15 Subs And Sides I Wish Jersey Mike's Would Put On The Menu

Jersey Mike's has cemented its status as one of the most popular sandwich chains in the country, and in 2026 it surpassed Chick-fil-A as the quick-service restaurant with the highest customer satisfaction score, according to a recent study from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). While it has a solid range of sandwich options, and even though there are several ordering hacks that can make your Jersey Mike's sub 10 times better, that doesn't mean there aren't some holes in the menu. 

I frequent my local Jersey Mike's shop often; while I don't expect to be served the best sub of my life, the chain has proven to be dependable, satisfying, and less expensive than some of the fancier "splurge" sandwich spots in my area. But I can't help but notice that a few of my favorite deli classics are nowhere to be found on the Jersey Mike's menu, like meatball subs. Though Jersey Mike's once had meatball subs, they were discontinued long before I got the chance to try one. There are also several other sandwiches and sides that have never graced the chain's menu at all. These are some options I'd like to see.

With Jersey Mike's branding as a Northeast, Italian-style sub shop, it's a surprise that it doesn't already have a sausage and peppers sub. A nicely grilled sausage and peppers sub is absolutely a mainstay in Italian American cuisine. I mean, do you think Tony Soprano would ever frequent a deli that didn't have a sausage and peppers sub on the menu? I doubt it. It's also a very straightforward and unpretentious sandwich — just grilled onions, peppers, and sausages, that's it. Of course, the key is using real Italian sausage to give this sub the unique, punchy flavor that makes it so beloved.

Since Jersey Mike's already offers its famous Philly cheesesteaks with grilled onions and peppers, Italian sausage would be the only additional ingredient needed to add this classic sandwich to the menu. Jersey Mike's could even include a classic fennel sausage version and a spicy sausage version to appeal to a wider range of customers. I'd suggest slicing and grilling the sausages to reduce cooking time and avoid reopening the is-a-hot-dog-a-sandwich debate.

I know I'm never going to get a true Philly cheesesteak at Jersey Mike's, but it's a solid option in a pinch, when the craving for beefy, cheesy goodness hits. That's not too surprising; Jersey Mike's even refers to the sandwich as its "Famous Philly" on the menu, and it has a few variations on the classic recipe, too. However, I think there's untapped potential here in the form of a French dip-cheesesteak mashup. The traditional form of the popular California-invented sandwich is simply shaved roast beef on a French roll, dipped in savory au jus. It's no stretch to picture a Philly cheesesteak as the flashy cousin of the French dip.

At Jersey Mike's, creating a Philly French dip would be as simple as stripping out the bell peppers and onions from its standard cheesesteak, leaving just the steak and provolone cheese, and adding a side of delicious au jus. Nailing the au jus would be key to this new sandwich, as that's really what sets the French dip apart and makes it so unique. In fact, if Jersey Mike's can't come up with a successful au jus recipe, the chain shouldn't bother moving ahead with this one.

While "the Bobbie," a sweet-savory sandwich combining turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, was first created by the Delaware-based chain Capriotti's, it doesn't have a patent on the holiday leftovers sandwich. I'm obsessed with this festive flavor combo, and it's what I always order at Capriotti's. Every. Single. Time. If Jersey Mike's is really serious about being competitive in the quick-service sandwich chain space, it's time it gets in on the Thanksgiving action.

Adding a Thanksgiving turkey sandwich to the menu could be difficult — nearly all of the core ingredients would be specialty additions for Jersey Mike's, especially if going with shredded roast turkey instead of the chain's usual sliced turkey. However, this could make for a great seasonal addition. Jersey Mike's could offer a Thanksgiving turkey sandwich in November and December, providing a festive limited-time menu option for customers, while limiting the sandwich's availability and need for specialty ingredients to just eight weeks per year. 

Here's a simple menu innovation that could be applied to Jersey Mike's entire range of sandwiches. Surprisingly, you can't get your sub toasted at Jersey Mike's because the chain doesn't actually have toasters in the restaurant. Even though it would be a big upgrade to get a simple toasty finish to my sandwiches there, Jersey Mike's should take it a step further and add a panini-style option to the menu. Though traditional Italian panini (panino, for a singular sandwich) can be served cold, Italian American panini sandwiches are typically grilled in a special press; that is definitely the direction Jersey Mike's should take if it wants to introduce something to the menu to really distinguish itself.

Panini-style is an option that can be applied to all the sandwiches on Jersey Mike's menu, as it just requires a pass through the press. Having cold subs prepared panini-style would probably entail losing the lettuce, which doesn't hold up well to grilling, but the end result would be a toasty cold-cut classic. The hot subs would also benefit, as panini grilling would turn a simple cheesesteak into a gooey, melty masterpiece.

