Sweetgreen, DC

Sweetgreen cafes have been cropping up all over DC.  When the first one opened in Georgetown in 2007, I kept meaning to go there, but never did. Since then, they've opened a total of five in DC, 2 in Maryland, 2 in Virginia, and 2 in Pennsylvania. That's some serious growth for a business that was founded by local Georgetown grads. The concept is based upon fresh, locally-sourced, farm-fresh salads and yogurt (not a fan!).  They offer a selection of signature and mix-your-own salads that can also be put in wraps along with a soup of the day.  Recently, they added warm grains to their menu and that is what really intrigued me enough to go and try them out.

The location that is closest to me is the one in Logan Circle. The good thing about this location is that it is right across from Whole Foods in a well-traveled area. The bad thing about this location is that it is right across from Whole Foods where their salad bar is amazing. It is for this reason that I had never gotten a salad from Sweetgreen at this location.

Zach and I went on a Saturday afternoon just before noon. There were very few people there so even though there was very little seating, there were still plenty of seats to choose from. The decor had a modern feel to it with the wood grain and bright colors. Two of the signature salads were marked as vegan - very nice. I ultimately decided to order the special salad of the month. Zach, unbeknownst to me, ordered the exact same thing, but had it put it in a whole wheat wrap.  When we walked up to the register, I noticed that they had cups of kale chips for sale as well. We passed, but they looked interesting.  When they rung us up, we realized that the $8 salads were pretty pricey. We thought, "they had better be good!"

The salad was definitely large enough to be a meal. The spinach and warm grains including quinoa, wheatberries, and barley were tossed with fresh vegetables and topped with Sriracha and carrot chili vinaigrette. The sliced carrots and sprouts were complemented by cubed fresh beets and spicy broccoli. Add in some roasted tofu and the spicy dressings and you have yourself a tasty meal.  Zach enjoyed his wrap as well.

By the time we left, the cafe was packed and all the seats were taken. I love the concept and even though the salads were slightly pricey, at least they were loaded with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, which gets them a thumbs-up in my book.

Sweetgreen
1471 P Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 234-7336