Cascade Café

Lunch on a winter weekday meant no school groups and a quiet place to eat. I enjoyed the chicken salad bowl prepared with only the options I chose. My friend enjoyed her slice of pizza. A lovely place to eat while visiting the National Gallery of Art, if you manage to do so on a non-crowded day.

I was very disappointed today. I've been here before and thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed sitting by the waterfall while I eat. Unfortunately, today the food was cold. I thought I would get something warm, so I've got the chicken fingers and fries basket. Did not work out well. I also really like it when they give you a little cup put your catsup and other sauces in. Yes, I am one of those people that does not want to put their sauce directly on their food. The pumpkin pie was good though.

Last time I visited the Cascade Cafe was over ten years ago with Mom. At the time the food was reataurant level food and they gave discounts to government employees. We had a proper meal. Today....not so good. I had skipped breakfast so I did order a lost. But the Spicy Italian sandwich was not spicy, the Cola cost four dollars PER can, on the other hand the cake and chips were good. But it cost too much. Even for museum food. This was art museum food I guess. I guess you're paying for the atmosphere?

The wonderful Chef's Special is gone. Salad, pizza, sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers are available. More changes to come. There's a 10 percent senior discount.

The guy at the grill is a mind reader, he handed us a hot plate of delicious French fries without us actually ordering and then we also got a Coke. That gave us enough energy to finish our four mile art walk. French Fries $6.85 Can Soda $4.20 Tax $1.11 Order#154886 - thanks 🙏

Cafeteria style with variety choice, salad, hamburger, pizza, etc. Price was high, though.

For a cafe in a museum, the food options are not great. It's mostly low grade fast food like pizza, hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, etc. They do have a salad bar bit again, generally disappointing.

Disclaimer: I only had coffee here because food was not available. Checking the menu it seems overpriced My cortado was decent; service could have been better; the icecream has the most vivid(ie fake) colors I ve ever seen; seating area is neat even though sterile, and the cascade is ok. A lot of bathrooms. They close at 5pm

This "cafeteria-style" cafe is cleverly located. It's in a vast underground space off a major connecting walkway/tunnel, with a glass-enclosed cascading waterfall as a focal point. The waterfall is a lovely spot for souvenir photos and many folks take advantage of it. CC accommodates a tremendous number of people. Since both the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institution draw so many visitors, CC is a good spot to rest. I like to take a break here; to grab a drink or something light to eat when viewing the world class art (all free) that the National Mall offers. Over the course of time, I've found that desserts are good; fries are tasty; drinks are plentiful; and sandwiches (cold and hot) are average. The Espresso & Gelato Bar, a separate food concession, is located next door and complements it. I'm glad that CC, with its endless number of tables and chairs, is here. It allows me to sit and catch my breath as well as get recharged for a full day of museum-going.

My wife and I popped in for lunch during our museum visit on a pleasant Saturday downtown. Their menu offers a few hot and cold choices some made to order. My wife simply ordered a grilled cheese sandwich while I got a soup/sandwich combo with chicken noodle soup and a caprese sandwich. The staff working were aloof and not too friendly which was disappointing. My chicken soup lacked any flavor and my sandwich only slightly better. My wife did enjoy her grilled cheese. The highlight for us was sitting near the waterfall and people watching as folks went to and fro between the west and east galleries.

Terrible food and an expensive price. Truly, the NGA leadership should find a better caterer and source for food. This used to be such a delight to eat here. Now it is five dollars for a bag of chips, $13 for a crusty Turkey sandwich with lots of bread and no filler, or $14 for some chicken tenders. They even charge you $.50 for a cup for your free water. I live in DC and used to enjoy coming here for a meal before I took in the art. Not sure what happened since Covid but leadership needs to take another look at this. Really a disaster.

