It’s hard not to notice the long line that curves all the way out into the main hallway of Houston Hall. And that line can be attributed to none other than Houston Hall’s newest addition: Beefsteak.
This vegetable hot-spot, the passion project of owner Chef José Andrés, has been overwhelmingly successful since its opening in early June.
So what exactly is beefsteak? It’s not a vegan restaurant. It’s not even a vegetarian restaurant. Rather, it’s a restaurant where vegetables are the “main event.” Think of it as a salad bar on steroids—not only are there dozens of veggies, but also a variety of grains, hearty sauces, protein add-ons and crunchy toppings.
The menu consists of four signature, warm vegetable bowls, a signature salad, and other original items like gazpacho bowls and the “Beefsteak Tomato Burger.” Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can build your own.
As someone who eats a primarily vegetarian diet, I was super excited for Beefsteak’s opening, especially in such a convenient location. After all, you can never have enough (mostly) vegetarian options on campus (Magic Carpet, I still love you, but three times a week was getting a little excessive).
Also, the items are flat fees, so you can literally add as much of anything as you want for free, except for avocado ($0.99), obviously.
I had the opportunity to sit down with David Strong, the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Jose Andres’ ThinkFoodGroup (luckily for me, he happened to have been standing in the restaurant the day I went to try it out).
He said that this restaurant in particular, “is knocking it out of the park.” The UPenn Beefsteak is one of five locations, and the first one to hit the Philadelphia scene.
I have to say, I’m a really huge fan of this place. My go-to dish so far has been the Frida Kale bowl (I don’t trust myself to build something delicious on my own). Don’t be afraid to ask for extra of your favorite item. With so much variety at hand, your selection can never be boring.
Do Mexican one day, and Asian on another, and the day after that do something completely different. Beefsteak is your vegetable oyster, my friends. Take advantage, it’s worth the wait in line.