NuVegan Cafe
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NuVegan Cafe
Formerly, Woodlands Vegan Bistro is DC's top spot for vegan soul food eats and casual dining. NuVegan Caf caters to all customers from the transitioning to vegan eater to the hardcore health enthusiast. We also serve those that are not vegan which really speaks volumes as we have something for everybody and that's good food that everyone can enjoy regardless of your eating lifestyle choice.

At NuVegan caf you will experience a home away from home hospitality and knowledgeable team members that enjoy wowing your taste buds with samples of our made in house prepared dishes, smoothie & juice bar, ample dining space for group hang outs with great music and occasional events. Our food is 100% vegan prepared and made fresh in our kitchen.
Services
NuVegan Caf is a family owned business with 3 restaurant locations in Washington, DC and College Park, MD. We provide catering for different events and run our food truck service seasonally. We are currently positioning ourselves to expand restaurant locations through franchising in high demand markets.
Whether it's for a birthday, holiday or any special occasion, a gift card is a simple and practical way to impress your friends and family. Even more impressive for them to receive a gift of life giving, animal friendly, socially conscious and plant based vegan cuisine. Show your loved ones just how much you care about them, the earth, the animals and all humanity by purchasing your NuVegan Caf gift card today!
There is a difference in doing business with NuVegan Caf. We are passionate about providing a unique experience in the vegan food industry. With that passion and commitment, we are a highly visible partner to our franchisees. We have established expert teams to support you in every aspect of your business - from site selection and lease negotiation to grand opening and systemwide marketing events.
A: For a general introduction to owning your own NuVegan Caf franchise, please review our Franchising Opportunities. A: For U.S. Opportunities: Upon completion of the personal interview, NuVegan Caf will make a decision within 3 to 4 weeks regarding your approval status. For International Opportunities: The application approval process may take several months because of the amount of information needed to complete an application.
Reviews (26)
Sheika Nikole R.
Sheika Nikole R.
Jan 26, 2022
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Love this place! I grew up around here and always enjoy their healthy, refreshing options. Most of their food is so good you'd never know it was vegan.

Faves:
- Fish Sandwich
- Drummies
Shahana G.
Shahana G.
Jan 25, 2022
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Delicious vegan food! Would highly recommend the fries, cornbread, Mac and cheese, drumsticks and crab cakes. Everything else is okay, just not my style. Def worth the wait and trip for those foods.
ALEXandria H.
ALEXandria H.
Jan 20, 2022
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It's important to state. This is meat-less comfort food spot. Which is ok if thats what you're craving. It is not healthy at all. I would not bring a true vegan/vegetarian here. Its loaded with salt everything and i love salt but it truly defeats the purpose. You should know what to expect so you are not disappointed. With that being said if you don't want meat but still want comfort food its a decent option. Usually the food is just warm. Its more of a buffet vibe in a cafeteria. I really only go once/twice a year if that. I would come more if they were more consistent with offering
Logan W.
Logan W.
Jan 08, 2022
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Will try chicken sandwich, chicken drummies, and tuna macaroni salad, steak and cheese sandwich, and cheese burger next!
Trish T.
Trish T.
Jan 08, 2022
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Brought to NuVegan by a vegan friend, and I'm SO glad I did! I wasn't quite sure how things worked - but you just head straight to the back and order from the vast selection of pre-made foods. Sweet potatoes, mac'n cheese, any greens -- all to die for. It's vegan soul food that will warm your heart. The employees can be a bit abrupt, but they're moving a big crowd thru there sometimes - so, deal w/ it. My friend swears by their fried "chicken." Love the vibe in the place. Have been back many times. Always really good, tho they do run out of popular stuff, so get
A. T.
A. T.
Dec 29, 2021
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This was a pleasant surprise in DC not far from Howard University. Parking can be a bit hard to find during lunch hour but there is plenty of seating inside the restaurant.

This restaurant offers fast casual dining and the vegan offerings here would be considered vegan Soul Food for the most part and the items I sampled during my visit where extremely good.

Portions where large (even for the corn bread) and I had to actually take some food back with me to hotel as I could not finish my meal.

