Lunchbox

Washington DC, United States

3.3

Closed now

21 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 202-244-3470
Website:
www.voltlunchbox.com
Address:
5335 Wisconsin Ave Nw Ste 018, Washington DC, DC, 20015
b/t N Jenifer St & N Belts Ln
Friendship Heights
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
350 ftFriendship Heights
0.8 miTenleytown-AU
1.5 miNebraska Hall Stop
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Garage
Bike Parking
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
No
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Hipster, Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
No
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Washington DC) 03:28 Sunday, 22 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Lunchbox in the Chevy Chase Pavilion is a revamped version of the original Lunchbox, which was located in Frederick, MD and closed in late-​2013. The new restaurant offers a fast-​casual option for local families, young professionals, and visitors to Friendship Heights, looking for an updated, fresh dining experience including made-​to-​order sandwiches, salads, soups, and sides. «We’re not trying to be a typical sandwich and salad place,» says Voltaggio. «We took great care into developing the space and menu into something that we’re proud of. We want our guests to come to Lunchbox for something a little outside the ordinary.»

History

Established in 2012.

The Bryan Voltaggio family of restaurants is a collection of experiences from fine dining culinary adventure to casual comforts and grab-​and-​go. At each restaurant, guests will find a commitment to sourcing only fresh, local ingredients from the Mid-​Atlantic region and a passion for hospitality at every door.

Meet the Business Owner

Bryan V.

Business Owner

Chef Bryan Voltaggio is a true son of the Chesapeake, born and bred in Frederick, Maryland. By the young age of 20 and after having served as sous chef and executive chef at two regional hotel restaurants, Voltaggio made the decision to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Upon graduating, Voltaggio staged at Aureole, in New York City, where he met his mentor chef Charlie Palmer. Following a stint at Michelin three-​star Pic restaurant in Valence, France, Voltaggio reunited with Palmer as executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, DC. After almost a decade with Palmer, Voltaggio took a leap of faith and returned to Frederick, Maryland to open VOLT in 2008. In late 2011, Voltaggio expanded with Lunchbox, followed by Family Meal and RANGE in 2012.