The cafe is located inside the National Gallery of Art. There are pre made sandwiches and salads, along with "grab and go" items in the chilled section. The items are a bit pricey, but typical for a DC museum. We didn't want to leave the building until we had seen all the exhibits we could cram into one day. There is a pizza station but it was closed the day we visited. There are hot items including fries and burgers. The sandwiches were great. The only item I didn't like was the mushy croutons on my salad. There is a sofa fountain and a selection of bottled and canned drinks. The cascading waterfall is worth a photo.

Wow, it's crazy to see how low the rating is here. I guess most people aren't going to bother reviewing a cafeteria-style museum cafe, and the tourists love to complain how expensive it can be, but personally, I find this to be one of the better places to eat on the Mall. The setting wins me over the most, I suppose. While it is underground, a lovely fountain spills into the glassed in area that also lets natural light in from the street level above. It's always fun to approach the cafe (or leave it) via the east building to ride the "Space Mountain moving walkway" as I like to call it. The twinkling lights always remind me of Disneyland, without the long lines, of course. But I digress, back to the cafe. Is it amazing food? No, but it has a nice variety of sandwiches and prepared food along with a "Build Your Own Salad" station, in which they will, shockingly, build you a salad. This was my choice on my last visit, and I was pleasantly surprised at the selection of ingredients to toss in beyond the usual salad bar fare, including such items as whole beets, Brussels sprouts, hard boiled eggs, etc. I genuinely enjoyed eating my salad while staring at the fountain cascading in front of me and watching museum guests transit from one side of the complex to the next. Compared to its competition around the rest of the Mall, you could certainly do a lot worse.

A museum as wonderful as the National Gallery should be embarrassed to host a cafeteria as sub-par as this one. The servers were silent and grim, the fries cold and the burger bare-bones and a bit dry. My wife's 'turkey sandwich' had some turkey in it, somewhere. This and two sodas cost $45. The dining area is spacious which made the sound of the attendant throwing chairs around even more annoying. Even the beautiful cascade fountain wouldn't lure me back to this place.

It's extremely expensive with very bad quality of food. The fries were cold! It's self serving place but asked for tips. It's horrible and I don't recommend at all.

Not fair they make you give at least one star. What a cluster. Not enough staff. Long lines. Long wait for food that's gross and overpriced. Eat before you come. They don't even try.

Got a Smashburger. The meat smelled like Old re-cooked meat and tasted horrible. The fries were OK and the ambience is nice if you want a nice place to relax, just sit down and look at the waterfall and don't order any food.

For the convenience of a place to eat while browsing fine art, this place is what you could expect. However, don't expect to modify any of the pre-prepared food they have for sale. Not sure if that is a COVID measure or if it's always been that way. If you have food allergies (i.e., egg allergy), avoid this place. As an example: All of the sandwiches have mayo already on them and you can't get one that isn't already dressed. Would t it make more sense to have the mayo as a condiment that people can add as they see fit? For the price, you're better off going to one of the many food trucks that are located just outside.

This is a sad review to write. I work nearby so to treat myself I walk over to the gallery cafe for lunch. I haven't been in a year due to work travel. Today at lunch I discovered dirty plates, stale pita bread, lots of canned or overly ripe food in the salad bar. And there were hairs all over including in the cups and at my table. I ended up throwing away most of my $13.50 salad/tapas. I will not eat here again.

Pretty cafe and conveniently located inside the National Gallery of Art. It's got plenty of space and beautiful view of a waterfall. Service was quick for a Sunday morning, but staff was rude and indifferent. I just paid $30 for a chicken salad, a cookie and a coffee. Grossly overpriced...most if the veggies were definitely canned and not fresh. Disappointing.

Sorry but you can't find a greater letdown after a morning of walking the beautiful galleries than stepping into this place. The food is predictable and bland and not especially affordable. Chicken fingers were bland. Fries were terrible. Only reason to go here is the location and really nice view of the fountain cascading down the steps.

Went to the espresso and gelato today for an afternoon pick me up with my four teenage children. We had questions about the gelato, but were rudely answered that signs were there. You don't order where the gelato is - you order far away. So when we ordered according to the sign, they of course don't have what we ordered. No apologies- no offer to help. The supervisor smarted off that we didn't know what we were talking about. I would definitely not recommend coming here due to the rude and unpleasant staff.

