Cafe 59

The food is just ok. It’s a convenient lunch spot. I’ve had a variety of hot dishes from the buffet and all of the meat was incredibly salty. And for some reason today, the food was NOT HOT… ??? It’s a good place to go to in the absence of other quality choices in a convenient walking distance.

Get there after 3 o’clock and the buffet is 50% off.
This place is in the business district so they are closed on the weekends.

They are still making overpriced weighed food, but they are always adding new items to the menu. Today I stopped by and ordered the Beef Phở. It is cold outside, and I wanted something hot to eat. At 7.99 a bowl, you get a decent amount of broth and noodles. It wouldn’t hurt if they added a little more meat though. Please do not expect Phở 75 quality though, this is just good enough to carry you over until you can get the real deal.

Most of the food on the salad and food bars is ok. But avoid the food bars go for the fried chicken. It is the best fried chicken I’ve ever had in the whole wide world! I’m serious. It is tasty, juicy with the perfect light and crispy skin. I can’t get enough of it. And it is very reasonably priced too. The legs and thighs tend to be on the small side. But the breasts are humongous. I find it hard to believe that those huge breasted chickens ever walked around on those little spindly legs. Around where I work, we call them Malibu chicken breasts. But they are also outstanding. Their fried chicken beats KFC, Popeye’s, and all the rest hands down.

This is a good lunch spot to go if you are looking for variety, but it is weigh by the pound so just be aware of how much food you are putting in there; it can get very expensive. I’m usually quite boring and get either noodles, fruit, or California rolls. The food is decent and not the greatest, but it is hard to find something good and full of variety in this area.

It’s around the corner from work and an ok place to go – but it’s weigh and pay. When I visit, I’m often really hungry and end up buying more food that I eat, thus costing me more money and making me be wasteful. I’ve slimmed back my eyes to be more in line with my tummy — but still…

My coworkers suggest we go to this place on a fairly regular basis and I try to drive the idea to go elsewhere. Their salad bar is very overpriced. $ 6 for a side salad with really no weight to it is outrageous. The people working at the cash register seem to always have an attitude and are against being friendly.

For some reason, most of my 40– and 50-​something coworkers adored this place. If you’re nostalgic for a trip back to the dorm cafeteria, compete with bland, prepared-​en-​masse cuisine, you won’t be disappointed. The real frustration for me was with the healthier stuff – for those who wanted to stick to salad and lighter fare, there was a decent, fresh selection, but it came at a high price. I don’t know how they tared that scale, or how the lettuce retained so much water, but as a Hill staffer on a super-​fixed income, regular visits to the Café 59 salad bar were not affordable. Once, I got a little heavy-​handed with the beans and fresh fruit and had to shell over $ 14 for a modestly-​sized salad. Fine in a pinch, but get ready to pay for your antioxidants. The place is clearly a goldmine with its captive audience of federal workers and tourists, but I’d suggest strolling down the block to Wishbone for a decent sandwich or treating yourself to the dining options inside the Museum of the American Indian.

This place is just ok. The hamburger combo is not really that good and the sandwiches aren’t that big. They do prepare the food relatively fast and the staff is always friendly. But that doesn’t mean a whole lot when the food portions are small and the hot/​cold buffets are overpriced. They do give you a 30% discount on the hot bar after 2:30pm which doesn’t do a whole lot of good b/​c who is really eating lunch that late?
I agree there is not a whole lot of restaurants to choose from in this area and I still eat here every once in a while. But there are better options out there.