KosherCritic

Professional, unbiased reviews of all kosher restaurants located in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

The Knishe Shoppe - 9.6/10 Hamburgers

The Knishe Shoppe is small, but carries a hefty punch. It’s not a place that you would want to take your whole family to eat, but for a nice third or fourth date, it’s decent. The Knishe Shoppe is truly a diamond in the rough for subs.

Food Quality: The Knishe Shoppe is renown for its subs. There are several types of bread to choose from, but the best is clearly the sourdough bread. Bread is made fresh daily, and repeatedly throughout the day. You can always count on a fresh loaf of bread when you go. I’ve never had a stale sandwich at the Knishe Shoppe, and I’ve been eating there regularly for several years. The meat is always fresh as well. Comparing the meat to other places like 7 Mile and Accents, the meat is tasty and fresh. Again, I’ve never had a bad sub at the Knishe shoppe. In fact, we used the Knishe Shoppe for our Super Bowl party, and was quite pleased. The 3 foot sub came on a large wooden plate and was stacked with a variety of meats, vegetables. The bread itself was custom ordered from New York, and the sub was appetizing to all the guests, who offered their praises. However, the other items served, including fried chicken, hotdog rolls, and beef, are not quite as tasty. On several occasions, the fried chicken has not been tender, and has hinted at sitting around for some time. For the subs alone, I give this place 10 hamburgers. If you were going to eat something other than a sub, I’d give the food quality 7 hamburgers

Service Quality: The service is fine when the store is empty. If it gets busy, and during peak hours it usually does, then you can expect to wait some time for someone to take your order. However, there are usually 4-6 individuals behind the counter who can take your order, an unusual aspect for such a small store. Most places only maintain 1-3 individuals to take an order. If you have time, converse with the individuals behind the counter, as some of them have been around the area for quite some time. There is a brother/sister tandem who have been working in the same shopping center for over 30 years, and they can certainly tell some stories. 10 hamburgers.

Cleanliness: The restaurant is clean at all times. The floor is kept swept and the tables are cleaned off after each customer. 9 hamburgers.

Atmosphere: The Knishe Shoppe is small. If I were the owner, I’d expand into a larger store and provide subs along with other quality items. Right now, a lunch counter runs the entire length of the somewhat small store, and there is not much walking room between the individual tables and the counter. However, there is some appeal to being able to walk in and just sit down and delve into a delicious sub. Perhaps the charm of the store comes from its intimacy. 7 Hamburgers

Price: The only negative about the subs is that they are slightly overpriced. The average cost for a sub is about $10. However, if you consider the amount of meat that comes with each sub, as well as the fact that every sub is fresh and tasty, you’re certainly paying for what you get. Other stores, you might get skimped on the quantity of meat, and the food might not be so fresh. 9 Hamburgers