Think Twice Before Ordering This Soup At Firehouse Subs

During the cooler months, fast food fans may find themselves wanting a nice, hot cup of soup over a side of french fries or onion rings. Panera or Potbelly may be go-to choices, but Firehouse Subs also has two different soups on its menu: loaded potato and chicken and dumpling. Unfortunately, in our ranking of fast food soups, we put the chain's loaded potato soup in second-to-last place.

This Firehouse Subs soup contains plenty of perfectly-cooked potatoes, but the base isn't creamy enough and the flavor is unbalanced and off-putting. Our taste tester noticed an overuse of spices, which completely concealed the other ingredients such as bacon, onions, chives, and cheese. The flavors you want in a loaded baked potato soup are totally missing due to this pitfall, making it wholly unsatisfying.

Firehouse Subs' loaded potato soup did beat out a similar item from Culver's, but that's basically all it has going for it. We also tried the Irish potato soup from Jason's Deli, which was much tastier. But if you don't have a Jason's near you, you're better off visiting chain restaurants with the absolute best loaded baked potatoes to get your fix of creamy, cheesy, bacon-topped spuds. Going by negative comments online, we think other Firehouse Subs customers would agree.

While some Firehouse Subs fans do enjoy its loaded potato soup, others agree with our opinion that it's too thin, watery, and spiced all wrong. Though our taste tester thought the potatoes were the best part, some customers found the chunks to be very mushy, while others said that their serving had only one or two pieces. Even those who like this soup well enough remark that it's not as flavorful as it could be.

The value of this loaded potato soup has also been called into question. Some reviewers were disappointed with the small portion they received, even when ordered in the larger "bowl" size. Firehouse Subs patrons have also complained about extra charges for toppings to be added to the soup. Since "loaded" is in the item's name, customers expect it to be served with generous add-ins, but many claim that their local store made them pay a fee for cheese and bacon.

Preparing a comforting potato soup recipe at home may take longer than driving to a fast food spot, but considering the poor showing at Firehouse Subs, a homemade version is a way better bet. The chain's chicken and dumpling soup didn't wow our tastebuds, either, so it's clear that sandwiches are the restaurant's true forte. Our ranking of popular sandwiches at Firehouse Subs can tell you what to order, so you'll walk away full and happy instead of hungry and disappointed.