DC Vegetarian

DC Vegetarian
The restaurant's interior, 2026
Interactive map of DC Vegetarian
Restaurant information
Established2009 (2009)
Owners
  • Damien Gill
  • Becky Leonard
Food typeAmerican
Location5026 Southeast Division Street, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, 97206, United States
Coordinates45°30′18″N 122°36′38″W / 45.5051°N 122.6106°W / 45.5051; -122.6106
Websitedcvegordering.com

DC Vegetarian is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States.[1] Owners Damien Gill and Becky Leonard started the business as a food cart in 2009, before relocating to a brick and mortar location in southeast Portland in 2018. DC Vegetarian serves American cuisine including various burgers and sandwiches.

Description

DC Vegetarian is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon.[2] The business originally operated as a food cart, before relocating to a diner-style brick and mortar location near the intersection of 50th and Division Street in southeast Portland's Richmond neighborhood.[3][4] The interior has books, plants, and rustic benches.[5]

The fast casual restaurant[6] serves American cuisine such as burgers and sandwiches, including breakfast sandwiches,[7] a grilled cheese,[2] and meatless variants of BLTs, cheesesteaks,[8] and Italian subs.[9][10] The Chicken Salad Sub has soy curls.[11] The Steak and Cheese has seitan, sautéed peppers, onions and vegan cheese.[12] Vegetarian options can be made vegan.[13] The Carl's Senior is a gluten-free option.[14] Dessert options include peanut butter cups.[15] The drink menu includes cocktails.[16]

History

Owners and spouses[17] Damien Gill and Becky Leonard started the business as a food cart in 2009.[18] DC Vegetarian operated in the food cart pod on Southwest Third Avenue between Stark and Washington in 2011.[19] In 2017, news outlets described DC Vegetarian's plans to open a brick and mortar restaurant later in the year,[20] in the space that previously housed Mi Mero Mole.[8][21] The restaurant opened on February 16, 2018.[22] The food cart closed in March 2018.[23] Like many restaurants, the business operated via delivery and take-out at times during the COVID-19 pandemic.[24]

DC Vegetarian has hosted pop-up restaurants, including Tender Texan in 2020.[25]

Reception

Alexandra Chang included the Chicken Salad Sub in VegNews's 2011 list of the seven best vegan sandwiches.[11] Eric Lindstrom included the restaurant in the magazine's 2017 list of twelve diners "where it's always National Greasy Food Day for vegans".[7] In 2012, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ranked DC Vegetarian first in a list of the nation's top ten vegan BLTs,[26] saying it has "all the deliciousness with none of the cruelty that pork sandwiches do".[27][28] Additionally, The Oregonian ranked the Steak and Cheese Sub seventh in a list of Portland's top ten vegan dishes.[27][29]

Michelle Udem included the business in Thrillist's 2015 list of Portland's best vegetarian restaurants.[9] In 2016, Yelp included DC Vegetarian in a list of Portland's top 40 food carts.[30] Nick Zukin gave the restaurant honorable mention in Willamette Week's 2019 overview of the city's best vegan burgers.[31] Jordan Michelman included the BLT in the newspaper's 2019 list of Portland's best vegan dishes.[32] Willamette Week also called DC Vegetarian "a food cart staple for alt-diet PSU students" in 2019.[12] Anastasia Sloan included DC Vegetarian in Eater Portland's 2025 list of the city's best vegetarian and vegan burgers.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "DC Vegetarian". Southeast Examiner. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  2. ^ a b Pointing, Charlotte. "For the Best-Tasting Dairy-Free Cheese, Head to Portland". VegNews.com. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  3. ^ a b Sloan, Anastasia (2017-03-30). "Portland's Best Veggie and Vegan Burgers". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  4. ^ Walsh, Chad (2018-02-23). "Your Weekly Food and Drink News Round-Up: The Good, the Bad, and the Neutral". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  5. ^ Moore, Jenni (2020-02-13). "Plant-Based Bae: Six Yummy Vegan Burgers for Date Night". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2025-05-24. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  6. ^ Nocera, Veronica (2025-01-28). "Vote for the best vegan restaurant in the Portland area: Readers Choice Awards". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  7. ^ a b Lindstrom, Eric C. "12 Diners Where it's Always National Greasy Food Day for Vegans". VegNews.com. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  8. ^ a b Bamman, Mattie John (2017-07-26). "4 Forthcoming Restaurants and Bars to Have On Your Radar". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  9. ^ a b Udem, Michelle (2015-10-05). "Portland's Best Vegetarian Restaurants". Thrillist. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  10. ^ Judson, Scarlett. "Best Plant Based Restaurants in SE Portland". The Franklin Post. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  11. ^ a b Chang, Alexandra. "7 Best Vegan Sandwiches". VegNews.com. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  12. ^ a b "Thicc Vegetarians Only". Willamette Week. 2019-08-20. Archived from the original on 2021-08-02. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  13. ^ "DC Vegetarian Food Cart". Frommer's. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  14. ^ "Burger Week 2019: Your Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free Options!". Portland Mercury. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  15. ^ "Eat Mobile 2011: Cart Listings A-Z". Willamette Week. 2011-04-20. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  16. ^ Walsh, Chad (2018-02-28). "Food and Drink News You Can Use!". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  17. ^ Hallett, Alison (2011-09-29). "Back to School Career Profile: Food Cart Owner". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  18. ^ Coleman, Ben (2026-04-15). "Snag a Sandwich From a Bastion of Portland Vegan Culture (Soy Curls Included)". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  19. ^ Butler, Grant (2011-03-24). "DC Vegetarian, a downtown Portland food cart, creates own version of American classic subs: Cheap eats". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  20. ^ Russell, Michael (2017-04-28). "Vegan-friendly Portland food cart opening full Southeast Portland restaurant". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  21. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2017-08-23). "The 11 Most Anticipated Restaurants in Portland, Fall 2017". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  22. ^ "DC Vegetarian's Brick-and-Mortar Sandwich Shop Now Open on Division". Portland Monthly. 2018-02-18. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  23. ^ "10 New Portland Vegan Eateries That Flew Under Your Radar". Portland Monthly. 2017-12-18. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  24. ^ Wu, Waz (2020-03-30). "Portland Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants Offering Delivery and Takeout During the COVID-19 Outbreak". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-08-21. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  25. ^ Wu, Waz (2020-07-20). "The Hottest Vegan and Vegetarian Popups Right Now". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  26. ^ "Top 10 Vegan BLTs". People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  27. ^ a b Butler, Grant (2012-10-23). "DC Vegetarian's vegan BLT named the best in the country". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  28. ^ "Portland food cart wins PETA honor". Oregon Business. 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  29. ^ Butler, Grant (2012-10-23). "Counting down Portland's best vegan dishes: Nos. 8 and 7". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  30. ^ "PDX Sliders named top food cart in Portland by Yelp". KGW. 2016-08-15. Archived from the original on 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  31. ^ "We Went Hunting for Portland's Best Vegan Burger. Here's Our Top Five". Willamette Week. 2019-09-18. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  32. ^ "Here Are Six of the Best Vegan Plates in Portland". Willamette Week. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  • Media related to DC Vegetarian at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official website
  • DC Vegetarian, Travel Oregon
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