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About the Business
Business owner information
Dr. Baruch B.
Business Owner
Evolve Vegan Restaurant serves delicious vegan soul food in a casual, yet sophisticated setting in Washington DC. Stop by for soulful vegan cuisine like you've never had before! Bringing casual sophistication to the vegan dining experience, we are located just steps away from the Takoma Park Metro station. Our menu features customer favorites like our super popular vegan mac & cheese and fried chick-un with delicious homemade bbq sauce, as well as a mix of rotating chef specials. We also feature a full bar where our talented bartenders can whip you up a beautifully crafted cocktail. Join us for Happy Hour every weekday from 4pm-7pm and enjoy drink specials while you nosh on some chick-un lollipop sticks, garlic kale, or our decadent german chocolate cake. Our entrees range from chick-un based to full vegetable based and we offer many gluten free items as well. Stop by today and enjoy beautifully crafted, simply delicious vegan soul food with us.ā¦
Ask the Community
Q:
Do their entrees contain soy?
A:
I'm pretty sure it does. Its difficult enough to make meat substitutes taste this good without dairy, but soy and gluten are almost essential. Please call the owners, they are very friendly and engaging. (202) 882-8999
Praveen M.Ā4 years agoĀ 1 person found this helpful
Recommended Reviews
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- Nikki J.Hamburg, Germany0351
5/9/2021This is one of my favorite vegan restaurants. The food is never but I don't mind since I tend to reheat all takeout food. The drumsticks are always tasty whether it's Teriyaki, Buffalo or Jerk. The cashew mac-n-cheese is creamy although not a substitute for the real thing it's pretty good. I like the collard greens, too. They usually have the same entrees. The desserts are also good. The cakes could be a bit more moist.
- Natalie S.Washington, DC78375189
9/9/2020Updated reviewWell, I'm still a fan of the buffet hot bar. Ā But I still think that the sanitation and food handling practices here leave much to be desired. Ā The staff are clearly not trained in how to handle food safely and stop the spread of infectious disease. Ā Every single time I've come, I've witnessed a worker (1) doing something else--like cleaning, writing, or waiting tables--in another part of the restaurant but then come over and grab gloves with their dirty unwashed hands so they can assist you at the hot bar, after which they want to take your money with those same gloves and (2) there's a young skinny guy who worked the counter visibly sick one day -- I mean, sniffling and runny nose and all. Ā His food handling skills are THE worst. Ā I can't bring myself to order when I see that he's the one working.
So bottom line -- I would come to this place a lot more if they fixed these issues. Ā I haven't been post-COVID, so maybe they're doing better. Ā But for years they've been on notice of this problem and didn't bother to fix it. Ā So I don't hold out too much hope.
7/4/2017Previous review3.5 stars.
Evolve has well, evolved, since I'd been there last. Ā The restaurant has added a cafeteria-style buffet with a ready-to-carry selection of some of their menu items. Ā I think that's great development, because I had previously only been to Evolve once for carryout (see my original review) and once for dining in. Ā The dining in experience was painfully slow, and if I remember correctly, my order came out a tad wrong. Ā So I hadn't actually been back in well over a year.
Well, as I was driving by a few weeks ago, I saw that a cafeteria buffet was now sitting in the middle of the restaurant. Ā Curiosity piqued, I went aside and I'm glad I did! Ā I was able to get a very tasty takeout order of cashew mac-n-cheese and collards that I thoroughly enjoyed -- so much so that I went back three times over a three-week period and got the same meal. Ā My only complaints (and the reason I had to shave off 1/2 a star) is that (1) sometimes the food looks like it's been sitting out there under the heat lamps for awhile, (2) it's not self-serve and sold by weight, so you have to wait for the cafeteria person to fix your order, and (3) certain cafeteria people are stingy on portions and/or fixes your food and takes your money wearing the same gloves, which is completely unsanitary. Ā So I can't give a full 4 stars until these issues are addressed.
4/5/2015Previous reviewTried this place for the first time -- getting a takeout order of the fried "chicken" with a side of collards and mac-and-cheese. Ā It was very tasty and filling -- and waaaaaaaay, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Woodland's Bistro. Ā I will definitely come again, and I'd love to see this place really thrive!
