Somewhere in Virginia, a family-run Italian market makes fresh pasta every day and builds subs that one writer compared to a baseball bat. Even the small sandwiches can reportedly stretch into two full meals.
The shelves hold more than 50 types of pasta, plus homemade-style ravioli. Fresh mozzarella, imported meats, cheeses, and olive oil fill the rest of the room, while the smell of baking bread drifts over everything.
I like how the place feels part grocery, part deli, and part family scrapbook. The founding family’s food story reaches all the way back to 1889 in Manhattan, which is a lot of practice at feeding hungry people.
I can’t imagine leaving with just one thing in my bag. Would you head straight for the sub counter, or get happily lost in the pasta aisle first?
A Neighborhood Italian Wonderland Worth Crossing Arlington For
Arlington has plenty of places to grab lunch, but only one stocks over 50 kinds of pasta next to a gelato bar. The Italian Store at Westover is the larger, newer sibling of a beloved Northern Virginia shop.
Calling it a grocery store sells it short. It’s a gourmet Italian specialty market, a sandwich counter, a pizza spot, and a coffee bar under one roof.
The shop sits along the small, walkable main street of the Westover neighborhood. That village setting gives the whole stop a relaxed, stroll-around-afterward kind of energy.
Inside, many products come directly from Italy or through a supplier network in New York. You’ll find fresh mozzarella, imported meats and cheeses, sauces, antipasti, and olive oil stacked within easy reach.
Then there’s the food made on site, which is where most of the trouble starts. Fresh pasta, ready-to-go entrees from family recipes, New York-style pizza, and those famously huge subs all compete for attention.
With a 4.7-star rating across more than 2,000 Google reviews, this Virginia market clearly isn’t hurting for fans. The real question is how much you can carry back to the car.
How One Homesick Son of Immigrants Built a Family Legacy
Back in the 1940s, Vincent Tramonte moved to Northern Virginia and noticed something missing. Authentic Italian food was surprisingly hard to find.
As the son of Italian immigrants, he knew exactly what real Italian cooking should taste like. That gap stuck with him long enough to become a plan.
The Tramonte family opened The Italian Store in 1980. Their roots in the Italian food business go even deeper, though, stretching back to 1889 in Manhattan.
Think about that for a second. The family was handling Italian food before cars were common on city streets.
The original shop sits in the Lyon Village area of Arlington. Decades later, in May 2015, the family opened the Westover location as a bigger and beautifully designed second home.
Family recipes still shape the prepared entrees made each day. So the story isn’t just framed on the wall, it’s also sitting warm in the deli case.
I believe that kind of continuity is rare and worth celebrating. Plenty of shops copy an old-world style, but few carry an actual family history this long.
Subs So Big You Might Need a Game Plan
One account compared the large Milano and Napoli subs to the size of a baseball bat. Another noted that a small Capri was easily good for two meals.
So yes, the forearm comparison in the title is being polite. These signature sandwiches are the star attraction at The Italian Store at Westover.
The Milano is the top seller, built with two Italian hams, provolone, and Genoa salami. The Capri brings prosciutto, Genoa salami, provolone, and spiced capicola.
Want some heat? The Napoli stacks pepperoni, lean capicola, and mozzarella for a spicier bite.
The Roma layers dry-cured prosciutto, lightly smoked mortadella, Genoa salami, and provolone. Meanwhile, the Genoa keeps it simpler with thin mortadella, Genoa salami, and provolone, and the Palermo pairs Danish ham with provolone and salami.
Your bread choices include hard or soft Italian rolls, rye, whole wheat, or a Kaiser roll. Most subs arrive with sweet and hot peppers, lettuce, onions, oregano, and a special dressing.
Lunch rush can bring a line at the sandwich counter, so a little patience helps. Ordering a small first is also a smart move, unless you’re feeding a crew.
Fresh Pasta and an Aisle That Tempts Home Cooks
Fresh pasta gets made here daily, which is a pretty strong reason to skip the boxed stuff at home. Homemade-style ravioli joins the lineup too.
For anyone who cooks, this is the dangerous part of the store. More than 50 types of pasta fill the shelves, so dinner plans can multiply fast.
Around the pasta, the supporting cast is just as tempting. Sauces, olive oil, antipasti, and imported cheeses sit ready to turn a weeknight meal into something special.
Fresh mozzarella is another big draw. Pair it with imported meats and some bread, and you’ve basically built a charcuterie board without trying.
The freezer section also holds frozen pastas for nights when cooking from scratch feels like too much. Ravioli in the freezer is the kind of backup plan everyone deserves.
