So two months after we started, Keerin and I finally managed to get another Vegan friendly restaurant under our belt and part of our self-assigned challenge. This time, we hit up Science Club near Farragut Square in DC.
Science Club is a dark and cramped three-story bar filled with hipsters that happens to serve vegan food. We went on a Wednesday night and both the “lab” (upstairs) and “underground” (basement) were occupied by events. The few tables were occupied so we got seated at a sideboard with stools. After a few minutes a 2-top cleared up so we got “upgraded” to a real table, which was nice. I didn’t end up using the facilities, so I will quote Keerin on the experience: “loop around the bar, step down the invitingly musky stairs, swim through the sea of Water Cooler Wednesday patrons (or whatever cleverly named group happens to be in the underground) & through the dim hallway to a barely marked door on your right.” Despite being crowded, the overall vibe was pretty cool and laid-back – definitely a place to relax after work.
So, the food: the menu is pretty small, but everything on it is vegetarian and most of it is also vegan. We both decided to try the house-made veggie burger and it was pretty spectacular. The patty was crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, with nice texture; it never got mushy, and was packed with flavor. Keerin was surprised at first because it tasted like meat, I agreed that I was definitely not missing the beef. The bun was really nice quality too, and the vegan aioli tasted like a rich, garlicky mayo. The frites were nicely cut, and fried to perfection. This was hands down the best veggie burger I’ve ever had, and darn good as regular burgers go, too.
We originally planned to hit up Java Green for dessert, but after the tasty burger decided to stay for dessert. We got the warm brownie made by Sticky Fingers Bakery (another vegan spot we need to hit up, especially for brunch) topped with soy vanilla “ice cream”. Oh boy, was that brownie good – ooey, gooey, and rich. the ice cream didn’t taste like regular ice cream, but it was a good different – lighter. And everything was topped off with a chocolate drizzle.
The bottom line – cool place to hang out for a drink (best for beer), really good vegan food. The burger and brownie were awesome, I would definitely come back. Extra bonus – really long happy hour with specials on PBR, Yuengling, Guinness, and Amstel Light.