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Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, Delaware Hoagie Chain - Now Down to One Location in Rosslyn


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On 11/21/2013 at 11:58 AM, DCDiningGuide said:

Source: Eater DC

Eater reports that Vice President Joe Biden was first in line for opening day at Capriotti's first DC location in Midtown. Biden, a longtime fan of the Delaware sandwich chain, ordered two medium Italian subs with hot peppers on the side and no onions for himself and President Barack Obama. He also ordered a large Bobbie and Italian sub for his staff.

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On 11/21/2013 at 3:47 PM, DCDiningGuide said:

Source: Washingtonian Best Bites Blog

The Post has more on Biden's lunch at Capriotti's today, quoting the VP as saying: "This is gonna settle once and for all, the best sandwich in America is out of Wilmington, Del." He added, "I'm bringing one back for the President. No more of this stuff about Chicago and Philly and New York. This settles it. You guys want to get this settled. And end it. I'm ready man. The President is waiting. I'm having lunch with him today." Biden then ordered two medium Italian subs, no onions, one with hot peppers on the side, noting "the only way to eat these things is with hot peppers, but not everybody understands that. You know what I mean?" He also got the Thanksgiving-themed Bobbie and a large Italian sub for his staff, saying "The only place where Philadelphia can compete with us is steak sandwiches. Just compete. Compete. Not win."

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I'm surprised that there is no thread yet on Capriotti's, which opened in Midtown at 18th and M last Thursday. The place has had a massive line each day since it opened, including this weekend. I've already been three times.

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I'm surprised that there is no thread yet on Capriotti's,

I'm not surprised.  I find their signature sandwich, the "Bobbie" (mentioned in the Biden coverage), to be a mediocre rendition of the turkey/stuffing/cranberry combination, often dry and with a flavor dominated by the mayo.  (Other sandwiches, like their pastrami reuben, are better, IME).

It's a little pricey -- $10 to $11 for their medium-size (i.e. footlong) sandwiches and subs.  Pricey enough that the VP couldn't afford his order:

Source: USA Today

Vice President Biden was happy to buy a group lunch Thursday from a Delaware-based sandwich shop chain that just opened a place in Washington, D.C.

Just one problem: The veep didn't quite have enough cash.

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The opening would itself be unremarkable in a city with a lot of decent hoagie shops, but DC isn't one of them. You can find much better Italians at Stachowski's and Cheesesteaks at Ray's to the Third, but you can also find much worse ones just about everywhere. What is remarkable, in any event, is the massive response. I like the place largely out of nostalgia -- a good friend in Pennsylvania has one right by his house and we get takeout from there whenever I visit. But the sandwiches I've had at the DC branch have all been good and they're significantly better than anything I've eaten from Bub & Pops, which is directly across the street.

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Just thinking out loud...I, too, was struck by an article that noted Biden's order of 2 medium and 2 large subs cost nearly $60 (!), but I suppose that if the medium subs are footlong and priced in the $10-11 range (as hopsierph noted), i believe that puts them in line with the other local fancy sandwich shops (i.e. Taylor). It makes me wonder how large the large is...

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Just thinking out loud...I, too, was struck by an article that noted Biden's order of 2 medium and 2 large subs cost nearly $60 (!), but I suppose that if the medium subs are footlong and priced in the $10-11 range (as hopsierph noted), i believe that puts them in line with the other local fancy sandwich shops (i.e. Taylor). It makes me wonder how large the large is...

Large is 20" and I haven't seen the DC menu, but their site says a 20" cheesesteak at the Bethany location is $14.25. I vaguely remember getting that exact sub down there to split with Mrs. 29. I also vaguely remember enjoying it :)

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As I'm sitting at work eating my mediocre Taylor Gourmet meatball sub with a lousy hard roll that is so crispy it rips apart the roof of my mouth, I reminded myself that I should write a quick review of Capriottis.

I stopped by on Wednesday to try it out.  The line was 40 deep but I was in an out in 10 minutes.  Very efficient.

I ordered a small meatball sub and enjoyed it quite a lot.  The bread was soft (which I prefer) and the meatballs were quite good.  They looked like actual meat, lasted like meat, were tender and quite flavorful.  And the sub was huge for $8 or so.

I enjoyed Capriotti's significantly better than Taylor Gourmet.  Based on Taylor being entirely empty today at prime lunch hour, I think the Farrgaut office workers are in agreement.

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This is a shame, this was one of my favorite restaurants in high school (the original location in Hockessin, DE was 10 minutes from my parents' house).  I went to the 18th and M location and got a cheesesteak a couple weeks back and what I got resembled in no way the delicious subs I remember from my childhood.  Another case of over-expansion, I'm afraid.....

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Another case of over-expansion, I'm afraid.....

It's the name of the game, man, and is what happens when people value money above all else. Quality goes to hell, and the general public is too ignorant to even know - in the meantime, restaurateurs laugh all the way to the bank.

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As someone who is not a vegetarian but does not eat a lot of meat and frankly doesn't crave it that often, "portabella mushrooms, pesto, spinach, and whatever marinated peppers are lying around" sounds much better than "veggie meat," so perhaps there is room for both on the menu?

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As someone who is not a vegetarian but does not eat a lot of meat and frankly doesn't crave it that often, "portabella mushrooms, pesto, spinach, and whatever marinated peppers are lying around" sounds much better than "veggie meat," so perhaps there is room for both on the menu?

I agree with this - not to say those real vegetables don't come straight off the Sysco truck (they do), but so does the veggie meat.

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Man, I've really been craving some textured vegetable protein lately. Said no one ever.

I actually like Capriotti's, for a sub chain. They're definitely above average, and very consistent. That said, I have been remiss in not correcting my post above re: Bub & Pop's. I didn't think they were very good when they first opened. There was potential, but everything just seemed to miss the mark, like sandwiches that managed to be wet and sloppy, yet contain dry, over-braised meat at the same time. Whether I was just exceedingly unlucky or they've improved, I don't know. But, based on numerous visits the past few months, I'd rank Bub and Pop's among the best sandwich places in the city. Capriotti's is just "good for what it is."

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