TOPS

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw a line of nearly 20 guys and no women in front of the food truck named «Handmade Sausage.» Sausage fest at Handmade Sausage! The idea of two sausage sandwiches for ten to twelve dollars was intriguing so I decided to check it out.
From the outset, it should be mentioned that the earliest reviews of this truck are outdated. I’ve tried to include a photo with the current menu, but in case it is difficult to read, it’s basically italian sausage, bratwurst, kielbasa, chicken for 7 dollars and chicken chorizo and lamb for 8 dollars. If you order two sandwiches together, they cut you a deal for 10 to 11 dollars. I’d suggest going with a friend and splitting an order because I’m definitely feeling lethargic after demolishing the two sandwiches by my lonesome.
Both sandwiches I ordered were otherworldly good. The kielbasa was more aesthetically pleasing with diced onion and green peppers floating atop the beautifully spiced kielbasa. The sausages were wrapped in a soft bun and drizzled with a criss-​crossing of mustard. Perhaps even more impressive was the North African lamb sausage covered in tomatoes and onions and accented with a spicy yogurt sauce. The lamb sausages themselves contained a surprising level of kick and are not recommended for those individuals who can’t handle the heat. For the bulk of the human population, however, this sandwich was incredibly tasty and absolutely worth ordering.
I have no earthly idea why this truck isn’t among the most popular in the city. It certainly has nothing to do with the actual product because it’s exceptional. I’d strongly recommend it to anyone who loves meat.

Good food and good service makes for a great restaurant (or food truck in this case). Tops has both. Been to see them a bunch of times now, and I’m absolutely addicted to the Italian. Loaded up with toppings or nothing on it at all, it’s delish. It’s not like an italian you would find at the fair either — it tastes so much better. It’s a good portion and it’s definitely affordable. Add in the fries and you’ve got a full meal.
It takes guts to put chili on a dog in DC with Ben’s in town. Tops can hold their own. The chili is exactly the kind of chili you want on a dog and/​or fries. Yum-​o.
I tried the so good once (I had to have it sans cheese) and I could tell it was missing that all-​important component. It’s not for me.
Like everybody else has said — the service is great. Not only are they super fast, but friendly as well, and always joking around — you can tell they enjoy what they’re doing.
And they accept credit cards!

This is my first review on Unilocal.Normally I come to Unilocal to get opinions on a place but never bother to offer up my own, but after having had the food these guys offer I had to pipe in. This truck is absolutely amazing. My wife and I have lived in the area for many many years and we have always struggled to find really good food at a reasonable price. But since having had some of the food on this truck I can honestly say that whenever I am near this truck I am definitely going to hit it up.
The first sandwich I had was the Hot Italian. This was seriously very very good. The sandwich looks so simple when you first get it with just onions and green peppers but my eyes got wide at the first bite. The flavor from the sausage was outstanding. Really above and beyond anything I have had in a long long time.
I also had a chance to try the So Good. Its hard to express how incredible it was. Its very much the opposite of the Italian as it is sweet but perfectly so. Its not like eating desert for lunch, it is very well balanced.
The service really does make the experience complete. Those guys are genuinely happy to be there and serve out their food. You can see that they are truly proud of what they are serving. The guy out front seems to have that rare gift of being able to draw you in and make you feel welcome.
Like I said before I can’t wait to go there again. I am constantly talking about it to people who might be going down to where they are at.

Our family always loves a good food truck– and this one is no exception! There was something for everyone in our family on the menu, which is always a plus. And, the service was really great– very friendly and accommodating people. Definitely recommend it…

The So good is an spin on a traditional breakfast sandwich, you will definitely like this version! Was offered a free sample of the chili, really good. Overall you can tell they use quality ingredients to make a good product. The food ingredients taste fresh. Also just want to comment that the guys working the truck are super friendly. Would definitely go back.

I love this truck. There is nothing really fancy about the food, but oh man its good. The Italian is my fav, it has a great balance of flavor and it goes well with the cherry tomatoes/​onions/​and green peppers on a some soft bread. I agree with the Justin C, the chili is sweet, but I am personally a fan of sweet chili. I will def become a regular.

