Johnny’s Deli

Great little spot! Hole in the wall-​ish place on Penn and 6^th, definitely has that old NYC deli feel with limited space and stuff stacked everywhere. Doesn’t seem to fit the posh mold of a lot of DC eateries. It’s kind of hard to find a quick spot for lunch that isn’t a horrible chain restaurant or a sit down overpriced snobbish place. This place is kinda divey and flattop grease grill spectacular!
The people that work there are really nice. The salad bar is quite vast and tasty. The tables. maybe a little unclean, but for me it’s part of the charm. I’d much rather eat here than another spot. The food is rustic, honest, you get the meal that you expect. Great place for breakfast or lunch.

The Seoul sandwich was too salty and super sour– no kimchi either. The double cheese sandwich looked and tasted worse than a lunchable. The place was filthy. While it’s definitely on the cheaper end of DC, I realized, the only argument I can make in their favor is you get what you pay for?

A great cheap place to eat after exploring smithsonian museums. My friend and I walked here in the search for something that wasn’t going to cost us an arm. The place was hard to find since its hidden in the back of a building. It was kinda sketchy since there were bars on the windows. The store was run by Koreans so they had some Korean meat options. The Seoul sandwich caught my eye. A sub with bulgogi, banana pepper, and other stuff, it was delicious with a kick of spiciness. It may have had a bit too much banana pepper though, easily taken out. I walked out happy and full. Definitely come here for a cheap eat in DC.

Friendly staff and the best egg salad sandwich I’ve ever had! Across the street from the Newseum, very clean restrooms and affordable prices. Menu was very diverse and food made fresh to order.

Very cheap for anything at Penn quarter. Wpuldnt recommend the food bar. However the sandwiches are usually very good! Breakfast menu is cheap and good! Love the owner!

Solid breakfast spot with good omelettes. For lunch they have some decent deli sandwiches and platters which counter nearby Jacks deli. I would not recommend eating from the hot bar.

Great breakfast spot if you are waiting for the mediums to open, cheap quick, and quality food.

Great greasy spoon establishment. They have cheap breakfast options in the morning, though it’s best not to show up during the morning rush because it could take awhile to get your food. The owner and his wife generally man the cash register, and they are very nice about customizing orders for food allergies or general taste preferences.
I would strongly recommend the western omelet. It’s only about $ 6.50, and it comes not only with a huge omelet, but it also comes with home fries and toast. The ham and veggies in the omelet are nice, and they always leave my office smelling like pork. The home fries are seasoned well, and they do not overdo it on the onion (which I appreciate). The toast is nothing to write home about — cheap bread (I usually skip the toast). If you go for lunch, the Seoul sandwich is a Korean bulgogi sandwich, which is pretty tasty and reasonably priced.
There are two reasons I did not give this place 5 stars. First, the coffee is nasty. It is seriously some of the worst coffee I have ever had, and I will not try it again. Second, they nickel and dime you for things — I asked for sourdough bread for my toast, and they said it would cost extra. It’s not even real sourdough.

Such a great neighborhood lunch counter. Everything I have had from them has been wonderful. Love their Steak & Cheese! They have a vey extensive sandwich menu, with lots of hot and cold sandwiches, plus a hot bar and cooler full of a great selection of drinks. I have been going there since the mid 90s and they have maintained their quality.

For a quick, inexpensive filling meal, Johnny’s is a great choice. We had the turkey club and the steak and cheese sub. You won’t write home to tell your friends about the food, but you will leave happy and full. Also, really nice staff.

