Vegan
American
Take-out
Soul Food
Washington DC vegan cafe near Takoma Metro station. It's connected to the Senbeb health food shop. Very small place that's mostly take-out with a few tables for seating. Sample menu items include faux meat sandwiches, raw food, biscuits n' gravy, mac n' cheese, cornbread, and greens. Vegan brunch on Sunday. Confirmed open May 2020. Black-owned. Open Mon-Sat 11:00am-6:00pm, Sun 10:00am-3:00pm.
20 Reviews
First Review by bduboff
Saltycakes
Points +288
Great service Great food - Edit
The lady at this place made me feel like I was at my grandma's kitchen! She was very sweet. She immediately gave us a rewards punch card which I plan to keep using. You get to choose a main dish and two complements, plus cornbread or biscuits. The food was very good and they have a nice selection. The mac n cheeze could've used a bit more salt but still the consistency and taste was well done. There was no place to sit and eat which would've been nice since I wanted to keep talking to the lady about the food and the restaurant. They also had a board promoting other businesses and events which had really good suggestions.
Read moreOverall I loved the place and the experience.
Pros: Good food, Decent price, Rewards card.
Cons: Only take out
Guest
MaryLouBurke
Points +102
Nice Experience - Edit
I loved the location and the brunch menu. Everything here is vegan, including the omelette. The potatoes especially tasted great. The next time I am in this part of D.C. I’ll come back for more the next time I visit this part of D.C.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-10-09
Pros: Pleasant customer service, Nice ambiance and music., Black-owned business
Cons: Mostly take out
Guest
Yahmeesh
Points +246
Awesome! - Edit
I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out what the crab cakes and sweet potatoes were made out of; phenomenal. Everything I ate was extraordinary.
Read moreGuest
HeatherLSD
Points +52
Crab cakes! - Edit
This was my first time here, and we only tried a couple things, but the crab cakes are BOMB! Their desserts are good too. I personally didn’t care for the chicken and waffles much. I would like to try several of their other items.
Read moreGuest
Wallace89
Points +23
Sandwiches are good - Edit
I like alot of there food but the mac isn't so good
Read morePros: Great sandwiches
Cons: Mac and cheese isn't so great
Guest
soibeens
Points +36
Love Senbeb! - Edit
Loved going here when I lived in Petworth. African American woman owned business!
Read morePros: Delicious vegan comfort food , The best vegan breakfast
Guest
LeahFlake
Points +32
Senbeb is a must-try for DC vegans! - Edit
This is one of my favorite spots in DC. Their yams, plantains, mac and cheese, “chicken”, and veggies are all amazing - so are the sandwiches, and the little cakes and pasta salads in their fridge are convenient if you’re just stopping by quickly. The grocery store next door is also a nice place to check out. It takes around 15-20 mins for them to prepare your order, and you can take it home or eat at one of the few tables there (there’s usually space). Don’t forget to get extra hot sauce!
Read morePros: Excellent food, Not crowded, Convenient options
Guest
JackieP
Points +379
Best vegan restaurant in America - Edit
This is my favorite place ever. They serve tofu skin, which is the best vegan protein. Vegan chicken and waffles is on point. I'd go to DC just to eat there.
Read morePros: Unique yummy food, Super local
Cons: Needs more locations!
Guest
Mangia_Athena
Points +66
Delicious! - Edit
My boyfriend and I ordered from here on Friday! Our food was great. He opted for the Cajun fried “chicken” and I had the crispy portobello mushrooms! We both had the Mac and cheese and plantains for our sides. Although we were sad they didn’t have any cornbread left this food hit all the spots. The tangy sauce for the “chicken” was delicious!
Read morePros: Variety of options, Great sides
Guest
Nechelle
Points +13
10/10 would recommend - Edit
I finally had the chance to check this café out especially after hearing about how good their food was. I would highly recommend their steak and cheese. I would definitely be coming back to try their other options.
Read morePros: Outstanding Food.
Cons: The distance (for me personally).
Guest
FruitfullyThriving
Points +20
Wonderful! Absolutely delicious & sooo very friendly! - Edit
We highly recommend the Mac & Cheese! 👌🏼✨
Read morePros: Amazingly delicious menu, Genuinely friendly and knowledgeable owners , Reasonable Prices!
Cons: None!
Guest
Karen P
Points +76
Delicious but Slow - Edit
Food is excellent but service can be exceedingly slow.
Read morePros: Yummy food, most of the soul variety.
Cons: The service can be so slow, it keeps us away., The place is tiny and can be crowded.
Guest
DesiJay
Points +20
Delicious! - Edit
The staff is friendly and the food is excellent. It's a small place and it's attached to a health food store! The jerk "chicken" is to die for!
Read morePros: Friendly staff
Guest
LeonardD.Knight
Points +18
superb - Edit
This place has the most magnificently delicious vegan steak and cheese in the DMV area. It's not even close. The "Philly steak" at Hip City Veg is the only thing that even comes close in the area. Definitely here here.
Read moreGuest
ButikiGirl
Points +222
Outstanding food, Great Prices, Amazing staff! - Edit
Wow, was this place amazing. I travel to DC several times a year but this time I was going to the Smithsonian with a friend that was visiting me. He’s a science teacher and wanted to see a few exhibits, so we planned a day trip. I let him choose the restaurant since he was visiting. To be honest, this is not a place I would have ever tried on my own but I am so glad he picked this one. The food is very affordable and outstanding. I asked the counter person (who was amazingly nice and knowledgeable) choose her favorites for me to try. I ended up with a stew (which I would have never chosen but it was phenomenal), collard greens (my first time ever trying them and they were delicious), and crispy tofu skins (like what fried chicken would be like). Wow, everything was phenomenal. My friend picked out corn bread and a ‘chicken’ and broccoli dish. He loved his food as well. I crave this place, can’t wait to go back to DC.
