Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Mitsitam Cafe

    3.5 (572 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Cafes
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Mitsitam Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    MITSITAM CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Touristy
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Mitsitam Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Roger Renzo R.

    I went to this Cafe 15 minutes before it closed, but the staff was really nice. This was my first time trying this native American food, and the taste was similar to Mexican, but with some modifications in the spices they used. The place seemed clean, and with a lot of seats available.

    Linnea E.

    Best dining option on the Mall! Museum prices but you get your moneys worth and there are actually good options, not just chicken nuggets and pizza. Everything is served cafeteria style with multiple stations serving different options. The fry bread taco is my personal fave and sometimes I'll swing by just to have it for lunch and then walk through the museum. The dining area is also very nice with a view of the outdoor water feature. It also tends to be less crowded than say the Museum of National History which typically has more kids and families.

    Fry Bread Beignets
    Antwon C.

    We decided to check out this cafe for a late lunch before heading to museum. I decided to go with the chicken tostada. The chicken was flavorful and all the toppings were crisp and fresh. The crema complimented the dish well. For dessert tried the fry bread beignets they were good the honey was good with them. Service was good.

    Jai Y.

    I had the chicken mole tostada, apple agua fresca, corn pudding , and succotash. My wife had the fried bread taco. Everything was extremely delicious except the apple agua fresca which was meh. It tasted water downed and pretty flavorless.

    Fry bread taco
    Sharon L.

    Try out some native american foods at this café inside the National Museum of the American Indian. The fry bread taco, mole tostada, and cornbread were all pretty tasty. A good place for lunch on the National Mall while exploring Smithsonian museums. The café is cafeteria style: grab a tray, head to a station and order your food, then checkout at the register before finding a table to sit down. Complete cafeteria experience by placing the tray on the tray carousel when finished!

    3 side sampler
    Lynn W.

    The food was very tasty in this cafeteria style restaurant within the Smithsonian American Indian Museum. The menu features indigenous meals are there is a wide variety of offerings. There are different stations with different types of food so it was perfect for a large group of people to each get what they wanted to eat. I tried the three side sampler (which was quite affordable at $12.95). I chose buttered squash salad, marinated mushrooms and Indian Pudding. The pudding was amazing with a cranberry sauce on top. I had never eaten that before but always wondered what was in it. It is like a cornbread cake. It is self serve but the manager was great about opening up a new checkout line when the line was getting long.

    Chili Special and Peach Frybread
    Tom P.

    As museum restaurants go, this is in the top tier in the district. They offer an array of Native American inspired foods along with some Southern and Mexican foods. I like that they go out of their way to offer more flavor than the plain vanilla options at most of the Smithsonian's. And although you are in a dining hall, it is comfortable with some nice windowed views of the outside water features. Lastly, and maybe it was just the day I was there, EVERYONE in the museum was so nice. From the guards at the door, to the information attendants, to the service staff in the restaurant. Very nice people.

    Vegetarian tamale was so good.
    Amy Lauren S.

    I visited this museum JUST to eat at Mitsitam café when I was in the district for a conference. It was a very cold day, so indoor dining was my only option, and I wanted a food item that I can't normally get back home. I had a calabaza, sweet onion, and toasted pepitas tamale with ranchera sauce, which was vegetarian. I appreciated vegetarian options that were marked. The tamale was warm and flavorful, although the portions are a little small for the price points. Since I was supporting the Smithsonian and the museums are free to enter, I was fine paying a little extra than I'm used to. Some food options like tamales, fry bread tacos, tostadas, stews, and bison may be a little exotic for little ones, but you can get a regular hamburger, cheeseburger, or packaged snack items. If you're an adult, Mitsitam is the best food you will find at any of nearby the Smithsonian museums. If you want to refill your water bottle or get a cup of water, there's a fountain/refill station on the way out of the restaurant.

    Mischa J.

