10 Popular Firehouse Subs Sandwiches, Ranked

It may come as a surprise, but I have never actually been to Firehouse Subs, or at least I hadn't. Originally opened by brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen, over 29 years ago, we didn't see our first location in Rhode Island until 2019. Despite my normal obsession with the novelty of a new place to get food, I still hadn't made a point of stopping in.

I knew the chain's firehouse theme, and had heard of its hot sauce bar, but I wasn't sure what to expect beyond that. Honestly, beyond knowing it sold sandwiches, I wasn't at all sure what specifically would be on offer. As a Rhode Islander, a classic Italian sub is the staple by which sandwiches are often judged, but would I find one there? I'm not sure what the most popular sandwich in Florida is, which is where the brand began, but I was ready for whatever came my way.

The task of ranking some of its menu staples was a job I knew I would be perfect for. Complete lack of experience with its sandwiches meant a unique position to hold no bias or favoritism toward any specific menu item. I would be starting from scratch when it came to the flavors, quality, and overall style of the sandwiches. Taking the time and making the room to try 10 subs (that each came with a famous Firehouse pickle on the side), for the sake of the reader of course, was going to be a challenge, but I was ready for it.

When it comes to ranking anything, especially food, a structured and consistent system by which to judge each sub was key. Without reason and thought, a ranking means nothing. First, I needed to decide what criteria I'd be judging. While bread is the foundation on which sandwiches are built, all the sandwiches here were from the same place, and the bread would be a static truth.

Having the same bread it turned out, was a positive across the board. Airy and light on the inside, with a thin outer crust that crisped nicely when toasted, the standard white sub roll at Firehouse is an all-around good sandwich bread. So, while it would play a part in the texture of each sandwich, I still couldn't count on it to play a part in the rankings. After some thought, I decided to choose six categories each sandwich would earn up to six points in.

First, I'd rate the overall taste. Then each would be judged for aftertaste, since there can be a surprising difference in what something tastes like while eating and the flavor it leaves behind. Next, a sandwich's texture would be rated. Fourth, I'd offer points for how satisfying each was. I also awarded points for success and menu accuracy, which I judged by asking if a sandwich tasted like what the menu said it was, before lastly judging how accurately each sandwich was in matching the photo displayed on the website. So, let's see how it went when I tried this takeout-friendly food.

My first thought picking up the Club on a Sub was, "where is the lettuce?" Which, admittedly, was a question I'd find myself asking of several sandwiches. Topped with mayo, deli mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onion, the Club on a Sub is made with sliced ham and turkey, bacon, and Monterey Jack cheese. Overall, the sandwich was good, but we're here for a ranking.

In the end it's hard to feel like the lack of lettuce had much of an effect on the ranking, but the texture would have improved with the added crunch. I could taste the honey ham and the sweetness that came with it, but all I noticed beyond that was mayo and tomato. I searched for the mustard flavor, but found it absent. Honestly, I didn't really taste the turkey lunch meat either. The bacon, which I usually expect front and center, was surprisingly subtle and found more in the aftertaste than the flavor while eating it.

Oh, did I forget to mention the Monterey Jack cheese? That's because I couldn't taste it. Despite being visually noticeable where it had melted over the turkey, there was no cheese flavor at all. Don't get me wrong, the sandwich tasted just fine but was no more impressive than a ham sandwich from my kitchen, aside from the bread that is. While I would eat this sandwich again if put in front of me, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one.

While this one had more lettuce than several of the others, which helped the texture, it still rather lacked compared to photos online. I was happy to see a generous portion of mushrooms, which was emotionally difficult as I despise mushrooms. Served with the same toppings and condiments as the Club on a Sub, the Engineer is built around smoked turkey breast, savory mushrooms, and melted provolone.

Once I took a moment to brace myself for the mushrooms, I dove in. I smiled. While the mushrooms were noticeable, both texturally and by flavor, they were relatively mild and sliced thinly enough that they didn't become off-putting. The smokiness of the turkey came through, and this was the only sandwich where the flavor of the cheese actually came through. The light sharpness of the provolone worked really well with the mushrooms and the turkey to create varied layers of umami.

That being said, this one is still rather low on our list for a reason. I was once again both pleased and disappointed to find no hint of mustard flavor, and only noticed the onion or tomato as an aftertaste. While the tomato and onion are sliced thinly, which I generally approve of, there just wasn't enough of either to impact the flavor. In the end, the aftertaste was bland and left me dissatisfied with what I'd just eaten. I enjoyed this one, but I kept thinking that if someone who loved mushrooms ordered this sub they would be disappointed.

