What 'Fully Involved' Means When Ordering At Firehouse Subs

Whether you want "special sauce" or "everything on it," fast food and fast casual jargon can vary depending on where you're ordering. For patrons of a certain chain, however, one specific phrase sounds like quite the commitment. You should know that when ordering from Firehouse Subs, the phrase "fully involved" refers to the inclusion of deli mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion in your sandwich, plus a kosher dill pickle spear on the side.

In keeping with the firefighting origins of the chain, several sandwiches have names inspired by firefighter terms, including the Hook & Ladder and Firehouse Captain's Club. Much like these menu items, "fully involved" is also a phrase used by firefighters, which relates to the growing size and severity of an active fire. Of course, in the context of ordering your sandwich, it simply means you'd like a handful of complementary ingredients added.

With so many popular sandwiches at Firehouse Subs, there's plenty of opportunities to enjoy these additional sauces and veggies. If ordering in person, you can always ask for your sub to be made "fully involved" or add any other ingredients you'd like. When ordering online or through an app, you can easily add or remove whatever you wish. Keeping this in mind, the combination of toppings suit some subs better than others. 

Ordering your sub "fully involved" will certainly add a significant boost of flavor. The zing of deli mustard, creamy mayonnaise, crisp lettuce and onions, all finished off with a tender tomato and a side pickle spear is sure to tantalize many a palate. However, some of these FI ingredients can be fairly polarizing. In fact, even mayonnaise can be considered a controversial condiment. 

It's also worth noting that some Firehouse Subs aren't offered with a "fully involved" option since the combination of flavors and textures might be at odds, such is the case for a toasty Sweet & Spicy Meatball. Even the Firehouse Subs sandwich we're still dreaming about — that is, the Spicy Cajun Chicken — already comes with lettuce, onions, mustard, and a housemade Cajun mayo, which makes it perfection as is. With regard to which sandwiches can be made "fully involved," one Reddit user points out, "Pretty much everything is fully involved (mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, and deli mustard). The only thing not FI is your 3 S's (steamer, brisket, steak), which is only mayo and mustard. The only 2 you need to worry about is Italian and Bacon Ranch ... Italian gets dressing and the TBR is ranch instead of mustard."

When in doubt, always ask. If you're ordering from Firehouse Subs online, take a look at reviews for your specific location and see which options most customers enjoy ordering "fully involved." For those ordering in person, ask someone at your local shop. This clever collection of FI ingredients might become your new go-to.