    I recently came here and tried Native American food for the first time. I had the fry bread taco with braised pork and okra. The dish I had was also topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, shredded jack cheese, cilantro, and jalapenos. I thought that everything I tried was great! I just wish that there would be more Native inspired drinks as well. For dessert I had the Mitsitam cookie, which was made with Native inspired ingredients, like blue cornmeal for example. I highly recommend giving this place a try, because this is the only Native American eatery, restaurant, and food court that I have personally ever come across in the area.

    Bison sausage
    Doug P.

    Service is good. Employees were very friendly. The atmosphere is nice. They have some interesting food choices. I really enjoyed the Buffalo sausage but would pass on the sauerkraut next time. My wife had the chicken tenders and they were excellent with a generous serving of French fries

    Michelle V.

    Had the chance to try indigenous food here before exploring the museum. It's been on my bucket list for a long time, so I was very excited. You pick your own drinks and snacks cafeteria-style, and there are four menus to which you can order food over-the-counter. I recommend walking around to see your options before ordering. The seating area feels like a cafeteria. I sat by the window to see the beautiful fountain. I got the roasted rainbow beets (with watercress, charred leeks, and hazelnut vinaigrette), corn pudding (with maple butter and walnut-and-cranberry gremolata), and mamoon cakes. I was initially going to get wild rice salad instead of the beets, but the person behind the counter told me that the wild rice salad is pretty much disassembled mamoon cakes and encouraged me to get something else. Rainbow beets: I'm a huge fan of beets, and their natural flavor was delicious, complemented by the leeks and the slightly sweet vinaigrette. Corn pudding: This was hearty. The gremolata was very tart and I would recommend eating it little by little so it doesn't overpower the corn pudding. Felt like a flatter cornbread. Mamoon cake: This was dry, kind of like a biscuit. It is compact wild rice. It had a savory flavor. I kind of wish I got this with the salmon. It was tasty although I wish I could try it hot and fresh. Overall this was a filling meal that jumpstarted my day. I will try other things if I came back, and I would look forward to seeing the rotating menu!

    Mary C.

    I had heard the Mitsitam Cafe was one of the better museum cafeterias, but I really don't think it's worth going to at all :( Even if you are starving, go elsewhere (like a food truck!) As expected for museum food, it was VERY pricey (like $4 for a teeny tiny corn muffin, or $20+ for anything substantial, this 3 sides combo option was over $15...) and the food is very mediocre, borderline bad. We got the kale which was cold, the wild rice which was also cold, and the sweet potato cake (the only thing that was warm) but also flavorless

    Peruvian Chicken, Wild Mushroom Salad
    Chelsea C.

    One of the few places you can actually get native food in the area, and it happens to be in a great museum. Its also probably one of the best cafes in the whole Smithsonian branch because you can see the attention to regional specificity they alot to their exhibitions and collections. Here, there is a wide breadth of interpretation when it comes to what is native food, but leaning into more earthy flavors is pretty much the way to go. There is a wide variety of offerings to suit anyone's palette. Since its in a federal building, they probably cannot get too experimental with their sourcing and ingredients but the spirit of this being a Native-style cafe is unlike a lot of after cafeteria spots so I'll take it. Fry bread is not common on a menu so we made the order, and it was good, topped very similar to a taco salad. The Peruvian chicken I got was a bit cold, but well seasoned and flavorful with the cilantro sauce it came with.

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 51
    Thanks 19
    Love this 45
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aimee A.
    2335
    958
    5480

    2 months ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 4
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 32
    Thanks 9
    Love this 31
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Doug P.
    27
    412
    1399

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    21 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rebecca T.
    1039
    1634
    8608

    2 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 3
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike V.
    849
    1712
    670

    2 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 2
    Love this 9
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Love the Indian Tacos! Every time I'm in DC I go here just for lunch! Also the views of the little waterfall are gorgeous.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Trey L.
    124
    33
    2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Kai P.
    0
    14
    0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 15

    Ask the Community - Mitsitam Cafe

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for American 12,196 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Unconventional Diner - Tip-Top Chop

