7 Firehouse Subs Ordering Tips Every Fan Should Know

Any sandwich fan has definitely heard of Firehouse Subs. With locations all across the country, there's a good chance you've even visited a spot once or twice — maybe you even consider it your sub shop of choice. Think you can call yourself a Firehouse Subs aficionado? We're about to put that to the test.

Once you frequent a chain long enough, you start to find some hacks that can level up your ordering experience, whether that means slicing the total price in half (which may be especially helpful if you want one of Firehouse's overpriced subs) or mitigating some of the time spent in line. Fortunately for sub fans, there's a bevy of ordering tips that can improve your overall experience the next time you head into Firehouse Subs — and there's no way you already know all of them. Keep reading to get the scoop on seven ordering hacks we use when we visit the chain.

Short on time? That's not a problem at Firehouse Subs, even during a lunch rush. There's a way to get your order and fly out the door without spending a second in line, even though it requires some planning ahead — who among us isn't already thinking about lunch by the time 10 a.m. hits?

For days when you don't have all the time in the world, Firehouse Subs offers a couple different order-ahead options. Its first has an endearingly on-theme nickname — "Rapid Rescue To Go" — and is available through the store's app or website, where you prepay for your order and pick it up when you arrive at the store. You can also call the store to place an order for carry-out, or check delivery app options if you really can't be pulled away from your desk on any given day.

Even if you try to stay off social media, it's worth downloading if you're a Firehouse Subs fan for one simple reason: promos. Firehouse Subs often releases special, limited-time promotions on its social media channels. Giving the chain a quick "follow" is the best way to stay up-to-date on all of its latest happenings.

Even better, some of Firehouse Subs' promotions are delightfully quirky — take the above image, which showcases a recent promotion, as an example. Anybody named "Mike" (or any version thereof) was eligible to receive a free Steak & Cheese Melt. The chain has also been known to put on seasonal promotions around the holidays, and it seems to pretty regularly offer BOGO deals as well. Two subs for the price of one? That's easy — we'll take it!

If you need a kick of heat in everything you eat, don't sleep on any menu item at Firehouse Subs. Instead, take full advantage of the massive hot sauce bar the chain offers. Even better (especially for hot sauce fans), scour the bar before deciding on your sandwich order, then frame your order around which hot sauce you want to add.

Keeping the hot sauce options in mind opens up a whole new world of ordering options at Firehouse Subs. A verde sauce tastes especially good on the chain's Hook & Ladder (though we suggest leaving off the mustard that typically comes on the sandwich). Or maybe Firehouse has your favorite Cholula flavor on offer, and discovering that could change your order up entirely. The bottom line here is that hot sauce fans should make sure to know what sauce options are available before ordering their sub.

As with many chain restaurants, Firehouse Subs has a rewards program — and you shouldn't even think about eating at the spot before signing up. First of all, being a rewards member gets you a free medium sub (with any purchase) on your birthday, but that's not all the program has to offer.

You can also get up to $10 off your first order when you sign up for the rewards program (a pretty good deal if you ask us). The rewards program accumulates one point per cent spent, and once you reach certain thresholds, you can get free items. For example, a free small sub costs 6,000 points, meaning you have to spend $60 to achieve that reward. Even if you only visit the chain a few times, signing up for the rewards program is guaranteed to pay off.

Ordering for multiple people? If there's three of you, and you can agree on a favorite Firehouse sub, here's a hack that makes your overall order way cheaper: Order one large sub and split it into thirds. A large sub is 12 inches, while a small is 4 inches. The kicker? A small sub at our local store costs just under half of what a large sub would run you.

Let's do the math: while three small Steak & Cheese Melts would total $24.45 at our store, a large Steak & Cheese Melt comes out to $17.95. That's over a $6 difference for essentially the same amount of sandwich, so ordering a large and splitting it into three small portions is a steal. As far as who gets the coveted middle piece, we'll leave that up to you.

Sure, Firehouse Subs has sandwiches you should think twice about before ordering, but it also has subs you should seriously consider ordering with modifications. Take its meatball sub offerings, for example, which have many customers suggesting a no-brainer upgrade: order it spicy.

Well, it's not technically an upgrade; you have two meatball sub options at Firehouse Subs, and one of them is recommended way more than the other. If you're trying to choose between the Pepperoni Pizza Meatball Sub and the Sweet & Spicy Meatball, go Sweet & Spicy every time — this was one of the top recommendations when a first-timer asked what sandwich to order before heading into the store. Of course, if you're dying for the pizza meatball sub, you can always ask to add the elements that make the other so coveted: Captain Sorensen's Datil Pepper Hot Sauce and red pepper flakes.

Last but certainly not least is a pro tip for anyone new to Firehouse Subs: Try ordering your sandwich "Fully Involved." We know it sounds a bit like a secret code word, but we promise, there's no trickery at play here. Rather, it's a quick way that many Reddit users recommend to upgrade your sub.

When you ask to get your sandwich "Fully Involved," it comes with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a side of a dill pickle spear (pickle lovers rejoice). It's an easy way to cater to that loaded sandwich itch without listing a bunch of ingredients separately, and it offers a no-fuss option to get all the necessary extras on your sando. It's a hack worth knowing, especially if you're a Firehouse Subs newbie!