The Best Italian Sub Sandwich: Firehouse vs. Jimmy John’s vs. Subway vs. Jersey Mike’s

Listen, I like to eat. I like food. When it comes to sandwiches, I like a good Italian sub. It was with that in mind that I recently approached my friend Patrick and asked him to embark on a journey to identify the best Italian Sub.

Our Rather Scientific, Wholly Unscientific Approach:

We all have our own tastes, even when it comes down to something as simple as bread; but then again there are some things that are actually measurable. Like the quantity of meat for example isn't a question of personal preference. Its just factually more or less meat than the competing sandwich. Price is also very measurable. With that said, if you are going to read the rest of this you will have to take it on faith that I'm standing in to judge for all 320 million Americans which Italian Sub is the best.

I suppose I should just add a disclaimer that we could have been more scientific if we tried. At the end of the day this was 2 friends enjoying lunch together at 4 different sandwich shops while also trying to answer the question; who has the best Italian.

We started our mission by identifying the restaurants to be included in the quest. We did some research to identify the largest national chains and the top 4 were: Subway, Jersey Mike's, Jimmy John's, and Firehouse. Of course its worth noting that combining Jersey Mikes, Jimmy John's, and Firehouse locations together you still wouldn't compete with Subway. Its that big. No other chain comes close to competing with these 4 in terms of the number of locations. There are regional chains that have a lot of locations in some parts of the country but looking nationally these are THE four.

Next, we have to find the right balance between making this an apples to apples comparison while allowing each sub chain to represent itself based on it's own interpretation of an Italian Sub. So where we were able we got similar toppings for example but we tried to stick with the menu's determination of what meats and cheese should be included.

First, I'll share my thoughts from each restaurant and then we'll look more directly on how they stack up in various categories.

Firehouse Subs

Overall Impression: Delicious and warm, with bread that stayed soft even though the sub was hot.

Our first stop was at Firehouse, the only place that by default serves the Italian hot. If you know you like a hot sandwich this is your best option though Subway gives you the option as well. However they heat the sandwich it didn't toast the bread in a way that made it hard or crusty which is awesome. Firehouse is the most thematic in terms of its decorations and you get to feel warm and fuzzy inside that some small portion of your money spent is going to be donated to local firefighters.

Also, and it didn't matter to me any, but Firehouse has a “Hot Sauce Bar” that for some could be a good reason to choose Firehouse. The Italian at Firehouse also comes by default with an Italian mustard sauce and mayo and an Italian dressing. I despise mustard and mayo in all forms so I left those off. It is a unique thing to Firehouse and could sway you to choose it over the competitors if that is your thing.

Highlights:

• All subs are served hot by default, and that works well for their Italian.

• I skipped the deli mustard and mayo, leaving just the Italian dressing — a good balance of flavor without excess sauce.

• The bread stayed soft and chewy, not crunchy, which was a pleasant surprise.

• The Hot Sauce Bar is unique, though you didn’t use it.

Takeaway: A warm, melty, flavorful sub with great texture and solid value. Firehouse felt hearty and satisfying.

---

Jimmy John’s

Overall Impression: Fresh and simple but lighter, with standout bread flavor and excellent chips.

Jimmy John's makes a good sandwich, but then again so do their competitors. My biggest disappointment here was the bread which while soft in the center was a bit crusty or tough on the edges. It provided the least amount of meat of any Italian we tried which is another tick in the negative column. On the flip side they have their own brand of potato chips which are fantastic.

Highlights:

• Sandwiches are cold only, giving a clean, deli-style feel.

• The bread was very fresh and soft in the center, though the ends were a bit crusty or tough.

• Meat portions were smaller than Firehouse and thinner at the edges.

• Loved their house-made Jimmy Chips®, which added a unique, high-quality side.

• Provolone is the only standard cheese — limited but traditional.

Takeaway: A light, fresh, easy-to-eat sub. Bread flavor stood out, but overall it felt smaller and less “meaty” than the others.

---

Subway

Overall Impression: The best value and surprising fullness for the price, with soft, fluffy bread and tons of options.

I was surprised by Subway. I guess I figured it would be the worst of all of these. My perception of the brand is that they are everywhere but don't provide the same level of quality as the competitors. I was wrong. Their bread was the most full or fluffy; thought if you are watching your carb intake that could be a reason to stay away from Subway. The ingredients seemed as fresh on average as the competitors.

Additionally Subway has a lot of sandwiches which you could call an Italian. We ordered the B.M.T. which seemed to be the closest to what the competitors offered for the sake of this quest. You have more bread options that the competitors and cookies to add to your order which was unique to Subway!

Highlights:

• The 6″ Italian B.M.T. was only $6.49, making it the cheapest per inch.

• Bread was thicker, fuller, and fluffier than the others — soft with no crust.

• Felt more full of meat and cheese than either Firehouse or Jimmy John’s.

• Offers the widest customization: breads, cheeses, sauces, and toppings.

• Cookies were a fun extra, something no other chain offered.

Takeaway: Best bang for your buck — soft and full bread, full portion, and lots of ways to customize.

---

Jersey Mike’s

Overall Impression: The most authentic and flavorful Italian sub — messy but outstanding.