There are a couple of Vegan Soul food restaurants I have visited in Inglewood (In La) and In Chicago
Krystal Speed
Krystal Speed
Dec 26, 2021
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Great except one kid in the back thought he was exempt from wearing a mask over the grill. They thought I was crazy for saying something. You are not exempt young one, I could have wrote something to the health department. Edit: after other staff came in, they were not wearing masks properly or at all.
Cindy
Cindy
Dec 23, 2021
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I have had several issues with several orders. I constantly leave notes for those preparing my food and they get ignored. I've had 3 deliveries wrong because the staff DOES NOT READ the order or the instructions properly. I was told I would get a refund for a big order that was made and was completely wrong. I never received my refund. Today I placed an order and left a 20% tip and was still missing 2 sides when delivered after waiting over an hour for my food. This is the last of my business at least with the College Park location. The best bet is ordering in person and speaking with them directly
Tawnie G.
Tawnie G.
Nov 22, 2021
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Hands down the best vegan food ever. Ever. I would come here every weekend if I could. Wow! I got the Green Goddess juice, which was really fresh and flavorful, a super kick of ginger. We also got the build your own meals, one with Chicken Lollies, Mac & cheese, and collards greens, and the other with Lasagna, brocoli, and rice and beans. I would recommend it ALL, but hands down the best was the lollies, Mac & cheese, and greens! Wow what a meal!
YellowPeep KingSheets
YellowPeep KingSheets
Nov 17, 2021
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I’m not a vegan but I really love this franchise! The food, customer service, and restaurant’s cleanliness is above and beyond. The employees are very nice and give good size portions 😁. This franchise has a LOT of potential and I hope they grow from here.
Kamou M.
Kamou M.
Nov 13, 2021
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Best Vegan Restaurant in DC! Glad to see them thriving in 2021. The vegan fried catfish, sweet potatoes, and cabbage were DELICIOUS!! . And the vegan tartar sauce was perfect for the fish. I ordered a second dinner for tomorrow featuring their vegan lasagna and collard greens. I sampled both and have to put them away before I eat this delicious dinner too!
Priscilla T.
Priscilla T.
Nov 02, 2021
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4.5 stars! I really enjoyed the "chicken" drumsticks and vegan mac n cheese a lot. I wouldn't have known they were vegan since they didn't taste any different. I was recommended to try the sweet potatoes which I didn't enjoy at all since they was so sweet... I was expecting something more savory
Shavonta Gaynor
Shavonta Gaynor
Oct 22, 2021
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My first time ever eating vegan food, and I must say it was delicious. I had the beef and broccoli with cabbage and yams. Everthing was seasoned well and the potion sizes were great. I highly recommend this place. They also have vegan desserts.
Chenee T.
Chenee T.
Oct 16, 2021
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As someone who eats vegetarian and vegan meals as well as meat entrees, I can confidently say that Nuvegan has cracked the imitation meat code. I got the "chicken" drums and mac and cheese. I was shocked by the quality of the chicken. It basically tasted like I was eating real chicken and the texture was scarily accurate. The bbq sauce it came with made a nice complement. The mac and cheese was very creamy and tasted pretty close to non vegan mac and cheese I normally eat. It's cafeteria style where you go through the line and tell them your order. There's plenty of seating
Myiah
Myiah
Oct 15, 2021
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You cannot go wrong with anything here. Don't let the cafe style serving deter you. This is SOUL food. Delicious. The flavors are there. A good selection of options, from vegan seafood, sandwiches, hot food, cold food, plenty of sides and delectable desserts. 2 meals (entree two sides each) with cookie cost about $38. So good, forgot it was vegan. Definitely coming back.
I. S.
I. S.
Sep 30, 2021
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OMG! NuVegan was on my list of places to checkout while visiting DC and I'm so happy I found it! They have the best vegan mac'n cheese I've ever had. I've tried vegan soul food places in NYC and they can't compare.

I didn't think I would ever be able to enjoy a proper (I.e. Black) mac'n cheese again, but all I had to do was visit DC.
Ashli F.
Ashli F.
Sep 21, 2021
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I have been here a few times and have not been too impressed. The food is lukewarm and unappetizing. I brought a friend and thankfully she enjoyed her entree, however I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND bringing a non vegan friend here. Pictured is the lasagna which is all soy-based and there were no gluten-free options.

