Potbelly Sandwich Shop ~ national chain : Tysons, Virginia

Latest visit: Dec 2023 (Spring Hill Rd.)

First visit: Apr 2006 (Las Colinas, TX)

HQ: Chicago, IL (Founded: 1977)

Locations: They're currently in 32 states including DC. They have 10 in Colorado, mostly up in Denver. Our original review location in Hurst is still around.

Have to earn those steak dinners, so it's time for two straight days of internal meetings. They were very informative actually and my peers and management team is great, so no complaints. But it's tiring. Many of us are of a similar age, and we're not up for long nights and hard days. But we persevered. It's hard to exercise in this environment, so I don't even bother. With the record show on Saturday and four straight days of travel, my legs are well rested. And my belly has grown...

Speaking of which! Potbelly. As in I now have one. It'll be coming off soon. Lunch was served after 12, and my stomach was growling wildly. But I was relieved to hear Potbelly was our vendor's choice for lunch (different vendor than the night before). We were served half sandwiches, and I had two Italians and one ham and Italian. So a sandwich and a half. Probably a half sandwich too much, as I wasn't burning calories at my normal rate. Oh well - I still enjoyed it. They really need to be in Colorado Springs...

---10/15/22 update

The RJG's first business trip with his new company was a long journey all the way to... Denver. Ha! It was a 3 day trip mostly spent sequestered in our sales partner's offices in downtown. Food wasn't much of a priority for this bunch, and I spent a lot of the time starving. Finally we were "let out" for a quick lunch. And right across the street was Potbelly. Since they're not here in the Springs, that's a no-brainer. Prior to this visit, my primary location was at the Baltimore airport. But those jobs have now ended. In any case, I went with the Italian just as I did on the 2013 visit listed below. And it was just as delicious as I remember. Of course we grabbed it to-go. Couldn't possibly be away from the office for more than 15 minutes...

As of this writing, Potbelly are in 31 states. In Colorado they only exist in the Denver area (9) and one in Fort Collins. From our former HQ in NE Tarrant, they still have the one in Hurst + another in Southlake.

--- original 7/9/13 review (Hurst, Texas)

So let's cut to the chase: We love their sandwiches. Potbelly started in 1977 in Chicago, but didn't branch out until about 1996. I first heard of them while walking through Midway Airport many years ago. They're sort of a cross between a traditional East Coast sub shop, a Chicago styled grinder house, and Quizno's. The bread is delicious, and they use the conveyor belt setup to heat their sandwiches. And their prices aren't bad for this day and age. I went with the Italian on this visit (Hurst), and Mrs. RJG had the chicken salad sandwich. They were executed to perfection.

If you've never tried one, and you live nearby (or they're in a convenient location in an airport - just sayin'...), give them a shot.

4/6/06; 7/9/13 (new entry); 5/30/14; 12/14/18; 10/15/22; 12/5/23

Las Colinas, Texas; Hurst, Texas; Baltimore; Denver; Tysons, Virginia