By Gary Bennett
I’ve been a Potbelly fan for years — not the protruding tummy some folks get from too much food and drink but the Potbelly Sandwich Shop, famous for its toasty, tasty sandwiches and laidback atmosphere.
I had the good luck to work just down the street from a Potbelly in Washington, D.C., in the 2010s. I was a brown-bagger for most of the week, but when Fridays rolled around, you would undoubtedly find me at Potbelly to celebrate getting through another week at work.
Even after retiring in 2020 and hardly ever traveling to D.C. again, I loved Potbelly so much that I would plan the occasional venture to the nearest shops at Arundel Mills in Hanover or at the Neelsville Village Center in Germantown. That’s at least a 60-mile round-trip ride just for a sandwich! So you can see my dedication.
Thankfully, I won’t have to hit the road any longer to enjoy their delicious sandwiches. A Potbelly Sandwich Shop is recently opened in Frederick at the Market Square Shopping Center on Route 26 to the north of town. Potbelly took the place of Moe’s Southwest Grill, which closed last fall.
The calling card for Potbelly is the toasted sandwiches, fresh ingredients and delicious deserts. In my opinion, they far outpace the offerings at national competitors Subway, Jimmy John’s, Jersey Mike’s and Firehouse Subs. I know Frederick has plenty of local sandwich shops, and I don’t wish to disparage any of them, but we all know that franchises provide consistency. The Potbelly franchise is wonderfully and consistently good. Potbelly has about 400 locations across the U.S., and I’ve eaten at many of them.
What sets the sandwiches apart at Potbelly is the slow toasting that occurs as the freshly made subs ride slowly through a long, horizontal toaster for about one minute. This gives the meat and cheese time to mingle perfectly and the bread a textbook toasty crunch from beginning to end. After it emerges from its “roller-toaster” ride, a friendly staff member applies all the fresh toppings you desire.
The signature sandwich at Potbelly is called A Wreck, a meat lover’s delight. It includes roast turkey, smoked ham, roast beef, salami and Swiss cheese, all toasted to perfection, of course. Among their other sandwiches are the Cubano, pork barbecue, Italian, chicken club, veggie melt, Mediterranean, meatball, turkey breast and roast beef. They even have PB&J and grilled cheese for the kids. They serve breakfast sandwiches, too.
I recommend keeping it simple. My go-to Potbelly sandwich is the grilled chicken and cheddar on a multi-grain bun topped off with just lettuce and brown deli mustard. For the health conscious, try a “skinny” sandwich, which is made with one-third less bread and a Powerhouse salad.
Along with their famous sandwiches, Potbelly offers a good selection of Zapp’s potato chips, soups, salads, freshly-baked cookies and hand-scooped milkshakes. Try a Dream Bar for dessert — a rich, chocolate chip, oatmeal and caramel bar that is the gooiest, chewiest treat you’re likely to ever have at a fast-casual restaurant.
Along with great food, Potbelly is also a fun place to be. They consider themselves a “first-class dive, a place to take a break from it all.” At each store, a giant potbelly stove prominently stands guard, giving the stores a warm, inviting feel.
Potbelly is an American success story. It launched in 1977 when Peter Hastings and his wife decided to start serving sandwiches to their antique shop customers in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. One regular, Bryant Keil, saw the promise of the toasty sandwiches and bought the shop from Hastings in 1996. He grew the company from one location to 250 over the next 12 years. In 2005, Inc. Magazine named Potbelly one of “America’s 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies.” Now it has more than 400 stores, including 15 new locations in Maryland.
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.