11 Chain Restaurant Italian Subs, Ranked Worst To Best, According To Customer Reviews

The Italian sub is such a popular sandwich in the U.S. that one could even argue that it's the most American sandwich. This standard sub is made with a soft Italian loaf that is filled with provolone cheese, Genoa salami, ham, mortadella, capicola, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and thinly sliced onion. These fillings are topped with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano.

This classic option is one you're likely to find at most sandwich shops, and it's also common at many restaurant chains. If you're a fan, you should definitely check out the 14 Italian subs in the U.S. that you need to try before you die. In the meantime, however, these 11 chain restaurant Italian subs, ranked from worst to best, will provide an excellent starting point. The rankings were determined based on customer opinions as well as reviews from publications. To learn more about our research, and the decision process involved, visit the methodology slide at the end of the article.

With more than 37,000 restaurants around the world, it's safe to say that most people have been to a Subway at least once in their life. However, based on the reactions we saw from customers regarding the chain's Italian sub, which is called the Italian B.M.T., this particular menu item does not come recommended. 

The Italian B.M.T. is made with spicy pepperoni, Genoa salami, ham, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and mayo on artisan Italian bread. But while those ingredients seem standard, the ratio may be off, and getting worse. Multiple customers have complained on Reddit about the sandwich's increasingly small amounts of meat, and cheese. One customer went so far as to say that if they had eaten the sub blindfolded, they would have guessed that it was just a bun, and lettuce. Employees joined the thread to verify that the disgruntled reviewers were being shorted, and some even said they've been instructed by their boss to give less meat, and cheese. 

Elsewhere on Reddit, a customer attributed the low quality of their Subway Italian B.M.T. to the deli meat tasting manufactured. Others have described the sandwich as tasting like the chain's Spicy Italian with less meat, and low quality ham. Meanwhile, Business Insider's reviewer said of the meats on their Italian B.M.T., "The salami was a little weird — spicy, but in the blandest way — and the ham got lost at sea."

Blimpie is a sub shop chain started in 1964 by three friends from Hoboken, New Jersey. The eatery has a hot Italian sub called the Sicilian that comes with ham, prosciuttini, pepperoni, provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, and creamy Italian dressing. And Blimpie patrons don't generally seem impressed by it.

One Yelp reviewer who tried Blimpie for the first time, and ordered two Sicilian sandwiches, said an employee asked their husband what was in the Sicilian before still making it incorrectly, lacking in meat and cheese, and missing key ingredients altogether. This lackluster preparation appears to be common: When Blimpie itself posted a picture of the Sicilian on Facebook, the fillings looked sparse, and a commenter questioned why there was no meat in it. 

According to other customers, bad experiences like the previous reviewer's might be the norm. Others have complained about unhelpful staff, dirty restaurants, inconsistent preparation, and low quality ingredients. On Reddit, a customer claimed that the chain went downhill when most locations switched to pre-sliced meats, and that you can get a better sandwich at most bodegas these days. A number of others were shocked to learn that Blimpie was still around, or that it existed in the first place. One stated that Blimpie isn't bad, but there are many better options to choose from. Another said they loved the chain when it was brick and mortar shops, but no longer do now that all of its locations appear to be in gas station delis. 

Capriotti's was founded in Wilmington, Delaware in 1976 by two siblings, Lois and Alan Margolet. The restaurant has a Classic Italian sandwich that is made with Genoa salami, capicola, prosciuttini, onion, provolone cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Our research has shown that customer opinions on the sub are mostly negative, though some positive experiences do pop up every once in a while.

Some Facebook users have spoken highly of the sandwich, calling it the best, and awesome. Customers on Reddit, however, have been split, with some calling the Classic Italian generously portioned, and even impressive, while others said their sandwich was disappointing, mid, or average. Multiple reviewers on Yelp have criticized the sandwich's quality, citing dry bread, an overabundance of lettuce, small amounts of meat and cheese, and cheap ingredients. Commenters have also complained about the price of the sandwich for the amount of food they received.

One particularly negative review on Tripadvisor included multiple common complaints: "For saying they are the best sandwich in America I would like my $ back! It was not good! I had the Italian sub and the meat was very little and CHEAP. The prosciutto they offered was not even quality. I never seen that type and I'm Italian, for $15.00 for a small sandwich, chip and drink I expected MORE."

Cafe Zupas is a restaurant chain that serves soups, salads, bowls, and sandwiches. The chain is perhaps best known for giving customers chocolate covered strawberries with their orders. Cafe Zupas has 81 locations across Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Utah, and Wisconsin.

