Sandwich Chains With The Best And Worst Deli Meat, According To Customers

From the classic American PB&J to the Vietnamese bánh mì, few foods are as universally beloved as the sandwich, which has been enjoyed across the globe since the 18th century. In the U.S., the most popular sandwiches are typically those made with processed luncheon meats, largely due to the prominence of American deli culture. Ham, turkey, and salami are just a few of the go-to fillings used in classic American sandwiches, whether you're making one at home or grabbing a quick bite from a nearby restaurant. 

Like most things, however, not all deli meats are created equal. This doesn't just apply to store-bought options but also to those served at popular sandwich chains. Customers regularly discuss the taste, texture, storage, and preparation of deli meats on platforms like Reddit, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. Users often comment on the serving sizes, too, which can influence whether they believe they're getting their money's worth. The following list highlights four of the best and five of the worst chain sandwich restaurants based on how customers rate their deli meats.

Kicking off this list with one of the worst offenders is Potbelly Sandwich Works. While researching its deli meats, one thing became abundantly clear – while many customers feel the chain's standards started to slip around the late '90s and early 2000's, things took a turn for the worse after the COVID-19 pandemic. Several reasons for this decline were noted by commenters who claimed to be former employees and managers, including a change in leadership that led to inconsistencies across various Potbelly establishments. Diners also reported the meat had a slimy texture and bland flavor. Paired with an overall lack of meat on the sandwiches, it's no wonder so many people have turned away from the chain. 

The most concerning factor here isn't just that the meats have become tasteless or that portions sizes have been lacking, it's that multiple customers have reported on the aforementioned sliminess of the meats. Slimy deli meat is usually due to one of two reasons – either additives pumped into the deli meat are leaking out of the cold cuts, or there's bacteria present. Fortunately, it's unlikely to be harmful bacteria indicating the meat has spoiled, but it's still not something you want to taste when you're trying to enjoy a sandwich.

Voted America's favorite sandwich chain in 2019, Jersey Mike's is arguably the top dog when it comes to quality ingredients. One of the most recognizable names in the sandwich world, Jersey Mike's offers more than 20 subs on its menu, both hot and cold. While not all of its sandwiches contain deli meat, the vast majority do. Anyone who's visited this chain knows that watching the employees slice the deli meats and cheeses behind the counter is part of the Jersey Mike's experience. It also demonstrates that the meat is fresh rather than prepackaged and pre-sliced.

While Yelpers praise the restaurant for its cut-to-order deli meat, they also commend it for ensuring each slice is the perfect thickness and for the generous portions. Jersey Mike's subs aren't exactly cheap, so customers appreciate getting real value for their money. Reviewers commonly highlight the roast beef in particular, describing it as especially tender, tasting delicious and high-quality. This is partly due to the fact that the flavor of the beef isn't overpowered by salt, as is seen with many cured deli meats.

Jimmy John's is another recognizable sandwich chain that, according to customers, seems to have fallen from grace. One of the biggest complaints from reviewers concerns the portion sizes, with several people voicing frustration at having to order extra meat to compensate for the incredibly thin slices. That's just one source of disappointment – the overall quality of Jimmy John's is frequently criticized across multiple platforms, with one reviewer comparing the deli meats to something you'd see in a school cafeteria lunch. One Redditor sarcastically remarked, "I would've been impressed if it wasn't supposed to be food." 

That feedback is compounded by Yelp users who mention that the meat doesn't taste fresh at all. The flavor, or rather the lack of it, is another recurring issue in the negative reviews. On Reddit, a user even claimed that if Jimmy John's swapped one type of meat for another, they probably wouldn't notice, and that the sandwiches taste more like bread, lettuce, and mayo than anything else. Considering what these customers have to say, you might be better off saving your hard-earned cash and making your own sandwich at home.

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop may not be a household name like some of the other chains in this roundup, but it certainly deserves more recognition for its specialty sandwiches, particularly its Thanksgiving-inspired creation — "The Bobbie". Many customers have singled it out for the delicious, hand-pulled turkey filling, roasted in-house overnight. When it comes to meat, Capriotti's clearly respects authentic Italian cold cuts, with its capicola and prosciuttini often compared to those you'd find at a genuine Italian deli. One TripAdvisor user even stated that they wished more restaurants in their area understood real Italian meat and bread.

Authenticity aside,several users have praised Capriotti's for the freshness of its high-quality meatsand the extremely generous portion sizes. While the deli meat served at most restaurants is often fairly similar to the store-bought variety, one reviewer noted that the subs served to their family were a far cry from your typical "lunch-meat-style" sandwich. It's always a good sign when a restaurant's sandwich tastes so good and fresh that it's hard to imagine replicating it at home.

