Eat At National Place

Several options for lunch, from burgers to stir fry to pizza and a few others. As with any other place, some of the restaurants are better than others. Want a burger? Try Five Guys. Lots of fries regardless of what size you choose. Stir fry is beef, chicken, shrimp or combination. Good flavor and amount, especially for lunch. Plenty of seating. Gets crowded at lunch, especially. With visiting bus trios, especially from schools.

Great place for a quick, hearty meal with adequate food options. Located right next to a Starbucks and has a cafe inside if you’re looking for some coffee. Has lots of seating available - many customers are purchasing meals to go. Most restaurants will be open at 10, not 7. Bathroom is quite dirty and smelly. Staff are rather unfriendly and some can’t speak conversational English, hindering the ordering process. Overall, it has what you can expect out of a cheap food court.

So fast food is rarely my jam, but I have a very specific reason for liking this place. We go here with friends and family and kids after taking them to the DC sights all morning and we need somewhere to sit down and grab a bite. The Mall-adjacent eateries get so slammed at lunchtime and little kids need a place to sit—National Place cafeteria has plenty of seating! Plus it's got some decent fast food, like Five Guys, Moe's, and especially Takorea, which is my favorite and totally legit. Oh and did I mention the clean bathrooms? National Place is the perfect not-too-out-of-the-way spot to recharge between monuments and museums.