Dodah's Kitchen — Restaurant in District Heights

Unfortunately, Dodah's Kitchen is the perfect example of the ongoing issues associated with some supposed black owned businesses in undeserved communities---lack of quality and little respect for the community which it expects to support them. First, the food quality is subpar with out of date food improperly stored and still sold to customers at premium prices. I have enjoyed vegan cuisine from a number of DMV venues including many that specialize in soul food. I had purchased from the Dodahs in Mt. Ranier and decided to try the new District Heights location as it was closer. I have made three separate large purchases from this location, each $75+ and each time I have wasted my money. I kept going back because i do want to support this business as a supposedly black owned business. However this third time will be the final time.

The first time i became ill. The second time, my delivery order was very incorrect due to the workers not being able to read the order written in English. None of the staff speaks English. I am all for diversity but from a business and customer service perspective, this makes no sense as the majority of the customers likely only speak English. The third time, there was mold in my food with portions of the plant based cream parts actually turning rancid!!

Second, In addition to the subpar food, I've noticed a major ongoing theme with all of the Dodah's Kitchen locations: the restaurant's theme is black American soul food....but they do not employ ANY black people of any ethnicity! Again, im all for a diverse team but in largely all black neighborhoods, it becomes a very obvious problem when a supposedly black business whose theme is black American cultural cuisine does not hire ANY black people. None cooking the food, none serving the food at ANY location. There is no effort to ensure a diverse customer service team that represents the majority demographic of the neighborhood in which the restaurant is located and which also speaks the majority language spoken by the customer base that is expected to financially support the business. This is especially egregious because other non-black owned businesses in this community and similar communities within the DMV have been taken to task for this and as a result, have made at least visual changes which have resulted in diverse employees with more individuals from the ethnic demographic supporting the business also being employed by the business. What we have with Dodah's Kitchen is unfortunately a black soul food restaurant located in a majority black neighborhood that sells poor quality food at high prices to a majority black clientele that does not employ even ONE black person with little to no staff that even speak the primary languge of the majority clientele. As the old folks used to say, "It be your own sometime". No...I wouldn't patronize any other business with these kinds of issues and I will not be patronizing this one...

I was in the neighborhood recently and excited to discover Dodah’s Vegan Kitchen. As someone who is plant-based/vegan, I was eager to give it a try. I ordered the sides platter, choosing the mushroom salad as my main side along with the sweet kale salad and collard greens. Every dish was flavorful, well-seasoned, and generously portioned. I had leftovers for a couple of days, which was great.

Where I think there’s room for improvement is in the customer service experience. There was only one staff member working, and although the restaurant wasn’t busy at the time, there was no greeting when I entered. The thick glass barriers in front of the food also made it a bit difficult to hear and communicate.

I believe small touches can go a long way—like acknowledging guests when they arrive, asking if it’s their first time, offering guidance on popular dishes, or suggesting samples without waiting to be asked. Those personal interactions help make customers feel welcome and more inclined to return. Unfortunately, I felt like I was a bit of a bother when trying to ask questions or get a better feel for the menu.

That said, I did sample the mac & cheese and the plantains. Both were delicious, and I’d definitely consider trying them if I come back in the future.

All in all, the food was fantastic, and with a few adjustments to the customer experience, this spot could...

I’m all in on vegan restaurants however every time I’ve been here the employee is limited in English. Which it is only my 2nd and probably manly the last time. It’s been the same guy actually. Hope this is not going to be the downfall of this place though. Eventually it will if no one can even communicate properly. Also, the items online are offered and not showing out of stock however when getting to the place some items are out of stock or not on the serving line. Not good business when people want to support but you don’t even have items available when it’s showing on your website. To add to this complaint it’s 4:45 PM on a Saturday and the place doesn’t close until 8 PM. Now tell me how that makes sense??? You’re running out of food when there’s still hours left for a food place. Make it make sense. Not a happy customer and I hope everyone reads this. As multiple customers came while I was waiting and they had online orders to find out the items purchased were not available. Something has to be done about the lack of care and concern of customers. Definitely will be taking my funds elsewhere when I have the craving for cooked plant...