The Sandwich Shop, Vienna, Virginia

I heard it through the grapevine — that there’s a good Cuban sandwich to be had at The Sandwich Shop in Vienna. Nancy was off at a luncheon so it was not much longer ’til it would be mine. I drove out to Falls Church and made the 15 miles of mostly interstate driving in a mere 41 minutes, not bad for the Washington area. Not only that, but I was able to park on the street within 100 feet of the entrance for free. Really. Here it is, at 132 Church Street in a village-like section of Vienna.

I arrived bare minutes after the 11:00 am opening, so there was only a short line. I stepped up to the counter and saw at once by the size and speed of the staff that this is an extraordinarily busy place. You can see off to the far right the bags ready for carryout orders, already three and four layers deep.

There are five tables lined along one wall and four bar stools at a counter facing out the front window.

All the tables had already filled, but I was able to get a stool at the counter and could watch as the outside tables quickly filled, despite a threat of rain, and a line to order spread outside.

All these signs of popularity really raised my expectations for The Sandwich Shop. I ordered a Cubano, expecting something delicious and happily paid the $10 fee for the sandwich, resignedly paid the tax, added a tip, and repaired to my bar stool to delete email messages and wait, order number in hand. The sandwich came out in good time, and I opened it up.

My first reaction was, “This smells so good.” That was the roast pork. I also noticed that it was not traditional Cuban bread and that it had not been pressed, but it looked like good bread. I opened it up.

That pork! And the bread. Just look at those air holes. The pork had a supporting cast of Swiss cheese, Italian hard salami (not Genoa), a very good mustard presence, and a good helping of properly tart pickles. This had several departures from the classic Cuban, but it was a great sandwich, and delicious. Everything was in just the right proportion and the elements were mixed beautifully.

The other stools filled up and we chatted. The guy next to me was eating an overstuffed banh mi with panko crusted pork with the usual accoutrements and a chili aioli. It looked good, and he let me photograph it.

 It looked delicious, although I’m always wary of toasted soft rolls, popular though they are. The Sandwich Shop menu has a wide selection of attractive sandwiches. I wonder if they would put the pork and broccolini on that delicious ciabatta? Either way, thank you, Allison Sutherland, for the heads up. I can give a big thumbs up to The Sandwich Shop, and urge you to give them a visit. You’ll be delighted.

***

And while you’re at it, click “follow” on our front page to receive blog posts in your email box. Or bookmark us and check in from time to time. We’re on Instagram  (johntannerbbq) and X/Twitter (johntannerbbq1). If you’re planning a trip, you can “Search” the name of the destination city, state, or country for good restaurants (in Europe, often close to sites, like the Louvre, Prague Castle, Vienna’s Old City, or the Van Gogh Museum, that you’ll want to visit in any event.  We welcome comments and questions, and eagerly seek suggestions of places to eat and stories to cover.