Seed Oil Free Restaurants in Washington

Cooks in: Olive oil (Crazy Feta dip only); falafel/pita chips/pita crisps fried in canola oil

Mediterranean fast-casual chain. Cava's own 2017 statement to the Vegetarian Resource Group confirms falafel, pita chips, and pita crisps are fried in canola oil. The only item Cava's current published ingredients page names olive oil for is the Crazy Feta dip; hummus, harissa, tzatziki, and the grilled proteins aren't broken out by oil type in anything Cava has published. Multiple locations.

Cooks in: Extra-virgin olive oil

Georgetown Neapolitan pizzeria. Their own menu names extra-virgin olive oil (E.V.O.O.) across nearly every pizza. That's a specific, repeated, first-party claim, though the site doesn't make an explicit whole-kitchen no-seed-oil statement.

Cooks in: Extra-virgin olive oil and avocado oil (roasted proteins/vegetables)

Salad and grain bowl chain. Sweetgreen switched to EVOO and avocado oil for roasted proteins and vegetables, per the CEO's public statement and reporting. Sweetgreen's own published Nutrition + Allergens Guide shows several dressings, including Balsamic Vinaigrette and Caesar, list sunflower oil (a seed oil) as an ingredient, not olive oil, so dressings and toppings aren't confirmed under this claim. Multiple locations.

Cooks in: Avocado oil and olive oil, whole menu

Fox Restaurant Concepts' wellness-focused chain. Their own site states, "we're committed to eliminating all seed oils from our restaurants. We are cooking exclusively with avocado and olive oils, and 98% of the ingredients used in our kitchen are seed oil-free." Bethesda, MD location at 7100 Wisconsin Ave.

Cooks in: Beef tallow (both fryers)

Capitol Hill bistro. Chef-partner Bart Hutchins told Washingtonian directly, "Both of our fryers are only filled with beef tallow. I've always done that one way or the other," a specific, on-record, named claim covering everything fried (their tallow fries are now the restaurant's signature item), independently corroborated by a Washington Post review of the restaurant. The rest of the kitchen's cooking fat isn't addressed by this claim.

Cooks in: Avocado oil (plant-based fryer); beef tallow (eggrolls)

10-seat Bloomingdale noodle bar, MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2025. Washingtonian's own reporting on the restaurant describes the eggrolls as "deep-fried in beef tallow," and the plant-based Beyond Beef version as "fried in avocado oil." Only these two preparations are confirmed; the broth and other dishes aren't covered by this claim.

Cooks in: Beef tallow (fries only)

Mount Vernon Square burger spot using Pat LaFrieda beef. Their own printed menu states directly, "Our Fries are cooked in Beef Tallow." Only the fries are confirmed; burgers, sandwiches, and other sides aren't covered by this claim.

Cooks in: Ethiopian butter / herbal butter (multiple dishes)

U Street Ethiopian institution. Their own printed menu names herbal or Ethiopian butter (niter kibbeh) as the cooking fat in several dishes, including the Regular Kitfo ("beef tartare seasoned with our herbal butter and mitmita and cardamom") and the Gomen Besiga ("chopped collard greens cooked with cubed beef, Ethiopian butter, onion, garlic, and ginger"). These specific dishes are confirmed; the full menu isn't covered by a single whole-kitchen statement.

Cooks in: Spiced butter and olive oil (most dishes, named per-item)

Adams Morgan Ethiopian restaurant. Their own menu page names the cooking fat item by item across most of the stews (Key Wot, Doro Wot, Doro Tibs, Kitfo, and others each list "spiced butter"), and names olive oil for the vegetarian dishes (Fava, Timatim Fitfit) and as an alternative to Ethiopian clarified butter for the Kategna appetizer. Coverage is broad but still dish-by-dish, not a single whole-kitchen statement.