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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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    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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    2 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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    11 years ago

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    8 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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    8 years ago

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    9 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

    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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    Willowsong - Hamachi Tartare

    Willowsong

    (39 reviews)

    After visiting the tidal basin to enjoy the cherry blossoms, we walked to the Wharf area and…read morestopped by Willowsong for some local cuisine. Really enjoyed the local bass which had a crispy skin and was cooked at the perfect amount of tender. The cocktails were good and our server was friendly. The black squid ink pasta was good. The sweet potato pie was okay, potentially lackluster compared to the rest of the food. Loved the indoor / outdoor seating especially on a day that had beautiful weather.

    It was a beautiful day on the wharf, and my cousin and I were hungry. I checked Yelp to see if they…read morewere any ongoing happy hours, and this place crossed my radar. I had never been before, and he was seemed curious to try, so we stopped by. They have outdoor seating, but there was no service at the time, which was too bad because the weather was outstanding. The host is said we could take drinks out there, but not food. So we just opted for the bar. Thankfully, they eventually opened one of the doors real wide so the outdoor air was coming in and that was nice. Happy hour was going until 6:30, and I have to admit that some of these happy hour prices are regular prices at other places XD, but remember it's the wharf. And there was a time when happy hour there wasn't even a thing. So I got a glass of wine and yellowtail tacos with salad. I wasn't expecting the yellowtail to be fried, but it was fine. The salad was way bigger than I thought it would be. It was good. My cousin got the burger and fries... I tasted it and I think I enjoyed the burger more, haha. That smoked cheddar, whew! I found the fries to be pretty average. The ambiance of the place is very nice and I could see myself returning. Some other people at the bar got some amazing looking dishes too, but I know they were expensive XD.

    The Salt Line - Oysters

    The Salt Line

    (842 reviews)

    $$

    Navy Yard

    I've visited the Salt Line a few times over the years. I like the food, nautical decor, and…read morelocation in Navy Yard next to the river. On my recent visit, I stopped by on a Wednesday at 6 PM. The place was pretty quiet since it was mid-week and there weren't any sports games nearby. We had some wine ($14/glass), stuffies (3 for $13), Waterman's Platter ($36), and Scallops (5 for $36). Everything was very good. The scallops were served with a nice autumnal sauce and brussel sprouts. Waterman's Platter was fried oysters, fish, baby shrimp, and scallops along with fries, onion rings, coleslaw, and dipping sauce. Everything was crispy and nicely fried. The portal was large enough to take about half as leftovers. We were celebrating a special occasion and they brought over two small glasses of sparkling wine (basically half a glass each), which was nice but also a bit tacky to not give a full glass. Like, I would rather you just verbally acknowledge it and do nothing than take a half-measure like that. We had a nice time but a few things could have been better. They were out of the beer I ordered, so I went with wine. The free sparkling was originally on our bill (and billed as a single glass) but the server realized this just before I asked about it and removed it. I was excited to get a milkshake for dessert -- they used to do massive, delicious milkshakes -- but apparently they stopped doing this about a year ago, so we passed on dessert entirely. They still have a 4% surcharge; c'mon, it's far past time to drop these. Prices overall are a bit high for fairly standard food.

    This spot was discovered during a walk along the river and happened to be extremely busy at the…read moretime. Outdoor seating was full, so indoor seating was offered instead, which turned out to be a comfortable and pleasant alternative. The lobster roll was flavorful, though the bun-to-lobster ratio leaned more toward bread than filling (those who know, know). It was also served cold, which was a bit unexpected. The oysters were enjoyable, especially when paired with fresh lemon. They weren't the freshest or most premium selection, and the pricing felt high for the portion size and quantity served, but they were still decent overall.

    Matchbox - Penn Quarter

    Matchbox - Penn Quarter

    (586 reviews)

    $$

    Penn Quarter

    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

    We came here for a group lunch. Matchbox has lots of seating and is good for large groups. They had…read morelarge tv screens showing the latest sports news. The atmosphere was lively during a weekday lunch. They also had WiFi available. They have a $15 lunch special where you can get a small personal pizza and a cup of soup or side salad. I ordered the grilled chicken and avocado sandwich ($19) which comes with a side of fries and a pickle spear. It was just okay. They serve shoestring fries - just like McDonalds, but not as golden and not as crispy. The sandwich had good structure and was filling, but the chicken was bland and dry. I could've used some more sauce. I think I'm used to Nando's chicken which is moister and full of saucy flavor. Other people at the table ordered the fish and chips ($24) which looked good - it came with two large, meaty pieces of cod and the same shoestring fries. Also on the menu - Matchbox now serves sushi! Service was sufficient but a little absentminded, particularly for drinks. Some people never got their water (I think she forgot) and drinks were never refilled - cups were empty. We were checked on a couple of times, but drink service was often overlooked. Food trickled out for our group. It came in about three waves. It was a reasonable wait (nothing offensively long), but it's always nice when the food comes out at the same time, or when some verbal acknowledgement is given to say that everyone's food would be out shortly. I would say food and service were average overall.

    Museum Cafe - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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