10 GetGo Cafe Subs, Ranked

Gas station food is now trendy. You heard it here first. We largely have Bucky the Beaver to thank for this monumental change. The iconic Buc-Ee's mascot has been working overtime to change people's perceptions of quick convenience store grub. The lines of cars backed all the way up to the highway tell you everything you need to know about how well that's working out for him. But Bucky isn't the only one putting in the work. Chains like Sheetz and Wawa have also embraced a made-to-order mindset, and you can now add GetGo to that list as well.

Operating close to 300 locations predominantly across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, GetGo is the convenience store arm of grocery chain Giant Eagle. It's become a destination not only for gas and cold drinks, but for fresh food as well — including one of its biggest draws: an extensive lineup of customizable submarine sandwiches. They come both hot and cold, and in both pre-configured and build-your-own formats. That means all your bases are covered, whether you're hungry for a loaded-up deli cold cut or a hot and melty Philly cheesesteak.

Having all these sub choices sounds great, until you're staring at the ordering kiosk, trying to pick just one before getting back on the road. To help make that decision a little easier, I tried 10 different popular sub options for myself and am sharing my two cents on what's impressively tasty for a gas station sandwich, and which picks are better left at the pit stop.

Okay, part of this sub's poor performance could have to do with my shoddy ordering skills — though I can't take all the blame. It comes from GetGo's "Build-Your-Own" category of sandwiches. So, I loaded it up with toppings I thought appropriate for a filet of grilled chicken. That meant a slice of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a slather of good old-fashioned mayonnaise. Simple. Then, the cafe employees decided to simplify it even more by leaving off the mayo. On a non-toasted Italian roll, it wasn't particularly easy on the eyes ... or the taste buds. But I fear different toppings wouldn't have made a significant difference.

The main problem lies in the hunk of "grilled" chicken. It doesn't come close to covering the entire length of the bread. It also felt more boiled or microwaved, rather than grilled, and with no seasonings whatsoever, all you could taste was its strange gummy texture. Now, that's something no amount of veggies and condiments can fix. Even going back to add in the missing mayonnaise would have been in vain.

Despite the lettuce, tomato, and cheese, the entire sandwich felt dry and disappointing. Plus, the chicken wasn't even warm, leaving the sandwich stranded somewhere between a cold and hot sub. It's the kind of pick that you're better off skipping altogether.

This is the sub GetGo is featuring as of summer 2026, and it's a doozy. It comes with the option to tack on queso bites. And, of course, I had to go big — probably a mistake in hindsight.

There are far too many flavors going on there, and none of them coordinate. Let's start off with the meat of the sandwich: the pulled pork. Honestly, on its own it's not half bad. There's a natural sweetness to it, plus a tenderness and tang that make it flavorful, even without a barbecue sauce. Unfortunately, things only become more chaotic from there. I thought provolone cheese was an odd choice for a heap of pulled pork, and the lettuce and pico de gallo felt even more out of place. A bacon aioli is then layered on top, adding a smokiness to the sandwich that would have been a decent addition to just the pork alone. But with everything else, it felt like one ingredient too many (or maybe four ingredients too many).

And that's not even the end of it. On top of it all, there are the queso bites. The substance inside the bites tastes more like nacho or pimento cheese than queso, and the breaded outside becomes soggy inside the sandwich. I think they would fare better on the side instead. As it stands, though, this Tex-Mex monstrosity barely beats out the bland chicken sub.

Steak subs have their own special category on the GetGo menu. There are three signature, pre-made options to pick from, and I tried every single one, including this classic Philly Cheesesteak.

It appears to be a proper cheesesteak replica. It's loaded up with a shaved steak, roasted peppers and onions, and a cheddar cheese sauce atop an Italian sub roll. Once I unwrapped it, though, I started to realize "loaded up" was an ambitious term. Mine was rather flat, with far more bread than meat, veggies, and cheese. Quite the opposite problem compared to the Tex Mex Sub, which was overflowing with mismatched ingredients. Inside the cheesesteak, there were some promising flavors. But there were also some texture problems that needed to be addressed. The steak was too chewy and dry in spots. At the same time, the fajita-style peppers and onions gave the sandwich a bit more moisture, but leaned a little too soggy for my liking — like they were overcooked by just a few minutes.

As for the cheese sauce, that was another miss in my eyes. It was more of a standard nacho cheese sauce than anything else, devoid of that unmistakable rich creaminess you get from Cheez Whiz – the ingredient that's more of a Philly cheesesteak than a structural need, but one that makes all the difference.

