United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
4
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4.0
58 reviews
Excellent
26
Very good
18
Average
11
Poor
1
Terrible
2
Raintree_Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand4,443 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
The Department of Agriculture actually occupies three buildings in the area: the main Administration Building, the USDA Forest Service "Auditor's Building," and the massive South Building, which occupies one entire block. There isn't much to note about the USDA buildings, except if you're looking for a good lunch at a very reasonable price. The USDA cafeteria (open to the public) is great!
Written 7 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia B
Anderson, SC44 contributions
Feb 2020 • Business
The ultimate cafeteria experience! I never would’ve known about this hidden jewel. But it was recommended by a friend. There is a cafeteria in the United States department of agriculture. It is absolutely amazing! Soup bar. Salad bar. Hot food cooked to order. Hot food bar. Desserts. And incredible array of food using items crying throughout the United States. The food was absolutely phenomenal. And the price was amazing. Skip the high cost restaurants while you’re in Washington and take advantage of this hidden jewel. They even had a chili competition the day we were there. And gave out recipes.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cameron06820
Darien, CT494 contributions
Jan 2014 • Family
If the USDA can't get a cafeteria right, nobody can. They can and did.
We went here after the Holocaust Museum because their cafe was closed for renovations. This was the closest food, and proved a great discovery.
There was a varied menu and many healty choices, all of it pretty cheap. And the immense dining hall featured some great WWII era posters I wish they'd also sold in their tiny gift shop.
All you need to get into the building is a photo ID and patience.
We went here after the Holocaust Museum because their cafe was closed for renovations. This was the closest food, and proved a great discovery.
There was a varied menu and many healty choices, all of it pretty cheap. And the immense dining hall featured some great WWII era posters I wish they'd also sold in their tiny gift shop.
All you need to get into the building is a photo ID and patience.
Written 13 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vermonterk
Vermont170 contributions
Hidden in the Wing A entrance from C street is the department cafeteria. Great selection, healthy options, and a very nice change from the other fast food food courts.
Written 27 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly D
Bowie, MD46 contributions
Oct 2015 • Business
USDA's South Building (located on Independence Ave. SW between 12th&14th St. SW) has a fantastic cafeteria with a wide variety of fresh food that is also open to the public. The cafeteria is open from 6:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Vistors must enter through Wing 3 on the Independence Ave. SW side (located between the arches). Be prepared to show your photo ID and process any belongings through the security check area, about 5 minutes, but longer if you are part of a large group. Keep in mind this is the same entrance used by visitors on official business.
Breakfast is from 6:30-11:00 AM; Lunch 11 AM - 3:30 PM. We have 3 hot buffet bars: American, Asian, and International; and 3 cold salad and fruit bars; an Asian noodle & sushi bar, pizza, and Tex-mex bar; and a wide variety of beverages.
Note: all buffet items are discounted 30% after 2:30 PM, however, the selection slims out after the lunch-rush.
Keep in mind the visitor center is just that - not a museum, but certainly a good place to take a break if necessary. The entrance to the visitor center is located in the Whitten Building on Jefferson Ave. facing the National Mall.
Breakfast is from 6:30-11:00 AM; Lunch 11 AM - 3:30 PM. We have 3 hot buffet bars: American, Asian, and International; and 3 cold salad and fruit bars; an Asian noodle & sushi bar, pizza, and Tex-mex bar; and a wide variety of beverages.
Note: all buffet items are discounted 30% after 2:30 PM, however, the selection slims out after the lunch-rush.
Keep in mind the visitor center is just that - not a museum, but certainly a good place to take a break if necessary. The entrance to the visitor center is located in the Whitten Building on Jefferson Ave. facing the National Mall.
Written 9 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AMC8380
Mandan, ND235 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
We totally felt like we were trespassing, since the cafeteria entrance is not well marked. You go to the backside of the USDA complex at the corner of 12th and C Street. Look for the door marked Wing 2. There you will go thru security and sign in, down the hall is the cafeteria.
We ate at the USDA cafeteria twice for the same price as one trip to the Holocaust Museum Cafe. There is a huge selection of food. Fruits and veggies, salad bar, Mexican food, American, etc. It is a cafeteria so it is certainly not gourmet, but the price and proximity to the National Mall can't be beat.
Lunch was $6.72 per pound and that was a full, but not heaping plate.
Breakfast was $5.76 per pound although the fare was a bit disappointing, breakfast food just didn't work in this setting. French toast, pancakes, etc were all dry and kind of hard. Skip breakfast, go for lunch instead!