This restaurant is under the East Building of the National Gallery and has lots of seating and a view of a waterfall. This might not be the best food you'll ever eat, but I would rate above most of the food at the other museums (but below Mitisam in the Museum of American Indians) on The Mall. The salad bar had many interesting choices...wheatberry, beets with goat cheese, orzo, waldorf salad. The price is by weight and my sampling of each type of salad plus a roll was just over $7. My daughter had a turkey and brie grilled sandwich and we both had bottled drinks for a total of $27.

Overall: Wonderful surroundings with a courtyard filled with greenery and beautiful orchids. Opaque skylight overhead. Even with most tables full, it was rather serene. Cafe: Side room off of courtyard where you order and pay at the counter. If you are offended by plastic utensils and paper plates & bowls - then move on. Food: I ordered the tomato bisque with grilled cheese sandwich. Bisque was favor full and grilled cheese reminded me of my childhood with the crust being cutoff. My wife ordered the avocado toast with smoked salmon covered with some radishes and cukes. The only issue she had was the inability to cut the open faced sandwich with the tiny plastic knife. Dessert was a piece of serviceable carrot cake with a great double espresso for her and a cafe mocha for me. We felt unhurried and after lunch we shot some orchid photos.

In town visiting DC & I popped in to this place desperate for a coffee. I cruised the various food stations & was really impressed at how tasty/healthy/gourmet everything looked. I had my coffee & a chickpea curry soup & it was Amazing! Gorgeous flavor, simple & healthy. My Mama had macaroni, a tomato filled with deviled egg & sausage & veggies with a drink. The price was under $20 for 2! An added pleasure. UPDATE: Dec. 2015: Back for more chickpea curry soup but no luck. Had some great tasting veggies & sweet yams. Because the food is weighed, it was a bit pricey, $13, but I find DC food in this area pricey.

Best gelato I've had outside Europe. A small selection of high quality flavors that are actually made from the ingredients in the name. Lemon and raspberry were both the real deal and not overly sweetened. We came back a second day in a row and I had to have the pistachio both times - no artificial green color here, this stuff came straight from the nut. Lattes are also strong and excellent. Lunch options uninspired but for a coffee and ice cream this place is definitely worth a stop.

For a museum cafeteria, the food was pretty good. I'd give it a 3.5. Highlights were the empanadas and the curry chicken salad. Both were stellar and I'd love to have them again tomorrow! The gelato was creamy and delicious. Just give in and have some...it's so worth it! Negatives were that the food by the pound gets very pricey, very quickly and all of the food was pricey for what you get plus the counter employee were pretty curt and seemed constantly annoyed. The employees behind the hot food counter and the empanada section were nice though.

Yes, it's very overpriced here, but hey, I have very fond memories of this place because my parents used to bring me here all the time as a child. I used to love making rounds with my tray, choosing the foods I wanted, paying, and then sitting down to enjoy a lovely meal with the fine view of the waterfall coming and splashing down right next to the window. It was also always neat to look at the tunnel and people mover that led to the East Building, which had a roof that looked like you were entering some intergalactic wormhole. This last time I was here, we ordered two croissants, apple juice, and a coffee for $12. Yes, it was outrageously overpriced, but do you really expect anything different from a museum store or cafe? It's not like you'd come here to eat if you weren't visiting the museum. For me, at least, coming here always invokes warm childhood memories of growing up in the area. I love California, but this is one memory from DC I'll never let fade. I'm always thankful that my parents exposed me to so many fine museums and arts as a child, and finishing the day at Cascade Cafe was, and will always be, the cherry on top!

