Yea so...I meant to write this review like 5 visits ago. For months I've watched their crab cakes show up on my IG feed and said "damn, that's one hell of a crab cake"!! I knew I would have to try it one day and let me say I wasn't the least bit disappointed. So why the 4 stars? Trust me, the crab cake itself deserves a 4.5; however, I base my reviews on the food, staff, wait time, etc. Feel me? Location - the deli is located on the very busy MLK Jr Avenue in Southeast, DC. I wanna say Soufeast so bad..anyhoo. Parking is limited but if you wait around, someone is always guaranteed to move their car. Either that, or park illegally like I do *shrugs* Inside - the deli is very small inside, but it is clean. I'd say if more than 3 people are in line, it's gonna be sardine city. My suggestion is order your food, then wait outside. I'd like them to invest in a stronger exhaust fan. Every time I leave I smell like a grease pit. Wait time - too damn long! But if you want good food, I guess you have to wait. My suggestion would to call ahead...if you can get them to answer the phone. Food - so I've had the crab cake. 100% 0 filler!! A tad bit heavy on the seasoning but other than that, this sammich won't disappoint. The brioche bun is lightly toasted and that's that. I've also tried their wings. They're just "eh". Their wings must be on steroids because I have never seen a wingette the size of a baby's arm before. Slightly undercooked so no more wings for me. They have 3 flavored lemonade options of strawberry, mango and blueberry. All BOMB!!! Staff - the owner and his staff are awesome. They're friendly young men and rather handsome might I add. Suggestion - please invest in a second fryer. I'm gonna need y'all to add French fries to the menu because I'm tired of eating those chips with my crab cake. But the deli is in walking distance from me, so I'll definitely be back again and again and again!! read more

Crab cakes are the truth no filler!! And don't miss any of the specials, they haven't disappointed yet I believe I've tried everything except the turkey club read more

MLK Deli - One of they're Specials! Stuffed Salmon with crab over yellow rice and Brussel sprouts bomb!!! - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Definetly gon down over the years. Use customer service. I got charged a ridiculous amount one time. The other time it took an hour for a sandwich lol. Don't waste ur time or money. Maybe go once for historical reasons but that's it. And they crab cake is so awful it doesn't make sense. read more

Okay! I got to try MLK deli and it was good. I got the crab cake 1/2 lb. sandwich (LUMP) , which is paired with a buttered bun, lettuce, tomato, and special sauce. What makes it perfect! However, you can not order ahead, so if you are in a rush forget it go to Popeyes! The line was out the door to my surprise they moved rather quickly. Like 15-20 mins. Can be longer it's made to order. It's not a lot of parking it's on MLK ave, so be prepared, I also got the potato salad it's not your moms!, definitely needs some extra seasonings. But overall, I would come back for that crab cake! Ghetto No customer Service! That's all read more

The crab cakes here are amazing and fairly priced! The crab cakes consist of big pieces of crab meat so you could actually satisfy your hunger. I'm so excited that Congress Heights has this deli. I wish it could stay open later! read more

MLK Deli - Crab cakes! - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I heard about this place from a very good friend of mine (S/O to Janae!) and she said it was really really good. I took her word for it and decided to take a ride to the city. Going on a Saturday seemed like the best time to go for me because I wouldn't have to face a lot traffic (which I normally deal with on a daily basis). When I arrive to Congress Heights my GPS put me on the other side of the road so I totally missed where the place was. I turned around on a nearby street and proceeded to carefully look for the place. Eventually I found it but also saw that there was no parking out front of the building. I found a parking spot almost a block away by a church and walked around the corner to where the place was. There is a sign out front in black and white that says "MLK Deli" and also a sign behind a gated window that says it as well. There are a few steps that lead down to door of the restaurant so please watch your step. I'm clumsy and almost tripped up because I miscounted the steps. In the first section of the entrance, there is a beautiful wall portrait of Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Marion Berry and Barack Obama. I literally was in awe at how detailed it was (Fun fact: I LOVE art. If I could live in a museum I would). They also have vintage photos of Martin Luther King during the Civil Rights era as well. I open the second door and the menu is located on the left side of the counter and the register is in middle. On the menu there are items such as the Jive Turkey, Chicken Salad Melt, Salmon Cakes, and Wings. Now when I try a new place I always get their signature dish and theirs was the Congress Heights Crab Cake Sandwich and their specialty lemonade, which was the strawberry one. They also had an pineapple lemonade but I decided to stick with the strawberry one. The person at the register takes my order and my total comes up to $18. It's a little expensive for a sandwich and a lemonade but I took into consideration that it was a crab cake with no filler (basically all crab meat) so I guess it's okay this time. It took about 15 minutes to prepare my order. During that time a few people came in to place orders as well and while we all waited we made small conversation. Before I knew it my order was ready. My food was in a brown paper gift bag, which I thought was a nice touch instead of the typical "Thank You"plastic bag. I walk to my car and head home. Halfway there I became thirsty and drank some of the strawberry lemonade. Instantly I realized how BOMB it was. It wasn't too sweet or too tart. It tasted fresh and had no pulp in it. I was expecting country time lemonade but I was so wrong. It taste like they make it with strawberry purée, which gives it a more natural taste. I was able to save some to go with my sandwich. I got in the house and opened up the brown paper bag. There was the sandwich and their signature "Seafood sauce". I open up the sandwich and put the sauce on it (I removed the tomato because I just don't like them, why I don't know...) and took a bite. And OMG it was so good! It was very flavorful and every bite was filled with pure large lump crabmeat (as it should be). The sauce compliments the sandwich very well. Honestly, you really don't need the sauce...that's how good the crab cake alone is. I normally don't finish my food, but this time within 5 minutes that crab cake was gone. If you are looking for a quick carry out option, come here! And for people who have allergic reactions to seafood, they have other options that don't have crab as well! They also serve breakfast, which I heard was good too. read more

