Uptown Market & Cafe

This place is my go-​to destination for a quick lunch break during the week. Uptown café offers a variety of different sandwich options, as well as pitas and breakfast sandwiches and is optimal for any time of day.
I would recommend the chicken or steak cheesesteak — it comes with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo, but those can be omitted depending on your preferences.
Uptown also offers a nice selection of wine, beer, chips, hummus, and other knick knacks you might need on a quick run to CVS (toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) I guess that’s why they call it uptown market and café!!!

i have eaten there twice sort of. the first time my food smelled «off» so i complained and after some dirty looks by the chef/​owner i received another sAndwi h.
this one actually tasted bad, i mean it was bad, spoiled or something. i could not eat more than one bite. i requested a refund and after some bickering I was granted a refund.
I would go hungry before i set foot in there again.

The sandwiches are pretty. Some days, they serve bibim bop, which is a korean dish having veggies, meat, and egg mixed with rice. Its a easy place to grab a quick lunch.

Some of their food can be pretty good but other options can be the complete opposite. I wouldn’t recommend their burgers, but their grilled cheese sandwiches are amazing! The only downside is that their atm machine inside of the store hardly ever works. They don’t seem to clean their fryer as much which makes the food smell a bit out of the ordinary. Last time I ordered a sandwich, it ended up smelling like fish. It was appalling. On the other hand, the service isn’t so bad and the wait there is pretty short which makes it convenient! I came here 2 – 3 times a week for lunch! They also make breakfast platters for lunch regardless of the time which is great! I would just recommend separating a few parts of the fryer for different types of meats and poultry so that the other foods aren’t as funky smelling.

The only good thing about working in this area is Uptown Café.
I live in DC and have to truck my butt on the metro for 45 minutes to work here. All the meal options around here are pretty dismal with the exception of Uptown Café. I love it here — the owners are incredibly friendly and remember me by now. The food is great, though I’ll admit I only ever get one thing…
FOOD:
— Chicken Steak & Cheese: God this is good. It’s my go-​to lunch. I rarely drift from this and sometimes it’s even a lunch special (you get chips and a drink for $ 6.99 (I think), woohoo!) which MAKES my day. It’s a Chicken Philly Cheese Steak that comes with mayo, lettuce and tomatoes and is so so good. The bread is soft and the whole thing is this buttery cheesy goodness. GET IT!
— Tuna Melt: I’ve tried this and wasn’t too crazy about it. If you don’t really like the fishy taste in tuna, this is your jam. I personally like stronger flavors so I found this to be slightly bland. But I guess it’s good that you’re eating this in the middle of the day and not wreaking of tuna fish afterward in the office. So considerate of Uptown!
— Bulgolgi: This is a great deal — it’s a huge lunch entrée and I usually eat it over two days. The beef is delicious and it comes with a ton of vegetables, warm rice on top and an egg the way you like it. I usually get a fried egg. It also comes with this super addictive red sauce on the side that they make themselves. I tried to buy it but it’s the owner’s personal concoction! It’s like sriracha but sweeter and more addictive! My only complaint is that the proportion of veggies to beef is out of whack. Way too little meat for the amount of rice and stuff that they give you.
CONCLUSION:
Great place for lunch if you work in the area. Definitely give a shot, and I bet you’ll be coming back on the regs.

Solid place for a quick sammich, or if you need some milk on the way home. The owner is very friendly, as is the morning cook.

I recently moved here from NJ and live nearby. The place is convenient for milk and some of the basics, even though they are pretty expensive.
Staff is friendly and they try, but they skimp on their sandwiches. I have had a few times also when some of the staff just ignore you when you are standing right at the counter when they are doing something else and you have to call them over.
My last experience there was probably the last time I’ll order a sandwich. I asked for tuna on an everything bagel with lettuce and tomato. First of all, it was as if I were speaking in another language. The guy behind the counter asked, «a whole tuna?» I was like, «no-​tuna salad… the stuff with the mayo in it…» This puzzled me since the special of the day was a tuna melt. After all the confusion, the girl who prepares the sandwiches asked me to repeat the order all over again. What I got was a bagel with lettuce and tomato and such a thin layer of tuna salad, I could hardly taste it. All for something to the tune of seven dollars. Never again.

