WASHINGTON, D.C. – The compound at the center of the Pentagon courtyard is one of the most difficult to access buildings in Washington, DC. It has an eighty-one year old history of supporting the United States Armed Forces and the Department of Defence. During the Cold War, Soviet intelligence used ample resources to determine the function of the small, five-sided building, ultimately discovering that it was a hot dog stand. Currently an Au Bon Pain, this storied building is critically under reviewed.
According to Tripadvisor, while the restaurant has earned a 5-star rating and is the number 278th ranked restaurant out of 472 restaurants in the area, “There aren’t enough food, service, value or atmosphere ratings for Au Bon Pain – Pentagon, Virginia yet. Be one of the first to write a review!” Tellingly, due to the high security clearance required to dine at this restaurant, it has received only four reviews to date.
A deeper search into the review status of the Pentagon Au Bon Pain by The Reality Register uncovered the existing reviews, which are largely positive. Phantastic4u, possibly a Defense Department official or someone who took a tour of the Pentagon, provided two reviews. In October of 2019, they reported, “Grabbed some wraps and dined indoors at the seating area. The wraps and other foods are made fresh on a daily basis. Our wraps tasted good and filling. ** Great LOW CALORIE meals, there!!! **” A month earlier, Phantastic4u commented on the Thai Chicken Wrap, describing it as “TASTY” and “LOW CALORIES!!!” The Thai Chicken Wrap is listed on Au Bon Pain’s website as containing 540 calories, validating the accuracy of Phantastic4u’s review.
940matthewi, reviewing in March 2022, gave 5-stars and reported that, “The staff here are very quick and friendly. The food is great and there are plenty of healthy options. I liked the breakfast sandwich combo. Lots of coffee options. Just so glad this is available here at the Pentagon.”
Mysteriously, there have been no new reviews for this Au Bon Pain in the past two years. Yelp’s website fails to even list the Pentagon Au Bon Pain in its registry, instead directing you to several other Metro area Au Bon Pain restaurants, or Featured Takeout Options like Firehouse Subs or Tropical Smoothie Cafe. The Yelp newsroom declined to comment.
Ronald Sampson
