Unique Native American‑Inspired Dishes With Pleasant Views and Friendly Service We arrived at the end of lunchtime, so we knew that some of the items may not be as "fresh" as they would have been around noon. The Café offers an interesting take on Native American cuisine. Everything we tried was prepared well, and the portions were substantial enough that splitting the Fry Bread Taco and a dessert would have been more than sufficient. The seating area provides a relaxing view of the outdoor water feature, adding to the overall experience. While the café can become loud when full, the atmosphere remains comfortable and enjoyable. Pros: * Menu - Creative menu featuring Native American‑inspired dishes with consistent quality * Food - Portions are generous, offering strong value for the price * Staff - Friendly and efficient service throughout the visit * Dining Area - Seating area overlooks an attractive outdoor water feature * What we had - Fry Bread Taco and dessert options are both filling and well‑prepared Cons: * Noise levels increase noticeably during peak times, though still manageable A distinctive and enjoyable dining option within the museum, offering flavorful dishes, generous portions, and a pleasant setting. A solid 4‑star experience. read more

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I was staying nearby and this place came up as one of the best places to eat. A Cafe? At a Museum? But the reviews of this fry bread taco were out of this world. Fitting, since it's right next to the Air and Space museum, I decided to hit the National Museum of the American Indian and partake. Skip all of the food trucks lined up along the road, and go inside and sit down and enjoy. It's one of the few times I dined anywhere and knew exactly what I was going to get. It was set up like a mini food court with different stations which had different dishes. I ponied up to the one with the taco and the woman put together an amazing looking "taco". It's like no other taco I've ever had. This thing weighed a lot, and that made the $18+ price tag worth it. It was delicious and definitely knife and fork material. It was a hodge-podge of meat, beans, pickled veggies, and sauces and it was delicious. There was plenty of seating when I was there and some cool views of a water feature outside. And since you're here, go visit the museum too. It's pretty cool! read more

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Had to try Mitsitam - had heard about it from a former colleague of mine. First, they serve giant portions - the frybread taco can serve two people! It was tasty - very filling. They serve the food Cafeteria style so you can see what is there. I also got the side sampler, which also is plentiful serving-wise. Could also serve two. The wild mushroom very good - had a herby taste. The squash was ok - the spinach overpowered the dish. And the corn pudding with jam was good. There was a peaceful ambiance - the view of the outdoor space was lovely. Nice complement to a beautiful museum. read more

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I went to this Cafe 15 minutes before it closed, but the staff was really nice. This was my first time trying this native American food, and the taste was similar to Mexican, but with some modifications in the spices they used. The place seemed clean, and with a lot of seats available. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We decided to check out this cafe for a late lunch before heading to museum. I decided to go with the chicken tostada. The chicken was flavorful and all the toppings were crisp and fresh. The crema complimented the dish well. For dessert tried the fry bread beignets they were good the honey was good with them. Service was good. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Fry Bread Beignets - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Best dining option on the Mall! Museum prices but you get your moneys worth and there are actually good options, not just chicken nuggets and pizza. Everything is served cafeteria style with multiple stations serving different options. The fry bread taco is my personal fave and sometimes I'll swing by just to have it for lunch and then walk through the museum. The dining area is also very nice with a view of the outdoor water feature. It also tends to be less crowded than say the Museum of National History which typically has more kids and families. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Try out some native american foods at this café inside the National Museum of the American Indian. The fry bread taco, mole tostada, and cornbread were all pretty tasty. A good place for lunch on the National Mall while exploring Smithsonian museums. The café is cafeteria style: grab a tray, head to a station and order your food, then checkout at the register before finding a table to sit down. Complete cafeteria experience by placing the tray on the tray carousel when finished! read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Fry bread taco - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The food was very tasty in this cafeteria style restaurant within the Smithsonian American Indian Museum. The menu features indigenous meals are there is a wide variety of offerings. There are different stations with different types of food so it was perfect for a large group of people to each get what they wanted to eat. I tried the three side sampler (which was quite affordable at $12.95). I chose buttered squash salad, marinated mushrooms and Indian Pudding. The pudding was amazing with a cranberry sauce on top. I had never eaten that before but always wondered what was in it. It is like a cornbread cake. It is self serve but the manager was great about opening up a new checkout line when the line was getting long. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - 3 side sampler - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I had the chicken mole tostada, apple agua fresca, corn pudding , and succotash. My wife had the fried bread taco. Everything was extremely delicious except the apple agua fresca which was meh. It tasted water downed and pretty flavorless. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

