It's probably a little mind-boggling when someone hears for the first time that one of D.C.'s best sandwich shops is located in the back of an off-brand gas station at 14th and W streets NW. But, hell, that's what Fast Gourmet is—the best damn sandwiches around are served up in the same location as the cash-only Lowest Best Price gas station. Good for lunch, even better for a late-night snack.

On the weekends, it's not uncommon to see a mixture of drunken revelers, midnight-shift cops and off-duty cabbies diving into a pressed Cuban, chivitos, milanesas and pulled pork served alongside generous mountains of habit-forming fries.

Now comes word that owners Manuel and Juan Olivera are expanding. WUSA reports that the brothers will be opening a second restaurant in late March. The new shop, at 1990 M Street in Dupont Circle, will not be affixed to a gas station, but it will stay open just as late as the original joint.

It won't be called Fast Gourmet, as it'll have more seating and an somewhat different menu:

“I’m not going to say (TakEatEasy) is going to be upscale, but it’s going to be more ambitious in terms of the quality of food,” [Manuel] Olivera explained. People can look for great homemade pasta. We’re going to make different kinds of pasta over there from scratch. We’ll have some select sandwiches from Fast Gourmet that we will try to do something different with. We’ll have a dinner menu with fish, steaks and salads.“

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Olivera also said that TakEatEasy will have happy hours where they hope to feature some “crazy drinks” as well as tapas.

About a year ago, the Oliveras told Borderstan they had kicked around the idea of a food truck in discussing an expansion of their business. Honestly, I'm glad it panned out differently.

This can only bode well. Homemade pastas, "crazy drinks," whatever else the Oliveras have planned, devotees who entrust their booze-soaked cravings to Fast Gourmet's kitchen wizardry have a lot to look forward to.

Filed in Food and tagged dupont circle, fast gourmet, juan olivera, manuel olivera, sandwiches

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