The Speakeasy at Capo Deli

Easily the worst 'speakeasy' I've ever been to. Drinks list is tiny, and my paloma was almost undrinkable. Dude behind the bar was super rude, and the atmosphere is awful. Avoid at all costs

Super cool spot!! Awesome music and crowd. The bar tenders were true mixologists and knew how to make delicious drinks- the French 75 was amazing.. Also loved the fire show!! I'll definitely be back!

One of the worst lounges in DC. The bartenders and management are very rude. The music is trash, the bartenders suck and the drinks are horrible. They refill their top shelf alcohol with bottom shelf liquor and the bartenders act like they’re on coke.

Definitely for the college age folks. It was a good vibe, but below my age group.

Excellent music selection. The espresso martini was one of the best I’ve ever had. Great experience!

cute vibe

Love it, glad to stumble on this hidden gem. Great time and even better people behind the counter.

The Deli sandwiches are amazing!

I don't see a single salad review on this page so let me pave the way - yes, capo deli is not just a speakeasy....its a sandwich shop too. they have a broad menu of speciality options and make your own possibilities - this location, not the foggy bottom spot, has a make your own salad. you can tell this a deli because they know how to load on salad toppings. the banana pepper ratio was to die for. I don't want just a bowl of leaves - the meat portion was large as well! however, it is a sandwich spot, meaning the meat wasn't really meant for a salad. the turkey very plasticy in texture and super stuck together. I would definitely skip this, hard to think that was not made in a lab - the chicken was very bland and dry but the portion blew places like sweetgreen out of the water

It's not the best sandwich place in my mind but my sister swears it's the best buffalo chicken sandwich. I am a fan of the cheesesteak! A fun club in the back on the weekends!

It's a pretty standard Deli but really only good for takeout since it is small and the seating area is really only serviceable as a waiting areas. I got a to-go of their "Capo's special." it was very, very good and DID NOT skimp on the meat! Totally worth the price and the flavors were on point. It wasn't in the best part of town and we did have a person with mental illness shout a lot of every kind of slur at us on our walk from the Metro. I don't hold this against the Deli, so do with that what you will. I give a minus on service because the girl I was ordering from did not know even the basics of the menu or what came on a given sub. The backroom is really neat and I did a separate review on that.

Love this place for the subs! And if you didn't know, they have a speakeasy in the back. Great place for lunch and a nightcap. They also sell adult beverages to go!

Omgggg!! Another Italian hit!!! The Italian sub is excellent!! Definitely a MUST TRY!!

Small Caprese Cold Sub from Capo Italian Deli after a long day out - hit the spot (but, I'd like to see some more vegetarian options hit their menu)!

this is the most careless Capo Deli I've been too. Alexandria & Tysons standards are higher. this location in DC messed up 3 out of our 4 orders. spent $80, what a waste.

I visited recently for a takeout order. I got a small Italian sub and a large cannoli. The sub was really good with great flavors, size, ingredient balance, and good quality bread. It was about 20 minutes between when I picked it up and when I ate it, and it didn't suffer at all. The cannoli was also good, I only wish it was bigger! I rarely get deli sandwiches so honestly, I don't have much to compare Capo to, but I was very pleased with my meal.

My fellow content creator ( @adorkandherfork ), visited this scrumptious looking deli on Florida avenue (in D.C.)fairly recently. So She has a signature sandwich there. So I followed up to go get it. Unfortunately they didn't have it that day. You know me though...I still went IN!! . Where I am: @capoitaliandeli . Location Reviewed: 715 Florida Ave., N.W. Washington D.C. . Menu Includes: Cold Subs (from Italian combos to oven roasted turkey), Meatballs, Eggplant Parmesan, Baked Ziti, Tri Colored Pasta , Cheesesteaks, Grilled Chicken Breast Subs, Cuban Subs, Cocktails, & MORE!! . Items Reviewed: Their Italian Combo Sub (with hot Capicola, salami, provolone, & lto Lrg.$14.50). LIKE THAT!! Thick, seeded bread, & fresh!! Their Large Cannoli ($4). STAMP!! Sweet, flaky, & huge!! Their Italian Beef (with roast beef, marinara, onions, garlic, Romano, & melted mozzarella $15.50). STAMP!! Tender juicy beef, seeded bread, perfect!! Their Beef Lasagna (with ricotta,& mozzarella cheeses, minced beef, marinara, & noodles $14). LIKE THAT!! Fresh marinara, a thick layer of beef, well seasoned, & cheesy!! Their Stuffed Shell (with marinara, & ricotta $3.50). LIKE THAT!! The ricotta is definitely fresh!! The @boylanbottling Black Cherry Soda ($3). STAMP!! Per normal!! . Customer Service: On Point!! . Online Navigation: Easy . Parking: Super Rough . Music: YouTube-Backyard 1997 Pockets & Sockets . Recommendations: Everything aforementioned!! 5 Stars=STAMP 4 1/2 Stars=LIKE THAT 4 Stars=DELICIOUS 3 Stars=DECENT 2 Stars=PASS 1 Star=NAH #Bigschlimsreviews

