Restaurant Finder

Java Green

Cuisines: Korean Deli/Quick Bites Vegetarian/Vegan Neighborhoods: Downtown Dupont Circle

Based on 19 reviews.

Address	1020 19th St., Washington, DC 20036
Phone	(202) 775-8899

Rater Comments

These comments express the opinions of individual Restaurant Raters, not those of Washington City Paper.

Review by joanog on February 23, 2008

The food at java green is consistently delicious with just the right amount of spice. Enough options for your non-vegetarian friends, it's a great place for all. It can get a bit crowded during prime hours though and seating is limited. The smoothies are a treat too but it takes a while to get them to you. It is a great progressive restaurant that looks like any other when you're passing by but it is definitely worth a visit.

Review by jenavez on October 5, 2007

Java Green has a terrific variety of spicy, substantive vegan dishes. As an added bonus for me, they supply bottles of their own chili sauce which is very hot, very tasty, and wonderful when used generously on wraps. Try the chick chile wrap - messy but worth it.
Drawbacks - it's not exactly a bargain, but I've never felt underfed for the price except for appetizers which are not worth the price. I usually go after work and it is not crowded, but it is unbearably crowded during the day.
Still overall, I love this place!

Review by loganliving on September 18, 2007

I really wished I loved this place as a non-dairy eating semi-vegetarian, but everytime I go I'm disappointed. Maybe I'm just not getting the right items on the menu--which is quite large--but I always find the food rather bland, or there's an overpowering blast of one strange flavor. I keep trying different menu options, but since it's rare to get a lunch for under $10 after tax, it gets expensive.

Review by penelope829 on July 17, 2007

Java Green is a great spot, but don't expect to have a relaxing meal unless you go outside the lunch rush. The Soul Chicken Salad is my favorite, and the smoothies are good (although they could use some ice in the summer months...)

Review by elbows on June 7, 2007

I go here when I'm willing to spend a little more for lunch than I normally would, but always leave happy. Unlike many, I am actually a mock meat fan and I really prefer the paninis to the salads, which are a bit sweet for my tastes. Another nice bonus about this place is the free triple (or whatever) filtered water that you can serve yourself.

Forunately or not, this place has really caught on in the last year or two, so there can be a wait. I've never had trouble getting a table personally though.

Review by food lover on May 17, 2007

As a non-vegetarian, I was not very impressed with Java Green, although my vegetarian friends would love this place. My husband and I went to this place for lunch. It was very crowded and I hovered around to get a table while he ordered at the counter. I had a green salad with shrimp, which I immediately nicknamed the "fire salad". It was unexpectedly spicy and not in a good way. The shrimp, although perfectly seasoned, were not, I soon realized, actually shrimp, but rubbery tofu-crustaceans... so read the fine print! Despite my ordering mishap, the food was very fresh. Non vegetarians should beware that the meat they order might not be meat at all.

Review by PhiloDC on October 18, 2005

If you love eating healthy and eating "green," this is the best place in the farragut/dupont/GW area. also open on saturdays. they serve great wraps, sandwiches, rice bowls, meal boxes and salads. they also feature a full coffee and tea bar with delicious varieties of shakes, smoothies, frappes and iced/hot drinks. they also have dessert from sticky fingers bakery. all dishes are vegetarian and 80% are vegan as well. not only is the food yummy, its also good for you....so eat away...guilt free!

Review by lindylu on May 27, 2005

Biased as vegetarian, this place is quick, interesting, tasty, and way popular.
Staff gladly helps you pick something out if you can't decide from the many options.
Bonus that the crowd is not the usual suited K street lobbyists.

Review by lost1 on January 2, 2005

As a die-hard, frustrated vegan, I would eat here everyday if I could. I usually order the lunch bowl special for a little less than $6. My favorites, chicken, mushroom and tofu, come with jobche, multi-grain rice, broccoli, carrots and cabbage. The bowls are the most tasty, filling and healthy lunch ever. The avocado tofu wrap is yummy but not as exciting as the Tuno wrap which is a delicous combination of Tuno, Veganaise, strawberries, almonds and sundried cranberries. - Yum. The Seoul noodle soup is perfect on a cold rainy day. The iced green tea is refreshing and perfect with some of the Korean-influenced menu items. The deserts from Sticky Fingers are usually stale but good for a vegan sugar fix. Cute, friendly staff. I just wish there was a Java in Dupont that catered to the weekend and evening crowd.

Review by n0r1 on December 21, 2004

Though small, Java Green is always delicious vegan comfort food, especially on a chilly winter day. Everything's good, but the things that come in bowls or on plates are better than the ones that come in plastic boxes. The spicy chicken jobchu (not real chicken, of course) is delicious, fat, cellophane-y noodles with mushrooms and fake chicken; the Seoul noodle soup is better with a topping of sliced veggie drumsticks. Wonderful!