As museum restaurants go, this is in the top tier in the district. They offer an array of Native American inspired foods along with some Southern and Mexican foods. I like that they go out of their way to offer more flavor than the plain vanilla options at most of the Smithsonian's. And although you are in a dining hall, it is comfortable with some nice windowed views of the outside water features. Lastly, and maybe it was just the day I was there, EVERYONE in the museum was so nice. From the guards at the door, to the information attendants, to the service staff in the restaurant. Very nice people. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Chili Special and Peach Frybread - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I visited this museum JUST to eat at Mitsitam café when I was in the district for a conference. It was a very cold day, so indoor dining was my only option, and I wanted a food item that I can't normally get back home. I had a calabaza, sweet onion, and toasted pepitas tamale with ranchera sauce, which was vegetarian. I appreciated vegetarian options that were marked. The tamale was warm and flavorful, although the portions are a little small for the price points. Since I was supporting the Smithsonian and the museums are free to enter, I was fine paying a little extra than I'm used to. Some food options like tamales, fry bread tacos, tostadas, stews, and bison may be a little exotic for little ones, but you can get a regular hamburger, cheeseburger, or packaged snack items. If you're an adult, Mitsitam is the best food you will find at any of nearby the Smithsonian museums. If you want to refill your water bottle or get a cup of water, there's a fountain/refill station on the way out of the restaurant. read more

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I recently came here and tried Native American food for the first time. I had the fry bread taco with braised pork and okra. The dish I had was also topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, shredded jack cheese, cilantro, and jalapenos. I thought that everything I tried was great! I just wish that there would be more Native inspired drinks as well. For dessert I had the Mitsitam cookie, which was made with Native inspired ingredients, like blue cornmeal for example. I highly recommend giving this place a try, because this is the only Native American eatery, restaurant, and food court that I have personally ever come across in the area. read more

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My wife and I joined two friends for lunch at Mitsitam Café inside the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Food is served cafeteria-style, with several counters to choose from. My wife had the fry bread taco with warm fry bread topped with chili, refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, and Jack cheese. I had the chicken mole verde tostada with ancho chiles, green peppers, cabbage, avocado, and crema. Both were excellent. This was a very pleasant surprise and a great lunch spot. read more

Service is good. Employees were very friendly. The atmosphere is nice. They have some interesting food choices. I really enjoyed the Buffalo sausage but would pass on the sauerkraut next time. My wife had the chicken tenders and they were excellent with a generous serving of French fries read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Bison sausage - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

There's no outdoor seating here and you can't take your food outside. (Just letting my COVID conscious friends out there know.) I got a sweet potato cake with potlatch steelhead trout mounted on top and horseradish aioli and fennel salad added on the side. (It was odd watching the person handling my order take a perfectly good piece of fish and then pulverize it and pile it into a mound.) The horseradish aioli needed more horseradish. It was fine but it didn't blow us away. I did like my side of corn pudding with prickly pear jam, more because of the jam than anything else. The husband got a butternut squash side that I thought was quite good. The teens got a meal of three sides. The son's baked beans were fine. The daughter got yucca fries. Also good. Everything was interesting and good but it was nothing to write home about either. The chocolate tart looked good and I regret a little not ordering it. read more

