Apparently, this particular location on N Lincoln Ave, is the original one. I didn't know the story of PSW until I sat down with my friend and while eating our sandwiches, she filled me in on how it started off as an antique store, thus explaining the decoration of the place.
If you're a carnivore, get the Wreck - salami, roast Beef, turkey, ham & swiss cheese. Damn good.
If you're a vegetarian, get the Mediterranean - hummus, feta, artichoke hearts, crispy cukes and roasted red peppers. Also damn good.
Find yourself a spot in one of their booths or tables and enjoy your sandwich!
Dear Beautiful Girl that works here,
Your establishment is quite simply the best. Â And it shows with the manager that picked you to completely take me by surprise with your professionalism and ....uh.... flirtatious nature.
The sandwich was amazing. Â Those hot peppers are possibly the most delicious things ever put into a sandwich. Â And on top of that... they don't make your breath smell like peppercinis!
But sandwich aside, the
coffee.
shake.
is.
the.
most.
DELICIOUS.
thing.
ever!
AND IT'S ONLY $2.90! Â AMAZING!
I don't know how many other ways I can share my love with you about your establishment. Â Maybe I'll just have to come back to Chicago and visit.
But that would just be creepy.
Potbellys is definitely one of my favorite sandwich shops in Chicago. Â The only problem is the amount of calories in the oil, mayo, etc. Â The Wreck is always good, with double turkey, and hot peppers and the Farmhouse salad they added is good as well. Â Only problem is in the Loop, Â the line can sometimes get a little long for me.
Review Source:I was super-enthused to find a potbelly after hearing my boyfriend talk about how great Chi-town's sandwiches are, but I don't think it was quite up to his hype. Sorry potbelly, I really did try to like you!
From a LA transplant, SF sandwich-enthusiast perspective, I think this place reminds me of a quizno's- the sandwiches I mean. they were toasted, the bread was chewy, and the meat wasn't very entertaining. I had the 'A Wreak' with everything except mayo &peppers on the side.
For $4.50 (regular size), it was the perfect amount of food for dinner, and pretty cheap! I snuck it into one of the bars across the street and the added peppers paired perfectly with a beer I was drinking. Also, I had a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips as dessert and that was AMAZING. I think the cookie was the best part of my potbelly experience.
FAIL!!
They can never seem to get it right. I swear how is it to keep your menu items? The phone started to ring and before I even looked at the caller ID, I told my husband, watch its Potbelly's and they can't deliver on time or something.
Yup I was right. We are out of this and can't deliver it.
Big surprise. Potbelly's I love you, but I can't take this abuse anymore.
I love Potbelly. They really, successfully pull off that chain-that-doesn't-feel-like-a-chain thing. They're always a bit quirky. This one is notable for its can pipe: near the front door is a pipe jutting from the ground, into which you put your can to recycle it. I'm gonna get a can next time I go just so I can try it out. Another quirk is the bathrooms: the men's room is next to the cash register, while the women's is all the way around past the musicians' balcony.
Anyway, Potbelly is a friendly place to eat an affordable, hot, delicious, flavorful sandwich that might not even be that unhealthy for you. Less renowned, but no less remarkable, are the salads; the Uptown salad is extremely tasty, quality and filling, and their roasted garlic vinaigrette is one of the best salad dressings I've ever had in my life.
The chocolate brownie cookie will leave you with a smile on your face. It's a brownie. It's a cookie. It's a breakthrough.
Sweet mother of our Lord and Savior. Â If there is ever a singular place in Chicago that should exemplify "Online orders are the work of Satan" it's the original Potbelly on Lincoln.
I get it. Â All money is green. Â But it is irritating to hell and back to go into this crowded location and even if there is no in-person line, sandwiches are delayed, delayed, delayed due to online orders and these massive boxed sandwich jobs. Â I mean, really: who is catering out of the Potbelly on Lincoln?
Great food, friendly service. Â But this location bugs not because of the food or the service, but because of the ridiculous online ordering and catering going out of here that slows everything to a crawl.
I REALLY like Potbellys. Â But not literally. Â I can be kind of a health nut sometimes and I can just imagine how bad A Wreck must be in the nutrition facts department (and if I really wanted to know, I could check on their website)...the salami, roast beef, the oily giardiniere, the cheese...I try to trick myself into thinking I'm doing good by getting it on thin-cut (1/3 less bread) wheat with no mayo. Â I love the warm, toasty, melty cheese goodness and the reasonable portion sizes and prices.
