Just how important is the bread when it comes to crafting a delicious Italian sub?
What difference does it make if the provolone cheese is sharp instead of mild?
Keep watching to find out, and your mouth and stomach will thank you.
As one of the biggest fast-food icons in America, you'd think that Subway would have
the resources and willpower to devise all kinds of next-level deliciousness. Alas, its subs often
leave much to be desired, which is why its Spicy Italian is at the bottom of our list.
This sub only has salami and pepperoni and doesn't even come with ham. And despite its name, there's
nothing remotely spicy about this sub. Subway's prices are impressively cheap, but the quality
of its ingredients are depressing. Despite its affordability, it's still hard to justify spending
your hard-earned money here when there are so many better options offering more bang for your buck.
"Subway! Eat fresh!"
For some reason, Subway offers two versions of its Italian sub, even though there's very
little difference between them. Unlike the Spicy Italian, the Italian BMT actually comes with ham,
which would be a good thing if Subway offered higher-quality cold cuts. But in this case,
it doesn't add much flavor or boost the overall quality in any noticeable way.
The BMT comes with salami, pepperoni, Black Forest ham, and your choice of veggies. For
those wondering, the "BMT" in the name stands for "biggest, meatiest, tastiest." Unfortunately,
those bold claims stretch the truth, as there's nothing remotely big, meaty, or tasty
about this sandwich. Thanks to Subway's meager portioning and objectionable ingredient quality,
what we're really left with is an Italian sub that mostly tastes like weird, lifeless bread.
Where can you buy gallons of explosive liquid for internal combustion engines
and a wad of cold cuts tucked in a hoagie all in the same place?
If you answered "Wawa," give yourself a round of applause.
Some of Wawa's sandwiches are pre-made and set out in coolers to grab to go,
while others can be customized and made to order through a touchscreen menu. This
convenience chain's Italian sandwich has provolone cheese and the classic meat trio of salami, ham,
and pepperoni. Unfortunately, the portions are regretfully skimpy, and the overall taste is
a bit underwhelming. The one saving grace is that Wawa's bread is actually pretty decent.
Soft and chewy, it generally holds up well and usually manages to taste nice and fresh.
A little over a decade ago, Quiznos was one of the largest sandwich chains around,
with over 5,000 locations to its name. But in an astonishing fall from grace,
these toasted sub shops have dwindled by 94 percent over the past 15 years. While Quiznos'
menu was never anything to write home about, a loss that extensive still feels pretty shocking.
With layers of pepperoni, salami, spicy capicola, and smoked ham,
Quiznos' Italian sub is toasted to melt the provolone and bring out the flavor in the
meats. This sandwich won't blow your mind, but between the solidly toasted meats and cheese,
briny olives, tangy banana peppers, and red wine vinaigrette, it's still moderately tasty,
with a decent flavor profile. It gets the job done, though overall it's still uninspiring.
Which Wich has slowly been making a name for itself in the world of sandwich chains after
first opening in Dallas back in 2003. Its Italian grinder comes with genoa salami, pepperoni,
spicy capicola, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and oil and vinegar. The red onions are a
nice touch and frankly should be an option at all sub shops. But the bread is the heart and soul of
a sandwich, and Which Wich's is a letdown that's often a bit too dry and flavorless.
Which Wich is very similar to Quiznos in terms of size, taste, and quality.
What pushes Which Wich just a notch above is the fact that its grinder feels a little more
hooked up with thicker slices of Italian meats that blanket the top and bottom of the bread.
The cold cuts also have a bit more taste to them, thereby elevating the overall flavor profile.
Jimmy John's offers two different takes on the Italian sub. The slightly lesser
of the two is the Italian Night Club, with a name that unfortunately makes
it sound like our mouth is about to taste a European dance floor.
Despite that questionable moniker, this sub is quite delicious. With salami, capicola, ham,
provolone, and Italian seasonings, the Italian Night Club is fairly priced and portioned for
the size and taste. It's the quality of its freshly-baked French bread that pushes it just
above a few of the other major chains' offerings. Soft, chewy, and flavorful, the bread at Jimmy
John's isn't toasted in order to speed up the line for everyone. And frankly, toasting isn't always
necessary: when the bread is good enough, it can shine on its own, as it does at Jimmy John's.
"Jimmy's John's, enough with the fresh-baked nonsense."
With double salami, double capicola, and hot peppers with provolone on fresh French bread,
Jimmy John's Spicy East Coast Italian sub is solidly satisfying. With just the right amount
of cheese and a little briny pop from the hot peppers, this sandwich strikes a nice balance
in flavor without being overly salty, which is a common misstep in the world of Italian subs.
The one major critique we can offer here is that there aren't enough cherry peppers,
and when Jimmy John's puts spicy in the name, we reasonably expect something with a little
more heat. With just a hint of sweetness, cherry peppers are already pretty mild on
the scale of spiciness, so adding a little extra could take this sub to the next level.
Firehouse Subs stands apart from the crowd by steaming its meats and cheeses,
which releases a lot of extra flavor while also keeping everything moist and juicy. Their Italian
sub comes with Genoa salami, pepperoni, Virginia honey ham, melted provolone, Italian dressing,
and oregano. Another defining feature of Firehouse Subs is their impressive portions.
The veggies at Firehouse are crisp and all the portions are respectable,
but alas, the bread is dull and dense and practically flavorless.
But perhaps the worst offense here is just how overly sweet the Virginia honey ham is.
