The Ultimate Ranking Of The Subway Series Menu
Subway hasn't enjoyed the smoothest of sailing when it comes to its reputation among consumers. The brand has battled concerns over whether their tuna was real, per NPR, followed by an Irish court arguing that their bread isn't actually bread (via The Guardian). In fact, the content of carbohydrates and sugar in their "bread" is so high in number, it technically qualifies as cake, via Eater. Yikes. This was a lot for the sandwich franchise to deal with, and when you pair all of this legal drama with a global pandemic it's no wonder that Subway has – according to QSR – slipped from being the 2nd largest fast food restaurant chain down to the 8th.
The chain responded with a reinvention of sorts with their new Subway Series menu. With the understanding that their old reliable sandwich menu wasn't going to keep them afloat, Subway has attempted other things like adding pizza to their roster, which was met with moderate enthusiasm from sandwich eaters. Their latest attempt to rise up away from the competition is this menu section that features designer sandwiches geared toward satisfying both picky palates and those hoping for something more exciting. But has it gotten the job done? With little fanfare upon the new menu rollout, the sandwiches are decent and Subway is still, well, Subway. If you love Subway, then you'll love its latest offerings. And if you don't but still find yourself inside of one of their shops, perhaps you'll find a Subway Series sandwich that carries a bit of hope for you.
12. Turkey Cali Club
When the Turkey Cali Club first hit the Subway menu, it was known as the Turkey Cali Fresh Club, and was actually part of a previous Subway reinvention — healthier eating. According to the Fast Food Post, when this sandwich debuted in July of 2021, Subway franchises gave away one million of them. And while the Subway Series menu that it's now a part of has veered away in terms of healthy, smart sandwiching choices, it has included the Turkey Cali Club in a slightly new form. After giving away so many, it's no wonder they chose to keep it around in their newest revamp after such a heavy promotion.
The Turkey Cali Club includes turkey, bacon, mozzarella cheese, avocado, and a veggie combo of red onion, spinach, and tomato. It's all topped with mayo and served on a multigrain bun. It is one of the freshest, healthiest sandwiches of the Subway Series, and won't leave you with that infamous Subway bloat you might experience with other sandwiches. And while it's a decent sandwich, it's not super innovative or exciting. Not to get completely salty about it, but if you were a loyal fan of Subway during their rocky period of lackluster ingredients and scandals, then this sandwich is a good reminder of yesteryear.
11. Great Garlic
As an ingredient, garlic peaks people's interest. Shout the word garlic in your advertising, and the masses will come and try what you have to offer. At least that was likely Subway's theory when they added the Great Garlic to their menu. This sandwich has chicken and bacon, along with provolone cheese and veggies. But the star of the sandwich is the creamy roasted garlic aioli sauce. The whole sandwich is toasted and transforms into a saucy, cheesy mess that some find delicious, and others not so much. As stated by Dane Rivera of Uproxx, "This is one of the most off-putting sandwiches I've ever eaten in my life, and no I'm not one of those weird people that dislike garlic. I love garlic, but nobody loves garlic this much." So there's that.
One of the reasons the Great Garlic ends up being not so great is the fact that the garlic aioli sauce is overpowering. There's really no point in having anything else in a sandwich if you can't taste anything else. Since so many other ingredients in this sandwich are delicious, perhaps the trick to loving it is to order it a bit more customized than the standard menu recipe. For starters, ask for light garlic aioli sauce, or get it on the side. When the sauce is lightened up a bit, it's a pretty solid sandwich, but it's low on our list due to the overpowering chaos it serves up when ordered as-is.
10. The Monster
The Monster is, as one might expect from the name, a darn big sandwich. It contains a generous amount of steak topped with green bell peppers, red onion, bacon, and ranch dressing. It is all melted together with shredded cheddar cheese. The Monster comes with double the amount of cheese than other sandwiches, which is a nice perk since Subway's cheese tends to be rather bland and uninteresting. Unfortunately, doubling it up doesn't really add any flavor, which is why The Monster still ranks pretty low on our list.
For what it is, customers tend to order it without any customizations, which means the ingredient combo is working out for Subway's pocketbook. According to Restaurant Business Online, Subway reported in its test markets that over 50% of those ordering the Subway Series sandwiches (including The Monster) do so as-is. In fact, this is exactly what Subway is aiming for. One of Subway's downfalls is how easy it is to customize its offerings. After years of touting an abundance of fresh ingredients, it turns out people don't like their sandwiches as much when they try wacky additions and removals that they assumed would taste good. Fancy menu sandwiches like The Monster eliminate this risk and leave people with a decent sandwich.
