14 Key Features Of Jersey Mike's That Keep Customers Coming Back

As a sandwich aficionado, I'm a really big fan of Jersey Mike's. There are so many things the chain does right, from the toppings it piles on its freshly baked bread to the way the menu works. Meanwhile, the laid-back vibes are perfect for a company that began on the Jersey Shore. It's colorful, chill, and smells like a beach picnic.

I'm not alone in my appreciation of Jersey Mike's, since customers have been coming back for 70 years. Open since 1956, the chain claims to have been one of the first American submarine shops — this sandwich style was inspired by the Italian sandwiches eaten and made by those who came to New York from Italy right before the turn of the 20th century. Traditionally speaking, these come on about a 12-inch-long, three-inch-wide loaf of Italian bread with deli meats like ham and salami, cheeses, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes (and garlic and oregano would also find their way into the mix as well). But since their rise to popularity, sandwich shops like Jersey Mike's have gotten creative with them. And Americans are here for it.

So, as a keeper of this delicious sandwich tradition, the chain figured out how to walk the line between classic and fresh; timeless and imaginatively modern. From the delectably spicy pepper relish to the sliced-right-in-front-of-you cheese, here are the key features of Jersey Mike's that keep customers coming back for more.

One of the best unwritten rules to know at Jersey Mike's is to order your sandwich "Mike's Way." This term is a simple way to ask for tomatoes, onions, lettuce, red wine vinegar, olive oil blend, and spices on your sandwich. So, if you were ordering the Club Sub and wanted those ingredients on it, you'd say "the Club Sub, Mike's Way." And if you only wanted a few of those ingredients on your sandwich, you can (and should) still use the term to make it simple for employees. For example, if you don't want onions and spices, you'd ask for "the Club Sub, Mike's Way, but hold the onions and spices." It's more streamlined than having to list out every individual topping that you want on your sandwich.

The great thing about Mike's Way is the combination of flavors. Together, these ingredients bring salt and acid to a sandwich that already has some umami and fat thanks to the proteins it comes with. And as for the produce? The brightness, freshness, and medley of textures elevate everything.

Toaster ovens, broilers, and microwaves are fine. But nothing beats a grill when it comes to hot sandwiches. And Jersey Mike's, luckily, uses just that. On the flattop, employees grill up things like onions, peppers, and meats. The technique ensures that the ingredients aren't just hot. They're juicy and caramelized, browned just to the point of having crispy edges, but never burned. It turns the flavor all the way up. 

And there's science to back this up — when you caramelize onions, for example, it releases the sugars and turns the vegetable into a deep, rich, brown color as those sugars cook. In the end, you have a sweeter product with stronger flavors. Jersey Mike's leans into this process and uses it to benefit its sandwiches. This isn't just heating up ingredients. It's celebrating them. To take it even further, I'll let you in on an easy Jersey Mike's ordering trick: Ask for your grilled proteins, mushrooms, and veggies to be cooked in sauce.

The sandwich-bound cheeses and meats are sliced right in front of you at Jersey Mike's when you order a submarine. I love this for so many reasons. First of all, everything tastes so fresh and high-quality. And it makes sense, especially when it comes to the cheese — pre-sliced sandwich cheeses can dry out due to exposure to oxygen, and the texture and flavor are therefore altered. Anyone who buys hard cheese this way has surely experienced this: expecting some tender and smooth cheddar, and instead getting something with more of a bite, snap, and crumbly texture. When it's sliced fresh, however, it hasn't had time to dry out before you eat it (it's one of the many reasons that Jersey Mike's has the best Club Sub).

The other reason I love this key feature of the chain is the way it nods to its East Coast roots. It feels so true to the Mid-Atlantic deli counter culture I find in places like New York, Philadelphia, and Jersey Mike's home state of New Jersey. Despite not being a little sandwich counter tucked away in a borough, the eatery keeps that spirit alive with its slicer. It's such a distinct touch that really makes it stand out against its fellow American sandwich chains.

Freshly baked bread is essential for a good sandwich joint. Jersey Mike's, like any great sandwich institution, bakes its bread fresh every single day right in the store (which is probably why the chain makes the best Italian sub). The bread is the foundation of the sandwich, and while I could get into the merits and beauty of good condiments and the importance of high-quality produce, I recognize that the foundation matters. 

If you have bread that falls apart, it's not a sandwich anymore. If it's bland or has gone stale, it's hard to taste the other ingredients nestled within, let alone enjoy them. It is the make-or-break of the sandwich, no matter if it's a hoagie, a peanut butter and jelly, or a submarine.

