G By Mike Isabella

The food is excellent. The staff superb. The noise level is unbearable, especially for such a small restaurant. Worse than a sports bar. Much worse. Something needs to be done to fix this and pronto. It is not healthy for the diners nor for the employees. There are simple, elegant and inexpensive acoustic baffles and cloth materials that can be added to reduce the noise. Diners were having to yell at each other across a small table to hold a conversation and several tables we saw diners wearing earplugs. Kind of crazy.

I’m not sure why it took me so long to check this place out?! I’m a huge fan of Mike Isabella! That said, I had high expectations for G sandwich shop. Unfortunately, I wasn’t very impressed. I ordered the spicy lamb gyro, which was good, but lacking in spice. My friend ordered the breakfast biscuit sandwich and the lamb chili. I tried his and again, wasn’t blown away. I wanted more from G, especially considering Mike Isabella usually blows my mind with his culinary madness! I suppose I will give this place another chance one day in the future.

I’m missing something here — shouldn’t I like this place more than I do? Maybe I need to try the baby goat. Every other sandwich seems to hit the same notes — Motherclucker, Banh Mi — and while they’re fine, they’re not mind-​blowing sandwiches.
I’ve nothing against G, but what I’ve tried here pales in comparison to everything up the block at Fast Gourmet. Maybe that goat will change my mind.

Came here for lunch and got the Thai Motherclucker and the Bahn Mi. Both sandwiches were really good — I highly recommend eating it right there though because if we brought those home I’m sure they would’ve been soggy by the time we got back with the amount of juice and sauce in the sandwich. That being said, I love a saucy sandwich and we ate it there so it was delicious.
It is overpriced for a sandwich unfortunately, otherwise I’d be back more often.

I hear what other comments are saying about price — it is expensive. But when you look at the high-​quality ingrediants, it makes sense. I had the amazing roasted cauliflower sandwich. It comes with roasted cauliflower, a romanesco sauce, pickled veg, arugula, and shishito peppers. Everything just worked together beautifully. I highly recommend it, especially since they made it vegan just for me! All you have to do is ask them to do it — they normally put butter on the bread, but won’t if you ask them not to.
Heads up, the sandwiches are enormous. They’re loaded to the brim. Maybe I’m just surprised since vegan sandwiches are rarely so plentiful, but I almost struggled to eat it! Overall, I loved it, though I certainly wish a half sandwich were an option — I couldn’t finish the full and had to take half home. Nice to have a meal for later, but it did get soggy after a few hours, unsurprisingly.

I went during lunch for their sandwiches. I thought it was fantastic! I got the bahn mi and my girlfriend got the Thai motherclucker. They were outstanding! The only reason I am taking away a star is because each sandwich cost 15 bucks. A little pricey for a sandwich, but they are delicious nonetheless.
They both were topped with fresh veggies and each had their own sauce that perfectly complemented the flavors of the sandwich. The pork in the bahn mi and the Thai fried chicken in the motherclucker were both fantastic.
I would highly recommend trying this place if you have an extra 15 bucks to spare.

This place was utterly disappointing, and in my opinion, Mike Isabella is just a wanna-​be Jose Andres. I came here for dinner one night, and it was seriously one of the most underwhelming and overpriced meals I’ve ever had in DC. I went during restaurant week, and had very high expectations. The best part of the meal was probably dessert, which really says a lot. Our waitress was also very slow and somewhat unresponsive, so the service was nothing to rave about.
I don’t think I will ever return here for dinner, and it would take some serious convincing for me to give this place another shot to try one of their «famous» sandwiches at lunch.

I have had many great experiences at G but tonight I was fairly disappointed. Kept the 5 star review because I’ve been here enough to know that tonight was a fluke. I have eaten regular dinner and done the Sunday gravy menu. The food is always perfect and well-​portioned and the staff is always great (there’s one woman in particular who always treats us so well but of course I can’t remember her name). G holds a special place in my boyfriend’s and my heart. We ate a G picnic basket for our first date, and we have gone at night for many of our special occasions. tonight, I picked up a picnic basket for Valentine’s Day and was fairly disappointed. Last time, we got one parm, one turkey, and the pasta salad and cauliflower for sides. All were perfect. And the house made chips and Nutella cookies that come with it made it a meal. This time, I decided to try something new and got a Cuban. The parm was the same but the Cuban was a pile of dry, cartilage-​heavy pork with the ends of a pickle (like there was a pickle stem) and almost no mustard/​cheese to be found. The sides were okay, and they forgot the chips and Nutella cookies. Pretty disappointing, especially at a $ 50 price tag. Any other time I have dined at G, it’s been nothing short of fantastic!

Absolutely love this place. Everything from the atmosphere, the amazing sandwiches, to the locally hosted beers on tap. I’ve been three times and have been wowed each time! I highly recommend the chicken parm!

