Local Favorites

Eating with the Insiders

You just can't beat the atmosphere (political) and value (cheap) of the all-American food served in certain dining spots inside the Capitol, its office buildings, and the Supreme Court. Keep these places in mind while touring the Hill:

You are always welcome (after you've gone through security, of course) in the eateries located in the Capitol office buildings across Constitution Avenue (Senate-side) and Independence Avenue (House-side) from the Capitol. These are quite affordable -- your meal isn't taxed, for one thing. You'll be surrounded by Hill staffers and congressional members who head to places like the House of Representatives' immense, full-service Rayburn Café (tel. 202/226-9067), which is Room B357, in the basement of the Rayburn House Office Building, at 1st Street and Independence Avenue SW. Adjoining the cafeteria is a carryout that sells pizza and sandwiches. In the Longworth Building's basement-level Longworth Café (Independence Ave. and S. Capitol St. SE; tel. 202/225-6372), you can grab a bite from a fairly nice food court. Among the popular Senate dining options are the Dirksen Building's basement-level Southside Buffet (1st St. and Constitution Ave. NW; tel. 202/224-4249), where a carvery station and a dessert station are highlights. All of these eateries are open weekdays only. The carryouts stay open until late afternoon, while the other dining rooms close at 2:30pm. For a complete listing of House of Representatives dining services, go to http://go.compass-usa.com/house/content/menus.asp, and for Senate dining services, go to http://go.compass-usa.com/senate/content/menus.asp.

Across 1st Street from the Capitol is the Supreme Court and its Cafeteria (tel. 202/479-3246), where you may spy a famous lawyer or member of the press, but not any of the justices, who have their own dining room; the cafeteria is open weekdays, 7:30am to 4pm (though it may be closed briefly between noon and 1pm to accommodate Supreme Court employees).

Back in the Capitol, meanwhile, there's the Capitol Visitor Center's (tel. 202/593-1785) mammoth dining hall, which is open 8:30am to 4pm Monday through Saturday, seats 530 people, and serves "meals and snacks that reflect the diverse bounty of America," which translates into the usual hamburgers and hot dogs, croissants and bagels, pizza and pasta, but also specialty sandwiches associated with different pockets of the country, like the New England lobster roll and the Philly cheese steak. You won't see any members of Congress or other political types at the CVC restaurant, but you'll be dining in good company with fellow tourists.