So, I know that technically cheese alone isn't a sandwich or a side, but hear me out. For a chain that prides itself on its classic sandwiches and cheese-forward hot subs, I was shocked to realize that on the entire Jersey Mike's menu you'll find just three types of cheese: provolone, Swiss, and white American. The type of cheese you put on your sandwich can have a tremendous impact on the flavor. Changing the type of cheese on my sandwich is one of my go-to ways to switch up a usual order when I don't feel adventurous enough to try something completely new, so I'd love to have a few more options.

I find it particularly egregious that Jersey Mike's doesn't at least have cheddar as an option. Mozzarella and pepper jack would also open up new flavor avenues and offer different levels of meltability to hot subs. There are all sorts of cheeses that would fit right in on the Jersey Mike's menu, and though cheese wiz is one of the three traditionally acceptable cheeses on a Philly cheesesteak, that's one I wouldn't mind going without.

As much as I enjoy the subs from Jersey Mike's, the chain's selection of sides leaves me wanting. It's literally just chips. Not that there's anything wrong with that; chips are a classic sandwich pairing, so I can understand Jersey Mike's having an if-it-ain't-broke attitude towards its sides offerings. But that doesn't mean I don't still wish the chain had a few more options on those days when I'm not in the mood for chips. Potato salad is a mainstay among deli sides, and I say it deserves a spot on the Jersey Mike's menu. 

It may seem counterintuitive to include a side like potato salad on a largely fork-less menu, but I order my sandwiches as a bowl all the time, so believe me, they've got the forks. This menu addition could come with some logistical and supply challenges. However, Jersey Mike's is really lacking in the sides department, and I'd imagine that whatever difficulties would come with potato salad would pale in comparison to the costly nightmare it would be to add french fries to the menu.

This is another classic deli side that seems so simple and obvious that I'm surprised it's not an option already. Sure, Jersey Mike's has sliced pickles for its subs — I would quite literally never eat there if it didn't. But that's not the same as having a big, juicy dill pickle on the side, and either spears or whole pickles would be a welcome addition. 

Chips and potato salad may be delicious, but they're both rather high-calorie and unhealthy options to pair with a sandwich, and sometimes you just feel like something lighter. A side pickle is perfect for when you want a little something else to go with your sandwich, but not a lot — just a refreshing, briny finishing touch. Pickles are also comparatively pretty cheap, so it's a nice lower-cost side option when prices are high and even getting a sandwich to go can feel like a luxury.

Jersey Mike's seems to be pretty proud of its tuna salad sandwiches. The menu even boasts that the tuna salad is "freshly made on premises" and considering how often competing chain Subway has faced doubts that it even serves real tuna fish, you could do a lot worse than Jersey Mike's for a tuna sando. If Jersey Mike's thinks so highly of its tuna, then it's only natural to take it a step further and introduce a dedicated tuna melt to the menu. Technically, you can finagle yourself a tuna melt at the sandwich chain if you really want to. But that requires giving employees a list of instructions for toasting, cheese selection, and removing lettuce (and potentially other toppings). Wouldn't it just be so much simpler to walk up to the counter and order a tuna melt?

Obviously, Jersey Mike's already has all the ingredients it needs to launch a new tuna melt menu item, but I'd say this is one of those sandwiches that would be greatly improved by a pass through a panini press to achieve full toasty goodness. I'd also argue that cheddar is the superior cheese for a tuna melt, so once again, Jersey Mike's should really get on it with the panini press and a broader cheese selection.

As with the meatball sub, it's baffling that an East Coast-style sandwich chain doesn't have a chicken parmesan sub on the menu either. Jersey Mike's used to have a chicken parm on the menu at one point, but after removing it, the company confirmed in 2018 that it has "no plans" to ever bring it back. Supposedly, food-quality issues played a part in nixing the item from the menu, which isn't too surprising, since you're talking about a sandwich with a crispy chicken fillet being prepared in a kitchen with no toasters. But I have a creative workaround that makes use of Jersey Mike's existing ingredients and doesn't require special kitchen appliances.

For a more health-conscious twist on the Italian-American classic, Jersey Mike's should add a grilled chicken parmesan sub to the menu. A good chicken parm has a lot to do with the quality of the marinara sauce and the marriage of melty mozzarella with well-seasoned chicken. With all this, the "fried" aspect may not be necessary. Jersey Mike's already has grilled chicken-based hot subs, so that could be the base of a new chicken parm sub. Top it off with marinara and mozzarella, toast it up, and you have a whole new menu offering.

Over the years, Jersey Mike's has featured different types of pastrami-based sandwiches, including a Reuben, a classic pastrami sandwich, and a chipotle pastrami sandwich.  But currently, you won't find a dedicated pastrami sandwich or pastrami anywhere on the menu at all. I was pretty surprised the first time I realized Jersey Mike's was totally pastrami-free. I'll admit, it's driven me to seek out competing sandwich chains to resolve my pastrami cravings on more than one occasion. Pastrami is such a standard deli meat that I had just assumed it would be on the menu of any sandwich shop, right alongside ham and roast beef. It's a huge omission from Jersey Mike's list of offerings, and one that should be rectified.

