If Subway would just get some decent meats, they’d be a pretty damn good store.
Jimmy John’s I ate at once and I didn’t like it. I can’t remember why because it was so long ago.
I think it was because the subs were already predetermined as to whats supposed to go on them. So instead of just saying put this, this and this on my sub, I had to hash out which sandwich came closest to what I wanted and tell them “Hold this, add that”
There’s some dude from Jersey that moved down here in the 70’s and opened up a sub shop called The Great Outdoors. (He has several locations in Dallas now.)
That is THE BEST sub you’ll get here in the Dallas Fort Worth area.
And if those subs are typical of what you Jersey folks get, I envy you.
Isn’t that kind of how all the chain sub places work, though? There’s a menu of predetermined sandwich combinations? I remember the first time I went to New York and had a sub from a deli, I was really confused, because there was no pre-determined list of subs, you just had to name each ingredient. (And, at that time, the only sub places I’d been to were Subway, Mr. Sub, and Jimmy John’s.) I guess with Subway you specify your toppings one-by-one moreso than you do with a place like Jimmy John’s, but you can do that with JJ’s, too (although there’s not nearly the choice of toppings. I think it’s just lettuce, tomato, onions, vinaigrette, two kinds of hot peppers [extra charge], alfalfa sprouts, cucumbers, and some shitty kind of avocado paste. Edit: Oh, and mustard. For example, I usually order the Turkey Tom, mustard instead of mayo, plus banana peppers.)
Okay, that sounded too negative. It’s been good. When I’ve had the room. Jimmy John’s is also really weird about mustard. I believe you always have to ask for it. At least yellow.
I used to enjoy Subway, but not anymore. I don’t know what they’ve changed, other than being stingy with meat and cheese, it just doesn’t taste good to me.
Togo’s is decent, but too big to even get in my mouth without a struggle.
So for me, there are really no good choices. I just make my sandwiches at home these days.
No fair… several have mentioned Togo’s, but they are only on the West Coast. I love subs, but I’m not going to drive that far for one.
I don’t go to Jimmy Johns very often, mostly because every time I do, their default is a half inch thick layer from the cheapest barrel of Mayo they can find. And somehow the mayo has more flavor than the meat, and not in a good way.
Subway is the one I’ve found goes crazy on the Mayo. They squirt about a gallon on each sandwich. One time I told them to go lite on the Mayo and they put a gallon of Lite Mayo on the sub. I now tell them I want just a little bit of Mayo and often have to tell them to stop.
By default, these days it has to be Subway. That’s because the nearest Quiznos closed a year or longer ago. Any others in town are too far to drive to, so that leaves Subway. We eat from there maybe twice a month, but I prefer the Hardee’s which is in the same general area.
Even when they fix a sandwich exactly as I order it, it still tastes bland and so-so. At least Quiznos had some zip to its taste. I’ve never had a sub/hoagie/grinder to equal a New Orleans Po Boy. Now, That’s a real sandwich.
Quiznos, definitely. I usually get the chicken carbonara with extra sauce. Yum!
Subway: Nothing special, but you can’t really go wrong with it. I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed with a Subway sandwich, and the fact that most of the ones in my area are open 24 hours is convenient for those nights when I get off work at 1 AM and don’t feel like cooking dinner.
Quizno’s: Good, but expensive, inconveniently located in my town, and they no longer have A PEPPAH BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Jimmy John’s: I’ve only eaten there a few times, and they’re OKish. I like that they have the chewy east-coast-style sandwich rolls, but Meconi’s (a local chain with 4-5 stores in the area) has that too, and they’re cheaper and have a wider menu.
We don’t have the other chains mentioned in the thread. We used to have a Blimpie which wasn’t very good and closed down a few years ago. We have a place called Puccini’s which I think is part of a chain, but they don’t seem to have a website, and their employees have always seemed kinda sketchy in a do-not-let-this-person-handle-your-credit-card way. Great cheesesteaks, though.
New Jersey is home to many many great local Sub and Pizza shops so I don’t go to chains that much but of the chains the best is Blimpie.
