Chase the Submarine

Great service, tasty food/​fresh ingredients, good seating and clean facility. I ordered the steak & cheese and a side of beer-​battered fries. I sampled the butternut squash soup, which was the best I ever ate. However, the subs are pricey, moderately filled and mine was drowning in aioli. Note: There is limited parking in the area.

Decided to come back to see if management fixed the service/​pricing/​portion since I was there just after opening. Ordered the cream fraiche wings. They were good spiced but dry slightly. Ordered potato salad. It is even worst than first time. Still $ 3.00 for 5 – 6 bites. Fresh Red onion was there in a pretty big diced cubes. (I do not want to eat fresh onion at lunch and come back to work and worry my breath stinks even I brash my teeth). How about use shallots and dice it very, very small in case you really need to put onion in salad? Wings are the best so far what I have tried there, but it is not worst it to come back.

Wow! Finally made it in tonight for a sandwhich, fries and beer! Wow! My sandwhich was awesome! The Belogi was mind blowing. Saw several other tasty looking sandwhiches escape while sitting there espcially the steak and cheese! Fries were awesome! Good beer selection. Excited to go back. Might have to sign up for the CSA in the spring!

Went to Chase the Submarine for the first time this past Wednesday evening. Since it was the ‘unexpected snow’ and the roads hadn’t been treated and were quite slippery — the place was fairly empty when we arrived around 6 (but it quickly filled up — by 7:30 or so it was packed). I was glad that we got to go for happy hour, which is a steal, especially the $ 3 pints (one from local brewery Caboose)!
My husband and I both ordered sandwiches — he got the special — the peruvian chicken and I got the steak and cheese. His was good, but we both agreed that mine was better. Both subs had beautifully buttered and baked bread, and I loved the seasoning on mine. The mushrooms were prepared beautifully, and there was a ton of cheese. I’d DEFINITELY order that again.
Chef Ma was actually cooking that night and he was so nice — answered all of our never-​ending questions. They actually over a «meat CSA» which we are quite interested in.
Other items that looked fab going out (but we didn’t order) include the fries and the crème fraîche wings. Next time, since there definitely will be! Great addition to the neighborhood.

Hanging out in Vienna for the morning with a friend and was looking for a place to eat lunch and we happened upon this place. It was absolutely fantastic. I got the angus pastrami sandwich and even though I normally don’t like eating $ 10 sandwiches, I’ll make an exception for this one. It was the perfect balance of smoky, fatty, and tangy. Each and every bite was an absolute delight. The emotions I went through while eating it was akin to listening to a Beethoven piano sonata. I am now contemplating moving to Vienna just so that I can eat here more often.

After hearing really fantastic reviews from my parents and sister, my mom, sister, and I decided to go there for dinner tonight.
The menu is definitely intriguing. I wanted to get the steak and cheese, my sister wanted to get either the banh mi or the bulgogi. The guy at the register waited until we started to order to tell us that they were out of the steak and cheese, the banh mi, and the bulgogi. He definitely needs to be less shy and more direct with the customers.
We thought it was because they are a new establishment and they need to learn which items are on their best sellers, but still, sort of sad.
My sister ended up getting the Pork and Pickles and I got the Royale with Cheese. My mom got a rice bowl with Mushroom Mellow.
When they were making my Royale with Cheese they told my mom that they were out of the pimento cheese that they typically put on it. Ok, that’s fine, but when they served it, they didn’t put any cheese on it. I had to ask if there were any other types of cheese they could serve with it, and thats when they suggested they other types. They asked if I wanted it melted onto my burger, but my burger already looked a little charred, so I just had them put it on. Again, not the best.
When it came down to eating, the food was pretty good. I mean, the Pork and Pickles was a little sweet. The lychee and the apples might be a little too overwhelming/​makes it too sweet.
I’m giving this a 3-​star review now, but I’m totally going to go back in a couple weeks when they’ve gotten the hang of things and give them another shot, because I feel like this place could be great, they just have to figure out some things.

