Ike’s Eatery

I really miss this place. I was just thinking back to their pudding and cookie cups, reminiscing how me and my interns would make a special trip once every couple of weeks, and slowly eat them over the course of a day. I always ate at the buffet, which was usually pretty vegetarian-​friendly. For breakfast, I developed quite the bad habit of trying to get the everything bagels before they ran out, and of course smothering it with cream cheese. For lunch, Thanksgiving Day was hands down my favorite, and it’s easy to spend more than $ 10 on those heavier items (mashed potatoes, stuffing, and biscuits), so be careful. :) I always thought the hot food took too long to make because I always needed to get back to my desk and get back to work! And it also didn’t matter how nice you were to the woman at the hot bar, she just did not want to be friendly.

Ike’s Eatery is only accessible to White House staffers, interns, and guests. As a White House intern, Ike’s was my most common choice for lunch – and sometimes a good breakfast, too. The food here isn’t spectacular, but it’s decent. The best part of Ike’s is its convenience and privacy. And, of course, it’s fun to spot a well-​known staffer or two.
The real magic happens next door in the West Wing at the Navy Mess. I had the rare opportunity to eat in the Navy Mess once, thanks to an invitation from an extremely high-​ranking individual. The Navy Mess served one of the coolest lunches of my life! If you know a White House staffer, check to see if he/​she can get you into Ike’s Eatery or the Navy Mess. Both are very fun experiences!

If you work for the federal government and have access to the EEOB, I highly recommend you check out Ike’s Eatery. There are two, sometimes three, rooms filled with food. I had to wander around for at least 10 minutes before I decided on what to get. I made my own pizza which cost $ 4.75 I think and I also got frozen yogurt with sprinkles. They have hot food that they will make for you (subs, fries, chicken wings, etc), hot food that is out always (it looked like Thanksgiving Day when I was there), cold sandwiches, etc. It was amazing.
To me it seems like this place is way cheaper than eating at ABP or some other chain but it isn’t really dirt cheap. I thought for my pizza which I could barely eat half of that was a great deal. The ice cream is like, 30 cents an ounce which is random but works for me. The drinks weren’t any cheaper than you’d expect elsewhere.
There is a whole separate section where you can sit down and eat. The décor is really nice with pictures everywhere. It is what you would expect of the EEOB. The tables are also nice and the room has high ceilings and is quite spacious feeling.
The hours kind of suck though so you better not be craving a mid-​afternoon snack (they close at 2:30 but from 2 – 2:30 everything is 30% off!).