There is such a variety of interesting and flavorful treats at Mitsitam, and it is worth being adventurous with your tastes and less spend-thrifty than might be wise. That said, in an effort to make the most of my buck, I chose the conch ceviche, blue cornbread, and yucca with annato, cashews, and cheese (South America). While they were all enjoyable and well-seasoned, the ceviche needed more seafood to temper the tangy sourness, and the yucca was a bit tepid. In the future, I will try the Northwest Coast sampler, and am really curious about the desserts. For kids, there are fried, finger food options, though I think some children might be open to MesoAmerican and Great Plains options. Overall, although pricey, it is a great non-McD's/non-hot-dog/non-grab-as-you-go cafe that allows you to enjoy eating creatively, and add something special to one's day along the DC mall. read more

When out of town visitors are here for long enough to experience the "secondary" layer of tourist destinations, we encourage them to visit the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. Besides the impressive collections, the Misitam Cafe is worth the visit. The dishes are in keeping with the theme of the museum and are definitely a change from the usual museum-fast-food! I usually head for the Pacific Northwest station, where they frequently have a sampler of Bison and Salmon. But, frankly, it is the unique side dishes that are often the most intriguing. The prices are on the up-scale side for a cafeteria arrangement. But if you order carefully and watch the drinks and deserts (which are often oddly expensive) you can still enjoy a reasonably-priced meal...especially as the portions are sharable-size! The atmosphere can be a bit noisy and chaotic at times if there happens to be a tour group or school group coming through. But other times, it is surprisingly calm...so that is a roll of the dice. Anyway, when you hit the Washington Mall and the Smithsonian Circuit, try something really different and give the Mitsitam a try!! read more

This is my normal lunch spot when I'm visiting the museums. Much better selection and ingredients than most options in the immediate area. It is expensive-seeming for cafeteria-style but everything around is expensive too. Much better than McDonald's, a hot dog from the Mall stand, or chicken tenders with fries from the Air and Space Museum. I really like the pine nut tart ($5.10). I also like the variety of soups they offer. Staff tends to be knowledgeable regarding ingredients. Lots of vegetarian choices too. This past visit I had chicken with wild rice soup (Spanish name, a Peruvian dish), kale and lima beans sauteed with onions and rosemary, and pumpkin cornbread. My total was $11.32 after my Smithsonian member discount. The crispy duck gizzards with herbed fry bread was tempting but I wasn't quite hungry enough for a full entree with 2 sides. I had some chicken tacos with beans and yucca on a previous visit and that was more like $15. Is any of this the BEST food I've ever had ? No. But it is really good for a museum cafeteria and really innovative too. Really pleasant environment to have lunch in. Sorry it isn't cheap, or generic, or highly processed if that's what you were looking for. That's widely available in the area so you know...just walk the next museum over if that's what you want. No one MADE you eat here and since all these places are free it's not like you're stuck. read more

As anyone who has ever been to the mall on a warm day knows, there are two types of food in downtown DC: Overpriced steak houses and Mcdonald's, with the occasional street vendor. Enter Mitsitam. Part of the Museum of the American Indian at the Capitol side of the mall, this place offers cafeteria-style native dishes covering the five major regions (Northwest, Southwest, Plains, etc.) Each cuisine has it's own station, so it's easy to walk around and pick and choose dishes as you like them. The food is very good and varied, with our personal favorite being the Northwestern station. Buffalo steaks and salmon, accompanied by vegetables. Just the perfect thing to recharge in DC. The steaks are done to your liking and on the spot, while the salmon is a bit hit or miss, sometimes dry, sometimes juicy and delicious, all depending on how busy they are that day. Other options include tacos and other Meso-American specialties, fried bread, duck, and even hamburgers (on fry bread) for the kids and the not-so-adventurous souls. I have not had them, but people seem to like them. There are also tons of vegetable dishes at all different stations, so a vegetarian is not out of place. One tip is to get a sample platter. For $27 you get buffalo, salmon, and three veggies from all regions. Lots of food, so split it, but you will not eat a better mid-priced lunch on the mall. A recurring favorite. read more