Okay, to save you from scrolling to the bottom, Jersey Mike's won this contest for me and Patrick. Hard to be more fresh on the cheese and meat than slicing it off the block right in front of the customer for each sandwich. The Italian (#13) has 5 meats and they get layered on thick. Plus I love “Mike's Way” which is a super easy way to customize the sandwich and plays well to my personal preferences. Additionally worth mentioning that the competitors don't have anything approximately the “juice” available at Jersey Mikes.

Highlights:

• All meats and cheeses are freshly sliced per order, nothing pre-cut.

• The Original Italian (#13) includes five meats, making it visibly heavier than any competitor.

• Bread was soft, fresh, and perfectly balanced — maybe the best overall texture.

• Ordered “Mike’s Way,” which adds onions, lettuce, tomatoes, oregano-basil, and The Juice (oil/vinegar blend).

• The Juice adds tons of flavor but also makes it messier to eat.

• Only serves cold subs; no option for toasting.

Takeaway: The most premium-feeling sandwich. Freshly sliced meats, balanced bread, and “The Juice” make it stand out — messy but worth it.

Lets Start With Price – The Lowest Cost Per Inch of Italian Sub

The price per inch of Italian Sub Sandwich ranges from $1.08 to $1.54 per inch. Subway wins for pure cost efficiency, offering the most sandwich for your dollar, while Jersey Mike’s is the priciest — though you do get visibly more meat and freshly sliced ingredients for that premium (more on that later).

Chain	Length	Price	Price per Inch
Firehouse Subs	8″	$10.59	$1.32
Jimmy John’s	8″	$9.19	$1.15
Subway	6″	$6.49	$1.08
Jersey Mike’s	7″	$10.79	$1.54

As Patrick and I sat at the 4th restaurant in our journey Patrick suggested we should have brough a scale and weighed each sandwich. Perhaps a better measurement of value would have been price per ounce instead of price per inch. Patrick's insight came a little late but I think he is right, and if we had weighed these I suspect it would have been a tighter race in terms of price per ounce.

The Most Important Topic – The Meat

Again, allowing that Subway and Jersey Mike's have multiple sandwiches in the “Italian” category (and Jimmy John's to a degree) we are comparing the four specific sandwiches we felt were most comparable.

• Firehouse Subs: Genoa salami, pepperoni, Virginia honey ham, melted provolone.

• Jimmy John’s Vito: Salami, capicola, provolone.

• Subway B.M.T.: Salami, pepperoni, black forest ham, customizable cheese.

• Jersey Mike’s #13 Original Italian: Provolone, ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami, pepperoni.

Jersey Mike’s packs the heaviest meat lineup — five meats total — while Jimmy John’s is the lightest. Subway’s trio offers strong balance for its price, and Firehouse wins points for melty cheese and hearty warmth.

Meat and Cheese Portions

• Firehouse: Generous, hot, and well-layered.

• Jimmy John’s: Noticeably less meat; ends were sparse.

• Subway: Felt fuller than both Firehouse and Jimmy John’s.

• Jersey Mike’s: The clear leader — visibly the most meat and thickest stack.

Subway surprised here, but Jersey Mike’s easily takes the crown for meat density and portion quality.

The Bread

All four chains serve good bread, but the textures differ:

• Firehouse: Bread stays soft even when toasted — a big win.

• Jimmy John’s: Fresh but slightly tough or crusty on the ends.

• Subway: Thick, fluffy, soft bread with no crust; very pillowy.

• Jersey Mike’s: Perfectly balanced — soft and fresh with just enough chew.

If we were rating just the bread, they’d all be similar, but Jimmy John’s had the toughest edges, while Jersey Mike’s might have the most ideal balance.

Customization

There is a clear division here between this restaurants.

At Firehouse and Jimmy John's you order at a counter and then sit down while they make your sandwich on the other side of a wall. You can see the person making your sandwich but you can't see your sandwich being made.

At Subway and Jersey Mike's it is the traditional assembly line that Subway made famous. You walk your sandwich down the line customizing it as you go.

At any of the four restaurants you could customize any ingredients for sure but at Firehouse and Jimmy John's the assumption is that you will take it how the menu describes it unless you say otherwise while at Subway and Jersey Mike's you are going to customize it as you go no matter what.

It is worth discussing “Mike's Way” here. At Jersey Mike's after your meat and cheese is on the bread and the sandwich gets passed down to the next section of veggies etc. the restaurant has something they call Mike's Way which is a preset of customization to include onions, lettuce, tomatoes, oregano-basil, and “the juice” (vinegar/oil blend).

You don't have to have your sandwich Mike's Way. You can ignore it all together and just dictate ingredients one by one like you would at Subway but you might save time by saying “Mike's Way with peppers” or “Mike's Way but no tomatoes” for example. Its meant to be a starting point from which you add or subtract. I suppose you will love or hate this depending on how close Mike's Way is to your own personal preference. For me it's a home run since Mike was probably reading my diary when he came up with this particular combination of toppings.

Some Extras & Highlights

Here are some highlights worth mentioning in summary for each restaurant.

• Firehouse: Hot sauce bar — fun, unique, spicy variety. Italian served hot and melty.

• Jimmy John’s: Proprietary Jimmy Chips® — crunchy and excellent.

• Subway: Cookies and fluffy bread. Decent portion of meat/cheese.

• Jersey Mike’s: Best overall bread and portion sizes and “Mike's Way” is a win.

 

Ok, tell me in the comments about your favorite sandwich or sandwich shop!