America 202-682-9555

This is a great spot for a leisurely meal after getting off the train at Union Station. As you eat, you can watch passersby head to and fro, and the fourth floor offers a view of the Capitol building.

The food offered at America is supposed to be traditional American, and there are dishes from all fifty states, with selections like roast turkey and stuffing, macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti and meatballs. Meals run $7.95 to $19.95 for dinner, and lunches are less expensive. Major credit cards are accepted.

B. Smith's www.bsmith.com/restaurant_dc.php

This is the most expensive restaurant in Union Station and is a branch of a New York restaurant founded by model Barbara Smith (the Oil of Olay beauty). It is built in a beautiful Beaux Arts building and former presidential waiting area, where presidents once greeted visiting dignitaries.

The food is creative Southern, Creole, soul food with a French flair, which means wonderful Chesapeake crab cakes, Cajun red beans and rice, fried green tomatoes, catfish, jambalaya, and pecan-and-sweet-potato pies. Weekend brunch is outstanding ($29.95, $15 for kids 12 and under, including limitless orange juice, champagne, or Mimosas). Jazz on Friday and Saturday nights. Entrées run $17.95 to $32.95. Major credit cards are accepted.

Thunder Grill www.arkrestaurants.com

This high-concept Southwestern restaurant with a beautiful wooden interior and portraits of Native Americans on the walls is also located at Union Station. Entrees include traditional Southwestern fare such as fajitas and quesadillas, as well as crabmeat-stuffed Virginia trout, or grilled New York steak or bison. The menu includes sandwiches, pasta, and salads as well, from $7.95 to $19.95. The children's menu runs $3.95 to $7.95. There's a selection of twenty-three tequilas on the menu, and happy hour (weekdays 3:30 to 8:30 P.M. ) features a different frozen margarita every day and $4 appetizers. Major credit cards are accepted.