Polpetti — Restaurant in Richmond

Was excited to try this place after seeing other people post about how good the sandwiches are…but didn’t get to because of how slow they were. Posting as a warning to others: do not go in here if you expect to have it within 10-15 minutes.

When I initially ordered, I asked for 3 sandwiches, the Soprano, Balboa and Meatball. First issue was that they hadn’t made any meatballs the day before: no worries, fine to just get the 2 sandwiches. After ordering them, the kind cashier let me know that it could be 15-20min wait, and would that be okay. I said yes, walked around the neighborhood and ran some errands.

Having set a timer, I returned 20mins later. While there was only 1 customer when I left, there were now 6 waiting for their orders. My order wasn’t ready yet. 5 minutes later, it was clear that they were struggling. The poor cashier has to walk all the way to the back to check on orders. Her trip back and forth was painful for all involved. Another 5 minutes later she acknowledged me (having gotten a break from going back and forth and taking new orders). She said she would check on my order.

Upon her return, she shared that they had run out of roasted pork (it was 12:30pm), so down to 1 sandwich. I said fine, just refund that one and bring up the other sandwich. She said okay, he’ll make it now…😂. I then clarified that my 1 sandwich still wasn’t ready…now 35mins after ordering…and she said yes.

I gave up and asked her to refund everything. Not sure what the wait should be, but 15-20mins for a couple sandwiches seems like too long…and 35+ is ridiculous. It doesn’t seem like they know how to make sandwiches in an efficient manner. Next time I will stick with...

After hearing great things about Polpetti Italian Sandwiches from a friend, I decided to bike over and check them out. They’re tucked inside the Market on Meadow store, which I thought was new, but they’ve actually been there for about three years. The owner recently bought the building and plans to rebrand since they’re now the only vendor there. Even better, they’re opening a second location at Harrison and Grace St. soon!

I ordered the Soprano sub, and it was absolutely incredible. It comes loaded with hot soppressata, capicola, ham, sharp provolone, arugula, olive salad, red onion, vinaigrette, and mayo on fresh bread. I added sweet peppers and banana peppers for a little extra punch, and it was a great choice. The flavors were perfectly balanced—the salty meats paired beautifully with the tangy olive salad and sharp provolone, while the vinaigrette and mayo brought everything together. The bread was amazing—crusty on the outside, soft on the inside—and it turns out they get it from New York City!

The owner is such a nice guy, and we ended up chatting for a while about his bread sourcing and plans for the business. You can tell he’s passionate about what he does, and it really comes through in the food.

Polpetti is a hidden gem that deserves all the praise it gets. Whether you’re a sandwich aficionado or just looking for a great meal, this spot is worth the visit. I can’t wait to come back and try more—and to check out their new location...

Abysmal service and mediocre overpriced food. I show up to pick it up my order slated to be ready 1218 at 1230. you tell me 10 more minutes. So I wait. It’s now 30 minutes later no updates or acknowledgement. I finally speak up again obviously frustrated and then am told “oh they are making your order now”. Then I’m handed the bag an hour after I ordered it and only then told we are short staffed. If you know you are understaffed and running 45 minutes behind why not disclose that up front? And even after all that waiting, after 35 bucks for 2 sandwiches, they are sloppily thrown together? What am I missing here? Is this an absence of management or a total disregard for your customers? Why is there someone standing in front of the shop twiddling their thumbs and shrugging their shoulders when you ask after your order if you are short staffed? Can they not help? Even after all these mistakes that can’t be undone, surely you can offer me a refund or a can of coke or something to make up for it. There are lots of places to get good sandwiches- better than these- without making customers feel like they don’t matter. Try Europa market, Coppola’s, Jimmy John’s, Jersey Mike’s- literally anywhere else. Attaching my pic of the Tucci I...