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21 reviews of Lunchbox

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Place rating: 3
London, United Kingdom
The quality of food here is very good; I ordered the Chicken Avocado salad and it was delicious. The service however was very poor indeed — having spoken with the owner about this my issue was handled in a way that was above and beyond my expectations.
I am excited to try this place again in around a month to see if quality of the food remains high and if the service matches this… I’ll certainly update my review following my next visit.
Place rating: 5
Washington, DC
Yum Yum Yummo! Stopped here on my way to World Market. Got the turkey club and loaded potato salad. The bacon on the sandwich was crispy just how a club should be! I work a few miles away. I will be driving here for lunch often.
Place rating: 3
Alexandria, VA
I went here today with a coworker and we both got Cuban sandwiches. They were delicious! Probably one of the best I’ve had. What wasn’t so great however was our service. There was a blonde lady who was the cashier, and she really could take a lesson or two on smiling and customer service. She acted as if we were bothering her and she was not very welcoming. Please address this issue as we work in the building with LunchBox and would like to continue to come here for lunch but with her attitude, not sure that’s a possibility.
Thanks so much, and have a wonderful day.
Place rating: 5
Scarsdale, NY
I was visiting from New York and my brother suggested I try Lunchbox as he works nearby. I got the BBQ pork belly sandwich with potato salad and pickles and it was beyond AMAZING! The bread was soft. The pork belly was yummy and the BBQ sauce was sweet and tangy. Very personable and friendly staff and the price was normal for a sandwich (being from NY and working in NYC where a salad can cost you $ 14)If I wanted a cheap sandwich I would go to Subway. I would DEFINITELY recommend and will be back. Please come to NY!
Place rating: 4
Chevy Chase, MD
I’m surprised by some of the poor reviews, though, I’ve only been here after work hours (not the lunchtime rush, which seems to be the source of some issues). For a salad/​sandwich joint, it’s a bit pricey, but I’ve been satisfied with my orders (granted, I’ve only tried a few sandwiches, and stuck with ones I really like– ie the Reuben) also, their bacon scallion potato salad is awesome! I’d drop by just to get that as a snack. I’m kind of disappointed that they close pretty early on weekdays (by 6pm I believe), but I guess the traffic just isn’t there (since there’s no entrance directly from the street). All in all, it’s a nice change of pace from the standard cosi/​panera/​etc type of sandwich place.
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
This is a good quality restaurant. I have eaten there several times over the last year. They used to have a Maryland crab soup and it was really good. Now they have a tomato soup which is also good. For sandwiches I always order the Cuban. It’s really good too. I feel like this place has gotten a bum rap from Unilocal that it doesn’t deserve. I’ve had bad experiences at Range but that’s a story for a different review.
Place rating: 1
Alexandria, VA
The restaurant hours start at 11, I arrived at 11:05 and they hadn’t opened yet. I waited outside the restaurant for 10 minutes and it still hadn’t opened. When I asked an employee about when they were opening she looked at her phone and said «maybe another 10 minutes…» then walked away. I obviously went elsewhere, pretty terrible customer service.
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
I come to DC 3 – 4 times per year and one of the highlights of my trip is Lunchbox! The Shroomer is a must and the beet salad is amazing. If you can, call your order in because it can get busy at lunch.
Place rating: 3
Silver Spring, MD
Place is nice decorations and services is decent. Food is little over priced for a sandwich, chips and a drink taste was average
Place rating: 3
Pasadena, CA
What a good and easy lunch! I had the taco salad, but substituted chicken for the beef. It had so many good ingredients that stood out on their own, and the combination was just right. My lunch partner had the lunchbox with a turkey club sandwich. I had a bite and it was delicious. What made it special was the schmear of avocado.
All quickly prepared. And so fresh.
Place rating: 3
Washington, DC
Three and a half stars for mall dining, no more expensive than food truck fare. They occasionally close up early, and I’m a little disappointed that they’ve pared down their menu twice. I would probably get the mushroom soup without the EVOO drizzle next time, but I was content with our sandwiches. They’re moderately sized to be competitive with Jetties, and I like that they toast their bread. Pickles saved the too-​soft texture of the Cuban’s bread, and the turkey club sandwich was double-​stuffed with ripe avocado and thin honey mustard. I can only hope for the return of seasonal soups (crab, corn, and squash), and mourn the absence of the Virginian, Southern banh mi, and B’more sandwiches; in the meantime, we’d come back for a Reuben, Pilgrim, or Mulberry Street when LRF seems a walk too far.
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
I would say that if you’re looking for a change from Panera, and you want a good salad, go to this place. There are relatively few healthy, quick places to dine around Friendship Heights. There isn’t that much seating in the actual café, so if you go during a busy time, you may not find a seat, but there is a ton of seating at the Starbucks in the middle of the mall. Also, you can get a drink here, and the staff is pretty friendly.
As others have noted, the experience is probably dependent on the menu item you order. I am obsessed with their kale salad with chicken– it never fails to fill me up, and is just delicious! I highly recommend trying it at least once. However, it’s $ 11, kind of a splurge for a salad, which would probably be my only complaint. Their fish sandwich is exactly what you’d expect, and is also good.
