EVENT: Union BBQ's Master Class on How to Please Plant-Based Eaters

Being invited to summertime barbecues normally fills me with agita. Not because I have anything against cooking and dining al fresco, but because it forces me have to answer that classic question: what does a vegan eat at a barbecue? Normally, the answer is the three dishes I made the night before to ensure I have a variety of things to eat. Festivals are similarly dread-inducing: there’s either one thing or nothing. I recently ate three cookies and a cupcake due to hunger and a lack of other options, and forgetfulness, on my part, to keep a few snacks in my purse.

Thankfully, and to my delight, my experience at Saturday’s Union BBQ was not either of those things. It was advertised that there would be vegan and vegetarian options available, and they delivered, both in variety and quality: easily one of the most vegan-friendly events I’ve ever attended (aside from DC VegFest, of course).

I started the day with a veggie ‘rito from Rito Loco, easily made vegan by omitting their four-cheese blend. The veggies — tomatoes, squash, mushroom, spinach, peppers, and onions — got a nice tropical flavor from being sauteed in coconut oil. Because I got my ‘rito without cheese, the overall flavor trended sweet, but their housemade habanero salsa added a nice kick of clean heat. And despite not being made with rice and beans (none of their offerings are), this massive ‘rito kept me sated for a few hours. Amazing. This award-winning food truck is soon going brick-and-mortar, so look for their storefront which will open near the Howard Theater, slinging burritos into the wee hours of the morning, and where — I was told — they’ll be bottling up their salsa for purchase.

I washed down my ‘rito with a generous pour of festival sponsor DC Brau’s refreshingly bubbly Hefeweizen El Hefe Speaks. Later on in the day, I cooled off with a glass of Public Pale, a super hoppy American Pale Ale. A professed Hefeweizen fan, I loved the former, but fans of bitter beers will have nothing to complain about with DC Brau's signature brew.

I also beat the heat with both flavors of Dolcezza’s sorbetto push-pops: blueberry lemon thyme and strawberry tarragon. I wasn’t able to taste the stated herbs in either flavor, but I found them completely addicting nonetheless: the balance of sweet and tart was on point, as was the texture, and the push-pop was the perfect, non-messy vehicle for a festival environment.

The day’s standout was the fresh-pressed cane juice with lime from the upcoming Riddim Juice and Tea Bar. With a clean taste reminiscent of straight-from-a-coconut-fresh coconut water (or a non-alcoholic caipirinha), I could have easily drank a gallon of this stuff. Revelatory. Keep an eye out for their U Street opening (in the former 4NXC spot) in a couple of months.

Barbecues are notoriously meat-centric affairs. So are festivals. That I was able to leave this event completely satiated speaks to the continued mainstreaming of veganism (newsflash: eating plant-based is more popular than ever), and, in particular, the vegan-friendliness of DC’s newer class of restaurants and vendors. The recent outcrop of DC-based festivals could stand to learn a thing or two from the organizers of Union BBQ. Job well-done, guys.