    Unconventional Diner

    4.4(3.4k reviews)
    1.3 miShaw, Downtown
    $$

    Yep. If you're reading this, you should just make that reservation and go... and yes, I would…read morerecommend a reservation because this place is pop-u-lar, and I see why. The space itself is bright and airy and a bit on the noisy side. But the service was very good, and the food was served quite quickly. I've been on a shakshuka kick lately, so I opted for the the Sweet Potato Shakshuka, which is described as: Sweet Potato Curry, with Chickpeas and Sunny Eggs with a the chicken add-on - gotta get that protein in, after all. This was one of the most unique shakshukas I'd ever had... It literally tasted like a curry dish you might get at your local Indian restaurant, with a bit of a brunch flair to it. The curry itself had a wee bit of spice and was a bit sweet - but that could have been from the sweet potatoes. The chicken was served in a bowl on the side, which felt a bit... odd... I would've expected it to be incorporated into the main dish. It was kind of bland and a bit lukewarm, so I don't know that I'd order that again... but I would definitely order this again!

    Took two out of town visitors to brunch as they were staying nearby... my first time here. We…read morearrived at 2:30 without reservations on a weekday and it was fine. I had the corned beef hash, with was the most different interpretation of this classic dish that I had ever eaten. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious! But my first time seeing it presented as follows: both the corned beef and the potatoes were cooked in small, separate cubes, not blended or mashed together. As such, a whole new textural experience for the dish. They have both ample inside and sidewalk tables, and great service.

    Photos
    Unconventional Diner - Space is large, bright, and contemporary.  Reservations recommended.

    Space is large, bright, and contemporary. Reservations recommended.

    Unconventional Diner - Caribbean Shrimp & Grits

    Caribbean Shrimp & Grits

    Unconventional Diner - Lebanese Fried Rice

    See all

    Lebanese Fried Rice

    The Smith - Potato Chips

    The Smith

    3.9(1.8k reviews)
    0.7 miPenn Quarter
    $$

    Excellent lunch at The Smith! We came in for a late lunch without a reservation. We had our baby…read moreand stroller with us, and they were able to seat us with enough room for our stroller next to the table. We could tell that they had all the families with little kids grouped to one side of the restaurant, and we felt that was clever and convenient. The food was great! We both got salads. I loved the snap pea chicken salad. And my husband really liked the soba noodle salmon salad. He had a Bloody Mary, and I had a yummy mocktail. Everything was great, including the service!

    First, the service. Our waitress said they had "Coke products," so I ordered a Coke. I am from…read moreAtlanta, so you can't trick me. If that Coke wasn't a Pepsi, it was definitely a Coke Zero or Diet Coke. It tasted awful. Now, the food. The fries were pretty decent, but the au jus that came with my French dip wasn't hot, and it wasn't enough for the whole sandwich. The bread is supposed to get lost in the au jus with every bite. I had to ask for another boat. The menu said the sandwich had Gruyère, but if it was there, I couldn't taste it. I could taste horseradish and arugula. It wasn't worth the $33 menu price. The ambiance is a bit loud. The restaurant is very reverb-y, so I heard lots of talking (though some of it was probably due to the music's being too loud), but the waitstaff didn't compensate, so it was hard to hear their voices.

    Photos
    The Smith - 3/27/25 At the bar!

    3/27/25 At the bar!

    The Smith - Chicken

    Chicken

    The Smith - Restaurant space

    See all

    Restaurant space

    The Salt Line - Oysters

    The Salt Line

    3.9(857 reviews)
    1.3 miNavy Yard
    $$

    Outside Bar. Service was great. Bartenders (Alexia great Ink & Jason) were friendly, smiles every…read moresingle customer. Fish Sandwich was really tiny but with Fries or Greens It was really good. Decided to order the Waterman's Catch(table behind me had ordered it OMG) Best thing about it, the Cole Slaw. It has a vinegar base. So good. Everything was fried hard hard hard batter peeled off( order not so hard) Comes with Fish(only had small piece fried so dark dark brown) 4 Scallops but there were 3 tiny pieces of deep fried crusty something that we thought tasted like Calamari. Subbed out Oysters for extra Shrimp. A lot of Shrimp, batter peeled right off so that was good for dipping in the Cocktail Sauce. Fries were ok. Order with Fish Sandwich we're so much better. Great price for $$. Good Music. Great view. Lots of laughs throughout bar. Would be good bar for Drinks and try the Baked Pimento Crab Tip...next time.

