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    Museum Cafe

    2.6 (30 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Vegetarian
    Open 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

    Museum Cafe Photos

    MUSEUM CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Museum Cafe

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    Holocaust Museum Cafe
    Tara G.

    This is the best option for blocks if you're just getting done at the Holocaust Museum or are tired of walking out on The Mall - it's the nearest food to the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, and Tidal Basin, unless you count the occasional hot-dog stand. The Holocaust Museum's (cafeteria style) Cafe is open to the public morning through afternoon, you just have to go through security entering the building - it's actually in the building right next door to the The Holocaust Museum, near the 15th Street side entrance. There is not an outdoor dining section, but there are plenty of benches and grassy areas of the National Mall nearby for a take-out picnic style lunch if you don't want to stay inside. Clean, cheery, updated, and air-conditioned. Plenty big for families, but not sure if it can accommodate large tour groups. Assorted hot & cold sandwich / wraps, knishes, soups (matzo ball / tomato), and fresh ready-to-go salads - including Kosher options. A little pricey, but I think it's normal for the anything downtown. Free refills on the soda / coffee self service station. I have a gluten sensitivity and while there's not a ton of options for me, I can still find a gluten free lunch. But it would be nice if they increased their GF options, particularly in the soups and treats. It would also be nice if they offered public WIFI and played some soft background music. The nearest parking available is the lot at the Tidal Basin.

    Moran D.

    I ate a pizza with vegetables that was reasonable even though it looked mediocre. Nice air conditioner. A little expensive. Suitable for quick stop

    rows of chairs and tables in an empty room

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    3 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

    SUCKS! very small, not allot of choices and they're overpriced!!! Bathrooms are dirty and tables not clean. AVOID!

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    7 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Really expensive but it's the only option after finishing the Holocaust museum for the next couple of blocks.

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    A little pricey for the portion and the soup was way too salty, but the sandwiches were good. I'd come back for the sandwiches though.

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    Photo of Todd M.
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    11 years ago

    only game within blocks. service was friendly and they have BEEEEEER. split a black bean burger with wifey. it was good enough.

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    12 years ago

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    Photo of Max S.
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    12 years ago

    Horrendous microwave food. Odd tasting water. Decent atmosphere but overall terrible value.

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

    there is a very limited selection of food at this place, but it is the only decent place to eat

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    Ask the Community - Museum Cafe

    Review Highlights - Museum Cafe

    We stopped after touring the Washington Monument.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Unconventional Diner - Tip-Top Chop

    Unconventional Diner

    4.4(3.4k reviews)
    1.4 miShaw, Downtown
    $$

    Excellent and loved the sopa criolla! So many great brunch options. Clean, good service and good…read morelocation.

    A group of four of us went here for dinner after searching for a while. We had a tough group to…read moresatisfy-a picky eater whose isn't adventurous and just wants Taco Bell all the time, a self proclaimed foodie who likes to seek out the Michelin star restaurants but actually isn't as adventurous in trying new foods as he thinks he is (hopefully he doesn't see this post haha), another who is willing to try most things but is also happy just eating low key and doesn't like to spend money, and then there's me who wants to try new things, willing to spend a little to try it and is happy going with the flow too. Thankfully we ended up at the Unconventional Diner and it was perfect for satisfying everyone in the group!! We were all able to get tasty drinks- from n/a Hibiscus Citrus lemonade, white wine, a cinnamon toast old fashioned (what? A cereal inspired old fashioned, yes please and it was fantastic!), and a Bourbon basil smash. Then the crew settled on some food-the waiter was patient with the questions and contemplation from the table (thank you!). We started with the SKILLET CORNBREAD with Habanero Honey Butter | Sea Salt (v) And that was melt in your mouth cornbread. Damn. Real cornbread seems hard to come by any more and this is the real deal. And the honey butter and flake sea salt-can't go wrong. I'm a spice weeny-for reals-and this was incredible. It's a MUST get. Across the table we had two of the double cheese burgers (I warned, we have a lack of adventurous eaters) -and they both said the burgers were the best they've had. I had the Philly French double dip, with horseradish cream and caramelized onions-so fantastic-the roast beef was melt in your mouth and the broth was the perfect saltiness. Our fourth got the fried chicken sandwich and really loved the dill pickle slaw that came with it, and the chicken was not over cooked and not raw-perfect! We all had fries with our meals, the thinner kind with light seasoning and none of us could stop eating them, even when we were clearly full, the fries just kept disappearing.

    Photos
    Unconventional Diner - Space is large, bright, and contemporary.  Reservations recommended.

    Space is large, bright, and contemporary. Reservations recommended.

