The Quest to Replace the Worst Food in Congress

The food on the House side is thought to be “terrible.” House members and staff are looking to address it.

Ben Franklin impersonator in Longworth.

Don McAndrews, from Manassas, Va., dressed as Benjamin Franklin, grabs a coffee at the Longworth cafeteria. Chris Maddaloni/AP

Members of Congress have a lot to contend with on a daily basis: partisan bickering, protesters, reporters constantly asking questions. One thing newer members are surprised they have to deal with, however, is just how terrible the food is on the House side of the Capitol.

“You came to Congress, you’re so excited. I’m in this brand new office, it’s beautiful. I have this amazing staff,” first-term Rep. Julie Johnson told NOTUS in an interview. “And I am amazed at how terrible the food is here, given the fact that we’re the most powerful country in the world.”

For about a decade, complaints about the House food have privately and publicly flooded the halls of Congress — so much so that it has become common knowledge among reporters, staff and lawmakers that the superior grub is found in the Senate. The Senate and the House used to have the same food vendor, Restaurant Associates, until Sodexo became the House food provider in 2015.