Had the chance to try indigenous food here before exploring the museum. It's been on my bucket list for a long time, so I was very excited. You pick your own drinks and snacks cafeteria-style, and there are four menus to which you can order food over-the-counter. I recommend walking around to see your options before ordering. The seating area feels like a cafeteria. I sat by the window to see the beautiful fountain. I got the roasted rainbow beets (with watercress, charred leeks, and hazelnut vinaigrette), corn pudding (with maple butter and walnut-and-cranberry gremolata), and mamoon cakes. I was initially going to get wild rice salad instead of the beets, but the person behind the counter told me that the wild rice salad is pretty much disassembled mamoon cakes and encouraged me to get something else. Rainbow beets: I'm a huge fan of beets, and their natural flavor was delicious, complemented by the leeks and the slightly sweet vinaigrette. Corn pudding: This was hearty. The gremolata was very tart and I would recommend eating it little by little so it doesn't overpower the corn pudding. Felt like a flatter cornbread. Mamoon cake: This was dry, kind of like a biscuit. It is compact wild rice. It had a savory flavor. I kind of wish I got this with the salmon. It was tasty although I wish I could try it hot and fresh. Overall this was a filling meal that jumpstarted my day. I will try other things if I came back, and I would look forward to seeing the rotating menu! read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I had heard the Mitsitam Cafe was one of the better museum cafeterias, but I really don't think it's worth going to at all :( Even if you are starving, go elsewhere (like a food truck!) As expected for museum food, it was VERY pricey (like $4 for a teeny tiny corn muffin, or $20+ for anything substantial, this 3 sides combo option was over $15...) and the food is very mediocre, borderline bad. We got the kale which was cold, the wild rice which was also cold, and the sweet potato cake (the only thing that was warm) but also flavorless read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

One of the few places you can actually get native food in the area, and it happens to be in a great museum. Its also probably one of the best cafes in the whole Smithsonian branch because you can see the attention to regional specificity they alot to their exhibitions and collections. Here, there is a wide breadth of interpretation when it comes to what is native food, but leaning into more earthy flavors is pretty much the way to go. There is a wide variety of offerings to suit anyone's palette. Since its in a federal building, they probably cannot get too experimental with their sourcing and ingredients but the spirit of this being a Native-style cafe is unlike a lot of after cafeteria spots so I'll take it. Fry bread is not common on a menu so we made the order, and it was good, topped very similar to a taco salad. The Peruvian chicken I got was a bit cold, but well seasoned and flavorful with the cilantro sauce it came with. read more

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The food I had was really good but to echo other reviewers, the museum shouldn't pander to tourist palates (IMO). I had the butternut squash (5/5) and corn pudding (4/5). The coffee at the museum is also solid. There weren't as many "native" foods as I was hoping for. There were burgers, chicken fingers, and a taco bowl being offered which I think diminishes the point of this unique platform. It would have been nice to see more options that reflect more of "native" cultural food, particularly in the desserts offered since basically all of those were mainstream items. I would also suggest they offer a sampling of sides. The food here is pricy at $20 a plate or $5 per side. It would be nice to have an option to get a little bit of everything (eg the various veg sides) for $20 read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Wow! Friends had recommended Mitsitam to be, but it's inclusion in an article of best museum restaurants in DC sent me there. Hard to imagine one better. I severely over ate The sweet potato corn cake with salmon was as dramatic as delicious. I mean, a great dish. The beef, raisin, tamarind empanadas were amazing. So, I went back for the fry bread. The kind server let me try both the apple and peach toppings and they were amazing. I'm afraid I'll have to mothball my dinner plans. read more

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Washington DC - you're in the museum area and honestly the food choices wouldn't be plentiful. However. fellow Yelper Jessica C. Recommended this spot to grab a quick lunch between museums, so there we were. What so special about this café is that they serve Native American foods inside the Native American museum. We didn't check out the museum but just came here for the café and so glad we did. The bison chili on bread was delicious. I don't know what type of bread that was, but it's delicious with the chili! I don't eat much carbs but I found myself forking piece after piece and I almost finished the whole big piece of bread! I cant tell bison from other meats especially with the chili sauce. Nonetheless it was yummy. I also got a horchata. Unfortunately my husband spilled it when it's still pretty full. The staff were very helpful to clean up the mess for us and even refilled my horchata! Very friendly and helpful staff. They also have different stations serving different regions or tribes of food. Some were pretty much like Mexican food, while others had something different. Come check it out if you need a bite between museums! read more

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Disappointing decline. When the NMAI opened, Mitsitam Cafe was the talk of the town, a culinary surprise in a simple museum cafe. It had quality ingredients expertly prepared in inspired recipes. I recently went back and tried the chili on fry bread -- no longer a hearty, flavorful buffalo chili but a flavorless beany mush on stale fry bread. My companions had the same poor experiences with the meals they got from other stations, too. I understand museum budgets are tight in this economy and corners need to be cut, but this wasn't worth visiting. read more

