Soul Vegetarian's Exodus, DC

UPDATE: This restaurant has permanently closed.

As one of just a handful of vegan restaurants in DC, you'd think I'd frequent Soul Vegetarian's Exodus more often. Unfortunately, though, I don't make it out to the Shaw area on Georgia Avenue very often. It had been at least a year since I was last here and I was excited to see what they'd be serving up at Soul Veg.

Soul Vegetarian is a nationwide chain of independently run restaurants by members of a religious cult, but don't let that turn you off. The food is generally very good and it is interesting to seek these restaurants out in different cities as they all offer different menu items.

As soon as I saw it, I realized that it was the same Soul Vegetarian I always remembered with its old-school green awning and white brick storefront. When I walked in, I was greeted by a friendly woman behind the counter. Their menu, which isn't currently posted on their website, changes daily. They offer a variety of entrees and vegetables hot-bar style. I ordered the two entree and one vegetable combo for $12.20. For my entrees, I chose the lasagna and mac and cheese and for my vegetable, I ordered broccoli. That day they also had pepper steak, a stew, and many other veggies. It all looked so good that it made it very hard to choose!

Although there is some seating on the second floor, I decided to take my meal to go. It took all of my control to wait to eat this until I got home and when I arrived, I immediately dug in. The lasagna was layered with noodles, spinach, mushrooms, onions, faux meat crumbles and tons of vegan cheese. It was really good, but incredibly filling and a bit too salty.

The steamed broccoli was good. And, then there was the mac and cheese. I've tasted a lot of vegan mac and cheeses in my life, but this one still has my vote for the best vegan mac and cheese in the country. I asked the lady what kind of cheese it was and she told me she was new and didn't know, but it was soy-based and vegan. It is just so incredibly creamy and delicious. I need to get this recipe!  I ended up eating all of it and feeling sick afterwards - it was just a bit too much vegan cheese. I would recommend not eating a two entree plus one vegetable plate all in one sitting. Perhaps you should try ordering the one entree plus two vegetable combo instead so you don't feel sick afterwards as they will give you a lot of food and then you are forced to exercise control -- something we all sometimes lack.

Despite the lack of fully vegan restaurants in DC, I'm proud to say that we still have the best mac and cheese. If you are visiting DC, I highly recommend trying it. This is a mac and cheese worth waiting for!

Soul Vegetarian's Exodus
2606 Georgia Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 328-7685