The staff may seem like they’re too busy plotting a revolution (or at least a Howard University party) to bother with making your food. The place features tables and chairs that look freshly purchased from the nearest thrift store, and its Georgia Avenue location makes parking a chore. But the hassles are worth it. Soul Veg offers a cheap, vegetarian-take on down-home cooking. If you live in the District, you need at least a working knowledge of soul food—that good, greasy stuff dished out at the best Formica countertops in town. For vegetarians, this is the place. Its vegan mac ’n’ cheese, pork-free greens, and BBQ tofu slathered in sauce are gut-busters of the finest order. So bring some Howard Zinn, order the tofu nuggets, and chill. You may spend the next 30 minutes waiting on your order, but you’ll spend the rest of the day wondering how these cooks make tofu nuggets so good.

—Jason Cherkis