Unwritten Rules To Know Before Visiting Jersey Mike's

Anyone who even remotely knows me understands that my love for sandwiches is lifelong and unending. I've eaten them across the Lower 48, and if you ask nicely, I'll rattle off local recommendations for delis, cafes, and hidden gems where you can find the best meal between bread. I also happen to be an expert at crafting them, but believe me when I say that sometimes, my hankering is much too strong to be bothered with grocery runs — that's where Jersey Mike's comes in.

If I were to pick just one major sandwich chain, I'd pick Jersey Mike's every time. It's been around since 1956, so they know what they're doing. The vegetables are always super crisp and fresh, I'm obsessed with the tangy vinegar and oil-dressed creations, the bread is worthy of a snack on its own, the portions are huge, slicers ensure proteins are high-quality, and their drinks are so fun (black cherry taragon soda, anyone?). It also holds a lot of special memories for me, as when my partner and I started dating more than eight years ago, Jersey Mike's was one of the very first places we ate out at. We'd get big submarines to-go, and take them on picnics and our outdoor adventures around the Shenandoah Valley, where we were living at the time — I know I'm not alone in appreciating that even if you live somewhere remote, you'll find high-quality, quickly-made sandwiches, thanks to this franchise.

So, whether you love Jersey Mike's for its widespread footprint and accessibility, its massive sandwiches, or the rainbow of goodies stuffed within or the fun add-ons, it's a good idea to keep a few things in mind. So, let's go over some unwritten rules to know before visiting.

Like any assembly line-style joint, it's super important to know what you want to order before you get to the front of the queue. If you don't, you'll not only hold up everyone behind you, but likely annoy the very person charged with making your sandwich. I consider myself a patient person, but I truly don't understand when people get straight in line before nailing down what they'll ask for. It's also super stressful for the employee to see a line pile up, and I say that as someone who worked in food service for years.

Step to the side, review the menu, then get in line (which, contrary to many clueless customers, doesn't start at the register — make sure you read the signs). Best yet, read the menu online before you even get to the store so you can walk right up and order. I recommend coming up with a back-up order, in case something you want isn't available.

At other sandwich chains that employ an assembly line, build-your-own model, the customer follows along and asks for what they want from the different stations. Jersey Mike's is similar, but to streamline processes, there's a shortcut for those who want the basics on their sandwich: Ask for it "Mike's Way."

Okay, so what does Mike's Way mean? When you order this, you're asking for your sandwich to come with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and their in-house seasoning (oregano and salt). This is what comes on a classic submarine, which is Jersey Mike's specialty. It's meant to make it easier for employees to move fluidly down the assembly line and ensure nothing is missed. It also encourages customers to try the sandwiches the way they were intended to be built — with sliced-up proteins, fresh vegetables, tangy and fatty dressing, herbs, a little salt to bring out the flavors, and house-made bread.

If you want more than what's included on Mike's Way sandwiches, you can just say so. For example, I never skip green bell peppers or the hot chopped pepper relish, so I ask for my sandwich to be built, "Mike's Way, plus green bell peppers and hot relish." It may sound like a small thing, but if you ask for everything that already comes on Mike's Way subs, the employee will likely correct you and say something like, "So, you mean, Mike's Way." Save them the trouble.

Speaking of customization, here's a super important tip for eating out in general: Never order anything super complicated during peak hours. This is especially the case for joints that operate via an assembly line. It can hold every other order up. As someone who's regularly compared to Sally from "When Harry Met Sally," because I'm the queen of confidently customizing my food orders, this hurts me a little to say. However, since I worked in the food service industry for years, I suck it up — I can't, in good conscience, order something that will take a lot of time if there's a big line behind me. You shouldn't either.

Peak hours depend on the restaurant, but at Jersey Mike's, it's usually lunchtime (the traditional meal in which to engorge on sandwiches). If this is when you're coming, I recommend ordering a simple sandwich or something that's already on the menu (sans tons of customizations). If there aren't many people in line, don't worry about it. But if there are, and you don't want to stress out the person making your meal, I recommend sticking to the menu and not ordering a ton of sandwiches.

If you're determined to get your complicated sandwich, or need to order a lot of them, it's best to either head to a less busy location or be prepared to wait, be extra kind, and tip very well. Or, you can always wait until the line has died down.

