Cornerstone Cafe — Restaurant in Washington

I love 'hot bars' and this hidden gem on M Street, NW is an absolute joy. It is open for breakfast with fluffy eggs and standard breakfast fare. Lunch is where this place shines. The chef(s) have recently changed and an already outstanding menu just got better.

Where to begin . . . Items they have everyday, BROWN RICE (which no hot bar serves), juicy off the bone turkey (with and without gravy), jalapeno chicken nuggets (not too spicy, slight kick), a delicious kale salad, a white tuna salad without all the stuff others put in-just tuna and mayo, grilled chicken, and a wonderfully decadent stringy Mac and white Cheese.

So many items change over the course of the week. Some of my favorites are taco day (usually on Friday), very lean corned beef (usually on Wednesday), Chicken Parmesan (usually on Thursday), Salmon (usually on Friday), teriyaki chicken (again, Friday), and the list goes on and on. If you're looking for healthy salads, you have much to choose from as well as an assortment of pastas.

One of the standouts of this place is the customer service. Everyone is so nice and friendly and value your business. The people behind the sandwich bar are quick and will prepare your sandwich just the way you want it. The cooks are constantly stirring and refreshing the food so it is fresh and doesn't dry out. There is also a loyality program where you get your card stamped for every $6 you spend and after 9 stamps, you get $6 of your next meal.

If you work or are just in the area, try...

Disclaimer: Cash only.

Stop the presses, I think we've found the best deal yet for hot food and salad bars. Cornerstone Cafe offers lunch a $6.29/pound and breakfast at $5.29/pound. This is compared to Jack's Fresh, Market to Market, or Sizzling Express that charge $6.49, $6.49, and $6.89 respectively. Oh yeah, my rating is premised on the perception that all four hot food/salad bars are comparable in selection and quality.

The trick still remains loading the most expensive food items with the least amount of weight. This means to avoid cheap and heavy items like stir fry noodles, fried rice, and mashed potatoes. In fact, skip the all carbs and starchy foods because carbohydrates are cheap. If you must have carbs, pick up a few pieces of sushi - which saves space while preserving value. Also, avoid cheaper salad bar items like Cesar salad or mixed greens when you can load up on more nutritious and richer selections like avocado salad, mozzarella salad, broccoli salad, or asparagus spears. You're best bet will always be lean proteins like roast beef and seafood - but not chicken - because you get the best bargain per ounce.

4 Stars - I recommend coming around 11am. Most of the dishes are fresh out of the kitchen and at the peak of its presentation. You get the first pick at the food and there are...

The staff is extremely rude!!! I work near by so I sometimes stop by in the morning or on my break to grab a bite and EVERY time I go the staff is very rude to me! Today i walked to the counter to pay for my orange juice and the lady behind the counter looked at me and continued to wipe the counter, shuffle news papers, and completely ignore me. I politely asked if she could ring up my orange juice because I had to get to work and she rudely told me that i need to wait because its not even 7am yet. I looked at my phone and it was 7:01. The store doesn't even open until 7 so how would i even be inside ready to pay if it wasn't 7 yet??? This is the last time i will be visiting this store. They dont...