I would consider giving Mitsitam Cafe the full five stars, but just can't get past the crazy prices. Worth it? Yes, but I cringe spending that much on cafeteria food even if it's this delicious. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Mitsitam Cafe makes foods that are native American in origin. Both ingredients and recipes. They have rotating menus that are highly seasonal, and each major geographical region of North America is equally represented. There are expensive main-couses, cheaper side dishes totaling about 50 different items to choose from at the cafeteria. Keeping this in mind, the portions are relatively small, and the prices are extremely high, so be careful. This being said, the food is really, really good. There are TONS of vegetarian and vegan options, and the meat dishes are delicious in themselves. And don't forget the desserts... the tres leches cake is so good I wish I could eat it as a meal in itself. With such a great concept (local, healthy, etc) I wish the prices at this place made it more accessible to the general population. This is a must-eat for tourists and locals alike. read more

This is the best place on the mall to get lunch or early dinner. The selection was like a 4 star restaurant and almost everything I ordered was amazing. The prices are Expensive, but the food is really savory. For the location I'd say the best choice. THE Pumpkin soup was amazing!!!! Would def go back. However, beverages of all kinds are extremely pricy, bring water. ;) read more

Husband and I visited the museum yesterday and were looking forward to trying lunch at the cafe. What a disappointment. We were prepared for the high price but take a look at what we ordered: a bowl of salmon chowder with seaweed, a plate of chicken pibil with plain white rice, and a can of Cherry Blossom beer. This cost us over $47 (my picture shows pre tax)! The chowder is a mild broth with large chunks of potatoes and a surprisingly large amount of salmon, which in theory I would love as I love broth soups and salmon. It was filling...but barely warm. I also like seaweed in general but I recognized at once that it needed to have been softened in the soup because it was dessicated and sharp. It also seemed to be giving off a strange stringy gooeyness to the soup that I found a little repulsive and decided to just ignore while eating. I brought my own water thankfully. My husband's chicken looked delicious but he described it as being bland. He also loves beer but while his cherry blossom beer was tasty, it was officially the most expensive beer he'd ever had, and we've been on pricier vacations before.... We're giving two stars for the clean, open, bright ambience of the cafe and because at least the beer was tasty and there were generous amounts of salmon in the chowder. We're glad we didn't get what we originally wanted: the bison steak (a very flat meager piece of meat, looking at other patrons' plates) and the cedar plank salmon (cut into small portions), for a price that is even more laughable. Just go get a steak and salmon at an actual steak and seafood place. All in all we're glad we tried it but would definitely not come here again. read more

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Overpriced and not all that satisfying, Mitsitam feels like it wants to be more than a tourist cafeteria, but isn't sure how. The food is mediocre, especially when you look at how tempting the item descriptions are and how overblown the pricing scheme is. The selection is veried, and there are options for everybody in your group, from the one who is willing to try something different to the one for whom a Navajo Taco is the ultimate in exotic. While I didn't spend the time looking into the food prep areas, many of the selections appear to be healthier than what you would find around the corner at McDonalds. There are highlights to be found, but they aren't bright enough to overcome the flaws. read more

This place has built a reputation for being one of the better museum cafeterias in Washington DC; however, at the end of the day, it is still in museum cafeteria. It does, however, have some unique menu items which are based on the cuisines Native American nations. As long as you're there, try one of these unique menu items. My experiences been that the buffalo burger is rather pedestrian. The fries leave a lot to be desired. However, the unique menu items that you don't see other museums are well worth exploring. The crowd at the cafeteria is what you would expect any Smithsonian museum. At 1pm, there was a short line to get into the cafeteria. The dining room is modest and the tables are very close together. It was very difficult to navigate a small stroller in between the tables and there were no high chairs to be seen. It's a nice place to eat while you're at the Museum of the Native American Indian, but I wouldn't seek it out if you're not otherwise there. read more

I was told by MANY people that we absolutely had to eat at the Mitsitam Cafe while in DC. Since I always* do as I'm told, that's what we did. It was definitely interesting. There were some very tasty items, and it was great to see so many different dishes offered. However, it was really expensive (as are most museum cafes) and the kids had a hard time finding things they were willing to eat. I had the salmon and the mushroom oyster stuffing. The salmon was FINE; kind of dry and stingy on the tasty salsa for the top. The stuffing was really good. My husband got the quinoa soup (yum!) and pulled pork tacos. He enjoyed them. It was also slow, and the woman who served me was completely overwhelmed with two stations. In fact, I wanted a gordita at first, but switched stations because the wait was so long. Anyway, I'd go back on my own and if I felt particularly wealthy. That stuffing was really good! read more

