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  1. #1
    ciw is offline Gold level (500+ posts)
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    Default D.C. Moms: Where to eat near the Smithsonian museums/National Mall?

    Wow, it seems like a lot of BBB moms have been traveling to D.C. lately! For those of you who are familiar with the area, can you recommend any lunch spots near the museums? We're planning to hit the Museum of Natural History when it opens, then meet up with friends for lunch, and then hopefully visit the Air and Space Museum. My concern is that this schedule will mean we'll be eating lunch around 12:30 and I'm guessing that on a Saturday the lines to the museum restaurants at this hour will be overwhelming. We'll have my toddler plus a friend with us who is seven months pregnant. I'd hate to make a pregnant mama wait an hour in line for lunch at a museum cafeteria but I also don't want to make her walk too far to go somewhere else either. We don't want to taxi away from the mall since we hope to hit another museum after lunch. I'd bring a picnic lunch and we'd eat outdoors but I don't think that would be too comfortable for her either -- plus it's just too cold right now! Any suggestions?

  2. #2
    weech is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    I know this is probably of zero help to you, but I've always found it easier to just eat at one of the museums (Natural History is my fave ). Days at the Smithsonian are so long -- it's really hard to trek somewhere for lunch and trek all the way back for another museum. I don't know of anything close/convenient enough to make it worthwhile (at least for me).
    Rachel
    Momma to my sweet little bubba
    04/2010

  3. #3
    egoldber's Avatar
    egoldber is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    We usually pack in lunch to avoid this problem.

    In between Natural History and Air & Space, you could stop at the Smithsonian Castle (large food court) or at the Museum of the American Indian food court (very large, unusual and the best food on the Mall IMO).
    Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)

  4. #4
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    Eating there can be a pain, we usually bring enough snack food to call it lunch, but that means your bags have to be searched at each museum like an airport almost. At least bring water and a few snacks though. If you choose a restaurant, I second the one in the American Indian museum--yummy, unusual food, though pricey. The Air & Space museum restaurant has a pretty kid-friendly menu. There are always street vendors around with hot dogs, ice cream, and usual junk food. If you are willing to walk the Ronald Reagan food court has lots of choices like a mall and not too long of a wait, and the prices are more reasonable. Haven't eaten at the Castle, so no advice there. Have fun!

    http://www.itcdc.com/explore.php?p=13

  5. #5
    ciw is offline Gold level (500+ posts)
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    Beth,

    If you pack a lunch and the weather is too lousy to eat outside, wear do you eat the food you brought?

  6. #6
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    egoldber is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    We find a table or a bench in a museum and eat there.
    Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)

  7. #7
    ciw is offline Gold level (500+ posts)
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    Hhhmm, now you ladies have me thinking. If lunch at the Mall/museums is too difficult, we could meet our friends for breakfast. But that would mean that we wouldn't get to the musuems until 11 at the earliest. I was hoping there might be slightly less crowds at 10. Do you think the extra hour would make any difference? Another option would be to skip the Mall entirely and go to the Air and Space Museum in Va. and then do lunch in that area. I'm also not opposed to packing a lunch -- provided that there's somewhere to eat so we don't have to eat while standing in the corner of a museum.

    Which option seems the most doable?

  8. #8
    egoldber's Avatar
    egoldber is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Well, this weekend every place on the Mall is going to be crowded. There are fireworks on the Mall that night, the blossom festival, Opening Weekend for the Nationals, etc.

    Do your friends live in the area? Are they trying to accommodate you by going to the Mall?

    Udvar-Hazy is interesting, but it is not the National Mall.
    Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)

  9. #9
    ciw is offline Gold level (500+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by egoldber View Post
    Well, this weekend every place on the Mall is going to be crowded. There are fireworks on the Mall that night, the blossom festival, Opening Weekend for the Nationals, etc.

    Do your friends live in the area? Are they trying to accommodate you by going to the Mall?

    Udvar-Hazy is interesting, but it is not the National Mall.
    Ugh, that's not good news about the crowds. Friends are from the other coast but are in town for work. We were trying to work a museum in mainly for DS. We're a hike from D.C. but don't live so far away that I feel compelled to get every museum in, particularly since DH and I have done them all before and I'm not sure how much a three-year-old is going to get out of the museums. Honestly, just a look at the woolly mammoth would probably be enough for DS who likes dinosaurs and looooves elephants. But I think he might enjoy the Air and Space Museum too.

    If it was just a family trip, we would just pack a lunch and visit the museums (we always brown-bagged it when visiting D.C. as kids too) but I'm not sure that works for this situation. I'm totally stumped about what to do.

  10. #10
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    There's also a cafe in the Sculpture Garden on the Mall that I like. It's small though. It tends to attract locals. The food at the National History and American Indian museums isn't bad. I seemed to remember not liking the Air and Space...is that the one that's a McDonalds?

    Lunch near Udvar-Hazy will probably consist of something from a national chain if you go off property. I've never eaten at their restaurant.

    It's funny, I've been giving advice, and somehow I've been conveniently forgetting that I'll be doing touristy things this weekend too! We have out of town guests.
    Mommy to my wonderful, HEALTHY twin girls
    6/08 - Preemies no more!

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