ncsu83

My fifteen year old son and I will be going to Washington, D. C. over spring break. We plan on seeing the White House, the Capitol Building, the National Monuments, the Spy Museum and the Smithsonian. What places to eat provide the best value for lunch?

eroz

We enjoyed Georgia Browns, on 15th N of the White House for a nicer lunch outing. Esp. for your son, I'd recommend Ebbits Grill, also by WH and Valpiano-a neat cafeteria style Italian restaurant with good food and choices.

Seamus

If you are looking for something at a lower price point, Pret a Manger, Cosi and Corner Bakery have multiple locations and offer decent value and quality for lunch. They're favorites of the local workers.

Georgia Brown is OK (except I always eat too much there!), but Old Ebbit is waaay over rated, IMO.

longhorn55

If you are doing a Capitol tour around lunchtime, have your guide or any guard give you directions to the Longworth HOB Cafeteria. That's where our guide recommended we eat lunch. It's a large cafeteria with various food stations and the prices were very reasonable. You can even go online (Longworth Cafeteria Menus) and see what's on offer the week you are there.

If you are visiting the National Gallery of Art or any of the Smithsonian museums nearby, then the Cascades Cafe, located underground between the East and West Buildings of the National Gallery is a good choice. The food there, unlike much museum food, is freshly-prepared and the prices, especially for the value meals, are reasonable. For example, the Pizza Value Meal is a large slice of pizza and a drink for $6.50. It's also just a cool place to eat because of the underground cascade and the neat "moving sidewalk" art installation nearby.

ElendilPickle

We had lunch at Merzi www.merzi.com after we visited the Spy Museum. It's sort of like the Indian version of Chipotle, if you're familiar with that - pick a protein, toppings, and a sauce or two. We liked it well enough that we ate there again later in our trip. There is a Pitango Gelato store www.pitangogelato.com right next door, too.

We had lunch at a Potbelly before we toured the Capitol. http://www.potbelly.com It's a chain, but not one we have where I live, and we thought their sandwiches were very good.

Lee Ann

tenthumbs

If your son is a picky eater, the food court at Union Station is a good choice. My teenager liked the food carts at Farragut Square.

november_moon

If you want something a little different, check out the cafeteria at the American Indian Museum on the National Mall. They feature Native American dishes from various regions and the food is very good. It isn't inexpensive, but the prices are not out of line for museum cafeterias.

Hobbert

I'd recommend Jaleo and Mitsitam cafeteria at the Museum of the American Indian.

Jaleo is Spanish small plates and it's fun to get a bunch of plates to share. The patatas bravas are a must. Mitsitam is a bit more expensive than the usual museum fare but definitely worth it. The food at the Corcoran is supposed to be great but I haven't tried it yet.

Finally, you can track down DC food trucks (actual, delicious food, not weird dirty water food hot dog carts...) at foodtruckfiesta.com. Love the Lobster Truck!

gardendiva

While you are in the Captiol area Good Stuff Eatery is fun. It is a burger/shake joint owned by Spike, of Top Chef fame. I also enjoyed PAUL Bakery on Penn Ave new The National Archives.

Although I did not have a chance to try them, the food trucks did look like they produced some good food.

Cowboy1968

Not that I would know anything about restaurants in DC, but I sure enjoyed the food at the (MItsitam) cafeteria in the Museum of the American Indian. Really different, but also really tasty

obxgirl

Best value for lunch? Do you mean volume of food for the least money? Or quality of food commensurate with price?

ncsu83

Quality of food commensurate with price.

furledleader

I'll second Spike Mendelsohn's Good Stuff Eatery on Pennsylvania Ave. just southeast of the Capitol for reasonably priced (for Washington DC, at least) burgers. He also owns & operates "We the Pizza" right next door, if a slice of pizza is more your taste.

tenthumbs

Compiling yet another food list for a DC trip in May. I think we'll try the Good Stuff Eatery.

DeeElBee

My favorite is Teaism. There are a few in the DC area. I've never had a bad dish at any of the locations and it's a perfect kind of place for lunch. There is one near the Spy Museum.

bardo1

Good value lunch near:

1) The White House - Breadline 91-1/2 blocks away http://breadline.com/ Farragut Square near the WH is also your best bet for food trucks (there's always at LEAST 15 trucks on this square - go to Farragut Square to get the food and then walk one block to Lafayette Square to eat it (a MUCH nicer park and right next to the WH - also has many more benches, some outdoor tables, and NO TRAFFIC). http://foodtruckfiesta.com/

2) The Capitol Building - as mentioned, Good Stuff Eatery and We the Pizza are very good but a few blocks walk away. Much closer (and dirt cheap) are the cafeterias at: the Longworth House Office Building, the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and the Library of Congress (bonus! the LOC cafeteria has GREAT views). Do NOT eat the Captiol Building Visitors Center. http://www.goodstuffeatery.com http://wethepizza.com

3) The National Monuments - nothing near the momorials, nada. Your best best is to backpack w/ a picnic lunch. There are endless greats spots near all the monuments to have a nice picnic. My favorite spot is at the Constitution Gardens Pond near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the WWII Memorial, and the Reflecting Pool. pretty, quiet, and has picnic tables. Either picnic or wait until you are by the museums or elsewhere to have lunch. DON'T GET LUNCH FROM A HOT-DOG CART! Yuck, yuck, yuck. Those dog's soak in trash cans in rat infested cart storage areas.

The Spy Museum - OMG, there are endless EXCELLENT lunch options within a few blocks of the Spy Museum: Jaleo http://www.jaleo.com , Oyamel http://www.oyamel.com , Matchbox http://matchboxchinatown.com , Zaytinya http://www.zaytinya.com, and Teaism https://www.teaism.com just to name a few (in order starting with my all-time favorite - Jaleo).

The Smithsonian - Assume here you are just referring to the museums along the National Mall between 3rd and 14th St. NW, correct? (There are Smithsonian Buildings throughout the DC area stretching all the way to the Zoo, Anacostia, Dulles VA, etc.) Anyway, near the National Mall, I suggest all both cafes and the restaurant at the National Gallery of Art as well as Oyamel and Jaleo (both mentioned above). And Paul http://www.paul-usa.com There is also the cafe at the National Museum of the American Indian which is not my favorite (I think the National Gallery of Art fare is much better) but I am in a distinct minority - others here on Fodor's seem to love it.

obxgirl

>>There is also the cafe at the National Museum of the American Indian which is not my favorite (I think the National Gallery of Art fare is much better) but I am in a distinct minority - others here on Fodor's seem to love it.

charsuzan

I think Old Ebbit's Grill being cafeteria style Italian. I do remember it being kind of neat, especially with the history.
http://www.ebbitt.com/menus