Found this place on door dash and I must say I'm happy I did. This is a true Italian deli and the sandwich i ordered was spot on. I ordered the sm turkey capicola and the quality of every topping was spectacular. The sesame bread made everything come together. What made it even better was the fact that they had a BOGO special which means i got to experience this sandwich twice !!!!!

Not bad, the bread was a too crunchy and the meat I added wasn't my favorite but it was delicious!

Great cold subs, love the Italian on seeded roll. Service is great and they do a buy 1 get 1 free on uber eats often!

This is the perfect spot to grab a bite if you're exploring DC! It's conveniently located and the Italian sandwiches are so good! The toughest choice is picking from their massive many of delicious hot and cold sandwiches! Make sure to grab dessert while you're there too. I will admit the Italian Sandwich is prettier, but I'm a sucker for a Chicken Parm Sandwich! I love how cheesy it is and the saucy chicken parm always gets me.

As I mentioned in my first review of Capo this past winter, I work pretty close and used to grab a sandwich from here every once in a while, but stopped coming after my incident in the speakeasy. A few days ago, I was craving a sandwich so I popped over to grab a chicken cheesesteak. I don't eat red meat, so I made sure to not to the team member taking my order that I wanted chicken. She was super friendly and my order was ready within 10 minutes. I walked back to my off only to discover I was given a beef cheesesteak, which was a disappointment. I called, talked to the manager and asked for my order to be corrected and delivered. Within 15 minutes, Patrick the manager was in front of my office building with my order. He hand delivered my order and let me keep the beef sandwich, which I gave away. That's top tier customer service!

Yes! Yes! Yes! And MORE YES!!! Right off of Florida Ave and 8th NW. 715 Florida Ave NW to be exact, is Capo Deli. The Deli is small but cute. Although small, 10 people can enjoy their subs in the restaurant. On to the food... Can we stop and just talk about how freaking good their food is??? I am here sitting eating my sandwich in pure Heaven. Jose recommend the California Cheesesteak and he deserves a raise for recommending the BEST (I mean the absolute BEST) sandwich I've ever put my mouth on. I'm full off of half but I'm eating the rest as I type this! Let's talk about plating, how can you dress up a sandwich? Just like they did. Did you look at the picture? It's AMAZING!!!!!!!! Okay, let's talk about this amazing sandwich. The bread is toasted, with a touch of Mayo, veggies are fresh (lettuce/tomato) topped on steak and cheese!!! Perfection!!!!!!! I didn't want to find more yummy places in D.C. to frequent but I'm a huge Fan and Yes I'm coming back! Yelpers, make sure to check in, you'll get a free drink and chips. Enjoy you will not be disappointed!

Great food but trouble with delivering the sammie. I ordered through DoorDash because I was working in our hotel room while hubs was at a job site. I had clients back to back so I wanted to order lunch and have it left at my hotel room door, contactless. Long story short, the delivery person screwed me, left my sandwich on a random table in the middle of the lobby. Great. I had to be late for my client due to taking 10 minutes to get downstairs to hopefully retrieve the food. When I finally was able to eat, OMG!!! I was so happy because this hero was very similar to the deli I was not able to visit when I was home for Christmas. I honestly could have devoured the entire hero but saved the other half for hubs. Speaking of, the hero was massive and I ordered the small! The bread was fresh. The meats were fresh. The dressing was crispy and flavorful. Next time we are in DC, I do want to stop in the deli to get a hero or two to go. Living in FL, it is very difficult to find a good deli hero. I was spoiled being in NYC with delicious delis and bodegas everywhere.

