TJ’s Gourmet Deli

Great! cheap! lots of fries with your yummy sandwich! somewhat greasy! grilled chicken sandwich + fries = great lunch deal! they have breakfast bar too in the mornings.

The assortment of offerings at TJs is… incongruous. Turkey reubens and plantains are two of my favorite foods, but it’s a bit odd to see them both offered in the same restaurant. Both were pretty good, if a little bit greasy. The hot lunch buffet feels kind of like a college dining hall, which is OK if that’s what you’re in the mood for, and the price isn’t bad, although I wish the Nantucket Nectars were less expensive.

Go for the sandwiches! They are delicious, if a little heavy handed on the mayo, and also inexpensive. The pita pocket sandwiches are my favorite. They have an extensive chip selection too. but stick to the fries. They are perfectly cooked.
The salad bar is ok, but it’s just the same old salad bar at every one of these places throughout DC. Oiley and hit or miss. I’d much rather go to Cosi for a salad.

This place is great for a quick bite with somewhat decent service. It’s not expensive, and they have okay sandwiches that are made to order (hot and cold). They also have an extensive salad bar with a variety of morsels ranging from salad, American fare and Asian fare.
They have a nice selection of chips! Heh! Good for a quick bite while downtown for work.

In case you haven’t noticed, I clearly work downtown and enjoy being able to pop into a place and pick up a satisfying meal for lunch.
TJ’s is a little more expensive than other lunch spots I’ve hit in the area, but the buffet has more offerings than other places with the pay-​per-​pound lunch, so I made sure I took extra care in dishing myself out food.
I ended up with some white rice and tofu in a black bean sauce, and was satisfied with that. The tofu was cookies how I like it, and the rice was nice and sticky!
My fellow diners had a bit more fun than I did– one got the Mac n cheese which she said was real good, and the tilapia which she also said hit the spot. The other got some veggies and the teriyaki baked salmon, after some hesitation, but found it to be fresh and tasty.
The salad bar had some yummy looking offerings as well, but it was a hot bar day for me.
I’ll probably head back here in the future, it was good and under $ 10 so we will call Ira win!

I only had the hot buffet for lunch, so I can’t comment on the grill items.
The hot buffet was probably one of the most disgusting lunches I have had though.
A coworker suggested checking this place our lunch and it sounded like a good place. I never have high hopes for hot buffet places, but the line was really long for the grill and I just wanted something small. Out of 4 small items that I picked, the corn was the only thing edible; the rest of my meal went in the trash.
I’d be willing to try it again for something from the grill, but I would steer clear of the hot buffet (the salad bar seemed ok, but was nothing special according to my coworker).

I come here much too often solely for their fries. The sandwich guys that take the orders already know what I’m ordering, Steak & Cheese, No Mushrooms, With Fries. They can be grumpy on certain days and it’s mainly b/​c someone comes in thinking they’re the King of The Islands or wherever and expect immediate service. You have to understand the guys who take your order are the same guys that make you order. If you want special treatment, go elsewhere and pay double. I beg you, GO, then my wait will be shorter, hehe.
Back to their fries, their fries 90% of the time are perfect, one case they were way over done and once they were slightly undercooked. Putting those two cases aside, they’re always made on the spot and I always burn my mouth (I like them really hot). So crispy and delicious, yum. They have cajun seasoning, ketchup and a mixture of salt and black pepper all at the Pickup counter so you can add to your meal.
Adding a 24 oz soda to your combo for $.99 is amazing, I just wished the soda tasted better, something is off about it.
The Steak & Cheese: It’s delicious, full of mayo and cheese. Sadly I cannot finish a sandwich here. If I could, I would split the fries and sandwich in half every time I go here (I always end up trashing the rest). Wished they had smaller portions for sale.
Appearance…geez, how do I say this kindly? It’s horrid, the place is obviously not up kept and old. They have the soda tubes all over the place, the soda section is very dirty, crowded and unorganized. The doors are hideously dirty, can’t you paint them a color that doesn’t show so much dirt, or maybe in vest in all glass doors that are easy to clean? The seating area is pretty clean for the most part, no complaint there.
Payment options: $ 5 min Credit Card charge at two registers or CASH only at another register, so if you have cash, you may save some time waiting in line to pay. Don’t get me started on the $ 5 minimum which is ILLEGAL and is a direct violation of the VISA/​MC agreement needed to use their cards. If I wanted to I could complain on several occasions and have their license revoked to take CC’s but frankly I don’t have the time or energy =/​plus my order is always $ 5+
In the end, when I want greasy fries, I head here!

When I’m having a terrible day at work and want to eat really unhealthy food, I come here!
Avoid the salad bar and stick to the sandwiches served at the grill. Everything I’ve had so far has been pretty good, but they tend to overdo it with the mayonnaise, so ask for less when you order. The interior is pretty old and worn down, but the tables are usually kept clean. Staff isnt especially friendly, but they aren’t terrible either. Overall an «ok» kind of experience.

I love this place b/​c of the location. Its about a block from my office and a little cheaper than soho. They dont have that many choices and the hot bar isn’t as good as the cold bar. I always hit up the salad bar and leave with a HUGE salad and usually some lomein and maybe a couple things of the black bean tofu… and maybe some chicken, the sesame chicken isn’t bad here. So yes, I’m a fatty at heart and I eat and eat and eat okay i get it, thank you. Anywho, yes salad bar = yum here and their choices for salad are exactly what I need and nothing more nothing less. I haven’t had any of their sandwiches but I know a bunch of coworkers who have had them and they like them. All in all, I wouldn’t walk like 5 blocks to eat there, but since its a block away I go there a bunch.

I have been here for breakfast and lunch, and prefer the breakfast better. They have a large selection for brekfast foods, and the buffet bar is always stocked and the food is hot. You pay per pound, and can easily get a large breakfast for under $ 5.

This is my go-​to spot for lunch. For less than $ 7 I can get a veggie burger with a mound of fries. And the veggie burger is pretty damn good. How awesome is that?! They also have a veggie delite cold sandwich that is just as good. My co-​workers either fill up at the buffet or get meat sandwiches which seem to please them. I’m probably somewhat biased considering I only eat their veggie options. Oh well — to each his own!

If you are a DCer who works downtown, then you are familiar with the salad buffet places that are almost as frequent as Starbucks. TJ’s is an older, less flashy Phillips Café or Soho. The one thing that maybe saves this place is the grill– which they can serve up burgers and other grilled lunch fare.
You are guaranteed that the food is pretty good. My favorite indulgence from TJ’s grill is the Turkey Delite; turkey avocado tomato and sprouts on a whole wheat pita with melted cheese. But everything I’ve smelled and seen coming from the grill seems pretty solid.
Now, if you go for the salad buffet, the same rules apply as for all the other salad buffet places in the city. 1) go between 11:30pm and 1:00pm. Anytime after 1:00pm, the prepared salads look kinda sad and you don’ know if it’s been sitting out all morning or not. 2) get your salad fix Mondays –Wednesday as they usually recycle the leftovers the rest of the week.

Been here once had the buffet, mix of cold and hot and was pretty impressed. I was even bold enough to try the tilapia and it was big success. Watch out for the beggars outside though, like walking into a zombie horde.

For a reasonable priced breakfast or lunch in the heart of downtown, you can’t beat TJ’s. They have a nice buffet selection — both hot and cold with fresh salad and fruit options.
But the deli sandwiches are more than memorable!
For lunch, I highly recommend the Capital Hill: sliced turkey and ham, with bacon and cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. all served warm and melted on a sub bun… for a little of 5 bucks! Then a nap back your office from the food coma!