Sandwiches by Phillip

Rude, atrocious service. Hard to hear people in line.

I visit this place ever so often when I have a taste for a sandwich or wrap. They have freshly backed and grilled sliced chicken, turkey and roasted beef. The are friendly, efficient, professional and prompt. The location is extremely busy, but the food is worth the wait. You may also call your order in and pick it up, which will put you at the front of the line!

I’ve been to Sandwiches by Phillip a couple times with a work colleague, with two different experiences. Granted, we hit the lunch rush, so there is a line. Even though it is fairly long (wrapping around to the soda fountain there), they seem to have a good process down and the wait isn’t all that bad.
I’ve gotten the same thing (Pulled Pork BBQ) both times, and had two different experiences. The guy at the front of the counter (order taker) definitely tries to keep things moving. But when he takes your order may determine what toppings you get on your sandwich. The first time, I was nowhere near my sandwich when it was made, so I got the basic BBQ and Cole slaw. I didn’t think twice about it at the time. But the second time, the line was moving in sync with the sandwiches and the sandwich makers were able to offer toppings (lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc…) — so I was able to personalize it a bit more.
The cost for a drink, chips, and sandwich is probably about in line with most other DC places, maybe a touch higher. Expect to spend $ 10-​$ 15 for that kind of lunch.
The quality of the food is very good, and a decent atmosphere though it can get very noisy during lunch — but that is to be expected. The staff has been pleasant the two times I’ve been in.
I don’t think I’d put Phillips on the «must go to» list, but they are a reasonably priced change of pace, and probably a step above the major chains (Potbelly’s, Quiznos, Subway) that are in the area.

my co workers and i go there all the time. the food is good. they give you plenty. but customer service is the worst. the grill guy attitude. one of the sandwich makers nasty attitude! we dont go there anymore!

Delicious food and fast service! Loved the coffee bar option. Good for a 30 minute lunch break.

I’ve been eating lunch here for about a year now and can say without a doubt it is the best place to run in and out for a quick bite. Everything is cooked fresh right in front of you. Everyone that works there is very courteous and friendly making Phillips my #1 spot for lunch.

Café Philips is one of my favorite breakfast and lunch restaurants in the District. They specialize in sandwiches, salads, and coffees. I have yet order something I have regretted (Breakfast platter, bacon and egg sandwich, BLT, turkey reuben, reuben, beef brisket sandwich, BBQ sandwich, cold cut sandwich).
They are also consistent. I’ve ordered the same sandwich on different occasions and had the same level of satisfaction. This is a difficult feat (due to buyer satisfaction decay), but they mastered it.
The prices are unbeatable. You can purchase a full meal and a drink for under $ 10 (i.e. less than or equal to the cost of McDonalds) that is filling and tasty.

Staff are extremely rude and incompetent. I ordered an egg and cheese sandwich and they forgot the cheese. Really? There’s two ingredients. After ignoring me while I tried to point this out as she wrapped it up, she finally unwrapped it to put the cheese on. Then rudely turned away and refused to check me out. A manager needs to step in.

Was great when they first opened. We go very infrequently now as the service/​food has diminished. We now go for salads once in a while. We get them made fresh, which more often than not, that turns into a disaster. If everyone was trained to make the salad correctly, I’d be fine, but that isn’t the case. The last few times when ordering a Cobb salad there were items left off each time. The most recent, no bacon. How do you make a Cobb salad with no bacon??? Then we had to argue one worker down that there were onions on the prior salads and she insisted they NEVER put onion on the Cobb salad. I think we are done unless service/​training/​attitudes get better. For what you pay for a fresh salad, I think it should be made correctly.

All the sandwiches are good except for the breakfast egg sandwiches. They cook the eggs too long and they are hard and rubbery. The brisket, turkey, pastrami are excellent. The ham is not that great. The italian sub is really good. I usually get it on a hard roll. The coffee bar is excellent and I like their frozen coffee ice cubes but the coffee does not wake me up like the coffee from other places nearby.

First off — I’m not a sandwich type of person.
That being said, Café Phillips changed my opinion on ordering a sandwich at a restaurant! OMG!!! They REALLY know how to make a freak sandwich here. Meat is carved when you order it.
I ordered the Tuna melt. Best Tuna Melt ever!!!
I like the breakfast sandwiches… all very good! The coffee is perfect (nice and smooth).
The prices are SUPER high for sandwiches!

What an amazing healthy place to eat lunch! Good try it for yourself and see what I mean. The extraordinarily busy lunch line bustling with businessman, politicians, military leaders, scientists, historians, and the occasional Romulan or evidence that this place has food for everyone.

Café Phillips is an excellent deli/​sandwich place in an area otherwise devoid of options for lunch. The lines can be long during peak times, but the staff are pros and can get you in and out quickly. The food always seems fresh (ie carved from the bone meats). Can’t go wrong with Phillips.

After working in the attached building for about 5 months, I’ve eaten here several times when laziness takes over. This place is literally hit or miss on a daily basis. Sometimes they rush so much they make your sandwich sloppy or incorrectly. Sometimes the portions are off. If you order a breakfast sandwich w/​egg, expect a lot of egg. Like A LOT OF EGGS. I usually order a grilled cheese w/​bacon which they make sloppy with about 1 piece of bacon. They throw the cheese straight on the grill then on the bread which is weird to me.
Also it is VERY expensive for simple things. A grilled cheese is almost $ 5 & adding bacon is almost $ 2 so imagine a $ 7 almost $ 8 dollar grilled cheese and bacon sandwich with barely any bacon. Talk about pissed.
The management here is nice but they can’t watch their employees ²⁴⁄₇. I’m glad my office is moving back because I will NEVER spend my hard earned money on their half-​assed sandwiches again.

