of fried, over-breaded risotto). For entrees, we had the risotto (basically the same thing you got in the crochet, except with a few extra spices, and you got about a cup and half spread out in soup bowl and topped with a sliced mushroom and what tasted like the same sauce they used on all the appetizers) and the tofu (again, shockingly anorexic portions of three tofu wedges fried and spiced exactly like the crochets, served around a few tablespoons of mashed sweet potatoes). The only real plus about the evening was that the service was excellent. But on the whole I felt ripped off, offended, and worst of all hungry when I left. Maybe take a date there, but don't go if you actually want a satisfying meal.

Food:

I adore Vegetate, and I'm not even a vegetarian.

Food-wise, their menu is always changing, so it's hard to cite a favorite. Their soups are always delicious. So are their risotto croquettes. And anything with cashew cream sauce. And goodness their grill cheese is to die for. I could go on and on. Their ingredients are fresh fresh fresh from a local organic farm and, accordingly, reflect the season's bounty.

Drink-wise, their bar/lounge is upstairs. They have a very creative cocktail list and use fresh juices (e.g., their ginger ale is homemade using actual ginger). I adore their bloody marys and their ninth street iced tea.

Venu-wise, there's always a very cool vibe at Vegetate.

All to say, you must go to this Shaw neighborhood gem, Vegetate!!!