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Once again I was picking up some furniture but this time in DC not to far from this place so I was happy to have a reason to finally drop by. I just knew I wasn't going to be disappointed. The best crab cakes I've ever had! I caught the 1/2 crab special for $20 and grab some fries next door at the carry out to go with it. Man was I full. It was very crab meaty with great flavor. They had a special sauce to go with it but seeing as though I already had a bad experience recently with mayo-based sauce from a previous establishment I treaded lightly using it with my crab cake sandwich. Enjoyed very much! Definitely recommend for takeout even if you don't catch the special pricing. I still ended up paying regular priced bcz I tip $10 by accident and I meant to tip 10% but it was still worth it. read more

MLK Deli - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I love this deli ! Customer service is good and the food tastes fresh and it's really clean inside! Must haves are the jive turkey I get it hot with the turkey grilled and grilled onions! The crab cake is bomb as well! I always get a pineapple lemonade made in house daily! Everything is made fresh. If you're in the area stop by for lunch even if your not in the area it's worth the drive ! They also sell vegan food if you're a vegan! Veggie burgers and veggie wraps it's something for everyone ! read more

Omg Yelpers. This food... I just finished my last bite and couldn't wait to write about it. I had the crab cake sandwich, boo had the MLK king club. Both sandwiches were awesome. So I cut my crab cake sandwich in half you know....trying to be a lady and save half for later. Well, after my first bite I immediately grabbed the other half. She ate a whole half of her triple deck MLK sandwich which she said was super filling and tasted great! We will definitely make this a favorite spot of ours. This business is black owned and the guys at the counter were friendly. You must visit, i hope this place becomes a staple in the neighborhood. read more

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OMG! The crab sandwich there was amazing! I am very much looking forward to going back and trying the rest of the menu. The service was outstanding, accurate and fast. Keep up the good work! //kelvin read more

I visited this spot a few days ago because I wanted to try something new near my house and the reviews on yelp were pretty good. I checked out the place and ordered a crab cake, 5 wings a berry lemonade and a MLK club sandwich. OMG all of the food was amazing. The food did take a while to make BUT honestly they are making everything to order so I'm good with that! The wings were great, idk what the sauce was I forgot lol but they were lip smacking good. read more

MLK Deli - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I heard that the crab cakes were good here so I had to give them a try!! I ordered the 1/4 pound crab cake sandwich, 5pc habanero wings and a chili cheese hot dog. I wanted to taste a bit of everything. From least to good....The hot dog, I asked for mustard and onions apparently she didn't hear it or they forgot because it wasn't on it. The hot dog itself was tasty, however; the meat had a sloppy joe taste to me. The "habanero" wings had no spice kick and taste mustard base. The first two wings were good then the taste is annoying. The crab cake sandwich is why I gave it 3 stars. I tasted no filling and had plenty of crab in it. GET THE SAUCE ON THE SIDE! Not sure what it was made of but definitely get it on the side . Not sure I would go back because there was no wow factor. But try it for yourself!! read more

