the crystal city and pentagon city neighborhoods are some of my favorite places to explore. i feel like i am always discovering a hidden gem when perusing through them.
to be honest - i had no idea crystal city tunnels existed. max calls it 'the underground'. with all of the businesses around, i can see this area blowing up during lunch rush on weekdays. max and i decided to hit up potbelly sandwich shop for an early dinner, around 5pm. the food court was really low key, definitely relaxing after my drive from work in landover, md.
i had never been to potbelly before, but i am definitely a convert. i can tell you all about how delicious and satisfying their new pastrami sandwich is, how sweet and refreshing their frozen raspberry lemonade is, or how the service at this location is impeccable (and i will) but i think i'm most drawn to them for the community activism.
from community fundraisers donating 25% of sales to non-profits, to shake fundraisers donating 50¢ for every shake sold - potbelly sandwich shop is actually invested in the community. it is important to me to know that some of the money i spend eating out gets funneled back into the area i live in. it helps keep out neighborhoods beautiful, or schools clean and kids busy, and our local non-profits running.
they're pretty green too, you can learn more on their website.
but i digress; lets get back to the food and drink. i have a raging sweet tooth, so i was definitely excited to try their frozen raspberry lemonade, and quickly realized i should have gotten the larger size. it was delightfully sweet with just the perfect amount of tart - the kind of tart that hits you in the back of your jaw. this is just what i needed, especially with the summer heat.
once we cooled off a bit, we got our sandwiches - a chicken salad sandwich and the new pastrami, both on toasted wheat bread. you could tell that the ingredients were fresh - the lettuce crisp and moist, and pickles deliciously crunchy. the mustard on the pastrami was the perfectly spiced compliment to the pastrami meat, a classic pairing that left me only wanting more and maybe some sauerkraut. often when you go to sandwich shops the meat and veggies are super oiled up, but that is not the case at potbelly. you can literally taste the fresh.
no matter your preference potbelly has something for you. their full circle menu has options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, bountiful dessert options, and this location even has live music on tuesdays. if you're looking for somewhere to eat that is socially and environmentally responsible, has a variety of offerings, and takes their blended beverage game to the next level - i would definitely reccomend the potbelly sandwich shop in crystal city.