It can be very hard to hear customers when there's a glass barrier between the employee and the person ordering — and there is at Jersey Mike's. Lunchtime crowds add to the issue, so make sure you speak up when you're ordering your sandwich so the employee doesn't have to keep stopping to ask you to repeat yourself. Speak clearly, kindly, and loudly (without shouting — always be respectful).

Apparently mumbling and whispering are one of the top things that Jersey Mike's employees wish customers would stop doing. While I've never worked at the chain, as an ex-barista, I can completely understand the pet peeve. There's nothing more frustrating than having to ask over and over again what they need, as it can often make the customer mad (despite the fact that they caused the problem in the first place). Don't put the sandwich crafter in that position. It'll be better for everyone.

After you've greeted the employee when you get to the front of the line, make sure to tell them immediately how many sandwiches you plan to order. This will help prepare them for how much food is about to be used, so they can think ahead about restocking needs.

This will also keep them from moving right on to the next customer in line. I've made this mistake in the past, where I've been busily following my first sandwich along the assembly line, only to notice that a rogue sandwich is getting made behind it. I've had to tell the employees I actually have another order, which holds everything up. This is especially true if they've already started ringing me up for the sandwich. They either have to cancel the order and ring up the person behind me, whose sandwich is nearly done, or they have to pause the whole operation and make my other sandwich, putting the one in progress on hold (a huge shame if it's a hot one). Just don't put yourself or the employees in that position.

As we've established, there's definitely a right way to order your sandwich. Knowing the correct order in which to build it is key. This will keep the line moving smoothly, ensure the sandwiches that you order stick together and arrive as a unit at the register, and that there are no mix-ups.

After you've let them know ahead of time how many sandwiches you're ordering, tell them what size and what kind of bread you want for your sandwich (or just your first one, if you're getting multiple). Once your bread is ready, let them know what menu item you're getting (for example, the Veggie or the Original Italian Sub). Like we went over earlier, if you plan on getting any ingredient that's included in Mike's Way, this is when you ask for that — so, "the Veggie, Mike's Way" if you want all of those ingredients, or "the Veggie, Mike's Way with no tomato," or "the Veggie, Mike's Way plus green bell peppers and mayonnaise," and so on. Customize as needed along the assembly line, ask for sides and drinks at the end, and you'll find yourself at the register smoothly.

If you're visiting a restaurant and aren't that hungry, or just naturally have a smaller appetite than the portions account for, try ordering off the kid's menu. I love this money-saving hack, because it also prevents food waste (especially if you're on the go, and won't have access to refrigeration for leftovers). And what's great is that, at Jersey Mike's, I've never been shamed for doing this as a fully grown adult.

While the menu says it's recommended for kids who are eight years old and younger, the children's meal at Jersey Mike's is available to all. The kid's size submarine is about the same size as the regular menu's mini sandwich, which is between 4 and 5 inches long — this is approximately the same width as a slice of cheese, so you don't need to be worrying about ingredients spilling over. Plus, it comes with other perks too, like a fountain drink and a cookie.

If you plan on getting cold vegetables on your hot sandwich, but don't want those vegetables to be hot, make sure you tell the person making it right off the bat that you want it grilled. They'll either ask you when you want it on the griddle, or you can just tell them. For example, if I just want my cheese melted, I tell them I'd like it to be thrown on the grill before adding vegetables — once it's off the grill, then I ask for other things, like Mike's Way toppings, Jersey Mike's condiments, or that delectably spicy relish.

I don't know anyone who likes hot, wilted lettuce, so this is just something to keep in mind if you're requesting your whole sandwich get warmed up. Remember, there's also a hot sub section of the menu, so if you can build off one of those, do, because it will be much easier.

Jersey Mike's doesn't toast subs in the way that other submarine sandwich chains do. But, as mentioned, they can throw them on the grill for you. For some, this might seem like an inconvenience, but I actually think this model is much better. For one thing, you can still warm up your bread and melt the cheese on the grill, so it's not like that's a problem. But, for a much more exciting note, this means that you can order freshly sauteed vegetables and griddled-up meats on your sandwich. It makes for a flavor-packed experience, especially when compared to the joints that are merely nuking the toppings in an oven for a few moments until the bread warms.