I’ve come here for lunch a few times while working at the courthouse nearby, and it’s just about the only place where you won’t be waiting in line for fifteen minutes or more just to order. There’s almost always room to sit and eat, and they’ve always been efficient and kind.
Thankfully, the food is great, as well. My favorite is the egg salad sandwich — it’s thick and delicious, one of the best of its kind I’ve had, and it’s cut into nice bit sized portions for your convenience. I’ve also tried the Seoul delight, which is basically bulgogi in a sandwich. It’s definitely satisfying if you’re a bulgogi fan. The Maryland crab cake sandwich is on point, as well. Really, you can’t go wrong. The menu is full of great options, and they’re all good.
One downside: the french fries are bland and uninteresting. I would recommend staying away from those. The sandwiches are so good, though, who needs fries?
Pro-​tip: The men’s room is perpetually out of service — everyone has to share the women’s.

If you’re looking for quick, inexpensive lunch, Johnny’s is a great place with good service. I go there 3 – 4 times a week and have several regular meals — bacon cheeseburger, chicken salad sandwich, ham and cheese, and egg salad sandwich.
I think some people don’t give it a shot because it’s a bit dingy looking which is understandable, but they’re missing out. For the price and the fact that you get a «home-​made» meal, it’s worth it, especially in an area where it’s easy to get tired of Potbellys and ABP.
You can also call ahead, which is nice if you’re just stepping out from the office real quick and need to get back with your food.

Johnny’s Deli is a good, cheap option in Penn Quarter for lunch. Very friendly couple that runs the counter. Quick service. Food? Not bad, but nothing amazing either. About on par with the chains nearby (such as ABP and Potbelly). Pretty standard lunch time fare (sandwiches, wings, etc).

This is one of those spots that you almost don’t want to review because it’s so good and one of the many reasons it’s so good is that there is hardly anyone else there.
We strolled in on a Monday afternoon during my two-​hour breather from jury duty /​selection. The place boasts a small bar full of good looking comfort food (which is not limited to American comfort food, mind you) but also dishes up a mean sandwich. My husband opted for the meatball sandwich, savory, tangy with perhaps the most perfect sandwich bread I have ever had the sweet privilege of sinking my teeth into in my entire life. No joke. This bread was lightly crusty and perfectly soft in all the right places. I chose the less traditional bean sprout veggie sandwich, which featured sauteed spinach, bean sprouts and mushrooms coated in melted cheese (provolone?) on my choice of bread with lettuce and tomato. Not your typical veggie sandwich, no, but I loved the «twist.» First time I’d ever seen that combo on a sandwich board, that’s for sure.
Very kind staff behind the register. I switch my sandwich order entirely after she’s already written it down and she just smiled, laughed at me a little (heck, I knew I was being ridiculous) and repeated back my new order to me.
Oh. And cheap. How could I almost forget to mention that?
We might have to venture over even on a day I’m not in court!

Nice place run by friendly people. This is a great little sandwich and «weigh-​your-​lunch» type spot. It’s a little hidden, yet super close to the DC Superior Court if you’re on lunch break from jury duty, and is just down from crowded Cosi (and the incompetent Au Bön Pain). They’re across 6^th Street from the Newseum.
It’s also superior to Subway, but can’t be seen from the Courthouse, because it’s set back in a little grove of trees and garden area. The upside is that the garden area has a set of chairs/​tables, so you can eat in relative peace, right in the middle of the city.
The club sandwiches are excellent, and they are served with piping hot crinkle cut fries (yay!). I work nearby, and have not had a bad lunch there yet.

Johnny’s has really good food and is priced for us locals :-)

On Tuesdays and Thursdays around 11:30 AM, they put out a pan of BBQ pork ribs. I eat there quite a bit for lunch and have their steam table food which is sold by weight per pound. Today, my ribs, etc. along with two bottles of Hawaiian Punch and one bottle of Deer Park water cost me $ 20.53 I get about a pound and a half of food.
With the passing away of Manhattan Deli, I see more and more tourists over there but that also may be because Johnny’s is across the street from the Newseum. It offers a reasonably priced lunch to people who are visiting there. They also serve breakfast but their main focus is lunch.

Only thing I get there is a grilled chicken sandwich — its good.
Bonus points for taking sandwich orders over the phone.

Lots of good stuff on the menu, everything is good the way it should be, friendly service, quick, fast, and cheap.