MLK Deli - Crab cake - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I'm not even sure where to begin with this review. I've heard nothing but good things about MLK Deli since it reopened under new ownership. I lived in this neighborhood for several years before moving to Deanwood and was really happy to see and hear that it was back and updated. I finally made my way over there this past Saturday to give them a try. My spouse placed our order for 2 1/4lb crab cake sandwiches, 1 potato salad, 1 strawberry cake, and 2 bottles of water at 2:00PM. We went outside to wait for our order since it was a beautiful day. We saw the person that was in front of us leave with her food so my spouse went back inside because we figured ours should be coming soon. She emerged 10 minutes later empty handed. She overheard the employees talking and apparently someone forgot to put the crab cakes in the oven so they were just getting started on them 25+ mins after the order was placed. No one explained what happened, or even acknowledged directly to her that there was an issue with the order. We continued to sit outside for another 20 minutes, watching people come and leave with their food - all while we were still waiting. I decided to go inside to continue to wait for the food. While inside, the employees behind the counter were oblivious to me. There were 2 ladies standing at the pickup counter who had their full attention and they were there talking to the employees behind the counter for well over 10 minutes. During this time the employees made eye contact with me several times, but never once asked what I was waiting for or even acknowledged my presence. After the 2 ladies left (they came in over 30 minutes after we did and ordered a TON of food, all of which was done before our 2 crab cakes!) I approached the counter. They finally acknowledged me and (surprise!) my sandwiches were sitting on the counter waiting the whole time they were chatting the ladies up. They begin to bag my order and then tell me that they are now out of the strawberry cake that we ordered (there were 4+ slices in the display when our order was placed). When questioned, the employee stated that it should have been put to the side when we ordered but it wasn't. Annoying, but not the end of the world - it just added to the negative experience. We took our bag and left - without an apology for the delay, without an explanation of where the ball was dropped, without a single word referencing our wait - even after we brought it up with the staff. In fact, when my spouse brought up the wait, the employee bagging the food said, "Oh, I don't have anything to do with that." Needless to say, that didn't help the situation. We left at 3:00PM - an hour after ordering, which is completely ridiculous! Now, on to the food - it was mediocre at best. The crab cake lacked seasoning and honestly didn't seem like an all lump crab cake at all. The potato salad was sad and bland. No seasoning at all - no salt, no pepper, no paprika - just undercooked potatoes, mayo, and onion. So we paid almost $50 for some food that we could've made better at home. I can't say that I'll be back anytime soon, if ever. I'm happy to pay for good food and good service - neither of which was received at MLK Deli. I really wanted to enjoy it because this neighborhood needs some good, wholesome food - but it didn't live up to the hype for me. I understand that mistakes happen and that's ok - COMMUNICATION is key. Had they communicated their mistake the customer service part of our experience would've been better. However, with no communication, not owning up to the mistake, nor an apology - it left a bad taste in our mouths. read more

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The crab cakes are definitely worth bragging about (truly ALL crab meat and no filler), but kudos to the staff...extremely professional young men, thanks again!! read more

MLK Deli - Nice marketing - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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A nice easy small place to grab so good quality food. My favorite is their breakfast sandwiches. I highly recommend the croissant breakfast sandwich. read more

I never tasted a chicken sandwich so juicy. The Mumbo Sauce is sweet and better than any carry out Mumbo Sauce. The Mr. Luke's is defiantly a must try. If I try anything else I will update this review but for now I am hooked on Mr. Luke. P.S. The juices and cakes are good also. read more

I've been following MLK Deli on instagram for almost a year now, hearing about them on 93.9. I've been working in the area for about 6 weeks now, and finally decided to give them a try. This is where I can see me gaining the 45lbs back that I lost. On Tuesday I went in and got the fried chicken sandwich w/ mumbo sauce and a strawberry lemonade....SMACK! (As the millennials would say) As fate would have it, I forgot to bring my lunch the next day. On this day I got the lemon pepper wings. Needless to say I ate them so fast I forgot to take a pic. I can definitely see my self back, the reason for the 4 stars is because it would be nice if there were an option for a combo. I thought by buying the sandwich/wings I would get chips or fries. Other than that the food was great, the gentleman were nice and it's definitely convenient. read more

MLK Deli - Mr. Lukes fried chicken breast and strawberry lemonade. - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Stopped in the Deanwood location. I've been wanting to try this spot for a while now. Arrived a bit after opening, hoping the food would be fresh. The 3 stars are for the customer service; however, the food was a bit underwhelming. The jive turkey was basic, I expected more like the photo on the website. My daughter liked it, the ingredients were fresh but it was a basic sandwich. The Reuben left a lot to be desired. I expected the bread to be grilled with to get that crunch. Again, the ingredients were fresh, but it just didn't have that "kick!". The chicken garlic parmesean wings did not taste fresh. I expected there to be more saucy. They just had a bit of cheese sprinkled on them. I had to come home and doctor them up with my own sauce. The fries were good and hot. That was the only item worth mentioning from my order.. My friend had the chicken sandwich and hot dog that she said was good. Maybe we got there too early, but I was really hoping for more after spending $50. Again, customer service was on par. Food (this visit) not so much. But I'm willing to give them another try. read more

