Wagshal’s

Grew up around the corner from this place. Back in Bethesda from Denver. Went to pick up some sandwiches… gosh, where to begin… guy behind the counter in the deli, blond hair… I guess he is just an asshole. Good for him. Possibly the worst attitude I have experienced from a front-​facing employee. Ever. The wife’s Brie sandwich, $ 12.75…had 1 slice of ham…1 slice… in between 2 of the most stale bread I have ever experienced. All our sandwiches went in the trash. Asked for ½ pound of shrimp salad and ½ pound of chicken salad. Got 2 ½ pounds of tuna salad. Your «deli» sucks, you suck… please continue sucking… your good at it.

Disappointing diner. Lunch: tepid matzoh ball soup with tough matzoh balls, pita sandwich with dry gyros meat. This morning, nondescript poached eggs. No espresso drinks or interesting teas available. Erratic service. I’m sure the owners could improve the quality several notches. Meanwhile, I will head to the Pain Quotidien across the street.

Thiey are expanding so rapidly it’s hard to rate them. I’m particularly familiar with the deli and the market on Mass Ave. I love the deli: great sandwiches and great hot foods in the evening (turkey dinners on Tues., meatloaf on Thurs.). Good selection of liquor, too, but a little expensive.
The market has some of the best meat in town… all prime. Not cheap but worth the splurge occasionally.
Tried the bbq once… not my favorite.
Overall, Wagshals is great, especially for something good right now and for meat (BEEF).

A real step down for Wagshals with its new restaurant. Ordered their well regarded brisket and faced a cold brown mystery meat with what I presume was gravy. I’d be embarrassed to put my name on this restaurant. Never again. It is clear the restaurant is an after thought and it shows. Too bad as I live near by.

I enjoy fine food as much as the next guy, but this place is insanely overpriced on some items. This coming from someone that shops at Whole Foods regularly. I have shopped at the market and purchased sandwiches at the deli, neither were very good and both were overpriced.

It’s not easy to review Wagshal’s as I have probably shopped there a couple hundred times and it is a mixed bag. Here are my favorite things about the place, then, my less so:
Favorite Things:
#1 — The STAFF.
Great Management — you have Stephan who runs the wines and ordering of items, he is a sweet, slightly grumpy (not at you just you know like a seven dwarf kinda friendly grumpy) guy who is, if you ask me, massively overqualified for his job. Look for him with anything interesting like putting together a special menu for a party. He basically runs the place. The guy went to culinary school. If you come up with a menu or food questions, be prepared for thorough assistance. He will find EXACTLY the thing you need, and knows the place like the back of his hand. Gifts? Ask Stephan. Special event? Ask Stephan. and so on, this guy is really sharp, talented and a gem. You also have Jorge who I love. He is this smiling fellow who runs all the food operations in terms of sandwiches and etc. Very nice, upbeat, and very helpful, always brightens my day. The rest of the staff, Maria and everyone else are awesome too.
The bakery is delicious. Love the rugulah, cakes and all the breads. In terms of lunch items, I am partial to the nicoise salad on the new side and the greek salad on the old side, all the sandwiches are good but I am not a fan of the crabcake, too bready.
The reason I don’t give 5 stars is the owner. The woman is nice, but the guy is not. He hires well, but is unpleasant. The old owners sat in front of my family in a private organization for years and were really warm, sweet people, but this guy, he just seems mean and he was quite rude and defensive towards me over something I was happily ordering. I have witnessed his sour demeanor around the place and he’d be better off staying home. I have literally walked out when I saw his face just because he is so unpleasant. Additionally, it is overpriced. I know DC is new on the wave of culinary knowledge and Wagshals has great items that are hard to find out there, but it is still a bit overpriced. Not terribly, but a bit.
But I go there regardless, and I bring guests from out of town, as it is an institution of sorts, good, casual, high quality food with a great staff! Every item handmade and they do get busy at lunch, so if you are tight on time, make sure you preorder or go when there is less of a rush. Oh, and they often have tastings for the wines in the early evening. Oh and another PS yes their matzoh ball soup is pretty much as effective as penicillin for a cold.

I’ve been going to Wagshall’s for years and was excited about their renovation when I saw it. However, it seems they may have overstretched themselves. Not enough staff. And the deli which has never gone wrong, has lost significant amount of quality. The egg, avocado and tomato bagel I received was soggy and the avocado was completely brown. Totally rancid!

OK– I confess. I love Wagshal’s. I treat Wagshal’s chicken soup like vitamins — I think it’s the cure for everything. But ever since the place expanded, everything has been a mess. The lines are ridiculous and confusing, the staff seems grumpier than ever, and even my beloved soup is a problem (today, a huge container of chicken matzo ball soup with no matzo balls — when I said something to a staff member, he said «Well, people take more matzo balls than they are supposed to.» Um. Ok. But if you have self-​serve soup, you kinda have to expect that people are going to pick through it, so either be prepared, or don’t have self-​serve). I’m hoping they can work out some of these kinks sooner rather than later because the soup is good for the soul.

Just tried the new restaurant in the back after being a loyal customer for more than 6 years. The new option offered by Waghsal’s expanding business is a simple and welcome dining option for the area. Nothing fancy — just simple dining options from an understated local institution. Phenomenal corned beef hash.

