Wilder Shaw / Cheapism
Subway has been around since 1965, and for most of the country, it’s been a fast-food staple. There are few places more reliable for road trips, last minute-lunches, and post-bar cravings.
The chain constantly has new sandwiches in the works, but what about the classics? The stuff Subway was built on? I decided to try 10 of ‘em and uncover my favorites. Here’s how they stacked up.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
$6.09
When I was but a boy, Subway’s meatball sub was my favorite thing on the planet. I begged for it on a nightly basis. It’s been years since I actually ordered it, so I didn’t really know what to expect.
Still hits, folks. Still hits. Are these the best meatballs in town? Almost certainly not, but that doesn’t matter. When they’re smothered in marinara sauce, covered with melted cheese, and wrapped up in a toasty sub roll, the quality of the meatballs is irrelevant. This is the absolute definition of comfort food. Eat it hot.
$6.59
I’m a turkey sandwich guy, plain and simple. This is almost always what I get when I slide through a sandwich chain, and at Subway, it gets the job done. It may not be my favorite turkey in the game, but there are few things as reliable as a turkey sub.
$6.59
As a general rule, you should not eat tuna that comes out of a metal scoop like a damn serving of vanilla ice cream, but when it comes to Subway’s tuna, I cannot help myself. Been this way most of my life. Something about that tuna really does it to me. I know it’s objectively gross, but I have a sickness. If you enjoy nasty tuna sandwiches as much as I do, you have to give it up to Subway for having one of the best. Plus, get it toasted with cheese and bingo, you’ve got a tuna melt.
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$6.59
Ham is ham, you know? I like ham. Subway’s ham tastes like ham. I like ham, so I like this. Do you like ham? You’ll probably like this ham too. Am I saying ham too much?
Related: 10 Best Subway Secret Menu Hacks
$7.89
On any given day, I might grab a roast beef over a turkey or ham. This 5th place slot isn’t exactly firm, but I’m still more likely to order the above four sandwiches before I go for roast beef. It’s a nice consistency and not too dry, but I would love it if it was shaved just slightly thinner, the way real deli meat roast beef is. That makes it far easier to chew.
$6.59
Where has this been all my life? Subway’s veggie patty is actually pretty good. It reminds me a lot of a veggie burger combined with a falafel. If I was a vegetarian, this would be a no-brainer since it really packs a lot of punch, flavor-wise. My only knock is that it’s so soft, it can get lost inside the consistency of the bread. If we could sear this thing on a flat top for a few seconds? Now we’re talking.
$6.09
I like the idea of what’s going on here more than I actually like what’s going on here. I appreciate the spirit of a pizza sub, and truly, this does taste a lot like pizza. As a pizza-folder, I’m essentially always making myself a little sandwich when I eat pizza anyways.
The issue here is that Subway’s pepperoni is only OK. It doesn’t really have the mmph required to lead the entire sandwich. It does have nice heat and a great consistency that allows you to actually bite through it, but otherwise I’m underwhelmed. Yet, I could see myself going back for this again someday.
$7.09
“Style” is the keyword here. I don’t really know what the deal is with this chicken, but I’m going to assume no rotisserie was used here. It’s pulled, which is better than the weird chicken breast strips Subway serves in some of its other sandwiches, but it’s still very dry. This just isn’t what I’m at Subway for. Stick with lunch meats, y’all.
$6.59
A BLT is like the 2013 Miami Heat. There’s LeBron James, the clear leader and star, and then there’s Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, two incredible pieces of support and stars in their own right. They’re a tripod, those three, and if one leg falls, the others go down.
Bacon is the LeBron James of a BLT. Subway’s bacon is nothing like LeBron James playing basketball. Subway’s bacon is much more like me playing basketball, and that’s not a goal anyone should aspire to. I can barely taste this bacon, but that’s probably a good thing. This is not top-tier bacon, people. From there, the rest falls apart. Get this if you want a snack.
$7.09
Yeah, don’t know about this one. I see that this is an attempt to let customers make their own Philly cheesesteak, but that sandwich is all about proper bread and high-quality ribeye. Subway’s not slinging either of those things, and this steak just tastes … strange. Not bad. Just odd. I’m sticking with cold cuts.