On the other hand, their smoothies and desserts are creative and tasty.
M. Wade
M. Wade
Aug 23, 2021
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I’ve been wanting to try it for a while. The drummettes were yummy and had the texture of chicken. Collard greens were really good and mac & cheese was decent. I would have preferred a creamier texture for mac & cheese but they were tasty. I didn’t take a picture of greens in separate container but they gave good portions. I’ll be back to try more!
Adrienne B.
Adrienne B.
Aug 02, 2021
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Amazing! I came here about four years ago and it was amazing and was in town and came back today and was not disappointed!!! LISTEN, the garlic kale salad is out of this world!!! I also bought the vegan crab cake, sweet potato, collard greens and Mac and cheese... The portions are more than enough...I could only eat half of my food...

I wish I could move the cafe to my neighborhood!!

NuVegan Cafe is a gem!
Jasmine H.
Jasmine H.
Jun 17, 2021
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Wow Wow Wow Wow!!!!!! I'm BLOWN away at how good this food was. WOW! The Mac and Cheese is hands down my favorite. I love that they let you sample the food it's the perfect way to see what you really want. I'll be honest if I didn't taste the Mac I wouldn't have ordered it. I also love that they have a raw vegan case with so many delicious options to choose from. The entree does not come either sides but it does state that on the menu. They are not doing indoor dining right now but you can go inside to place your order for carry out. The staff was super helpful and patient
Tej Naik
Tej Naik
Apr 14, 2021
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Been wanting to try this place so we ordered the chicken sandwich which was my favorite. The cheesesteak was okay, but it definitely doesn’t taste like a cheesesteak. The fish sandwich was interesting, I think they use eggplant. I wish the fries would’ve cooked longer, some crisp would be nice. I found the Mac and cheese to be pretty dry. Would definitely recommend getting the chicken sandwich it’s really good and big portion.
Sara B.
Sara B.
Apr 12, 2021
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I love stopping by NuVegan Café every time I get the chance. It's SO worth it! They have a lot of menu items to choose from and everything is delicious especially the cold sides selection. Every time I'm trying to convince someone to try vegan food I tell them about NuVegan because they serve food with FLAVOR and they also have options. The interior has been renovated since I last went and it's so cute! Its also a good spot to take your friends out to. 100% suggest NuVegan Café
Christine M.
Christine M.
Mar 04, 2021
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Nuvegan is my all time favorite food, ever, ever. My friends and family make fun of me for how obsessed I am with this place. When I lived in DC I would come here most every Sunday since I lived right down the street. Now that I've moved to SF, I still dream about the chickn drummies and complain to anyone who will listen that SF would be significantly improved if they had a Nuvegan. I've tried vegan comfort food across North America and nothing compares I promise you.

Side note - I'm not vegan. It's just that good.

My go to is the chickn drummies entree with two sides
Ray Brown
Ray Brown
Jan 10, 2021
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I have been to this restaurant 3 times this month, and I have YET to be disappointed. My friend and I will make trips from Baltimore, and I haven’t regretted one trip. The atmosphere gives off a positive vibe, and the music is ALWAYS great. This place just might have to become my new regular spot and is the healthiest “guilty pleasure” I’ve had.
I was initially skeptical about trying this because I’m not vegan/vegetarian, and yet I’ve craved this since the first bite! Jeremiah Woodland was AMAZING in his recommendations, and the customer service is the equivalent of Chick-fil-A. The
Brittanie H.
Brittanie H.
Dec 13, 2020
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NuVegan is one of my must-haves when I come to DC. There are a few locations in the DMV, BUT this is the original and the Queen of them in all in terms of service and quality of the food.

When you walk in, the good vibes are apparent. They always have a bomb playlist to keep you entertained while you wait in line. I always do a little dance in anticipation of the greatness that awaits me. The staff is always smiling, and free samples are also given to those who'd like to try their dishes before ordering.

I have tried lots of their menu items, smoothies, and sides and loved them all
Vijayendra Ghadge
Vijayendra Ghadge
Jul 26, 2020
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Wow. Just amazing. What a game changing experience I have had by finding this place. It is working on the real mission of getting amazing taste to vegan foods. And trust me being a meat eater saying this place has delicious addictive vegan food, it's true. Super good, healthy, delicious tasting food. Cozy comfy ambiance, and amazing people. I have been here 2 times before I wrote the review and it is my to go place now.