On its menu, the restaurant has an Italian Club that is made with Genoa salami, capicola, ham, tomatoes, mixed greens, provolone cheese, and Italian spread. Based on the reviews that we saw, the sandwich seemed to satisfy some customers, but leave others disappointed. User opinions on Yelp were mixed, with some customers complimenting the sandwich for its great balance of ingredients, describing the flavor as delicious, and stating that the sandwich was filling. While those reviews were positive, other patrons complained about the sandwich, calling its preparation inconsistent, and saying that it tasted as if it had nothing more than mayo. It was even compared to airline food.

Which Which is a sandwich shop chain with 132 locations from coast to coast, across 24 states. The restaurant chain's version of an Italian sub is called a Grinder. It comes set with salami, pepperoni, and capicola, with additional toppings left up to the customers. The reviews that we found were fairly middling, with many positive experiences cancelled out by negative ones.

Customers have taken to Reddit to highlight the discrepancies between their expectation of what the Grinder would be versus the reality of what it is, and one user said, "It tasted ok. Just ok. It needed a good dressing or oil and some seasoning. I didn't modify the sandwich at all. The sandwiches are pretty small." Another stated that the chain has gone downhill in the last decade. However, most reviewers on Yelp had positive things to say about Which Which in general, complimenting its staff as friendly, and amazing. They've even described the Grinder as amazing, and rated it a 10 out of 10. While a Yelper complained about the sandwich having very little meat, and a customer on Gubhub reported a similar complaint, adding that the bread was similar to a grocery store roll with little filling, it is possible to find positive reviews across platforms.

Potbelly is one of the sandwich shops struggling to keep stores open in 2025. Like many others, the chain closed a number of locations during the pandemic. But it was recently acquired by convenience store chain Race Trac, which reportedly plans to expand Potbelly to 2,000 locations. Similarly turbulent are customer reviews, especially regarding the chain's Italian sub.

Potbelly's Italian is made with salami, old-world capicola, pepperoni, mortadella, and provolone cheese. The chain recommends topping that with olive oil, and red wine vinegar to enhance the flavor. A customer on Reddit shared a picture of their Italian from Potbelly, and said that Potbelly was their favorite chain sandwich shop. However, a commenter complained about inconsistent preparation, and lack of help when trying to fix a wrong order. Customers on Yelp have also complained about the sandwich's inconsistent preparation, as well as it being bare, and having very little filling. A Facebook user went so far as to call the Italian they received from Potbelly a pitiful excuse for a New Jersey-style sub.

Meanwhile, others on Reddit have declared Potbelly's Italian their favorite sandwich from the chain, and described it as perfectly crunchy, and tasty. When a writer for Mashed ranked sandwiches from Potbelly from worst to best, they put the Italian in the middle, describing the sandwich as easy to like but not good enough to be their go-to.

Firehouse Subs is a restaurant that was started by Chris and Robin Sorensen, who come from a family with decades of experience in the fire and police departments. In the 29 years that it's been serving customers, the sandwich chain has grown to have more than 1,250 locations. The Italian from Firehouse Subs is made with Genoa salami, pepperoni, honey ham, melted provolone, Italian dressing, seasonings, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and deli mustard. Our research showed that patrons' experiences with the sandwich appeared to be mixed.

A customer on Reddit claimed that Firehouse Subs' Italian was better than Jersey Mike's Original Italian, but noted that it should be requested with no ham. Reviewers in a different thread agreed that sandwiches from the shop are delicious, but expensive. One Redditor complained about the honey ham overwhelming the sandwich, and not mixing well with the salami, and pepperoni. Over on Yelp, an eater had a similar complaint, stating that the flavor of Firehouse Subs' meat wasn't their favorite due to the Italian being too sweet. There were also customers on Yelp who complained about the chain's inconsistent preparation, and slow service. This might vary by location, as one Facebook user was very pleased with the Italian they received from Firehouse, and even called it outstanding.

Similar to Blimpie's Sicilian, the Italian sandwich that Panera sells comes hot. The Toasted Italiano is made with Black Forest ham, soppressata, melty provolone cheese, romaine lettuce, red onions, and sliced peperoncini on a French baguette (some of the highest quality sandwich chain bread) that is then topped with Greek dressing, and a drizzle of garlic aioli. Customer opinions of the sandwich seem mostly positive, and complaints are few. One Redditor praised the sandwich as the best item on the menu by far, while multiple Facebook users have thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

Some Redditors have criticized the sandwich's lack of meat, and inconsistent preparation, and said that Black Forest ham, and Greek dressing felt wrong on an Italian. The blogger behind Eat Up Albany! also said there was too much Greek dressing, and that they could have gone without it, so that's something to consider on your next trip to Panera. When purewow ranked every Panera sandwich, its writer agreed about those ingredients, complaining about the sweetness of the Black Forest ham, and the overabundance of Greek dressing. They felt the sandwich would have been better with olive oil, and vinegar. Nonetheless, they ranked the Toasted Italiano pretty high on the list, giving it third place.