Once you realize you can get grilled toppings, this opens up a whole new world of Jersey Mike's ordering hacks. I love asking for my onions to be caramelized for a touch of sweetness. When I want a Southwestern-style sandwich, I also love getting grilled peppers thrown on. Ask for them to cook whatever you want grilled up in sauce to boost that flavor. Some condiments are a no-go, like mustard, but there are loads of options that feel tailored for this kind of thing — think meats grilled up with barbecue sauce, peppers sauteed with hot sauce, onions caramelized in oil, or even bread slathered in mayonnaise, before getting grilled face-down.

The barrier is there for a reason. It keeps the food fresh and safe from contamination. It's a shield from germs that spread via uncovered coughs and sneezes, customers who feel they need to touch their food, and illness.

However, as my mom, a nurse of many years, would say, germ barriers are only effective if people respect them. So, respect it at Jersey Mike's. Don't lean on it, stick your face on it, or reach over it. I've seen people place items on top of it, like wallets and drinks, which makes it difficult for employees who want to keep it sterile. I've never seen these belongings fall over the barrier, but don't risk it — imagine it ruining the tidy stations and the measures that the employees would have to go to reestablish the cleanliness levels. Just don't even go there.

To respect the barrier, stand back from it and keep your hands to yourself. As mentioned, it's key to speak up as well, especially when keeping a respectful distance from the glass.

This goes for any institution, but short of it being an emergency, it's pretty impolite to come in right before a business is closing up. This is especially true for food service institutions, and Jersey Mike's is no exception.

Speaking from experience, restaurants of any kind are performing at least some closing-up duties even before the official final hour of operation. Doing things like sweeping, sanitizing lesser-used stations, and facing the snacks and other products carried at the check-out ahead of closing time ensures that employees won't be there all night to take care of those necessary parts of shop upkeep. At a place like Jersey Mike's, an eatery filled with different stations, you'll notice employees starting on these things in the evening. If you come in and that's the case, note that they're already preparing for a full shutdown for the night, so anything you order might interrupt that and keep them there later.

I recommend just avoiding this time of the day altogether, but if you must come in, just don't order anything complicated or that will require loads of ingredients. Much like my advice for peak hours, avoid large orders and heavy customizations, and I'd also skip asking them to grill something up for you, in case that's already been cleaned. They'll likely have stations available for the most popular sandwiches, so stick to the menu, be extra kind, and take it to-go.

I rarely come into Jersey Mike's by myself, and my partner and I have almost the same taste in food. So believe me when I say that it can do wonders to, if you plan on ordering two identical sandwiches, just order one giant-sized submarine to split, rather than asking for a duo. It's simpler for the employee, and lets them just make the entire order in one go (just remind them at the end to wrap the halves separately).

The Jersey Mike's giant size is about double the length of the regular submarine sandwich, and it's longer than a Subway footlong. Some people order this just for themselves, so they can have leftovers later. If you do this, consider getting the oil and vinegar (or any sauces, for that matter) on the side so your bread doesn't get soggy. I've noticed that tomatoes have the same effect, so you might want those on the side as well.

Something I love about Jersey Mike's is that they're super generous with the amount of toppings they put on each sandwich. And, if I ask for more, they don't roll their eyes or try to charge me more in the way that they do at other big chain sandwicheries. However, it's handy to know which ingredients are free, and which ones aren't.

To avoid surprises, just remember that the pepperoni, bacon, and avocado all come with upcharges, unless it's already an ingredient on a menu item. These are premium, so take note of that if you're planning on adding those to a submarine that doesn't have them, or asking for extra. That said, you'll also get charged if you ask for extra meat and cheese slices. Whatever you order off the Jersey Mike's menu, to make your sub 10x better, pile up as much as you want on the vegetable toppings and condiments — just don't go crazy with the proteins unless you're cool with a price uptick.

I'm an over-tipper always. I know how hard working in food service can be, so even if employees make more than minimum wage where I'm dining, I always make it a point to tip as much as I can. At Jersey Mike's, employees aren't just ringing you up. They're literally making your food, slicing your cheeses and meats, building your sandwich, and even cooking your toppings. It's an art, and it should be respected as such. So, while tipping is optional, you should seriously consider viewing it as mandatory.

If you customized, asked for something to be grilled, came in at the lunch rush, saw employees deal with a difficult customer, or ran in before closing, I'd leave an extra large tip. While not expected, those who made your meal will appreciate it when they receive their share.