GreenFare

Greenfare is everything I want in a restaurant: a variety of delicious vegan dishes, organic, and super healthy — no added oils or salt. The only «but» for me is the Herndon location — though the food is so good and the owner and staff so welcoming that it’s worth the trip. I brought nonvegan friends who live closer to the restaurant and they continued to go back on their own. This week I took home one of the prepackaged meals they sell in the refrigerator case — enchiladas — and loved it.

After further visits, I have come to look forward to my meals here. Always enjoyable. The service can be a bit quirky. But I think it fits the vibe desired.

Pericles is the man! I love this place and everything that it stands for. If you haven’t been, please go and experience raw vegan food. All plant based. They are very nice. Def try the Mac and «cheese»

I’m typically a meat & potatoes kind of guy. I was looking for a healthier option and saw this place had a few good reviews, so I decided to give it a try. I had the organic spinach & sweet potato lasagna, and the Maca chocolate mousse for dessert. Both were absolutely delicious; seriously. The lasagna was so good I didn’t even care that there was no meat in it. And the mousse was really tasty. I left feeling more than satisfied, and without the feeling of having a bomb in my stomach like I would get at most other restaurants. I can’t stress enough how much I enjoy burgers, fries, etc, so for me to say that I enjoyed my meal so much is pretty big. Everything was flavorful and fresh, but I could tell it wasn’t loaded with salt, sugar and all the other stuff. The staff was also very nice & helpful. This was my first experience at a vegetarian joint and I wasn’t disappointed at all. I’ll definitely be back.

Love that this gem is in Herndon! The hubs and I were heading towards Naked Lunch at MOM’s Which is a similar concept of wholesome plant based protein food and decided instead to give GreenFare a try…
It was around 5pm on a Saturday and the place had two other diners seating and eating perhaps it was just early… We were taken great care of by Sue who warmly welcomed us inquired if we’ve been there before and explained the concepts of the menu– how there’s no added oil, sugar, salts… We ordered a bowl of SOTD– Mushroom and brown rice, I had the Organic African Vegetables Bowl and hubs had the Organic Southwestern Chipotle Bowl and desert to be: Organic Red Bean Lava Cake and to wash it all down was two glasses of Organic GreenFare Hibiscus Iced Tea– The hubs did ask Sue for a side of bacon which made us laugh! Sue was just delightful!!!
The soup was ok a bit bland to the taste, my dish was phenomenal! Rich in organic peanut butter aroma and filled with veggies what a comforting meal! Hubs Chipotle Bowl was good– please add more avocado– I easily can eat up to 2 whole avocados in a day… I felt the portion sizes were quite plenty– I needed a box for half of my
meal! Our dessert was intoxicatingly yummy!!! The smell of the warm lava cake made me drool! Sue said the sugar came from dates! After the meal I felt sooo good and didn’t have the crazy sugar drop I usually get from sugary deserts!
Gwyn the owner came to check how we’re doing and shared some history of GF, we discussed their program they have on the 21 day kick start program– *Take a glimpse on their website for more info
The only thing I would suggest changing up is the staging on the tables. There is a diner looking set of cheap salt and pepper shakers which sends the wrong type of message for the meal, IMO if a guest wants to add these have them request it– instead invest in nice glass blown colored bottles and add nutritional yeast, and Bragg’s liquid aminos on the table instead.
The location is at the same plaza as MOM’s and is just a couple stores down on the same side– plenty of parking in the lot–

I found this place online because I knew I would be in the area. I liked what I saw on the menu and it was really hard to narrow down my order. I want to go back to try everything! Also. they have kombucha on tap… I felt like I was in a different world. The basil lime kombucha was delicious. I ended up ordering the Organic Portobello Ginger Stir-​Fry bowl «crafted with Portobello mushrooms, broccoli, and red bell peppers, tossed in savory and
sweet sauce, over a bed of brown rice» except I substituted cauliflower rice instead. You could tell that it was fresh and that harmful ingredients weren’t used. It tasted like something I would make at home with ingredients I trust. I would probably add a little more flavor to it if I were to make it at home, maybe something with a little spice or kick to it (that is just my personal preference). I think it would also be cool if this restaurant had nutritional yeast on the table alongside the salt and pepper… since we are all obsessed with nutritional yeast … or is that just me? I also found myself wanting to take home several menu items to go, but I didn’t know how they would keep in the car all day. Everything just looks so delicious! The ambiance is really nice too, paintings of animals on the walls, it’s clean and cozy. I really liked that they had literature for sale to educate customers. I am currently reading the China Diet so it was cool that they reference it on their menu. Overall, I was really impressed with this restaurant and I hope to go back. A restaurant like this would thrive in the DC & Maryland area!