I'll admit, in ordering 10 subs I may have missed the description of this one. When I heard sweet and spicy I thought of an Asian-inspired sauce. I guess, I assumed it would be like Thai chili, or maybe a sweet and sour meatball with some heat added. I was very wrong. This sub, which has traditional Italian-style meatballs and zesty marinara topped with melted provolone, puts a twist on marinara by adding Captain Sorensen's Datil Pepper Hot Sauce and red pepper flakes.

I've never heard of the sauce before, but it worked to transform the marinara into something new. My first bite was a mix of surprise at just how sweet it was, confusion at the classic marinara flavor, and then the pleasant warmth of spice. The biggest downside was the thin slices of provolone on top that had quickly cooled into a solid, almost plastic-like covering that peeled off the top of the sandwich in a single sheet that held its shape.

While the actual flavor of the sauce was nice, and the meatballs had a good texture, there wasn't a wow factor. That first bite carried surprise and a sense of intrigue, but before my first bite ended I felt like I was eating a regular meatball sub. Sure, there was some sweet and some heat, but it was still a meatball sub. Other than earning the second highest score for photo accuracy, I can't say it excelled in any category.

Spicy is right. From the moment I took my first bite of this sandwich, my mouth was on fire, but in a good way. I'm not usually a spicy-food guy, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate some heat when it doesn't get in the way of flavor. Thankfully, the Cajun seasoning on the chicken, and in the Cajun mayo, cut through all the heat to deliver the unmistakable bold and smoky seasoning that comes with the Cajun flavor profile.

In addition to the chicken and mayo, this sub is topped with lettuce, onions, melted pepper jack cheese, deli mustard, and sliced jalapeños. Let me start by saying, there was still very little lettuce, but the jalapeños added a bit of texture that made up for it slightly. Despite that, the texture here was really just soft chicken, jalapeños, and bread. Unfortunately, each bite after the first became less impressive.

There's no doubt that the flavor here was good, especially for those who love spicy foods, but once you moved past the initial taste in each bite, there wasn't much more to say. The aftertaste was wholly taken up by jalapeños, and while the Cajun seasoning exploded while you were chewing the sandwich it just couldn't stand up to the heat. While I wouldn't pick this sandwich again, I also wouldn't talk someone out of it.

Taking my first bite of the Firehouse Hero, the first thing I noticed was the savory flavor of roast beef. While this sub also has turkey and ham, neither of them stood out against the flavor of the beef. That's not exactly a complaint, but if roast beef is the star of the sandwich why bother adding the turkey and ham? Even the traditional mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onion that seem to pop up on all of their deli-meat-based subs barely compete. Well, aside from the mayo that is, which provided both moisture and flavor at the right time to every sandwich it was added to.

As I went from sandwich to sandwich, this was the one that most made me miss the lettuce. Soft deli meat, soft tomato, melted cheese ... where was the crunch, the structure? Despite the lack of an extra texture, the Firehouse Hero was also the sandwich that finally made me notice just how much meat was being provided.

I thought back to other chain sandwiches, often with their ingredients completely hidden within the bread, and took a moment to appreciate that this sandwich felt meaty. With each bite I was chewing through, not bread, but an actual mouthful of protein. Not only was the Firehouse Hero filling, but after setting it down I found the aftertaste to be great. The flavor left behind drove me back for another bite. This is the first sub I've tried that I could actively see myself craving in the future.

Made with the same meatballs as the Sweet and Spicy sandwich, the Pepperoni Pizza Meatball Sub skips the addition of the sweet and spicy hot sauce and offers a more traditional marinara. While I still found the tomato flavor to be a little more muted than I normally expect from a red sauce, there was no doubt that I enjoyed it.

Texturally, this was a step up from the other meatball sub, and honestly several of the other subs. The crisp and chewy piece of pepperoni protected the cooling provolone from drying out and, at the same time, helped to hold everything together within the sandwich. While I'm not one to order pepperoni on my pizza, I understand why it's so popular. The way the light spice mixed with the marinara enhanced the flavor of both and delivered exactly what the menu promised.

This sandwich was also the only one to score a perfect 10 when it came to photo accuracy. Looking at this sub I couldn't help but admire that it was an exact miniature version of the photo from the website. Honestly, I think it looked even better thanks to the toasty edges of the bread. If you had asked before this began where I expected the meatball subs to rank, I would have been positive that they would both be close to the bottom, but I was wrong. Despite my preferences, there's no doubt this sub is well worth a try.