My boyfriend and I went to this place for restaurant week. I must say the cheese board for to was amazing! The rest wasn’t really anything to write home about. I also got the wine flight it comes with a sip with each course. It was ok.

I really can’t fathom how anyone likes this place. I’ve been here a couple of times for sandwiches. The first time was unimpressive, the second (Italian hero) was actually horrible. Perhaps the first Italian sandwich I’ve ever had anywhere that I felt that way about. Actually disgusting; stale bread, super salty, foul tasting fatty meats… I threw most of it away. You could pretty much walk into any random sandwich shop in NY, SF, Boston, Philly, etc. etc. and get a better sandwich than this, and probably for half the price. One sandwich (admittedly large) plus a drink and cookie would cost you well over $ 20 here. Staff wasn’t particularly friendly either time I’ve been and I’m not in love with dark and unwelcoming atmosphere. Why can’t we just get ONE decent sandwich place in DC???

I came here for dinner, which probably isn’t this place’s specialty. I have heard great things about G Sandwich, but the evening version doesn’t stack up. It’s a small place, with not very much seating. I went quite a while ago, but if I like something a lot, I remember it. I don’t remember anything I got here. What I do remember is leaving feeling like I’d wasted money on dinner. I remember our server being friendly, though, and despite its size, the restaurant was comfortable.

I was intrigued by the most recent tasting menu at G which consisted of seven seafood courses plus dessert. Certainly the price seemed more than fair and although they offered two levels of wine pairing I decided to bring my own bottle and was charged the same corkage as at Kapnos.
The courses consisted of a carpaccio, cold and warm oysters with dressings, fish and shellfish soup, salad with squid, octopus and clams, pasta arabiata with uni and snow crab, and Chilean sea bass with faro, and a choice of desserts. Every course was great with the oysters, the fish soup and the pasta being exceptional. For the quality and consistency of the food the price was a bargain. To add to the experience the service was cordial and efficient. This was one of my most memorable dining experiences in DC in the last couple of years.

(This review should mostly concern you if you’re looking to make a reservation for a group. My one-​star rating is based on how they treated us over the phone *only*. I’ve never eaten here and probably never will.)
We called to make a reservation for a family birthday dinner. They could not accommodate our group size. If they’d just said that it would have been cool. You know, not everyone can accommodate a group, or do so on a given night. Instead they asked if we could leave out a couple of people. You read that correctly: the restaurant asked if we could leave a couple of family members out of a birthday dinner. No, no we cannot.
I’ve never heard of a restaurant seriously suggesting you leave out or uninvite people from a group. Because of the offensive suggestion, I thought advise others to spend their time calling other places if they’re looking for a place to go as a group.

Sister had taken me here since she was showing me around D.C. on Black Friday. The food taste is that of Middle Eastern origin, which I found, was a big trend in D.C. Since I cannot really remember all the entrees on the menu, I loved a sandwich, was not too much of a fan of a potato based salad (too much lime taste), and loved the lamb chili.

This place would get 5 stars if it was slightly cheaper. But I eat here a lot. The spring lamb gyro is made from high quality lamb that is juicy and delicious and they have arguably the best Italian in DC.

The G Sandwich and G by Mike Isabella is the same space, only that during the day it is a sandwich shop and at night, it is a restaurant venue and serves a tasting menu.
This review is for the sandwich shop during the day. I got there at 11:10 am but the place was not opened, after I looked in and tried to push the door couple of times, the door was opened. I ordered the Roasted Turkey sandwich with spinach, giardiniera, lemon-​thyme mayo. The bread is ok, it is rye bread and there are some other choices too. It is about $ 10 with tax. I was not that impressed, the turkey was soaked in mayo, too much mayo, but the flavor is there. Not sure if I will buy sandwich again in there. I am willing to go back to try the tasting menu in the evening and give my verdict.

Spiced baby goat. Best freakin sandwich I’ve had in a really long time. Easily the best I’ve had in DC. Initially I was taken aback by the idea of a goat sandwich, but it sounded so unique and the cashier highly recommended it. It doesn’t matter how much it costs, just get it.
The entire combination (the savory meat, the sauce, the potatoes, the onions, and even the bread) is just crazy. Every bite is a refreshing reminder of the first. And the meat especially, I just can’t recall having anything quite like it. The sandwich is huge and a half of it alone is enough to fill someone up. And somehow, the second half is just as delicious when microwaved a day later.
Oh also, there in-​house potato chips are crazy good too. Crispy, not too oily, and plentiful. A perfect lunch, snack, and second lunch.

Love g! The meatball subs and cauliflower subs are my favorites.
Sandwiches are huge so you can share with a friend or bring home leftovers.

