Food

Hoagie Shop Grazie Grazie Opens in Downtown DC With Slices

The Italian-style deli expands from the Wharf with pizza, hoagies, and cheesesteaks.

Grazie Grazie opens in Downtown DC with a new pizza menu. Photography courtesy of Grazie Grazie

Taylor Gourmet founder Casey Patten is back slinging hoagies in downtown DC with the opening of Grazie Grazie near Farragut Square. The second location of his Italian-by-way-of-Philly deli debuts today with the same menu of mammoth sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and salads from the Wharf flagship—plus a new lineup of thin-crust pizzas and slices. 

Patten, who recently opened Italian red sauce joint Grazie Nonna at Midtown Center, is on a pizza kick. He says it all started in the pandemic when his team at the Wharf was shuffling carryout bags, day in and out. A series of pizza party pop-ups—often hosted with industry friends—were a way to break the tedium. “It was less about finding a revenue stream and more like how does the team not become bored,” says Patten. They were also a sell-out hit with diners, so when oven space was available at the new locale, it seemed like a natural fit. 

A pepperoni and chili honey pie.

Grazie’s new downtown menu is inspired by throwback East Coast delis where you can walk out with a sandwich or slice. The fast-casual is offering traditional pies to start like a classic red sauce with three cheeses, as well as dressier toppings like pepperoni and Calabrian hot honey or a white pie with herbed mushrooms, fontina, and mushroom cream. Diners can order by the slice ($4) or whole ($19) for dine-in—the deli has about 50 seats—takeout, and delivery. 

Of course, Italian cold cuts, herby turkey hoagies, chicken cutlets, grinders, and melty cheesesteaks still abound on the menu—with more than a few similarities to the OG Taylor Gourmet chain, which shuttered all its stores and filed for bankruptcy in 2018 following years of rapid expansion. Patten says he’s feeling thankful to be back in business—and downtown—hence the shop’s name: Grazie Grazie.

Grazie Grazie. 1875 K St., NW, Suite #100.

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.