I have made this cafe a "must go to", when visiting DC. I can't eat gluten, dairy, or eggs, and there were lots of choices for me. It's always hard to decide what to get. Yesterday for lunch I had a delicious combination of wild rice, beets, and mushroom salads. I enjoyed the seating next to a waterfall pool. It was pretty easy to get to from the Capitol. If you have any dietary restrictions like me, go check it out! read more

I came here with a bunch of friends and the food was pretty solid. I've been told that this is one of a handful (2?) Native American restaurants in the US. There are four stations with different kinds of food, and I got the food from the fried bread station. I got the taco salad bowl - basically a taco with chili in a fried taco bowl. It was pretty good and we also shared one of the sweet fry breads, which basically tasted like a blueberry pie. I'd highly recommend if you're in the area and especially if you're checking out the museum anyway. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This place was one of the most delicious Museum restaurants. I got the mushroom salad and the corn cake, my husband got the baked bread taco.It was all really good, except the mushroom salad. It was exquisite, but the potatoes are kind of cold. The service there was OK there wasn't much things they did, but at least they didn't make us mad. The ambience was one of the best I've seen in any museum, the flowing water mixed with the Native American art really made it calming. I really recommend it.The only thing is it's expensive but that's basically every museum I go to. read more

This is hands down my favorite (and hopefully, or soon to be, YOUR favorite) SI in-museum eatery. I just recommend you do your research! 1. Many get in line at the first station by the entrance not realizing that "The Four Corners" (for tostadas, lamb stew, sweet onion tamales, and my personal favorite CORN PUDDING), the Campfire Grill (good for picky eaters and kids, burgers, chicken tenders etc) and Woodlands and Coastlines (cedar-plank and smoked/candied salmon) are just past the entrance with their own lines. 2. Know your fry bread! Now, you'll see from my photos, I double up, sweet peach cobbler over fry bread followed by savory bison chili over fry bread. You'll see some try to tackle these piled-high delights with a knife and fork. Personally... I grab an extra napkin or three and dive in with both hands. 3. Bring your appetite! And save room to at least split a dessert (my favorite is the corn pudding). If you don't see it, they will call down to the kitchen and get you an ETA on the next batch. It's worth the wait, and you'll want it fresh from the oven after lunch anyway! I've never met an SI staff member that wasn't delightful and helpful and this place is no different. If you're having trouble finding your way, the managers here are happy to point you to some great options. read more

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It's always a good experience, although not as great as it was when it first opened. I remember it having more options with some higher end offerings. I didn't deviate too much from what I had the first time. The Native Woodlands menu always draws me in with their cedar planked salmon. I think it was prepared differently this time. I didn't detect any of the maple juniper glaze. That may have been because of the blueberry sauce. I should have asked them to put it on the side. I ended up getting one side dish. Normally I would get the sampler, but bison wasn't an option that day. It was some sort of venison chili. I'm not fond of venison. However, I did get the rainbow beets. It was a good healthy option to go along with the salmon. Everything was prepared very well. I do kind of wish that I had tried the manoomin cakes. I've read that the rice cakes have smoked candied salmon. That sounds more innovative than just wild rice. My husband went with the chicken tostada from the Mesoamerican menu. He really liked all the fresh ingredients. We also liked the fresh juices and aqua fresca. There are other stations with bison burgers and chili. They really do have something for everyone. There are many veggie options for those who don't eat meat. It was all very wholesome. The food here embodies the true meaning of living off the land. The best part was the view of the waterfall. It was relaxing, comfortable, and quiet. There weren't many people there at 11:00 am on a weekday. They've also added a grab & go counter for those who don't want to dine in. We originally thought that it was the entrance. The cafeteria style restaurant is behind it as you walk towards the back of the museum on the ground floor. The visit brought back memories of my mother. We shared a meal here together and had a discussion about the Native American regional cuisine. Good memories. read more

