Subway

If you’re in the McPherson Square area, do yourself a favor and come to this Subway location instead of its dreadful K Street counterpart.
I came here a little after 1pm, and it wasn’t crowded at all. The service is great. They are attentive and not stingy with ingredients. When building your sandwich, they do it with a gentleness that is warm and inviting– just like my toasted roast beef sub was. They offer the standard ingredients, which all seemed well-​stocked. While this is a small location, there are a few tables here if you want to eat-​in. If I ever want to go to Subway, this is my location of choice! I really can’t find any fault with my experience, so this is a five-​star Subway in my book.

Relatively good, friendly staff. The food was fresh, and there are a lot of seats.

I’m not a big fan of Subway due to prior bad experiences where they rush to make subs and use dry bread that crumbles before taking a bite but not at this place.
Anyhow, I ordered a tuna on hearty Italian with lettuce and a single slice of pepper jack and I was surprised at how soft the bread was along with the taste of the sub as a whole.
Usually all Subways across the nation are small and dirty but not this one. This one is clean except for the smell of the bathroom.

Walked here from the office

Yes, this is a chain, and I usually wouldn’t bother to review, but I’ve just had so many pleasant experiences at this location that it felt like the least I could do.
Aside from the normal lunches (where the employees somehow manage to deal with curt, distracted customers), this location is open late — a rarity among downtown eateries.
The service is fantastic, and they guy was patient with me as I read my boyfriend’s complicated order from my phone, and then ordered my own sandwich.
I have no complaints, and will definitely be back, especially late night. Subway totally saved me from paying too much for delivery food when I got home.

I was walking downtown at nearly 10pm hungry wanting food, but not a restaurant experience. Then the «Open» sign of the Subway on 15^th and L streets drew me near. As I approached I could smell fresh baked bread and cookies. The first thing I noticed about this Subway was the hours. Open to 11pm Monday thru Saturday and 8pm on Sundays. 1 to 2 hours later than every other Subway shop in the area.
Usually Subway set up. Clean, a fair amount of seating and well lit. No line (probably because of the time) so getting quick and friendly service was not an issue.

I love subways as a chain and this location pretty much met my expectations of the place. It is located near the metro which is fantastic if you are looking for something to eat before going out or need a quick dinner that will fill you up. I did not go here during peak hours.
There was only one person working at the location but he was quick and courteous. The location is really tiny and I felt like it offered less in terms of items to choose from if that makes sense.

It’s a Subway, so it’s decent, but this place is like Subway on steroids at lunch time! Yes, there are long lines at lunch time. Yes, they are efficient too. But I think a little too efficient. They try to take your order when you are about 15 feet away from the counter, waiting amongst other people. You have to stand on your tippy-​toes to dodge the chip stand, to see the person taking your order behind the counter. Don’t forget an extra kick in your voice too, as it’s hard to give your order using your «indoor» voice.
Minus 1 star because they gave me a plastic bag to carry my sandwich (most places ask if you want one… this place just gives it to you). I think I can hold my sandwich for the 2 blocks back to my office and save myself the $ 0.05.

Continuing on my quest for «cheap eats» in D.C., I have relied upon some old standbys that I know will fill me up for the rest of the day and not bankrupt me at the same time. Since I don’t get home until about 7 p.m. that’s a LONG way to go from lunch to dinner.
Fortunately, Subway fills the gap. This particular Subway is up one block from my job, and it’s a nice walk to get to. This is also a *very* popular Subway, as it is surrounded by office buildings, including the Washington Post, so lunchtime can get extremely busy, with the line snaking out the door.
However, I’ve found the wait worth it, many times over. The bread is fresh, the ingredients tasty. My favorite is the Cold Cut Trio, which used to be on Subway’s national menu, but for some reason, they dropped it, and it now it appears to be a «local favorite» (hooray for my locality!). My other standby, when I’m in the mood for it, is turkey breast, which is also very good.
My only nitpick with Subway (and this might be a corporate decision, not a local franchise one) is that they don’t offer shredded carrots anymore — at least at this location; I haven’t gone to any others lately. I’m slightly disappointed as I’m a fan of carrots on meat sandwiches, but I’m not going to hold it against them. What they did have available was lettuce, tomato, green peppers, cucumbers, hot peppers, olives, jalapeño peppers, mayo, light mayo, salt & pepper, and all the bread choices they have listed on their national listing.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can EASILY go here for cheap eats. What I’ve done in the past is bought a $ 5 footlong on Monday, eaten half then, and the other half on Tuesday, repeating for Wednesday and Thursday, and then wildcarding myself on Friday. The total for both days? $ 5.50 with tax! That works out to $ 2.75 for each half! You CANNOT get a cheaper meal in D.C. (That’s without getting chips or a drink, btw.) After getting a bill at Cosi’s or Corner Bakery for $ 10+ (while the food is good at both places), it’s nice to not drain the wallet quite as quickly.
I would not recommend this Subway for groups. It’s a *small* Subway and they have maybe a total of 10 tables, and at lunch time, good luck getting a seat. I usually end up buying and bringing it back to the office to eat. The crew behind the counter are great people, taking everything in stride, even at their busiest. I’ve seen them take up to four or five orders at once, all the while calmly rolling sandwiches down the line.
If you haven’t tried this Subway, and you’re nearby, I’d highly recommend stopping in. The wait is worth it!