Why go: It doesn’t get much better for downtown DC lunchers in search of a quick bite: Brown-bag staples (egg salad, ham and cheese), regional favorites (Philly cheesesteak, Cubano), and chef-driven combinations (smoked-salmon with dill-and-caper spread) are crafted with mostly house-made ingredients, including fresh-baked bread.
What to get: A soft roll overflowing with smoky barbecue pork and crisp slaw; nutty falafel swaddled with eggplant and tahini in a thick wrap; hearty grain-and-raisin bread with prosciutto, fig chutney, and Gorgonzola spread; fried-cod or -oyster sandwich.
Best for: A gourmet upgrade to the usual turkey sandwich; whiling away lunch hour on the sidewalk patio.
Insider tip: Read the menu before you get in the long line—you’ll be asked for your order way before you get to the front.
>> See all 2010 Cheap Eats restaurants here
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