(Minus one star for the parking situation, which makes this place not as convenient, and for not having paper copies of to-go menus.) - 101347288
10/2/2020I really love the food here, everything is very unique and flavorful. As a "primarily" raw vegan for the past few months who eats some cooked food once or twice a week, cooked food is now a shock to my body. The effect it has is similar to having 1-2 glasses of wine- everything becomes dull and slow and heavy, and eventually puts me to sleep. If you want to awaken physically, mentally, and spiritually, phase out the cooked food. Eventually I'll stop eating this stuff, because I don't think my body can tolerate it much longer (my bucket list includes the jerk chicken over rice, and then I'm done!).
My order was sitting out for a long time so the maple curry drumsticks were stale and hard (the lady said it would be out in the warmer but it was sitting out), but other than that, I love the drummies, especially the jerk chicken flavor. The Mac and cheese is incredible, but like I said, it puts me to sleep and I could barely drive back home, Under the influence of Mac and cheese.
Something I thought was odd- the lady at the cashier appeared shocked and visibly stepped back as if she was shielding or guarding herself when I entered the restaurant. I wonder why that was. Oh well, guess I'll never know! Since everyone wears masks these days, it's interesting to see expressions through people's eyes. - Chris G.Washington, DC14224
1/24/2020Updated reviewSo I had to update my review and take away a star (wish it could be given a zero) because I got EXTREMELY SICK for days from the food - definitely food poisoning. I wish I would've noticed the years of serious health violations and taken heed to them. No matter how good the food tastes, it's not worth my health being negatively impacted. All of the signs (listed in my original review) should've made me run away from this restaurant.
But most importantly, why hasn't the owner made serious changes to this establishment? There has been ample notice of the serious issues with the food, staff, and building from the inspection violations for years. Shame on you! Food poisoning causes harm to one's body especially if they're already in compromised health conditions such as pregnancy. You never know who may eat your food and you, the owner, will be responsible for the harm you cause. Once again, shame on you!
My friend did call to inform the restaurant of our experience and spoke with a woman who did listen to her. It would be great if this experience would result in changes to staff hiring and training AND food/drink preparation and storage BUT I don't get the feeling it will.
I will follow my doctor's orders and hopefully you follow mine: STAY AWAY, STAY AWAY, STAY AWAY!!!
1/20/2020Previous reviewYesterday, my friend took me to ELife because I have been wanting to go for some time. She is not vegan but I am. I intentionally look to patron and support black-owned establishments, especially vegan ones so this was a great birthday surprise. Unfortunately, the excitement when we drove up quickly turned to disappointment. From the moment we entered the restaurant, we were treated like unwelcome visitors. The female employee made it clear that she did not want to serve us--for some reason. We were still so excited and trying to be overly kind as we asked what each bar item was. We asked her if there was a restroom, she pointed to the side and quickly said a code and we asked if she could repeat it again because she said it so fast. We then grabbed some kombucha from the drink cooler. We noticed that my kombucha had an early December 2019 expiration date--yesterday's date was January 19, 2020. My friend went to Ā tell the woman and a male employee that the drink was expired and asked if we could grab another drink. Rudely, she was told to just leave it. We looked through the kombucha bottles in the drink cooler and realized the other bottles expired in 2019--August and December--except for one flavor which expires January 29, 2020. The employees did not remove the expired kombucha or express any concern, just irritation that the customers they did not seem to like from first appearance were talking to them and mentioning a concern. We still decided to remain in the restaurant because we wanted to enjoy one another's company and relax and catch Ā up and celebrate my birthday. Side note, it was hard to talk because there was a major issue with the bathroom, water was flowing out on the floor so an employee was running a loud machine to dry the floor.
Food: We both thought the food was good and liked the portion size. The drumettes were not as flavorful though.
