Congrats, Java Green!

One of IT’s favorite lunch indulgences—the ultra eco-conscious café Java Green—recently nabbed top honors as best vegetarian restaurant in the Washington metro area in VegDC’s first annual contest. A round of celebratory green tea frappés all around, we say!

Just a quick jaunt from IT’s home base in downtown D.C., Java Green serves organic fare on an all-vegetarian and mostly vegan menu. Founded in 2003, the café buys wind power to offset its carbon footprint, brews only fair trade coffee and tea, and provides biodegradable flatware and carry-out bags (made from corn, sugar cane fiber, and potato starch) for those on the run. Plus, Java Green donates part of its profits to sustainability-focused nonprofits.

Java Green’s true lure might be its fine tightrope walk between hippy and trendy. The design is sleek and contemporary, with a large front patio shaded by enormous green and orange umbrellas; inside, a corner community bulletin advertises yoga classes next to a bookshelf stocked with vegan recipe books.

The best part? Not only is Java Green’s chow healthy and socially responsible, it’s seriously tasty. Even meat-lovers can’t resist menu items like the Temptation panini, stuffed with grilled tempeh, spinach, roasted red pepper, and soy cheese, or one of their specialty dishes like the Boolgogi and Kimchi, a spicy mélange of bulgogi, organic rice, jobche noodles, mushroom, spinach, lotus root, gobo root, and kimchi.

And, at least in our ever-humble opinion, their iced double soy lattes are quite possibly the best defense (with a jolt!) against Washington’s soupy summer heat.

Java Green is located on 19th Street between K and L Streets in downtown Washington, D.C. Open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (closed on Sundays).

Comments

[Paul]

The world needs more Java Green. This place is like an oasis in DC. Thanks for the article. They deserve it.

[Maggie]

Congratulations to Java Green for winning Best Veg Restaurant! I found out about it on VegDC.com and went there for lunch last time I was in DC. The food was amazing and the award is well-deserved.

Java Green should be on everyone's must-go list for visitors and residents

[Lolly]

Sounds great! I am in MD and get to DC often. I will definitely visit :)

[Joy Miksic]

This seems like a good, caring group to ask for some help!... National Geographic just sent me a world map with my magazine subscription. That's nice, but these maps could be so very valuable to children who have no access to maps....We support teachers in Haiti - and there are no maps. If people who have received these from NG could part with their copy, we would love to take them with us to Haiti to put in classrooms. Please, check out our website www.pwofansanm.org for contact info.

[Aaron]

Java Green is one of my favorite DC cafes. The food is really healthy and tastes amazing. I usually go for lunch, but they are open for dinner now. Truly a rare gem in a sea of un healthy mediocre lunch places. The only downside is that their success has made them really popular and during lunch they can be a bit understaffed.