Native American cuisine by region! Word to the wise, not matter how delicious the first regions dishes look, keep looking! Every station got better and better. Bison burgers, Indian fry bread tacos and salmon. All stations are made to order. Not your average museum food court! Come hungry, and bring you ATM card. Pricey, but worth it! Easy to see why it was voted best cafe in DC! read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Five Regions Platter with salmon! - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The good: Tasty. The bad: expensive, tiny portions, cafeteria atmosphere. Tried the venison and a corn/asparagus side. Too bad it was tiny as hell. And after trekking through the museums, it wasn't very filling and very overpriced. I should have tried some of the other that were less expensive and more filling. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Tiny portion of $15 venison and $4 side - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The Fry Bread has awesome flavor as-is, so if you must have a topping, get it on the side. The buffalo steak, done no more than medium, is also tasty. The salmon is super moist and packed with flavor. The pine nut and lavender torte had a light key-lime flavor to it and was so good. All in all, the flavor profiles were interesting, but the execution was just average. And the prices are perhaps 15%-20% too high. read more

First you have to know that the restaurant is INSIDE the Museum which if it has been in the description would have avoid me to turn around in the neighborhood looking for it :/ Second it's really expensive for what it is. 20$ for 3 thin slices of turkey plus a side dish and a drink that really not worth the money. Now maybe that there are better dishes than what I took. read more

Five stars for the variety of dishes. Zero stars for the poor organization of long waiting lines. Zero plus zero again stars for the unacceptably large prices and small portions. That averages to two stars. read more

I made it to the NMAI Mm...fry bread. The sweet or savory fry bread is amazing! (The sweet is honey & cinnamon or blueberry) while the savory includes wonderful bison stews, etc. I also had bison burger which was also good. Definitely go hungry because there's just so much food from every region. I will be back to do more investigation. It is a noisy cafe with family style seating, but the food is worth it. While the food adds up and could make it pricey, one could go in a group and sharing everything. read more

I'm technically giving this a 2.5 stars. Before anything else, note the following: IT IS EXPENSIVE. Seriously. I know everything is apparently expensive in this town, but really, the food is TOO expensive. This is a cafeteria-style place. Pick up your tray, go to any station you want, get your food, pay for your food at the end, sit down, eat, bus your own tray. My son ordered two soft tacos with cheese and sour cream($9.25) and I ordered a side of potato corn mush and a side of red beets, candied apples, walnuts and cherry viniagrette ($7.10). We got two Fuze and one bottled tea. My husband didn't pick out anything because he wanted to get the two of us situated. The total bill was about $31. Yes, that's right $31. So let's do the math. 9.25+0.89 (sour cream)+7.10 = $17.24 and add some tax to that. That means three drinks are $13!!!! So, first rule. If you're going to eat here DO NOT ORDER ANYTHING TO DRINK. (By the way, there were no prices on any of the drinks - I wonder why...) I tasted the tacos. They were okay. Nothing I couldn't get in a good Mexican restaurant. My potatoes and corn mush were tasty. The apple/beet salad was average. Nothing I couldn't make at home, and I could probably make it with more flavor. My husband didn't bother to get anything else because he was so disgusted with the price he already had to pay. There are several people talking about the duck and buffalo burger. As of today's menu, it's $16.50. Now, if I'm paying that much for a burger, I want waitstaff serving it to me on china. Because NO burger is worth $16.50. I was excited to come here and try, but ended up just being completely disappointed. read more

Everyone said we must eat here and they were right. Besides the fact that we could spend much more time at this museum, we want to return to the cafe as well! So many options and intriguing choices. Plenty to talk about with the different regions. Not all that exotic either. Don't let it scare you away as being "Native American" food. It's regional food, with an understanding of spices from various regions. I had a bbq pork shank with fried cheesy bread and Brussel sprouts. Partner had a red bean and quinoa stew with blue corn bread. Yummy! read more

