Firehouse Vs Potbelly: Which Italian Sub Is Most Worth Your Money?

The Italian sub has earned its place in the sandwich hall of fame. The best ones are piled high with various meats, like Genoa salami, prosciutto, mortadella, or capicola (which Tony Soprano calls gabagool). The sandwich is brought together by a mild cheese like provolone, and brightened with a refreshing mix of lettuce, onion, and a tangy red wine vinaigrette. All of those juicy, meaty layers are then held together with a white bread hero. Every ingredient has to be in balance, and there needs to be just enough acidity from the vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the meats. However, with no industry-wide set recipe for the Italian sub, the options at chain sandwich spots across the country vary widely. Some use different meats than others, some have more generous portions than others, and some eschew the vinaigrette altogether.

There's endless debate online about which sandwich spot — Firehouse or Potbelly — has the better sandwiches, with loyal fans on both sides of the argument. So we decided to find out for ourselves which Italian sub was best. We tried seven popular Italian subs from brands like Jimmy John's, Jersey Mike's, and yes, Firehouse Subs and Potbelly — and after evaluating their bread, fillings, and overall enjoyability, we ranked Firehouse's Italian sub higher than Potbelly's.

A medium Firehouse Italian sub, which costs $12.99, comes with a generous portion of Genoa salami, pepperoni, honey ham, and provolone, which are layered in a way that gives you a balanced bite of each meat. The sandwich leans mild, but is brightened by Italian dressing and seasonings as well as lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and deli mustard. 

In comparison, the Potbelly Italian sub costs $10.39 and comes with salami, pepperoni, capicola, and mortadella — one more meat than Firehouse's — along with provolone cheese. The sandwich comes with fewer toppings, but you can add lettuce, onion, pickles, oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning at no extra cost. It has a generous amount of meat, a spicy kick from the pepperoni, and a dressing that cuts through the richness. But between the two, without additional substitutions, Firehouse's Italian sub comes the closest to tasting like our ideal sub, making it the most worth your money. 

To be clear, neither Firehouse nor Potbelly ranked third and fourth (respectively) behind Panera and Jersey Mike's for the best Italian sub. We also went on to rank the best sandwiches at Firehouse Subs and the best sandwiches at Potbelly, and found that Potbelly's Italian sub was the sixth best sandwich on their menu, and Firehouse's was eighth.

You may be better off ordering a Cubano at Potbelly or the Spicy Cajun Chicken at Firehouse Subs — which are our favorite offerings at each shop. However, if only an Italian sub will curb your cravings, you can always make your own Italian sub at home.