The Cascade Cafe is a special place, and I highly recommend it as a deserved treat between the West and East Wings of the incomparable National Gallery. Yes, the Cascade Cafe can be a bit pricey, however because there is never, ever, ever a museum entrance fee, paying $4.00 for a gelato suddenly isn't quite as shocking-- and it's damn good gelato! Additionally, I've had many a cup of coffee (free refills) and bowls of soup here that are on par with anywhere else, actually probably a lot cheaper, than anywhere else around this area in DC. You're not going to get soup cheaper at Au Bon Pain around the corner. The ambiance always brings me back to this specific National Mall restaurant. In the cafe, you are sitting underneath the glass pyramids that are in the courtyard area between the two wings, and you will constantly see kids of all ages walk right up the pyramids, look down into the cafe, and clown around. Also, you're sitting next to a waterfall, hence the Cascade, that is running down glass outside--the effect is cool. If you sit here for five minutes, you will see umpteen people have their photo taken in front of that waterfall. Finally, I love the cocoon that is the Cascade Cafe. If you love art, you are basically surrounded by two huge museums full of some incredible pieces and collections, and it feels really good as you drink your coffee, refueling. No one will ever hassle you to leave your table, which I love, so you're free to linger. And, since you got in for free, if you only come in for the Rothko or the Italian Renaissance collection, you don't even have to feel guilty when you spend an equal amount of time savoring your gelato.

Ugh, this cafeteria is an overpriced mess. Don't bother. The burgers are precooked and warmed fresh to order. The pizza tastes like grease on undercooked dough. and the servers are very unfriendly. The even actually go on lunch break leaving precooked food for customers on the counter for self serve while the servers are gone to lunch at 2:30 p.m.(BTW they serve between 11 and 4) The only decent thing I found was the baked chick but it was $9 for a small quarter. For the life of me I can't see why AAA says a meal in a museum cafe is a must do. It's definitely a must don't.

I was in WDC for the Jon Stewart March for Sanity - Halloween weekend. It was super crowded and a beautiful fall sunny cold day. We wanted to find something cheap to eat but went to the Cascade Cafe instead (ha ha). It was OK priced for being on the mall in a museum and I enjoyed my food. I especially loved my coffee to warm my cold hands! Staff was friendly and cheerful. They have a pretty good selection of food (pizza, hot dogs, sandwiches, soup, salad bar, etc) and for under $10 it's a good deal.

National Art Museum..... Way over priced! The museum is free, the café in the basement was WAY over priced! And it closes at 3! Biggest disappointment on the DC trip. I understand high food prices but a single chicken thigh and one single scoop of Mac-n-cheese was 13$. A noodle bowl 14$ served by the rudest person I've come across( if you're that unhappy get educated and get a better job!) 1pizza 1 chicken thigh 1 scoop(small) Mac-n-cheese 1 noodle bowl 2 small bags of chips 2 milks 1Can cherry coke 1 small fountain drink 50.00$ Add the rude employees into the mix and you get one unhappy family and an extremely disappointed American.

There's nothing amazing about the Cascade Cafe, but it is extremely convenient. I'm not from DC, but I stumbled upon this cafe on two out of three of my trips here. Literally, stumbled - I was walking through the National Gallery of Art and bam - hunger hits. Right place, right time. It looks to be a place that people who work locally frequent because a lot of people who go here have government IDs attached to their belt clip and the cafe even offers a discount for federal workers. As far as the food goes, it's like a cafeteria setting. You walk in, grab a tray and go to each of the stations to scope out what you want to eat. The people who work there are mostly friendly and the food is typical (green beans, corn bread, chicken strips, hot dogs, fries, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, wok station, salad bar, etc). The prices are typical of tourist places, so expect to spend about $10 per person. The seating area is nice and open with a nice view... again, convenience is the main factor.