I travel a lot for both work and pleasure so I'm very lazy about writing reviews even though I love reading them. I have to be either impressed or outraged to remember a place long enough to put together a review. Having said that, I have to say that I was quite intrigued with the Mitsitam Café at the Native Indian Museum in D.C. My sister insisted on visiting the museum just for the food. Apparently, the Mitsitam Café is listed in Zagat's guide that got her attention. What impressed me about the Café is that it offers unique Native American food that is mostly Vegan but some meat items like buffalo burgers are also available for the carnivores in the crowd. I've never tried Native American cuisine so it was definitely a unique experience. I got carried away and grabbed a bit too much food but it was worth it since I'm rarely in D.C. I have one suggestion that you check out the menu at different stations before you get in a line. There are several food stations and I made a mistake of just getting in a line and ordering items without checking other stations and regretted. Even if the lines are long (and I'm sure they will be), it helps to see all of the available choices before selecting an item. Also, it's better to ask for a plate up front instead of getting each item in individual dishes since there is a reduced set price for four items on a plate. I recommend the Café to anyone who is a foodie to go Native and indulge in some delicious and healthy food experience. Bon appetite! read more

I am always down to try food I haven't had before. I was at the Café during lunch hour on Saturday February 1st and lines for freshly grilled food were longer than my stomach could wait for. I found an area with no lines which was serving duck and I ordered it. The chef sliced several slices of previously-baked duck breast for me and she also gave me a heaping serving of corn mash and some sort of cranberry concoction which complimented the duck. I also found a pre-made cup of tapioca with guava, and a cup with fresh cut strawberries and blueberries, and a Stewarts root beer to drink all my food down with. Yes, I had an eclectic lunch! As I masticated my food and looked out the huge window in the cafeteria I came to the realization that wow this duck is super tasty! Paired with the cranberry it was even better. I enjoyed every part of my meal in fact. The meal described above cost $30. As I walked out of the museum and glanced at the pond on the side of the building facing the Capital I spied a duck. I felt guilty for a moment but that quickly passed as I used my tongue to floss a wayward piece of duck meat from between my teeth, savored the taste yet again, and swallowed. Duckies are yummy! read more

This cafeteria-style eaterie on the ground (1st) floor of the museum offers fresh salads and soups as well as heartier fare such as steaks and grilled meats; the house-ground buffalo & duck burger was prime quality Americana, and the side of fries was replaced by - request - with a wild rice'n'lentil mix ($16.50). It all stood up well, but the Indian taco was a little underwhelming, and the pork cut with chocolate dressing was overpriced. Bottled wines are just a tad under $20, but the atmosphere just isn't right for drinking, unless you've been walking all day or taking care of kids, in which case you'll need this boozy pit-stop. delusionaryculinary read more

I work in L'Enfant Plaza, so everyone always talks about how great Mitsitam Cafe is. So, to be fair, when this area was a food desert, it was a great option. The food offers variety from the McDonalds, and many of the dishes are very good. However, it's really expensive for what it is. And, now that there are so many food trucks in the area, I'd rather eat at them for tasty, fresh food at better prices. With that said, the side dishes at Mitsitam are generally very good. The ingredients are fresh and the flavors are interesting. I blogged about the cafe the last time I ate there and took some pictures, so you can check it out if you want a better sense of what the place has to offer and what menu items to skip (see my profile). read more

Super overpriced and bland. The spilt the Navajo Taco and fries. Both had no seasoning and were very bland. Lunch for both of us was $35 - just burn your money instead. read more