Really cool spot with a small bar in the back. Good music and good vibes, but this sandwich was incredible! The cutlets were cooked perfectly, they were crispy and they were even sliced which made it easy to eat -- and it held together so well with a good amount of sauce and cheese (the cheese pull was so yum)! The service was great, and the staff was really friendly :)

Very fun, interesting, and surprising place. Good Italian sandwich ($17). Pretty crowded beyond the door.

This is a great business. I've been ordering sandwiches from here forever. The help is great and professional. The place is spotless clean and they're roasted turkey with Genoa. Salami is great. All the sandwiches are great. Enjoy the ambience. They have a back bar that you can enjoy Manager is great and professional.

Capo is one of the greats as far as DC Italian sandwiches go- and I've sampled a LOT. My two go-to's are the capo (mortadella, soppressata, provolone and all the fixings) and the hot capicola and provolone. The bread alone is worth the price of the sandwich. For ¢25, you can (and should!) get your sandwich on a seeded Italian roll, which always comes with a dark, crunchy exterior and a soft interior which holds up to the well-dressed fillings without falling apart or losing the crunch. The sandwiches as a whole are fantastic: stuffed full of super thinly sliced meats and cheeses, toppings all working together for a truly incredible bite. And they're filling too- a small sandwich is more than enough for a meal. I've had some remarkable Italian sandwiches here, and Capo has supplied more than a few of them.

The subs here are next level and I got two turkey subs when they had a buy one get one free deal. I should have bought more. Great quality.

One of the best spots around for tasty sandwiches. They are very small, so you order at a counter, and there are maybe 5-8 seats at a counter if you want to eat in. For food, the menu is large, and they make the sandwiches fresh to order. The best part - the soft toasted bread. So good. We shared one cheesesteak and a meatball. They are very filling, dripping with sauce, and very satisfying. To add a touch of uniqueness, they have a selection of pre-made cocktails to order. The old fashioned is my fave, but the popular choice is the fauci pouchy. There are a few different pouchies in different flavors. A bit too sweet and fruity looking for us, but if you are tickled by the idea of drinking a cocktail out of a capri-sun style pouch with Fauci's face on it, try one for yourself. If you visit late night, they have a speakeasy hidden behind a fake freezer door. If the red light is on, they are open. The day we visited, there was a bachelorette party back there, and it sounded like there was some sort of strip show going on. We didn't see anything, but it sounded wild.

Ate an Italian sub while standing in the rain waiting for a show at the Howard. I don't know if it's because I was starving, freezing in the rain, because it was just that good, or a combination but that sub changed my LIFE. Will be back!

I wanted so badly to LOVE my Meatball Sub but I just couldn't...it simply wasn't good. To be more specific, the meatballs and marinara sauce were flavorless and there could've been more cheese. I also wasn't too crazy about the seeded Italian bread either. I had such high hopes! My online ordering experience was flawless as was my pickup. The brief exchange with the employee working tonight was pleasant. I have faith that I simply made a poor menu choice for my first Capo experience and other sandwich options will live up to the food porn hype in the future. I've got my eye on you Italian Combo!

I can't speak to the food in the deli but I can tell you that the speakeasy behind the big freezer door is lit. No, literally. They frequently set the bar on fire when pouring a big line of shots. I'm not sure how the fire alarm isn't triggered but I'm here for it. The back of this unassuming deli features luxe decor, big ass chandeliers, two bars, and a few booths (consider yourself lucky if you snag one of those). The bartenders are absolutely amazing. They kept up with the large crowd all night and seemed to be having plenty of fun doing it. The DJ was pretty great too, playing a mix of old school and new hits. I'm not in DC often but next time I am, you can bet I'll be back at Capo for more shots and maybe I'll even try the deli... although I'd be perfectly happy just sticking to shots.

Italian Quiznos. Nothing more or less. Everything from start to finish is plain. It's not bad but I have to write this review so i remember to not waste time when I'm in DC again.