There also are made to order deli type stands all around the cafeteria, these costs are different.
Take some time to look at the retro food signs all around the table area, pretty neat.
We did also visit the USDA Visitors Center in the front of the building. Just a small area, good place to kill some time before meeting a tour group. Thirty minutes would be plenty unless the very excited older woman is greeting from the desk that day... she was super friendly, but her speech lasted so long we barely looked around, so beware if you are on a tight schedule!
We ate at the USDA cafeteria twice for the same price as one trip to the Holocaust Museum Cafe. There is a huge selection of food. Fruits and veggies, salad bar, Mexican food, American, etc. It is a cafeteria so it is certainly not gourmet, but the price and proximity to the National Mall can't be beat.
Lunch was $6.72 per pound and that was a full, but not heaping plate.
Breakfast was $5.76 per pound although the fare was a bit disappointing, breakfast food just didn't work in this setting. French toast, pancakes, etc were all dry and kind of hard. Skip breakfast, go for lunch instead!
There also are made to order deli type stands all around the cafeteria, these costs are different.
Take some time to look at the retro food signs all around the table area, pretty neat.
We did also visit the USDA Visitors Center in the front of the building. Just a small area, good place to kill some time before meeting a tour group. Thirty minutes would be plenty unless the very excited older woman is greeting from the desk that day... she was super friendly, but her speech lasted so long we barely looked around, so beware if you are on a tight schedule!
Written 5 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Red-Barchetta2011
Suffield, CT754 contributions
We were walking from the bureau of engraving toward the Air & Space meuseum and it was hot so we saw a sign for a tour of the the USDA so we walked in. We were greeted by two nice ladies and they gave us a little history of the building. The meuseum is a small 12 by 12 room which has information about the history of the USDA. It is the Only federal building on the Mall and it is huge. It only took about 15 to 20 minutes to read the info. The museum worker asked if we wanted to go inside the building and see the main entrance area. We had to show or license to get a visitor badge. The guide showed us around the main hall and explained about the different secretaries of agriculture and she told us about her personnel experience with the organization. It was just our family of 4 and it did not take long but found it kind of interesting since there was some real stories in a working building not just a meuseum. So if you have time it is worth a stop by. We did not get a chance to go to the cafeteria on C street but it is supposed to be good and open to the public.
Written 5 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KECS
Gainesville, FL60 contributions
While making the rounds at the museums around the National Mall, we decided to have a late lunch here. It was pretty hard to find, because the USDA is 2 or 3 huge buildings and the signage is inadequate. When we finally found it in the middle entrance of the building farthest from the Mall, the security check-in was fairly quick, only requiring a picture id. The made-to-order status of the food court were closed down by the time we got there around 2:30, but we wanted the hot food anyway. And it was fantastic! There were many different cuisines, from southern to Indian, and it was all good. The best part was the price, which was much less than even the grocery store hot food buffet near our hotel. And we got there late enough near closing time that there was an additional discount.
Highly recommend stopping here for lunch (I imagine it's only open on weekdays) for an affordable and delicious lunch near the Mall and museums.
Highly recommend stopping here for lunch (I imagine it's only open on weekdays) for an affordable and delicious lunch near the Mall and museums.
Written 26 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barbara S
Tampa, FL56 contributions
May 2014 • Couples
Saw the USDA sign outside the US Department of Agriculture (building) and stopped to ask (a security guard) if there was a cafeteria. Wow, so glad we asked. The security guard told us it was a good place to eat and gave us easy walking directions. As a prior reviewer said, have a photo ID and patience because the security will take a bit. Once in you will find a large selection of good food. The prices were very reasonable and the dining room was very large.
This seemed to be a place for the older student tour groups so there were no little kids (school groups) running around. It was clean and the food was good.
In the future this will take the guesswork out of where to eat when we are around the National Mall!
This seemed to be a place for the older student tour groups so there were no little kids (school groups) running around. It was clean and the food was good.
In the future this will take the guesswork out of where to eat when we are around the National Mall!
Written 15 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IndySig
Indianapolis, IN4,121 contributions
This is a very interesting building and the only Federal agency located on the mall. The USDA building is huge and has a wonderful food court in the lower level.
Written 5 March 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does anyone know the cafeteria hours? Is it only M-F? I checked the website but don’t see any info for the cafeteria. Thank you in advance.
Written 24 December 2022
Hi do you have to make seating arrangements for 45 people,and what is a good time to eat lunch
Written 3 August 2015
Hi, did your teens have to show an ID to get in, or just the adult? Thanks!
Written 17 June 2015
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