Market To Market

Extensive selection of cold prepared salads, many with an Asian twist and flair as well as a range of hot prepared lunch staples like fried rice, meats, and side dishes. The range of food presented alone is worth a four star. The salads are indeed fresh and this is not a shabby selection: Mexican dressed slaw with avocado, soybean salad, tofu salad, egg salad, chicken salad with almonds, asparagus etc. The tray of sushi rolls look delicious.
The hot bar is a teensy disappointment because tastewise, it definitely comes across as a general canteen/​buffet. However, it is more than adequate for a variety of lunch items and while I don’t walk away smacking my lips I don’t walk away with a grimace. The food is A-​OK and I guarantee you will be satisifed.
I feel the prices are on par with city lunch buffets with prepared foods which you buy by weight at the checkout counters.
You’d be successful at getting healthier options here by picking out deliciously prepared salads, clean ingredients like potatoes/​eggs/​greens than getting a greasy sandwich at a fast food joint.
Atmosphere is another reason why my rating is ramped down to three stars. Lots of religious tunes in the background and bare-​bones, austere atmosphere. No special lighting, no warm decorative touches.

Nothing special but good enough for a quick lunch. Salads are fresh. Fried dishes are not bad. They have crab cakes too. Many kinds of ingredients. Perfect for busy people!

It’s okay. And it’ll do in a pinch. There is nothing especially great about this place. It’s just too expensive for the quality. Nothing on the hot or cold bars is really fresh enough or good enough to justify the prices. I’d give them more stars if their prices matched their quality.

3.5 Stars. Honestly it’s exactly where this should be rated. I’m giving 4 because I think some of the reviews are a bit harsh.
The quick run down. Mostly a buffet by the pound with some sandwich options a la carte. I’d give it 4 stars for food once you know what (not) to get.
It’s 3 stars on value as it’s pricey for what it is. DC is generally pricey and with a 10% food tax it’s hard to find a cheap meal. A pound of food will run you $ 11 with a drink. Not really a value. They used to have weekly sandwich specials but the $ 6.95 is more like $ 8.95 now.
If you are a first timer or once in a while type then this place is fine. If you are a regular you’ll quickly tire of the selection.
There used to be quite a few pound buffets in DC and now there are only a handful. Staff if friendly enough if you don’t expect much (seriously some of the reviews I think people expect Morton’s at a Sizzler)
If you want a lunch where you can choose a variety of food that’s fairly fresh for $ 10 then you’ll be fine. If you’re really hungry then I’d go elsewhere for the $ 15-​$ 17 you might spend.

I frequent this place for lunch particularly when I tire of the other food chains in DC as they offer a variety. You can sample whatever you’d like from the hot and cold food bars. They offer different dishes daily. Just be careful of the weight as they charge by the pound and so it can get expensive. You can also order hot and cold sandwiches or make a salad from the fresh ingredients at the salad bar.

the sandwiches were really good. And the hot food is really delicious. there are varieties it is really good place to go. perfect buffet style also clean and healthy too.

I get my breakfast and lunch here every day I’m in the office. I get breakfast for about $ 3.50 and my salad is usually about $ 8. Also, since I’m getting it from the hot and cold bar I’m in and out within 5 minutes. Compared to anywhere else around here during the busy times, it’s the healthiest, quickest and tastiest.

This place had a cool concept. It was buffet style and they weigh your to-​go box by the pound. Like any buffet there are some good items and not so good items. I tried a little bit of everything. If you’re looking for a fresh and fast place this is a good choice in downtown DC.

I go to Market to Market occasionally as it is one of the handful of lunch options near my job. I don’t go often or make myself a regular because Market to Market isn’t good.
This place is a mix of hot and cold bar buffet style with also the option of a grill for burgers and various hot sandwiches. The options for the buffet don’t change much and are pretty standard, chicken, rice, some form of vegetables, with the limited options you unfortunately have too high a price. The pay by the pound is quite expensive.
The grill has some decent food and usually have a daily special but just like the buffet the prices are on the high side.
Market to Market is an okay option if you get bored with the other limited options in the area but nothing special and not really worth the price.

Market to Market at Federal Triangle is basically the only salad /​hot food bar /​buffet that I frequent. Although the price per pound is high (close to $ 8.00 per pound), the quality of the food and the cleanliness of the operation is pretty good.
I typically have a deep concern about eating food at salad bars. After all, the food has likely been sitting for the greater part of the day, growing bacteria or something. That’s generally not the case at Market to Market for a couple of reasons: the food is good, it doesn’t typically stay long because customers eat it and they routinely switch out old food during the day — which is basically mandatory.
Market to Market has two bars — hot and cold. The thing that’s important to remember is that each day brings different food options. Thursday typically brings coconut covered shrimp while Monday may bring fried chicken. You can tell that the cools in the back know what they are doing. The fried turkey, when recently brought out, is moist and flavorful. Sometimes, however, the tempura-​style shrimp, chicken (sometimes squid) is too salty. Also, the fried catfish can be hit or miss.
For lunch, noon to 1:30 is typically crowded so be prepared to stand in long lines. Also, after 3:00 they typically offer a 10% discount but the options get slim. If you aren’t in the mood for the bar scene, the menu items are usually cheaper.