Do NOT miss this place on your visit to DC. My friend who's hosting me suggested we meet here for a weekday lunch even though it's nowhere close to his office. Before I could even question why he would make a point of taking a visitor to a museum cafeteria, he cut me off at the pass, telling me this place isn't like other museum cafeterias. Like most of them, it's expensive; unlike most of them, it's good. In fact, it may even be worth the price you pay. I have never experienced anything like this (and no, I am not exaggerating). The cafe has five or six stations, each one oriented around a regional theme. The station carries dishes made from ingredients that were indigenous to that region of the Americas. In most cases, a bit more gourmet than what Native Americans would have eaten, but in theory they *could* have made these dishes from ingredients available to them. It ends up being a very healthy meal full of whole grains, vegetables, and other whole foods. You choose one entree and then you can pick two sides (not necessarily from the same regional station), for $15-$20 for the combo depending on your entree choice. There are some sides that aren't included; desserts are separate too (most seemed to be in the $5 range). There were also a few smaller, cheaper combos, such as a single taco with one side (I think) for about $8. You can buy bottled beer, or wine by the full bottle or half bottle, as well as bottled water and soda. When you arrive, examine all your options before making a decision -- there's so much good stuff to choose from! For my own food choices, I got a bit carried away: I ended up buying an entree combo with two sides AND two desserts because there was so much I wanted to try. My total bill was a bit over $30, which is insane for lunch, but I still came away feeling that it was totally worth it. My main dish was a purple potato torta with dried red corn and summer squash mole rojo (from the Mesoamerica station). This dish was five stars on inventiveness, taste, texture -- all dimensions. For my sides, I went back to my roots in the Northern Woodlands and got wheat berries with sassafras root and maple syrup (delicious, porridge-like comfort food) and a wild rice and watercress salad. The desserts were a buckwheat skillet cake with walnut butter and raspberry sauce (Northern Woodlands) and sweet potato churros with white chocolate corn sauce (Mesoamerica). My friends had a quinoa salad, a heart of palm salad, and a chile relleno stuffed with beef tongue, among other items. There wasn't a mistake among them. An emphatic five stars! read more

Whenever I visit Washington, D.C., I always insist on having a meal here. This is exactly what a museum cafeteria should be like: simultaneously educational and delicious. I wish all the other Smithsonian museums also saw the cafeteria as an integral part of an enriching museum experience. I really like how this cafeteria recognizes the regional food differences and in doing so, in a way teaches museum visitors what food is local to what region. It might also push some of us to wonder why some dishes are eaten in the Great Plains but maybe not in the Pacific Northwest? The cafe has certain dishes that served year-round, like Fry Bread, but the exciting thing about this cafe is that the dishes are always different each time I visit... there is a different menu each season, so there's always a reason to return. And also a reason to eat and try lots... I don't live in the area, so I know by the time I visit again, they probably won't have the same dish. I definitely recommend buying a lot of dishes and sharing with many people. It's a great way to get to know the dishes of many regions. In my last visit, I had pumpkin spoon bread, which was wonderfully not-to-sweet, a wheat berry side, and a seaweed/mushroom/eel side. There were too many other dishes I also wanted to try, but my stomach and wallet are only so big. Also don't be discouraged about the out the door line. I think people don't realize there's a line for each station and that there isn't really a reason to get in that main line. Some lines are longer than others (i.e. the more boring stations like burgers and tacos that suit the mainstream palate... why would you eat those with all the other exciting alternatives available?), so just go to other lines. I don't know of any other place where you can have American Indian food, let alone place where you can compare and contrast the cuisines of different regions of American Indians. It's rare to see a cafeteria with such a well thought out menu complete with fairly decent execution. It really needs to be open for dinner, too. read more

EXPENSIVE NATIVE FOOD IN A RELAXING CAFETERIA I thought the food here was better than most museum food but the pricing structure made you spend more money. I feel you really get ripped of as a tourist because there are not a lot of places to eat around the Smithsonian and they can get away with charging ridiculous prices. The café is broken into five stations representing foods found throughout the Western Hemisphere. The menu is very ambitious and not everything works so choose carefully. Grilled Chipotle Chicken Taco from the Great Plains Seasoned chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, and jalapenos on Indian fry bread. The toppings were average but the Indian fry bread was the star of this dish. I am not sure why more restaurants are not serving fry bread tacos because they would be a hit. Tamales de Rajas from South America A typical tamale; nothing special but presented well. Pulled Pork Cuitlacoche Empanadas with Smoked Chili Sauce from Meso America It sounded and looked better than it tasted but it was filling. Chocolate Pudding This looked great and tasted good as well. I liked the layers of whipped cream, chocolate pudding, and crushed chocolate cookies. I want to try making this dessert at home. A good place to relax and eat while visiting the Smithsonian but look carefully at the prices because your bill will add up quickly. read more

