Washington Deli

***Special Post by Keith***

Could it be? Is there an authentic New York style pizza place right here in Farragut West? Based on reviews from the usual sites, the oddly named Washington Deli has real deal pizza to rival any in DC. After stumbling upon some glowing recommendations I decided to give this place a shot for lunch. Closest Metro is Farragut West.

Although the address is K St NW, the entrance is on 20th St NW.  Situated inconspicuously among the many office buildings in the area, the deli is unassuming from the outside but when you walk in your eyes are assaulted by a counter full of various pizzas and toppings. And they actually serve it by the slice (like nature intended). I have encountered too many impostors that claim to offer NY style pizza but stare puzzled when you order an individual slice, instead offering only S, M & L sizes. Blasphemy! I like to keep it simple so I stuck with a plain slice and added on a Meatball Parmesan hero (or sub as it is called around here) to test their sandwich skills as well. Order your slice from the pizza counter and it is tossed into the oven to be reheated while you pay. Sandwiches are made fresh.

Needless to say I was excited when I saw the employee t-shirts invited you to a "Try a slice of Long Island pizza". After paying I grabbed my now heated slice and meatball hero and went to the outside seating area to see if I had really discovered a hidden Long Island oasis in DC. Well... perhaps my expectations were a bit too high. The pizza is passable for sure, maybe even a little above average for DC, but did not live up to my high hopes. It's not as good as the Italian Store (my go to for pizza in the DMV), and does not measure up to my favorites from back home (check out Phil's if you ever find yourself lost on LI). My main issue was the sauce, which was just too sweet. My slice could have been heated up more too. It is a valiant effort, but falls short. My bigger issue was with the meatball hero. The too sweet sauce was in abundance and the meatballs tasted right out of the freezer aisle. On the plus side, the bread was decent and there was plenty of mozzarella to mask the other unfortunate flavors. If I am ever having a serious pizza craving I'll probably give the Washington Deli another chance, just going to stick with the pizza though.

Total Rating: 3.03
Food: 2.5, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5

What Keith ate:

Plain Cheese Slice

Meatball Parmesan Sub