Jimmy John's started in Charleston, Illinois in 1983. When it first opened, it only had four sandwiches on the menu: a smoked ham and provolone, turkey, homemade tuna salad, and capocollo and salami. Since then, the restaurant's menu has obviously expanded. It now has many more options, including the Italian Night Club sandwich made with salami, capocollo, ham, provolone, onion, lettuce, tomato, mayo, oil, vinegar, oregano, and basil.

While this sandwich seemed to check the right boxes for most customers, a few weren't fully satisfied. In fact, reviewers in one Reddit discussion were somewhat split. While one customer claimed to have enjoyed the sandwich so much that they ate it three times in one day, others called the bread boring, and rejected the sub. A reviewer for purewow added that, although the sandwich was solid, it was a little too sweet for them, and dominated by thick slices of tomatoes.

Nonetheless, when we previously included the Italian Night Club in our round-up of the best and worst sandwiches to order from Jimmy John's, it took first place. That writer described the meats in the sandwich as perfectly balanced, the toppings as adding good flavor and texture, and the condiments as working in pure harmony. It seems we weren't alone in that opinion, as a Facebook user who ordered the Italian Night Club called it delicious, filling, and in the same tier as Jersey Mike's. 

Jersey Mike's is a sub shop chain with more than 4,000 locations globally, and a popular Original Italian made with provolone cheese, ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami, and pepperoni. Customer reviews of the sandwich have been very complimentary, with one customer taking to Reddit to tell others that the Original Italian was one of the best subs they've had in a long time. "Seriously, flavor explosion. I highly recommend everyone trying this at least once as it's fantastic!"

A fellow Redditor shared a picture of their Italian with double meat, and the discussion was filled with people supporting that move. When Jersey Mike's enthusiasts debated on Reddit what the best sub from the restaurant chain was, a majority of commenters listed the Original Italian, and when Business Insider compared it to Subway's The Beast, Jersey Mike's Original Italian was declared the winner, thanks to its better flavor, and presentation. On Facebook, meanwhile, customers said that they loved the sandwich; they dubbed it the best, and were also very complimentary of the chain itself. One Facebook user even gave the sandwich a rating of 10 out of 10, praising the amount of meat, and fresh, crisp veggies. Speaking of veggies, one of the biggest secrets at Jersey Mike's is the tip to order your sandwich "Mike's way," which automatically adds lettuce, tomato, onion, salt, oregano, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.

Penn Station has more than 320 locations throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast United States. The sandwich chain has a Classic Italian that is made with smoked ham, hard salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, red onions, banana peppers, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, and mayo. Customer experiences with Penn Station's Classic Italian have been overwhelmingly positive, according to online reviews that were practically glowing. This is what earned the sandwich the top spot on our list.

"I don't see enough love for Penn Station subs on here," began a Reddit thread that launched a wave of praise. Specifically, the Classic Italian was called incredible, delicious, and the only thing that many regulars order. Penn Station itself also received kudos, with fans calling it better than authentic Italian places in NYC. There were others on Reddit who listed the Italian as their favorite sandwich, and one said that neither the sub shop nor its sandwich has yet to disappoint. One Facebook user who tried Penn Station's Classic Italian for the first time took to the social media site to share that they thought it was great, and was met with agreement. The sandwich was also widely praised in reviews on Yelp, with customers highlighting its high quality, flavor, and consistency. On top of that, in 2021, when Mashed polled 612 U.S. readers on the best Penn Station subs, the Classic Italian came in second place, with 16.01% calling it their favorite.

When ranking sandwich shop chains' Italian subs from worst to best, we had to consider customers' varying preferences for the sub, and the fact that reviewer experiences can differ by location. So, in order to determine each sub's placement, we gathered opinions from a wide range of sources. This included discussion forums like Reddit, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Facebook, as well as articles from local sites, and national publications. After gathering that information, we analyzed our findings, and ranked the restaurant's Italian subs based on the overall consensus regarding taste, quality, price, and preparation.