After wandering around the Degas/Cassatt exhibit, my family and I decided to grab some food. The cafe, which as others pointed out is done cafeteria style, includes a premade sandwich area, a pizza area, a make-your-own pasta area, a rotisserie area, a soup area, a bbq area, a salad bar, and a mediterenean salad and snack bar. I had a salad along with fries and a water. The fries were hot, crispy and delicious. My sister got a turkey sandwich on walnut raisin bread which she seemed to enjoy. My dad got a salad and rotisserie chicken quarter with two sides and my mom got a salad. We all had bottled still or sparkling water. My dad said the chicken was very tender and flavorful. It came out to about 40$ for all of us with the 20% off coupon which we received from my mom's company. We thought the food was very decent, though we also had low expectations based on the reviews. I would definitely come back here if I was at the National Gallery and was too lazy to go elsewhere.

This is a great spot to take a break from all the art upstairs and refuel. It's nothing fancy. They call it a Café when it's really just a Cafeteria, but it's a fairly decent one. They have a pretty wide selection of food. There are salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, pizza, rotisserie chicken, etc ... I had a salad, a big slice of pizza and a small side of pasta. It was a bit pricey, but we fully expected that. Eating at any museum will always be a bit pricey. We found a table near the light tunnel and enjoyed watching people go by as we enjoyed our lunch. Everything was tasty. The staff was pleasant. The place was clean. I'd definitely return the next time I spend a day at the museum.

Do not eat here!!! All the food is crazy over priced and is terrible! Me and my wife had a quick lunch, which was a personal pizza and a tuna sandwich with 2 drinks for $35!!! My sandwich sucked and the pizza was just okay...

We only wanted a cup of tea and a bottle of water, but still waited in the longest long ever with the slowest and most inefficient service I've ever seen. No apologies for the wait. Everything was overpriced. The bakery items looked really unfresh (and of course there was the usual fly hanging around the display case).

Cascades Cafe is one of the cafes inside the National Gallery of Art where you can get drinks and/or food. This place is a cafeteria style next to the bookstore/shop serving sandwiches, pizza, salads, Mediterranean foods, pasta and a grill of which I'm not sure what was being cooked. On this visit I had the Buffalo chicken sandwich with pasta salad. Nice view down the flat escalator and with the waterfall next to the building. Food C Staff C Decor A Location B Health Inspection Grade 2 non-critical violations

I asked for an iced chai latte, and the employee gave me a hot drink so I poured it over ice and it turned out to be a regular latte. He didn't even know what he did wrong. The only part of my order that was correct was the size...would give 0/0 if I could.

Nice location with "view" of the waterfall. Overall food was OK to good. But overpriced (yes I know it's DC) for what was on the menu. Certainly was convenient!

Convenient location. Like most museum cafeteria, food is so-so at best and the prices are way too high. However, the museum is free admission so perhaps everything balances out? Maybe. Had beef stew with Mac-and-cheese and green peas. The vegetables were okay, but the mac&cheese tasted grainy and powdery. The beef stew just had too much meat...and yes that is a problem.

the convenience of this restaurant and the wide selection makes it a good place to go, despite the slightly higher than usual prices. For example, for $24 we had a bowl of rice, cup of coffee, bottle of milk, chocolate cup cake and huge egg salad sandwich with tomatoes. We also really like the condiment bar so we can put as much or as little mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup as we like on our food. Sometimes the staff are surly or seem to have an attitude to visitors but who cares when you're hungry and on your way from one marvelous museum exhibit to another. It's quite roomy and we've always been able to find a table (cafeteria style) even on busy days (weekends). We did find out it closes at 3pm weekdays!

Don't let the name "Cafe" fool you - this is more of a cafeteria (complete with busing your own tray) with a decent selection of food and drinks (including wine and beer), all located within the National Gallery of Art. I had the fried chicken with french fries and biscuits and it was pretty tasty, however feel like the food was way overpriced. However considering the other options in the area, and the fact that it's free to get into the national gallery, I think it's worth it to try at least once.

A can of lemonade was 3.50 not including tax. DO NOT EAT HERE... unless you don't mind torturing your wallet.

Overpriced bad food with very poor attention (next to me one of the servers was making fun of a Russian visitor). Best I eat in The mall on a street food cart, honestly!

I ordered a noodle soup, it was short of salt. No taste and expensive. The ambience is good with the Cascade, but I don't recommend.