While Panera Bread doesn't have the worst deli meats around, it certainly doesn't have the best either. A common reason many Redditors shy away from Panera Bread's sandwiches is that the deli meats are prepackaged, which makes them taste less fresh and noticeably bland. There are also comments about the deli meat being slimy and having a strange odor. One user noted that the meat is incredibly salty; as a result, Panera Bread is probably not the best option for those on a low-sodium diet or with sensitivities like acid reflux. 

Customers have also expressed disappointment over the incredibly small portions, with one Yelper reporting a notable lack of meat and complete absence of avocado in their turkey avocado sandwich. Many feel that Panera Bread's sandwiches should contain more meat considering the high prices, and that even the chain's meal deals fail to offer real value for money.

Like Capriotti's, Schlotzsky's is another chain that may not immediately spring to mind when you think of sandwich spots. However, it has a highly loyal fanbase, and several Reddit users believe Schlotzsky's sandwiches are criminally underrated. Customers especially love the generous amount of meat in its sandwiches — while reviewing their pastrami sandwich, one food blogger not only noted the juicy texture and smoky flavor, but also felt the quantity of meat left "no question as to what was the star of the sandwich."

Reviewers also regularly praise the restaurant's consistency when it comes to ingredient quality and freshness. Unfortunately, many also express disappointment over the dwindling number of Schlotzsky's locations across the country. If you're lucky enough to find a Schlotzsky's, take it from those who know, love, and miss the chain: you can't go wrong with one of its classic deli sandwiches. 

Like Schlotzsky's, the number of Quiznos locations across the country has dropped significantly over the years, with reviewers noting that they only see the chain at airports nowadays. Many Redditors have expressed a desire to see Quiznos make a comeback, but others have noticed a marked decrease in quality that began when the chain started to disappear. Nostalgic fans claim it was once as good as Jersey Mike's or Firehouse Subs, but sadly that no longer appears to be the case.

Today, Quiznos is frequently compared to Subway for its poor meat quality and general lack of consistency. The prepackaged deli meat is reported as being rubbery, and an uneven bread-to-meat ratio means you can hardly taste the subpar protein at all. To quote one Yelp user, the meat is "just not right." Others have commented on the meat's strange color and odd flavor.Some theorize that Quiznos' decline — both in terms of quality and the number of physical locations — is because the chain forced franchisees to purchase ingredients from Quiznos-owned suppliers, squeezing revenue until the locations simply weren't profitable.

Famously created by firefighters, Firehouse Subs stands apart from other sandwich chains for one major reason: it steams all of its meats. According to customers, the steaming process enhances the flavor, keeping the meat tender and moist. However, some reviewers believe it tastes bland, while others have noticed excess liquid in their sandwiches, which they attribute to the steaming method.

One of the things customers seem to love most about Firehouse's deli meats is the serving sizes. Reviewers on TripAdvisor also praise the restaurant for slicing its meat fresh each day. You'll have to try one of Firehouse Sub's popular sandwiches for yourself to experience the freshness and the effects of the unique steaming technique. If you're curious about the flavor of each meat, try building your own sub with different ingredient combinations — you can even load it with all the deli meats at once.

Subway sits at the bottom of this list for several reasons, none of which are particularly surprising. The world-famous sandwich chain has had problems with the overall freshness and quality of its ingredients for a while now, and there's an overwhelming amount of negative feedback from Redditors commenting on how highly processed Subway's meat looks and tastes. Others mention the high sodium content of Subway's deli meats, which isn't conducive to a balanced diet and may lead to health issues like high blood pressure.

Subway attempted to improve its deli offerings a few years ago by taking a page out of Jersey Mike's book and introducing meat slicers to its stores. Ultimately, customers weren't impressed because, while the meats were technically sliced fresh each morning, they weren't sliced to order. Though it was a good idea in theory, Subway's meat slicer concept backfired and sales have continued to drop.

This list was created using customer feedback from platforms such as Reddit, Yelp, and TripAdvisor to identify the most frequently discussed factors of sandwich meat quality, which were taste, texture, preparation, and portion size. Customers weren't shy about labeling a restaurant's deli meats bland or overly salty; conversely, there was immense praise for extremely flavorful meats, especially authentic Italian cuts like Capriotti's capicola. Regarding texture, negative reviews often noted meats that were somewhat slimy.

In terms of preparation and freshness, restaurants like Jersey Mike's were favored for slicing their meat in-house for made-to-order sandwiches. Customers typically weren't fans of restaurants that relied heavily on pre-sliced and prepackaged deli meats. Reviewers also commented on the amount of meat they received in their sandwiches — praising thickly sliced cuts and a good meat-to-bread ratio — which was directly linked to whether they felt they got their money's worth.