BUB AND POP’S
ADDRESS: 1815 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
WEBSITE: https://bubandpops.com/
My friends and I were doing a reunion down in Washington, D.C., and I had decided to arrive a couple of days early to get a chance to revisit the area on my own and hit up some of the spots from when I was previously living in the area. I was taking the train down from NJ and since I was slated to arrive into Union Station right around midday, I had scoped out a lunch spot that was within walking distance of where I was staying just north of the White House.
Bub and Pop’s was a place I had found when I was doing a Yelp search in the area for sandwiches. Their food photos looked pretty good, so once I dropped off my stuff in my hotel room, I walked over to pick up some food. It’s definitely a hard building to miss as you’re walking over to it, with the bright red, blue, and yellow paint scheme. It was a takeout only spot, where you put your order in at one window and picked up your food at the one right next to it.
Their menu showed an even 50/50 split in terms of quantities of their classic and specialty sandwiches, with a total of 14 options to choose from. I originally had my eye on the Rich Boy and the Hebrew Hammer, both of them being their specialty sandwiches, but to my dismay, they said that they were sold out of the Rich Boy. I had to think fast to make a game-time decision, and pivoted over to their Italian Hoagie. I had remembered reading that it was one of their most popular sandwiches, so it would be a relatively safe bet to go with.
I decided to go with getting two half sandwiches of the Hebrew Hammer and Italian Hoagie, since that gave me the ability to sample two different items. They were very different flavor profiles, so I was looking forward to seeing how they stacked up. I was reminded when I was ordering about the fact that they cannot make any modifications to their specialty sandwiches (I missed it when reading the menu), since I was asking to take out the cheese from the Hebrew Hammer. It seems that’s something they are very strict about, but it worked itself out in the end.
It was probably no more than a five minute wait before my sandwiches were ready to go. I unwrapped the sandwiches after I got back to my hotel room, and let me tell you, these were definitely hefty for half portions. Since it was closer to middle of the afternoon at this point, the sandwiches easily ended up keeping me full for both lunch and dinner.
The Italian Hoagie was calling my name first, with the smell of the sandwich immediately hitting me the moment that I unwrapped it, so I went right for it. Featuring an array of Italian cured meats comprised of Genoa salami, Prosciutto di Parma, hot capicola, sopressata, and pepperoni, the sandwich was also loaded up with shredded iceberg lettuce, raw onions, sliced Roma tomatoes, hot peppers, sweet peppers, pickles, mayo, vinaigrette, and Pecorino Romano.
Let me tell you, this was probably the best Italian sandwich I have ever had. The cured meats really provided a strong savory flavor with every bite, and the onions, tomatoes, peppers, and vinaigrette all helped give a combination of sweet, tangy, and acidic punch that complemented really well with the meats. The brine and savory flavors that the Pecorino Romano contributed really helped to just round everything out. But the bread was also a key player in all of that as well, being able to soak up a lot of the oil and vinaigrette flavor but still retaining a crunch to it to provide a texture contrast to all of the ingredients. That was the first time in a while where I just sat back after eating something and just had to take in the moment of how good the food was.
The Hebrew Hammer really had quite the task to follow up the Italian Hoagie, and while it was still a good sandwich, it wasn’t able to unseat the crown that the Italian Hoagie held. Comprised of corned beef, roast beef, roast turkey, spicy mustard, Thousand Island, coleslaw, and Swiss cheese, The Hebrew Hammer was actually one of the sandwiches that Guy Fieri ate when he stopped by Bub and Pop’s during an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It was definitely just as filling as the other sandwich, but I think that the combination of the Thousand Island and spicy mustard, being strong flavors, masked the individual flavors of the meats relative to the sandwich. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that I tried the Hebrew Hammer and it was still a solid sandwich, but I don’t know if I would order it again as opposed to trying something different in the future.
There’s definitely a reason that Bub and Pop’s has been voted as a top sandwich spot in the city through numerous publications over the years. They have a good selection of different sandwiches to choose from and great portions of food relative to the price. The flavor combinations with the sandwiches really stood out, and if their other sandwiches are as good as the ones I tried, I’m guessing it won’t be the last time they are voted as a top sandwich spot. If you are in the area and looking to pick up some sandwiches, this is definitely a place that you should stop by.
Let’s now take a look at the Bub and Pop’s Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** The Italian Hoagie (half portion pictured) **
Genoa salami, Prosciutto di Parma, sopressata, hot capicola, pepperoni, shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced Roma tomatoes, raw onions, hot peppers, sweet peppers, pickles, mayo, Bub’s vinaigrette, and Pecorino Romano, served on an artisanal hoagie roll. Pictured with no provolone cheese.
~><~
** The Hebrew Hammer (half portion pictured) **
Corned beef, roast turkey, roast beef, Swiss cheese, spicy mustard, Thousand Island, and coleslaw, served on an artisanal hoagie roll.
~><~
And finally, here are my rankings for Bub and Pop’s:
Food: 5 / 5
What more can I say about the Italian Hoagie? The combination of all of the components of that sandwich really helped knock it out of the park. The sandwiches are loaded with ingredients and there’s definitely quality that you can taste.
Atmosphere: N/A
I’m not sure if this place has always been takeout only or if that was a shift after the pandemic, but they do have a dining room inside that is reserved for the evening tasting menu experience (Supper at Bub’s).
Service: 3.5 / 5
The staff member that took my sandwich order came across as slightly rude when mentioning about the no modification policy on their specialty sandwiches. It wasn’t a big deal, but I do remember being caught off-guard by it a little. As far as their speed of making the sandwiches though, they were on point and got me my food relatively quickly.
Price: 4.5 / 5
All the sandwiches are priced the same way: $12 for a half, $24 for a whole. Even if $12 might lean on the high side for the half sandwich portion, it’s certainly something I’d gladly pay again. You could really taste the quality of the ingredients used and they really crammed a lot of ingredients into that hoagie roll to really make it worth it.
Overall:
13 / 15
(87%)
Categories: Restaurants, Washington, D.C.
Chu On This 