USDA Headquarters Cafeteria

Place is huge and very clean. Workers were helpful. Tuna avocado sushi 7/10Meatballs 7.5/10Mongolian beef 8.5/10Orange chicken 7/10Bourbon wings 7/10My plate was $20. Very pricey. Doubt I'd do it ever again. Sushi $8. Small portion. Not much value. The beef was good. Moist, tender and tasty. Meatballs were fine. A little dry but very tasty. Orange chicken used breast so while high quality they're very dry. Taste was subtle. The wings were average in flavor but huge in size. I doubt I'd ever return here considering what DC has to offer. Had to give it a try.

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 nutritional facts.