Every time I find myself near the Mall, I catch myself kind of hoping I'll be down toward the Capitol end so I can eat at Mitsitam. It's probably the reason I've made more repeat visits to the Museum of the American Indian than any other Smithsonian museum. Well, that and the almost constant performing arts events. Usually I have a plate of sides and skip the main courses-- I've never left anything less than full-to-stuffed following this strategy. Among my favorites are quinoa and rice salads, squashes, and a sweet potato cazuela that sent my sweet tooth happy enough to skip dessert. I always like to try new things, so I try to get something containing at least one ingredient I've either never heard of or can't pronounce on each visit, and I haven't been disappointed yet. If you skip around the burger line, you'll find a lot of the stations (particularly the New England station, which is sort of hidden around a corner to the left) much easier to get to. They always have a good selection of aguas frescas. Desserts are a little hit and miss-- I couldn't finish a tres leches cake, and the crust on the rosemary-pine nut tart is your basic dense cafeteria shell, but the filling was delicious. read more

The food was delicious, no doubt. Enjoyed 3 sides (Brussels sprouts, root vegetables, mushroom corn pone) and 2 main dishes (cedar plank salmon and bison steak) and some guacamole. All very flavorful, however not freshly prepared so temperatures were a bit off. I got a lot of food to try a lot of things. Pricing is expensive. You'd be hard pressed to spend under $15 for a filling meal. Add drinks/ sides and you'll spend $20+... Get a bunch of stuff and you'll spend $40+. For the price, the quality could definitely be better. If you want a quick and tasty meal and don't mind spending a good bit of money, this is a nice place. read more

Mitsitam Cafe - Cedar salmon, bison steak, wild mushroom corn pone, brussel sprouts, root vegetable salad - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a love/hate relationship. I love Fry bread, and I hate what it does to my love handles. :( Nevertheless, this place is great! Pricey, I admit. (That's the only thing holding it back from a 5 Star rating in my book). Some of the food is quite bland, but you really have to shop around. Ive been about three or four times, and every time its something else, and another $30 down the food chute. If you haven't had fry bread, give it a go, I'll bet any American with a taste for canola oil will love it. The grilled cheese fry bread warrants repeat visits, trust me. You either love this place, or hate it - in my case, both. It will put a dent in your wallet and your belt, but hey....you only live once. read more

This was a very interesting place to get food. There are lots of options, grouped according to what native culture they come from. I believe native food is on the meaty/plain side, not using a lot of spices, so I wasn't expecting a gourmet meal. Because it was so expensive I only had fry bread and soup and later a hot chocolate. My soup was amazing. It was green and had chili oil, and 2 scallops, but I'm not sure what gave it the delicious flavor. The fry bread is really just fried dough. It was nice non-oily fried dough, but still. Not very exciting. I had it with blueberries (unsweetened). The cashier warned me not to get the hot chocolate because she said it was spicy and not very sweet, but I tried it anyway and I liked it a lot. The seating area has curvy walls some of which look out on a lovely fountain. I liked it very much. I would definitely go back. read more

Oh please oh pleeeease can I move in next door to the Mitsitam Café? Or bribe Executive Chef Richard Hetzler into following me home? Until the National Museum of the American Indian opened, I never would have assumed that one of my favorite restaurants in the city would actually be located inside a Smithsonian museum (where food is otherwise pretty standard: run-of-the-mill, expensive cafeteria fare). Sure, this joint is a little pricey, but, man, is it worth it. Mitsitam is divided into regions - Northern Woodlands, South America, Northwest Coast, Meso America, and Great Plains - and you can commit to one or mix and match. The menu rotates with the season, so you're guaranteed a hearty soup in winter and a cool fresca in summer, not to mention gorgeous in-season vegetables year-round. My latest trek to Mitsitam had me savoring some extraordinary baked oysters with maple juniper cream. My mouth is watering reliving the experience - remarkable buttery morsels! And the pumpkin soup with pepitas was as velvety and satisfying as a caramel creme. As for desserts, there are many tempting options, but I could write verses for Mitsitam's tres leches cake. Press down on a bite of the spongy sweet and all the milks flood your palate like triple-dairy fireworks. Best cafeteria in town! read more