In the Austin area there is a home-grown chain called Thundercloud Subs. My favorite sub by far.
Subway, if I have to. I am not real big on subs, but I do like Subway.*
We had a Mr. Submarine around here many moons ago and it was good, but most of them have closed. The last one I was in was in the very late 1990’s, and it was fine.
We have a Jersey Mike’s that recently opened but I haven’t tried it - my husband really wants to - he said that after seeing a commercial, they look to be fantastic. Me, not so much - when I have four Subways within 1 mile of home I’m not driving 10 miles one way for a freakin’ sandwich no matter how cool their commercial looked.
We had a Quizno’s locally a long time ago - I tried it once. Meh. Wouldn’t go back.
We have a Potbelly close by, but we haven’t tried it. We’re not real big “sandwich” people anyway.
*Assuming it’s a Subway that sees a lot of traffic. If it’s one of the Subway’s in our area that doesn’t get a lot of business, we avoid it.
Current favorite: Firehouse; lots of choices in hot and cold subs (I’m fond of hot), and as someone else mentioned, the steaming for hot subs makes it yummy.
Up-and-coming: Which Wich; I’ve only been there twice, but I love the design-your-sub approach, and thus far have not had a bad experience; I just need to figure out the right combo for me.
When it’s raining: Jimmy John’s for their incredibly fast delivery and reasonable price, and no delivery minimum. I’ve never actually been in side a JJ’s; I order online, so I’ve had no trouble specifying my condiments. But I find their sub roll to be incredibly bland; the wheat bread is pretty good, but costs extra.
Jersey Mike’s is OK, and I won’t object if a cow-orker wants to go there, but in practice it’s strictly take-out as there isn’t enough seating and it’s always noisy.
Subway used to be one of my favs, but maybe I’ve outgrown them.
Not exactly a sub shop, but I like the selection and quality at Jason’s Deli, and they have one of the few decent salad bars for those of that bent.
Many years ago there was a place in Florida that I loved: Sobik’s. I’m surprised to see they are still in business, but apparently they’ve remained Florida-only. I think it was my first exposure to vinaigrette on a sub, and I loved it; not sure how I would like it now.
Personally I would have no problem driving 10 miles instead of 1 to get Jersey Mike’s over Subway. But you say you aren’t much of a sandwich person so you may not appreciate the difference like I do.
Mmmm Hmmm, great sandwich shop. When I’m near one, they’re the choice.
Of the chains that the rest of the country has a chance to get, my favorite is Jersey Mike’s.
My current favorite chain that’s available to me in San Antonio is Lenny’s Sub Shop, which also does the “slice the meat when you order” thing like Jersey Mike’s does.
One of things I miss most about living in Silicon Valley in California is getting lunch at Togo’s and the banh mi’s at Lee’s Sandwiches.
You weren’t kidding!
There are plenty of other people who think Subway smells peculiar. Most people think it is the yeast, but there is a fairly large contingent of people that claim it is chemical preservatives.
I’m going to join the camp of people that support the blend of odors theory. I think it is a blend of cheap salami, yeasty yeast, funky onions, and whatever cheap detergent they use to mop the floors.
All these odors combine in a perfect storm of stench, to create the smell of a phantom trash can.
How anyone can eat there and not notice it is beyond me.
Thundercloud is good, but it’s one of three restaurants within walking distance of the place where I’ve worked for 20+ years so I’m a wee bit tired of them. Nada chicken parmesan is one of my favorites.
Schlotsky’s turkey original with mustard and no mayo.
Delaware Subs and Texadelphia are good local places.
I like Subway, but the owner of most of the franchises in this area employs a guy we call the Sphinx. It’s a complete riddle what he’s trying to ask you. When he speaks, he whispers. Mostly he just points and grunts. Once I had an eye infection and couldn’t see what he was pointing to. He refused to tell me what he was pointing to, I couldn’t see it-- I won’t deal with him anymore. He travels from shop to shop, shows up all over town.