5 Ordering Tips For A Better Potbelly Sandwich Every Time

When you're craving a classic, hearty sub sandwich, you might think of Jersey Mike's or Jimmy John's as your go-to spot. But there's another popular sandwich spot that's equally delicious: Potbelly Sandwich Works. The chain started in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, in the 70s, but has since expanded to more than 450 locations across the U.S. While you can order the shop's amazing standard menu items — like the Italian, the Chicken Club, or the Avo Turkey — we highly suggest a few ordering tips to upgrade your meal even more.

That's right, we've compiled five ordering tips to get the best Potbelly sandwich every time. Whether you prefer different types of bread or cheese,  extra meat, or different condiments and sauces, these tips can help you customize your sub to your exact taste. Most of these "hacks" are doable in person or online, and don't cost much more than the standard sandwich prices. So whether you're dining inside, swinging through the drive-thru, or ordering to-go at the airport, you don't have to settle for anything less than your ideal sub.

Without further ado, here are our top ordering tips for Potbelly Sandwich Works. Be sure to try one (or all!) of these next time you're close to a Potbelly location, and let us know how you liked them! We personally can't wait to try all the sandwiches on the "underground menu" — more on that below.

Regular mayo and mustard not cutting it? Thankfully, Potbelly offers other condiments and sauces to shake up your sandwich. One of the most popular is the Hot Pepper Ranch, which adds a creamy yet spicy kick to your meal. Other sauces on the menu include the Roasted Garlic Aioli, Sweet Heat Barbecue, oil and red wine vinegar, and the new Chipotle lime sauce. 

For example, if you want to order a classic Turkey Breast Sandwich with some zest, go for the Garlic Aioli. And if you want to take the BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado) up a notch, add some Hot Pepper Ranch for a kick of heat. Potbelly's menu offers suggestions for the best sauce pairings, so if you're having trouble deciding, turn to the sandwich pros. Or add two sauces!

One of our favorite ways to incorporate a condiment? Ordering the Fireball — a Potbelly sandwich that turns up the heat, but you won't find it on the menu. Chili is the "condiment" of choice here. Order a Mama's Meatball with a layer of hot peppers, cheddar instead of provolone cheese, and a side of chili to pour into the sandwich.

Don't get us wrong: fluffy white rolls make for amazing subs. But if you're craving a slightly different texture for your sandwich, opt for a different type of bread. Choose from white, multigrain, flats (a super-thin bread), or a wrap for $0.50 extra. If you don't like how dense the white or multigrain rolls can be, you can request it to be "thin-cut." Not only will this reduce the amount of bread in each bite (staff often hollow out the rolls), but it's also about 100 fewer calories per serving. Good to keep in mind if you're watching your macronutrient intake.

Wraps and flatbreads would taste great with the Mediterranean sandwich or the regular turkey and ham options, but it might be a little too messy for a Mama's Meatball sub. Save the "wetter" sandwiches for thick bread, so that it can soak up all the juicy goodness. 

Meat lovers, rejoice. For a better sandwich at Potbelly, order double-meat. This option is available with every sandwich, so no matter if you enjoy classic ham and turkey, the Cubano, the hands-down best Potbelly sandwich, or the Wreck, which includes just about every meat on the menu, you'll get plenty of it to satisfy. Just note it'll cost extra, about $4.89 per additional meat added, depending on the location.  Are you a bacon lover? Think of the options. When does bacon not make something more delicious? 

If you're hoping for less meat or no meat, those are also customizations you can make. Ask for fewer slices of deli meat on your order.  Or if you prefer more veggies, order the Mediterranean and make it meatless. There's even a Veggie Melt sandwich on the menu that just about any veggie lover — vegetarian or not — will enjoy.

No chain restaurant is complete without a secret menu. Most are fan-curated and spread through word of mouth. But others are so beloved they become staples on the actual menu. This is true of Potbelly's "underground menu." If you have the Potbelly Sandwich Works app, switch to the underground menu tab to find amped up variations of its classic sandwich offerings. 

One of the most popular underground menu sandwiches is the Sicilian. It's the classic Italian sandwich with crumbled meatballs, mushrooms, and marinara sauce. Or you can get the Lucky 7, a combination of the main menu's Wreck and Italian sandwich. Some fans order it with extra hot peppers to kick up the heat. There's also the Chicken Cordon Bleu, with grilled chicken, ham, Swiss cheese, and toppings, plus other meatball-type subs like the Fireball and the Wrecking Ball. Not sure where to start? If you get the app, you can explore each not-so-secret item.

Last but not least, if you're looking to shake things up, we highly recommend changing up the cheese on your Potbelly order. The sandwich shop offers typical staples like Swiss, cheddar, and provolone, but if you want to add a tangy twist, they also offer feta and blue cheese. Both options taste great on toasted and cold sandwiches, completely transforming the overall flavor profile of the sub. Some menu items already feature these alternative cheeses — the Mediterranean, for example, comes with feta — but you can add either to any sandwich to elevate its overall taste.

Need some inspiration? We think the blue cheese would taste delicious on the Prime Rib Steak sandwich. The richness of the beef melds well with the cheese's acidity, reminiscent of a Black and Blue steak salad. We'd also want to try feta on BLTA, since it doesn't already come with cheese. Just don't try either on the Chicken Salad — the Potbelly sandwich we instantly regret ordering.