Image: Rarebit and Rye
Last Updated: June 2023
Overview:
Fight Club is one of a handful of sandwich spots that emerged from the Covid-era restaurant pivots. In this case it was the talented team at Beuchert’s that started doing it as a take-out option out of the restaurant. When things settled down, they took over the Hank’s on the Hill spot a couple doors down and made it its own thing.
The sandwiches here are impressive. They tend be large, but not crazy huge and have a bit of culinary panache included. The spot is essentially a bar, and many of the options are jacked-up takes on bar food classics. The in-house cocktails include draft punches. Jello-shots and buckets of beers (A hi-lo mix of choices like Hamm’s, Tecate, Lagunitas) help set the tone.
The namesake Fight Club sandwich is a take on a club with roast beef, tomato, shrettuce, thick bacon, on classic (but local bakery made) white bread. Spread with brown butter mayo, the tomatoes are roasted with garlic, and the beef is seasoned with fenugreek, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, chili flake. It is emblematic of how the sandwiches have a little something extra (seasoning), a chef’s touch (brown butter mayo, roasted tomatoes), and a twist (roast beef subbed for turkey). They will add carbs to a sandwich, like putting potato salad on schnitzel-style pork for Das Sandwich, or tater tots (in lieu of fries) for a Primanti Bros. tribute. Don’t sleep on the Rarebit and Rye with Beef Pastrami, grilled onions, pickles, Welsh rarebit and mustard. Tim Carman in the Post is a fan of the Heir to the BLT.
The fries and onion rings are served in portions meant for splitting. Both are good, but we lean toward the onion rings. The wedge salad is a classic blue-cheese dressing version with the addition of “everything bagel” seasoning sprinkled on top. Examples of the bar food include a flat-bread option with BBQ burnt-ends and nachos with pork cheeks.
They do keep up the Hank’s vibe of a cool spot to hang out with a no-nonsense bartender, chance of senator spotting, and a trivia night that fills the place up. The check came in an old Blockbuster case. They did an anti-commitment party for Valentine’s Day. There are some quirky in-house cocktails. The Double-Bubble infused gin in the negroni is not referring to sparkling wine, it really is bubble-gum flavored gin offset by bitter elements. If that sounds good to you, give it a try. More traditional options are also available, along with a limited beer and wine list, ciders, and zero-proof in-house productions. Open for lunch during the week and brunch on the weekends, as well as dinner.
Other Guidance: The restaurant is located at street level. Vegetarians and pescatarians can find something but vegans will have a hard time. Gluten-free bread is available.
Summary:
Cuisine: Sandwiches/Salads
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Address: 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003
Website: https://www.fightclubdc.com/
Reservations: Resy
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: Tim’s 2023 review is impressed with the boldness, but also head-scratching at some of the results. The Heir to the BLT (a tomato season only sandwich) was on his best sandwich list of 2021.
Washingtonian: Preview.
DonRockwell.com – No thread yet, but Beuchert’s thread.
Signature Dish: The local TV show goes deep on the eponymous roast beef version.