Chase the submarine, can I get a little something extra?!
Pros:
— Happy Hour Menu, pretty good selection: crème fraîche wings, bacon banh mi, fries, pulled pork bbq sandwich, GOOD PRICING.
–Fries.obviously fried to potato perfection, can I get an AMEN?
–Pulled pork bbq: very unique flavor, was it star anise? was it cinnamon? I could be totally off but it was an unexpected guest to my belly.
–Crème Fraiche wings: pretty delish but not like the cult favorite bonchon, which they aren’t aiming for but… bonchon is my jam.
— Friendly cashier.
Cons:
–Small selection of beers, GOOD PRICING during HH. (probably not going for the full bar experience, which is cool for peeps like me)
–I don’t know if this is a personal preference but please can I get an option to toast my bun up in here?! The banh mi bread and pork bbq bread was cold, and took away from the flavors of the sandwiches. I just though my buns my buns, just need a little fiya to amp it up.
— Beer tasted like bleach, due to the glass not being rinsed out, however the manager was kind and replaced it with another beer, thank ya mate!
I love the little submarine cut out, I’m a sucker for these types of photo ops!
The end: worth a try, but probably won’t go back for a little bit: P many other delectable places to try: P

I’ll be back in a few months to check it out again …
Wasn’t 100% convinced.
Happy hour beers were $ 3 — that’s a plus! $ 3 beer that isn’t Bud in NoVA is a great value!
Butcher shop on-​site is a plus too.
Pork & Pickles was just too complicated and fussy … a barrage of flavors and tastes and I was overwhelmed. I’d say it was too sweet. Bread sucked, no way to sugarcoat that. Came on a dried-​out sesame roll.
Buddy had the Royale w/​Cheese. He wasn’t a fan of it. It looked like the patty was dried out, he agreed that it was. His roll was subpar too.
Just wasn’t sold on the food.
The restaurant was spotless and so were the bathrooms …
But the meal was pretty blah for the price.

Here for the first time. Had my food to go. Tried the chicken wings, beer battered french fries and ordered the angus pastrami, the virginia italian and the mushroom mellow. The french fries were great and tasty — definitely an upgrade over common french fries. The chicken wings were also very good, made with crème fraîche so no need for blue cheese to cool the mouth — this is an interesting and tasty combination. As for the subs, the flavor profiles for these seem different than those of your run of the mill sub shops. The only reason why I did not give then a 5 star is because of the breads. To have gourmet sandwiches — you need gourmet/​artesian breads. A big plus is that you can eat in and order beer.

Been to this place twice now and still love it. My first visit was during a sleepy happy hour in the middle of the week, and the woman working front of the house was happy enough to walk me through the basics of the menu. I had the pork and pickles, nicely toasted with tender pulled pork, crispy house cured pickles and aioli with a bit of a spicy finish.
As per the casual, deli-​style atmosphere your order is prepared in an open space for you to watch, and is called out for you by name to pick up and bring to your table. The culinary staff is quick and professional but they make an attempt to interact with customers sitting at the block, even while performing prep duties.
The second visit was a bit busier but still just as nice, only this time I tried the Royale with Cheese. What this burger lacks in grace while eating it makes up for in flavor. Since it’s made with a portion of ground heart the burger needs to be fully cooked (sorry to those who like it bloody) but the burger remains crazy tender and juicy.
So:
+street parking
+great food
+beer and wine
+happy hour specials
+friendly staff
This early on in the game it’s normal to have ups and downs, and I think Chase can only get better from here

About a 1 – 1.5: Chase the Submarine is a sub shop that offers ‘gourmet’ sandwiches, wine/​beer, some limited shelves of ‘specialty’ products (such as spreads), and even has a butcher shop on-​site. A creation of Michael Amouri (Caffe Amouri) and Chef Tim Ma (Maple Avenue), I was curious in some of their subs. The hubs and I came here for a quick dinner, and the first thing that I noticed was that we were the only customers that evening and it was a little unwelcoming — there were no greetings (from any of the staff members), no smiles, and no recommended offerings. I’m thinking that this is just a place where you go in and order, wait for your meal to be prepared, and take it to-​go, with little interaction with the staff as possible. We tried the following: the Steak & Cheese (a white roll with thinly-​sliced rib eye, onions, provolone cheese, and onions (I opted out of the peppers, mushrooms, and diced lettuce); this was a little disappointing, as it tasted more like a heated up deli-​style sub rather than the ‘classic steak & cheese’ it states it to be); the Pork + Pickles (a sesame bread with pineapple-​braised polyface pork shoulder, dijon mustard, lychee, gruyère cheese, dill pickled apples, uncrispy bacon, and clarified butter; this came as a panini-​style and it was our least favorite — the shredded pork was soft and overly sweet, adding another layer of sweetness from some type of a lychee jam; the dill pickled apples seemed to be an odd complement, and the ‘uncrispy bacon’ was pancetta-​like; also, the sesame bread was not tasty and extremely dried out); and, the ‘Chef’s Favorites,’ the Royale with Cheese (a burger with housemade pimento cheese, pickles, shredded lettuce, Andy Capp fries, and ketchup; the pimento cheese was super cold and super salty (even for me), which also made the burger itself very cold; it was also with more of a tang; the Andy Capp fries were minimal and seemed to be missing; the shredded lettuce was too overwhelming in abundance; and, the patty was extremely dried out). We also tried a side of their Beer Battered Fries — these were crispy and tossed with some type of an oregano-​like blend, but it was still bland. Overall, the food was pretty unappetizing and unfulfilling, added to the cold-​like ambiance. The restaurant was kind of cute, with the wooden shelves of glass bottles filled with flowers and large picnic-​like wooden tables. I’m glad I was able to check this place out, but I won’t be back!
+cold, unwelcoming atmosphere T_​_​_​_​T
+dried out breads/​meats
+off temperatures on burgers
+located to the west of Wardrobe Rescue Consignment
+free street parking on Church

