Woodland’s Vegan Bistro...To Go

This is vegan soul food. The vegan part is fine, but all they really do here is substitute tofu for something else. It is okay, not awesome and kind of expensive. We had one of almost everything.
The drinks were pretty good but take a while to come out.

Hadn’t hit up the food truck since 2013. I bought some BBQ «drummies» (faux chicken wings) and a side of collards. The only other fake chicken drumsticks I have eaten were at Uptown Juice Bar in New York City (if you are visiting vegan, that should be a spot to check out on 125^th Street in East Harlem).
Let me tell you, I wish I knew what was in that Woodlands sauce because they were absolutely incredible. The collards were a great compliment at well. The price was pretty reasonable considering that it’s a food truck.
Just make sure you ask for a fork if you need one. I’m not sure if they thought I was going to eat the collards with my hands or what. I hope not.
Check these good folks out at the truck or at the brick & mortar location. Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, and Drake already beat you to it.

I was super hungry and wanted something quick to eat yet nutritious and healthy. I placed an order over the phone and was told my food would be ready in 15 minutes. Once I arrived at Woodland’s, I didn’t have to wait in line and my food was ready.
I ordered the pancake entrée with grits and home fries. Not the best vegan pancakes I’ve ever had but they were pretty solid and super affordable. The staff was friendly and told me about the loyalty program. I’ll definitely be back. Nice attention to the Georgia ave/​petworth area.

Huh? I had two of the best red velvet cupcakes in the city at this food truck. $ 2 only. Vegan. Whaaaaat? And then, huh again! I had a second hit when I got two sweet potato tarts that tasted incredibly satisfying. If all vegan food was this delicious and was available everywhere, I would be delighted to go vegan.
I am so intrigued I would like to hit their restaurant on Georgia Avenue. Hope to see the truck back at l’Enfant Plaza soon!

Wow.
Chicken sandwich, kale, and mac and «cheese». Outstanding, and I’m not even vegan.

A few weeks back, I walked 15 minutes to L’Enfant Plaza in the cold (was there snow? I don’t remember — but let’s say there was) for a hot vegan meal. I’m not vegan but I’d read great reviews of this place, and had just purchased/​tossed a terrible meal of ‘palak paneer’ (cold spinach with very small pieces of cheese) from a sketchy truck… I should have known better. I digress. My first meal was drool-​worthy — and I have been back since!
From Vegan Bistro — I have now consumed and loved the following: the shepherd’s pie (this is not my favorite of everything I’ve tried, but it’s still comfort food-​like and delicious), the greens (holy crap — love me these greens), the black bean burger (This. Get this. Just do it.) and the mac and cheese… or tease… bc clearly it’s not real cheese.
This truck is a great example of how ‘different’ does not mean ‘bad’ — and in the case of this truck, means ‘better’. Try it out non-​vegans. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

I finally caught the food truck without a daunting line and tried the Chicken «Drummies» with garlic kale. Impressively textured and really tasty! Even my friend that I had lunch with, who initially eschewed the thought of any meat preceded by the word «faux», was pleasantly surprised.
She Said: As a vegetarian, I rarely get to enjoy anything with BBQ sauce so that was an extra treat on top of the yummy drummies (mind the wooden dowels). The raw kale was nice and tender but doused in heavy garlic sauce so I couldn’t finish it.
He Said: It makes you realize how often you’re eating for the sauce and not the actual chicken!

After a friend recommended Woodlands (and even made me take a bit out of one of his chicken drummies), I was totally sold. Never having been a fan of vegan food, I realized why — because I’ve never had AMAZING vegan food. I ordered a chicken drummies with two sides — mac and cheese and kale. The service was so outstanding because I was having a tough time deciding which type of drummies I wanted (bbq, buffalo, or jerk) and kale (sweet or garlic) and instead of getting frustrated, the guys gave me drummies in all three flavors and did half and half of the kale after letting me sample them! As an added bonus, my new best friend gave me one side for free because it was my first time. :)
I’m so glad I finally tried them out and can’t wait to come back! SO MUCH YUMS!

It’s the absolute best lunch truck downtown. I always come here when they’re parked in Farragut on Fridays.
The side of garlic kale is a must. I’ve only had the Garvey burger and buffalo wings and both are fantastic. The burger is huge and flavorful while it’s shocking that the wings and blue cheese sauce are vegan (if a little messy to eat).
You can’t go wrong here.

Holy cow, best lunch ever! I stumbled across this truck downtown and couldn’t resist trying it. The buffalo drummies, sweet kale salad, and mac & cheese were all absolutely amazing. Truly! The drummies were sort of scary realistic. I sampled, and enjoyed, the shepherd’s pie as well.
Bonus — the guys working there were super nice and patient, even at the very end of a busy lunch rush. Can’t wait to make a return visit!

Om nom «fish» sandwich.
You know, I just love a place that can do fake meat really well. As someone who is trying to eat more vegetarian food, and is struggling with being cornered into the bread/​cheese/​veggie aisles, Woodland’s was a really great step into knowing that the vegetarian/​vegan style of living is possible. You don’t have to give up good flavor and good food to do something that’s better for yourself and the environment.

Outstanding!
I love this food truck. I can’t wait to try the full restaurant. My usual is the grilled fish sandwich, kale, and mac and cheese. All are top notch delicious. I’ve also had the crabcake sandwich and the buffalo wings. Both are out of this world for it to be vegan.
I usually stalk this place on Twitter to find out where they are. #creep They’re out of my price range of what I prefer to average on lunch, $ 12 for a sandwich and two sides. However, the portions are generous, and the food is so good that I make a point to go here at least once a week. Go try it. I make a point to introduce as many folks as I can to how good the food is. So flavorful.