Sweet ham has its time and place, but it doesn't belong on an Italian sub. All things considered,
Firehouse's steamy and dreamy Italian sub is still a step above some other major chains.
Known mostly for its Philly cheesesteaks, Lennys also offers an Italian sub that
can hang with the best of them. It comes with ham, prosciutto, capicola,
Genoa salami and provolone cheese on a white roll. The quality and flavor of their cold
cuts are better and meatier than some of the other chains, but they tend to be a little too
frugal with their cheese as they lay down a single, extra-thin layer of provolone.
On the plus side, Lennys' meat is sliced to order, which makes a world of difference.
Lennys also has a delicious hot pepper relish that pairs perfectly with its Italian sub.
We suggest asking for a little extra relish on the side. It comes in small to-go packets,
and it's so good that you'll be glad you have some on reserve. Overall,
the Lennys Italian sub is generally solid, but not quite truly exceptional.
Primo Hoagies understands that tasty and well-structured bread in a sandwich
is absolutely essential, as it lays the foundation for the entire experience. With a fresh and
delicious sesame sub roll, the Old Italian by Primo Hoagies consists of capicola, prosciutto,
and sharp provolone. That latter ingredient is the secret weapon. Most Italian subs have plain
provolone, which is mild and creamy, but sharp provolone is a bit firmer, cheesier, and nuttier.
If you dig a little extra cheesiness in your subs, then you'll appreciate how that sharpness bursts
through each bite of the Old Italian. Between the fresh sesame sub roll, crispy fresh veggies, cured
meats sliced to order, and the sharp provolone, Primo Hoagies pays attention to every detail.
With a name that promises fullness, Potbelly Sandwich Shop sets an expectation of abundance
and satisfaction. Their original sandwiches are about the standard size you'd expect,
but the "bigs" size ups the amount of meat, bread, and cheese by about 30 percent. Potbelly's Italian
sub is roasted with pepperoni, salami, capicola, mortadella, and provolone, and it hits all the
right notes. What sets it apart is higher-quality cured meats and the high-temperature toast at 500
degrees Fahrenheit, which gently chars the edges of the meat and makes every bite melty and toasty.
But the best-kept secret on Potbelly's menu is its giardiniera, which it simply refers to as
"hot peppers," even though it's so much more than that. A chopped blend of green olives, serranos,
red bell peppers, jalapenos, cauliflower, carrots, and celery, this briny hot pepper mix is a
concentrated flavor bomb that instantly amplifies the deliciousness of everything it touches.
Penn Station is renowned for its cheesesteaks, but it's expanded its menu over time to include other
classics like the Italian sub. What sets Penn Station apart is that they offer their subs cold,
grilled, in a wrap, or on a salad. Another nice touch is
that the grilled subs are seared on a flattop first and then put in the oven.
Penn Station's Classic Italian features smoked ham, hard salami,
pepperoni, provolone, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, red onions, banana peppers,
red wine vinegar, mayo, and oregano. The red onions are shaved nice and thin,
giving them a more delicate texture without losing any of the flavor. The acidic brightness of the
red wine vinegar and banana peppers perfectly cuts through the trio of salty cured meats.
Deliciously executed and well-constructed, Penn Station's Italian sub is a winner.
Schlotzsky's Original is a version of an Italian sandwich with shaved ham,
two types of salami, olives, mozzarella, cheddar,
parmesan, and Schlotzsky's signature sauce, all baked on a sourdough bun. The sourdough
bread is baked daily, and the signature sauce provides a tasty twist. That sauce
is a garlic butter spread that essentially turns its sourdough bun into garlic bread.
For those feeling extra ravenous, Schlotzsky's offers an upgrade of its Original to a Deluxe,
which has twice the meat. Clocking in at 1,960 calories, this mammoth sandwich is a
feast with top-notch ingredients that's sure to leave you feeling satisfied.
"Hey, what do you love about that meaty sandwich?" "It's meatalicious!"
Publix is a chain of grocery stores in the Southeast that's become well-known for its
hooked-up deli subs that are made fresh to order. Its Italian sub includes genoa salami,
two types of ham, and your choice of cheese on a freshly baked hoagie. Publix offers two
options when you're selecting the meats for your sub: Publix brand or Boar's Head. Even
though Boar's Head is a little pricier, it's totally worth it. Publix's baked loaves of
bread are also high caliber, and they're best enjoyed when they're fresh out of the oven.
You can also count on the Publix deli for its fresh,
crispy veggies. It's usually situated right next to the produce section,
and clerks are vigilant about keeping the deli station freshly stocked. You can also request
any specialty cheese from the deli case to be sliced to order and added to your customized sub.
We've finally reached the crown jewel of sandwich chains. Jersey Mike's Original Italian
proudly features provolone cheese and five meats: ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami,
and pepperoni. You can customize your sub however you want, or you can also opt to order it "Mike's
Way," which is with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian herbs.
For a big chain, Jersey Mike's puts together a generous and impressive Italian sub,
but what really sets it apart is the attention to detail. The bread is flavorful, fresh,
not too thick or thin, with just enough body to hold everything in. The condiments and toppings
are expertly spread in mindful distribution. The hot pepper relish is amazingly delicious,
and the briny heat shines through the cured meats with the perfect amount of pop. At the
end of the day, you can always count on Jersey Mike's Original Italian sub to hit the spot.
"Be a sub above."
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