An Uncommon Cafe

An extremely mediocre and overpriced Foggy Bottom breakfast and lunch spot, even by neighborhood/restaurant type standards. I recently went here to get lunch and a coffee. 1.3 pounds of food and the coffee cost me over $18, and the quality was subpar. Notably, An Uncommon Cafe uses margarine in many dishes, instead of butter or vegetable oil. I got the stuffing, turkey, stuffed fish, and fried plantains. The fried plantains were the best thing I had-sweet and delicious. The turkey and stuffing were OK but nothing I would get again. The fish was inedible-I took two bites and couldn't eat any more. The main positive was that I was able to get my buffet food and pay for it quickly.

Yesterday I paid $7.04 for a small takeout box consisting of a few pieces of cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and pineapple.Avoid at all costs unless you like to be cheated.

I use to go there all the time before Covid hit. Went there a few days ago and the food has declined. Tasted horrible. I didn't even finish it.

When I worked in this building at 1800 G St NW for about four years I visited only a few times despite its convenience because I didn't enjoy the food. At the behest of my coworker I visited again recently and was surprisingly pleased with the selection. I was hesitant at first but was impressed with how many different options you have for food. A huge salad bar with every imaginable topping. There is also an extensive hot foods bar that even the pickiest person could find something of interest. Plenty of sodas and other beverages. Candy. Muffins. Soups. A made-to-order taco and burrito station. It's $8/lb and 30% off after 2:30 pm because they want to clear out whatever's left. The cashiers are competent but unenergetic and talk among themselves while assisting customers. I always find that rude, but the interaction is brief so it is no big deal.I ordered vegetable lo mein, tofu (huge pieces), and a side salad. It was about $10. The taste was very good, and I think though the atmosphere is like a cafeteria, I would return.

Update: 1 star. Last two times I visited here, broccoli undercooked, beef overcooked and meatballs mushy, etc. Was able to eat a small piece of ham and mashed potatoes and half of their chili soup. If you must, stick with soup or salad.------old review-------I took advantage of the salad bar for a non-coma inducing bite before a long meeting and training session nearby. I didn't like any of the meat items or the Chinese food fare presented so stuck with the original green salad, cool cucumbers, broccoli, and a few tofu cubes. Drinking only water with my greens, I spent around $5. And yes, you will see Federal employees take up 90% of the seats there. After all, you are in the national's capital where all of the federal agency headquarters are based. I'd go there again for lunch as the price is right and I can be in and out in a flash.

A good place to stop for a light meal if you are in the area. Your can order a hot sandwich or select from the buffet line. Be aware the food is weighed so be sure your eyes are not bigger than your wallet, but it is reasonably priced. A few tables outside for when the weather is nice and you want to add some Vitamin sunshine to your diet. There are a few parking decks close by if you just want to drive yourself crazy.

A convenient cafe with a variety of staples on the menu such as a salad bar, hot bar, soup, grill and made to order sandwiches, etc. I came here one morning out of necessity and to break away from everything bagel & cream cheese from Starbucks and was surprised of the display of breakfast items from eggs, bacon, potato hash...and then fried chicken I think to go with the waffles also available along with pancakes and other breakfast carbs. I hesitated just for a sec and picked up 2 pieces of chicken and a spoon of scrambled eggs. So glad I did because the fried chicken was juicy, tender, and It had a simple taste yet very good. it was surprisingly good and although you know it was fried it was not greasy at all. In fact it had a very light feel to it. I thought to myself, OMG, there's a good chicken place for when I need a fix and I do tend to from time to time, you know, make my tastebuds happy! Anyway, this place had me at chicken but clearly there are many other options on the menu but true to form, for now, this would have to! It's only a couple of blocks away so it is a plus, centrally located near GWU and on opposite end, the White House corridor. You can eat in ample chairs, benches and tables, or take out, and outdoor seatings also available. A nice cafe but more common than not and perhaps just a little better than some comparables...

Let me just go ahead and start my review off by saying that I will not be returning to An Uncommon Cafe. In addition, I have 30 minutes for lunch, door to door, so I did not have time to go up and complain to the manager. What you get there is overpriced food, and at least in my case, food that is not even hot (or fresh in the slightest). I totally get it that some foods may be lukewarm because they aren't as popular as others, but not every single damn thing that you put on your plate. I was feeling Asian food, so I got general chicken, steak and bell peppers, steamed broccoli, and vegetable pot stickers. The steak was the freshest out of them all, but you could still tell that it had been sitting there for a while, as the peppers were all sorts of mushy and discombobulated. The general chicken and the pot stickers were an absolute joke, and I am just going to end up having to reheat the general chicken...like it wasn't even warm, let alone hot and fresh.I paid for my food at 12:16 pm, and called a manager within an hour (shortly after 1 pm) to voice my complaints, which apparently wasn't fast enough. I had my receipt in hand, but apparently there is no way for them to look-up my order on their system, which I am calling "BS" on. He tried to seem understanding, but he wasn't. He even mentioned that he knows that people have time restraints for lunch, but that I needed to come up and talk to a manager when I noticed that my food wasn't hot. Dude, I get 30 minutes from door-to-door for lunch, and I have like a 6-7 minute walk to An Uncommon Cafe, which luckily will never be done again. That leaves me less than 15 minutes to get my food and consume, which leaves me absolutely no time to go up and waste my time trying to get a refund for my absolute disgrace of a "hot lunch".The manager also kept trying to tell me that we could talk about my concerns and resolve them the next time I come in. I will not be coming back in, bro, so how are we going to do that? He was completely uncooperative, and to me just did not seem like a good manager. Do you want customers to return? It sure didn't seem like he could care any less! I paid more than $15 for my food, and to say that I am dissatisfied is a gross understatement.

They serve the exact same thing EVERYDAY. Once you had it, it's okay but that's the variety! I tend to frequent the grill for a Chicken Cheesesteak, which is good, especially if you add extra meat. Also, I prefer to get my food to go because it's not a lot of room, and it kind creeps me out watching others eat.

I spend about $50/week in this place because my office is in the building. Today the cashier decides she's now going to charge me for jelly when the omelette I ordered comes with toast. That's like charging for ketchup when you order fries. A few weeks ago she charged me for extra cheese when I didn't order any. Insane. Watch your receipts because they're tacking on charges to run up the tab. I'll take my business elsewhere.