Like in any tourist areas, restaurants always overcharge for mediocre, or even below average food. Cascade Cafe at least has some good deals, a beautiful view of a waterfall and air conditioning! You can get an entree + 2 sides for less than $15 per person. Their potatoes are delicious. It is located underground between the West and East Art Museums and there is a gelato shop next door with tons of flavors.

Bland. Artless food prepared by a disinterested crew. Its proximity to the museum, being inside, is the only plus of this sad cafe.

Food was decent, service SUCKED. If you don't like your job, get a new one. What a bad representation of DC. Soup/sandwich lady working 1130 on 6/21/18 needs a new job, guy serving hamburgers wasn't much better. Try being happy people.

Nothing fancy but serves the purpose of getting some food while visiting the art museums.

Grabbed some lunch while touring the gallery on a Sunday. I went with the build-your-own salad option and a small bottle of wine. The salad items were fresh and the salad bar itself was pristine. Price was as expected: tourist premium. Convenient and huge dining area with a nice view of the fountain, but the sterile florescent lighting and utilitarian tables definitely bring back memories of hospital cafeteria dining. Choice and convenience are what make this a passable option when visiting this excellent and expansive gallery.

Just had a turkey and cheese sandwich and it was everything I wanted a sandwich to be. Also, the woman who served me my chips complemented my naughty by nature hat and that just means something, you know? Eating a delicious 10$ sandwich at the gallery of art (there's beer here too) and people know about NBN. What more could I want?!

Ordered an iced latte, got some milk with ice in it with a little bit of coffee on top. Four dollars. Ordered a latte - got some stale coffee with a half inch of foamed milk on top. Employees act like you're asking them to roll a boulder uphill for a mile when you order a coffee. Overpriced, especially considering the awful service.

Someone previously called this Cafe an overpriced mess - and I have to agree with this regarding the cafeteria portion. Every single worker had a look on their face as if they were just told they were laid off, and I honestly felt bad asking them to do something that's part of their job. We first went to the pizza station and were going to take a piece of artichoke and goat cheese flatbread when this incredibly horrid and nasty woman yelled at me like I was a small child and said, "YOU DON'T SERVE YOURSELF HERE - READ THE SIGN. YOU DON'T SERVE YOURSELF OVER HERE". Just for the record, there was no sign or any indication anywhere that you weren't supposed to serve yourself in that particular area. In fact, the handles of all the spatulas that were in front of her were facing the customer (so you do the math). That really irked me. The only individual who was pleasant was the cheerful girl in the bakery section - she actually was friendly, although the mini apple bundt cake we purchased was nothing to write home about. The pesto grilled chicken pasta with onions, mushrooms and tomatoes with parmesan was actually really great. Even my 1 year old daughter loved it - but charging almost $15 per pound of salad is ludicrous and angering. The food in the cafeteria is not worth your money. The espresso and gelato bar, on the other hand, was fantastic. Very nice take on an affogato, although as an affogato purist, I was disappointed at the lack of panna. Regardless, I would recommend individuals just to get their lunch (there are sandwiches available) at the espresso and gelato cafe. Do yourself a favor - do NOT go to the cafeteria area!!

Large selection but very overpriced food. I'd recommend the pizza if you need a quick bite while visiting the museums. The sandwiches and other foods were not as good as the pizza, which tasted very fresh both times I've had it. Even at lunch it usually isn't crowded and there is plenty of seating.

I would give 0 star if I could. Terrible service, people working here act like taking your order is the hardest task a human being could do. They don't even have a microwave/something to heat their cold croissants up.

This is a great spot if you're looking to have lunch on the mall. I was meeting a friend for lunch. She was on her lunch break and I was visiting the museums. We had a nice lunch - more upscale than a regular cafeteria. I also had a good strong cup of illy coffee, did a little shopping and a little studying. The natural light that comes in from the cascade window is nice and the place is airy - not as institutional feeling as some of the Smithsonian cafeterias.