A Mushroom Swiss Cheesesteak sub also sits on the menu, and it does just enough to outshine the Philly. Admittedly, its higher ranking does have something to do with the fact that it was stuffed with a heftier helping of steak — a stroke of luck that could easily vary on any given day. But I still stand behind it as a more savory option.

The sub's makeup is pretty obvious given its name. You know you can count on finding steak, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese under the hoagie-style roll. Then mayonnaise is also thrown on as a surprise supporting condiment. With a slightly more generous portion of meat, these fillings stand up better to the bread than the Philly did. I was also impressed by the amount and sheer size of the mushrooms. I was expecting tiny, hardly noticeable mushrooms hiding in between bits of meat. But these are large and in charge, making their presence known in every bite. The Swiss cheese then adds its own mild nuttiness to the sub to help bind the other ingredients together — both literally and in terms of taste.

When it came to the mayo, I was happy it was there to combat the dryness. But I also think something like a garlic aioli would have been a better fit under the circumstances — a spread to match the sandwich's strong umami notes. Unfortunately, that's not an option at GetGo.

If you're looking for a taste of Italy on your quick trip to GetGo, the Parma Mia Chicken Parmesan Sub beckons. It's certainly not a classic take on the sub. But once you get past the unorthodox ingredients and the redundant name, you'll likely find that it's a decent pick. At least, that was my experience.

What makes it so different from the chicken parm subs you're probably used to? Well, it makes use of chicken tenders, rather than one big chicken cutlet, and the real kicker is the inclusion of not one, but two mozzarella sticks. I do see the vision here. The sandwich already focuses on breaded foods and cheese, so why not pile on more? Tastes of provolone, Parmesan, and mozzarella dominate each bite, as well as a splash of standard marinara sauce and a bit of chicken. It's hearty and gives you those comforting, cheesy flavors you're after. For those reasons, it surpasses a few of the more mediocre steak subs. However, there are still a few problem points.

The breading on both the chicken and mozz sticks is heavy and inevitably turns mushy, rather than crisp. I also found the chicken to be a tad dry, and that issue was mimicked throughout the entire sandwich. It needed more sauce, and a more robust one at that. Hints of garlic or Italian herbs would have been a game-changer, too.

The Club Sub is another build-your-own ordeal, just like the grilled chicken. That means every single one starts with a meaty trio of turkey, ham, and bacon. But then you get to customize it with your choice of cheese, toppings, and condiments. I went with another simple combination, including lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, and then I wanted to try out GetGo's All American Sauce — just for fun.

I was immediately impressed by the amount of cold cuts piled onto this sub. It was far more substantial than the steak subs, and at the same time wasn't strange and slightly scary like the Tex Mex or chicken parm subs. It lands right in the middle with a good balance of meat to bread to toppings. As a whole, it comes together really nicely. It's your average meat and cheese sub with fresh-enough veggies and a creamy, tangy sauce that at times reminded me of a spicy mayo. It's probably better suited for a burger, but I didn't mind it in this setting.

What I didn't like was the four strips of bacon — it's the one time I would have preferred less. It didn't look fully cooked, and it tasted as though it was cooked in the microwave. So the texture and the taste weren't quite right. The easiest solution would just be to pick it off, but then it wouldn't be much of a club sub, would it?

The BuffaLoaded Chicken really lays it on thick. It starts with a spicy chicken filet that's joined by a spicy buffalo dip, cheddar cheese slices, lettuce, and a drizzle of ranch dressing. It sounds like a Midwestern dream, and it tastes pretty decent too, considering it's served at the same place you buy gas and Lotto tickets.

Yes, the chicken is rather flat and not particularly spicy. But it has decent flavor and juiciness. I would place it just a step below the kind of spicy sandwich filets you would find at popular fast-food chains. Even though the buffalo dip doesn't break the heat scale either, it does offer that distinct hot sauce taste and a nice creamy consistency. It was hard to tell if they were pickles or celery, but there were also tiny bits that added a crunchy element to the sandwich. I assumed they were part of the buffalo dip itself, and I could have sworn they were a little zesty like pickles, but my palate could have been deceiving me.

I probably could have done without the lettuce. Once drenched in ranch and buffalo dip, the shreds simply turned warm and limp. So I would have rather skipped them altogether. Beyond that, though, I thought this was a solid sub. And without any glaring flaws—like the bacon on the club sandwich — it managed to climb pretty high in the rankings.

