There are many restaurants across Arlington, but some vegetarians in Arlington still struggle to find restaurants and cafes where they can enjoy good food without the meat. Here are some great vegetarian options  across Arlington, according to vegetarians.

First is Sweetgreen, which has many vegetarian dishes. Sweetgreen offers an array of salads, warm bowls, seasonal dishes and the option to make your own dish. There are five salads on the menu to choose from that  include a variety of fruits, vegetables, dressings and proteins. While some salads do include meats, others include tofu and customers can also ask for the dish without the meat.

“My favorite thing to get at Sweetgreen is the kale caesar salad without chicken,” freshman Elissa Hall, who has been a vegetarian for about a year and a half said. “I like Sweetgreen a lot because it is easy to customize their salads to become vegetarian.“

Sweetgreen has multiple locations across Arlington, including Clarendon, Ballston and Pentagon City.

“At Sweetgreen, I get this summer salad they have with kale, tomatoes, more veggies, and a big fresh ball of burrata,” freshman Emma Murray, who has been a vegetarian since October said. “I like Sweetgreen because they have so many options for making a salad that isn’t all really plain.”

South Block is another restaurant in Clarendon with vegetarian options. They offer smoothies, juices, acai bowls, wraps, breakfast items and sandwiches. South Block is largely known for their smoothies and acai bowls. Most acai bowls consist of acai fruit and a variety of other fruits blended together, topped with granola and cut up fruit.

“My favorite thing to eat [at South Block] is the acai warrior bowl because it has lots of fruit and granola,” freshman Saana Sexton, who has been vegetarian for two years, said.

They also have multiple types of smoothies, including green, classic, boosted and protein smoothies, all of which are vegetarian; although, some of their sandwiches, wraps and breakfast items do include meat.

Another vegetarian-friendly restaurant is Busboys and Poets in Shirlington. This restaurant offers a large selection for vegetarians to choose from, including breakfast and brunch items, starters, salads, soups, sandwiches, paninis, entres, pizza and a homemade vegan vegetarian burger. Their menus include a breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menu.

“At Busboys and Poets I get the vegan egg scramble because the tofu is good with the spices, and has lots of protein,” said senior Ava Arnade, who has been a vegetarian for ten years.

The next great place for vegetarians is The Little Beet in Rosslyn. The Little Beet offers a large selection including sandwiches, parfaits and bowls for both breakfast and lunch, while also offering a make your own option.

For the make your own menu, customers go through four steps when making their meal. First, they pick three things from a grains and greens section, the served cool section and the served warm section. Customers can choose foods like rice, cool beans and warmed vegetables. Next customers pick a protein, such as tofu, and a sauce like sweet chili garlic. Lastly, customers choose  a garnish like super seeds.

“The Little Beet has great vegetarian options that are very healthy and filling,” Hall said.  

Overall, there are many great vegetarian friendly restaurants and cafes throughout Arlington. From salads to bowls to sandwiches, there are options for everyone.

“We live in a pretty urban area so most restaurants I go to have lots of vegetarian options,” Hall said, “Sometimes it can mean requesting a salad without meat, but I’ve never found myself in a situation in Arlington where I can’t find a vegetarian option at a restaurant.”