Super delicious sandwiches and in a great location if you are out and about. One time they left off my cheese, I let them know and they really made me feel Like a valued customer by making me a new sandwich and giving me a gift card. Any sandwich you get is going to be good. I have been ordering from here about 2 years and never disappointed! It's in a perfect spot near U street and Howard/Shaw area. So it's a nice place to grab food if you have been out having drinks or attending events!

Great spot for some hand-made deli sandwiches, both hot and cold. We were looking to have a rooftop picnic at my daughter's new apartment complex, so we swung by for a mess of subs and some drinks for our meal. We ordered three large subs and they easily fed the five of us. The Italian combo sub on seeded Italian bread was slightly dry (the bread itself), but had a great mix of deli meats, provolone cheese and veggies. Wish there was some kind of dressing on it, but we used an available Italian salad dressing to jazz it up a bit. The Cuban sandwich was warm, pressed and filled with all the right stuff including sliced ham, thick slices of pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and slathered with yellow mustard. The cheesesteak was probably the best sandwich of the bunch served with thinly shaved (and grilled) beef topped with melty provolone cheese and grilled peppers and onions. Everyone enjoyed our feast as we cut-up all three subs so everyone had a hunk to sample. Great weather day for our rooftop meal, and the subs really hit the mark!

The Italian sub was great! The Turkey and cheese sandwich was so delicious the meat-to-bread ratio was amazing. Although the bread was hard the roof of my mouth was scratched up by the time I finished. I will not get it toasted on the next visit. Can't wait to return

The Italian dressing on the sandwiches overpower of the taste of the sandwich. In my opinion it made it too vinegary. My fav Italian sandwich to date is still from Potbelly. Other than that I do love the speakeasy in the back.

Chicken Parm left a lot to be desired not enough sauce or cheese the star of the sandwich was the bread...

I stop at Capo Italian Deli almost every time I am in Washington D.C. The sandwiches here bring me back to making fresh deli cold cut sandwiches as a kid. Everything here is fresh and delicious, but the best part are the seeded rolls which are phenomenal.

Great bar! Super cool entrance, relaxed vibe and solid drinks! I loved the energy there. We got here around 9 and there were plenty of seats, it was dark and intimate, and the music was perfect. The bartenders are on their craft! Mine re-did my drink after tasting which is something you don't always see and probably because he had time since there weren't tons of people there. I loved the drink! And it was great to have a chill spot to hang with friends and hear what they were saying! Need to come back for an Italian sub though!

Update on this: the "owner" asked if he could reach out to me to chat about this unfortunate and scary situation. We talked for a half hour about how sorry he was and how he understood the bouncer was violent and out of line. Said he'd handle it and call me back. Nothing ever happened. The same bouncer seems to still work there.

Poor customer service and inexperienced staff that is very rude to customers. Bread was stale cheesesteak was dry. Did not feel safe waiting for a sandwich but that's not their fault since the U-street crowd is pretty bad. Stay away if you want to feel at ease on a night out.

visited the Alexandria, VA lication ordered eggplant Parmesan. not the sub just a dinner to go. it was sub par. $14.99 for scraps of eggplant with some melted cheese. was not layered. very disappointed.

I loved this place! The employees were amazing they gave good recommendations on what sandwiches to get since it was our first time there. Me and my friends went there after visiting the bar next-door and tried some really good sandwiches and also tried their cocktails to go. I also ended up getting the cannolis which were delicious I got the Italian sub sandwich per the cashierscashiers was recommendation and he was not wrong. It was great. I will definitely be visiting this place when I'm back in DC.

This is THE place to go for Italian subs in the U Street corridor. The staff is amazing. The cooler door in the lobby holds a special venue in the back for cocktails. The bartenders are solid and go the extra mile to make you feel welcome.

A bit pricey but excellent sandwich! This place stays busy till about 3am on Fridays. Fast and friendly service. Would definitely recommend checking it out.