Back to the customer service: The woman came by to clean a table behind us and looked at us with annoyance. We continued to eat and talk and enjoy one another. Once we finished, we got up to pay for the food--because the woman said you pay after you eat. My friend stood at the register behind another customer. When she got up to the front, the woman just stared at her and my friend said I would like to pay. Without saying anything, she grabbed the credit card and walked away. We looked at each other strangely and very concerned. The woman appeared shortly behind the bar on the other side of the restaurant. When we saw her, then we walked over to the bar to sign the receipt. She turned around and looked at us and disappeared again with the credit card. Once again Ā we stared at each other. The woman appeared again at the original cash register. We walked back over to the register Ā and she handed the receipts and walked off. My friend and I were so confused and blown away by the disrespectful and rude behavior of this woman the entire time we were in the restaurant. I wanted to become Ā a frequent customer of this restaurant, spreading the word to my friends and family, mostly non-vegans, but I cannot do that knowing that they could be treated so badly for no apparent reason but someone just deciding from the moment they see you that they do not like you.
To the owner of the restaurant and the woman who "disserved" us, NO ONE should ever be judged from their appearance or stereotyped and treated unkindly--it's not right and it's unacceptable. Maybe one day I'll visit this restaurant again -- a different location of course--but it will take some time to get over this incident, especially because it was for my birthday. - Nailah M.Falls Church, VA133413
9/6/2020We got takeout after having a hankering for chicken wings. Elise restaurant did not disappoint! We ordered both kinds of Mac and cheese, one is definitely smokier in flavor than the other but both are absolutely delicious. Service was quick and pricing as well as portion sizing in comparison to competition. We will definitely be back and try their other items soon!!
- C. G.Rockville, MD0255
12/5/2020We're truly impressed with the food and the customer service. Dr. Baruch is helpful, humble & considerate and the staff are lovely. Thank you for offering delicious cruelty-free and healthy food!
Our recommendations are the drumettes (Drummies), mac'n cheese, kale salad, black eyed peas, collard greens and daily specials. The maple drumettes are exceptionally good. For delivery, wouldn't recommend the fried chicken as it arrives a bit soggy but still tasty with a good texture.
All said, this will be a Go-To for us! Highly recommended! - Alexis O.Washington, DC24895
6/17/2020Found this vegan spot when I was looking for more black owned restaurants and I'm so glad! The cashew Mac is bomb and I do like it better than the original Mac but it's great to have two options. The drumsticks are super bomb and I was so suprised because the sauce and texture were literally like chicken wings. Hands down you gotta try the Mac and cheese and one of their chicken options. Also the desserts are really good and very rich and taste even better if you heat it up (your welcome lol). I've been here a couple times since finding it and I'm so happy I decided to check them out!
- Crystal C.Fort Washington, MD45579
9/12/2019I took my friend here for his bday. He's vegetarian and I'm an avid meat eater and we both enjoyed the meal thoroughly. My only complaint on the food was the kale greens. They were bland and no hot sauce was available. I tasted my friend's collards and they were tasty. The jerk chik'n didn't taste like jerk anything but it was really good! It tasted like brown stew chicken actually.
The bartender seemed confused. He didn't know how to pour a beer. The 1st drink was 80% foam. My friend even got up to tell him how to pour a drink. I got a rum&coke and it was very weak. He was nice though and so was the woman who served our food. I would definitely return for the food but not for the drinks. - Simran R.Fair Lawn, NJ57
10/28/2020This place has become my new go to takeout. Their cashew max&cheese is jazzed up with some spices to make it interesting but still has everything I love about mac & cheese. The maple drumsticks are so flavorful and putting them on a little wooden dowel is a nice touch. Definitely important to eat it piping hot though. Always get those with some collard greens and it lasts me two whole meals. Had a piece of their cheesecake once too -- highly recommend.
Order Food
$1.49+ delivery fee
$0 min
30-40 mins
Business website
Phone number
(202) 882-8999
341 Cedar St NW Washington, DC 20012
Collections Including ELife Restaurant

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Frequently Asked Questions about ELife Restaurant
Does ELife Restaurant take reservations?
Yes, you can make a reservation by picking a date, time, and party size.
Is ELife Restaurant currently offering delivery or takeout?
Yes, ELife Restaurant offers both delivery and takeout.
What forms of payment are accepted?
ELife Restaurant accepts credit cards.
How is ELife Restaurant rated?
ELife Restaurant has 4 stars.
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