At Jersey Mike's, there's a good mix of breads to choose from, including white, wheat, rosemary parmesan, and gluten-free. They're all soft but sturdy, making them ideal vessels for your fillings. I'm partial to the wheat, but the rosemary parmesan is so lovely, herbaceous, and totally worth ordering if you eat dairy.

One of the most unique things about Jersey Mike's sandwiches is the hot chopped pepper relish it serves as a topping option. Made from red and green peppers, it's a little sweet and tangy, and very spicy. And, thanks to the inclusion of white distilled vinegar and salt, it's also appropriately sour and bright. It's got crunch, vibrant colors, and everything you could want if you love something with zing and zest. Adding it is one of the ways to make Jersey Mike's subs better, regardless of what you order.

As someone who loves heat and spice (as well as some crunch — I need texture in my sandwiches), I think this goes with literally anything on the menu. I'm a huge fan of putting loads of it on the tuna fish sandwich because of the way it cuts through the creaminess with that acid. And with the added mouthfeel of the peppers, it adds interest to the smoothness of the other fillings.

As for the hot sandwiches, it's bound to level up any of the meaty, hearty, and grilled submarines. It's already included on Mike's Hot Italian, but the other concoctions could benefit just as well from the relish.

Let's bring it back to the tuna fish submarine at Jersey Mike's. I think it's fantastic. It's meaty, creamy, and always tastes so fresh. The mix is made from mayonnaise, lemon, vinegar, celery, black pepper, salt, and albacore and light tuna varieties. It's very creamy, but has the right amount of brightness to keep it from tasting too heavy.

Jersey Mike's uses these tuna types for good reason. Albacore is a type of white tuna fish, and while the taste is milder and less fishy, the texture is super meaty. This firmness ensures that it holds up when combined with heavier condiments like mayonnaise, and won't turn into a gluey substance. Now, as for the "light tuna," that could mean Jersey Mike's is using yellowfin, skipjack, or other popular tuna fish. These pink varieties are softer and more fishy in flavor. Together, this makes a tuna fish mixture that's balanced, spreadable, and flexible so that it can blend with most add-ins.

I recommend adding extra pickles to your tuna fish sandwich for some extra tang and sour notes. The hot chopped pepper relish is delightfully spicy and brings further brightness and crunch. I'm also a really big fan of putting avocado, jalapeños, and hot sauce on these sandwiches for a Southwestern seafood submarine (it's even better if they grill up some onions and peppers for it too).

I'm not the pickiest person when it comes to soda pop (although I won't touch diet or sugar-free beverages). But it can be boring when there are only a handful of soda fountain drinks to choose from. It feels old, and if that's the only option at a sandwich joint, I usually just skip ordering a drink entirely.

I don't have that issue at Jersey Mike's, where you can find Stubborn Soda. Regardless of what flavor you go with, they are always crisp, flavorful, and sweet in the best way. For a soda, they also taste really wholesome (which makes sense, since they're made from natural ingredients). The root beer is a little peppery, malty, and cherry-adjacent without being syrupy or overly fruity. The black cherry with tarragon is for those who want something juicy, a little herbaceous, and vibrant — it seriously tastes like a summer orchard. And the agave vanilla cream is a favorite for its smooth, sugary notes that make it one of the best cream sodas on the market, in my opinion.

The gluten-free snickerdoodle at Jersey Mike's is a fantastic sweet option for diners who can't have gluten, but still want a treat. It's chewy yet cakey, soft, and thick enough to feel like a full dessert in itself.

While Jersey Mike's doesn't bake the cookie, it sources it from Udi's, according to the company's nutritional guide. The gluten-free snickerdoodle is made from tasty and natural ingredients like cane sugar, brown rice flour, butter, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. It's a great balance of spice and sugar that makes for a really heartwarming bite. 

While the cookie is delicious all year round, I think it's especially good to order in the autumn because of the inclusion of cinnamon. Between Jersey Mike's gluten-free bread and this dessert option, they're some of the best gluten-free menu items at chain restaurants in the United States.

I love sauces, condiments, spreads, and anything that adds a little more zhuzh to a dish. This is especially the case when it comes to sandwiches, since these ingredients won't just dress up the fillings, but the bread as well. It needs to complement so many elements, which makes the condiment selection so important. And Jersey Mike's seems to have this down to a science.

The condiment lineup is anything but gimmicky. You won't find TikTok trends or thoughtless concoctions. Instead, you'll find a selection of tried-and-true classics. When you order a sandwich, you can pick from three kinds of mustard (yellow, spicy brown, and honey), oil, vinegar, and mayonnaise. You might even spot hot sauce that you can add to submarines. None of these will distract from the sandwich, but rather, elevate it. There's something for creaminess, a few things for tang and zing, something for a splash of fat and richness, and some heat. It's everything you could need.

