Cafe Manna

Not a bad alternative to other salad places in the M & 19^th area.
I was looking for an alternative to Chop’t…just because you know you go to a place too often when they know you by name. I heard Mana had good options for veggie eaters so I went to check out their salad bar at 12:30 pm on a Wednesday.
Salad bar ($ 7/​lb) It wasn’t packed – no real line, which is a huge +. The options at the salad bar were great – all the usual lettuce, tomato, etc. plus roasted vegetables like asparagus, eggplant, zucchini, sprouts, roasted mushrooms, and a lot of usual salad bar stuff. The one thing that was a negative was that all the roasted items were covered in oil. I’m as big a fan of olive as the next person, but I’d guess that’s not the kind of oil this was, more likely some kind of vegetable/​corn oil. It would be nice to have some of those veggie items steamed instead. Calorie content would be nice too, but I know that’s tough at a salad bar.
Taste: not bad. The veggies were good. One very minor complaint, I guess were the croutons – maybe they’re supposed to be «not crunch» but I didn’t really like them (and no, they weren’t soggy from dressing). Anyway, everything else was pretty good.
Price: I walked away with a salad for less than $ 9 so it’s about comparable to the cost I’d pay at Chop’t.
Sushi: I’d heard their sushi bar ($ 11/​lb) was good, but by the time I got there it was slim pickins’ so I skipped it.

This review is for the Sushi Bar only.
Came here for lunch with my coworker today after he raved about their sushi. I was skeptical but being the non-​picky eater that I am, I decided to give it a try.
Sushi here is $ 11.99 a pound which doesn’t seem too pricey considering other lunch options in the area and sushi is typically pricey anyway. I was pleasantly surprised by their Nigiri options — Tuna, White Tuna, Red Snapper, Salmon. The White Tuna was my favorite and they all tasted fresh. I wasn’t too crazy about the spicy tuna roll — it had an interesting spice in it that I am not used to.
For $ 8, I got 8 pieces of sushi and seaweed salad. I wanted a light lunch because I know dinner will be heavy (We are going to a place called The Pig). Next time I will stick to the Nigiri and probably attempt 10 pieces!

This place is getting 4 stars for the quality of food (for what it is), and the convenience set-​up to get people in and out quickly during rush hour lunch time.
If I still worked in this neighborhood, I probably would end up at Café Manna 2x per week. It’s a fairly large space, with hot bars, cold bars, sushi bars, and more. And, there’s plenty of seating for a person who knows they are going to be in and out in 15 minutes, or for the casual lunch crowd who may want to catch up during the hour.
When I say «4 stars for the quality of food», I’m really saying that the food is pretty good for a place that makes things in mass, and puts them into bars. You’re not getting the freshest things or any gourmet food, but you’ll get the kind of meal you’re in the mood for, whether it’s light or heavy.

I work around the corner and have gone there three times. Not a good idea to get the salad/​hot bar — not very fresh or well-​tended. I knew this, but went this morning to get breakfast since I thought, hey, it’s only breakfast. But it WAS bad — the bacon tray was only filled with scrap bits, and the food generally didn’t look like the cook cared about what came out. Since I’d already taken the eggs I still bought and ate the food, as to not waste it, but I regret it already since my tummy is starting to hurt now. If you are looking for salad/​hot bar — go around the corner to Jack’s Fresh. I should have done that this morning.

UDON NOODLE SOUP. It is the one thing I’ve had here and the one thing I will probably only ever have here, in part because the buffet items don’t look too appetizing, but in larger part because it is surprisingly delicious and cheap udon noodle soup. PERFECT lunch if you’re sick with a cold/​cough, especially considering the lack of phở/​other noodle soup options around an otherwise great food area.
$ 7.99 +tax gets you a large, filling bowl of udon (fat noodles, chewier & heartier than ramen) and beef broth chocked full of sliced veggies: mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, carrots, etc. Also comes with your choice of protein, but I’ve only had the shrimp tempura because it’s awesome– breading stays on and doesn’t get limp with the soup, and is actually flavorful as opposed to being bland filler breading. They even throw crab in there too.
You can order the soup regular or spicy, but be forewarned: I ordered mine in the middle and it was IMHO pretty spicy even for someone who can handle her heat.
Unbeatable price, tastiness, and portion for this area, and I can only see myself getting this dish more heading into fall & winter.

If you are looking for a quick stop lunch that is customizable, come to Café Manna, located in the first floor of this office building. However, for the price and taste, I don’t find it worth spending $ 8 for a single burger or $ 6 for a sandwich you could build easily at home. Checkout lane is in the center of Café Manna, so you can stop by any station you wish to pick up foods.
–The sandwich station mimics the quickness and option plop ons as a Chipotle would; tell them the type, they ask for tomato/​mayo, and then you ask for any final options. They were pretty heavy on the mayo and I felt like it was too much (this may be a Korean thing as I’ve noticed in many Korean-​run delis). The meat was fresh, as I heard they roast it themselves. But it was simply a regular meat sandwich that you can DIY pack.
–Soups that were offered in my visit was split pea or chicken soup. Split pea tasted fine, but was too heavy for me.
–Hot food station nearly all meals were $ 8, so I gave the fresh salmon burger a try. It was good, but again, something I could easily buy in bulk and make at home. Definitely was not worth that much money.
Standard, pricey lunch stop by in the city, but only worth it for convenience.

the buffet has a reliable variety i can always settle for. this is asian-​american fusion food with a stronger korean slant.
their fried noodles at the buffet bar are alright. it usually goes well with whatever vegetable mix they have that day (or get the cooked cabbage that seems to always be an option). they usually have 1 meat that’s surprisingly good. it could be corned beef, or salmon, pork. the last time i went i got some kalbi beef. it was delicious and a total surprise.
if i control my portions and not overeat, i could get a very solid meal for around $ 8. sometimes the buffet surprises you and has fancier stuff like seafood pasta.
there is always seating available, which is great for a place that lets you avoid waiter service. very good for sad days when you don’t have time to take a full lunch hour and have to rush back to the office.