    Unconventional Diner - Caribbean Shrimp & Grits

    Caribbean Shrimp & Grits

    Unconventional Diner - Lebanese Fried Rice

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    The Salt Line - Oysters

    The Salt Line

    3.9(854 reviews)
    1.8 miNavy Yard
    $$

    Outside Bar. Service was great. Bartenders (Alexia great Ink & Jason) were friendly, smiles every…read moresingle customer. Fish Sandwich was really tiny but with Fries or Greens It was really good. Decided to order the Waterman's Catch(table behind me had ordered it OMG) Best thing about it, the Cole Slaw. It has a vinegar base. So good. Everything was fried hard hard hard batter peeled off( order not so hard) Comes with Fish(only had small piece fried so dark dark brown) 4 Scallops but there were 3 tiny pieces of deep fried crusty something that we thought tasted like Calamari. Subbed out Oysters for extra Shrimp. A lot of Shrimp, batter peeled right off so that was good for dipping in the Cocktail Sauce. Fries were ok. Order with Fish Sandwich we're so much better. Great price for $$. Good Music. Great view. Lots of laughs throughout bar. Would be good bar for Drinks and try the Baked Pimento Crab Tip...next time.

    The oysters and cocktails were absolutely delicious and easily the highlight of the meal. The…read moreservice and atmosphere made for a great evening. Unfortunately, the entrees didn't live up to the rest of the experience. The crab pasta was very bland and lacked flavor. The biggest disappointment, though, was the North Shore roast beef. As someone familiar with a true North Shore roast beef, this wasn't even close--it resembled an Arby's roast beef sandwich more than the classic, thinly sliced, rare roast beef piled high on an onion roll. I'd definitely come back for the oysters and drinks, but I'd skip those two entrees.

    Photos
    The Salt Line - SHRIMP COCKTAIL

    SHRIMP COCKTAIL

    The Salt Line - Crab Roll with crispy Brussels sprouts substituted

    Crab Roll with crispy Brussels sprouts substituted

    The Salt Line - Restaurant View

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    Restaurant View

    matchbox

    matchbox

    4.1(587 reviews)
    0.9 miPenn Quarter
    $$
    Happy hour specials
    Kid friendly

    Matchbox is undefeated to me! I've had so many occasions here for their brunch because it's just…read moreworth it! This time I came in for their lunch special and met my cousin to catch up. Parking for me was pretty easy as I found street parking right in front of the restaurant, my cousin parked in the garage. This matchbox is pretty big and it was decorated really nice. We were seated immediately for lunch and our server assisted us with the lunch options. I chose the mushroom pizza and soup. And my cousin had apple pear and soup of the day. For the $14.99 price it was worth it we had pizza left to take home. Pizza * Margherita * Pepperoni & Hot Honey * Fig & Prosciutto * Truffle + Wild Mushroom * Chicken Pesto Salad * Simple Salad * Caesar Salad * Apple Pear Salad Soup * Cream of Crab Soup * Soup of the Day

    Service is fantastic! Ambiance is a sporty vibe, fun-filled,…read moregood for groups. Food is okay. For $34 All-You-Can-Eat Brunch and the opportunity to sample EVERYTHING, yes, you read that right, EVERYTHING, on the menu, within 2-hours, is a steal and downright criminal...but you won't be arrested, just FULL! For an additional $25, you can have All-You-Can-Eat Drinks. You can choose from Bloody Mary's, Strawberry Lemonade Margaritas, Peach Bellinis, Old Fashions, again, robbery. They keep the food and drinks coming. We sampled everything from the Pesto Chicken Pizza. Small sized vs personal. Fried Chicken Wings come with either Old Bay, Mambo Sauce or Buffalo. Can't go wrong with either. You get about 4 in the sample. Catfish is fried and seasoned to perfection. Comes with a side of bland and our initial serving was cold grits, as if they were pre-plated. The portion is about 2 full tablespoons, in a miniature 2.5 oz. stainless steel sauce round. Steak and eggs with potatoes is a slivered serving of steak, cooked to your doneness but unseasonably and tough. Eggs scrambled with Cheddar. Potatoes were small round home fries. 3, 6, 9 Burgers are Beef Sliders topped with a mound of shoestring Onion Rings. You can choose between a leg or breast for their Chicken & Waffle. The Waffle's, two (2) pieces of one (1) half (2 quarter pieces.) There's SO MUCH to choose from. We didn't even get to the Pancakes and French Toast offerings. Again, you have two (2) hours to Eat ALL You Can. In, the words of my Beloved grandmother, "Don't let your eyes become bigger than your stomach." Good for groups and those who are budget-conscious, who want to maximize their entire experience.

    Photos
    matchbox
    matchbox
    matchbox

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    Museum Cafe - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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