The Unexpected Restaurants You'll Find In The Pentagon

The Pentagon is big. Really big. Big enough that even one of the building's five sides could contain the entire United States Capitol. Suffice to say, it's one of the largest office buildings in the world. Over 23,000 people work at the Pentagon. So, it only stands to reason that the complex has plenty of restaurants to keep the Department of Defense fed.

Mind you, these eateries aren't the only options available; some claim that it's possible to track upcoming foreign policy developments by how many pizzas get delivered to the Pentagon. However, those working within the building can enjoy all sorts of fast food without ever leaving the premises or picking up the phone. The concourse features restaurants like Subway, Starbucks, and Popeye's. (We've no doubt DoD employees will love trying Popeye's new Louisiana garlic wings.) Deeper in the facility, there is McDonald's, Taco Bell, Panda Express, and Jamba (formerly known as Jamba Juice), just to name a few. In other words, DoD employees have plenty of options to choose from.

Given that the Pentagon is the home of the Department of Defense, you may wonder if the restaurants within it are at an increased risk of being targeted or damaged by enemies of the state. The simple answer is: They might be. 

Throughout the Cold War, there was one building in the middle of the Pentagon — smack in the center of its courtyard — that supposedly mystified spies working for the Soviet Union. Every day at exactly the same time, the top brass of the United States military would enter the small structure, disappear for a while, and then exit a little while later. Was this a secret bunker entrance? A high-clearance situation room? Nope! It was a hot dog stand, one which acquired the nickname "Ground Zero Café" because, as popular myth has it, the Soviets kept two nuclear missiles trained upon it at all times. (In reality, the Soviets knew exactly what the "Ground Zero Café" was, because the U.S. military never bothered to keep it a secret; the Soviets did still have nukes trained upon the Pentagon, of course, but not specifically at the hot dog stand.)

While the story of Soviets training nukes upon the Ground Zero Café is a popular myth, many of the Pentagon's restaurants were damaged during the tragic 9/11 attacks. The food court that the plane crashed into that fateful day had been undergoing renovation. It suffered a large degree of damage, and it was only after extensive repairs that the renovation plans could be finished. The food court was opened six months after the attack on March 11, 2002.