1791 DC

Boar’s Head meats, clean space, efficient — I really like this deli. Today I had the turkey wrap on a sundried tomato tortilla with lettuce, tomato and oil & vinegar. The lettuce is whole leaf and fresh, which is important to me as I’m easily sketched out by lettuce. The wrap is really big — I couldn’t finish it, and I can EAT — and reasonable at $ 6.99 or so.
It’s a bit of a random location, as others have said, but when I’m tired of the many chains around my office and want something that tastes homemade and is brought to me in a really clean and efficient manner, this is it. You should go.

This deli is exactly what you want in a deli – reliable, good sandwiches that are prepared individually and quickly. There are a ton of options and lots of drinks and chips as well. The place is clean and the servers are very nice. Prices are really good-​a good lunch under $ 8 is hard to find in Chinatown. Two thumbs up.

this place has the rudest people worker there not to mention I found hair in my food one time as well as the chicken on my sandwich was still raw in the middle, I also saw either a mouse or rat running through the kitchen. I would not recommend eating here until they get there sanitation under control. I don’t want salmonella or some other type of food poisoning, do you?

This is a really good deli. Not only are the sandwiches very tasty, but what I am more impressed with is the speed and efficiency. The deli uses quality ingredients like Boar’s Head meat and I really like the variety in their sandwiches and paninis. The soups are also pretty good. They also have a great selection of chips, snacks, and beverages. The best part of it all is if you are an impatient person like me and used to the New York City lifestyle, the speed of service is really great here. I have to come to DC a lot for business and I really like coming to this deli!

Dicey food handling practices.
I always enjoyed 1791 but a recent experience leaves me with no confidence that they practice sanitary food handling.
Sandwich maker — wipes his nose with his hands while making my sandwich. Manager — seems off-​put that I asked them (not the original guy) to make me a new sandwich (vs eating a snot sandwich).
I used to go there weekly — no, no more.

Good lunchtime option if you work in the area. I don’t even know that it is open on the weekends. The only problem I have is that they automatically put sauce on the chicken (it’s just how it comes there) and I’m not a big fan of sauces. They do have great sandwich options and a good snack department (pita chips, healthy chips, juices, fresh fruit) which is hard to find in the area with all of the fast food places taking over Chinatown! Tina is the lady’s name and she is the best. They also have really good coffee!

This place is sort of hidden on 8^th Street. Other than neon Open sign you would probably walk past this place repeatedly not really knowing what it is.
To me it’s always hard to judge a sandwich spot or deli, it’s almost impossible to make a sandwich incorrectly. If you can’t get the basic details of bread, meat and another piece of bread and put it together not only should you not be working at a sandwich shop, you probably shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets freely so you can’t really judge on how the sandwich is put together. So to me sandwich places are only as good as the products they use.
The quality of the meat and bread at 1791 are pretty good. I had the BBQ chicken breast sandwich and it was tasty. Meat had a quality flavor to it and the wheat bread was soft and moist making for an overall moist sandwich. The worst thing a sandwich place can have is dry breads and meats. The tomato was fresh and nicely sliced and the mayo and mustard were flavorful as well without being overwhelming.
I also had the strawberry splash smoothie. I’m more of a smoothie with an ice cream or yogurt base fan, not a milkshake mind you it’s still a smoothie but it’s thicker. Their smoothie is definitely thinner and fruit juice filled. For that being said it was good, a tad on the sweet side but definitely worth another try. A bonus is they must put some real pieces of fruit in the smoothie because occasionally you suck up a nice little chunk in your mouthful that really gives you a flavor blast.
The service was fine, the guy taking my order and making my sandwich was polite enough, making sure to ask me the kind of bread I want and what toppings I require. The lady running the register wasn’t overly polite but she was far from rude and definitely on the HOT side so I wasn’t bothered by her in the least.
1791 is a nice little sandwich spot and I would definitely recommend it for a quick meal but you’re not going be blown away by anything you find there.

NOT IMPRESSED!
The Young Asian woman that rang up my sandwich had an attitude. It was my first time there and it will be my last. I did not know the drill and she kept asking me if I want cheese on my wrap. I said no, and she snapped back «I am asking if you have cheese on your wrap, not if you want it!!»
On the way out I heard her complaining to the staff about another staff member.
Food was so-​so. The wheat wrap was stale. No B.B.Q. sauce for the B.B.Q. Chicken Breast Sandwich.
I could deal with the wrap, I could not deal with the attidtude from that sales employee again!
Dont waste your time!

Decently priced, tasty, and a great variety will pull me back in for another quick lunch bite. I had a P10, the mozzerella, pesto, red pepper panini. It had just enough pesto that it wasn’t oozing all over the place and a generous amount of mozzerella! All in all great panini options!

I’m a big fan of this Deli. They have a good system set up with the space they have where you can order your sandwich at the counter, then go stand in line at the cashier so you’re not stuck in a long line waiting for your sandwich to be made like at a place like potbelly. I also enjoy their daily sandwich specials that include chips and a soda for about $ 8.
I had a roast beef sandwich that was a special and was OK but I was happy because I just wanted one of the deals. The best was the cajun turkey panini I had, that was delicious. The portions can be a little small for the panini’s in comparison with the price but I end up being happy about it so I’m not absolutely stuffed after my workday lunch.
They have a great selection of beverages and chips — which is oddly important to me. I really like 1791 though I can never remember what it’s called.

I work right next door to 1791 and the convenience is more than enough to love this place!
They are quick and have never once messed up an order. I usually stick with a boring turkey on wheat, but I have tried several of their specialty sandwiches and paninis — all of which are delicious!
1791 is just consistently good. I’ll probably go there for lunch today.