It was a great place to eat overall. They
Had a great variety of options ranging from Asian to American. I had the steak and cheese and everything was great no problems at all. Also there drink selection is quite cool they have local brews such as from the Caboose Brewing CO or coffee from Caffe Amour. They also have a interesting variety of sodas from the brewing company Swamp Pop which is great don’t think these drinks are for kids because I have seen many adults trying of
these. Finally customer service is great all of the staff is friendly.

I visited Chase the Submarine on a Saturday evening with a few friends. With an assortment of craft beers, an interior splashed with various textures of wood, and a communal table, you’d think you’re at a hipster sandwich joint in Brooklyn rather than Vienna, Virginia. With their line-​up of Asian fusion sandwiches and entrées, I wanted to like Chase, but ultimately I think there are some vital areas for improvement.
Food-​wise, I ordered the Wagyu Pastrami, which was a little under $ 15 with a side of beer-​battered fries. The sandwich was pretty sizable, but I was disappointed with the texture of the meat and the construction of the sandwich. Unfortunately, the wagyu meat plus the pickled veggies makes this a very «wet,» or at least moist, sandwich. The juices soaked through the bread as I was waiting for my friends to get their orders, and it was impossible to eat the sandwich by picking it up (the bottom piece had disintegrated). Perhaps some lettuce or other greens may provide a needed barrier. Flavor-​wise, I enjoyed the taste of the meat with the pickled veggies, but the wagyu, for me, was really stringy/​chewy and tough to eat. The fries, however, were definitely on point and I really liked the seasoning.
My friends ordered the banh mi (side note: Chase, and other non-​Viet places, spell banh mi as «bahn mi,» which, for the life of me, I cannot understand why…) and the chicken salad sliders. $ 9 seems a bit steep for two sliders and as for the banh mi, it seemed satisfactory but could be better in meat-​to-​bread ratio.
Service-​wise, the staff were great and very welcoming. I appreciated that aspect of Chase.
Overall, a decent meal but perhaps a little pricey given the quality of the food experience. But they have lots to offer, so I’d like to come back to try more of their interesting combinations.

I will definitely come back and try the rest of the sandwiches. First time here and had the Pork and Pickles and Pastrami sandwiches. Excellent flavor. The only reasons for not going with five stars are too few chairs and the meat needs to be distributed the whole length of the bread. Not looking for more meat but if it take a smidgen more to fill the bum so one gets some in every bite that would put them up to five stars

I really wanted to like this place. After reading the rave reviews I had to check it out. I got the belly Banh mi. Overall it was an ok, the meat was flavorful but the bread was lacking that crisp crusty baguette texture that a barn mi should have and I could barely taste foie gras pâté. My hubby had the steak and cheese. There’s was just too much bread to meat ratio. The fries were good. Also think that the subs are over priced.

This is exactly what Vienna needs. It gives Red Apron a run for its money, frankly. They have a delicious flavorful menu that is customary of their other restaurants in Tim Ma’s group. I had the pork and pickles and beer battered fries, and they were outstanding. To-​go orders can be tricky, so choose carefully if you’re over a 10 minute drive.
My order was to-​go, so I didn’t have any of their beer. They have some great local choices which is great to see, so I’d definitely grab a beer if I were dining in. I’ll be on a first name basis with these guys shortly… Best of all (or worst of all) they’re right next to Nielsen’s Custard which might be problematic as time goes on. Well, for me, anyway.

We moved to Vienna from Arlington about a year ago and we’ve been missing small little wine bars like North Side Social. Well, I think we’ve found a worthy replacement.
My wife and I went to CTS on its second or third day of being open and it was already awesome. We had the bulgogi, chicken salad sliders, the fries, and potato salad plus 2 pints of beer. Everything was amazing! This place is a great, casual addition to Vienna for a quick, tasty meal or lounging with a glass of wine.