I very much enjoy this restaurant. As a lifelong meat eater I ventured into this restaurant with some concerns. To my surprise I thought the meal was very good. I returned a week later with a friend for lunch. Another great meal. Finally my wife and I came one night and enjoyed our meals.
I asked Gwyn (the owner) if this food might help with arthritis pain (something that had been acting up a bit). She assured me it would and suggested we attend a 21-​day kick start program they were having. We did. We are glad we did.
21-​days of their lunches and dinners prepared and ready for us to heat up. It was nice that we did NOT have to cook for three weeks. Each meal was different. Each was good. Some great! The results are amazing. My arthritis pain is almost completely gone. It started to improve in the end of the first week and honestly it seems better every day. When walking now I think «somethin’s different? Oh, wow, my ankle isn’t hurting.»
I lost 17 pounds in the month I have been on this diet (I am cooking these types of meals at home now) and my cholesterol went from 208 to 155. I was not on any medication for high cholesterol, and this is the only thing I changed.
So, yes, I am a fan. I have found foods I thought I didn’t like to be very tasty. I must admit to cravings for sweets and cheese. But, I think I will resist since my body is definitely telling me this is good for me.

Great hidden gem for healthier eating. The mesoamerica tamale pie is delicious with a nice spicy kick! Refreshing change for those looking for the healthier lifestyle food! The sticky rice is YUMMY!!!

Having been a vegan foodie for a long time and someone who enjoys health-​conscious restaurants, I was thrilled to find this jewel in NOVA.
It was even more encouraging to find out that Green Fare follows the teachings of The China Study research and the documentary Fork over Knives (among others). These two sources have definitely helped me change my relationship with food. I applaud the owner for having faith that people are ready for a healthy and compassionate place to enjoy real food and flavors.
I have been there three times already and plan to go back.
The Maca chocolate mousse is definitely amazing as well as the red bean chocolate lava cake :-)

I was skeptical but dined here for dinner with a vegetarian friend. It was GREAT! I forgot about the theme and enjoyed the hummus and LOVED the Portobello vegetable rice bowl. Seriously something I would order in any restaurant and the veggies were firm and the flavors were super! Really fresh. My friend loved her dinner too — — she thought she would eat half and take home half, but it was so good she ate it all! But the best move we made was to order the chocolate lava cake (made from sweet potatoes) in advance… because it tasted wonderful! I could not tell it apart from some very unhealthy and yummy desserts from my past.
Great experience, and the owner came over and introduced herself. Gwyn is very impressive. Both my friend and I plan to dine here again, and get TAKE OUT!

I am not a vegan but do love vegetables etc. The stir fry dish was awful. My husband had the moussaka and it was ok. I thought it was very overpriced and service slow. Sorry but restaurant needs improvement.

We went here for our 5 year anniversary. The atmosphere is cute, I got up to look at the books and t-​shirts for sale and enjoyed the 7 or so oil paintings that were really beautiful and all by the same artist. The restaurant probably only seats about 35. There’s a fridge with about 10 takeout dinners ready if you’re in a hurry. We both ordered the organic spinach Alfredo pasta and loved it, huge portion size too, and I can eat a lot of pasta. I ordered the red bean lava cake and my boyfriend got the sticky rice. The lava cake takes about 25 minutes in the oven. It was worth it. We recommend this locally-​sourced restaurant and hopefully if vegan patrons and health conscious foodies eat out here regularly we will always have a nearby option!

First time here, didn’t know what to expect with it being vegan with no salt, fat, and oils added. I was whole heartedly pleased with my experience here and how good the food was without anything additional added to it. Definitely recommend this place, and the staff is so kind and knowledgeable about everything they offer. Will definitely be back!