«The Number Place»
I can NEVER for the life of me remember that this is «1791» so I fondly call it the number place :)
I really enjoy their sandwiches and the fact that they carry every boar’s head deli meat you could want. I particularly enjoy the turkey pastrami. I’ve had lots of different sandwiches here and I’m always pleased with the construction of the sandwich and the quality of ingredients.
The paninis take a little longer to make which is expected but everything else is made very quickly. Lots of chips and sides are available to add to your order.
I’m definitely a fan and make frequent lunch trips here. The menu is large and I usually try and order something different each time, but the turkey pastrami changed my life so I might have to stick with that in the future.
Try it, you won’t be sorry!

I work in the area and have a few sandwich shops I frequent– 1791 is one of them. Their sandwiches are on par with Phillips– my other favorite– it is just a shame that the cashier is so rude. Sure, she’s efficient and fast, but when customers spend $ 25+ weekly at your store, a smile would be nice to see once in a while. I’m not the only one who feels this way, I’ve heard several complaints.
Because of the repeated rude service, I’ve decided to give my money to Phillips, because their staff is friendly, they remember my name and what I like, and I always leave there in a good mood knowing I’m getting a high quality, tasty lunch.

I would consider 1791 a standard deli for the Chinatown/​Penn Quarter area. It’s sandwiches are on par with Lawsons and Phillips.
1791 has solid paninis, as far as I know the best around Chinatown/​Penn quarter.
The line can be long but moves fast. The woman behind the register is a machine, she’s very quick and is never the bottleneck that most registers can be.
Sandwiches are between $ 6-​$ 8 and the place has a wide variety of chips and drinks to choose from. The sandwiches are done lightning fast, under five minutes. The paninis are a bit slower, a little over five minutes but typically under 10.

I work across the street from this place and am an almost-​daily customer. I’d probably starve to death without them. They have a good selection of vegetarian sandwiches, which can’t be said of a lot of other places in the neighborhood. The deli area is clean and the service is quick and friendly. For all the rude tourists that I’ve seen them have to deal with, the staff has never seemed flustered.
The long line can seem intimidating, but they keep it moving pretty fast. Good coffee, too. And a nice variety of Asian snacks like Pocky and Wasabi peas.

1791, a delicious little deli a block from the Verizon Center in Penn Quarter, blends into its surroundings – if their umbrella-​covered picnic tables are not out, you might miss it.
Inopportune advertising aside, 1791 has great, overstuffed sandwiches that are made with Boar’s Head meats, which – if you are unfamiliar with them – will irreversibly convert your expectations for how a lunch turkey slice should taste. Thus, my favorite is their cobbie sandwich – turkey and avocado with BLT; further, they feature a wide variety of breads that are particularly great when toasted.
The menu choices for sandwiches are plentiful and they run a daily combo special; if something else suits your fancy, you are encouraged to choose your own sandwich ingredients. My one complaint is that their paninis, though decent, are on the greasy side so consume at your own risk of disappointment.
As a plus, they also have enough snack types and varieties – from candy, chocolate pretzels, chips, fruit, soup, salad, baked goods, etc – to feed a small army so if your sandwich needs a side, you won’t be disappointed.

The woman who works the cash register is scarily efficient — I get so intimidated that by the time it’s my turn to pay, I’m fumbling with my wallet, dropping change on the ground, etc. She runs a tight ship!
Good thing, since this place gets busy at lunchtime and the line moves quickly. There’s an overwhelming selection of sandwiches and some salads (I like the Spa Tuna Salad). They also stock unique snacks like Pop chips, which taste like Styrofoam but in a good way. A solid non-​chain lunch option.

These small no-​name delis are a dime-​a-​dozen around downtown. 1791 DC stands out from the average slop-​serving delis however. Located on 8^th Street just off of the main Chinatown drag, it has long lines at lunch, a real testament to the quality you get here. The deli is serving high quality meats sliced on site, and has an absoutely huge selection of sandwiches available. I’ve been partial to the paninis offered which are flavorful and a good portion size. My fiancé frequently gets the chicken salad and seems very happy with it. In particular, the roasted red peppers they use are particularly flavorful.
Beyond the sandwiches, 1791 has a huge selection of candies and chips to accompany your meal. Far more than most delis have, including many kettle-​cooked varieties.
For a quick lunch that you bring back to you desk, 1791 might be the best option around Chinatown. Note that they do have a small amount of seating at counters around the windows, but for more than 2 people, it would be a bad place to expect to sit down and eat.

I really like deli sandwiches and this place is close my my office.
I particularly like the sandwich special (which is written on a blackboard on the deli counter) — they come with chips and a can of soda for about the same price as the other regular sandwiches. If you get the hoagie special, you get additional tortilla chips in addition to the bad of potato chips.

We casually call this place the «8^th Street Deli» even though its real name is 1791 DC — not exactly catchy, and we’re not really sure what the name refers to. The year this deli was founded? Again, nope, it was opened in 2006. The SAT score of its owner? Probably not, since the ordering/​pick-​up system is a little confused. The year of DC’s founding? Nope that was 1790 — contrary to the incorrect «history» on their website.
Anyway, it’s a good little deli that does nice paninis and very good salads. Regular sandwiches are just ok and nothing special beyond your typical cold cuts. As noted above, the ordering/​pick-​up/​payment system could be improved a little — every now and then an order gets lost in the shuffle. Their soups are pretty good. All the other lunch add ons (soda, fruit, yogurt, etc.) strike me as expensive. And they really don’t have any freshly baked dessert options. Still, they make a great salad, and if I’m going there for greens, why would I want to ruin it with dessert anyway?