The Early Word on the New Red Apron

Many D.C. residents are familiar with the Red Apron brand at this point, but any still in the dark probably won't be for long, given their new Penn Quarter location. It's their most ambitious outfit to date, with a new sandwich platform (the tigelle), plenty of breakfast sandwich items and a more extensive prepared foods section. The accompanying restaurant, The Partisan, will open soon. What's the verdict? Here's what the first bloggers, Yelpers and others are saying about Red Apron.

The Cheesy News: Red Apron is currently earning 4.5 stars on Yelp with eight reviews in. One is from Joanna R., who says, "I'm a sucker for cheese and anything spicy so ordering the Southern Comfort was a no brainer. I've had pimento cheese in the past, but Red Apron does a nice job of adding a bit of spicy kick to the chunky cheddar concoction. If they sell a tub of that stuff, I'll buy it. The tasso ham wasn't too overpowering and added the perfect amount of saltiness. So how was the actual tigelle? Everything I hoped for and more." [Yelp]

The Don't Ignore the Salads News: Alli K. writes, "Two of us had the Butcher's Salad, and the other had a turkey, brie, and pancetta sandwich. Everything was delicious. Salad was the perfect size, perfectly dressed, with lots of tasty little bits (pine nuts, salami, provolone, olive pieces) hiding all over. My friend who got the sandwich realized about halfway through that there was no brie on her sandwich. She mentioned it to a worker and he immediately offered her a coupon for a free sandwich." [Yelp]

The Overpriced News: Also on Yelp, Katherine P. says, "We came for a quick breakfast. The breakfast sandwich my boyfriend has was good, but overpriced. The key lime poppyseed cake was yummy, well priced. My Greek yogurt with pistachio granola was a lie because there were only a few pistachios in the granola --I counted 3 :(. There also was not quiet enough granola for my taste, but a sprinkling could be fine for someone else." [Yelp]

The Service News: Yelper Christopher G. says, "It did not disappoint... it actually exceeded all expectations. The place is definitely still very new (you can still smell the fresh stain on the tables) and the ambiance is great. The staff is almost overly courteous (this is a good thing) and they greet you with an energized smile and eager to help." [Yelp]

The Heavenly News: @lfarbz Tweets, "Died, went to heaven, and somehow still rolled into work after downing a @redapronbutcher breakfast tigelle w/ @rdlass. Meats. Mmmm." [Twitter]

The Take-Home News: BYT says, "Add to that the blue plate specials and daily rotisserie options–whole chickens and shawarma, anyone?–and the walls of gourmet condiments, Anda's own in-house rubs and spices, jams and jellies, and you've got a perfect meal in-house or in your own." [BYT]

The Breakfast Sandwich News: Blogger Been There Eaten That writes, "Is a breakfast sandwich two years in the making worth the detour? Why yes, I believe it is. The "buenos dias" tigelle includes egg, pickled onion, chorizo, cheddar, and sour cream. The melding of these ingredients makes for a delectable sandwich. The sour cream in  particular impresses me. It adds a uniquely light creaminess." [BTET]

The Dialed-Up News: UrbanDaddy writes, "You've probably had a Porkstrami at their Union Market location. But here, they've cranked up the dial. For starters, they'll be dry-aging meat in the basement and cutting steaks to order, which you can grab to go, along with mashed potatoes, maple syrup and gin marmalade." [UD]

The Good Egg News: On Don Rockwell, user clintkey says, "I tried the 'southern comfort' tigelle this morning. The tigelle itself is somewhere between an english muffin and a biscuit (a flaky, lardy english muffin?). This one had tasso, (spicy) pimento cheese, and scrambled egg. I know it sounds tiny, but the difference a real egg makes on a breakfast sandwich can't be overstated. Immediately becomes the best breakfast option around here and worth the steepish (5.50) price." [DR]
·  All Previous Red Apron Coverage [-EDC-]