Review by aon on November 4, 2004

I'm vegetarian but I often pine wistfully for a big juicy slab of meat. Now I crave no more: Java Green's bulgogi (Korean barbecued beef) is even better than what I remember from my carnivore days. The Korean hot sauce was a tasty addition to the dish, but make sure you use it in moderation since it's pretty hot. The rice was a bizarre purple color but tasted fine. Even my non-vegetarian husband thought the bulgogi was delicious. I didn't try the be bim bop or other dishes, but I'm glad to have finally discovered cheap Korean food in DC - In the past we'd had to trek to Northern Virginia for that. What I don't like about Java Green is that it caters mostly to the K Street lunch crowd, so it's closed on weekends and late evenings.

Review by kochel on November 4, 2004

In addition to the menu items already mentioned, Java Green also has the best smoothies, teas, and coffees in the neighborhood. The coffee master is a perfectionist and agonizes over each bean purchase. Coffee is served in the appropriate glassware. The cappucino has the proper "hood" of the namesake Capuchin monk. In the summer, get an authentic Caffe Fredo - as good as any you'll find in Italy. Starbucks, Cosi', and the like are nowhere near the same league as this place - even though their prices are higher.

Review by JKHGWU on September 6, 2004

A distinctive cafe -- offers a nice selection of vegetarian and Korean dishes. The only problem is that some of the food was too salty. The tea and coffee selections are quite good, definitely warranting a detour from Starbucks or Au Bon Pain.

Recommended!

Review by mkrisetya on August 24, 2004

I eat at Java Green at least once a week for lunch. The daily rice bowl and lunch box specials are great deals and vary each day from spicy faux chicken, sweet bulgogi, grilled tofu and other vegetarian delights. Once you have the specials memorized you can grab one of premade rice bowls and bypass newbies contemplating their lunch choices from the creative selection of vegan/vegetarian dishes.

Review by nperry on May 25, 2004

The hot new spot on K street is definitely Java Green -- a recently crowned vegetarian specialty cafe. Healthy has never tasted this decadent until now. Java Green has been around for a year, but only recently shifted its focus to vegetarian and vegan options. Amazingly, they've managed to maintain (and build on) their regular customer base because they addicted everyone to their unique and delicious recipes before the switch. Who cares what it is, it's delicious! Their faux chicken (dripping in sweet tangy sauce) is equally tantalizing over the Java Soul Chicken salad as in the Java Chicken Panini. Their bbq drumsticks are another rare find -- made from soy, they rip apart like the real thing and make a hearty meal over the rice bowl or with a salad. From the Bibimbob, a very spicy rice salad, to the Jobche sweet potato noodles, there are exotic dishes for the adventurous as well as the perfect panini (mushroom and tofu, veg dc, or veggie max -- they are all outstanding). Java Green's owner, DJ, has extensive experience in coffee preparation and the array of coffee and "teatte" (tea lattes -- a creamy alternative to the bean) options tempts one to stay for a relaxing after-meal drink and dessert. Choose something from the daily offerings of the nearby Sticky Fingers vegan bakery. The Little Devil is a chocolate and whip cream dream, but you can't go wrong with any Sticky Fingers offering. On a sunny day, their outdoor seating is popular. Java Green stays busy from 12:30 - 1:30, so stagger your lunch to avoid the crowd. It's worth it -- this little cafe has a big future.

Review by sprolman on May 5, 2004

Java Green Cafe is an excellent place for lunch downtown, close to the Farragut North and Farragut West metro stops. It offers a wide variety of outstanding vegetarian dishes as well as some dishes with a South Korean flavor. I highly recommend it.

Review by vegan4life on May 5, 2004

Try the sweet and sour veg chicken. The veg chick wrap is also quite good. Everything there is vegetarian, most of it vegan. The desserts are all vegan. Reasonably priced, no entrees are over $7, there are even specials for each day of the week.

Review by lydianichols on May 4, 2004

Java Green is a deli type restaurant which provides great sandwiches for the person on the go. The provide indoor and outdoor seating.

Review by sprolman on March 31, 2004

Java Green is a wonderful restaurant for lunch in downtown DC that specializes in vegetarian and vegan foods. Some of its dishes have a Korean flavor, all are excellent.

Review by devilscrack on March 8, 2004

I've been looking for a place that serves Korean food, without the fanfare. Believe me, the experience of a higher-end Korean restaurant is appreciated, but sometimes I just want a quick bite of bulgogi without barbequing it myself.

Java Green caters to the "fast food" Korean cuisine lover without making you feel guilty for wanting to save a few bucks. That's because you get a lot of bang for your buck here.

I've had their bulgogi plate, which comes with multi-grain rice, seaweed, lettuce, and of course, the marinated beef. The entire plate fills you up without leaving you to feel comatose, but it doesn't make you feel like you need more food if you're going to make it through the rest of your afternoon.

Their menu marks extra healthy and vegetarian items, but the entire menu should not be ignored just because there isn't an icon next to each item.

The only suggestion is for the staff to manage the front counter better. I think I had to tell 3 people at least twice that I was taking my food to go, and it wasn't that busy. Then again, maybe it was just an "off" moment for them.

Regardless, this is worth a trip because you get authentic Korean food, for around $6, and it's healthier than most of the other food joints in the area. The fact that I'm patronizing a non-chain restaurant gives a good feeling, too.