    The oysters and cocktails were absolutely delicious and easily the highlight of the meal. The…read moreservice and atmosphere made for a great evening. Unfortunately, the entrees didn't live up to the rest of the experience. The crab pasta was very bland and lacked flavor. The biggest disappointment, though, was the North Shore roast beef. As someone familiar with a true North Shore roast beef, this wasn't even close--it resembled an Arby's roast beef sandwich more than the classic, thinly sliced, rare roast beef piled high on an onion roll. I'd definitely come back for the oysters and drinks, but I'd skip those two entrees.

    Photos
    The Salt Line - SHRIMP COCKTAIL

    SHRIMP COCKTAIL

    The Salt Line - Crab Roll with crispy Brussels sprouts substituted

    Crab Roll with crispy Brussels sprouts substituted

    The Salt Line - Restaurant View

    See all

    Restaurant View

    matchbox

    matchbox

    4.1(589 reviews)
    0.6 miPenn Quarter
    $$
    Happy hour specials
    Kid friendly

    Matchbox is undefeated to me! I've had so many occasions here for their brunch because it's just…read moreworth it! This time I came in for their lunch special and met my cousin to catch up. Parking for me was pretty easy as I found street parking right in front of the restaurant, my cousin parked in the garage. This matchbox is pretty big and it was decorated really nice. We were seated immediately for lunch and our server assisted us with the lunch options. I chose the mushroom pizza and soup. And my cousin had apple pear and soup of the day. For the $14.99 price it was worth it we had pizza left to take home. Pizza * Margherita * Pepperoni & Hot Honey * Fig & Prosciutto * Truffle + Wild Mushroom * Chicken Pesto Salad * Simple Salad * Caesar Salad * Apple Pear Salad Soup * Cream of Crab Soup * Soup of the Day

    Service is fantastic! Ambiance is a sporty vibe, fun-filled,…read moregood for groups. Food is okay. For $34 All-You-Can-Eat Brunch and the opportunity to sample EVERYTHING, yes, you read that right, EVERYTHING, on the menu, within 2-hours, is a steal and downright criminal...but you won't be arrested, just FULL! For an additional $25, you can have All-You-Can-Eat Drinks. You can choose from Bloody Mary's, Strawberry Lemonade Margaritas, Peach Bellinis, Old Fashions, again, robbery. They keep the food and drinks coming. We sampled everything from the Pesto Chicken Pizza. Small sized vs personal. Fried Chicken Wings come with either Old Bay, Mambo Sauce or Buffalo. Can't go wrong with either. You get about 4 in the sample. Catfish is fried and seasoned to perfection. Comes with a side of bland and our initial serving was cold grits, as if they were pre-plated. The portion is about 2 full tablespoons, in a miniature 2.5 oz. stainless steel sauce round. Steak and eggs with potatoes is a slivered serving of steak, cooked to your doneness but unseasonably and tough. Eggs scrambled with Cheddar. Potatoes were small round home fries. 3, 6, 9 Burgers are Beef Sliders topped with a mound of shoestring Onion Rings. You can choose between a leg or breast for their Chicken & Waffle. The Waffle's, two (2) pieces of one (1) half (2 quarter pieces.) There's SO MUCH to choose from. We didn't even get to the Pancakes and French Toast offerings. Again, you have two (2) hours to Eat ALL You Can. In, the words of my Beloved grandmother, "Don't let your eyes become bigger than your stomach." Good for groups and those who are budget-conscious, who want to maximize their entire experience.

    Photos
    matchbox
    matchbox
    matchbox

    See all

    Mitsitam Cafe - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...