Madison Café

We found out about Madison Cafe from a guide at the Library of Congress. Apparently, there's an underground tunnel that you can take that leads you from the Library of Congress to the James Madison Memorial Building, where Madison Cafe is. I was honestly really impressed at the food selection! From what I can tell, it looks like a cafeteria for government employees in the area but is also open to the public as we saw some other tourists there as well. There are several different options for food: a deli, a grill, a salad bar, sushi bar, falafel bar, taco & quesadilla bar, soup station, snacks/drinks/dessert area, and more snacks and even on-the-go painkillers at the checkout area. There was so much variety in options at each area as well. I got a quesadilla slice, nachos, pita, gyro, roasted pepper hummus, tahini sauce, potato salad, tuna pasta salad, and some chicken and rice soup. The quesadilla was really good, dense, and full of chicken and cheeses with savory spices. Everything was quite flavorful and delicious, and it cost a little less than $17 in total. Most everything is weighed to figure out the cost, but some things such as the soup are charged per soup container, so don't make the same mistake I did (I only filled it up 3/4 because I thought it would be by weight and wanted room to try more things). My boyfriend's brother got sushi which was prepackaged and was also not weighed. It wasn't bad but he did note that the sushi was a bit fishy (not fresh), and had the same quality as a typical grocery store sushi plate. The reason why I give the Cafe 5 stars is because it is quite good and has quite a large selection for a cafeteria. I've experienced so many low-quality but high-priced foods at other cafeterias that I was genuinely impressed with this one. The employees also restock things pretty quickly, and the place is clean with bins for waste, compost, and recycling. There's also a really beautiful view of the city from the window of the cafe (the balcony is closed off), and plenty of seating. My only notes of improvement are improving the quality of the sushi and adding a sign that tells customers the soup is not weighed but paid per container.

I MISS MS. MINNIE!!!I've worked and the LOC since 1987 and it was a pretty good. You could get fresh made sandwiches or buffet where you were charged for what you got. Then they started weighing the food and the price got ridiculous even with the employee discount. And the quality of the food declined. If I was a tourist I would skip this spot and go to Longworth or Rayburn.

Okay, look. This is a cafeteria with standard cafeteria fare. It is filled with Library of Congress employees, tourists, and some random visitors from the rest of Capitol Hill. There are perks--the sushi bar is the best part, with the sushi chef making it fresh right in front of you every day, for example. And there is plenty of food to choose from. But...it is standard cafeteria food, for the most part! The prices aren't great, but if you are an employee with a badge you get a 20% discount each visit. Without the discount, you'd be better off going outside to one of the local establishments.There is a nice view on a clear day. (...but why not just go outside? I had to say it.)

Excellent. Great variety in this cafeteria. Clean and not very crowded. Perfect place to go for lunch if you work on or near the Hill.

Madison is located in the library of congress on the sixth floor. It is so convenient to have reasonable food. It is not gourmet, but there is a wide choice of counters and when I think about walking to another location and then coming back to continue what I was doing?? Well I will stay here and have a bit of lunch and continue in the library. It meets of exceeds minimum requirements for sustenance. For convenience i say yes, and I say thank you very much. Of course there are finer restaurants in DC and for those who are more particular and have more time I say enjoy! I would still use Madison for simple lunch as I continue my day!

Am I crazy for giving a cafeteria 5 stars? Perhaps. But hear me out. This cafeteria is the best cafeteria I have ever been to. There are options galore, and everything I have eaten has been great. Pho from a cafeteria? Delicious! Made-to-order sushi? Exceeded expectations. Chinese hot bar? General Tsao's fried tofu and spring rolls! Even the salad bar is fresh and well-stocked. On top of the food, the dining room is very clean, the staff friendly, and it's never too busy so you can always get a table. The sweeping views offer a serene backdrop for a quiet lunch or an afternoon office escape.

The gossip is true... The food is WAY overpriced and you can go somewhere else for WAY better food. The lines are way too long. If you want to get hot food like a burger or something, you can count on waiting in line for at least 20 minutes. The food isn't bad, but it is overpriced and there is way better food in other places. The view is AMAZING, though. I do not recommend this place.

The Library of Congress James Madison building has a cafeteria on the Sixth floor for those that are too mired in their study to wander outside to get some grub. It's a last resort for employees, with food prices being about equal to those in the surrounding vicinity, with the added bonus of the cafeteria ambiance. Be warned that the prices listed on the signs reflect the library employee discount of 20%, so expect to pay a bit more than the price listed. Food will most likely run you less than $10, but if you pick it right, you can get better stuff on Pennsylvania ave for the same price.

I got a grilled cheese $3.50 and a pomegranate tea juice $2.50. The grilled cheese was cheap but was very tasteless and not filling at all. The cafeteria has a decent view of the city. The juice was good but it was bottled and not made by them. I only came here bc I got lost and was starving...

Club style sandwiches range from $6-8 and are made with cheap lunch meat . The lunch buffet is 58 cents per ounce which adds up quickly and can be expensive for low quality and bland food. I would only eat here if everything else was closed.There is a Subway and Dunkin Donuts open from 7-4 Monday to Friday on the ground floor with normal pricing... I would recommend eating there or going to a local restaurant.