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This was my favorite meal in DC! One of our tour guides mentioned that the food in the American Indian museum was unique and delicious. He was spot on. I personally have never been to a place that served food quite like Mitsitam. The ingredients are all found in North America and the combinations are either confirmed as indigenous recipes or variations of indigenous recipes. My family ate at the fry bread station (because I love the picture book Fry Bread) and had 3 wonderfully different meals. My husband ate Fry bread with fruit and nuts on top. My daughter had the meat chili topped fry bread. I had the taco bowl with vegetarian chili. It was all wonderful. There was another station that offered many different side dishes and I ordered a sweet potato corn biscuit (I think it was a biscuit). That was we also wonderful. I needed 2 stomachs for this trip because I definitely wanted to try more options but could not fit anymore food in my belly. The area itself is cafeteria style but the seating is next to large windows with a great view of the water features and green space around the museum. This is a place that I will recommend to anyone I know who is traveling to DC. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Fry bread with apples and peaches - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I have heard glowing reviews about the Mitsitam Cafe from friends who used to live and work in DC, so I had to stop by after seeing the NWAI. I have noticed the Smithsonian cafes are pricier than average, but I am willing to pay a little extra to support the museum and staff since there are no entry fees. The cafe is a true cafeteria where you go to different stations to order. I got the frybread taco, which was excellent; it was smothered in bison chili, cilantro, pickled onions, jalapenos, and some kind of crema. It can easily feed two people with medium-sized appetites. My partner got some sort of steamed fish (steelhead, I think) and got a sweet potato corn cake and a squash salad as sides. IMO, his plate was underwhelming. The steamed fish was flavorless, and the odd "glaze" that came with it tasted like straight-up molasses and stuck to your teeth. The sweet potato corn cake was just okay; the white sauce that accompanied it was pretty flavorless. The squash and greens salad was fine and well-prepared, but also nothing remarkable flavor-wise. That being said, the blue corn cookie we picked up to-go was really good (it had white chocolate chips, dried blueberries, and cornmeal). Overall, this cafe still blows some of the museum cafe fare I've had around the world out of the water. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Steelhead filet with corn cake and butternut squash salad - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Sure, you think, "man another museum cafeteria? How many more burgers and hot dogs can I eat?" But let me tell you, that's far from the truth. The concept of this cafe is unique; native inspired food, and man, it's dang good quality. Sure, museum prices ain't no joke, but this food is fab; don't sleep on the wild rice salad and fry bread! Kiddo got a burger, classic, my husband had Indian Taco (I hadn't had one in years and my eyes just welled up with delicious tears thinking bout that first taste I was going to have), and I went with all the veg with the three side plates focused on salads of sort, then of course, the peach ginger fry bread. Service was decently quick, although we were first in line when it opened on a Saturday, and we snagged a gorgeous seat that overlooked the "brook" and all the folks walking by which made the lunch super chill and extra awesome. Def not a bad place to eat some lunch! read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Peach ginger fry bread - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe at the National Museum of the American Indian is widely regarded as one of the best museum cafes on the National Mall. I even celebrated my birthday at the cafe once, during the time I lived in DC's H Street Corridor. It was the perfect venue. The food and museum were a great conversation starter with my cerebral group of friends. Months after the event, my friends were still saying things like, "Celebrating your birthday at Mitsitam Cafe was such a great idea. I want to go back and get another steak from there. I really enjoyed the combination of seasonings they used on their steak." The cafe is extremely spacious, and my group of 15-20 people could easily sit together and converse. The casual cafe setting also made it more comfortable for people to come and go without the pressures of splitting a check for the table, waiting for the entire party to arrive to be seated, etc. On a final note, the service was satisfactory, and there was a good selection of Indigenous foods from throughout the Americas on the day of my event. The only negative was the long line to enter the cafe (around lunchtime on a Saturday). read more

Update: the food still isn't as amazing as people once said it was but the prices have remained the same five years later so I feel like you get a good amount of food for the price. If you're super hungry while strolling the Mall, this isn't the worst option. It's definitely better than the food trucks that rip you off. They didn't have fried bread while was there but the menu is about to change. Hopefully they bring it back. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

These four stars are in comparison to what it used to be, a 5+. I have been debating between 3 and 4. I've been coming to DC every year for almost 20 years and every year I go to Mitsitam. The food was always amazingly good and they always some very unique dishes and lots of choices, this made it the the best museum cafe in all of DC (or america). In fact, it was one of my favorite eating places in all of DC. But they renovated with a new chef and a new configuration. Though the food is still good, there are far fewer choices and fewer regional cuisines of the Americas to choose from. Gone seem to be the unique and interesting dishes, replaced with dishes more "palatable" to those who want 'normal' foods. I miss being able to go from station to station of the five taking a choice of sides. The cafe has gone from one of the best in the city, if not THE best to just another decent cafe. read more

The cafe located in the Museum of the American Indian is amazing. Delicious and unique food. They had 5 stations open when we visited, each with a different menu. We tried the bison chili, the veggie soup and the corn dessert with Cranberry. Everything was delicious and way better than the food offered at most other cafeteria food in the museums. If you are close by it is worth the walk over to enjoy. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Love the Indian Tacos! Every time I'm in DC I go here just for lunch! Also the views of the little waterfall are gorgeous.

