Why D.C.'s sandwich scene is booming
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A Salvadoran braised turkey sandwich, one of the eclectic eats at Your Only Friend. Photo: courtesy of Vina Sananikone
D.C. gets dinged for not having a signature sandwich like a Philly cheesesteak or New Orleans po' boy — but shop owners say that's not a bad thing.
Why it matters: It's contributed to a creative, global sandwich scene that's boomed since the pandemic with a proliferation of new shops and homegrown chain expansions.
The big picture: Many of the new-wave sandwich shops started as pandemic pop-ups and pivots when the city's dining rooms were restricted and bars were only allowed to sell booze to-go with a food item — a tough time, but perfect for portable, comforting sandwiches.
- And unlike many of those homemade sourdough loaves and fancy takeout spreads, sandwiches have staying power.
Zoom in: Your Only Friend, which started as a Columbia Room sandwich/cocktail pop-up, opened a boozy sandwich bar in Shaw this year. Fight Club broke out of Beuchert's Saloon on Capitol Hill.
- Butter Me Up, a breakfast sandwich ghost kitchen, morphed into multiple brick-and-mortars. So did Taqueria Xochi, which launched as a Mexican sandwich delivery service (superb cemitas are still on the menu).
- I Egg You, which got cracking inside Chiko Capitol Hill, is now a new full-service restaurant with the same gooey egg sandos.
Between the lines: Sandwiches bolstered fine dining spots, too.
- Michael Rafidi opened now-Michelin starred Albi in February 2020, and soon after adjoining Yellow Cafe to introduce more diners to Levantine cooking — cue lines at his pita shops in Georgetown and Union Market today.
What they're saying: "People had to get really creative," says Pete Sitcov, co-owner of another pandemic-born project, Compliments Only sub shop in Dupont Circle. An easy task in a city like D.C., filled with immigrants and transplants who can bring their own foodways to the table (and yes, locals like Sitcov himself).
- "We're not beholden to anything like in New Orleans or Philly," says Sitcov, who just opened a second location on Capitol Hill. "Every shop has their own vibe, everyone does their own thing."
Flashback: That's not to say the city doesn't have a rooted sandwich culture.
- Some of D.C.'s oldest restaurants are beloved sandwich destinations, including A. Litteri, an Italian market and deli (est. 1926) that opened years before the original Union Market; fellow old-school Italian Mangialardo's (1953), or Crisfield in Silver Spring (1945), home of local specialties like crispy perch or soft crab sandwiches.
But one of the DMV sandwich scene's defining and best features, according to experts like chef Alex McCoy, is its global varieties.
- McCoy, who runs the European-style sandwich stand Bar Boheme at Union Market, points to the Italian focaccerias, shawarma and banh mi shops, Ethiopian chicken sandwiches, and Cambodian num pang.
By the numbers: Sandwiches are super popular in D.C., especially with the working lunch crowd. According to a 2023 report from ezCater, 58% of D.C. respondents eat sandwiches 2-3 days a week, and another 16% do so for 4+ days.
- Locals also have a "diverse perspective" on what constitutes a sandwich, with burgers (50%) and wraps (42%) being the most commonly accepted types (no word on hot dogs).
What we're watching: Popular local chains are blowing up. Take Call Your Mother, which churns out 75,000 bagels on average a week for sandwiches and spreads at all.
- The business has grown to nearly a dozen DMV shops and stands — plus more open and coming in Denver — and locations popping up next in Reston and Vienna.
What's next: Smash-hit bagel sandwich bar Buffalo & Bergen is opening in Cleveland Park soon. And Manifest Bread, home to one of our favorite muffulettas, is reopening with expanded sandwich menus this fall.