Just «okay» food and extremely lacking service. The wait staff needs to be trained on the basics of waiting tables. The waitress spilled a drink on the table and left us to clean it ourselves. One of the things we ordered was the crab cake sandwich, which was doused in Dijon mustard – killing the crab flavor. They also upcharged for the Kaiser roll without first telling us (it’s the principal, really). There were other instances of poor, amateur service but I’ll spare the details. Suffice to say, this was our first time and also likely the last. I would not recommend this place to friends. But if you do eat here, judging by other reviews, it’s probably best to get food to-​go.

I love this place! I go between class and it’s always fast. Try the «thanksgiving thing» sandwich, it is so amazing. Also, the dessert room is pretty impressive.

Disappointing service at expanded location. Only one register open with at least 9 people in line. Took twenty minutes to make my lackluster sandwich while deli workers texted behind the counter. What happened to you, wagshals?!

The Wagshal’s on New Mexico Avenue is my new and only gourmet market. I have stopped going to Whole Foods where I never get out of the store for under $ 100. I can buy the best seafood and meat in the city at Wagshal’s and the entire staff is great. Julia is always very attentive to getting me the freshest bread there is. Believe me, I am a very picky shopper and have lived in DC for 28 years. Buy your staples at Safeway and your meat, fish and bread at Wagshal’s. My European husband loves their dark pumpernickel and 6 grain bread and it’s not the $ 7.99/loaf Whole Food’s price. Try it. You’ll like it.

This place is amazing and a local hotspot. Many congressmen and political figures come here for food. The sandwich was extremely filling and very tasty. It was fairly priced and I was impressed with how fresh the sandwich was they truly have an option for everyone.
The staff is extremely nice and makes sure everything is how you like it. They also have amazing fresh lemonade, probably the best I’ve had. So make sure to try it. If you like a little spice get the #53 with extra hot peppers. Enjoy!

My husband called in a sandwich order yesterday the. Popped in to pick up. We both had the East Coast without sprouts on sourdough.
So. Disappointing.
The turkey so so dry, it was crunchy. I’ve never in my lifetime of eating turkey sandwiches experienced that. Completely disgusting. Ended up taking off all the turkey and eating what was left, which wasn’t much — a sad little slice of cheese, an overwhelming amount of avocado spread (completely off balance with the rest of the sandwich when it was still constructed), some very sad tomato slices.
I’ll probably give Wagshal’s another chance since we love so close, but will steering clear of the turkey!

Went in to buy a couple of bottles of wine. Staff literally stepped over me to help another customer without as much as an, «excuse me» or a“may I help you?” Cashier spoke w/​someone else while checking me out and just plopped credit slip down in front of me without as much as a thank you.
I’ll take my business elsewhere.

It’s a great deli — all your regulars. I had a pastrami sandwich and it was great! It’s a deli/​mart so not a lot of seating (inside). There are tables outside but it’s freezing today. There is a small counter to sit at (which is where we sat). Had a wine-​tasting available so we also picked up a bottle of wine. This place is better for grab and go rather than sitting and eating.

A couple changes from my last visits, but overall, same experience of a good deli with everything but the sandwiches being very overpriced. (see prior review)
The menu is now on easy to read vertical flat panel displays.
They now let you pay for your sandwich while it is being made! (finally)
Even though there are 5 people behind the counter, you still wait around for a while just to get someone to take your order. It isn’t very clear where the order line is vs. the people standing around waiting to pickup.
I got the TBLT (Tilapia BLT). The tilapia was a fried thin piece of shoe leather. I think the menu said it was grilled… so perhaps it was breaded and grilled, but it was a challenge to bite either way. (EDIT –when brought to the management’s attention they were immediately concerned and said the fish shouldn’t have been served. So yours may be better.) Way too much mayo for me, but the bread, bacon and veggies were excellent!
If you are short on time, below the order counter is a box that has two types of grab-​and-​go sandwiches (Cold Cut and something else). $ 10
I didn’t notice any of the unfriendly service folks have mentioned. At least 3 people asked me if I needed help with anything while I was in there.
There is a small counter to eat at and tables outside.
Again, some great liquor bottles I’d pick up if they weren’t so marked-​up. I think your best bet is to just grab the sandwich and get your drink/​chips/​side somewhere else. Or have water. Water is better for you anyway!

This review is for the deli, not the butcher shop (which is 5 stars in my opinion). The service here is surly. I understand they are busy, but they don’t have to be so nasty about it. The cashier was especially not courteous.
The meat in the meatball sandwich was excellent quality. The sauce and cheese were cold which was underwhelming. The bread could be better too.

It’s good. Not great. Solid choice for lunch
Food seemed fresh but also didn’t seem very inspiring
Deli meats are top quality
Breads are supposedly baked fresh. Half out order the bread was fresh the other half not so much.
The bakery items were definitely a step up from sandwich choices
Now the service is by far the RUDEST I have seen in a while. While there the staff was arguing about their break times while I stood in line with other customers.
Then continued argument in the middle of order.
I am the type of person that can befriend just about anyone but everyone here seems angry and disconnected and like they could not give a sh*t about customers
I asked a simple question about where to find something and the staff member mumbled and did not even look up with some answer.
This place may have had a better past but they have definitely has past the expiration date.
I definitely will not be back