Tuna, turkey, roast beef—find out how these and other Subway sandwiches stack up
Subway sandwiches are a comforting meal when you need it, a familiar lunch when you find yourself in a new place and an easy dinner everyone in the family can get behind—especially if you bring home one of the restaurant’s signature fresh-baked cookies. A Subway sandwich always hits but not all sandwiches at Subway hit the same. Finding the best one or even trying something new when you’ve already zeroed in on a favorite sandwich requires some guidance.
We’ve done the tasty—and, sometimes, not so tasty—work of trying, rating and ranking the best Subway sandwiches in America. From the classics, like meatball marinara and roast beef, to special sammies you can only find for a limited time or at certain restaurants (because of franchise). Here’s our ranked list of the nation’s Subway sandwiches.
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What's in it: It's basically all the toppings: lettuce, spinach, tomato, cucumber, green pepper and red onion
Subway's lone veg option leaves much to be desired, especially when it comes to the melding of ingredients. This sando leans woefully dry unless you upgrade it with sauce (spring for the vinaigrette) or cheese (pepperjack adds some zing). Heck, do both. It's basically a sad salad without the low-carb benefits.
What's in it: Roasted chicken breast and topping on (we'd suggest) Italian
Just looking at this sandwich dries out our taste buds. While the chicken breast isn't offensive, it's certainly no match for the juicy—albeit less healthy—you'll find at numerous fast food restaurants. It's not terrible, but you'll definitely need a dressing with this one. Also worth noting is that this is slightly different from the Rotisserie-Style Chicken sandwich, not by very much, but a little bit.
What's in it: Shaved steak and American cheese, plus we'd suggest green pepper and red onion on Italian bread.
There are two things that should never be allowed to leave Philly: the sports fans and this sub. The cheesesteak was never designed to be stripped down and health-ified; it's the kind of thing that should be dripping in juices and Cheez Whiz. Save your calories for the real deal.
What's in it: Teriyaki-glazed chicken strips and sweet onion sauce
Well, it has flavor, we’ll give it that. Though the most common complaint against Subway is blandness, this went in an entirely different—even less pleasant—direction. The near-candy level of sweetness left us gasping for water and looking for a toothbrush.
What's in it: Ham, salami, bologna
All of the cold cuts on this meaty sandwich are turkey-based (yes, even the ham), which kind of blows our minds when we think about it for too long. The barrage of pink meat can be a bit much, even for carnivorous eaters. Six inches will be plenty, thank you.
What's in it: Black Forest ham on, we'd suggest, nine-grain wheat
What this sandwich lacks in ingenuity it makes up for in staying power. After all, who can hate on a classic ham sub? Mayo and mustard only add gas to the eternal flame, so don't be stingy.
What's in it: Angus roast beef—plus, we recommend English mustard with this one and served on wheat
If you've ever spent time skiing in the French Alps, you may have occasionally heard the phrase "Alez, roast beef!" before someone in a Teflon-coated, skin-tight all-in-one body suit zips past you and down the black run at twice the speed of sound. The love the English show for roast beef is well-founded, it's because it is basically melt-in-your-mouth steak. And as such, it's nearly impossible to go wrong with this classic.
What's in it: Rotisserie-style chicken
Some states also offer a honey mustard rotisserie-style chicken variation. However, it's not exactly rocket science to recreate, you could just add a generous helping of honey mustard dressing to your sandwich to achieve the same effect. The actual rotisserie-style chicken is not bad. Now, it seldom tastes as delicious as the picture on the menu would have us believe, but don't forget, you're in a Subway, not the Savoy.
What's in it: Meatballs in marinara and parmesan cheese on Italian bread, because it has to be.
Remember when you were a kid and you loved Chef Boyardee? How you thought all those annoying noodles were just getting in the way of the meatballs? For nostalgia lovers, this vegetable-free option will make it worth splashing red sauce all over your face, hands and work-appropriate shirt.
What's in it: Turkey breast is a given, but we'd suggest a little extra kick of sauce
The no-frill, little black dress of subs. It’s good for anytime, day or night and can be dressed up or down with any veggies, cheese or sauce you feel like that day.
What's in it: Oven-roasted turkey, Black Forest ham and USDA choice roast beef, then pile all your toppings on, add a bit of English mustard, then opt for the hearty multigrain bread. Yum.
A small number of Subway restaurants offer regional variations to their menu, so this is not to be confused with the All-American Club. That's a little bit different—it has turkey, ham, hickory-smoked bacon, and American cheese—but it is only available in certain Subway outlets across the country.
What's in it: Tuna on wheat. Definitely wheat.
Now, we love tomatoes, but you might want to consider skipping them on this one—and possibly the dressing, too—just because the bread can quickly get too soggy, especially if it's takeout. All you need is black pepper, really. There's even some information on Subway's website stating that the company uses "wild caught" tuna, so that should appease your conscience while you chew.
What's in it: Genoa salami, ham, pepperoni on Italian bread, because it really should be.
Oh, Genoa salami, pepperoni and Black Forest ham, you are a hot menagé à trois we can't get enough of. After we’ve had a few and it’s late at night, your 750-plus calories of salty spice is the only meat our bodies desire.
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