Capo Italian Deli - Old Town Alexandria…read more
I reviewed our new Old Town neighbor - Capo Italian Deli - early in 2026. Time for an update.
The deli is outstanding. Taking up a tiny footprint on the N. Washington Avenue thoroughfare, a few seconds from King Street, the deli delivers both hot and cold deli entrees, soft drinks, and salads. There's maybe half a dozen tables inside and a couple of tables outside, but from what I have seen thus far, most of the trade is with carry-out service, drawing from the excellent reputation Capo brought with it as it arrived in Old Town (the restaurant has siblings in Shaw NW, and Western Market in the District, Tyson's Corner in Vienna, VA, Annapolis and Potomac, MD).
Fresh Philly rolls for those seeking a traditional hero sandwich, with go-to seasonings and all of the essential protein groups. My favorite is a large half roast beef half turkey with lettuce, tomato, and mayo (I skip the Italian dressing, which is part of the default, and I skip the cheese). I can and have made this $18 sandwich last three meals (so I ask them to cut the sandwich into three pieces), and the ingredients stay fresh for the next 24 hours. The last time I did this the sandwich fed me from 4:45 a.m. to 9 p.m., as I served as an election officer at one of Alexandria's polling places. Neat, trim, and completely satisfying.
Just a point of concern: given its location, the opportunity to double-park while picking up an order seems to be just too tempting. This location, however, cannot over the long term sustain double-parkers. The deli is about 100 feet from the intersection of King Street and N. Washington Street. There is a dedicated lane for cars seeking to park adjacent to the deli. And then there are two northbound lanes on N. Washington Street. That's it - just two lanes serving one of the busiest intersections in Old Town.
If a delivery-service car pulls up alongside one of the parked cars, all hell will break loose by drivers who suddenly find a delivery vehicle double-parking in front of Capo, leaving but one northbound lane open for however long it takes for the delivery agent to gather the order and beat it out of there.
This happens with remarkable frequency, starting at about 11 a.m. and running throughout the day. That's not going to make good neighbors of Capo's nearby shops. Alexandria Parking has its work cut out for it, but here the rule prohibiting double-parking has to be enforced - it's both a safety issue and an issue of common courtesy.
Doesn't matter if you think you'll just be in and out of the deli in seconds. We know it doesn't work that way, not always, and here - not even often. More often than not the double-parker will be creating a traffic hazard just by parking alongside a parked car in front of the deli. Please, don't do this.