Food

6 Creative Takes on Bánh Mì in the DC Area

Grab a vegetarian-friendly riff at Federalist Pig or an Italian-inspired sub at Bánh Mì Oi.

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Photograph of Meatballs courtesy of Bánh Mì Oi.

The bánh mì—Vietnam’s answer to the hoagie—is made up of a featherweight baguette traditionally filled with rich meats, creamy pâté, pickled veggies, and fresh herbs. These days, chefs are playing around with the classic components to add other global influences to the beloved sando.

French Dip

Muôi Tiêu

location_onTakoma Park

languageWebsite

Photograph of French dip by Thuy-Tu Tran.

Takoma Park’s modern Vietnamese restaurant takes inspiration from a French dip. Its baguette brims with pulled beef and is served alongside a bowl of aromatic pho for dunking.

Vegetarian Barbecue

Federalist Pig

location_onAdams Morgan

languageWebsite

Photograph of Vegetarian barbecue by Cameron Whitman.

At this Adams Morgan barbecue joint, chunks of smoked tofu mimic porky burnt ends. The plant-based sandwich is packed with pickled vegetables, herbs, and crispy onions.

Hot Chicken

Chào Ban

location_onMcLean

languageWebsite

Photograph of hot chicken by Rey Lopez.

At his Vietnamese street-food spot inside Tysons Galleria mall, chef Kevin Tien adds a Sichuan-peppercorn kick to the Nashville hot chicken in this spicy bánh mì.

Meatballs With Red Sauce

Bánh Mì Oi

location_onFalls Church

languageWebsite

Photograph of Meatballs courtesy of Bánh Mì Oi.

There’s a surprising Italian accent to this bánh mì shop’s rendition, which features tender pork meatballs lavished with tomato sauce.

Chicken Adobo

Immigrant Food

location_onDowntown DC, Rockville, Arlington

languageWebsite

Photograph of chicken adobo courtesy of Immigrant Food.

These globally inspired, socially conscious fast-casual spots put a South American spin on the sandwich with adobo-spiced chicken.

Oxtail

Roll Play

location_onFalls Church, Vienna, Arlington

languageWebsite

Photograph of oxtail by Hannah Park.

Subs at this trio of fast-casual places come with braised oxtail and brisket, sautéed alliums, a flurry of pho herbs, and sriracha-hoisin aïoli, plus a side of oxtail bone broth for dipping.

This article appears in the September 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

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Nevin Martell
Contributing Writer

Nevin Martell is a food, travel, and foraging writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, USA Today, Men’s Journal, Fortune, Travel + Leisure, The Daily Beast, BBC, and many other publications. He is author of eight books, including Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: Gold-Standard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery, Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip, and The Founding Farmers Cookbook: 100 Recipes From the Restaurant Owned by American Family Farmers. When he isn’t working, he loves spending time with his son, foraging for wild foods, and traveling.