I’ve had TOPS a few times now, when they’ve been stationed in Metro Center (for lunch) and then at Nats Park (for a game a few weeks back). Here’s the skinny:
The «SO GOOD»
With a «dog» named the «So Good!» you pretty much have to try it your first go ’round. It’s a breakfast-​inspired dog, with apple-​maple sausage, eggs, cheese, a bit of maple syrup and powdered sugar on a high-​quality steak roll. Pretty much all you’d have for brunch on Sunday, in a bun. The beauty of this sandwich is you can have it for lunch – in the middle of the week – and who doesn’t love breakfast all day, any day. I do love all the tastes coming together to create a solid go-​to dog for any time of day – maybe suggest going light on the syrup (personal preference), but I think it adds a real nice touch.
The «ITALIAN»
The second time at Nats Park, I had the hot Italian sausage with a tomato/​peppers/​onions-​relish on top. I really enjoyed the Italian. The relish especially gave it a nice kick – pretty spicy but doable even to those who are anti-​heat. I believe their sausages are from Lancaster Country, and they are def. high quality stuff.
The FRIES
So if I understand it correctly they ‘double-​fry’ their fries. A mix between deep fry + on the grill after. Creates a real crunch that I love. I stray away from all those soggy ‘Five Guys’ style fries which are nasty. So add some chilli and cheese and you got a solid snack. Extra crunchy fries + mild chilli + the cheese is a winner in my book.
The SERVICE
The obvious allure to the food trucks it the food and convenience – but I think often what keeps you coming back is the service. I’m a big fan of the «local neighborhood restaurant, with your booth, your server, your dish» concept and these guys do that on the road. Definitely a truck I’d visit if it’s in the neighborhood. These two guys run a pretty cool operation. Jeremy is the front man outside – pretty hilarious dude, good with the customers and makes sure you get your order quick. And Jimmy is the guy manning the grill to make the magic happen. Both really good guys looking to put out a solid consistent product — with out the need for fancy technicolored turbans (you know who you are, guys).
Follow them at: @topstrucks

See, the problem you have when you simply name your menu item «So Good!» is that it has to be that, or at least really close, and that’s a hard mark to achieve when you’re attempting something that is admittedly rather bold. I don’t think TOPS quite excelled in that regard, especially in contrast to PS7’s, whose «OMFG Dip» (
) actually made me feel that way. I think there may just be a minor discrepancy in palates here though (where they heavily favor the sweet side and I prefer salty), so I’m definitely willing to give them another try.
I actually already knew I wanted to try TOPS, as they were the reason I had walked over to Metro Center, but I was still flagged down by the really friendly guy in the window to see if I wanted a sample of their homemade chili. I’m pretty sure it’s the only product actually made in-​house, and it was quite good but the brown sugar flavor totally overpowered it for me. They also use tomatoes in the chili which I’m not a fan of as they tend to drown out the meat flavor. It was a good style though, and I know my coworkers would approve since there’s zero heat whatsoever, so if you like a milder chili give it a shot. I came for one of the sausage sandwiches though, which seem to fluctuate in style occasionally, and today’s options were the hot Italian sausage with peppers & onions and the aforementioned So Good, an apple-​maple sausage with a fried egg, cheese, maple syrup and powdered sugar served on a steak roll.
I do like sweet things, but I need some balance, which I was hoping the egg and cheese would provide. Unfortunately they did not, and the whole thing tasted pretty much of maple syrup throughout. I could tell the quality of the sausage they use was quite good, Stoltzfus Meats from Lancaster County (they use Nathan’s jumbo all-​beefs for their hot dogs), but nothing could match the cloying sweetness of the maple syrup. The egg was totally outmatched, and I really couldn’t even see or taste the cheese at all. It’s easily the stickiest sandwich I’ve ever had as a result, and the only thing that comes close to it in the messy lunch category is Fojol’s truck Benethiopia (a no-​brainer). I highly recommend if you go this route to take it back to your office rather than eating it outside, unless you’re cool with awkwardly avoiding contact with everything for a solid 5 minutes til you can wash your hands.
The cheese fries were upgraded for me for free (again, great customer service here), but something about them texturally really turned me off. He said they do them on the grill, and I’m not entirely sure what that meant, but they wound up tasting like undercooked fries from a freezer bag. You know how if you leave them in the oven for 7 minutes instead of 10? Kind of like that. The cheese also became quite molded rather quickly, basically leaving me with one combined ball of potato and cheese (not as awesome as it sounds).
I really like the spirit of the guys in this truck though, as intangible as that may sound, so I’m absolutely willing to go back and try something of a different variety, most likely the hot Italian (I’m hoping this sentence is conveying the meaning I intended). It’s also nice that they accept credit cards here, and their «combo» addition is only $ 2 more (for fries and a soda), always a good sign compared to the other greedy bastards.