This cafe is part of the American Indian Museum. The food was oh so good. The roasted chicken was very flavor full as were the sides. The chocolate tart dessert was perfect. Be sure to bring your own dishes with lids to take stuff home. read more

Absolutely make time to lunch here! The best museum cafe I've encountered on the National Mall. They had alot of unique Native American dishes you won't be able to find elsewhere. The Fry bread taco was absolutely delicious with the Bison Chili, for southwestern style flavors. They had more gourmet style dishes also like the Trout which came with really flavorful vegetarian, salad options like beets, quinoa, and wild rice. The seating is cafeteria style but so relaxing overlooking the national mall with a view of the outside water fountain installation. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Fry bread taco with Bison Chili (front) Trout (back) - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Mitsitam Cafe was a nice surprise. I didn't intend to have lunch at Mitsitam Cafe, but am glad I found out about it while checking out the National Museum of the American Indian. And it seems like it's one of the more popular spots around the National Mall to do dine at. While I was getting more information at the National Museum of the American Indian, the friendly staff told me what to check out at the museum, and to not miss the award-winning cafe here, the Mitsitam Cafe, which has a rotating menu of Native American foods. On a weekday during the lunch hour, the place was pretty busy! I noticed that many of the patrons here weren't just visitors, but it looked like a lot of people who work in the area came to Mitsitam Cafe for lunch. The day I visited, they featured an Indian taco, which is fry bread with chili and other toppings. I was stoked when I learned this because it's something I don't often find where I'm from and secondly, it reminded me of my time in Arizona where I last had an Indian taco, which is something you have to try if you haven't had before! My lunch was filling - and delicious. The fry bread had a good, soft texture to it, and easily soaked up the chili and green chile! Other toppings included shredded lettuce, diced tomato, pickled jalapeno, cheese and sour cream. It was a favorite at the cafe. However, they have many other intriguing options, such as a lamb stew and a buffalo burger! I can see why Mitsitam Cafe is a popular eatery, not just for those visiting the museum, but for the locals. Glad to have visited this eatery for a cuisine I don't often eat, but enjoy. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Menu - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This restaurant is inside the Museum of the American Indian on The Mall and serves authentic Native American food. I dined there for lunch a couple of days ago. It is cafeteria style and I chose the lamb stew (a cafe favorite) with fry bread meal for $16.45. It also came with a fresh sliced avocado half. I added a tall glass of Aqua Fresca for another $3.80. The lamb stew was very good taste wise and had plenty of meat and vegetable content in a savory brown sauce. That large piece of fry bread was equally delicious and paired with the stew very well. Finally the avocado half was fresh and enjoyable and everything together made for a filling meal. The drink was deliciously refreshing too. In the dining area there are large windows overlooking a low waterfall outside for your viewing pleasure. Mitsitam Cafe is probably one of the best museum cafes in DC. It's unique in that is serves specialty food along with regular items like burgers and chicken tenders. I understand the Indian Tacos are also another favorite. read more

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This is a tasty restaurant located on the first floor of the Museum of the American Indian. The options range from very standard (fries, chicken tenders, slices of cake) to dishes inspired by First Nations recipes. I ordered the chicken tortilla soup, which was pretty straightforward. It tasted good, but nothing unique--you could make a similar meal in a crockpot. The stewed hominy was outstanding! The flavors and the textures were so good. I also enjoyed the calabasa salad! Squash and pepitas are a great combination. The service was not great, which is not dissimilar to other experiences I've had at Smithsonian museums. The cafeterias are often short staffed, which makes lines long and tempers short. It's a relatively standard setup, and there is ample seating in the cafeteria too. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Hominy and Calabasa Salad - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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