This is a review that hurts me. This is not a fancy over priced sandwich shop but a modest place that makes sandwiches to order from breakfast until 4pm. A well oiled machine.
Today the oil plug was off and the oil pan was dry.
How can you take so much time in roasting off beef brisket, whole turkeys, ham, corned beef and pastrami… Prepare house made egg, tuna and chicken salads… And slice tomatoes and pull apart beautiful leaves of lettuce AND THEN reach into a freezer and pull out a sheet. 1 single 1.50 ounce sheet of pressed meat product aka STEAK-​UMM
(
)??
Takes a deep breath.
Wooosaaaah…
Now… I have eaten my fair share of this product as a kid and through college and it is not a crappy product but not my first, second or third choice. To hear the buzz while standing in line and salivate while this fine tuned assembly line piles huge handfuls of freshly carved meats on more than a generous selection of fresh sliced breads came to a screeching halt when that single sheet of pressed meat hit the grill. I thought he was going to repeat the motion… I’m still waiting but I think it is too late for that…
The saving grace were the consistent smiles and added fresh onions, bell peppers and roasted mushrooms. The sandwich was just ok… It tasted as if I ordered a veggie sub with meat as an added condiment… I am not going to say that I am not going to return to this place buy i really don’t think I will be ordering this sandwich again. For you… Mental note to self.

It’s Monday and you want to sleep a few extra minutes because you had a «fun» Sunday (if you know I mean). So 5 minutes turn into 10, 10 into 15 and 15 into 20 and you just slept your breakfast cooking time off. So on your way to work you realize just how hungry you are. You crave a hearty egg sandwich but none of that fast food tasting crap. So you stop at Café Phillips and order an egg, turkey bacon and cheese sandwich on a toasted english muffin and a soy latte. You get in your car, drive to work, and sit in the parking lot while eating that delicious egg cheesy hot sandwich. The coffee isn’t bad at all either. You finish, you walk in the building and you’re ready to take on the day. Suddenly this Monday wont start so bad after all. #Happymorning

Yes, the place is a spartanly-​decorated quick-​hit deli for drones pouring in from the nearby faceless office blocks. Yes the staff are trying to rush you through the line, shouting your order back at you while barely making eye contact. And yes, it’s probably more than you’d pay at Subway or Potbelly or Quiznos.
Here’s where this place really stands out from the crowd. Order a sandwich for breakfast or lunch and watch as your bagel or bread, chosen from myriad options beyond the usual white/​wheat/​rye boringness, is filled not with some weird yellow unnaturally round puck or slices of turkey that have been pressed together in a stack in some metal bin, but with eggs scrambled up fresh on the griddle and meat carved from enormous hunks right as you order. That sandwich will end up big enough to barely get your mouth around, so you might end up with lunch for tomorrow too! The wide selection of drinks that goes way beyond the usual sodas is a nice bonus too.
Lunch is definitely my least favorite meal of the day, but at least here I know my sandwich will actually taste like something and I’ll leave very full and happy.

I ordered a turkey sandwich with avocado. I like mine with more avocado slices (they only gave me 3 slices at $ 1). But they didn’t skimp on the meat! The sliced turkey was fresh, moist, and warm. I like how the sandwich was wrapped, so the filling didn’t fall out. The place is bigger than most delis and has lots of tables and seats, so it didn’t feel crowded.

Looking for a Dagwood Sandwich and haven’t the foggiest where to get one from? Come on down to Café Phillips! You may be thinking, «Dagwood, who is he?» He’s a comic strip character known for his tall and gigantic sandwiches!
Don’t even think about being able to finish this sandwich in one setting, because you won’t be able too. They put a ton of meat on your sandwich! It’s so much meat that I could barely bite it. Not your ordinary flimsy luncheon meat, but the real deal. They literally carve the turkey, ham etc right in front of you! Café Phillips offers several bottled beverages, soups, salads, coffee, desserts and of course sandwiches. It’s close to several local offices and businesses and it also has sufficient tables for dinning in.
The employees are friendly and the menu has tons of options for breakfast and lunch. I haven’t been for breakfast, but I heard that they’re breakfast sandwiches are equally as big as the ones for lunch. Just remember that you get what you pay for, because this place is not cheap. A sandwich and fountain beverage can easily cost $ 10, so be prepared. Although it can become crowded around lunch time, the line flows and moves rather quickly.
Even if I’ve skipped breakfast and feel famished, I’ll go here thinking I can eat the entire sandwich and I still can’t eat the entire one. Good Deal!!!

This place is always busy at lunch during the week. Always. And for good reason too — they serve up a large number of tasty deli-​style sandwhiches, salads, and soups. It’s quick; it’s fresh; and it’s hearty. They know their target crowd well: the oodles and oodles of federal workers in the immediate area. I mean, c’mon, the closest metro stop is FEDERAL Center SW. These guys want to come in, get something quick, and get on with it. Here’s the place to go.
I’ve been a number of times with coworkers. It’s a very central locations to a lot of offices and has indoor and outdoor seating (for those nice days when it’s not humid). We’ve pretty much always encountered a line, but like I said before, it moves quickly and it’s worth the few minute wait.
I tend to go for the «salad sandwhiches» … like the chicken salad, or egg salad. They are moist and come in a healthy portion. You can also customize with any number of toppings and sauces. You really can’t go wrong here. And it’s WAY better than the Quiznos and Subway located in the area. Worth a trip!