If you are looking for an affordable, hardy meal in Georgetown for a very good price, this is your spot. I've been eating at this restaurant since 1995, and it's still run by the same individuals. Their vegetarian menu is extensive and essentially everything on their menu can be made vegetarian. They use gluten for their mock meat and it's delicious. Generally I get a salad, which has this delicious peanut vinaigrette type dressing, something that used to be called crispy tofu steak, which are strips of tofu deep fried with a delicious sesame/teriyaki sauce with sesame seeds, and Kung Pao. You can still get a lunch special for under $8 which is unheard of in the city. It comes with the salad a lunch portion of an entree and a spring roll or egg roll depending on the dish. This is a small mom and pop business that caters to a lot of college students, those looking for cheap eats, and vegetarians. No delivery and sometimes the hours can be spotty so I do recommend calling first.
Sonya Hu
A cute little hole-in-the-wall spot with decent food and a nice, quiet atmosphere. I stopped by a few weeks ago with a friend for a late lunch and had a pretty enjoyable experience. Both my friend and I are vegetarian, so we both ordered tofu dishes (crispy tofu in tomato sauce and mapo tofu), which also each came with a serving of white rice. Both of the dishes were great, with fantastic flavor and texture. The service was also incredible; our server was incredibly kind and attentive, and the food came out pretty quickly. The decor was quite lovely as well, with mostly traditional Chinese decorations and furniture.
Annette A.
Very nice people but very mediocre food. Very bland and uninspired. They might !need a new chef
Michael Gu
Went on a Tuesday evening for dinner. Price of the food was super reasonable for the area. Service was super attentive for dine in. We received a bottle of water instead of tap for free. Portions were sizable and the taste was good. Best value Chinese place in Georgetown hands down.
Catherine Adam
Such a great little Chinese restaurant. I always make a point of going there when I visit my daughter at Georgetown. It’s delicious, cheap, healthy, and fast.
Z9657EYcatherinea
Delicious, healthy, fast, and cheap. What more could you want from the perfect neighborhood Chinese place?! I always go when visiting my daughter at Georgetown.
Catherine A.
Delicious! I always make a point of going here when I visit my daughter at Georgetown. They have so many vegetarian options for her and authentic Chinese dishes for me. I can't rave about it enough.
Alexis M.
OK, this is going to be a bit of a weird review. I haven't eaten at Harmony Cafe in 23 years. However, I used to order in from their weekly. I got the tomato tofu combo or the veggie tempura special. Let me just say that all these years later, I still dream of the salad dressing from there. I can still taste the tofu. Seriously, this basement restaurant might have seemed like no big thing, but it is completely undervalued. I hope I will get a chance to eat there again one day. As a then-vegetarian (now vegan), it hit all of the flavors I craved. Give it a try!
Alex A.
I love Harmony. It is so dramatically under-appreciated. It's cheap, service is fast, and the vibes are so weird and cool. There is never really anyone there, there are only 1-2 people who seem to work there, and I love that most items on the menu can be veganized. This is a rarity for Chinese restaurants, from what I've seen. The food is not extraordinary, but it is good. I have been to Harmony three times (2015, 2019, and 2022) and every time has been a distinct, memorable pleasure. Give them your business and make sure this gem remains part of the Georgetown community.
Jason Tomczak
Aggressively mediocre. Ordered the beef broccoli with noodles, and got something with barely any broccoli that was swimming in a sauce that wasn’t especially flavorful.It’s not especially bad, and the staff were quite nice, but I’d take pause before believing those calling this place a “hidden gem”.
I've been a patron of Harmony since around 1995. As a vegetarian in the DC area, their vegetarian menu can't be beat for the price. Pretty much anything on the menu has a vegetarian option and it's hearty, filling delicious vegetarian food at reasonable prices. It's a place you can bring your carnivore friends and still have a very filling meal.I tend to order the same things, veggie wonton soup which is super hot with 4-5 small dumplings, tofu steak appetizer which is this crispy, flavorful stack of fried tofu with a delicious sauce and sesame seeds, Kung Pao veggie chicken (gluten based), and the garden salad that has this amazing dressing.The lunch special is the best deal in town and comes with a spring roll.There is no delivery and it's run by only two people. So please be patient. My favorite spot to eat in DC.
Alejandra Seijo
I asked for Pad tai, instead the served something completely different, when I asked the waitress to change it, she got upset with me and took very personal my requests. Made me feel uncomfortable.I don’t recommend the place because the poor service and aggressive respond.
Eric Rajendra
One of the best Chinese restaurants in all of Washington. A holdover from days gone by when there were many excellent Chinese restaurants in DC. This is probably one of the last.The Chef is top notch. He prepares EACH dish with incredible care.Try their crispy eggplant and his roast pork with string beans for a start. Then move on to discover his other delicacies.The atmosphere is quite a character. It must have been a North Indian restaurant in the early 1990s when the current Chinese owners took over. They kept everything 100% intact!! It is a hoot. The glass cage with the laughing Buddhas is precious!! See my photo.The main Manager / Waitress / Bartender lady whose name is Ping is a real gem!! She has known us for nearly 22 years since we first started coming here!!A real Georgetown iconic place.
David Parrett
The chicken with beans and the wonton soup I ordered had no flavor except super salty. It was inedible and I had to throw it away.
