First Look at Protein Bar

We were able to drop by Protein Bar last night just before closing (at 9p on weekdays) and the place was pleasantly populated for late-evening in Penn Quarter.

The staff was incredibly friendly and patient with us while we perused the menu.  We opted for the Buffalo Bar-rito to go.

It was only about 3 minutes or so from ordering to when our order was ready at the pick up window, but we appreciated the fact we got a buzzer so that we could wander the restaurant, checking out their hot sauce bar and fountain soda machine (no Coke or Pepsi products, which we realize is a plus for some... not us, sadly.  We think it was Boylan's in the machine, though we forgot to take a picture!).

Our bar-rito nicely survived the short walk home (we like how it was half-wrapped on the inside as a little sleeve to eat it in). The bar-rito was grilled (though some are available chilled) and had chicken, quinoa, blue cheese, salad, and buffalo sauce.  Though we found it could have used a bit more sauce, we easily supplemented with some of the available hot sauces they have on hand.  The cheese wasn't overwhelming, but frankly, we're irked when "health food" restaurants load up on caloric ingredients - Protein Bar struck the perfect balance of adding flavor but not too much fat. 

We will definitely be back to try some of the other items.  Welcome to the neighborhood!