My hubby and I were both blown away by GreenFare! Most restaurant food relies heavily on salt, sugar and fat to keep customers coming back for more, but at GreenFare it’s all about artfully combined fresh whole plant ingredients. The food is SOOOO good… even things that I wouldn’t expect to be that good like «Black Bean Brownie» which, BTW, totally shattered my expectations of what a vegan brownie could be. If you’re going to try just one dish though, I’d highly recommend the lasagna… it’s pretty darn AMAZING. :-D
Did I mention that EVERYTHING is organic? Love that! Admittedly, it’s not «cheap» food. But let’s be real – you get what you pay for, and given how fresh and delicious the food is I can totally justify the expense.
The ambiance is casual and inviting and the entire staff, including the owner are super friendly and knowledgeable and always make us feel so welcome. If you haven’t been to GreenFare, you owe it to yourself to check it out – you won’t be disappointed! :-)

This is a great concept for a wholesome, organic, restaurant that uses locally sourced ingredients. The ambiance is friendly, homely, AND conducive to learning– it has a hands on exploratory museum type of experience to it which feels very novel for a restaurant (maybe they’ll even start playing those documentaries on screens in the restaurant soon who knows). They also have a lot of cool looking snacks at the register like chocolate maca bars and such (yum!). The owner is very friendly and talked to me about the various community events and book signings they have going on with food activists (like the folks who made «Forks over knives,» etc.). This is truly a step forward in the right direction and I applaud the owner for taking a leap of faith. Not to mention, if we do support these restaurants, their prices might come down a little (they tend to be on the pricier side).
All that said, I think the challenge with a lot of vegan, organic places is creating great tasting food. I understand that some plant folks don’t like salt or seasoning or just basic flavor, but this Indian girl needs some FLAVOR in her food. And I make vegan dishes at home on occasion which taste absolutely bomb, so I don’t know why these restaurants can’t get it right. I got the chipotle bowl and the spinach + sweet potato lasagna. I was impressed by the ingredients and that good feeling is what got me through the dish. The sweet potato lasagna was a let down and I think it has so much potential, (Himalayan salt anyone? Black pepper? Any seasoning at all for flavor??) but just fell flat. So this is my advice to healthy forward thinking restaurants: You’ve got the concept yay, but focus on the flavor of your food and customers like me will keep coming back for more.
I might give it another chance in the future, and hopefully have a better food experience next time for a better rating.

If only it were closer to the District, I would be here more often!!! The food is all vegan and ordered at the register. The vibe is low key in an open space with beautiful artwork of animals, whom some call food. There are shelves and displays for books and information about vegan, low fat diets, as well as some healthful lifestyle books.
The menu, as others have stated, is limited. A soup, a couple salads, a few desserts and about a half dozen entrees. However, as a small operation dedicated to high quality ingredients in the vegan style, it makes sense to keep it manageable. As the business grows, I hope they might have more choices. Still, a good showing!
The prices for organic food are always high, so be warned. However, it’s still more affordable than non-​vegan organic restaurant meals. Focus is on ingredient freshness, so the menu items can sell themselves based on that.
I saw pretty much everything on the menu in real life, and I am satisfied that what I ordered was the best choice for me: spinach salad with roasted butternut squash, roasted vegetables over a turnip mash and the pumpkin brûlée. I liked the salad. Very fresh. The brûlée was very pumpkin-​y, and not really much else to it. The roasted vegetable bowl was good, as it had a nice spicy kick and a rich flavor palate with so many tasty root vegetables, cauliflower and 1 sprig of broccoli.
I would go back if others wanted to go, but it is so far from DC. Still, I would recommend you try it, as long as you like cooked vegan food.