If you're one for accessories and FASH-UN *insert hair flip, dramatic turn around and devilish smize*... ....then this pandemic might be testing your ability to serve and slay. You might be feeling stripped of your fabulous glory without new trends to show off, statement pieces to flex, or best supporting accessory noms to accompany you in your many stay-at-home selfies. I mean, there are only so many angles and V-A-R-I-E-T-Y has quickly become a friend that you have lost touch with. That is until summer's hottest new trend arrived.... THE FAUCI POUCHY -Are you over 21 and enjoy drinking at home? -Do your makeshift, bootleg cocktails at home not stack up? -Do you enjoy long COVID walks with a hidden drink on your hip? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the FAUCI POUCHY is right for you! The Fauci Pouchy is a state of the art cocktail pouch that is perfect for your new, sedentary lifestyle. Sure, the irony is not lost on a "to-go" cocktail with nowhere to go, but these cocktails can bring back a little bit of that variety in your life that you've recently become so distant from. Now, all of friends will envy you (from a distance) while you sip on your non-political, political statement piece. When I've got my Fauci Pouchy by my side, it makes me feel like everything is going to be alllllllright. And what's better than one, Fauci Pouchy? You guessed it ...SEVEN Fauci Pouchies, all filled with different cocktails; Spicy Mango for when you're in the mood to spit that hot fiya, Sweet Tea Bourbon for those lazy, quarantine afternoons and Espresso Martinis for that extra Zoom happy hour that just got added to your schedule. YAY! There's a Fauci Pouchy for each and every one of your many moods! If science really isn't your thing though, don't you worry. Capo has got something for you too! The Tiger King cocktail is just what Carole Baskin did not order. Served in a small bottle, adorned with the face of Joe Exotic himself, I was at first a little concerned that this cocktail might taste like misgivings and regret. Lucky for me, the prominently displayed ingredient list assured me that I too, could be easily seduced by the charm of novelty. -It's got some Mezcal for the smoke...of the burning alligator house. -Coconut and agave water... to quench Joe's thirst. -Aloe because ... aloe-even know what happened to John Finlay's teeth. -And I'm guessing the Tiger Spice and Hellfire bitter is for Carole Baskin's resentment that her little secret is out. All this to say, during a time when it can be hard to find things to look forward to. A time, where it can be easy to fall into a routine, get into a rut and stop trying new things, Capo has come up with something fun to spark joy in people (spark, spike, tomat-o, tom-ah-to.) As an Italian Deli with a speakeasy in the back, they too have been severely impacted by this pandemic. But how sweet it is that they've found a way to turn lemons into Vodka-Mint-Lemonade. Let this be a lesson to all of us.

Chicken parm sub was not good, meatball parm sub was good. TERRIBLE customer service! Our food wasn't ready until 25 mins past the pickup time and they would not let us use the restroom.

Really brilliant marketing by them during this pandemic by creating the Fauci Pouchy cocktails. They got me driving into dc from Alexandria just to get one (which.... during this time wasn't bad at all since there was no one on the road) I got the Strawberry gin one and it was good. I thought it was a real creative idea. For food I got their basic italian hoagie (yes, hoagie) Since it was to-go I took it home and stuck it in the oven to crisp up the bread a bit which made it infinitely better. But still, very good bread to meat ratio. I got two lunches out of a large.

Ordered from food delivery place (waaayyyy overpriced) and they brought the wrong order- Had to settle for a DRY and TOUGH Chicken Parm sub- highly NOT recommended Not the delivery drivers fault- totally Copos fault for not checking orders before they go out for delivery-Chicken Parm Sub Find a more competent "deli" if you want a decent sandwich- this was not the spot for an accurate or good sandwich Ordered from food delivery place (waaayyyy overpriced) and they brought the wrong order- Had to settle for a DRY and TOUGH Chicken Parm sub- highly NOT recommended Not the delivery drivers fault- totally Copos fault for not checking orders before they go out for delivery-Chicken Parm Sub Find a more competent "deli" if you want a decent sandwich- this was not the spot for an accurate or good sandwich Ordered from food delivery place (waaayyyy overpriced) and they brought the wrong order- Had to settle for a DRY and TOUGH Chicken Parm sub- highly NOT recommended Not the delivery drivers fault- totally Copos fault for not checking orders before they go out for delivery-Chicken Parm Sub Find a more competent "deli" if you want a decent sandwich- this was not the spot for an accurate or good sandwich Ordered from food delivery place (waaayyyy overpriced) and they brought the wrong order- Had to settle for a DRY and TOUGH Chicken Parm sub- highly NOT recommended Not the delivery drivers fault- totally Copos fault for not checking orders before they go out for delivery-Chicken Parm Sub Find a more competent "deli" if you want a decent sandwich- this was not the spot for an accurate or good sandwich

I really enjoyed my sub from here. I got the Maple Turkey on their seeded Italian bread and it was sooo fresh and delicious. I will definitely be returning. My boyfriend says he wants to try every sandwich on their menu lol

Don't understand the hype. Took about 30 mins for our $100 order. Ordered the following, Italian Combo Steak and Cheese Classic Cuban Deluxe Ham and Cheese Lasagna Aside from the super long wait, the food didn't wow me. The Italian had more bread and little meat. The Cuban was quite delicious. The lasagna was season-less and lukewarm. The ham and cheese was filled with more onions than ham. I doubt I ever return. Jersey Mike's has better subs.