I thought it was pure happenstance that I ended up with an everything roll on this sandwich. With all the subs I ordered, I figured the employees ran out of the Italian loaves and made a sneaky swap. But as it turns out, this was always the correct bread for the Bistro Steak Sub, and it makes all the difference in the taste.

I'll admit, this sandwich didn't look that impressive from the outside. It barely had more meat than the earlier cheesesteak, and it was accompanied by just a few caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, and mayonnaise. But I took one bite and noticed some clear improvements. The steak didn't seem as dry or dull here when paired with the sweet, cooked-down onions. The cheddar slices contribute a bit more character, and the mayonnaise served its purpose. I still would have preferred a more elevated condiment, but at a convenience store you have to manage your expectations.

All of these ingredients would have landed on the standard Italian bread just fine. However, it's the everything roll that takes it to another level, turning it into more of a steakhouse-caliber sandwich. Extra notes of salt, onion, and savory garlic complement the steak. Plus, you get a subtle crunch from all those seeds. If you're ordering any kind of steak sub from GetGo, I would recommend opting for the everything roll — you won't regret it.

Any place slinging subs had better have an Italian option on the menu. It's a staple, and I don't lower those expectations even for a gas station kitchen. Luckily, GetGo delivers in this department. It even has its half Italian sub listed as a featured item on its DoorDash menu.

The classic starts with a generous amount of hot ham, hard salami, and pepperoni. It's just as much meat as what was packed onto the club sub. It seems like you can always count on GetGo's cold cut subs to be quite sizable. After the meats, it's up to you to round out the rest of the sandwich. In true Italian style, I went with a combination of provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayonnaise, and a touch of oil and vinegar. I also defaulted to a white bread Italian roll. But the everything loaf stands as a viable alternative.

Honestly, I have very few complaints about this sub. You could plop it down next to Italian subs from any of the big guys like Jersey Mike's and Jimmy John's, and it would fit in just fine. It's filling. It has the lightly spiced flavors. It has the crisp (ish) veggies. It has some added flavor from the mayo and juices. The bread is the only place where it falls behind other chains. But overall it's one of GetGo's best, coming in second behind a stick-to-your-ribs hot sub.

I truly did not expect a meatball sub to roll out on top, but it surprised me in the best way. It's not even a true meatball sub, either. It's a meatball sub meets pepperoni pizza melt hybrid. So you get two for the price of one. Not to mention, more meat overall — I can't really complain about that.

It does look like a bit of a mess. With four large Italian-style meatballs tucked into the roll, there's hardly any room for the pepperonis, glob of marinara sauce, or blend of Mozzarella and provolone cheeses. It's an accident waiting to happen if you choose to eat it on the go. But you'll likely find that the flavors make up for a potential sauce stain. The part that impressed me the most wasn't just the size of the meatballs, but their quality. Juicy with great flavor, they were a far cry from the frozen meatballs I was expecting. Each bite also came with a satisfying ooey-gooey cheese pull, and the pepperonis gave the sandwich an added boost of savoriness. As I noted with the chicken parm sub, the marinara sauce could be richer and more pronounced. But it still gets the job done.

And, if you're not into the pizza twist put on this sandwich, you can also DIY your own meatball sub. That means you can make it as simple or as decked out with toppings as you want. The possibilities are endless at GetGo.

Word of warning: If you ever have a big order at GetGo (as I did with my 10 subs), call it in ahead of time. Yes, apparently you can do that, and you'll avoid a very long wait time, plus a scolding from the manager. According to him, the cafe doesn't always keep enough bread in stock for that many sandwiches. So, it's best to check in and give them a heads-up.

Of course, without this prior knowledge, I ordered at the kiosk as any other customer would. I aimed to try a diverse selection of subs, including both hot and cold options, as well as signature subs (aka the pre-built options) and build-your-own sammies. I ended up with 10 total subs to try and rank.

Often, a sub or any kind of sandwich really is only as good as its weakest component. So, in the case of something like the grilled chicken, where the meat of the sub was subpar at best, it didn't go far in the rankings. Instead, I was looking for a great balance of ingredients, where the bread, meat, cheese, veggies, and condiments all layered together in a cohesive way. I wanted quality, plenty of flavor, and a sub that felt intentional, rather than a hodgepodge of random tastes. If it could convince me it came from a bona fide sub shop rather than a gas station, then I knew it was doing something right.