Just saw the food truck and had to stop. Had the veggie burger with sweet kale on the side and holy crap. One of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. It was big bursting with flavor large portions. I can’t wait to go back again… tomorrow.
Highly recommend it.

The mobile version is just as good as the mothership. Everyone knows the food is amazing. I really just want to say that I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to be able to walk to the truck once a week. Commuting to DC from Bmore has its downers but my goodness what a treat. The brothers that man the truck; let me stop and say thank you for having proper staffing on the truck. You understand that there’s going to be some wait with food trucks but those guys are super nice and bust their humps to get the food out as quick as possible. What’s not to love about it. I also love how the food truck takes over the block, they dominate the competition, not that anyone is keeping score but it’s so awesome to see so many people enjoying amazing quality vegan food. So good!
If you can get there by 11:30, do it because the lunch rush is serious in all the locations they park.

Unbelievably good food, whether or not you’re a vegetarian. The portions are gigundous, the prices are reasonable and everything (I mean EVERYTHING) is delicious. Not one stinker on the whole damn menu.
The highlights? Their lasagna, which comes in slabs about the size of my head. It’s stuffed with vegan meat crumbles, fake cheese, tomato sauce and perfectly cooked noodles. The steak and «cheese» sandwich is about the size and weight of a torpedo. It’s stuffed with seitan steak that’s been fried until crispy, drizzled with gooey «cheese» sauce, and nestled in alongside it are healthy portions of peppers and onions. The whole-​wheat bun also deserves a shout-​out. I also enjoy the fried «chicken» sandwich, which is layered and tears like real chicken, but it’s juicier and more flavorful than its poultry counterpart. They use a similar fake chicken for the «drummies,» which come slathered in delicious barbecue or buffalo sauce, or you can opt for them «dry» (believe it or not, they’re good that way).
Anything they do with kale is magical – one time they had it coated in a ginger-​lemon dressing, and that was out-​of-​this-​world, but their usual garlic and sweet kale options are wonderful.
Service is friendly, they’re responsive on Twitter, and they’re out serving lunch just about every day. I hate lines (and Woodland’s almost always has one), but these guys are absolutely worth the wait.

Holy noms, Batman! Who knew vegan food could be so incredibly delicious?! I walked to Franklin Park today in the rain just to have their food.
I was an off-​again, on-​again vegetarian for nearly 10 years, and I’ve had my fair share of faux meats, veganaise, etc… but the food at Woodland’s food truck blows away everything I’ve ever had before. Usually vegan food is a combination of brown textures with little flavor. But Woodlands has totally masked the soy-«meat» weirdness and blended flavors to create what could easily pass for the real thing.
I’ve had their «chicken» and «crabcake» sandwiches, and both were superb.
Additionally, their kale is literally the best kale I’ve ever had. Whatever they put in this garlic sauce leaves me craving more. I’ve honestly been thinking about this garlic kale for two weeks, since I had it the first time.
The prices are more than comparable for other food trucks, especially considering the amount of food you get.
The next time you’re craving food trucks, if Woodlands is an option, go there. It’s simply awesome food, regardless of the fact it’s vegan.

Great food!
TERRIBLE WAIT!
After waiting 50 minutes for a simple order of three sides, I don’t think it’s worth the wait. Seriously — too many other food trucks with good food in this city that will get your food to you within a reasonable time during the lunch hour.

So, generally speaking, I think food trucks in DC are overpriced and not super-​awesome food. That said, I really, really dig the Woodland Food Truck. The Mac’n’Cheese is wicked good, I’ve had the lasagna and loved it, the sandwiches are all really good as are all the sides. The guys who work on the truck are super friendly, and you get your food pretty quickly (I can’t say that for all the other food trucks). The prices are fair and over-​all it’s a good experience.
It’s all vegan food but when I size-​up the clientele at the truck I’d never say to myself, «wow, look, vegans!» I think they attract people from all walks and what’s wrong with that? (um, that is rhetorical, if you hate people then neither the Unilocal world nor I need to know, thanks)
You can find the truck’s daily location as well as some inspirational tweets at @WoodlandsVB. Save some Mac’n’cheese for me please!

Between the four of us we ordered: Chickpeas, Live Stir Fry, Artichokes, Asian Noodle, Vinaigrette Kale, Mushrooms, Mac and Cheese, Cinnamon Roll, baked apples, apple pie, Potatoes.
Anna loved the combination of all these things. Genevieve loved the Mac and cheese, it’s very creamy and delicious and does not taste vegan. I, very hesitantly, tried the vinaigrette kale and was happily surprised. Seriously, nothing disappointing about this experience. Great atmosphere, amazing food.

I rarelyyy eat out so hitting Farragut Friday was a treat all in itself, nevermind that the one day I go to buy lunch it drizzles. I had read about this truck and I was determined to try the offerings. Did not disappoint.
Don’t judge me for what sounds like a ton of food but I always bring lunch so it was like a mini vaca, okay! I ordered the combo with buffalo drumsticks, collard greens, mac n cheese, and a peanut butter milkshake. It was all so freaking good. The texture of the «chicken» was spot on (from what I can remember over 5 years ago, at least), and the collard greens were hot, the mac n cheese was comforting. The peanut butter smoothie was creamy, nutty, sweet without being too sweet. It was a home cooking kind of meal on a rainy day.
There were so many other sides to choose from, I’ll definitely have to go back and get the two sides order (not that I wouldn’t totally order the combo standing there in line).