The next time you’re in a rush, here’s where you can grab a quick and healthy bite to eat, all while supporting local businesses.
Postmodern Foods 2920 M St. NW and 762b Walker Rd., Great Falls, Virginia
Denise Hicks started Postmodern Foods in 2012 in Great Falls, Virginia, and expanded to a second location in Georgetown this year. The juice shop and grab-and-go food business is organic, vegan, raw and gluten-free.
Hicks makes all of the cold-pressed juices — which range from kale to carrot to watermelon — out of her Great Falls kitchen. The Natural Gourmet Institute grad also oversees the food menu, which includes a massaged kale salad, Korean walnut-pea “sushi,” and raw doughnut holes.
(Courtesy Postmodern Foods)
Courtesy Postmodern Foods
Chaia 3207 Grace St. NW Chaia founders Bettina Stern and Suzanne Simon first launched their farm-to-taco business at the FRESHFARM Market by the White House in 2013, sourcing many of the ingredients for the veggie tacos directly from the farmers at the market. Last year, the duo opened their first brick-and-mortar shop in Georgetown.
Chaia’s menu includes five different tacos: Three are mainstays (mushroom, creamy kale and potato, and eggplant) and two rotate based on the season. There’s also beer, wine and cold-pressed juice on tap.
(Courtesy Chaia)
Courtesy Chaia
Cava Grill Multiple locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
The Cava brand started back in 2006 when three friends opened a Rockville, Maryland, restaurant that put a modern spin on traditional Greek cooking. A few years later, they launched the spin-off concept, Cava Grill, which serves Mediterranean salads, rice bowls and pitas.
A lot of Cava’s ingredients are sourced from local farmers, and its popular dips and spreads are made in D.C. This summer, Cava Grill expanded to Los Angeles and New York City.
(Courtesy Cava Grill)
Courtesy Cava Grill
Shouk 655 K St. NW
Need a new spot for your Meatless Mondays? Shouk serves mouthwatering plant-based pitas (try the chickpea with preserved lemon, olive, seaweed, potato, tomato, cucumber and tahina), salads, soups and more — plus polenta fries.
(James C. Jackson/Courtesy Shouk)
James C. Jackson/Courtesy Shouk
Sweetgreen Multiple locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia Sweetgreen opened its first shop on M Street in 2007 when its founders were still students at Georgetown University. Now, the salad and frozen yogurt business has more than 50 locations in seven states and the District. The menu varies based on the region, since a majority of the ingredients are sourced locally.
(WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Beefsteak Multiple locations in D.C. and Maryland
D.C.’s founding celebrity chef, Jose Andrés, branched beyond restaurant kitchens when he opened his veggie-centric, fast-casual concept, Beefsteak, in Foggy Bottom in 2015. Since then, he has opened four additional locations, where he serves everything from bowls to salads, and yes, a beefsteak tomato burger.
(Rey Lopez/Courtesy Beefsteak)
Rey Lopez/Courtesy Beefsteak
DC Dosa 1309 5th St. NE
Priya Ammu introduced D.C. to dosas — an Indian lentil-crepe, stuffed with curry potatoes, eggplant and sweet potatoes, or roasted cauliflower, carrots and cabbage — in 2014 with her stand at the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods. Since then, she has moved on to Union Market, where she now serves her vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free fold-overs to long lines of hungry patrons. The dosas at DC Dosa are topped with homemade chutneys.
(WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Soupergirl 1829 M St. NW and 314 Carroll St. NW
Sara Polon used to be a stand-up comedian. But after reading Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” she left the stage behind to try to fix the food system, one bowl of soup at a time.
Polon launched Soupergirl with the help of her mom, an excellent soup cook. All of Soupergirl’s soups are plant-based and loaded with local vegetables. You can find them at Soupergirl’s two brick-and-mortar locations (Georgetown and Takoma, D.C.) and in several Whole Foods Markets in the area.
(Courtesy Soupergirl)
Courtesy Soupergirl
Maki Shop 1522 14th St. NW
Hand-rolled, burrito-sized sushi is what’s on the menu at Maki Shop on 14th Street. The veggie roll (which is also vegan) features brown rice, arugula, kale, cucumber and red bell pepper; the mushroom roll is made with wild mushrooms, asparagus, red bell pepper and scallion. There are also plenty of seafood options for some extra protein and omega-3s.
(Courtesy Maki Shop)
Courtesy Maki Shop
TaKorean 1212 4th St. SE and 1309 5th St. NE TaKorean puts a Mexican twist on traditional Korean flavors. At one of its three locations, customers can choose from tacos, slaw bowls or rice bowls, filled with spiced meats or tofu, veggies, slaws and salsas.
(Courtesy Takorean)
Courtesy Takorean
Taylor Gourmet Multiple locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Sure, there are a lot of “heavier” options on the menu at Taylor Gourmet (it’s hard to overlook the truffle cheesesteak), but the local hoagie shop also has plenty of healthy choices. Try the crispy cauliflower hoagie (loaded with purple cabbage, sumac yogurt, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and jalapeno tahini sauce) and the vegan chickpea hoagie, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini and lemon mint tahini dressing.
(Joe Cereghino/Taylor Gourmet)
Joe Cereghino/Taylor Gourmet
Buredo 825 14th St. NW and 1213 Connecticut Ave. NW
Similar to Maki Shop, Buredo serves burrito-sized sushi rolls from its Franklin Square and Dupont Circle shops. The Riki features spicy beet, pea shoot leaves, avocado, jicama, pickled cucumber, red onion and garlic-dill yogurt.
(WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Amsterdam Falafel Shop 2425 18th St. NW; 1830 14th St. NW and 429 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Amsterdam Falafel Shop has been serving falafel sandwiches to the D.C. community for more than 10 years from its Adams Morgan location, and most recently from its 14th Street Northwest and L’Enfant Plaza shops.
Yes, the fries aren’t exactly “healthy,” but all of the veggie-heavy falafel toppings will off-set the grease.
(Courtesy Amsterdam Falafel)
Fast food has a new face, thanks to a growing number of local entrepreneurs who have traded in bulk suppliers for local ingredients and have swapped greasy burgers for more nutrient-dense dishes.
The next time you’re in a rush, here’s where you can grab a quick and healthy bite to eat, all while supporting local businesses.
Use the interactive map to locate your next lunch:
