The menu at Cafe Romeo’s features the usual ricotta calzone, pesto pizza and meatball sandwich, but out of nowhere, they throw in gyros, Tuscan hummus and my favorite, Armenian-style lavash sandwiches. This flaky flatbread is a bit thicker than the traditional version, and fillings are so abundant, they inevitably spill out the sides. Each sandwich half (and yes, there are two) has approximately the heft of a Chipotle burrito. You better be hungry for this one.
For $8.45, the un-Italian lavash roll includes equally un-Italian filling options. In the Mediterranean roll, a lamb and beef kabob joins sumac and yogurt dressing. The spinach-and-artichoke version includes tomato, caramelized onions, mozzarella, feta and a garlic sauce. We like the chicken and portabella mushroom lavash, juicy and overflowing with tomato chunks, huge spinach leaves, chicken breast, portabella, feta and mozzarella, all lathered up with a zesty red pepper sauce.Portions hardly fit in the styrofoam takeout box, which also holds a few potato wedges spiked with Italian seasonings. With just the right amount of greasiness, they’re a step above drunk munchies for nearby Georgetown students, who order until the wee hours (weekday closing time is 3 AM, they stay open until 4 AM on Fridays and Saturdays).
The tiny, mostly take-out spot—there's a few plastic tables inside—sits between Georgetown and Glover Park. You could walk down Wisconsin Avenue, just near the Georgetown cemetery, a gazillion times before noticing. It's hiding behind trees lit year-round with twinkling Christmas bulbs.
Cafe Romeo’s, 2132 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-337-1111.