NOTE: HALF PRICE BEER AT HAPPY (or HOPPY) HOUR. $ 3 for a good beer.
Bottom Line: try the Bulgogi, the Pastrami, and the Belly Banh Mi. These are the three best sandwiches I have had in my 50 years of eating Sandwiches. The Steak Sub is good, but it is fundamentally a steak sub; same with the Virginia Italian…[edit: second Italian was much better… really quite awesome.‘
So, I have been eagerly awaiting Chase the Submarine to open. It opened on Wed, but I was in all day meetings. I figured I would have it for dinner, but alas, they ran out of food by two; opening day was a success.
Still, I had a Sandwich — Virginia Italian, for dinner on Thursday. I forgot to ask for no lettuce. I find that old wilted lettuce makes me unhappy, and «fresh» lettuce from preservatives give me asthma. There lettuce was fresh, and no Asthma. The sandwich was tasty: Virginia Ham (means salty), prosciutto, and mortadella (and maybe another meat), fresh veggies. I do not think they put oil on it, but it was not dry. It was delicious. But, fundamentally, it was a cold-​cut sub.[edit] the second time I tried it, I asked for extra dressing, and that really hit the spot.
Today, for lunch, I had the Belly Banh Mi which is foie gras pâté, pork belly, daikon, cilantro, jalapeño. Frankly, it would have never occurred to me to put those together in a sandwich, but it really worked. It was delicious. My wife had the vegetable curry sub, and loved it. My hat is off to Chef Ma.
[edit]
I had the Belly Banh Mi again, and they modified the recipe. It is less salty and more delicious.
The Bulgogi was something I never thought of on a Sub. Yet, it was divine. The flavors were dancing on my taste buds… truly an amazing creation. The meat was tender, with the bulgogi flavor; Chef Ma uses a fine cut of beef (Rib Eye, I think).
The Pastrami Sandwich was surprising. I have eaten a lot of Pastrami in my life, but none paired the way this was. The meat is cured in house. I was shocked at how good it was.
Now, the steak and cheese sub, was, well, a very good cheese steak made with a find cut of meat. But, fundamentally, it was a steak an cheese sub. If you like Cheese Steaks, you will be happy, but I prefer the flavors of the other subs.
Now, I will not try the sweetbreads. I just can’t eat organ meat. Well, not yet…
I have not tried the chicken salad. It seems too pedestrian. My wife, though loves it.
They also have a beer tap with beer from Caboose Brewing Co. Coffee is from Caffe Amouri (which makes sense, as Michael Amouri is part owner).
As for the operation, they are still getting some kinks out. But they will get them out. And you can bet you will always be met by a smiling face.
As for the price, it is more than Subway. But, it is worth it. You can have lunch for $ 10 — $ 15, which is ok for Vienna. The money will stay locally.

Day 2 of being open. Restaurant has a beautiful look to it.
Took a take out order home to the family, 2 steak and cheese subs. And I’m not kidding — it’s quite possibly the best steak and cheese I’ve had… in my life. YES it’s pricier than a lot of places but ill shell out a few extra dollars for a taste of heaven!
After the meat is cooked and the sub is assembled it’s thrown into the oven. It was fun watching Mr. Tim Ma going through the whole process of cooking the subs. The steak… SO TENDER. Unbelievably tender. And the bread is soft, the perfect consistency. My grandma can never eat steak subs… there was no speaking in the house because we were all shoving food in our face with the occasional «oh my god this is fabulous». Also… the beer battered fries are delicious too.
Can’t wait to go back again and try some more items, first time and I’m already thinking this is my new favorite sandwich spot!

daaaaang I really, really wanted to love this place and I know it is opening day but I have a few issues…
Overall the food was good. Beer battered french fries were so tasty and the meats in the sandwiches seemed quality (I say ‘seemed’ because there was little steak but the chicken was good breast meat). BUT $ 11 for a steak and cheese. let alone this steak and cheese that was so small (like on a mini baguette with barely any meat)…that’s just crazy! And $ 3 for a side order of fries of which I could literally count how many fries there were just by looking at it was so skimpy.
The chicken salad sandwiches were probably the most decently priced at what I believe was $ 9? for two chunky sliders. Still, for 9 bucks it should come with a side or something.
Hoping and praying they either reduce prices (because we really don’t need a bigger sandwich per se) or make portions bigger. otherwise this really can’t be a daily spot. Which I know a lot of us Vienna folk were hoping for.
They were sold out by 2pm though! So obviously the hype was pretty real.
On the menu right now there are obviously the two sandwiches I mentioned and then the vegetarian curry. So this is more like a soft opening because the rest of what is on the online menu is still in the works. There are also a bunch of sides available.