Junior Medha Kumawat slides her phone across the table, scanning menus with her friends as they decide where to eat. As a vegetarian, she picks restaurants with multiple plant-based options so she has more choices, rather than being limited to the only vegetarian option.

“Most of my friends are vegetarian, so it’s easy for us to go out together,” Kumawat said. “I can share my food without worrying about eating meat.”

There are many restaurants in the DMV that offer vegetarian options, and North Italia, Saravana Palace and Mama Tigre are just a few examples. Menus at these restaurants feature vegetable-based pastas, rice and lentil dishes.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegetarians dining out should look for menu items such as vegetable-based pastas, bean dishes, salads or meals built around grains and legumes when choosing what to order.

“When I go out with friends, I usually check the menu beforehand to make sure there are actually options,” junior Sanjana Vasireddy said. “Places that already have a lot of vegetarian dishes make it a lot less stressful because I know I’ll be able to order something good.”

Located in Reston Town Center, North Italia, an Italian restaurant known for its handmade pasta and pizza, includes several vegetarian options. The menu includes dishes like Margherita pizza, vegetable-based pasta and salads built around ingredients such as tomatoes and herbs. 

According to Approach Guides: Italy Food, traditional Italian cuisine is rooted in local, seasonal ingredients like olive oil, tomatoes, vegetables, beans and herbs, components that form vegetarian dishes. Many Italian meals like tomato‑basil pasta, vegetable risottos and antipasti boards featuring marinated vegetables and cheeses rely on these plant-based ingredients rather than meat.

 “I really like the pizza there,” Kumawat said. “I usually get it every time I go because it tastes really good and it’s kind of a comfort food for me.”

Another restaurant known for vegetarian options is Saravana Palace located in Fairfax, a South Indian restaurant where the entire menu is vegetarian. The restaurant features dishes such as dosas, thin rice crepes, idlis, steamed rice cakes usually served with sambar, a lentil and vegetable stew and coconut or tomato chutneys, which are spiced dipping sauces. Another dish is a thali, which is a combination platter with small servings of rice, vegetable, lentils and bread. 

“Saravana Palace is one of my family’s favorite spots,” sophomore Niketha Rajesh said. “I went there growing up all the time, and I usually get the buffet because there are so many different things to try and I like getting a little bit of everything.”

At Mama Tigre in Oakton, Indian and Latin American flavors come together in a menu with a variety of vegetarian dishes. The menu includes vegetable-based plates such as roasted vegetable bowls, paneer tacos and other vegetarian combinations

“I normally grew up eating Mexican and Indian food, so having a place like Mama Tigre is great because there are a lot of vegetarian options,” Vasireddy said. “Whenever I go, it’s nice because I get to try more unique foods that I don’t usually eat at home.”