ElissaBVegan
It's a cute place but the food is pretty standard. Lots of vegan options which is a big plus.
If you are looking for an affordable, hardy meal in Georgetown for a very good price, this is your spot. I've been eating at this restaurant since 1995, and it's still run by the same individuals. Their vegetarian menu is extensive and essentially everything on their menu can be made vegetarian. They use gluten for their mock meat and it's delicious. Generally I get a salad, which has this delicious peanut vinaigrette type dressing, something that used to be called crispy tofu steak, which are strips of tofu deep fried with a delicious sesame/teriyaki sauce with sesame seeds, and Kung Pao. You can still get a lunch special for under $8 which is unheard of in the city. It comes with the salad a lunch portion of an entree and a spring roll or egg roll depending on the dish. This is a small mom and pop business that caters to a lot of college students, those looking for cheap eats, and vegetarians. No delivery and sometimes the hours can be spotty so I do recommend calling first.
A cute little hole-in-the-wall spot with decent food and a nice, quiet atmosphere. I stopped by a few weeks ago with a friend for a late lunch and had a pretty enjoyable experience. Both my friend and I are vegetarian, so we both ordered tofu dishes (crispy tofu in tomato sauce and mapo tofu), which also each came with a serving of white rice. Both of the dishes were great, with fantastic flavor and texture. The service was also incredible; our server was incredibly kind and attentive, and the food came out pretty quickly. The decor was quite lovely as well, with mostly traditional Chinese decorations and furniture.
Very nice people but very mediocre food. Very bland and uninspired. They might !need a new chef
Went on a Tuesday evening for dinner. Price of the food was super reasonable for the area. Service was super attentive for dine in. We received a bottle of water instead of tap for free. Portions were sizable and the taste was good. Best value Chinese place in Georgetown hands down.
Such a great little Chinese restaurant. I always make a point of going there when I visit my daughter at Georgetown. It’s delicious, cheap, healthy, and fast.
Delicious, healthy, fast, and cheap. What more could you want from the perfect neighborhood Chinese place?! I always go when visiting my daughter at Georgetown.
Delicious! I always make a point of going here when I visit my daughter at Georgetown. They have so many vegetarian options for her and authentic Chinese dishes for me. I can't rave about it enough.
OK, this is going to be a bit of a weird review. I haven't eaten at Harmony Cafe in 23 years. However, I used to order in from their weekly. I got the tomato tofu combo or the veggie tempura special. Let me just say that all these years later, I still dream of the salad dressing from there. I can still taste the tofu. Seriously, this basement restaurant might have seemed like no big thing, but it is completely undervalued. I hope I will get a chance to eat there again one day. As a then-vegetarian (now vegan), it hit all of the flavors I craved. Give it a try!
I love Harmony. It is so dramatically under-appreciated. It's cheap, service is fast, and the vibes are so weird and cool. There is never really anyone there, there are only 1-2 people who seem to work there, and I love that most items on the menu can be veganized. This is a rarity for Chinese restaurants, from what I've seen. The food is not extraordinary, but it is good. I have been to Harmony three times (2015, 2019, and 2022) and every time has been a distinct, memorable pleasure. Give them your business and make sure this gem remains part of the Georgetown community.
Aggressively mediocre. Ordered the beef broccoli with noodles, and got something with barely any broccoli that was swimming in a sauce that wasn’t especially flavorful.It’s not especially bad, and the staff were quite nice, but I’d take pause before believing those calling this place a “hidden gem”.
Restaurantji Recommends
I've been a patron of Harmony since around 1995. As a vegetarian in the DC area, their vegetarian menu can't be beat for the price. Pretty much anything on the menu has a vegetarian option and it's hearty, filling delicious vegetarian food at reasonable prices. It's a place you can bring your carnivore friends and still have a very filling meal.I tend to order the same things, veggie wonton soup which is super hot with 4-5 small dumplings, tofu steak appetizer which is this crispy, flavorful stack of fried tofu with a delicious sauce and sesame seeds, Kung Pao veggie chicken (gluten based), and the garden salad that has this amazing dressing.The lunch special is the best deal in town and comes with a spring roll.There is no delivery and it's run by only two people. So please be patient. My favorite spot to eat in DC.
I asked for Pad tai, instead the served something completely different, when I asked the waitress to change it, she got upset with me and took very personal my requests. Made me feel uncomfortable.I don’t recommend the place because the poor service and aggressive respond.
One of the best Chinese restaurants in all of Washington. A holdover from days gone by when there were many excellent Chinese restaurants in DC. This is probably one of the last.The Chef is top notch. He prepares EACH dish with incredible care.Try their crispy eggplant and his roast pork with string beans for a start. Then move on to discover his other delicacies.The atmosphere is quite a character. It must have been a North Indian restaurant in the early 1990s when the current Chinese owners took over. They kept everything 100% intact!! It is a hoot. The glass cage with the laughing Buddhas is precious!! See my photo.The main Manager / Waitress / Bartender lady whose name is Ping is a real gem!! She has known us for nearly 22 years since we first started coming here!!A real Georgetown iconic place.
The chicken with beans and the wonton soup I ordered had no flavor except super salty. It was inedible and I had to throw it away.
It's a cute place but the food is pretty standard. Lots of vegan options which is a big plus.