A new restaurant opened in February between Bobby’s Burger Palace and The Board and Brew. No need to wonder whether this new vegan restaurant is any good. Rachel and I tried it out and here’s what we found.
Photo by Rachel Davis
NuVegan Café in College Park is the second of its kind. Its parent location on Georgia Avenue in D.C. was formerly called Woodland’s Vegan Bistro and was nominated last year for Best Vegan Restaurant & Best Gluten Free Options in the Washington Post. NuVegan’s slogan, “Where Nutrition Meets Compassion,” appropriately describes its food love and diversity awareness.
Photo by Rachel Davis
NuVegan calls itself an “oasis” and its atmosphere is cool and refreshing. For those dining in, there are stools and round tables in the center of the restaurant and a cozy space with regular chairs set into the side of the dining area. The service is partial, meaning you order your food at the counter and someone will bring it to your table when its ready (unless you get something that’s ready immediately, then you take your tray right away).
Photo by Rachel Davis
The entrees are homestyle comfort foods like lasagna (which is totally different but 100% just as delicious as regular lasagna), fried “chick’n” and barbecue roast. NuVegan makes it a point to let you enjoy the traditional favorites, even if you’re a vegan. And if you’re not? They’re still amazing.
Photo by Rachel Davis
The sandwich choices are fresh and fantastic. Although the quinoa burger could be more accurately called the quinoa wrap, it is a perfectly satisfying spin on quinoa that left me feeling refreshed and comfortably full. I will be returning specifically for that.
Photo by Rachel Davis
One thing you can’t miss from NuVegan is their juice. A sip from the Green Glory is a perfect blast of flavor, with the distinct tastes of kale, apple, celery, parsley and ginger. The cafe’s most popular option is the Tropical Twist, which contains carrot, apple, ginger and pineapple. These unique juice blends are one of NuVegan’s defining characteristics.
If the juice is too veggie-fruity for you, the menu offers vegan shakes and smoothies. From Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cream to the more adventurous Cashew Cream and Citrus Surprise, NuVegan can satisfy your craving for a shake. Instead of cow’s milk, you have a choice of soy milk, rice milk, almond milk or hemp milk as the base.
The only downside to the entire experience was that the sandwiches and specialty drinks took about ten minutes, while the entrees and sides were ready immediately.
Photo by Rachel Davis
Location: 8150 Baltimore Ave., College Park, MD 20740
Hours of Operation: 11am-9pm Monday-Thursday, 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday, 10am-7pm Sunday