Jersey Mike's Vs Subway Vs Jimmy John's: Who Has The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies?

I've noticed a major trend in the sub sandwich world. And no, I'm not talking about the switch to toasted subs, more protein-packed hoagies, or even the pickle phase that Jimmy John's is currently going through. I'm talking about the longtime connection between cookies and deli sammies.

It seems that all the major sub chains have collectively agreed that a cookie is the best way to round out a meal of bread, meats, cheeses, and toppings of your choice. From Subway to Jimmy John's to Jersey Mike's, it's the same sweet treat that calls out to us as we check out at the register. One chain might have a smaller, larger, or just altogether different cookie selection than the next. But there's one variety the three have in common: the classic chocolate chip cookie.

They follow the same line of thinking, but that doesn't mean they're created equal. In the same way that each chain's sub has strong points — like Jimmy John's unbeatable bread or Jersey Mike's freshly sliced meats — each one also takes its own approach to the chocolate chip cookie. And I was curious to find out which recipe is best. This wasn't an excuse to gobble down three chocolate-studded cookies. It's a proper test to see which popular chain can back up its sandwich-making expertise with a wonderfully chewy, buttery baked good with enough chips to make the whole thing worth saving room for.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

One by one, I picked up a chocolate chip cookie from each sub sandwich chain. Subway has the largest selection of all three chains, with six varieties, including the chocolate chip. It was also the most affordable, ringing up at 89 cents. It's rare to find anything for under $1 nowadays, even at a fast-food chain, so kudos to you, Subway.

At Jersey Mike's, the options are limited to a regular chocolate chunk, which I bought for $1.70, and a gluten-free snickerdoodle. You can also get a three-pack or a pack of mini cookies if you wish. Last, but not least, at Jimmy John's, I bypassed the oatmeal raisin and limited-time PB&J cookie to order the chain's chocolate chip cookie for $2.15.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, and that's how I compared these three cookies. I tried them back-to-back-to-back to see what each chain was working with. First, I evaluated their textures, noting whether they leaned softer or more crispy. Then, I considered the taste of the dough itself — how sweet it was and which ingredients popped out. Finally, I considered the all-important chocolate chips. I counted them (yes, counted them) to see if there was a sufficient amount and savored their rich cocoa flavor. Admittedly, it's hard to mess up a chocolate chip cookie. But some have that homemade, fresh-from-grandma's-oven magic that others don't.

Subway's chocolate chip cookie is itty-bitty. It's more of a mini cookie than a full-sized one, and I could probably finish the whole thing off in two bites (my husband definitely could). I counted seven chocolate chips right off the bat, and one had already melted into a chocolatey mess. Is it weird that this made me want to bite into it even more? 

Between its imperfect appearance and its taste, this thin little cookie feels the most homemade of the bunch. I'm pretty sure I've eaten a cookie just like this that my mom whipped up when I was growing up. It's extremely soft, with the slightest bit of firmness around the edges. In fact, the center is so soft that it almost feels undercooked — an attribute I personally love to see in a chocolate chip cookie. Who doesn't love a cookie center that's a touch gooey?

The taste is definitely sugary, but there's nothing extravagant about it. It's that familiar, comforting chocolate chip cookie flavor that you know and love. I also found a few more chocolate chips hiding in the middle and on the bottom of the cookie, so there was really no section that went without that milk chocolatey goodness. Despite the cookie's humble looks, this was a solid start to the taste test.

On its website, Jersey Mike's refers to its chocolate chip cookie simply as "cookie." I guess if you asked me to picture a cookie, I would immediately think chocolate chip, but it wouldn't hurt for the chain to specify. At least the baggie clears things up, labeling it as a chocolate chunk. It also reveals a fairly short ingredient list.

The cookie itself looks like it spent a little extra time in the oven — certainly more than Subway's did. It's browned on top, and it's also noticeably plumper than its competitor. At first bite, I thought it was a little dry. It leaned more crumbly and chewy than soft, but it got more forgiving as I worked my way toward the center. And I have to say, it really grew on me.

Part of that also has to do with the flavor. It's richer and more buttery, giving it a slightly more elevated taste. And of course, we can't forget about the chocolate chunks, made from semi-sweet chocolate. They're larger than standard chips and a little firm when I first bit into them, but they quickly melted on my tongue. All of that adds up to a cookie that feels a little more sophisticated than Subway's recipe.

Excuse me, Jimmy John's, this cookie is ginormous — the largest of the three by far. I honestly think I would struggle to polish off the whole thing by myself, especially after eating a fully packed sub. But it's not just the biggest; it's also the most chocolate-filled. It contains three different kinds of chocolate chips: milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate chips. The chain actually teams up with Ghirardelli to source its chocolate (one of the best chocolate chip brands), which seems a little unfair if you ask me.

In terms of appearance, the cookie falls somewhere between Subway's and Jersey Mike's when it comes to browning. It also has a similarly dense, chewy texture to Jersey Mike's, at least when I bit into the actual cookie base. That part has a rich, sugary flavor with hints of caramel and molasses. It almost tastes more brown-sugary than your typical chocolate chip cookie, and I really enjoyed that part.

The chocolate, on the other hand, is a little overwhelming. There are so many chips that some are practically stacked on top of each other. And that's saying something considering this cookie actually seemed to have fewer chips than others I've gotten from Jimmy John's. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate — especially the gourmet kind from a time-honored name like Ghirardelli. But after a while, they really started to take away from the doughier parts of the cookie.

What we have here is a different option for every kind of chocolate chip cookie lover. There's Subway's cookie that's small and nostalgic, Jimmy John's version that's large and over the top, and then Jersey Mike's recipe that meets somewhere in the middle.

Everyone will have a different opinion about which one is best, and each certainly has its strong suits. But for me, I'm going to have to assume the role of Goldilocks in this taste test and go with the compromise cookie. That's Jersey Mike's chocolate chunk, which turned out to be just right.

You get those richer flavors from the browned exterior, but there's still plenty of chewiness inside. And the buttery flavor is really what does it for me. Subway's cookie never quite reached that level, and Jimmy John's did, but it was overpowered by an onslaught of different kinds of chocolate chips. Jersey Mike's keeps its chocolate chunks in check, though there's still more than enough to go around. It's the kind of cookie that feels like it could have been baked in a cozy kitchen or at a certified bakery. And to me, that's the perfect intersection for a fast-food cookie.