Mitsitam $$

National Museum of the American Indian [1]
4th St. and Independence Ave. SW
202/633-1000
www.mitsitamcafe.com [2]

HOURS: Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

COST: Most entrées between $10–20

Word is out about this culinary oasis in the desert of National Mall dining options. A cafeteria that steps outside the bounds of salads, wraps, and pizza, Mitsitam taps its museum’s themes for culinary inspiration: Menu choices include Native American staples such as grilled venison, cedar-planked roasted salmon and bison, and Mesoamerican foods that include chorizos and green-pepper peach salsa.

The setting is institutional, with the exception of the wood-paneled dining room that echoes the building’s curves, but the aroma rising from its open fires lends it an ambience not normally found in a museum canteen.

Avoid the crowds by planning a late meal, around 1:30 p.m.