When I left my small Midwestern town and moved to D.C., I promised myself I would embrace the cultural diversity of my new metropolitan home. So when I heard of the recent opening of Sprig & Sprout, it was with an exotic culinary experience in mind that I decided to make the trek up Wisconsin to indulge in some student budget-friendly Vietnamese-American food.
The layout of Sprig & Sprout could be described as fast casual, similar to that of Qdoba. Customers order at the counter and pick up their food once their receipt number is announced. The restaurant is part of that developing D.C. trend in which restaurants offer limited menus; every dish uses essentially the same ingredients and you select which of those ingredients to add to your meal. All of Sprig & Sprout’s dishes are served with some type of sprig (basil, mint, cilantro) and sprouts. The restaurant is replete with cheerful paint, homey stools, and witty signage. Diagrams portraying the proper ways to devour a steaming bowl of Vietnamese soup or a baguette sandwich line the walls.
I ordered the Shrimp Summer Rolls and the Bahn Mi Basket, a traditional Viet sandwich with house aioli spread and choice of filling and toppings. The shrimp eggrolls were not my ideal selection, but the pork and vegetarian eggrolls were temporarily unavailable. While the eggrolls tasted a bit bland, the sauce that accompanied added a bit of zest. The Bahn Mi was toasted and served with tasty Seafood Air Chips of a Styrofoam-like texture. I ordered Lemongrass Chicken as the filling for my sandwich, and I opted for all of the available toppings. They included pickled carrots and daikon radishes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and cucumbers. The pickled veggies balanced out the richness of the meat exceptionally well.
The only downfall of the Bahn Mi was its meager portion of meat. If you are really hungry, it’s probably wise to spend $2 for a bit of extra flesh. Altogether, my meal cost slightly more than $10, an affordable price for a unique flavor experience. Since the sandwich and eggrolls were quite filling, I didn’t have room in my stomach to try the pho. As described on the menu, the pho is a savory rice noodle soup served with hot peppers, lime wedges, basic springs, and bean sprouts. Possible additions to the pho include eye of round (medium rare), lean brisket, flank, skirt flank, tripe, chicken, and Viet meatball. Although the pho is one of the more expensive items on the menu at $9.50, it is served in a generously sized bowl.
Other options on the menu include rice and vermicelli bowls, both of which are served with mint, bean sprouts, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, and the signature Sprig & Sprout sauce. Marinated Pork Belly, Lemongrass Chicken, Lemongrass Beef, and Vegetarian Tofu Medley can be added to these bowls as well. In addition to its selection of dishes, Sprig & Sprout offers vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Overall, the prices and quality of food are certainly reasonable and competitive with other quick dining options. Although Sprig & Sprout’s Americanized atmosphere didn’t fully satisfy my thirst for the exotic, it’s definitely worth a visit, especially if you’re in the Glover Park area. As Georgetown is plunged into the depths of winter, I certainly plan to combat the cold with a warm bowl of pho.
