Good Salad Bar Quick and convenient Good service and staff has great attitudes. Ambiance is like that of any crystal city office building deli. If a really good place for a quick lunch. read more

I shall start from good to bad. The food is great. The store is clean. The young Asian lady behind the register is outstanding. But many of us no longer patronize the Jefferson Cafe because of the one slim tallish Latina lady who works behind the counter. She is rude and unpleasant. She rolls her eyes and portrays a negative disposition as if we the customers are asking for some miracle. I initial thought perhaps something negative had happened to her and like many (although wrong) she was simply projecting but this appears to be an everyday-I-go-there thing. Then I taught it was just me...perhaps she simply doesn't like me. Then I met eight others experiencing the same issue and believe it or not two of them I work with!!! The previous couple who owned/ran the cafe were either oblivious or simply ignored this young lady's behavior... we believe the latter. When the new owners came, we were hoping for change, either in the young lady's attitude or simply replacing her. Nothing. Thank goodness there are other cafes within walking distance. read more

For our recent visit to DC, we decided to stay at the Crowne Plaza Suites Crystal City in Arlington. This cafe is literally a 5-minute walk from the bed I slept in to the cafe. It is ridiculously close! lol We came here a couple of times during our stay, and it was perfect for what we needed! Prices were very reasonable relative to other places in the area. I feel like this cafe is here more to accommodate the office workers in the adjacent office building, but whatever. They serve tasty food at very fair prices. First visit I had the chicken sandwich with fries. The sandwich was generously sized and tasted outstanding! It was messy good! The fries were ok. They were thinner than some, but not shoestring fries either. Second visit I got a big breakfast for $6.75 (or so) and it was the perfect quick, cheap affordable breakfast before we jumped on the train to go and explore the National Mall. Employees were friendly and helped us out when we had questions and whatnot. The only real complaint I have is that, as others have mentioned in their reviews, is that they don't open on time. We decided mid-week to bounce over to Boston to catch a quick game at Fenway (a bucket list item for me :) and whatever else we could cram in. Our flight was quite early but we would depart for the airport at 6:30 am. We were hoping to be there right at 6 am and grab a bite before jumping on the shuttle. At 6:10 am that morning the place was still pitch black and locked up. Bah. That sucks. I would have loved to have eaten there some more. When we got back from Boston they were closed for the weekend, otherwise we would have been here a couple more times. Still a solid spot to go to if you are staying in the Crowne Plaza during the week. I went back and forth between giving Jefferson Cafe 3 or 4 stars, but I'm going to round up because I want to! 4 stars. read more

See all

This is a decent cafe.It is located in the "Underground" Crystal City Shops. They have typical cafe foods such as salad, fruit, sandwiches, burgers, and wraps. They also have daily specials. They use to have a buffet, which has stopped since COVID. After a brief deliberation, I got a Reuben sandwich with fries for my meal. They have some indoor and outdoor patio seating available. There is a TV in the indoor dining area that had on the news while I was there. I opted to eat in. My food was prepared very quick. I would say about 5 minutes, and was fresh. The meal was decent. It was not the best Reuben I have had, but I have had much worse. One of my main issues with the place is that they charge $1 for fountain drink refills. Seriously! This is a solid lunch option for the Crystal City area, especially considering the food establishments in the Underground are a dying breed. read more

Food is fine -- but VERY expensive (tuna sandwich, chips, drink and a cookie: $16.75)! Go to Subway for a 6-inch anything, chips and drink for $10 (cookie = $1. Or SweetGreens for something super-nutritious and healthy for $13. Used to go here regularly -- not anymore. read more

This place is incredible! The breakfast burrito is amazing. After you eat it, you want more even though you know you are not hungry. After finding this place, we went back the next day. And would keep going if we weren't leaving town. They also accommodate KD my GF needs with removing the tortilla. My husband said this was the best breakfast burrito he ever had and he's a connoisseur. I agree. I'm not even a big fan of green bell peppers and they made them taste good to me! I also had the spicy pork special over rice and it was delicious. Highly recommend this gem of a place! read more

Jefferson Cafe - The Downtown burrito without tortilla - Cafes Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I came here with my boss for a quick lunch. I saw the great reviews on yelp and how good their sandwiches are. We both ended up getting a chicken sandwhich with honey mustard , roasted peppers and more fixings. The panini was good however the lettuce got soggy from the hot chicken. The sandwhich comes with a free bag of chips. Overall the sandwich was reasonably priced. They had a hot and cold food bar in which I got a small scoop of mac n cheese and a small scoop of veggies. The food on both bars looked good and there was a variety of choices. I would be happy to visit this place again as it was clean too. read more

