A Stupid Question....

But has anyone on here had a GREAT sub from a chain? I just did, last week, and that is why I ask. My mom & I went to Jerry's Subs & Pizza, and ordered an Italian Cold Cut, which is ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, oil, spices, tomato, onion and lettuce.

It was the closest thing I've found to the CT hoagies/grinders/subs I've had since leaving there. It was overstuffed to the point of being unable to close, and the oil/herb mix tasted just like what we got on those subs. The bread was fresh and toasted lightly, and the meats were high quality and so was the cheese.

Let me add, I have eaten at this chain a few times, with no good reviews.....but this particular store I have eated at 3 times and have had nothing other than spectacular food.

So....anyone else had good experiences at individual stores which are chains when it somes to subs in particular?

Navy Brat,

I have had a very good sub from a chain called Primo's. Haven't eaten it in a long time, but it was by far the best chain sub I have ever had. Here is the place

http://www.primohoagies.com/index.html

Please check my post on the "Best sub. I ever had link for my comments about the $5 Subway sub with "the works"...a bargain...and while it won't,and shouldn't replace my favorite quality sub place...loaded with 4-5 kinds of peppers,olives,spinach etc etc etc...it is a buy!!!Granted not tons of meat...but enough...not the best bread...but for a day at the beach, as we used it for,OK...and cheap for a family of 4!!!

Although I'm a fan of Subway for the fresh ingredients and price, the one thing about them I can't stand is their toothless, airy, weak bread. I'd happily pay another $1-2 more per sub if I could get it on some bread that had some chutzpah to it.

quote:

Originally posted by WarToad

Although I'm a fan of Subway for the fresh ingredients and price, the one thing about them I can't stand is their toothless, airy, weak bread. I'd happily pay another $1-2 more per sub if I could get it on some bread that had some chutzpah to it.

I agree with your bread comment...no chutzpah! But "fresh ingredients?" At Subway? The ones near me (in CT) use meats and cheeses that look anything but fresh. Pre-sliced and doled out sparingly. So sparingly that you're not sure what you're eating. I guess I'm spoiled...the sub places I like slice things to order. And they're not stingy.

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Please check my post on the "Best sub. I ever had link for my comments about the $5 Subway sub with "the works"...a bargain...and while it won't,and shouldn't replace my favorite quality sub place...loaded with 4-5 kinds of peppers,olives,spinach etc etc etc...it is a buy!!!Granted not tons of meat...but enough...not the best bread...but for a day at the beach, as we used it for,OK...and cheap for a family of 4!!!

I had a eureka moment the other day when I got one of those $5 specials. I took the meat and some of the "fillers" from one half of the roll (they already had cut it in half), and put them on the other half, and tossed the left-over half roll. Voila! Six-inch double-meat (well, double for Subway) sub. Knocked about 200 calories off of it, too.

I didn't try to get the teenaged sub maker to make it that way for $5 to begin with. He'd probably get confused and cranky.

quote:

Originally posted by Ciaoman
[br....
I agree with your bread comment...no chutzpah! But "fresh ingredients?" At Subway? The ones near me (in CT) use meats and cheeses that look anything but fresh. Pre-sliced and doled out sparingly. So sparingly that you're not sure what you're eating. I guess I'm spoiled...the sub places I like slice things to order. And they're not stingy.

OK, I should have predicated that comment with "compaired to other chains..." I agree, not as fresh as a great family run place, but for a chain, and the price, it's fairly acceptable.

I eat Subway maybe twice a year, usually the tuna. When requesting my "fillers"(here or anywhere else actually)I ask for "light" lettuce, tomato, and whatever else I choose. If I don't I could easily create a salad for lunch the next day with the excessive amounts they normally put on subs.

Lee - It's all about the bread isn't it when it comes to a great hoagie Most places have access to decent provisions. That bread covers up a lot of mundane ingredients IMHO. Most can give you fresh lettuce and tomatoes, spices, etc. Domestic cheeses despite the different brands are mainly passable.

Therefore, I dont' like any of the sub chains. Yes, their breads are baked on the premises, but they are using frozen dough and there's little taste or texture IMHO. Sadly, in Florida, there is very little good hoagie bread available from independent bakeries. What there is that's good will normally be found in one of the big cities. Publix makes a decent hoagie roll and so their hoagies are decent.

But, if you are in a big city, you can find wonderful hoagie rolls and almost every independent shop will probably be better than the famous chains who bake off frozen dough. These little shops have access to artisan bakeries around town that bake in brick ovens.

For me, the ideal hoagie is made with a store made roast fresh ham (usually hard to find), salt, pepper, mayo and tomatoes on a fantastic hoagie roll.. My second choice would be rare store made top round roast beef, a good sharp imported swiss, shaved iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, salt, pepper and mayo on that same great big city artisan bakery (brick oven) hoagie bread.

Finally, for my true Italian hoagie..any decent boiled ham, Hormel brand Genoa salami, very sharp imported provolone (not that domestic stuff) shaved iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, good olive oil and red wine vinegar on that same great bread.

The best hoagie sandwich I ever had was in Florence. They had this deli (Altemeria or Saltermria or however they spelled it?)where they roasted their own fresh hams, hams, roast beefs, etc. with all these incredible seasonings on the exteriora. They all sat up on the counter for all to see. They would hand carve both types of ham(the roast beef they used a slicer), put it on a wonderful hoagie roll and serve it up just like that...Nothing else! You didn't need anything else! It was like $8.00.