It is evident that thoughtful planning went into creating this truly unique sandwich shop. The high-​end sandwich shop is a concept that many restaurateurs have explored, but few have conquered. G Sandwich makes it look easy, too easy.
If only the sandwiches here were delicious that would be enough, but the sides, drinks, deserts, ambience, and staff all go well above and beyond to deliver a one of a kind dining experience.
Recommend sampling the Suckling Pig or the Italian Hero. From the sides try the Roasted Cauliflower or the Lemon Potato Hash.
I’m looking forward to trying the Sunday Gravy menu that is offered each weekend for $ 40/​per person (family style).

I came to G for the dinner menu after a work week’s worth of anticipation. The start of the meal was a bit rocky, but overall this is definitely one of DC’s better restaurants. I am excited to come back for Sunday Gravy and maybe during the week for a sandwich.
We had a late reservation and when we arrived the restaurant was emptying out. We weren’t seated immediately and our server was unfortunately disinterested in being there at that point. After ordering a glass of wine, they didn’t have it, only to then be out of the subsequent glass I ordered. What I ended up with was quite mediocre, but on the whole, not the best nor the worst I’ve ever had.
Food-​wise we started with the Cauliflower-​based pasta. The quality of the pasta was really high, but the sauce failed to adhere, making the dish difficult to eat. The cauliflower would have benefited from a bit of char. If I were to re-​engineer this dish I would purée the cauliflower to a smoother consistency, but then take the existing textured Cauliflower in addition, but only after a long roast in a very oven to instill some color and a bit of smoke. A little bit of butter (maybe brown?) and a healthy dose of pecorino and I think this could go from a good dish to a stellar one.
Then the star of the meal emerged. Two pieces of perfectly medium rare beef along with the most delightful maitake mushrooms I’ve tasted. The beef was well seasoned and melded perfectly with the dishes real standout item, the mushrooms. I enjoyed this immensely and then realized that some of my earlier criticisms weren’t entirely fair, as clearly G is an immensely capable kitchen if it can produce a dish of this caliber.
We rounded out the meal with the donuts. They tasted like loukoumades and the eggplant was spot on. I suspect the inspiration for this (maybe even the plate) came out of neighboring Kapnos. They tasted not like Italian donuts, but rather like those from a Greek street food vendor.
My friends enjoyed their meal. The lasagna was awesome and reminded me of a similar dish that I once stumbled upon in Rome. Another friend while commenting on the cookie-​based Ravioli commented that this was one of the best dishes he had ever had outside of his favorite restaurant in Boston. My vegan friend also enjoyed his meal.
Anyways, bravo. I will be back.

Came in for the $ 40 tasting menu with the $ 29 wine pairing. An absolute steal – the antipasto and the first course will just about fill you up on their own. The dishes are delicate and creative but not too precious. The place was surprisingly empty when we arrived. It’s a shame, this is great food at a fantastic price point.

This place is reliably good, but a little expensive. The sandwiches are delicious. I generally go for anything with lamb in it, and my boyfriend really likes the cubano. Other than the price, this place is annoying because it only serves sandwiches at specific times (making the name a little deceptive). The staff will also get salty with you if you deign to ask for a sandwich while they’re only serving their tasting menu.
Overall, G Sandwich is good if you’re looking for a sandwich on 14^th street, as long as you go during an oddly narrow time frame.

My husband and I visited G last night for Restaurant Week tasting menu. We’ve also had G sandwiches at the ballpark (which are awesome by the way, highly recommend) but this time we wanted the dinner experience. The worst part of the evening? Actually getting there and getting home. Navigating that part of town, finding parking… omg. There’s a garage not too far from it but there’s only one tiny sign and it didn’t show up on any map so how anyone finds it is beyond me. I believe it was 14^th and U street, if you’re interested. But I digress…
G did not disappoint! The tasting menu consisted of 3 courses. For the first, I chose the roasted maitake mushroom, and hubby picked spiced tuna crudo. The mushrooms came bubbling in a small cast iron skillet, and the tuna lined up pretty for us on a white plate. I have to admit I didn’t think I’d like the tuna, but I was wrong. They were both fantastic, and we took great delight sharing the two between us back and forth. There’s plenty to do that, so I highly recommend if you go with someone that everyone order something different so you get to taste more. I saw the table next to us get the antipasti board and it looked scrumptious. It must have been too because they all but licked the board clean.
Not that I did that to the mushroom pan. *whistles innocently*. The mushrooms had a hint of sweet, a hint of cheese, and an earthy foundation that made me want more more more. The tuna, true to the name, had a perfect blend of spicy, cool and hint of the sea. I’d get both again in a heartbeat.
For the next course, I chose Corn Tortellini, and the hubby Rigatoni Bolognese. The sauce with the Tortellini was slightly sweet, with a rich corn flavor and again an earthy undertone. I loved it. I wished it had chicken in it heh.
The Rigatoni featured almonds and a gravy that just made you want to melt… it brought memories of home and kitchen tables and warm nights by a fire with it. Serious comfort food! This isn’t a red sauce at all, it’s more like a thin gravy with a rich savory kick to it. With almonds. Can’t go wrong with almonds! We eagerly shared both dishes, though the Rigatoni was bigger by far. Not that I was jealous or anything.
For the last course, we had a choice of German Chocolate Cake, Tiramasu, or Blueberry Pie. We both opted for Blueberry Pie. Not too sweet, obviously fresh berries… the perfect end to a fantastic meal.
One thing to note: as others have mentioned, yes the service feels slow. (happy and attentive, but the courses aren’t slammed down one after another. There’s space in between.) I didn’t time it, but what I did do was get a drink and enjoy the alone time with my hubby. Plan on being there a little while. Get a beverage. Sit back, put the phone away, unwind from the day… let it all go and realize dinner is not a competition to see who can finish first. Enjoy the time out with friends and lovers. To me, the pacing was just right. We left satisfied, not stuffed, and very happy with the world until we got back into DC traffic. Sigh.
Oh, and no suit needed. It’s a casual place. Leave the tie at home ;-)