The New York Steamer is a corned beef and pastrami sandwich topped with Firehouse's deli mustard, mayo, and Italian dressing. Guess what my least favorite sandwich meats are — if you said corned beef and pastrami, then you'd be correct. Despite my trepidation, I'd taken on a project and had promised a non-biased ranking, so I dove in. What I found was a really good sandwich.

While I admit, I didn't even notice the corned beef until I'd read the ingredients again, the pastrami was fantastic. It was perfectly spiced, the texture was beautiful, and the meat was moist without a hint of dryness. The Italian dressing, while not strong, was noticeable and mixed perfectly with the mayo and mustard, which I actually tasted in this sub, to create a perfectly balanced sauce to accompany and highlight the pastrami's flavor.

Taste, aftertaste, and satisfaction each earned a score of at least seven points and it earned another eight points at successfully delivering what the menu promised. Honestly, this sandwich's worst category, and what brought down its overall score, was visual appeal. In the photo this sandwich looks packed with meat, and for a chain restaurant sandwich it wasn't bad, but when compared to the promise of the online picture, it just couldn't hold up to the hype. I'd happily order this sub again, on flavor alone, but wouldn't have minded some crunch from lettuce or onion to upgrade the texture a bit.

This sandwich, with smoked brisket, melted cheddar, BBQ sauce, and mayo, even though it sounds rather simple, was honestly one of the sandwiches I was most excited to try. I'm a sucker for a good steak sandwich, and looking at the photo online left me expecting just that. Thankfully, it did a respectable job of delivering what it promised, both flavor-wise and visually.

The brisket itself was smoky, juicy, and packed with beefy flavor. While the cheese was bland and unnoticeable, as I had come to expect, the BBQ sauce carried a great punch of flavor that highlighted the smokiness of the meat while balancing it with sweetness and tang. Honestly, this sandwich is just as much about that BBQ sauce as it is about the brisket. The meat successfully stood on its own, but with the sauce beside it, the sandwich as a whole jumped up a few points.

Tying for best taste and aftertaste, this sub was satisfying and, despite the lack of veggies of any kind, had a great texture and chew to it. Even its look wasn't that far off of the picture. Yes, admittedly it wasn't nearly as meaty or full as the photo online looked, but compared to many of the other subs this one looked like what I expected. Though there are a few subs that came in above this one in the rankings, next time I'm at Firehouse Subs there's a good chance I'll be ordering this one.

When it came to menu accuracy the Turkey Bacon Ranch sub came in second place, only being defeated by our first place winner. What this sub promises in flavor it delivers, and that is turkey, bacon, and ranch dressing.

While this sandwich was undeniably wetter than the others, the bread still held up well without becoming a damp sponge. The peppercorn ranch, while good, was a bit bland and was more akin to a flavored mayo than a fully-seasoned ranch dressing, but the bacon and turkey both came through over everything else as the clear stars of the show. My biggest problem with several of Firehouse Subs' sandwiches has been a lack of flavor from the meat itself, but the top three in this ranking really managed to turn that around.

Like the other sandwiches, you could have removed the cheese or lettuce and I wouldn't have noticed, but aside from that, this sub was a genuine pleasure to eat. What jumped out at me most as I tried it was how much more clearly I could taste each individual ingredient in this sandwich compared to others. While eating several of the other sandwiches, I found myself enjoying the overall flavor while searching in vain for the individual components. For that alone, the Turkey Bacon Ranch would have earned its second place spot, but when you add in the points it got for its welcoming aftertaste and its visual appeal, then there was no question.

Featuring two different hot sauces, oven-roasted chicken, pepper jack cheese, crushed red pepper, and crispy bacon, I expected the Captain's Club to be a mouthful of fire. The Spicy Cajun Chicken had been, so when I heard the list of toppings I was bracing myself for heat. That isn't to say that there wasn't heat. It was hot, but unlike the Cajun Chicken which offered flavor, then heat, then more heat, and then nothing else, the Captain's Club managed to balance the heat, sweet, salty, smoky, and creamy in a way that rocketed it to the top of the rankings.

Despite an ingredient list on par with the other subs, the flavors at play in the Captain's Club had a way of working together while at the same time standing on their own. Much like the Turkey Bacon Ranch, I could actually taste every ingredient. Despite Firehouse Subs' consistent lack of lettuce, the flavor and texture of this sandwich were fantastic.

The heat left behind after each bite was like a light kiss of spice on the tongue, and then it politely moved aside so you could still sense the other flavors at play which included a light sweetness and satisfying savory finish. After comparing it to nine other sandwiches, I was surprised just how drastically it stood out among the competition. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised that the most delicious sub on the menu is named in honor of the captain.