First, come the garage doors on the outer walls of the building and exposed duct work on the ceiling. Next come the garbage cans and buckets hanging from the ceiling as lighting fixtures. Finally, it is a row of tall plants on top of a counter where customers are happily enjoying their meals.
Despite its unusual atmosphere, Taylor Gourmet, one of downtown Bethesda’s latest additions which opened this September, features over 30 classic Philadelphia-inspired hoagies and chicken sandwiches.
All of the bread, which is topped with sesame seeds, is brought in from Sarcone’s Bakery in Philadelphia, and each item on the menu is named after a street in the city, such as the Walnut Street sandwich, Franklin Square salad or the 30th Street hoagie.
Options range from the South Street sandwich, which has chicken, tomato, pesto and goat cheese, to the 9th Street Italian hoagie with salami, capicola, prosciutto and sharp provolone cheese. Taylor also offers four vegetarian sandwiches as well as a few appetizers and salad choices.
All chicken sandwiches can be made with either grilled or breaded chicken. However, the cashiers assume the order is breaded if grilled is not mentioned, so remember to be specific.
In addition, Taylor does not use any mustard or mayonnaise. Instead, all sandwiches are dressed with an olive oil blend which is both delicious and a healthier substitute for flavor.
Although they are fresh and tasty, the salads seem more like an afterthought at Taylor. Each salad has arugula lettuce, pastini (little pasta), various vegetables and even meats. Each salad is topped with a very light vinaigrette dressing. The rectangular plastic containers that salads come in do not fit into the triangular trash receptacle because they are too big and the wrong shape, and this just goes to show: it is a sandwich shop, not a salad shop.
Customers should expect to wait in line for five to ten minutes before ordering, and only those with perfect vision will be able to read the menu with tiny writing hanging on the wall. Paper menus are available to everyone else to read while waiting.
Customers pay when they order and give their name to the cashier. Similar to the system at Starbucks, they then congregate in a crowded corner to wait another five to ten minutes for their meal. An employee calls out the name when the food is ready.
Although the wait can be long on a busy day, the sandwiches are worth it. There are so many delicious options that most people will find something they like.
Compared to other sandwich shops, the food tends to be on the expensive side, with six-inch sandwiches ranging from $6.70 to $7.30 and 12-inch sandwiches ranging from $8.50 to $9.50. This is almost double Subway’s famous “$5 foot long.” Salads cost $8 and to add Italian breaded or grilled chicken costs an additional $2.
To avoid the wait, customers can get any order of at least $18 delivered to their home. Taylor also caters parties of 10 or more.
Eating at Taylor Gourmet is a unique experience. It’s worth a try to sit in the heart of Bethesda and feel the sun shine through the garage windows while enjoying a sandwich.
