USDA Food Hall — Restaurant in Washington

Very good food at locally-reasonable prices. Wonderful selection and very amusing food guideline posters from over the years. Enjoyed seeing an older government building that has served us all for decades. The armed security police at the cafeteria public entrance were very put-out to see us arrive, however. We walked in the correct, advertised door at 12:30 and said "Hi. Visitors to the cafeteria" and were responded to with "She ain't here." Beg your pardon? After a moment of silence, they began arguing as to which of the two of them had to stand up and process us. After a couple of rounds, the far guard lost the argument, shuffled to his feet and told us to step outside and around, and he would run us through his metal detector instead. As he mumbled orders, it was tough to understand what clothing items should come off and stay on while we stripped down. Not what was anticipated when visiting a publicly-funded institution which advertises "Open to the Public". Two other security guards we met were very cheerful and funny, sadly they were not greeting folks at the door. Food was great....

If you read D.C. guidebooks of the past, you'll find pages of cafeterias. They were full of food, tables, and often at more affordable prices. The USDA Cafeteria is an ode to the past.

Open to the public Monday-Friday for breakfast and lunch, enter through Wing 3. (There's a sign.) Bring I.D. and be prepared to go through security. It's quick. You're given a sticker badge and directed to the cafeteria.

It's a spacious cafeteria with plenty of tables and booths with outlets in one large open room. When space is tight in D.C., it's a great place for large groups like tourists.

There are fewer choices compared to pre-pandemic, but it still offers several stations like a salad bar, a hot food section, sandwiches, hamburgers, Chinese food, Korean food, and more. There's also a breakfast counter that sells acai bowls, croffles (croissant waffles), oatmeal, and fruit cups. The bars are pay-by-the-pound.

Prices are still D.C. prices, but a little more affordable compared to area restaurants.

Again, the space is large, but no frills. There are old school USDA posters on the walls, some with...

I assume this place has a high rating due to nostalgia and/or accessibility for the people in the area, but it is absolutely a bait.

You walk into the USDA building, pass a security check and are then directed to the food hall. There’s a self-service buffet and a few other options inside. The food itself is not bad, it’s just not particularly good either. If you’re hungry and I’m need of something to eat as close to the mall as possible, it works, but it’s not a 4 star dining experience by any means. To top things off, it’s actually a rather expensive place to dine; We spent $46 on a medium sized lunch + a small fruit bowl in the side. Coffee came at a premium of another $10 for 2 people, making the whole experience close to $60… which is absolutely insane for a place that is as mentioned self service and mid tier food at best.

A cool experience I guess, but will not...