Read morePros: Outstanding Food, Cheap price, Fantastic staff
Guest
cookiem
Points +5888
Vegan Sanctuary - Edit
Wow, am I glad that this place is all vegan or what?! They have specials that change up their menu, so even though the menu is small, it's nice to keep going back.
Read moreThe prices for some items are moderate, while others are a super deal.
Brunch is a hot commodity here, and they can become very busy. Vegan omelets made with tofu-base are alright, as are the home fries, but the biscuits, grits and pancakes are awesome. The biscuits might be the BEST vegan biscuits around… just saying!! I think the pancakes are a really good deal, and the waffle special (with chick'n) too was a great price point.
It's refreshing to see that many will come out for the lunch at this out of the way location. Foot traffic could be higher, but maybe it's got some from the local high school nearby. They definitely have a lot of regulars that support them, so become one, too! They are really nice, accommodating and patient.
Sandwiches with plenty of awesome vegan sides should do the trick for any lunch appetite. The dessert varies, but it's definitely a plus that they will feature local bakers, as well as some from Vegan Treats.
Although not the best place for sitting and eating, and they do use plastic disposable goods for service, the vegan-ness is to be supported - go! Yum!
Pros: 100% vegan brunch, Vegan Treats desserts
Cons: Plastic service ware, Seating limited
Guest
Pattidc
Points +16
excellent brunch - Edit
Passing through town we stopped in for lunch. So happy to find that the whole menu was home cooked, fresh, and vegan. I got the cheesy veggie omelet. So delicious. Also tried the kale salad and the carrot cake. Everything was superb.
Read moreGuest
nlukas51
Points +243
Worthwhile detour - Edit
On my way from the Philadelphia area to central VA, I randomly selected a (veg/vegan) place for lunch. Could not have been happier with my pick, despite the fact that there were no recent reviews and that it was a bit out of my way. All I can say, if you are anywhere even remotely close, you should check it out (and go hungry). The food was amazingly good (vegan & organic, as well as cooked and raw choices) and the folks were super nice. I had the bbq tofu over brown rice with collards, plantains, and cornbread (yum). I will most certainly go back if and when I am in the area again. Also conveniently located next door is a health food market, which looked very inviting.
Read morePros: healthy food choices, Good price, Super nice people
Cons: Too far from Philly :)
Guest
MizzB
Points +3833
Vegan goodness even non-vegans loved - Edit
Recently had takeout from Senbeb Cafe, an all-vegan restaurant adjacent to the Senbeb Natural Food Co-op, in NW Washington, DC, just inside the district line from Takoma Park, MD.
Read moreExtensive vegan menu posted on overhead board, with a very affordable special of the day for $13.00, that included the entree, three sides, and a choice of breads.
I visited with two non-vegan, non-vegetarian cousins, who lived nearby, yet had not been to the restaurant. They were a bit skeptical about my choice of eatery, yet since I offered to treat them to dinner, they went along with my choosing Senbeb.
It was my first visit to the restaurant as well, so I asked the counter person what she would recommend to show them just how amazingly good vegan food can be.
She recommended that day's special, the jerk chicken, with sides of seasoned rice, sauteed kale, and plaintains, with cornbread. They loved it, though my 80-year old cousin, a native southerner at heart who loves his greens, thought the kale could have used some "spicing up." He thought the "jerk tofu" was really chicken, and said so repeatedly.
His daughter said a bit of hot sauce and vinegar fixed her kale to her liking. She saw the mac and cheese I ordered as an extra side, and got her one, too. She thought it tasted as good as any mac and cheese she had ever had, saying it must be "regular cheese;" and said the same as her dad about the jerk "chicken." Both enjoyed the cornbread.
I had the vegan salmon croquettes - very moist and tasty, with sides of kale (yes, I added a touch of hot sauce since Tabasco sauce was not available), sweet potatoes, mac and cheese and cornbread.
All very satisfying, and highly recommended, even by the non-vegans.
Pros: excellent food, good value, convenient location
Cons: limited hours, small for dining in
Guest
bduboff
Points +1445
THE BEST VEG PLACE IN DC. - Edit
Wow! We've eaten at most every V place in the city except for the few food carts and this is possibly the best one going. In terms of atmosphere, it's nothing, but if food matters then Senbeb rocks. They are in a quite residential area in NW and have only 4-5 tables. Ordering is done at the counter and it seems like it's mostly a take out place. We ordered lunch which was so good we got 2 more entrees for take out. The menu is a quirky mix of soul and chinese and american - all of which is superb. In fact their chinese dishes are better than most of the veg chinese places we've been to and (according to my wife who is Taiwanese) as good as anything she's been served in Taiwan. We had the crispy tofu sandwich, chicken curry, black-eyed pea soup, southern fried chicken, beef and broccoli, kale, green beens, cole slaw, and raw pecan pie - all fantastic!! Parking is easy on the street. No website but they seemed busy. Yum Yum Yum - go check out and support Senbeb Cafe.
Read morePros: Vegan, Superb Food, Easy Parking
Cons: No Website, decor, not yet franchised
Guest
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