This location in particular is THE original Potbelly. Â It's great to see where it all got started. Â Yes, Potbelly locations look the same but this ones got even more character. Â I felt the warm fuzzies while sitting in the back booth area with the graffittied walls. Â I knew that countless patrons had passed through and enjoyed their sandwiches just as I was in that moment. Â The young'uns working there are always oh so friendly and happy, which only adds to the experience. Â I'm so grateful to live down the street from this Chicago institution!!!
Note to self - gotta take my camera in next time so I can add some better photos!
The original Potbelly store, started as an antique shop then sandwiches were added to bolster sales. Â Ownership changed in the 90's and the sandwiches took off. Â New menu items have been added but the original sandwich is still the best.
My advice to you at Potbelly, do not be afraid of the toppings. Â Select your sandwich and bread, wait for it to be toasted then you order toppings. Â As a general rule, I tell people to only omit the things that they absolutely cannot stand and get the rest. Â Its that gooey, melting, spicy combination that really sets the sandwich apart. Â
Oh and get a cookie too, especially the oatmeal chocolate chip. Â Really you can't go wrong when you order here, you made it in the door already - smooth sailing from there.
Staff is always super friendly and upbeat, you would be too if you got to eat Potbelly everyday!
In the world of quick, cheap sandwiches - Potbelly is king.
Now I'm normally not an advocate of the chains, but I must say every now and then I feel like a cliche sandwich. Let me rephrase. I feel like a sandwich that I can count on to be consistent. Â
That is something you can count on for these places. I know what I like from there and it satisfies me. Â
Sandwichs are good, but pretty simple and standard. The enviornment confuses and frustrates me. The people are awesome though. Today's outrageous comment was:
Male server to me: "Dont you think we all [servers] would look great if we were required to wear booty shorts!" Â
Only place I know of that serves strawberry crush in a bottle also!
Potbelly recently updated their nutritional info to clearly specify which items on the menu are vegan, vegetarian or otherwise!
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fpotbellysveganinfo&s=355cbd287e6381ceaf491e8bc38ef5e87643d56b30e4000873a0e323fcb8237a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/potbellysv…</a>
I love, love, love the multigrain vegetarian, no cheese, extra shrooms. I get extra hot peppers because they are the best. The "big" sandwiches are only $5.40 and way more satisfying than, for instance, Subway's $5 footlongs.
The general atmosphere of the Lincoln Ave location does not really differ from the cookie-cutter kitchyness Potbelly has reproduced across the country (the "chalk" menu, wooden booths, stupid "hand painted" signs with stupid slogans like "Eat Here Before We Both Starve!"), but the staff is always warm and sincere and they make some fast sandwiches.
Also, this location carries Zapp's potato chips! I fell in lust with Zapp's after watching "How it's Made" and Mr. Zapp explained that chip eaters should open the bag upside down to distribute the delicious flavor that hangs out on the bottom. Genius. The BBQ is so good, these are seriously some of the best kettle chips around.
Anyway, 5 stars for the fun and friendly dudes at the Lincoln Ave location, stellar sandwiches, spicy hot peppers, Zapp's greasy deliciousness, easy access to nutritional info and convenient locations all over the place.
I wish we had one of these back home in San Diego. Â This was such a yummy (and affordable) lunch. Â Exactly what a sandwich shop should be! Â Long line, but moved fast. Â Tasty sandwiches. Â Nummy milkshake with a sugar cookie bonus! Â
Aw, man. Â I wish I could click my heels and go back to Chi town right this very moment!
Coming from the West Coast, I had never been to a Potbelly before. Apparently as my husband and I were wandering around various Chicago neighborhoods, we entered this sandwich shop thinking it was an original sort of place, later discovering it's part of a chain. The only "original" part was that it was the first of many.
Nonetheless, they make some damn good hot sandwiches and serve you with a smile. If you like to heat it up, the hot peppers will do the trick. I ordered the Italian and it had the perfect bread:meat:cheese:other-toppings ratio. They get bonus points for having hand-dipped milkshakes at the ready which rival the Burgerville ones in the Northwest.
Probably a 5 star lunch spot except they don't recycle. It's 2009, people. Cans and bottles don't go in the trash anymore.
