Chef José Andrés is on a mission to bring more vegetables to Washington, and there’s another step of progress today: the opening of Beefsteak in Dupont Circle. The fast-casual, veggie-centric restaurant is the second for Andrés in DC, having opened the Foggy Bottom flagship in March.
The space, located steps from the Dupont Circle Metro’s north entrance, is similar to the original, and serves an identical menu. Guests can opt for custom-designed bowls or make their own, picking between a bounty of vegetables—most flash-boiled to-order—greens, grains, dressings, crunchy toppings, and proteins like chicken sausage, poached eggs, or salt-cured salmon. The fall menu will begin soon, though in the meantime you’ll find summery items like gazpacho and a killer tomato burger.
We’re fans of the concept so far. The menu offers a broad spectrum of options, from vegan to meaty, light salad bowls and more filling combinations—try the Eden bowl with a garden’s worth of green veggies (broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc.), cucumber salad, cilantro and garlic yoghurt sauces, and lightly-cured salmon. Drink options are equally plentiful, running the gamut from green juice to local craft beer.
No new specific locations have been announced for Washington, though Andrés’s ThinkFoodGroup team says there’re more on the way. Next up: the first location outside DC, which will open in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania campus in early 2016.
Beefsteak Dupont Circle. 1528 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-986-7597. Open daily 10:30 am to 10 pm.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