I love a good Blimpie. Blimpie was started in Hoboken. The Bayonne NJ location has been around as long as I can remember. It is not a sub that weighs 10 lbs. but I enjoy them as an alternative to other fast foods.

I'm telling you guys primo subs has good bread. If you have one by you try it out

quote:

Originally posted by Baah Ben

Lee - It's all about the bread isn't it when it comes to a great hoagie Most places have access to decent provisions. That bread covers up a lot of mundane ingredients IMHO. Most can give you fresh lettuce and tomatoes, spices, etc. Domestic cheeses despite the different brands are mainly passable.

Therefore, I dont' like any of the sub chains. Yes, their breads are baked on the premises, but they are using frozen dough and there's little taste or texture IMHO. Sadly, in Florida, there is very little good hoagie bread available from independent bakeries. What there is that's good will normally be found in one of the big cities. Publix makes a decent hoagie roll and so their hoagies are decent.

But, if you are in a big city, you can find wonderful hoagie rolls and almost every independent shop will probably be better than the famous chains who bake off frozen dough. These little shops have access to artisan bakeries around town that bake in brick ovens.

For me, the ideal hoagie is made with a store made roast fresh ham (usually hard to find), salt, pepper, mayo and tomatoes on a fantastic hoagie roll.. My second choice would be rare store made top round roast beef, a good sharp imported swiss, shaved iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, salt, pepper and mayo on that same great big city artisan bakery (brick oven) hoagie bread.

Finally, for my true Italian hoagie..any decent boiled ham, Hormel brand Genoa salami, very sharp imported provolone (not that domestic stuff) shaved iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, good olive oil and red wine vinegar on that same great bread.

The best hoagie sandwich I ever had was in Florence. They had this deli (Altemeria or Saltermria or however they spelled it?)where they roasted their own fresh hams, hams, roast beefs, etc. with all these incredible seasonings on the exteriora. They all sat up on the counter for all to see. They would hand carve both types of ham(the roast beef they used a slicer), put it on a wonderful hoagie roll and serve it up just like that...Nothing else! You didn't need anything else! It was like $8.00.

BaahBen,you're so right about the bread...with better Italian bread,Subway is as good as many others....and oh,yeah...if i could only get the Italian bread I got in so many places in Italy!!!

Well, have to put in my vote for Subway since they're the only game in town (not counting the offerings
at Arby's & Hungry Howies, both of which are way overpriced), & can make two meals out of one of those
$5 cold cut trios.

Of course, when heading east, there's Firehouse & their New York Steamer sub: pastrami & corned beef
with all the trimmings , and even though I don't eat them, a dill pickle spear.

I am not really sure what it is but there is something about the smell of Subway's that really turns me off. I stop at the Pilot Travel Store pretty frequently and many of them have Subway's. The stench of something they do or make is offensive to my olafactory senses.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I agree about the Subway odor - even if someone brings one back to the office to eat it, that unpleasant smell lingers for hours.

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

I am not really sure what it is but there is something about the smell of Subway's that really turns me off. I stop at the Pilot Travel Store pretty frequently and many of them have Subway's. The stench of something they do or make is offensive to my olafactory senses.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I wonder if the stench is from the Subway counter or its surroundings. It would be interesting to
stop at a stand alone Subway location to see if it existed.

Tubbys in Michigan serves a great sub. You can keep your 5 dollar foot long. The cross contamination in those places is unreal. Would you like a Tuna,cold cut,steak sub? ...Russ

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

The stench of something they do or make is offensive to my olafactory senses

AGREED !!!! I hate the smell ! Some of the Walmarts switched over to Subway instead of McDonald's. So when I walk into those Wal Marts, that stench is there!

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that has a problem with Subway's smell factor -

penn station serves a good sub... very quality bread, meats, and vegetables... a little expensive and still below the good non-chain sub places, but penn station is nevertheless very tasty!

quote:

Originally posted by ellen4641

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

The stench of something they do or make is offensive to my olafactory senses

AGREED !!!! I hate the smell ! Some of the Walmarts switched over to Subway instead of McDonald's. So when I walk into those Wal Marts, that stench is there!

It is probably the smell of their bread rising and baking.

I have never had a good sub at a chain...I stick to locals.

I don't like the Subway smell either --- it permeates everything and tends to stay with you all day. There's a Hobby shop we go to every now and then and it's adjacent to a Subway in a strip mall and the Hobby shop reeks of Subway! JohnA, we have a stand-alone Subway here in Versailles, KY, and yes the same smell is there. Whatever it is, it's not the smell of bread rising and baking in any other place I've been, including when I make it at home. It's a weird chemically sweet smell. That being said, I still eat a sub from Subway every now and then --- if I'm prepared to smell like Subway all day.

Andrea

I have never had a great sub from a chain. I have very rarely even had a decent one. I have, however, had many, many, many awful ones.

I love the smell of bread rising! And I wish that was the smell Subway has..

Instead, it has an unexplained wierd smell...

Ellen, did you ever drive by the Helm's Bakery when it was up and running? Well maybe someone else drove back then but the aroma of yeast was heavenly.

I miss that.

quote:

Originally posted by mar52

Ellen, did you ever drive by the Helm's Bakery when it was up and running?

Nope, was'nt me....

quote:

Originally posted by ellen4641

I love the smell of bread rising! And I wish that was the smell Subway has..

Instead, it has an unexplained wierd smell...

Huh. Now I am going to have to go in one and sniff around. I hope that the don't look at me funny.