The Sandwich: The Brisket Champ

Where: DCity Smokehouse, 8 Florida Ave. NW

Price: $9

Bread: White sandwich bread

Stuffings: Sliced brisket, housemade pickles, crispy fried onions

Thickness: 2 inches

Sloppiness Level (1 to 5): 2. Buttery, toasted white bread isn’t the strongest foundation on which to build a beef sandwich, so a few bits escape while you devour DCity’s creation. But since the sandwich lacks any drippy liquids, the only mess is dry crumbs from the onions and brisket.

Pros: The house pickles—equal parts sour, sweet, and spicy—shock your tongue and add heat to the brisket’s smoke. The fried onions, which provide more salt than onion flavor, nevertheless bring a necessary crunch—without reminding you of green bean casserole.

Cons: By itself, the brisket feels a little dry and gets upstaged by the accompanying ingredients. Eating this much meat should be a delight, not a chore, and juicier brisket would make it so.

Overall Score (1 to 5): 3.5. The onions and pickles raise the Champ from a blah beef and bread combo to a more refined, flavorful meal. Unfortunately, the dry meat leaves your mouth craving more pickles. With a little more juice, it’s got potential to be a real champ.

Photo by Caroline Jones