I remember the day like it was yesterday. My parents had just left, I had an empty fridge, an empty stomach, and a shiny new loaded GWorld ready to be used.

When I first passed by the Beefsteak construction site in my sophomore year and read rumblings of the mythical status of famed chef José Andrés, I began to anxiously anticipate the surely decadent and beautiful bowls within this amazing new fast-casual concept.

The happiness I felt walking to Beefsteak was unlike something I never felt before, I can only compare it to what people say they feel when they hold their children in their arms for the first time, only better. However, the disappointment of walking into Beefsteak and seeing it was nothing more than, more than vegetables, is probably the worst feeling in the world. I would not wish that on anyone.

Today, three years after that horrible day, I am still scarred. I have not been able to walk by the cursed intersection of 22nd and I again. I was placed in Munson Hall for my Junior year, and ended up choosing to study abroad. What necessity was there to stay here anyway? Does it really need to be called Beefsteak? I refuse to believe that the owner had any other reason for naming the restaurant Beefsteak other than to trick people into actually going into the restaurant. I mean, why else would people willingly go to a restaurant that serves just vegetables? My pain and disappointment would never let me, but I know that more than one poor soul has gone to Beefsteak and cried into their bowl because they were already there and did not feel like going to another restaurant after realizing the ruse.

It is a trap. Think of all the vegetables. I could name at least ten. Maybe even more if I had my computer to let me look up more vegetables. Lettuce, onions, carrots, spinach. That’s a lot of vegetables. This guy just had to find the one vegetable that one of its types is called “beefsteak”, and decided to name an entire restaurant after a type of tomato. Not even include all tomatoes! Nope. Just one type of tomato. The tomato that coincidentally sounds just like beef and steak. Not even “Beefsteak Tomato” to give a little hint. Imagine if it was named “Iceberg” after Iceberg Lettuce, or “Baby” after Baby Carrots. Those would be misleading names don’t you think?

And one more thing: TOMATOES ARE NOT EVEN VEGETABLES. THEY ARE FRUIT. The tagline of the restaurant is “vegetables, unleashed” but they name the restaurant after a fruit? This is obviously because they wanted to deceive customers and they couldn’t find any real vegetables that sound like meat.

It’s okay though, I like to think that that moment changed me for the better. I started George Washington University as a Chinese Language and Literature major. Now, I am a senior Political Science major, applying to law schools with hopes to one day sue the beefsteak out of this joke of a restaurant. You will pay, Beefsteak, you will pay.