Eating near the Mall? (Triangle: appointed, buy, restaurants) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

CathyL100 · 03-17-2009, 01:58 PM

Where do you like to eat when taking people/visiting the National Mall? I have heard about the food court under the Capital. Are there any restaurants that you especially like to visit when downtown?

saganista · 03-17-2009, 02:23 PM

If people have never had a half-smoke (and incredibly, there ARE such people), I usually try to persuade them to try one from any of the many vendor wagons. Otherwise, except for the restaurants in the museums and galleries themselves, there aren't that many choices that are actually on the Mall. On Capitol Hill, at Union Station, and along and just off Pennsylvania Avenue, yes...but not so much on the Mall itself...

akorosdc · 03-17-2009, 02:40 PM

Try looking at this thread:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...o-you-eat.html

Like I said there, there's a lot of options as you go up 7th Street from the Mall (Penn Quarter, Gallery Place, Chinatown) and along Pennsylvania Avenue. You can also head to Capitol Hill. South of the Mall there's not a lot.

TullyApplebottom · 03-17-2009, 04:55 PM

I don't know if you're looking for an actual sit-down table-service restaurant, but I have heard good things about the cafeteria in the National Museum of the American Indian.

I haven't eaten there, but I did take a walk through the cafeteria while I was visiting the museum last September (we had plans to eat elsewhere). Everything looked and smelled so good, definitely not your standard cafeteria fare.

If you have a busy day on the Mall planned, I would skip the actual museum and head straight to the cafe. To be honest, I was pretty disappointed with the museum itself.

mdcrim · 03-17-2009, 07:52 PM

The Ronald Reagan building has a large food court-not sure if it's open on weekends but it's one block off the mall (I think it's 13th and Constitution).

slduvall · 03-18-2009, 05:38 AM

Weekends can be tough at the Mall, we ALWAYS eat at Old Ebbitts Grill when we are there on a weekend. It can get a little pricey but is pretty elegant, or you can sit in the old bar part. Great brunch too. It is north on the road that runs on the east side of the White House, 15th St NW. From the Mall head up 15th towards the treasury building and Old Ebbitts will be on the right hand side. If you get to Lafayette Square you've gone too far. After lunch we always walk down Penn away from the White House, which can be a nice break from the crowds at the Mall. Some people never leave the small area around the Mall...but there is so much to see!

Mike From NIU · 03-18-2009, 05:50 AM

If the weather's nice, I would just go for a picnic. Either pack your own or buy one to go from a sub shop and do a little people watching.

saganista · 03-18-2009, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdcrim

The Ronald Reagan building has a large food court-not sure if it's open on weekends but it's one block off the mall (I think it's 13th and Constitution).

It is open on Saturday's and on Sunday's in the summer. It's sort of an amped up mall food court, but they do have a lot of different kinds of food, it's air-conditioned, and it's not very far from the Mall.

Reagan Building Food Court

To get there, take 13th Street north off the Mall. On the left side just past halfway up the block is the Federal Triangle Metro station. Walk through that into the courtyard beyond. Take the steps down a level and head in the door. It's still a decent hike once you're inside, but just keep going...you'll get there...