This Popular Publix Sub Isn't Worth Ordering, According To Our Ranking

Publix is a beloved grocery chain with a great lineup of prepared foods. And Publix's diverse selection of sub sandwiches uses fresh ingredients, house-made bread from the bakery, and a wide range of sauces, condiments, deli meats, and cheeses. We tasted and ranked 10 Publix subs based on value, taste, and texture. While the chicken tender sub is touted to be a popular choice at Publix, it isn't worth ordering, according to our ranking.

The chicken tender sandwich is one of the most expensive subs in Publix's repertoire, and it comes in countless variations, with different sauces, extra proteins, and cheeses. But we tried the classic chicken tender sub with hand-breaded chicken tenders, provolone cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. You certainly get your money's worth with the breaded chicken, which is chopped up and stuffed into the sub until it practically bursts at the seams. There was barely any room for the toppings, which throws off the ratio of ingredients. And while a heartily stuffed sandwich sounded promising, the taste and texture of the chicken tenders were what landed this sub in last place. The tenders had way too much breading, and since it was chopped up into small pieces, we couldn't get any of the crunchy breaded texture to contrast the chew of the chicken. More offensive still was the absolutely flavorless, bland taste of the chicken and the chewy, soggy texture of the meat. Even after dousing it in sauce, it was hard to choke back more than one bite.

Publix customers were unimpressed with the chicken tender sandwich. A Redditor complained about the ratio of ingredients, stating, "Half the time the bread is shredded because the tenders are too big." But more concerning to customers is the quality of the chicken tenders themselves, which they claim has taken a nose dive. One Redditor noted "hard little 'bits' of some sort? I can't tell if it's fat or like a hard part of the skin." Other customers complained that the chicken tenders were dried out or stale, to which a former employee confirmed that the chicken tenders can sit out for up to two hours before being stuffed into a sandwich. Consequently, a Redditor recommends ordering your sandwich in the morning, around two hours after the store opens, "so they had time to fry some and not give you leftovers...that was sitting all day drying under a heat lamp."

Not only were fans disappointed with the chicken tender sub, but they were also let down by the Brisket Sub due to tasteless, third-party brisket with a price tag that doesn't match its value. If you're looking for a Publix sub worth buying, our top contenders include the Homestyle Beef Meatball Sub and the Ultimate Deli Sub. If your heart is set on the chicken tender sub, you can always customize your Publix order with cheese, condiments, and other toppings to improve overall taste. You can even swap the bread with any Publix bakery bread.