I recently posted my take on the 10 best pastrami sandwiches in the Washington Area on my eponymous. I ended up dividing the list into two sections – hot smoked (from barbecue places) and cold smoked (Jewish delis). In each case I judged on simple sandwiches of hot pastrami on rye with mustard
The hot smoked –
2fifty in Riverdale Park and downtown DC (on Manifest bread’s rye)
Silver and Sons in Bethesda (shot rib with extraordinary seasoning)
HammerDown in Aldie
Monk"s in Upperville
Cold Smoked
Corned Beef King in Rockville (made in house)
Parkway Deli in Silver Spring
Attman’s in Potomac (not the one in Baltimore)
Deli City in Langdon, DC
Mikey and Mel’s in downtown DC
Celebrity. Deli
Attman’s got the consolation prize of the best deli atmosphere.
I personally prefer the hot smoked for flavor, and I think that 2fifty and Silver and Sons are the two best pastrami places I’ve tried anywhere (which is not co-extensive with everywhere).
I was less decided about the cold smoked rankings after Corned Beef King. I’m very comfortable with the others being better than any places not mentioned, notably Stachowski’ where my first visit was a lot better than my second (tough meat)'. The worst I had was at Wagshal’s, a highly respected butcher and, to my surprise and dismay, has proved really bad at serving meat at all three of their places that I’ve tried.
