Image: Tomatoes, grilled onions, melted cheese, Russian, lettuce, and a freshly-opened package of turkey slices.
Last Visited: February 2020
Booeymonger is a D.C. institution. The original location in Georgetown remains a haunt for locals and students serving up big soft sub rolls stuffed with goodness. The Friendship Heights location is a little cleaner and lighter, but still manages to hold some of the shabby charm.
For decades, locals have come to eat the sandwiches. Ask a D.C. old-timer and they might even rattle off their favorite (Ace, substitute Cheddar for Muenster). I recall when the daily special was appealing it would be a double treat, because it came with spicy wedge-cut potatoes that I could otherwise not justify getting. There are classic combinations (Reuben, Italian) and more unique ones (Scheherazade of Turkey, Swiss, chutney and sprouts). Other women’s names are fodder for the Patty Hearst (not a patty melt) and Tuna Turner that may have lost their cultural resonance for a whole generation of customers. Which is to say Booeymonger’s inclusion on the recommended restaurant list may be a product of nostalgia more than discernment. Not many would put it in contention for the best sandwich spot in D.C., but that doesn’t matter. Booeymonger is still good enough to create a longing and not disappoint.
It should be noted that there are also salads for lunch and breakfast options, including bagels (none of which I have not tried in the last quarter century of going).
Other Guidance: There are GF and vegetarian options, but the heart of the menu is bread stuffed with meats. Plus Chaia is a just a few blocks away! Both locations are at street level, though the Friendship Heights location has bi-level seating with steps up for some tables.
Rating: Worth Trying Out
Cuisine: Sandwiches/Salads
Locations:
Georgetown: 3265 Prospect Street, NW Washington, DC 20007
Friendship Heights: 5252 Wisconsin Ave, NW Washington, DC 20015
(Plus Two more in Ballston and Bethesda)
Website: http://www.booeymonger.com/
Reservations: Walk-in
Other Critics/Voices:
Early Washington Post story of drama and bankruptcy. But they bounced back.
Washingtonian: 9 places native Washingtonians love, in which Ann Limpert writes: “No one’s going to rhapsodize about an Ace sandwich from Booeymonger the way they do about a New Orleans po’ boy or New York Reuben—but then again, they probably haven’t taken down the baguette stuffed with turkey, grilled onions, melted Meunster cheese, and Russian dressing while stoned in a friend’s car.”
