The Unwritten Rule To Know Before Ordering Jersey Mike's At Lunchtime

While there are people who would order from Jersey Mike's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, lunch is arguably the best time to enjoy a sub from the beloved chain. If you've ever ordered a Jersey Mike's sub at lunchtime, however, you've probably noticed the restaurant can get really busy. To make your experience as smooth as possible, there's one unwritten rule to know before visiting: Avoid ordering an overly customized or complicated sub during the lunch rush.

This rule applies to most restaurants, but you'll want to especially abide by it at Jersey Mike's, since it operates via an assembly line. If you make a ton of custom requests or decide to try the most extravagant Jersey Mike's ordering hacks, you're going to hold up the line, causing stress for both customers and employees. This is absolutely something that Jersey Mike's employees wish customers would stop doing, since it slows down the sandwich-making process — and it likely makes other customers more irritable, too, which is no fun to deal with. So to stay on your favorite sandwich maker's good side, stick to the menu as much as you can at lunchtime.

Folks who love customizing their subs at Jersey Mike's might have felt a twinge of sadness upon hearing this news. However, just because you shouldn't order custom subs during the lunch rush doesn't mean you can't order custom subs at all. While every location is different, if you want to skip the crowds, you should stop in before noon or after 2:00 p.m. These times are less busy, meaning you can order to your heart's content without backing up the line.

If you're greeted by a short line — or better, no line at all — on your next trip to Jersey Mike's, don't hesitate to order a custom sandwich. There are tons of ordering hacks that can make your sub 10x better, such as adding chipotle mayo or asking for "The Juice" (which is simply a combination of oil and vinegar) on the side. The options are endless, and it can be fun to play around with flavors and textures. No line at the store also gives you free rein to try some of its secret menu offerings. 

If you're looking for custom sub recs, one of Tasting Table's favorite Jersey Mike's secret menu items is the #99. Featuring steak, grilled onions, peppers, white American cheese, mushrooms, jalapeños, and chipotle mayo, this sub combines the Chipotle Cheese Steak with Big Kahuna Cheese Steak to create the perfect sub for steak lovers. If you only try one secret menu item, let it be this one.