Perfect buffet place for working professionals near Ronald Reagon Building. Pretty much all kinds of popular food are included. FYI, fried rice, fish dishes, steak, salads, fruits, Chinese dishes, you name it!
The quality of food is good, not something that is too greasy. I always have some Chinese food with salads and fresh fruits and that’s a perfect match!
One tip here especially for Chinese people, it only provides lunch meal. No dinner. Also if you eat inside, you may smell like delicious dishes after you finished. lol… So that’s why I prefer enjoying the food outside.
The price is reasonable too. If I remembered it correctly, they sell food for $ 7.99/lbs or something like that. Really a great place to grad your lunch in a busy working day.

It was quick during lunch rush for sure. I got a Reuben. Tasted good but the corned beef could have been sliced thinner. It was slightly tough to chew on without having to floss later. There was ample at the hot buffet ($ 7.49/lb) but I wanted something quick. Credit card accepted for over $ 3. A huge assortment of drinks including teas and coffee!

Very busy during breakfast and lunch rushes. Service is usually slow. They have a ‘by the weight’ buffet’ that can get pricey quickly or a short order grill for sandwiches and wraps. Best deal is the daily special that comes with fries and a small drink. There are a lot of options in this area so I’d check other places first but it’s not a horrible choice.

Solid lunch buffet. It has one of the better salad bars among lunch buffets. If you work near Federal triangle check it out. I recommend the salt and pepper shrimp.

I’ve been to Market To Market three times within the past four days. Granted, a large part of that is due to proximity to where I work, but they’re a pretty solid little place.
You can choose from their by-​the-​pound buffet which has a nice mix of foods — with a bit of something for everyone. Fried chicken, eggplant parmesan, fried rice, egg rolls, salad, penne with meat sauce, soup — they’ve got you pretty well covered here. Like any by-​the-​pound place, you can rack up your bill really quickly, so be careful at how much you take. Your favorite foods are a lot heavier than they look.
Or you can order from the sandwich or wrap stations. Reubens, turkey, chicken and cheese, ham and swiss or your standard cold subs. Everything is made pretty quickly and the staff is very friendly and happy to modify your order with a custom request.
It gets crazy busy in here at lunch time, but as it’s been explained to me — and as I’ve seen, there are definitely better times to go. Between 12−1pm? Prepare for it to be jam packed. The wait for food won’t be really bad, but you’re going to be bumping into a lot of people. Between 1 – 2 seems to be a pretty good time for lunch. The food on the buffet is still hot and fresh and the crowd has thinned out to a much more comfortable experience.
I really need to try other places for lunch, but I haven’t had a bad meal yet.

As the current Duchess of Market to Market (12÷23÷11), I hereby finally bestow the rating: FOUR STARS FOR THIS ASIAN INSPIRED PAY-​PER-​POUND BUFFET!!!
Tuesday & Thursday mornings, they have fried fish for breakfast starting at 730 am. Goooooood! This is good. If this place wasn’t beneath my office, I would have to go back home and get back in the bed to sleep off the well, er, food coma that ensues after a serving of fried fish, grits, eggs, potatoes, coffee, toast, a couple of broken pieces of doughnut.
On other random days, you can also get a fish, this time for lunch. Oh the cajun tilapia was good the day I had it.
On other occasions, you can get the salad bar, the other offerings on the hot food bar, sodas and bottled drinks, and sandwiches. I am knocking them down a star because of the coffee. How could a place that makes food so good make coffee so nasty??? It is weak and bitter. Ugh. Blergh. Gag. Hack! Yuck! But people buy it and drink it so maybe it is just me.
Otherwise, I am a fan, a huge fan of Market to Market.

While out at the American History Museum, I asked the lady at the information desk where a good place for lunch would be. She suggested Market to Market.
If she didn’t tell me where this place was, I might not have noticed it. But I’m definitely glad I went there!
The prices were not that bad, and the service behind the counters and the registers moved quickly, as we were in the middle of the lunch rush.
Not that that’s a bad thing… we were hungry!
They had a salad bar and a hot bar, which had some good looking entrees, but I was in the mood for a sandwich.
I don’t recall the exact name of the sandwich I got, but I believe it was something like the Market Sandwich, or something with «Market» in the name. It had turkey, avocado and Havarti cheese and was made-​to-​order on a grill. Something about making sandwiches that way always attracts my tastebuds…
With a bottled beverage, I believe the meal cost around $ 10. I just remember I was not shocked at the price. :)
Would definitely recommend for your friends visiting from out of town, or even your local friends looking for a place to eat around the Mall.

The lunch buffet here is a pretty good deal! It’s relatively expensive at 7 something a lb for food, but the meat here is higher quality than most cafeterias and they have a good selection of entrees. The dining area is also very nice, mostly populated with workers from the Ronald Reagan center. Their sandwiches are also fairly priced, though I’ve only gone for the buffet.
I like the calamari and the sweet potato tater tots. Probably one of the best food places around Federal Triangle!

Why I like this place:
1. Cheaper coffee than other places in the Reagan building.
2. The egg & cheese sandwich is pretty tasty.
3. Quick, friendly service.
The not so great:
–The bagels
I have only come here in the mornings for the aforementioned food and coffee. Have no reason to come here for lunch since the Dept. of Commerce cafeteria is larger (and I’m guessing cheaper too).

I work in the federal triangle, so it’s a must go to once in a while place for me. it’s a little spendy as all those price per pound places go. you can’t always get what you want for what you want it for. my salad choices are always of the cheap variety. how much does it REALLY cost to thaw out some frozen peas, mami? should I really be paying as much as I would for a much fancier salad somewhere else? but what can I say? when I’m NOT that hungry but I want a small fast hot boost, hit me up with this. I can get my fix for about five bucks. and that’s alright with me. I think once you know the options, you can decide based on appetite whether or not this place is the place for you. it’s a good option to have around.