How sway, is the best crabcake I've ever eaten in Soufease DC? Well, Let me tell you, IT IS! People had been telling me about this place for years but I never stopped by the try it, maybe because subconsciously I didn't believe the hype based on the location. LOL! Well fortunately I didn't miss the opportunity to try it. I can go ahead and die now. Kidding! LOL! But seriously, it was amazing! Literally the best I ever tasted. A bit on the pricey side but worth every single penny. Parking is a bit tough, no lot obviously, but find a spot on the side streets or on the side with the firehouse and you're good. The customer service was awesome too! DY and Ken took good care of me and my daughter there. We grabbed our crabcake sandwiches and sat outside on the brick wall out front and couldn't have been happier. Go try one of these crabcakes and tell a friend! read more

Food was delicious and sandwiches were cooked fresh. King Sauce was an excellent edition, as were the lemonades. Is a little hard to see as you drive by as the entrance is walk down. read more

If you're not careful you will pass the building. The food was exceptional, tasty and made to perfection. The wings were fried just right with the right amount of HB yum sauce. The crab cake sandwich....OMFG!!! Enough said. I don't have pictures because I was hungry and the smell on the way to my hotel room got to me. You will not be disappointed, I promise ya. This will be a mandatory stop everytime I drive to Baltimore. read more

MLK Deli - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I had the lemon pepper wings they didn't have any flavor no seasoning at all I was very disappointed read more

MLK Deli - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Yet another GOOD greasy spoon. I recently heard great reviews and saw yummy pics, so I decided to see what the fuss was about. I'm glad I did. Good food. The sloppy joe was VERY sloppy! I had enough left over for another sandwich, so that was great (especially since I eat every 2 hours, like a newborn. LOL). With fries and an ice cold half-and-half, I was full half way through my meal -- but that didn't stop me from finishing it. Unfortunately, fries are usually touch and go for me at most deli spots. However, these had just enough salt and pepper (I love pepper!) and didn't need ketchup as a cover. I was happy about that. For my appetizer/dessert, I had the strawberry cake with white/cream cheese icing. VERY good. I could've shared with 2 other people, if I was that kind. I couldn't wait to get home, so I could pile some ice cream on it. Yum-mo! The atmosphere is nice, the prices are right (which is ALWAYS a plus for me!) and the staff (and customers, actually) is helpful and full of suggestions (salad vs. sandwich vs wraps). You can tell the regulars vs. the newbies, which is always cool. Overall, its a good spot to grab a quick bite, get some laughs and get going, so you can enjoyb your grub. I'll be back, for sure...and I already know what I'm ordering. Can't wait for them to join GROUPON! *drool* In the meantime, they offer catering service to some of DC's elite. read more

At last I made it to MLK Deli. I had been wanting to stop by for awhile but you know how that goes. I didn't do this but next time I will. MLK Deli seems to be better suited to hit up with family and or friends. "You know," on a day when everybody at the crib and, y'all scan the menu and one or two people go to pick up the food and you enjoy it at home.* If not that, if you work in the area or are on your way home it works. There are many place with and without seats that I frequent where I simply get my food and head to greenspace to eat and then forest bath or whatever. Here, there is a park a block away but they not rockin like that in that park. Any way, enough about that. Now with the food. I was so eager I didn't really read the menu. I hadn't had wings in a hot minute so I saw them on the menu and order them, the 10 for 12. 5 and fries or onion rings would have worked but I didn't come up with the menu. Fries are passé anyway. Boom. I like the Sweet Chili Mumbo Sauce. They definitely put a next level spin on them. Turned it into a dish and not just some wings. Actually, reading the menu, I wish I had gotten the Fried Chicken Sandwich since it comes sauceulated and was in peril in the "park", fighting flies while trying to eat my wings before somebody asked me for one. I did like ordering food from a place with a mural picturing Marion Barry, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and then eating at a "park" facing a mural of Marion Barry, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. All of that was not lost on me. *You know like how Paris Dupree said: "You know one who could take her lil, baby bruvah to school." I love the AAVE shining in that sentence. read more

Black owned restaurant in the heart of SE. Try to order ahead if you can cause wait times can be long. Which is expected of small owned businesses with a huge fan base. I prefer it stays this way than mass production and less quality. Now to the food... I'll put the crab cakes up against any spot in the DMV. (G&M Jerry's Koko's etc) and if not better it'll be at least as good. The fact that it's black owned. No reason for me to go to the others. Chicken Sandwich... Cakes.... Flavored lemonades... you can't lose. read more

