Taylor Gourmet, DC

When Taylor Gourmet first opened on H Street NE, everyone was talking about them as if they were the best sandwich shop to hit DC.  Then, when they opened on 14th Street last year under Yoga District, all the yogis were excited because they thought they could stop by and get some fresh eats after yoga class. We quickly discovered though that Taylor Gourmet did not have a vegan sandwich. Further, when we asked them if they'd use vegan cheese, they told us they would and asked us to check back, but when we did, we found that they never purchased any. After a few months, we all gave up.

But, now there is a vegan sandwich on the menu -- the Lehigh Avenue. It is named after a street in Philadelphia as are all of the sandwiches.  I was excited because it was cauliflower-based like the one at G, which is amazing, so I figured it would be just as good and on vegan bread, unlike the one at G. But, when I opened it up, it looked like there wasn't much on it. It was made on a deliciously fresh, seeded hoagie roll with white bean hummus, arugula, roasted cauliflower and spicy red pepper dressing. Sounds good, huh? But, it turned out to be meh. The roasted cauliflower tasted like it was roasted in the morning and was cold and soggy. The hummus seeped into the bread and wasn't that flavorful and the dressing was just okay. Overall, I was pretty disappointed.

I also got a Puck's natural soda in Black Cherry. That was the highlight of my meal.

The coolest thing about the shop was really its decor. It has exposed brick walls, wood furniture, and buckets as lights that hang from the ceiling. It's a fun atmosphere.

But despite the atmosphere, unfortunately, I would not say that it is worth visiting Taylor Gourmet as a vegan. I think that if they put more hummus on the Lehigh Avenue, roasted the cauliflower fresh for each hoagie, and loaded the bun with cauliflower, it would be great. But, as they are making it now, it just isn't. They also offer an Indian Curry Lentil soup, which is vegan as well.  I hope to give them another try in the near future. In the meantime, Taylor Gourmet, let us know if you improve on the sandwich.  We really want this relationship to work.

Taylor Gourmet
1908 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 588-7117