Way over priced. Buffalo burger $17 and was dry and no taste. 5 of us without drinks was $100. This a cafeteria for goodness sake

This restaurant was extremely overpriced for what you get. They have plenty of Native American choices, however you will pay through the nose for it. A bison burger is $18. We ended up here because the air and space museum didn't have a food court. Everything costs extra, you want ranch dressing with those fries, you're going to pay for it... We ended up getting chicken strips and fries for $9.25, because I refuse to pay exorbitant prices for fast food , the chicken was overcooked and you only got a handful of fries. A soda will cost you $4. Maybe that's DC pricing but if you are from the Midwest you will find this place to be extremely overpriced for what you get. read more

Had the Indian taco. It a bison chili served on flatbread with lettuce tomato onion and cheese. It was tasty but I couldn't find any meat in mine! read more

Great, friendly, highly helpful, professional staff. They make you feel at home. Chef Freddi Bitsoie's cooking is totally out of this Universe! ! Talk about great food!! The Salmon is to die for and well worth the price. It's moist, flavorful and juicy, cooked to perfection. Also, you must try the new style Bison/Buffalo Burgers!! O. M. G!! You're going to simply Love It!! These's even a mix of Ducka and Bison Burger. Also, there's food for everyone!! These is a kids meal which consist of Chicken Fingers and Fries that taste better than McDonald's Fries. Plus, a great selection of Vegetables for those who are Vegetarians. The food may be a little pricey but, look at it this way, you're getting into a great museum and restaurant for free with awesome food. Enjoy!!! read more

I was extremely disappointed with Mitsitam. As other reviewers have noted, for the quality and quantity of food, it is overpriced. I ordered the pulled pork burger and fried plantains. The pulled pork was dry, cold, overdone, and too salty. Too salty and yet somehow not flavorful enough. No amount of extra ketchup could have saved it. The fried plantains were also overdone, cold, and severely lacking in flavor. I did try my friend's sweet potato side, which was not bad. The guava tapioca was similarly mediocre--again, there was very little guava flavor (just a jam it seems). read more

This place is AMAZING! What an incredible variety of foods... and things you'd never even consider eating, but if you did could never find! Fresh, quality ingredients at a premium price... the only reason I can't give it 5 stars (along with small portions). That said, I still say go. Really. It's THAT good! read more

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PLACE!!! I've been several times and every time it is SO damn good!! Really. I love that they have the food set up by region. You can have a taste of the traditional foods of the Great Plains, or the Southwest, or the Pacific Northwest, you name it. It is yours! And boy is it good! They have pulled buffalo sandwiches ($11), like a pulled pork sandwich! Yes. That just happened! And my oh my will you be glad it did. They have a duck and buffalo burger ($14-16) ....which I will try next time I come. I must! They have a goat, kale, yucca soup that is to DIE for! I mean wow! The fry bread is good too, but dense. So if you LOVE bread you'll love it, but if you're like me and you are not that keen on bread (a little but not like that) you may not want to get it. You might end up wasting some of it. But it is good none the less. My mom got these little corn meal crusted pork filled nugget things (forgot the name) and WOW were they yummy! Also she ordered a slice of this cornbread topped meat dish that was SOOO delish (again the name eludes me). So many yummy things, so little time. I would like to say also that as much as I love this cafe, it is overwhelming. They have so much that is offered, so don't let it cause you to walk out because it will be hard to make a decision. At least for me it usually is, which is why I walked out the first time I went there, seriously. Another thing, go to the full cafe on the first floor, not the express one on the second or third. You need the full monty experience, with ALL the options :) Also, the gift shop has their cookbook with all the food, if you rather cook it yourself--not a bad idea, huh?? Now, it is expensive, but for the quality of food you are getting, the fact that it is in the heart of a HUGE tourist destination (DUH, DC, come on people) you are receiving great quality food made from good ingredients I think it is totally worth the price. So nom nom nom!!! read more

Lunch at the Native American Museum. Beautiful museum. Delightful eating experience. Nice assortment of non-traditional fare; not your usual museum cafeteria experience. Provided a nice break in the day of touristing. read more

Horrible. Horrible food, service, selection. Then it's expensive. Had one piece of chicken, 2 cookies, & 2 drinks for two people and it was $35 read more