Café Manna would be a dime a dozen in NYC, but it feels like a novelty in DC. Lunch spots like Café Manna is great for a quick grab-​and-​go meal with many options in one location: salad bar, sandwich bar, hot buffet, sushi buffet, etc. So far, I’ve only gotten the ramen noodles (on a cold, rainy day). It’s not the same ramen one would find at a ramen restaurant, but it did the trick. At $ 8 a bowl, it was chock full of beef and veggies.

Not pleased at all. I had really high hopes when I went in but the shrimp teriyaki I ordered had a rather funny smell (not spoiled but more of a burnt smell).
I got through about 5 shrimp and then realized that they had not been properly cleaned. No one even attempted to devein them. I could not eat any more. Very disappointed. I would say you get what you pay for but $ 9 isn’t unreasonably cheap.

Was expecting a lot when I came but it was alright. Getting the Udon was better than the sushi.

Ups: the employees are friendly and the price for breakfast staples like bagel + cream cheese is good.
Downs: the coffee isn’t so great.
Still, a good place to have close by my office

BIG MISTAKE — my office (over 100 coworkers) used to rave about going here on Fridays at 3 pm for the $ 1 price for anything you can stuff into a small plastic container. I tried a few things, going regularly with many of my co-​workers of the past couple months. Each time I would purchase more. Last time, the fruit salad liquified overnight and the chicken salad spoiled to the point of my husband almost vomiting. I figured I’d give them another chance (hey, it’s only a dollar) and loaded up on a few container-​fulls. Just (and I mean JUST) before I got to the register, the manager decided to charge me by the pound (over 3x the amount). So many in line behind me were pissed. I walked out, too. And told all my coworkers, and will continue to tell them about this experience. Like the scene in «Pretty Woman» … Big Mistake !! I’ll go to one of the many many other places on this block that offer ½ off on Fridays. and I will NEVER enter that establishment again.

I stopped in Café Manna 9÷27÷10 after a nearby eye appointment. I wanted a good ol’ scrambled egg & cheese on heavily buttered white toast. I’d been chided by close friends for my over use of the McDonalds coupons. Trading in all of the angus burger ones to this guy at work who I know does not like the breakfast ones. So I tried this place. It was run-​of-​the-​mill pay-​per-​pound Asian buffet. So I got a spoonful of grits to go with my egg & cheese. Not bad for 3 bux. But secretly, I wish I’d gone to the McDonalds next door. It was ok.

I was expecting a Jack’s Fresh clone when I walked into Café Manna shortly after its opening, but I was wrong. Compared to Jack’s which is just around the corner, this place is definitely a step up. They have the same buffet and station set ups, but Café Manna offers sushi, cake slices, healthy wraps, and sandwiches. Not just the buffet bar and a grill station. Café Manna also has much more table space than Jack’s, so they stand up easily to the lunch hour crowd.
My experience with the buffet didn’t turn out so great. I got a few pieces of chicken, fresh fruit, and a bit of rice and chow mein. My total came to $ 12 and the chow mein was bleh. I was not a happy camper. However, I can definitely vouch for the grill. They offer pretty decent deals for their combos, so I had a good burger, fries and soda for a pretty good price. Much more reasonable than a $ 12 lunch.
Even though I had a bad experience with the chow mein and went a little overboard with the weight of my buffet choices, the other options of the café caught my interest. I’ll soon be back to satisfy my curiosity.

Café Manna recently opened up on M Street. They also have a location in Crystal CIty.
I’m kinda in shock right now. I was pretty much dragged here so my expectations were low. I am used to stopping by Sizzling Express (aka Siz Ex) when I want some quick, fairly mediocre, but not horrible sushi. That was the goal of my first trip to Café Manna as well.
Café Manna has the exact same setup as the place there before it: Sushi bar in back left corner, salad bar and hot food bar in middle, counter in the back where you can order food. Everything looks new, but I have been making fun of this place for a while because it was totally remodeled, taken over by new ownership, and then re-​opened to be the exact same place. I WAS WRONG.
The sushi is scary good. How is this possible for a salad bar joint? I don’t know! But still, it is true– at least based on my one visit.
First, the rolls are not the typical salad bar joint size– huge mounds of rice packed in to raise the price with barely any fish to find in the middle. These are actually real sushi rolls! Fresh and good. The real shocker though comes in the form of the nigiri. OMG– are you serious? Yes, I am. The white tuna, tuna, and salmon were all fresh and tender as hell. Yes, there was a bit more rice than I would have liked, and yes perhaps the fish was a little thin but these end up being footnotes in the end.
Café Manna is legit, it is for real– at least from a sushi perspective.
A friend got various items from the salad bar and said it was very good, but not great. 20% better than food at Siz Ex. That is a pretty good upgrade when you are in a rush for lunch in DC. And oh yeah, since the sushi is close to normal size– it was damn cheap: 4 nigiri, 9 pieces of a roll for under $ 10! Please go to Café Manna and get sushi as often as possible so they don’t have to start packing in rice to make up for lack of revenue. We can all enjoy this together!