Penn Quarter Scuttlebutt: Specialty Meatball Sub Shop Coming Soon from Owners of BGR?

by Prince Of Petworth April 29, 2011 at 10:30 am 33 Comments

On the heels of the great recently confirmed scuttlebutt that Luke’s Lobster Shack is coming to Penn Quarter – I’ve got wind of some equally intriguing news – I’m hearing a specialty Meatball Sub Shop is coming from the owners of BGR (The Burger Joint). I hear it will be located right next door to Luke’s on the 600 block of E St, NW.

You like the sound of meatball sub shop?

I’ll be sure to follow up when/if the info is confirmed.

pop-up owner

Saucy Balls!
- Anonymous
  
  schweaty
yuppiehell

I like meatball subs. but you can get an edible meatball sub at subway for 5 dollars. BGR is going to charge 9-12 but I’m sure its going to be delicious. They should also sell loose meat sandwhiches and call it the lunch box.
- Paul
  
  The meatballs at subway have absolutely no flavor. Even the newer sandwich with meatballs and pepperoni have no flavor.
  
  There are many people willing to pay more for casual food that has a stronger flavor profile.
Lettucehead

Will there be a veggie option?
- da poo
  
  no, there will not be veggie options at a MEATball sub joint. you’ll need to swing by the tofurkeyball sub joint, over by… wait…. i don’t think there is one! i wonder why?
  - Anon
    
    You said it better than I could…well done.
    - Anonymous
      
      it’s always good to answer an innocent question like the questioner is an idiot. classy.
      - Anon
        
        You must subscribe to the idea that there are no stupid questions. I don’t. When somebody asks a stupid question, they deserve to be called out.
      - Anonymous
        
        anon,
        
        no. but i do subscribe to the idea that many people are just asses.
        it’s 2011, i think it’s fair to ask if a place has a veggie option, or even turkey instead of beef.
        that you don’t is your own issue.
      - Saintzilla
        
        I don’t go to a vegan restaurant and complain about the lack of meat. Nor do I go to an Indian place and cry FOUL! when they don’t have burritos.
      - Anonymous
        
        saintzilla,
        a question is the same as a complaint in your mind?
      - Anonymous
        
        “will there be a viggie option” from “LettuceHead,” on a meatball sub thread. Y’all just got trolled, hard. Seven of you. For shame.
      - Eric in Ledroit
        
        Considering that BGR, who are behind this, has an exceptionally tasty veggie burger don’t be too surprised if the jerkoffs making snide comments to this person’s question turn out to be wrong.
- Millie Tant
  
  There BETTER be a vegan option!
  - Another guy named Chris
    
    Vegan meat made from the souls baby calves.
    - Another guy named Chris
      
      *souls of baby calves
- MSF
  
  We can put the meatballs in a basket of shredded lettuce, hoagie style. Will that work for you?
Eli

An entire restaurant focused on meatball subs? In Penn Quarter? Not so sure about the viability of that one…but I guess the BGR folks know better than I.
- ro
  
  isn’t there an eatery aroudn the corner on E St. that just sells meals made from potato? i guess you can sell any gimmick in this town if you market it right
  - Anonymous
    
    a meatball sub is a gimmick?
- PG
  
  How about a place that only serves cheeseburgers, chips and Pepsi?
  - saf
    
    They have a full bar too.
- New
  
  sounds like a place only selling cereal…you can be too focused
Anon

As a person who continues to search far and wide for a meatball sub that will meat (see what I did there) or exceed the meatball sub from Big Jim’s in Pittsburgh, I welcome another entrant in my grand contest!

And Subway’s meatball sub is barely…BARELY…edible.
- saf
  
  Vace’s is good.
  - Rob
    
    Vace’s has meatball subs???
    
    Anyhow, if you are willing to go to Arlington the meatball subs (as well as pretty much everything else) at Faccia Luna are pretty good. Don’t try and go there on a weekend night, it will take a million years to get a table, but its a quality establishment.
gonzo

I’m looking forward to an order of Schwetty Balls.
WDC

Re: meatball sub from Subway… what was it Crocodile Dundee said? “You can live on it, but it tastes like shit”.

Best meatball subs I’ve ever had came from street carts in Philly. You know, when you’ve already had cheesesteak three days this week.

I’ll try it, sure. Probably won’t go out of my way for it, though.
- dreas
  
  I think we need to be friends. I was going to make the same comment, both about Subway and Philly.
  - WDC
    
    Totally. Let’s go on a meatball sub date. Or just take the kids to the park.
Tim

Remember, this is actually from the same folks who brought you the steak-and-steak-only-house Medium Rare. I wouldn’t be surprised if they open a meatball-sub-and-meatball-sub-only restaurant.
NoLongerNew2CH

First of all, that baked potato place is awesome and one of my favorite lunch spots in DC. A place that specializes is far more likely to get it right than a place with an overbroad menu. Penn Quarter is congested / busy / highly-trafficked enough that if you do one thing, and do it very well, you WILL succeed. And honestly, what Penn Quarter needs is more places to get tasty food for 10-15 bucks. There are plenty of fast food chains, plenty of sit-down restaurants (with many more high-end places coming in this summer), but strangely few places to get a quick, cheap, non-fast-food bite before a movie. I count Chinatown Express and ??? That new sort of Indian place on 7th street (while a chain, it is not fast food) is pretty good too. I look forward to this place, I like the BGR burgers, so I figure this will be good too.

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