Carvings is a small, local deli in Washington, DC, where I recently picked up lunch to-go. It has the feel of a mom-and-pop shop, and with roots going back to 2008, it clearly has staying power. That said, the pricing structure left me scratching my head. For instance, you can get a sandwich *with fries* for a set price—but ordering just a sandwich (no fries) will still run you about the same. In my case, I wanted a plain chicken sandwich—just chicken, cheese, and sauce (though there was less than I thought there’d be)—and was told it would cost the same as the full combo. I asked for chips instead of fries, and that was fine, but it didn’t feel like a great value.
To be fair, running a small business in DC is no cheap feat, and I understand that pricing likely reflects operating costs. Still, $17 for a basic chicken sandwich and a bag of chips feels steep—especially with minimal toppings and limited sauce.
The menu might benefit from a more flexible or à la carte pricing model, especially for those who want just a sandwich without sides. Also, the selection of add-ons like chips, drinks, or snacks seemed fairly limited in store.
I respect the effort to keep things going in a tough market—but a few tweaks to the menu and pricing structure could go a long way toward enhancing the customer experience.
Noel K
Randomly closes every day between 3-5pm. Stupid.
Juno Li
Amazing food as usual! It’s just the price was doubled in 5 years.
Rachel Manley
Had their Rueban sandwich which was delicious! And the Joe's lemonade was really good too (didn't burn my throat nor was it too strong, like lemonade usually does/is)
Nikki Tillery
The prices are to high the COOK Papa Is the best Cook there!
Alex Joseph
Good fries
Emanuelle Levinson
There was very loud music. I asked them to turn it a bit down, and they said they couldn't.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Fries
Yabtsega Kassahun
Last night around 10 PM, I had an issue with one of your employees at the cashier. When I was ordering food, her response was unhelpful and didn’t meet my expectations for good customer service. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing enough that I felt compelled to leave a review. I wanted to bring this to your attention, as I believe this may impact future customer ratings of your place
Samra Teame
Me and my friend was there to have a meal but suddenly my phone dead and we ask the cashier to plug my phone but she says she don't have any cable so I went to CVS and buy cable and I ask her again to plug my phone but she says no I beg her please my home is far away I need my phone to call an Uber but she doesn't even trying to help me and she's the cashier at night I don't know her name but she's very racist..helping people doesn't cost you nothing.
Cal Ng
Best BLT and fries of my life. Context: drunk and hungry. Seriously though, the
If you enjoy being served by someone who clearly doesn’t know the menu—let alone which planet they’re on—Carvings is your spot! I walked in hoping for a decent cup of coffee, but what I got was mumbled nonsense from a barista who seemed more lost than my will to finish the drink.
The coffee tasted like it had been sitting there since the last Ice Age, and the service was slower than a sloth on Ambien. Unless you’re craving confusion with a side of stale brew, I’d suggest you carve out another coffee shop from your list!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ekaterina Molotkova
Great place, very convenient working hours. I could come in and charge my phone here after a long day of walking. Ordered chai, good price, it was way too sweet imo, though.
Carl Clift
Great spot, good food, great hours!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karen Berry
We visited Carvings twice on our trip to DC. The breakfast burritos were excellent!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Breakfast Sandwich
Chris Lorenz
Quesedila was pretty good, but the burger had absolutely no taste - only the patty had its own taste. No tasty sauce or anything.
Carvings is a small, local deli in Washington, DC, where I recently picked up lunch to-go. It has the feel of a mom-and-pop shop, and with roots going back to 2008, it clearly has staying power. That said, the pricing structure left me scratching my head.
For instance, you can get a sandwich *with fries* for a set price—but ordering just a sandwich (no fries) will still run you about the same. In my case, I wanted a plain chicken sandwich—just chicken, cheese, and sauce (though there was less than I thought there’d be)—and was told it would cost the same as the full combo. I asked for chips instead of fries, and that was fine, but it didn’t feel like a great value.
To be fair, running a small business in DC is no cheap feat, and I understand that pricing likely reflects operating costs. Still, $17 for a basic chicken sandwich and a bag of chips feels steep—especially with minimal toppings and limited sauce.
The menu might benefit from a more flexible or à la carte pricing model, especially for those who want just a sandwich without sides. Also, the selection of add-ons like chips, drinks, or snacks seemed fairly limited in store.
I respect the effort to keep things going in a tough market—but a few tweaks to the menu and pricing structure could go a long way toward enhancing the customer experience.
Randomly closes every day between 3-5pm. Stupid.
Amazing food as usual! It’s just the price was doubled in 5 years.
Had their Rueban sandwich which was delicious! And the Joe's lemonade was really good too (didn't burn my throat nor was it too strong, like lemonade usually does/is)
The prices are to high the COOK Papa Is the best Cook there!
Good fries
There was very loud music. I asked them to turn it a bit down, and they said they couldn't.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Fries
Last night around 10 PM, I had an issue with one of your employees at the cashier. When I was ordering food, her response was unhelpful and didn’t meet my expectations for good customer service. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing enough that I felt compelled to leave a review. I wanted to bring this to your attention, as I believe this may impact future customer ratings of your place
Me and my friend was there to have a meal but suddenly my phone dead and we ask the cashier to plug my phone but she says she don't have any cable so I went to CVS and buy cable and I ask her again to plug my phone but she says no I beg her please my home is far away I need my phone to call an Uber but she doesn't even trying to help me and she's the cashier at night I don't know her name but she's very racist..helping people doesn't cost you nothing.
Best BLT and fries of my life.
Context: drunk and hungry.
Seriously though, the
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
If you enjoy being served by someone who clearly doesn’t know the menu—let alone which planet they’re on—Carvings is your spot! I walked in hoping for a decent cup of coffee, but what I got was mumbled nonsense from a barista who seemed more lost than my will to finish the drink.
The coffee tasted like it had been sitting there since the last Ice Age, and the service was slower than a sloth on Ambien. Unless you’re craving confusion with a side of stale brew, I’d suggest you carve out another coffee shop from your list!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great place, very convenient working hours. I could come in and charge my phone here after a long day of walking. Ordered chai, good price, it was way too sweet imo, though.
Great spot, good food, great hours!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We visited Carvings twice on our trip to DC. The breakfast burritos were excellent!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Breakfast Sandwich
Quesedila was pretty good, but the burger had absolutely no taste - only the patty had its own taste. No tasty sauce or anything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Loading...