Unfortunately, the customer response to Jersey Mike's pastrami seemed to be pretty lackluster, with many recalling the meat as overly salty. So there are certainly some quality control issues that the sandwich chain would have to contend with if it were to bring back pastrami yet again. Still, it's a worthwhile endeavor, and I, for one, would be happy to give Jersey Mike's pastrami another chance — as long as it actually is new and improved.

In the quick-service sandwich space, there's a lot of menu overlap between different chains because there are only so many classic sandwiches. To stand out, restaurants have to offer their customers something different, and I've got just the idea for Jersey Mike's. Leaning further into its Italian-American roots, a pizza melt is one sandwich I don't really see anywhere and could prove to be extremely popular.

At its core, this sandwich would be as simple as it sounds: pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and marinara on a roll — though you could certainly jazz it up with extra proteins and toppings. Jersey Mike's already has pepperoni on its menu, but the marinara and mozzarella would be new additions. However, if Jersey Mike's follows my advice about additional cheeses and the grilled chicken parm sub, the chain will already have those ingredients on hand. It's also a no-brainer to serve the pizza melt panini-style, as gooey cheese and toasty bread are essential to making the sandwich a new fan favorite, rather than another abandoned menu failure.

Though they've had a good run so far, I think it might be time for Jersey Mike's to cave to peer pressure and install toasters in all of its locations. Having your sub toasted is so standard among sandwich chains that many customers have come to expect it across the board. But retrofitting thousands of restaurants with new equipment doesn't come cheap, so Jersey Mike's would need to offset the cost of the toasters with new menu items that drive excitement and promote the new equipment. I propose that the answer is garlic bread.

This is another new menu item that would fit perfectly with Jersey Mike's Italian-American image, and as I already established, the chain's selection of sides is seriously lacking. With toasters at the ready, garlic bread would be a cinch to prepare; just split a roll — the rosemary parmesan bread Jersey Mike's has would be heavenly for this — spread garlic butter over the cut sides, and run it through the toaster. Both halves of a full-sized roll would be a bit much for a side of garlic bread (though a great idea for group catering), but one of Jersey Mike's mini-size rolls makes for a much more reasonable portion.

I really think I'm on to something with this garlic bread idea, because it's a menu item that opens the door to other decadently delicious sandwiches. Adding cheese to Jersey Mike's (currently) hypothetical garlic bread would be a good upgrade on its own, but if you put two slices of cheesy garlic bread together (cheese-to-cheese, obviously) and ran it through the panini press, the result would be a wildly tasty grilled cheese sandwich with a calorie count I'd do my best to ignore.

This is also where an expanded range of cheese options would come in handy, allowing you to do some extra customizing with your grilled cheese. I'm thinking a mix of cheddar for sharp flavor and white American for extra meltiness and a balanced taste. Of course, there's no need to stop at just grilled cheese sandwiches; Jersey Mike's could let customers make any sandwich with garlic bread, for a truly indulgent experience.

A Caprese-style sandwich is one of the most common types of pesto-forward sandwiches, but while I think they're great, that's not the route Jersey Mike's should go if it decided to add pesto to its ingredient inventory. A Caprese sandwich has a slim margin of error, and if the component ingredients aren't all top quality, the whole thing falls flat. Though I like Jersey Mike's well enough, I can still acknowledge the limitations of its bread and other sandwich fixins. So, sadly, I wouldn't have much confidence in Jersey Mike's doing a Caprese sandwich justice.

A turkey pesto sandwich though? Now that I would go to town on. Pesto is probably my No. 1 underrated sandwich condiment, and as an optional topping, it would be a welcome addition to almost any sub Jersey Mike's already has on the menu. It would definitely be a missed opportunity not to add a dedicated pesto sandwich to the menu, though. My dream would be a melty turkey pesto panini-style sub, but can you imagine adding pesto to a garlic bread sandwich? How delightfully decadent.

A build-your-own sandwich isn't one menu item so much as it is an infinite number of sandwiches — perhaps that's why Jersey Mike's fears it. Unlike many of its sandwich chain competitors, Jersey Mike's doesn't offer a build-your-own option on its menu. You can, of course, customize your sandwich pretty much to your heart's content, but that actually makes things more complicated for customers and employees. I can picture it now: "Yeah, I'll take a Club Sub, but instead of bacon I want roast beef, and instead of provolone I want Swiss, and I'll take all the condiments except the ones listed for this sub on the menu ... you got all that?"

It seems far simpler to have a build-your-own option that tackles sandwiches like an assembly line: bread, meat, cheese, sauce, toppings, wrap it up! The recipe for success in any restaurant is offering your customers the things they want, and what's more in line with that than a sandwich built exactly to a customer's liking?