Potbelly — Restaurant in Virginia

Me and my boyfriend get Potbelly at least twice a week. It’s my favorite! Today we did a pick-up order that was ready at 7:50 and decided to eat it there since I’m a type 1 diabetic and needed to eat. We knew they close at 8, no problem. We knew it would only take us about 15-20 minutes to eat. When I picked up my order and brought it to the table, I realized the dozen mini chocolate chip cookies were missing from my bag. I went to the counter and brought it to their attention, the young brunette girl said yeah, we’re out. She offered no solution so I asked if I could take 2 regular sized cookies and she said yes. I was confused as to why nobody brought this up when I got there and asked if I wanted a replacement or a refund. I’m glad I chose to eat it there because otherwise I would’ve gotten home with no cookies that I paid for. Whatever, no big deal, we sit down and eat. While we’re eating at about 7:59, an old couple walks in. The two young girls say they’re only taking card to them (I’m assuming because they’ve already counted the register), wait a minute, and then tell them it’s 8:00 and they’re closed. I felt so bad they had to go elsewhere especially considering they arrived before you closed. So, 8:06 rolls around. Me and my boyfriend are a few bites before being done with our meal. The young blonde girl says to us that they closed at 8 insinuating we have to leave. She says this to us across the restaurant while sitting with I’m assuming her boyfriend that’s waiting for her at a table. We say we only have a few bites left and we’re almost done. She says I guess it’s fine if we’re only a few minutes. We finish eating at 8:10 and immediately get up and leave. I understand wanting to leave and see your boyfriend or just do whatever after work, but that’s just not how it works. My boyfriend and I are both restaurant workers. Sometimes you just have to wait. It’s not like we were there until 8:30-9. It was only 8:06 when she said that to us. I eat potbelly often so I’m so disappointed!! I also am type 1 diabetic and take insulin so I can’t just not finish my...

Potbelly Sandwich Shop – Disappointing First Visit

I leave reviews because I rely on them when I’m in unfamiliar areas, and I enjoy supporting local spots I haven’t tried before. Potbelly was one of those places.

While staying at a nearby hotel, I decided to stop in for a Mediterranean sandwich with hummus—something I’d looked forward to trying. I was greeted politely by a female cashier and followed the signs to the ordering area. After a short wait, she called someone over to take my order. The young man who arrived seemed disengaged and didn’t greet me. When he asked a question I couldn’t understand, I had to ask him to repeat it—it was about the sandwich size. Since it was my first time there, I asked if he could show me. He held one up, I said that was fine, and asked if it could be cut in half. He told me to let the next person know, but no one ever followed through.

Back at the prep station near the register, the same female employee asked if I wanted all the standard ingredients—I said yes. She then asked about guacamole, which I declined, though she shared she enjoys it on that sandwich. I appreciated the small talk, but it was unclear who was actually making my sandwich—there didn’t seem to be a clear flow or responsibility.

When I got back to my hotel and opened the sandwich, I was disappointed. It was thin, under-filled, and not visually appealing. The portion looked like something fit for a smaller size, not what I had selected. Thankfully, I had grabbed some spicy mustard because the sandwich lacked flavor. Also, it wasn’t cut, as requested, so I had to tear it apart myself.

While it was edible, it didn’t come close to expectations. If I had been closer, I probably would’ve gone back to address it.

Tip: Check your sandwich before leaving. The ingredients were sparse, the service felt uncoordinated, and the overall experience just didn’t deliver. If the young man is still in training, someone needs to be guiding him more closely—customer service makes a...

I typically order a lot of food as delivery, so while Potbelly's food is good and their prices are very fair, I feel like they should mention on their site that their delivery actually arrives at a later time than when you submit your order. I've ordered delivery from them only a couple times now and each time when my order has been submitted (say 2 PM), it actually arrives at some point such as 7 PM, which I think is absurd and I also see no description on their website that explains that. The point of delivery is that it's supposed to be fast, yes? I'm not ordering something at 3 PM because I want it delivered at 8 PM, but rather I would expect it to arrive more like 3:30 PM or something like that. When I've looked at my Email receipt from submitting my order, they actually /change/ the delivery time to a time that benefits them, so screw me, right? I even asked why their shop functioned like this and I did not receive a very eloquent response, so I'm not sure what to think. Just know they have lost me as a delivery customer, but I guess if I am ever in the area of one of their shops I might walk in for a sandwich.

Potbelly, if this is how your "delivery" is, maybe you should mention it on your website for customers to see. Your food and prices are fine, but I have never had a weirder or slower delivery...