Tucked in a nook on Ninth Street lies a new sandwich shop packed with the medieval swordplay of masterfully crafted subs, soups and immersive, mystical Easter eggs, with each sandwich having the story of a dragonslayer hidden behind it.
Dragon Hero DC opened its doors in February and extended its initial hours on April 22 after finding its footing as a new locale. For those tired of on-campus culinary offerings, the shop now stays open for customers’ late-night quests for grub until 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday.
Seating options were skimpy, making the destination optimal for a grab-and-go lunch before heading back to work, which is exactly what customers did as they cycled in and out. The counter space was slim but substantial enough to unwrap your sandwich on whilst seated on the low stools.
After much mental deliberation, I opted for the noble hero sandwich titled Siegfried ($15), named after Germanic literature of the dragon slayer, that comes with chicken schnitzel, fennel, apple slaw and sweet mustard. Similar to the meal’s namesake, my sandwich was successful save for one flaw in taste — the apple slaw — with my lunch ending in less tragedy than Siegfried’s own when the heroic prince falls to a knight.
For those less inclined to sweet-meets-savory, I would advise choosing an alternative hero to satisfy your valiant intuition. Other hero sandwiches included The Mario ($16), a meatball sub, King Arthur ($16), a turkey and roast beef sandwich and The Lac Long Quan ($16), a banh mi dish with hoisin mayo.
The printed menu items contain the title of deep folklore packed with renowned dragon slayers, each mounted on a scroll-themed menu board along with a separate, detailed spread above the kitchen in white chalk on a chalkboard. The hero subs ranged between $15 and $18 with specials and veggie versions. Other dishes offered include a mixed green salad ($14), a Brassica salad ($16) and side, like crispy red potatoes with mayo and soup offerings of french onion and chicken and dumplings.
In true Dungeons & Dragons style, I rolled an imaginary dexterity check, an assessment of characters’ reflexes, to hold steady onto my hero meal and avoid a messy fate from my condiments and falling slaw. I unraveled the wrapped baguette to find double-decker breadcrumbed chicken. I nimbly bit down to taste test the salty, crispy pan-fried chicken.
Swirling above me on the wall was another chalkboard colored with peaches and greens flaring from a dragon’s fire against the drawn swords belonging to a medieval fight.
At the first bite of the sandwich, my palette immediately discerned the sweet, almost dessert-like confusion of the apple slaw that was dispersed throughout to contrast the sharp, tangy mustard. The apple slaw was soft and an admirable addition that earned points for eccentricity but felt out of tune with the crunchy textures with the rest of the sub.
I became hungrier as the sub shop employee gifted me creamy, rich garlic mayo and used it as a side to accompany the sweet tender schnitzel chicken, which wasn’t quite as hot as I would’ve liked, that covered the volume of the sandwich’s soft baguette. The sandwich was just the right portion to not feel stuffed or bloated by the end of my meal.
I felt lucky after rolling the die with the sandwich I chose and would certainly rope my friends into sharing internationally acclaimed Bowser-defeating Mario’s meatball sub for my next visit.