Wow! I am SO HAPPY for Herndon to have this new restaurant… we really lucked out! :)
My husband and I tried the side salad (which was my favorite of all the delicious dishes), the pea soup, the stir fry, and the pumpkin walnut risotto. It was all great and very filling, plus the portions were quite generous (I couldn’t finish and ended up taking about half of my risotto home… I look forward to having that tomorrow… Yum!).
The vibe is great… the décor is really warm and welcoming (very pretty and seasonally decorated), the music is relaxing, and I love the animal paintings (they are so cute!).
I can’t wait to return and try the roasted veggies bowl! :)

Having just opened for two weeks, this place has so much potential! To be honest, the only things that really kept GreenFare from receiving that fifth star would be the price and atmosphere. Considering they make their food completely out of organic ingredients, I guess it’s no surprise that the price was pretty high. Although I got full from the serving, I realized that I could’ve made my Chipotle bowl with the same ingredients, and for less of the price.
Atmosphere, really reminded me of my grandma’s house, given the set up and type of décor used. Maybe if they went for a minimalistic or modern interior design, it would add ALOT of appeal to the restaurant. Also, it’s hard to understand whether or not we have to seat ourselves or go directly to the counter to order our food… or wait for a server???
I ordered the Southwest Chipotle Bowl and Brown Sticky Rice (dessert) while my boyfriend had the Organic Spinach and Sweet Potato Lasagna. Considering we were the only customers, the food took awhile to be prepared, but that wasn’t too bad because we spoke with the lady that worked there about vegetarianism/​veganism (she was the only one in the front just reading her book).
Chipotle bowl: Delicious! Wish there was more avocado in it though. The combination of all of the tomatoes, peppers, rice, beans, avocado, and chili sauce made the bowl aesthetically pleasing and I ate it all!
Lasagna: I had some of my boyfriend’s lasagna, and it was well-​made, but I thought it was a bit sour (maybe it was a hint of lime?) I personally enjoyed my dish more :)
Brown Sticky Rice: I didn’t expect this to be cold, but it was! It was a unique taste and I’m not sure if many people would like this (maybe taste can be acquired). The coconut and whatever sweetener was used made it sweet but the coldness was kind of refreshing. I personally liked it, my boyfriend however, did not (he thought it was bland).
Definitely check this place out if you’re health-​conscious! You can definitely learn a lot from their seminars, people working there, and just skimming some of their health books they have on display too!

Attended their soft opening and enjoyed a curried chickpea bowl. This place is going all out as health food central, and their commitment is pretty impressive. It’s all vegan, organic, local, seasonal, etc., and there’s no added oil or salt (they have salt shakers should you desire, which I did not use). There were several appealing looking options. I share Leena K.‘s view on price; it is quite high as one might expect. What they’re shooting for is to become an event space for low-​key meet the author type things, and I suspect if they succeed in giving people reasons to come they’ll make it.
The space is small but pleasant, and they’ve got a location next to MOM’s Organic Market, which is a useful synergy.

⁴⁄₅ overall. Could be a 5 with more creative dishes. Had the pleasure of attending a soft opening event where a limited but very satisfying menu was on offer. It was very busy but well organized and the staff was extremely friendly, efficient, and communicative.
They serve all vegan eats and absolutely no oil is added in the cooking process. The end result? Real flavor. I don’t mean to say it is a flavor powerhouse but rather the lack of excess fats and the minimal seasonings result in a dish where the flavors of the vegetables, the stars of the show, are truly able to shine. You can add more salt if you need to. I enjoyed the decadent spinach sweet potato lasagna. A giant portion with tofu and onions and all good things. I heard someone say it needed salt but honestly I think «healthy» eating just may be an acquired taste for some people. All flavors, savory and sweet, were well balanced. Better than it being over salted. Just add more to taste if needed!
The majority of the menu featured comfort food. A salad was also available. They said that after the grand opening in 2 weeks the menu will be much larger. Curious to see other inventive ways they will use vegetables. I wholeheartedly love and adore this concept of no fat added but still fabulous tasting and very filling vegan food.
It seems a bit overpriced (like NYC prices) for what sounds like the same thing you can get for less at another restaurant (e.g. Indian, Thai, etc.). But no oil added! Hearty, delicious portions and fresh vegetables aside, I have the comfort of knowing exactly what I’m eating without the additional and unnecessary fats and that is simply awesome.
The noise was extremely loud since it was beyond full capacity and sharing of communal tables was tight. I’m guessing it’ll be less chaotic once normal hours commence.