Jimmy John's Vs Jersey Mike's: Who Makes The Absolute Best Italian Sub?

Portland, Maine, was the setting for what's considered the first Italian sub in America. Giovanni Amato, an immigrant from Italy, started selling his ham, cheese, and oil on bread in in the early 20th century along the fishing docks. He eventually begat the namesake New England chain, Amato's — which is still all over the region today — and a sandwich that's become a staple throughout the U.S. Forget Italian delis, you can't have a sandwich chain of any kind that doesn't offer some variation on Giovanni's creation.

This includes the two most prominent franchises going today: Jimmy John's and Jersey Mike's. Both have their own Italian subs on the menu, alongside some offshoots that are in turn hot, spicy, and further bedecked. The classic versions for each are known as the Vito at Jimmy John's and the Original Italian at Jersey Mike's. And it's high time they were put head to head.

Jersey Mike's may have its dirty secrets, and Jimmy John's may have its meat-to-bread ratio issues, but it's time to put all that aside and see who comes out on top in one way and one way only: the no-nonsense, time-honored, much-replicated Italian sub. When it comes to the serious business of sandwich evaluation, there are no prisoners ... only pepperoni.

Jersey Mike's white sub bread is much more conventional for a hero, hoagie, grinder, or whatever regional sobriquet you give to this carby cylinder. Untoasted, the bread provides a solid cushion for the meat fest within. It tastes pretty fresh, although the crust and crumb sort of just meld together into one, overly pliant texture. If you get an Italian sub from any respectable salumeria (not even the best Italian delis in the U.S.) the bread often has a definable crust that adds just a bit of welcome resistance on either side of a bite. Jersey Mike's, a la Subway, lacks this.

On the other hand, the default loaf for the Vito at Jimmy John's is untoasted French bread. It's thinner and slightly more streamlined in shape, making the sandwich more compact. But the crust is evident in the bite. It may seem sacrilegious to some that an Italian sandwich is going on French bread, but hey, it's not like you're getting this from an old nonna in Bari or something. Authenticity is out the window here. The Vito has the superior bread experience.

The Original Italian, Mike's Way, is meated and cheesed with provolone, ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo (Jersey Mike's spelling), salami, and pepperoni. The toppings — which tasted fresh — were onions, lettuce (especially crisp), tomato, oregano, salt, vinegar, and non-olive oil. I say non-olive because Jersey Mike's doesn't use actual olive oil on its sandwiches. Instead, it's something called olive oil blend, which contains no small helping of deception along with its soy or canola oil base.

The oregano adds a unique, zesty pop that works well, though, even if the dressing is underwhelming. The meat and cheese really comes to the fore with the Original Italian — you don't feel like you get shortchanged in that department. In contrast, for all the bread superiority of Jimmy John's, the inner workings of the Vito — salami, capocollo (JJ's spelling), and provolone — don't stand out very much. The toppings are lettuce, tomato, onion, oil (again, mostly canola), vinegar, and an oregano-basil seasoning (which doesn't hit like the Original Italian's). These, too, were fresh, but also felt like they took up most of the sandwich.

All told, Jersey Mike's has the upper hand when it comes to the middle of the sandwich. Jimmy John's just didn't have the heft and generosity of meat that you're looking for in an Italian sub's taxonomy. If that works for you, then fine.

So, the bread went to Jimmy John's and the filling went to Jersey Mike's. Obviously, this is a tie then, right? Not so fast, hypothetical assumer I conveniently made up. First off, where's the fun in a draw, and second off, not all sandwich components are created equal. Ask yourself: Would I rather have great bread and mediocre fillings, or meh bread and great fillings?

I tend to go more with the latter, and I suspect many would agree. After all, that's really why you choose a sandwich: the stuff that's in it. The bread, for all its value, will never do the heavy lifting of a quality sammy. If you prefer that, super, you might want to hit up a bakery instead of a sandwich shop. (Just avoid the bakery items that bombed at Costco in 2026. Please.)

Therefore, as explained above, the winner in this tussle between two chain Italian subs is Jersey Mike's and its Original Italian. In the end, the hero is just dialed a bit closer to your classic inspiration than the Vito, even though the bread at Jimmy John's may ultimately be superior. A tight one, but the victor is clear. Whether Jimmy John's casts a "malocchio" on Jersey Mike's for this loss, we can't say. Old Italian hexes are not my purview.

The Original Italian from Jersey Mike's set me back $12.30 before tax. As one of the classic menu items from the sandwich chain, it should be readily available at any location. Nutritionally, the #13 on a white sub runs 950 calories, 70 grams of carbs, 46 grams of protein, 90 grams of cholesterol, and 2,550 grams of sodium (no surprise for any Italian sub).

The Vito from Jimmy John's cost me $10.70 pre-tax, with all the works. One should have no problem visiting any Jimmy John's in America to get their hands on this sandwich. The lower price as compared to the Original Italian is reflected in the nutrition facts: 580 calories, 51 grams of carbs, 32 grams of protein, 85 grams of cholesterol, and 1,790 grams of sodium. All prices are current as of publication and may vary by region.

After purchasing each sandwich (the regular size and white bread for both, Mike's Way for The Original Italian) roughly two blocks from each other in downtown Brooklyn (and sheepishly placing the Jimmy John's sandwich in the Jersey Mike's bag after I bought it), I headed home and laid out the sammies before me. I proceeded to judge each on the merits of the bread and then the sandwich components. I took into account taste, texture, freshness, and, to some extent, the look of the sandwich. An Italian sub just has a certain aesthetic (which Jersey Mike's better achieved). See for yourself by checking out the Italian subs you need to try before you shuffle off this mortal coil.

Static Media owns and operates The Takeout and Tasting Table.