I had no idea that this was the original Potbellys until we walked in and saw the sign on the window.
We split a "big" chicken salad sandwich and it was quite tasty. Â I was pleased with it and the service, but I feel like I'm giving this place four stars simply because it's the original, and that's kinda cool.
This Potbelly's, the original Potbelly's before it became a franchise, was what I grew up on. I remember being a toddler and eating the sandwiches, and subsequently making this place my hang out during the latter part of my grade school years, and high school. In fact, you could say I'm a second generation Potbelly's patron given that my parents would buy sandwiches from this place when it was still an antique store!
If I were reviewing this place before it was a franchise, I would hands down give it 5 stars. The ambiance was perfect, the sandwiches were BIGGER (I almost want to say at one point, 10 inches long!) and I still like the coffee ice cream milkshake and assorted array of independent soft drinks they sell.
But now Potbelly's has increased its prices and the sandwiches have shrunk, which deters me a little. That and it's just not the same with it being a franchise.
However, Potbelly's continues to maintain its ambiance, serve tasty sandwiches (my favorites are the tuna and Italian), and I like how they now have salads and breakfast sandwiches (bacon, lettuce, tomato FTW!)
I'll continue to be a patron here for the memories and food.
My first experience of Potbelly's was here, and yes it is the first Potbelly's too! Eating at a place that made history...
I probably ate her at least once a week during my high school years. Quite amazing how fast they are when the lunch crowd rolls around. I'm not a milkshake person, but I digg their milkshakes. Also lots of drinks -including orangina and root beer floats.
Loved the atmosphere with the wooden seats and booths covered in everyone's writing and cravings. Oh memories...
There use to be a guy who played guitar and sang that came in a few times a week or so, don't know if he's there anymore. He looked like science teacher. lol
Guess what I had for lunch today?
Potbelly's skinny mushroom melt on wheat with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, hot peppers and italian spices. Â The best part was that it was delicious and only $4. Â That's right $4. Â I couldn't believe it.
I know I've said before that I'm not a big fan of chains, but Potbelly's is different. Â Their food is good. Â They have great customer service. Everyone is really friendly. Â The food is served up quickly and baked to perfection. Â It's within my budget and I didn't feel guilty eating it either. Â All pluses in my book.
So, whaddya waiting for...this is a steal...go get yourself one right now!
Potbelly was like the light at the end of the tunnel.
After SELMARIE ruined my Easter (please see below), my family and I decided to come here because we knew that the service would be quick and the food would be consistent. Â (It lived up and exceeded our expectations!)
Get this - They even brought the food to us!
Bless your heart, Potbelly. Â We all left happy and satisfied and calm thanks to you!
I'm addicted to the pizza sandwich and the ice cream sandwiches.
This Potbelly's is one of the smoothest I've ever been to. I'm sure they get crowds from DePaul and Children's Memorial, but it never seems too crowded in there. The lines always move quickly.
Potbelly's is great. I hope I never have to live too far from one.
I never heard of Potbelly's until of couple of years ago. And I have to say that was a damn shame.
THIS PLACE ROCKS
The sandwiches are phenomenal. The prices are reasonable. And the service in this location is great. They are quick and kind even when they have the huge lunch crowds.
This is a 4 star Sandwich Spot!
If I could only eat one kind of sandwich for the rest of my life, it would be a double meat, provolone cheese chicken salad sandwich with hot peppers, oil, and italian seasoning from Potbelly's.
Not sure what it is about their sandwich craft, but damn, they have it down and have been doing it for some time (since 1977). Toasted buns, perfect blend of meat, spices, melted cheese, ooh, ahhh.
I was first introduced to this fine LP eatery when I was just a spring chicken right out of undergrad at my 1st job in the city. Their sandwiches were THE Sunday morning antidote to a Saturday night of imbibing along Lincoln Ave. Oh, the sweet memories...
And to ... today  .... every time I am back in Chi-town visiting, I make it my own personal sojourn to hit one of the Potbelly locations that have expanded through out the Chicago metroplex. It is a religious experience for me. I go with my tried and true chicken salad, a bag of chips, and top off the order with one of their handmade old school chocolate shakes.
I may have to look into franchising this into Seattle. It would totally disrupt the sandwich market on the West Coast. It'd be the second coming of In-N-Out but for sandwiches.
