Subway Vs Jimmy John's: Which Makes The Better Roast Beef Sub?

Roast beef may be the pinnacle of the classic American sandwich. You can't go wrong with some quality sliced beef atop a nice, freshly baked roll with well-chosen toppings. Subway and Jimmy John's are two of the most popular places to grab a quick sammie in the U.S., each specializing in a variety of signature subs, along with nearly all of the same standard offerings. In effect, both places should be able to make a killer roast beef sandwich, one that creates that lingering crave in your taste buds long after the last bite is put away. It's for this reason that I set out on a rainy day to visit both locations with meat on my mind, and the fateful question lingering in the back of my head: which roast beef sub is supreme? 

Jimmy John's "Big John," is one of the chain's classic, original offerings. As for Subway, roast beef can be had in a ton of different ways. To ensure an even playing field, I didn't toast the bread on either sandwich. At Subway, I mirrored the composition of the Big John: both came with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. 

Then I went home and set up the sandwiches, noting how the Big John was longer and skinnier, while Subway's roast beef had more thickness. As I ate, I made sure to take measure of the bread as well as the toppings, along the lines of freshness, taste, and compatibility with the beef. Most importantly, when it came to judging the roast beef itself, I obviously tried it inside the rest of the sandwich, but also had a bite or two on its own.

Surprisingly (and to my own personal delight) there was a Subway and a Jimmy Johns within walking distance of my apartment. However, even just in Brooklyn, Subway's locations far outnumber those of its sandwich counterpart, and nationwide, Jimmy John's only has around 2,500 locations (in all but five states). Subway is nearing 21,000 locations, yet as we know, quantity doesn't always imply quality. 

Out of the two sandwich chains, Jimmy John's has more subs with roast beef on its menu, although Subway has also developed various beef-oriented speciality sandwiches over the years. The former had a few really tasty-looking subs with roast beef, like the Billy Club and the Hunter Club, but for simplicity purposes, I ended up ordering the eight-inch, 540 calorie Big John, which was number nine in a recent Jimmy John's ranking. At Subway, I got the regular six-inch roast beef sandwich, which came in at around 350 calories. I stayed away from the Garlic Roast Beef because a year ago, it didn't even crack the top ten in a Subway sandwich ranking. The Jimmy's Johns sandwich was a little more expensive (albeit longer), coming in at $11.43, while Subway's sub set me back $8.70. 

Subway's six-inch roast beef sandwich looked hearty enough for a full meal, while not appearing too heavy. The distribution of the tomato, lettuce, and mayo was a 10/10, and as expected, the Subway employee who made the sandwich had a deft hand and laid out the roast beef perfectly atop the lettuce. The beef had good flavor ... but only good, not great. There was no zing; no true seasoning or umami embedded within the rosy, brown slices. The texture, as well, was disappointing, as the beef felt a slightly overcooked, slightly stringy, and just a bit old. The cut was too thick, and the temperature, too cold. 

I'm sure the sandwich would've tasted better toasted with cheese, but since Jimmy John's set the tone with its already-assembled Big John, I couldn't deviate from the lettuce-tomato-mayo-bread blueprint. Unfortunately, none of these elements hit the mark. The tomatoes were bland and grainy, and its mayo, which is known to not contain eggs, didn't have much flavor other than a note of savoriness. The lettuce was watery, although there was enough of it to provide a nice, contrasting crunch to the thick beef, and the bread — kind of crumbly — was near stale (it felt that every Subway ingredient seemed to be hours away from expiration). 

The bread at Subway hasn't had the steadiest history, with past scandals involving a chemical found in shoe rubber, as well as the country of Ireland refusing to allow the Subway's sandwich vehicle to be defined as bread. While I wasn't all too put off by the six inches of Italian, it wasn't anything to write home about.   

Right off the bat, there were a number of improvements with the Jimmy John's sandwich. The bread tasted way more fresh, with a nice fluffiness and a clear sheen to the outside. It could have been baked that morning, for all I knew, and it probably was, as Jimmy John's is known for its made-from-scratch ingredients. The mayo was also very tasty; it had a real punch of umami, with sufficient creaminess and the perfect amount spread across the bottom. None of this was surprising, as Jimmy John's uses Hellman's mayo. You can't go wrong with Hellman's. The lettuce and tomato both could've been more plentifully distributed on the sandwich, but the tomatoes were fresher and more thinly sliced than Subway's. The lettuce was the only element that was a real toss-up between each sandwich; there's only so much one can do to judge shaved iceberg. 

Jimmy John's is known to place a real onus on perfecting its roast beef — one Reddit thread referred to how the beef is hand sliced every day, with a former employee following up to explain how the recipe is constantly being changed to adjust the flavor. It was for these reasons, among others, that I had nearly decided my winner by the time I was removing a piece of beef to try on its own. 

Lo and behold, Jimmy John's roast beef had a real profile of spice and seasoning, with a peppery accent. It was sliced at the right consistency, didn't have as many flakes as Subway, and felt like it had been in an oven not too long before making it to my sandwich. The roast beef from each chain may appear the same on the outside, but one bite tells the whole story. 

Jimmy John's was a clear winner. The sandwich was the perfect size, the bread gracefully supported and accented an elite group of toppings, and the roast beef defined the sandwich with a true meaty flavor and delectable texture. Subway just fell short in nearly every category; while the sandwich wasn't bad altogether, it just didn't have enough elements or toppings to hide the flaws in the key ingredients to any good roast beef sub: the bread and the beef. Jimmy John's really just had more quality overall. It makes sense that the creator of the Big John sat four spots above Subway in our sandwich chain ranking. The next step for Jimmy John's is to knock off Jersey Mike's, which may be hard, as it lost a head-to-head matchup per our reviewers. 

Both sandwiches may have tasted better with some other toppings, but as the clear winner, the Big John and its piles of tasty roast beef have the most potential when it comes to customizations. Most of the add-ons at Jimmy John's are free, which makes the customization question a tricky decision. But with the help of internet forums (Jimmy John's has an active subreddit) you can make some great choices. If I was to go back, I would add some jalapeño ranch along with the mayo, and nestle in some hot peppers and a few onions. You might even consider topping roast beef with provolone, and maybe even throw in a few free croutons for some extra crunch.