The Sandwich: The Hindu Nightmare
Where: Beer and Welding Sandwich Shop, inside Oasis Market, 2024 P St. NW
Price: $9
Bread: White baguette
Stuffings: Pulled beef chuck and brisket, gouda, melted onions, chimichurri sauce
Thickness: 3 inches
Pros: The onions, cooked low and slow, really melt in your mouth, adding a pleasant sweetness to the salty pile of beef. The meat remains tender and moist after getting wrapped up but doesn’t leak through the crispy baguette. Of course, the team behind Beer and Welding has experience making sandwiches on the go—they’re also behind the Ball or Nothing food truck, but have taken up residency at Oasis’ sandwich counter weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cons: Not enough chimichurri! The acidic sauce brings a brighter flavor to the heavy beef, bread, and cheese combo, but you only get a few bites. A large helping of cheese also muddies the subtler onion flavor and ends up overwhelming the sandwich. Halfway through the meal, you’re only tasting meat and dairy; the tangy parsley, garlic, quickly fades.
Sloppiness level (1 to 5): 2. Since the sandwich is loaded with beef, a few shreds escape the baguette fortress, but everything else remains in place or gets absorbed by the bread.
Overall score (1 to 5): 2.5. If an extra slather of chimichurri replaced two of the cheese slices, the Hindu Nightmare would be a dream.
Photo by Caroline Jones