Quaint decor and decent sandwiches. I haven't been here in awhile, but the most memorable parts are the potbelly stove and Mick Scott, the talented musician playing background music. Besides being a skilled guitar player, you may catch him picking a mandolin. I'd pay to see him perform, but you can enjoy him for free at Potbelly's.
Parking. What parking? If you're lucky you'll find something within a few blocks, but this is typical for the neighborhood.
I grew up with Potbelly's. In middle school, my friends Sophie and Cate and I would walk from Parker to the original Lincoln Ave location for lunch. Our weekly (or bi or tri weekly) excursion was always a special occasion. Cate, who was a professed vegetarian, always got the Italian sub - with about 4 or 5 different kinds of meat - because, according to her, she was a "vegetarian except at Potbelly's." Sophie and I consistently questioned this, because Cate would also eat meat at Max's Deli, another one of our haunts across the street from school. While I'm sad Max's is no longer around (for nostalgic reasons only), I am VERY glad that Potbelly's has maintained it's consistent high quality over the years, even with it's expansive franchising.
My favorite has always been the turkey sub. Except now I get wheat instead of white (they didn't have a wheat option back in the day) with 1/3 less carbs, when they basically scoop out part of the bread. It tastes the same. Amazing bread, perfectly toasted. Where do you think Quizno's got the idea? (And why would anyone ever go to Quizno's when Potbelly's is around?) Potbelly's should trademark that toasted shit.
And try their milk/frozen yogurt shakes. Chocolate is my favorite. (Chocolate is ALWAYS my favorite). I also love those mini butter cookies they give you on your straw. What a charming touch.
Delish, delish delish! Franchise in LA, please!!
I'll leave it to the others to give you an overall review of this place. Â It's no question that this place has some great sandwiches that'll put all the subpar sandwich franchises on the west coast to shame. Â Please, Pot Belly, please make your way to Orange County! Â The closest one to me is in Austin, TX. Â Yee-awwwwww.
This is the only place where you can eat a sandwich for lunch/dinner and then an entirely second sandwich for dessert. Â Oh yes, I went there. Â I'm talking Big Jack's PB&J for dessert. Â Grape jelly gliding along the creamiest peanut butter on deli bread toasted to perfection. Â The warm gooey yin and yang nestled in warm buns is taste bud heaven.
I'd imagine licking the back of Angelina Jolie's neck would taste the same. Â I could be wrong though so don't quote me.
Potbelly or Charlie Trotter's? This was always a dilemma when I went back home and then visiting Lincoln Park :) Â Would I want a series of incredible flavors in my mouth with fine wine or a few bites packed with incredible flavors followed by one of the best malts sliding down my throat?
I remember over 20 years ago and for years it was just one shop and then it expanded to two shops in the city. Â I would have to haul my ass from Northbrook to eat the BEST DAMN SUB in the world. Â And of course you couldn't get just one.... I had to order three. Â Two to eat and the third to take home. Â If you've never been here, you have to get every sandwich toasted and with their pepper sauce.... hot peppers blended so perfectly for their subs.
I remember taking so many of my friends visiting Chicago to Potbelly in the mid-90s, and they would talk about it for weeks after their visit. Â Potbellys is addictive. Â Drugged. Your mouth become dry just thinking about it and you want a fix. Â Drugged. Just like Buffalo Joe's wings in Evanston. Â Actually, all Chicago food is drugged :)
Anyway, Maveron Capital (Howard Schultz's investment group) investment into Potbelly was an excellent move for them (don't you smell a great IPO?) and for everyone. Â They expanded from 2 shops to over 70 throughout the Midwest very well. Â I don't think I've been to a location where the quality was lost.
Potbelly... hmmm.... I miss Potbelly... when will they open a location on the West Coast?!?
I did a review (thumbs down) on the Potbelly over by the HIP, but this one is totally not like the other.
This place I actually remember my mom taking me here as a kid. I didn't remember the name of it though.
Was over by the zoo recently and dying for something decent to eat. I remembered there was this cool looking place somewhere around there...and it turned out to be "the Potbelly" (the original).
The place was "that" memorable, really cool looking: an old fashioned rural look with the nice woodwork and the old stove. The light seems to fall just right through the windows, to complete the look. How about those booths? At the time they were unique, and still look cool today.