This deli is a black owned establishment. The customer service is good. The atmosphere is friendly. The menu has a variety of sandwiches with unique names. The deli also offers cakes, chips, and flavored lemonade. This is a great place for breakfast and lunch. read more

Ok ok ok made it to the spot! friendly service which is always appreciated and ooo the crabcake .. I'm much more of a "shell on" seafood Girl but this crabcake TDF .. perfection.. I got the half pound crab and my friends got salmon cake, King club and the 1/4 lb crabcake.. all good .. when my palate allows I'll try that potato salad made with a mix of reg and sweet potatoes.. you gotta try this place .. I'll be back Friday or Saturday to try the feature dish .. aiming for that blackened salmon linguine read more

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People. I'm not even kidding. Just...read this, okay? I consider myself a connoisseur of crab-based foods, both fancy and ordinary. So when I planned a surprise birthday trip for my mom to D.C, I carefully researched my crab options, knowing that many crab-based meals would be on order. I stumbled across MLK Deli and read all the yelp reviews, so I was prepared to eat a very tasty crabcake (my favorite of the crab-based delicacies). I was not, however, prepared to have my world rocked by a very tasty crabcake. This was the best crabcake (okay, I'm lying, I ate two) I've ever had in my entire life. Now, I've been cracking open blue crabs since I was 5-years-old. I know my crab. And my crabcakes. And this was DELICIOUS. Damn delicious. I made the trip over here after a day of driving for over 6 hours through an intense storm, and I still say it was worth it. If you're lucky enough to live nearby, do yourself a favor and EAT THESE CRABCAKES. Do it for the culture. read more

Please continue to keep this black owned restaurant in business. The crab cake did not appear to be as big as the photo projected. However, the crab cake sandwich tasted really good and it had real baltimore crab meat. read more

I loved my crab cake and want to go back but it's not convenient for me to get to on a whim. I will find time to enjoy this deli in the future! FYI, If you can't blend with the community, you will stick out like a sore thumb. ‍‍ read more

MLK Deli - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

HUGE fan! Fantastic customer service and huge portions. Prices are very fair and staff are willing to make substitutions and adjustments to sandwiches if you want. I can't wait to go back and try everything else on the menu read more

MLK Deli - MLK Club BLT Sandwich Lunch - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The decor displays some pretty cool art of Dr. King Jr. It is a take out venue. Depending on the volume of persons ordering, the wait time for your food to be ready can be up to 30 minutes. So I suggest calling ahead. The two times I've dined here I had the Salmon cake sandwich. Yes, it was so delicious I had to get it again. The sandwich comes with two large sized patties that from what I both tasted had little to no filler. Seasoned well. Honestly you can eat it without the bread an be satisfied. I usually don't order potato salad at restaurants because no everyone can make it right, but I recommend it. It was seasoned so well. I'm definitely going back to try some of the other menu items. 4 instead of 5 for wait time. read more

This was my first time eating the food at MLK Deli and the Seafood lasagna was amazing I can't wait to go back! read more

MLK Deli - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Everything they have is great. No, seriously. Pick anything off the menu and it's fantastic. Tremendous quality food -- for us!!!

If your looking for a good bite with a consistent restaurant, you should definitely stop by here. I've been working on MLK for 3 years but just hearing about it. Not my last time for sure. read more

MLK Deli - Chicken Salad Melt - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went for the first time. Placed order at 11:30. Received order at 11:55. That's a little long to wait for one sandwich. No place to sit while waiting. The radio was blaring R&B which was not to my liking and a bit too loud. Background music, it wasn't. That said, my Reuben was perfectly prepared and delicious. Staff was competent and friendly. I would hesitate to return based on the wait time and the uncomfortable atmosphere while waiting. Perhaps if I could order ahead, I would try again. Because the sandwich was really good. read more

Best crab Cakes I have had in a long time and I love the chef Specials on Friday's & Saturday's

Best Reuben I've ever had. Crab cakes and Jive turkey great too. The food is great here

Best Crab Cake I've ever had! I consider myself a crab cake connoisseur and I've had a lot of crab cakes but none compare to this one. I came in at lunch time & waited for about 15mins. The bread was fresh & soft. I'll be back to try something different but The crab cake is a winner. read more

MLK Deli - Delis Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Best crab cake in the area! I wish that they had fries but you can't win em all. I had the 1/4 lb crab cake and it was all crab minimal filler, seasoned just right. The sauce that came with sealed the deal. I like options besides the usual tartar and cocktail. I waited no more than 10-15 mins. read more