This little cafe is mostly for the office buildings around the area. That being said I work at one of those office and eat lunch here EVERY Wednesday. Their buffet for lunch is just okay. I've had it once and it offers the same stuff as any of the lunch buffets in the area. A mix between American and Asian foods that are mostly over salted. BUT that's not why you come here. Their "over the rice" options are amazing! I usually get the chicken over rice, but once have opted for the steak. I didn't particularly like the steak because it wasn't chopped up well enough and it wasn't seasoned as good as the chicken. My coworker always get the lamb and swears by it! Based off all of the other reviews, too, I'm going to have to try he lamb next week! The over the rice bowls come with 3/4 yellow basmati(I think) rice and 1/4 salad mixture( ice burg lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion). You top it with your choice of meat and they add grilled onions and peppers, and tzatziki sauce. if you want it spicy they will add what I think is sriracha and chopped jalapeño. The portions are big too! I usually eat half for lunch and half for dinner! Getting a bowl and a large bottle of water costs me $11! Jefferson cafe also offers a lunch and breakfast menu. The lunch menu consists of cold and hot sandwiches salads, soups, etc. I haven't tried the subs or sandwiches yet but there is always a line here during the lunch rush so their other options must be just as good. I also haven't been for breakfast but I know they sell breakfast sandwiches that I heard are really good. There's no need to go out of your way for this but if you are in the area, you should stop by! read more

Was in town to meet a new team member and weren't familiar with the area. Went through the underground mall in Crystal City to get there. I ordered the roast beef panini and my team member ordered the Caesar salad. She ended up with a wrap of some sort. The meat on my sandwich was very thick cut and not terribly flavorful. I ended up not finishing the sandwich or the fries and leaving still a little bit hungry. read more

Jefferson Cafe only exists to support the office buildings nearby so definitely do not plan a trip around it. That being said, I personally prefer this place over nearby Soho. Soho is flashier, but I like the food better here. It is mainly a buffet line and you pay by the pound so it is super expensive. If you go here, get Over the Rice. It's amazing and is what keeps this place in business (Oh, and the breakfast sandwiches). read more

This place is tally a lunch spot for workers in the Crystal City area. The food here is pretty good, if you're going to get something, I definitely recommend getting the lamb or chicken over rice or over salad if you're trying to be healthier. You cant go wrong with either of those options and they are delicious! If you like hot sauce, definitely get the extra hot sauce. The portions here are a pretty good size.if you work in the Crystal City area, you have to stop by and try this place out. They also have 2 buffet bars and sell sandwiches as well. read more

Very great place to grab breakfast or lunch. Only thing I dislike is when I'm up getting ready for work around 6am and it says they're open, however, I walk over there and all the lights are off and doors are locked. Whoever is managing the place needs to do a better job. read more

Three tried and test words, "Lamb Over Rice". It's the only reason (in my utmost humble opinion) for coming to Jefferson Cafe. Much like other reviewers have mentioned, this place isn't anything to getting excited about. The decor is bland, the buffet on the smaller side, but oh those "three little words" have propelled this place from two-star dreadfulness to four-star glory. Over the top writing aside, any "over the rice" meal is worth the trip if you work in the area. The dish comprises a small salad, rice, with great grilled meat, and a tzatziki and hot sauce combination on top. Try it... read more

Best go to restaurant for workers and area residents for breakfast and lunch. Has aa good variety of choices. Quality ingredients and awesome service. I love their signature "Spicy Lamb Over Rice" dish. Loved it the first time and I can never get enough of it. read more

Jefferson has redone their menu. I don't know if they read my previous review here criticizing them for not being all that healthy, but their new menu has some pretty good wraps and not as many gut-busters. I really like the Peking Wrap in particular. I've started coming to Jefferson more often now to get a wrap when I'm not in the mood for soup from Green Leaf's / Soup Nutsy down the hallway. read more

Wasn't where I could find it in the maps but just happened to run into it when I was about to give up. Look for JEFFERSON PLAZA! I wanted breakfast but was too late...I got an egg salad sandwich. Delicious! read more

Jefferson Cafe - My view. - Cafes Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

A very convenient cafe for breakfast or lunch due to its location. Although the prices are a bit higher, the quality is much better compared to other cafeterias nearby. read more

Jefferson Cafe is probably my breakfast spot now as they will cook fried eggs per request! Why am I so crazy about fried eggs? Well its common in many Thai dishes so I'll order it for breakfast and eat it with my leftovers (Thai food). read more

They have the best lamb over rice ever. I work close by the place and almost eat lunch there four times a week. They do have great sandwiches also but the lamb over rice is something else !!! Must try. read more

Strange little place, but I had a yummy bacon, egg, and cheese bagel and fresh fruit for a reasonable price. They were open at 6am when I had to go to ask early meeting, so that was a definite plus! read more

The rice bowls are great! I love their lamb rice bowls... If you ever get it and like spicy, ask for extra spicy. They add a lot of dressing which is why it is a 4 and not a 5. read more

Not as good as their rival Soho cafe but still worth a visit. Decent array of food selections & the staff is nice too.