Place rating: 5
Rockville, MD
Great food and awesome customer service. They always have different selections of sandwiches which makes me wanna go back all the time to try then out. I haven’t had something i didn’t like. LOVE THIS PLACE!
Place rating: 3
Washington, DC
This is a great place to grab a quick lunch! I ordered the antipasti, sans the cheese plus a side of pickles. My sandwich was good and wait time was about 5 minutes.
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
I go here often for lunch.
I admit some menu items are stronger than others. I’ve also noticed inconsistency in some menu items (the potato salad is different each time I go– have had about four iterations at this point. Fwiw, if anyone at the restaurant reads this, I liked the version with scallions and bacon bits in it). The soups haven’t been a strong point for me.
My go-​to item is the Beets by Bryan salad (very delicious). I have ordered the Cuban sandwich several times (reliably good), and I’ve also tried the fish sandwich and enjoyed it. The cookies are to die for.
The people who work there are really friendly and try very hard to make the customer feel welcome and comfortable. They almost always offer some water while I wait (not very long!) for my food. Usually I’m out of there in 5 – 10 minutes.
I recommend!
Place rating: 2
Washington, DC
The fatal flaw at Lunchbox — and the reason I’ve basically stopped going there — is that they simply can’t deliver on the one thing they should have totally nailed — a quick, grab-​and-​go lunch for the local office worker.
The sad truth: if you walk in the door and see more than 5 people in line, plan to walk out with food in hand about 30 minutes later. As much as I’d like to have Lunchbox’s delicious beet salad multiple times per week, I just can’t spare that kind of time, especially when I can get a passable lunch at Cosi, Chipotle, or the food trucks.
I have to think this problem is killing their business. This is the only fast casual restaurant I can think of that I will walk right by — no matter how much I’m craving it — if there are even a handful of people in line. If Lunchbox could figure out how to serve its delicious food more quickly, I’d be a regular customer.
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
To be fair I’ve only been here once and it was on a Sunday early afternoon and no one was around… but I ordered the taco salad and really enjoyed it! Lots of steak on a bed of delicious greens. The dressing was perfectly applied and had a smooth flavor to it. My wife had the beet salad and didn’t enjoy it, but I’ll visit again. Bonus points to the cashier who noticed the comic book theme between the shirts my wife and I were wearing.
Place rating: 3
New York, NY
I read some poor reviews here, but I went anyway since I was on my TC Tour in DC. I went to Bryan Voltaggio’s lunch joint in Friendship Heights and I liked it. I went there around 11:30am so there was no line, and I actually had time to chat with a chef before I placed my order.
I ordered a Mushroom with Chili Oil soup ($ 3) it was small but I liked the earthiness of the mushrooms, and the chili oil on top gave the soup a little kick. I also ordered «The Pilgrim» ($ 10) — a smoked turkey sandwich with meunster and cranberry sauce. It wasn’t Thanksgiving but the turkey was moist and the bread was really crispy. With menuster and cranberry sauce they brought out the sweetness of the meat. The sandwich was in a decent size although some might think it’s a little pricey.
I like the décor which was modern and very clean. The cashier/​server was a little clumsy getting my iced tea done (it took him a minute or two to cut the lemon) but overall it was a decent experience.
Place rating: 3
Shaw, Washington, DC
When you think about the ratio of quality, quantity and service over how much this experience will cost you, it’s a bit over in its price point. In laymen’s terms, it’s not worth the price. The sandwiches are good not great. I’ve tried the italian, the «steak and cheese» and the turkey and cranberry and they were all decent.
The italian had fresh meat but the bread its served on doesn’t really match the contents. If they tried it with a hoagie, it can work. The steak and cheese was just ok, meat lacked a bit of seasoning (but I sort of get it considering their traditional clientele) and its served on that bread. The turkey sandwich was good… I had it after Thanksgiving.
The service is ok, they do smile when they hand your food over in that useless box. I will say that there is always a line, especially during lunch so expect your experience to last a minimum of 15 minutes.
I also tried the kale salad which is perhaps the best thing on their menu.
If you’re curious, and have 15 bucks to spend, go check them out; you may like it.
Place rating: 1
Rockville, MD
Terrible experience DO NOT GO THERE.
It was overpriced, the line to order was too long, and that didn’t include the waiting for the food preparation, and their poor service.
me and my work colleagues waited over 50 minutes for a lunch sandwich. And at the end the food wasn’t worth it. I ordered the «Shroomer» it was too greasy, and the bread was over toasted.
I am never going there again.
Place rating: 2
Washington, DC
I was extremely excited to try lunchbox today because as others have said, Chevy Chase’s lunch scene is horrid. I ordered the taco salad which is described as skirt steak, charred salsa, avacado, cheese, greens and little gems. Sounds good right? It tasted like the inside of a taco bell taco. This is minorly my fault for not ordering salad dressing but they had no options that went with a mexican salad. The skirt steak was FLAVORLESS. And therefore kind of gross. I’m assuming the pieces of green pepper were the charred salsa? IDK, this salad was really really bad.
My friend’s grilled cheese was actually quite good, so I hope to update this with a better review in the future for sandwhiches, but avoid the taco salad!