Ordered here last week for pickup because I was craving an Italian sandwich. I ordered the Italian combo and my boyfriend ordered the chicken fontina. We also tried their to-go cocktails. We ordered the strawberry lemonade faucy pouch and the tiger king cocktail. Pickup was smooth with markings on the floor saying where you should stand (6ft apart). The sandwiches were a nice size, neatly made, and cut down the middle. The Italian was good, however, I will say it didn't have enough oil and vinegar with seasoning. I love a good messy Italian. That just might be my preference. But It was just missing that added umph, still good though. The chicken fontina was delicious. My bf loved it and when I had a bite it was the clear winner (know what I'll get next time). The tiger king drink was smaller than expected. Pictures make it seem like a average sized bottle but it's tiny. The taste is unique. I liked it, but my bf did not. I will say the mezcal and coconut water is a different taste and consistency; you have to already be a fan of those flavors to really appreciate the drink. The strawberry lemonade pouch was delicious and exactly as expected. Overall, capo is a solid sandwich place.

I want to give Capo another try to experience their meatball sub and chicken parm. On this occasion I tried the Chicken Fontina (chicken cutlet) and Italian Combo (coldcut). I wasn't completely thrilled about either. I would have liked the chicken itself to be a big larger to compete with the massive sub roll. One of my pet peeves is a sandwich (hot or cold) which has its protein hidden inside the bread. Both sandwiches were indicted for doing this. I think Capo did a few things right on my sandwich; the bread is the traditional crispy, seeded Italian roll that you'd expect from a northeastern U.S. Italian deli and the flavors were respectable. I could only imagine how much more of a hit this sandwich would have been if the meat was larger in comparison to the crispy seeded bun. The staff was friendly and there seems to be plenty sandwich options here ranging from your traditional Italian cold sandwiches to hot sandwiches such as chicken parmesan, chicken cutlet and meatball subs. I also tried the alcoholic drink pouches which is packaged using the image of Dr. Anthony Fauci. Parking could be a nightmare as this restaurant is located on Florida Avenue which virtually is street parking only. Overall an enjoyable experience and one which leaves me wanting to try more. I certainly will return. Give them a shot.

I don't know why I waited so long to try Capo, but the subs here are AMAZING. I ordered the Italian Combo sub with hot peppers from their pop up at Brickside in Bethesda. WOW, it was fully loaded and was delicious. Can't recommend this place more!

Update: Within minutes of posting my initial review, I received an email from Patrick, the manager, asking to set up a time to chat the following day. During that call we discussed the incident and wound up having a really nice conversation during which he let me know that the response I received was not in line with his standards and offered to bring me the extra promo sub personally, which he did! When he came by my house to deliver it the following day, we had another wonderful conversation. It is abundantly clear that Patrick truly cares about his business, and is an incredibly experienced and talented manager who is willing to go above and beyond to not only provide an excellent customer experience, but to cultivate friendships along the way. Also, the italian subs are among the best in DC! I will definitely be ordering from (or perhaps even visiting) Capo's again in the near future. I placed an order through postmates that included a promotion for buy 1 get 1 for a small Italian sub. 2 subs were automatically added to my cart when I selected it, but after I placed the order, only one appeared on the receipt. When I contacted the deli and asked them if they would apply the promo, they said "there was nothing they could do" (um, like honor the promo), and when I mentioned that this experience makes it unlikely that I'll order from them again in the future, they said "that won't hurt our business." There were any number of other ways this issue could have been resolved satisfactorily, but I think that this comment pretty much sums up how this business feels about its customers. There are plenty of other restaurants that would appreciate my business. No need to waste my money on this one.