Super clean, friendly, opera playing, and booze. I tried a Bimpiop (sp?), beef entrée w fresh veggies and fresh hot rice for lunch. Would def come back.

My boyfriend and I go there about twice a week for dinner. We always get the Eisenhower sandwich in a wheat pita and share fries (enough for 2 people). Both are great! I recommend calling ahead and then picking your order up if you live close. It only takes about 5 minutes.
The only downfall are the prices for groceries. But if you need something quick — it is the place to go. The service is great! The people are so friendly. They make me smile every time!

Very convenient, as there is no other convenience-​store in the immediate vicinity, and it does carry basic things (I.e. pasta, drinks, snacks, etc.) in addition to the grill. The grill is alright, much like the rest of e store: decent but overpriced. I’ve had a couple sandwiches, and its nice they’re made in front of you, but you won’t mix it up for some great sandwich with really fresh ingredients. 6.5÷10

A review on Uptown Market & Café is difficult to write. Uptown Market & Café is a small convenience store that seems to carry a higher quality inventory of foodstuffs, beer and wine. In the back of the store, they operate a food counter with small grill making hot items for breakfast, lunch, and presumably dinner. I like supporting independent, Asian family-​owned/​operated businesses like it. The staff is friendly and helpful and it’s definitely convenient. I’ve run down there to pick up a bag of chips or 6-​pack when I didn’t have the time or inclination to run to the grocery store. However, there are a few things that fall into the category of «not quite right».
Unlike most convenience stores, UM&C doesn’t sell bagged ice. There have been multiple occasions when it would’ve been REALLY convenient if I could’ve grabbed a bag of ice there! Most recently, I had just gotten back from a meeting and I wanted to grab a quick bite to eat before running back to the office. I stopped in for a sandwich. I got their Eisenhower, a grilled chicken stuffed into a pita-​like pocket bread with mozzarella, basil and tomato for $ 6.50. My sandwich was prepared and handed to me fast. While flavorful, it was not that big nor was it filled with much chicken and the other ingredients. With tax, the $ 7 sandwich was simply not good value in my estimation. Uptown Market & Café’s greatest attribute is its convenience, but sometimes convenience just isn’t worth it.

For a small corner store, they have a very good selection of items. I live nearby so this is my go-​to place when I’m craving a certain snack or am cooking and find myself in a pinch; lo and behold, they have what I’m looking for. My husband has also ordered sandwiches from there and was pleasantly surprised. They are a little pricey, however, I’ll gladly pay for the convenience.

I shop here regularly, small apartment oriented shop. Great service and short order cooking.

spent $ 6 buck on a sandwich. i don’t expect too much when is spend that much but the sandwich i got was smaller than an oompa loompa. very convenient if you live nearby but don’t buy a sandwich here!

My experience with Uptown Market has been limited to satisfying my lunch needs — and they have not let me down. I’m a huge fan of the grilled spinach pita, and recently branched out to the grilled veggie sandwich. When the sun is shining, it’s so nice to get in a short stroll and go by there for friendly service and good food. They offer daily specials, and a good selection of sandwiches. They have lots and lots of munchies/​chips /​snacks to choose from, and a great selection of beverages. It is definitely a great place to grab lunch, and if the weather is nice you can sit out on the sidewalk and dine al fresco. Added bonus: little baby Toblerone’s at the register for 40 cents!

IMHO: Locals should definitely come here for deli fare and if you need some groceries.
(+)Pro’s & (-)Con’s:
+Super friendly staff
+Great made-​to-​order food
+They sell alcohol
+They sell all kinds of groceries
–Prices are high on said groceries
# of Visits: ~30
My Experience:
I may be partial since this place is on the ground floor of my building, but I think it is fantastic. The sandwiches they prepare are always top notch and well priced. It’s open until 9 on weekdays, but unfortunately is closed on Sundays. I also like that the Korean family which runs the store is genuinely nice and friendly. I haven’t given them 5 stars just because all the groceries in their store are overpriced (still convenient for me though).