The Worst Italian Sub Comes From This Popular Chain

You likely won't find them in Italy, but Italian subs are a cornerstone of American cuisine. Visit any deli or popular chain restaurant, and you're guaranteed to find some variation of it. Maybe your favorite features mozzarella instead of provolone, or is served on focaccia instead of a sub roll. Whatever it may be, odds are, it adds something unique to the sandwich. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with Subway's 5-Meat Italian Sub, which ranked dead last in our popular chain Italian sub ranking.

Subway's 5-Meat Italian sub just didn't cut it, primarily due to the presence of one ingredient that dominated the rest of the sandwich: roast beef. It's marketed as a 5-meat sub, but the roast beef's flavor and texture — along with the turkey and ham — completely overpower the cured meats, which are typically at the center of a traditional Italian sub.

We're not alone in this opinion, either. One Redditor said, "Roast beef on an Italian footlong is a choice," while another joked, "Ah yes, roast beef, the cornerstone of a proper Italian sub." We're not saying that roast beef has no place on an Italian sub. In some contexts, we're sure it could taste good. Then again, the Italian beef sandwich already exists for a reason.

We ranked this Italian sub last for more reasons than one. In addition to the out-of-place, overwhelming roast beef, the sandwich itself was a bit dry, despite featuring both mayonnaise and the MVP vinaigrette. The provolone cheese, an Italian sub staple, was pretty bland, adding nothing to the already-unimpressive sandwich, and we found the veggies — lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion — to be oddly layered and chopped up too small for our liking. Overall, the sandwich was a true disappointment, especially compared to Panera Bread's Toasted Italiano, which is far better than its competition.

If you don't want to give up the idea of an Italian sub on your next trip to Subway, never fear. One of our favorite sandwiches at Subway is the Hotshot Italiano, which is a more traditional Italian sub and is the updated version of the long-time fan-favorite Spicy Italian sub. In this sandwich, there's not a trace of roast beef, and it features jalapeño peppers for a bit of extra spice. We found this sandwich to be pretty standard when it comes to Italian subs, but if you are particular about how you like yours, you can always create your own Italian sub at Subway so you're guaranteed to be happy with the results.