If you do want to get fancy, combine mayonnaise with Jersey Mike's chopped pepper relish. This creates a chipotle mayonnaise situation that's spectacular on just about anything.

We all know that Jersey Mike's was founded on the Jersey Shore, a 130-mile stretch of coastline that's famous for its East Coast surfer culture. And despite being a massive chain seven decades on, the sandwich joint manages to keep its home region's laid-back culture alive and well. I love the colorful, coastal-themed decor and interiors. There are murals of ocean waves and beach town postcards, black and white photographs of the beach, and you might even spot surfboards mounted to the wall. On top of the chilled-out vibes from the linger-friendly layout (seriously, stay a while), it all feels casual, like a surfer hang-out spot where you can snag a coveted beach sandwich.

I've lived for years on the East Coast, but I'm a West Coaster. So while the East Coast atmosphere is definitely intact with the deli slicer and the visual nods to the Jersey Shore, I can't help but see the similarities to Southern California sandwich shops. I feel right at home, remembering spots like Hodad's, a great sub shop and hole-in-the-wall spot from "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." Jersey Mike's doesn't have all of the same paraphernalia covering the walls. However, between the surfboards, beach-themed decorations, and relaxed atmosphere, it feels like the sandwich shops of the Golden State's sunniest stretches that keep customers coming back. 

A rewards program feels like a must at any sub shop in America. Is there anything more nostalgic than those punchcards where you'd get a free sub after filling it out? Well, that's hard to find now, but Jersey Mike's has a great thing going.

MyMike's isn't exactly a little punch card, but it's got some great perks. First of all, as long as you've purchased a regular sandwich within the last year, you get a free submarine on your birthday (just make sure to join the email club first). Secondly, Shore Points are the equivalent of those stamps of yesteryear's punch cards (I know I'm too young to be speaking like this, but we millennials have seen some changes). 

As you purchase items, you receive a certain number of points based on the program's value of that item. So, a cookie or a bag of chips is one Shore Point. A jar of the hot chopped pepper relish is worth two Shore Points. A kid's meal is worth four, and most standard items (like a regular submarine) are worth six Shore Points. But if you order a giant sub, you'll earn 12.

When you earn 48 Shore Points, you get a free mini submarine. It takes 72 to earn a regular sub, and 144 for a free giant submarine. Luckily, Shore Points don't expire and can be used at any location in the country where you activated them, so you have time to accumulate those rewards.

If you look at Jersey Mike's menu, certain sandwiches, like the Big Kahuna Chicken Cheese Steak, come with mushrooms. So if you're vegetarian or just don't want meat, but still want something you can sink your teeth into, you can order a grilled mushroom sandwich instead.

Mushrooms make any submarine feel elevated thanks to their unique flavor and intense umami. When sautéed, they're juicy, meaty, and so tender. I love ordering a grilled pepper, onion, and mushroom sandwich when I want something hot, so that's a great secret menu item to keep in mind. I get it on wheat bread, and ask for the grilled produce to be cooked in oil and hot sauce. It all goes so well with the chopped hot pepper relish, mayonnaise, and jalapeños if you're like me and enjoy the mix of umami and heat. In fact, we ranked a similar sandwich, the grilled portobello and Swiss, as one of the best popular Jersey Mike's subs.

I love that Jersey Mike's is involved in charitable efforts, and the annual Month of Giving is a great example of that. Every March, when customers purchase their sandwich, they can round up the bill and support a local charity, such as a hospital or youth organization. In honor of the 2026 Olympic Games, Jersey Mike's sent the proceeds to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games and participating local partners around American Jersey Mike's locations. But usually, the Month of Giving raises money for different causes around the country.

Then, on a designated day that month, all of the sales go entirely to a charity. This accumulates in the millions. For example, in March 2025, Jersey Mike's raised $30 million. This has been going on since 2011, and the effort has pooled together $166 million for charity over the years.

One of my personal favorite things about Jersey Mike's is that I can get as many free-of-charge toppings as I want on my sandwich without an upcharge. So, one of the best Jersey Mike's secrets to know is which of those ingredients are free, and which ones come with their own price tag.

An easy way to tell is to ask yourself if it's included in the "Mike's Way" ordering method, since those ingredients are already built into the price of a sandwich. Otherwise, note that lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, dill pickles, banana peppers, hot chopped pepper relish, salt, oregano, and all of the condiments (oil, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, etc.) are free at the time of writing. Things like extra cheese, bacon, and avocado come with an extra charge. So ask them to pile up on the lettuce and build little towers of tomatoes between bread (I love getting tomato sandwiches at Jersey Mike's for this very reason). But if you're worried about it, you can always ask before you tell them to put something on your sandwich.