I remembered how good the shakes were, even a couple decades ago. The sub was packed with meat on this tasty toasted bread (so good the bread could be eaten by itself). The meat was fresh. Everything was put together just right. Atmosphere and good food at a cheap price. Would you rather eat a sub in place like this, or some place with chipped white glaring tiles on the floor and sticky tables?
I came in here in order to get my sick husband a milkshake. I asked for a large...I was given a cup that was barely what I would call medium. He drank some of it later and said it was "just a little better than a mcdonalds milkshake'. So, we didn't go back for more.
I also was getting him a sandwich - I requested the sandwich and started to tell the wait staff 'no pickles and..." but she interruped me and said "I'll ask for that in a minute" and went off to make the sandwich. When she brought it to me I told her, "please no cheese". She gave me an irritated look (of 'I already put the cheese on") so I told her to just remove the cheese. Never got asked about any of the other condiments.
Not the friendliest staff and the food was really blah. No returning for us.
Cheap, fast, good, and other locations popping up all over the area now.
Sometimes they will have live music with a guy leaning his head to one side while trying to play guitar because he is too close to the ceiling which I think is hilarious.
I like the chocolate shakes, and people tell me the malts are also good. Usually I will have a "wreck" and a bag of chips and that is enough to eat without breaking the bank.
Someone please tell me, where does my soda can go when I put it in that little tube sticking out of the floor?
Potbelly hits the sweet spot between delicious, fast and inexpensive. Â Currently under $4 for a toasted sandwich with your choice of toppings. Â All the staples (turkey, roast beef, etc) plus the infamous Wreck(TM) and even a PB&J that's perfect for all ages.
They also have soups, Sheila's Dream Bars and shakes, malts and yogurt smoothies. Â My personal fave: Oreo Malt with extra malt. Â Now that's living!
They NEED one of these in the bay area!
I was visiting my best friend in downers grove and we went straight to this place from the airport. Â I got the chicken salad sandwich, LOVED it! It had the perfect spicy kick. Â
My flight back to the bay was at 8am, so I had ANOTHER chicken salad sandwich for breakfast at the airport!
The nearest one to my hometown is in Texas! =/
Everytime I go to this Potbelly's I leave with more questions;
- How did they get that piano up there?
- Do the musicians that play on weekends do it for free?
- What is it about these sandwhiches that is so addictive? Â The mustard? Â The cheese? The bread? Â I don't know!
- Why is the counter so high? Â And how would you order if you were really short?
- How did they find those little cookies that fit on the milkshake straw so perfectly?
- Who came up with the perfect portion of potato salad and cole slaw?
- Why don't they franchise and take over the world(oh yeah, they did that already)
I think I loved Potbelly more when it was one little store on Lincoln that I had to trek to.... but somehow they managed to expand without annoying me. Â They provide really great service (it was the only place I trusted to have a sandwich ready for me during the bar exam) and the sandwiches are solid. Â
I even got a free Potbelly on Christmas Eve last year. Â I was delayed getting into O'Hare and knew my carnivore family would have nothing left for me (a veggie). Â When I discovered a Potbelly on the way home to the farms (in Lombard I think), I stopped to get my own Christmas dinner. Â They were closing and had already shut down the register... so they just made me a free sandwich. Â It was one of the best Potbelly's I've ever had. Â
If they had only expanded to San Francisco, maybe I would have stayed!
I used to eat these formally yummy sandwiches a few times a week in high school. Â They have since sold out and no longer have fresh veggies and their meat is junk.
The original location on lincoln and beldon is a very nice atmosphere, and the workers have always been friendly. Â It's the food that is no longer up to par. Â I occasionally bring out-of-towners here, but I only order a nantucket nectars.
I miss the days when their stinky little brown bags used to make my mouth water.
How come every time I eat at Potbelly's I feel like I just ate a log and now it's trying to come right back up? Â Every single time. Â And I eat the veggie sandwich, so I can only imagine how the other sandwiches sit in your stomach.
Cookies are pretty good, although I bet my roommate can make better.
All I hear from Dave is "Pot Belly's are awesome". Â Coming to Chicago, I stated, first and foremost, I want a PotBelly sandwich.. We went, ordered and devoured it.
A perfect cure for a hang over and now I crave it. Â Pot Belly, come out to SF and be my saturday morning treat. Â PLEASE!
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