I Tried 7 Subway Subs—This Is the One I’ll Order Again

I remember the first Subway that opened in my city.  Everyone was excited to have a “healthier” fast food option, especially one where you could create your own sandwich. I thought it was so cool to look at the counter and choose exactly what I wanted on my sub. My favorite was the turkey sub, which I ordered with provolone cheese and loaded up with veggies, including extra banana peppers. And, of course, I “made it a meal” by adding a soda and a bag of chips. Now, some 20 years later, I’m writing about my favorite subs. Is it still the turkey? I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.

How I Chose and Tested the Subs

There are plenty of subs on the menu now, many more than what the chain originally offered. That made it hard to narrow my choices down, but after some internet research, I concluded that there were seven that customers spoke about the most, so those are the subs included here. I stayed as true as possible to each sub, ordering each without too many replacements or modifications in terms of ingredients, which included the bread. I chose both warm and cold subs, but that didn’t affect my decision-making since I love both. After sampling them all, I chose a winner—and it was a surprising one.

When judging, it came down to flavor, freshness of ingredients, and overall construction. All subs surprised me when it came to freshness, so the biggest distinguishers were flavor and construction. My winner was the best tasting and its components made sense and tasted awesome together. Others came close, but they either fell short on taste or lacked cohesiveness, which included overly sauced components.

Subway's Subs Taste Test Results

7th Place: All-Pro Sweet Onion Teriyaki

I love baked goods and most sweet treats, but I don’t love that same level of sweetness in a savory sandwich. It only took one bite of this one for me to say, “No.” It was cloyingly sweet and there wasn’t enough acidity (even with my addition of banana peppers) to rectify the situation. While this one wasn’t a winner for me, others might enjoy Subway’s super sweet take on teriyaki. If you’re going to give it a try, I recommend adding anything acidic and/or spicy, including a good dousing of vinegar.

6th Place: The Mexicali

Based on the description, this sandwich sounded right up my alley. I’m a big fan of spicy food, especially when balanced with veggies and creamy guacamole. It looked pretty good upon opening, but I was sadly underwhelmed. Nothing stood out about it. The chicken was just okay, the guacamole tasted like the bland stuff you get at the grocery store, and it didn’t feel cohesive. Next time, I’d skip the guac and load up on jalapenos and banana peppers and swap the Italian bread with the multigrain.

5th Place: Veggie Delite

This sandwich can go very wrong if you’re at the wrong Subway. Fortunately, I was at the right one because my “sandwich artist” stacked plenty of fresh veggies on my sub. In fact, this was the best Veggie Delite I’ve ever had. The multigrain bread was soft, I could taste the provolone cheese, and with the perfect hit of salt and pepper, I could taste all of the veggies. This one was a pleasant surprise—a nice option for vegetarians or if you’re looking for something that isn’t “meat-heavy.”

4th Place: Cold Cut Combo

I’m a big fan of simple food and this is it. There’s nothing amazing or new or trendy about this sandwich. It’s a classic and that's what makes it so good. The soft Italian sub roll was the perfect base for ham, salami, and bologna (which are apparently all turkey-based). It was salty, but tasted like the sandwiches of my childhood. I wouldn’t eat it regularly, but if a cold-cut craving hit me, this is what I’d order.

3rd Place: Meatball Marinara

My brother loved the meatball marinara sub, but I always thought it looked and smelled something awful. Since it’s a fan favorite, I decided to open my mind and give it a try. I added some green bell peppers, red onion, banana peppers, and black olives to make it interesting, and I was surprised to find that I liked it. In fact, it weirdly reminded me of a cross between pizza and a hamburger. It’s a satisfying, flavorful warm sub and I was surprised to rank it in third place.

2nd Place: Oven-Roasted Turkey

While my brother ate his weight in meatball subs, I always chose the oven-roasted turkey. It was simple, but always satisfying. Many of the sandwiches on the menu are new since my early Subway days, but this one has remained, and I’m glad. The turkey tasted like turkey, the cheese was just right, and my collection of toppings were fresh and delicious. It’s a good sub, with tons of options for customization. If you’re a turkey fan, you can’t go wrong with this one.

1st Place: Elite Chicken & Bacon Ranch

Out of all of the sandwiches I sampled, this wasn’t the one I thought would be the winner. Of course, it sounded delicious in the description, but I wasn’t expecting it to deliver on those promises. But it did. I loved that the chicken was pulled instead of sliced, then tossed with seasonings. Even though my bacon was a little limp, it was the perfect salty and smokey addition. All the veggies brought a crisp freshness for balance and the Peppercorn Ranch sauce brought it all together. It’s a delicious toasted sub—and now also my new favorite.

Tips for Customizing the Best Subway's Sub

Ready to head to Subway? Remember that you can create and modify your sandwich! If you’re unsure where to start, here are some basic recommendations: 

• Go with the multigrain bread. It’s tempting to choose the Italian, but it’s not as satisfying. The multigrain bread is filling and holds up well to sauces and ingredients.
• Add more veggies. Unlike many other sandwich shops, Subway has an amazing selection of veggies. If your store is awesome, they’ll be fresh and perfect for any of your sandwiches. Most of them are free too, so why not?
• Go “light” on sauces. An overly sauced sandwich becomes gross fast. I recommend asking for a “light” amount when ordering. This prevents your bread from getting soggy and from overpowering the rest of the ingredients in your sub.
• Keep it spicy and pickle-y. A good sandwich absolutely needs something bright and acidic. That’s why, no matter what sub you choose, I recommend adding vinegar, pickles, banana peppers, or pickled jalapenos.