Food

Native Foods Café Closes Both DC Branches

The vegan chain shutters in Dupont and Penn Quarter.

Native Foods Café will serve its last batch of tofu “bacon” in DC on Tuesday. The California-based vegan/vegetarian chain is closing both its Dupont and Penn Quarter locations, and pulling out of the Washington market. A Falls Church branch shuttered in October.

The restaurants launched last year with a menu of “plant-based and 100% compassionate meals” that emphasized meat-free takes on typically meat-filled dishes such as burgers and chickne fingers. At least diners in the Dupont area won’t be left without healthy choices—the neighborhood boasts several fast-casual health spots, such as Little Beet, Beefsteak, Sweetgreen, and the upcoming Cava Grill.

Food Editor

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.