I’ve eaten here several times and have never been disappointed. Pick any sandwich it will be good. And don’t skip on the chips! They are crispy and delicious!
The breakfast sandwich is also good but overpriced for what it is. I take issue with paying that much for a breakfast sandwich that doesn’t even have bacon on it.

The spring lamb was pretty standard but the suckling pig was delicious and tasted even better the next day. The potato chips pair nicely with any sandwich, and I thought the service was fantastic. I went to G towards the end of the day, when they were setting up the place to switch over to the tasting menu. I didn’t finish eating my sandwich and was wrapping it up to go. Without me having to ask, one of the staff members offered to bring me a new carry out container, which I really appreciated.

This place was recommended to my friends and I during a trip to DC when we were visiting from NY. The sandwich menu is very original and unique. There are a few safe choices (chicken salad, turkey, Italian meatball sub), but most of the options are not the normal sandwich flavors you usually see (Bangkok banh mi, goat). I had the lamb gyro, which I really liked, and I didn’t feel overly stuffed afterwards. I tasted the cous cous, kale side, and quinoa, and liked the quinoa the best. Fresh and light tasting. I also had the house made chips, and was surprised at how well they came out (I’m not a huge chip person).
I’m a restaurant bathroom snob and will actively avoid certain establishments if they have less than ideal washrooms (re: dirty, uncleaned, not maintained, badly lit, no mirror, no soap, no hot water, etc). I was extremely delighted with this bathroom, it’s extremely clean and well kept, and decorated nicely as a bonus. I would come back and have a sandwich just to use it again.
Overall, I’d come back to try one of the other interesting sandwich creations they have, as at least one their options can please almost anyone.

I’d say there’s a real sandwich renaissance going on in DC. Fancy grilled cheese bars opening up, Taylor elevating the Italian grinder to an art form, and now celebrity chefs getting in on the act. The sandwiches at G run a surprisingly broad and exotic spectrum and the sides aren’t your usual potato chips or cole slaw, but even slightly less adventurous eaters like me can find something to like.
I played it safe with the meatball sub, enormous meatballs with a nice blend of flavors (something with a tiny kick of spice and possibly a little lemony hint as well) covered in gooey cheese on good chewy Italian bread. The lemon potato hash is delicious too, very lemony and just a little more rosemary than I’d like but still a great side. The shop has a cool low-​key vibe, hipster without being in your face about it. The prices are a little high but my sandwich was so big I saved half for later, so I really paid for two meals.
G probably won’t knock Taylor Gourmet off as my favorite DC sandwich shop, but it’s a solid choice serving tasty and interesting food in a cosy little space. Stop by if you’re in the neighborhood and need a break from your boring sandwich routine.

This place is great! I’d come here any day over Kapnos, which I find overpriced and pretentious, with pushy service. The tasting menu at $ 40 a person is quite reasonable. I love, love, loved the gin, grilled lemon, honey lemonade, mixed antipasto platter (the green bean and radish salad, roasted tomato and pâté? bruschetta, and eggplant arancini are divine!), sweet corn ravioli (similar to the sweet corn agnolotti at Graffiato), and grilled squid bolognese were divine. I also enjoyed the chocolate mousse and blueberry tart desserts. The third course is the only part preventing me from doling out the last and fifth star: I found the grilled veal skirt steak with asparagus and roasted tomatoes way too chewy and hard to eat, and the red snapper with lentils and pepperoncini was not well seasoned and almost fishy. Still, I’d come back.
The service was friendly, helpful, and all around awesome.