Short on time entirely? The daily ready-to-go entrees use family recipes, so you can bring home dinner already handled.
I like that the market works for every skill level. Serious cooks get top ingredients, and the rest of us get permission to pretend we made it ourselves.
New York-Style Slices Without the Trip North
Not every Italian market bothers with a full pizza counter. This one does, serving New York-style pizza by the slice or as whole pies.
That makes it an easy pick for a fast bite or a family dinner. Grab a single slice on a busy afternoon, or bring home a pie when nobody wants to cook.
The menu covers the classics nicely. The Margherita keeps things traditional, while the Bianca skips the red sauce entirely.
The Suprema is there for anyone who believes more toppings equals more happiness. The Siciliana and the Pizza Ai Funghi round out the list with their own personalities.
Kids tend to do just fine with a plain cheese slice, which is great news for parents. Everyone else can wander over to the sub counter and negotiate.
Pizza by the slice is also a smart way to sample without committing to a sub the length of a small canoe. Your stomach will thank you for the strategy.
Pair a slice with a cold Italian soda from the shelves, and lunch is handled. Simple, quick, and satisfying.
Espresso Mornings and a Gelato Bar for Later
Early risers get a head start at Andiamo Coffee Bar. It opens at 7 AM on weekdays and 8 AM on weekends, before the rest of the market.
The menu covers brewed coffee and a range of espresso drinks. Add a pastry, and you’ve got a breakfast with a distinctly European feel.
Later in the day, attention shifts to the gelato bar. It’s one of the most talked-about features at The Italian Store at Westover, and that’s saying something next to those subs.
A scoop after a sandwich feels almost mandatory. Call it dessert, call it balance, call it whatever helps.
The sweets don’t stop with gelato. Cannoli, Italian biscuits, and tiramisu all wait nearby for anyone with room left.
Cannoli are an especially good choice for taking home. They travel well and make you look very thoughtful when you show up with them.
I can’t imagine a better split day than coffee in the morning and gelato by afternoon. It’s practically a Northern Virginia version of an Italian stroll, minus the plane ticket.
Floor Tiles With a Famous Florentine Connection
Look down when you visit, because the floor has a story. The tiles come from Manetti Gusmano & Figli, the Italian company that supplied bricks for the Duomo in Florence.
That’s a pretty impressive pedigree for something you walk across on the way to the cheese case. Most stores just pick whatever’s on sale.
The dining room adds a personal layer. Tramonte family artifacts, including a passport and family photos, are on display for everyone to see.
Those details make the space feel lived in rather than staged. It’s less theme park and more family album with a deli attached.
The atmosphere stays casual and comfortable throughout. Indoor seating is limited, so it’s worth knowing ahead of time that tables can be scarce.
Good news, though, the Westover location also has an outdoor patio. On a pleasant day, those tables turn a quick sandwich into a leisurely hangout.
Groups of friends, couples, and families all fit right in here. The space suits anyone who enjoys good food without needing white tablecloths or a reservation.
Hours, Parking, and Planning Your Visit
Getting here is refreshingly simple. The Italian Store at Westover sits at 5837 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22205.
Parking in the area tends to be easy, which is a small miracle for Northern Virginia. That also means you can stock up without hauling groceries for blocks.
The market is open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 8 PM. On Sunday, hours run from 11 AM to 6 PM.
Remember that the coffee bar opens earlier. Weekday mornings start at 7 AM, and weekends kick off at 8 AM.
Prices are a mix, depending on what lands in your basket. Sandwiches and slices are reasonable, while imported specialty goods can add up quickly.
The sandwich counter can get busy around lunch, so building in some extra time is wise. Ordering ahead is another option if you’re on a schedule.
Planning a party? The Italian Store offers catering, which makes it easy to bring those giant subs and Italian favorites straight to your event.
Why This Market Earns a Spot on Your Weekend List
Few places manage to be a grocery run, a lunch spot, and a little trip to Italy all at once. This Virginia market pulls it off with more than four decades of family history behind it.
The giant subs alone justify the drive. Add daily fresh pasta, a gelato bar, and New York-style pizza, and the case gets even stronger.
It isn’t perfect, and busy counters can test your patience at peak times. Still, the overall mix of food, history, and neighborhood charm is hard to match.
I believe it works best when you treat it like an outing. Grab a coffee, browse the aisles, share a sub, and finish with a scoop outside on the patio.
Home cooks will leave with new ingredients and fresh ideas. Everyone else will leave with leftovers, which is honestly its own kind of victory.
The Italian Store at Westover proves that a family dream from 1980 still has plenty of life in it. Just maybe clear some space in your fridge before you go.