Since this sandwich is so big and heavy in taste, grab a foot long and share with a friend, or pick a lighter side like soup or baked chips instead of the heavily salted and flavored options.
9. The Boss
The Boss is an amped up version of Subway's classic meatball sub. According to Savespree, Subway will give you your choice of bread, though the Italian Herb and Cheese is highly recommended. The rest of the sandwich includes meatballs covered in marinara sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. While this clearly isn't a sandwich for someone on a diet, it's pretty delicious. It's ranked in the middle of the list because it's messy, fattening, and nothing in it is of completely high quality.
The Boss is warm, comforting, and definitely a guilty pleasure. It's also a pretty economical choice for a hearty sandwich, costing just $6.19 for a six-inch and $12.59 for a footlong at time of publication. This sandwich, along with the rest of the Subway Series is available for mobile order, and Subway often has BOGO discounts and other promo codes available for popular sandwiches like The Boss. If you're looking to cut calories — although we aren't sure how realistic that is when it comes to a sandwich with sauce-covered cheesy meatballs — The Boss also tastes great on Subway's artisan flatbread.
8. The Philly
As mentioned previously, Subway loves to offer its customers options. From several types of bread to various cheeses and vegetable toppings, one could make a very creative Philly cheesesteak-adjacent sandwich. Subway has tried to make all of us forget this freedom with a set, pre-made cheesesteak sandwich on its Subway Series menu. But is it a real, authentic cheesesteak? No. Does it still taste good? Yes.
According to the Houston Press, the steak meat used in this sandwich is tender and well-seasoned. And while there are many bread options, most recommend using Italian as the choice for this sandwich. What screws up The Philly from being authentic is the lack of grilled peppers and onions. Subway doesn't grill things, so you'll have to settle for fresh peppers and red onion. If the restaurant was willing to grill them up in order to amp up the flavor and bring a true Philly feel, then the sandwich would be greatly improved. On the plus side though, incorporating steak and cheese with fresh produce makes the sandwich healthier and less guilt-inducing.
7. Bella Mozza
According to Food Business News, the Subway Series is broken down into four categories, with three sandwiches in each. The categories are as follows, cheesesteaks, Italianos, chicken, and clubs. One of the entries in the Italiano category is the Bella Mozza. This sandwich comes on your choice of bread and includes capicola and ham, plus mozzarella cheese (sensing a trend with the new sandwiches here?), along with tomatoes, banana peppers, spinach and onions. It's all pulled together with a parmesan vinaigrette sauce.
This sandwich gets a bit fancier than other menu offerings. After all, you can't frequent a competitor like Togo's and find capicola and parmesan vinaigrette. These premium offerings are rare for Subway, and it's nice to get something a bit different than turkey or that questionable tuna. This sandwich gets a rank of #7 on our list because of its use of some not-so-common ingredients, but there are likely ways to punch this sandwich up a bit. Jalapeños in lieu of the banana peppers will kick up the flavor, and if you don't want the parmesan dressing, you can opt for red wine vinegar for similar results.
6. The Outlaw
Speaking of powerful flavor, The Outlaw is probably the sandwich on the Subway Series roster that packs the most punch. It comes with a Baja chipotle sauce that adds some spice without being too hot for most. According to Menu and Price, this sandwich is toasted together with steak, pepper jack cheese, green bell peppers, red onion, and the aforementioned chipotle sauce. It is served up on Artisan Italian bread unless you specify otherwise. At the time of publication, a foot long will run you $13.29. There is also a footlong pro option, which will double your amount of meat for just a few dollars more.
If you like cheesy, smokey sandwiches, then this one will get the job done. It tastes similar to something you would get for lunch at a barbecue joint rather than a sandwich shop, and the Artisan Italian bread does in fact seem to be the best choice this time around. Make sure the Subway sandwich maker doesn't skimp on your pepper jack cheese portion as it goes well with the chipotle sauce and is the essence of the sandwich flavor.
5. The Mexicali
The Mexicali is a shout out to the flavors of the California-Mexico border, something that Californians visiting Subway will appreciate and be well familiar with. Roasted chicken comes together with pepper jack cheese, avocado, Baja chipotle sauce, and vegetables of the customer's choice. The standard lineup for this sandwich is lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. Like some of their other sandwiches, there is a footlong pro option if you want double the chicken.
This sub comes toasted and melted, and the rotisserie chicken is definitely more delicious warmed up. According to San Diego Red, there isn't word of this sandwich hitting Mexican Subway locations yet, though it has proven to be a popular choice on the West Coast — everyone knows that Californians love their avocados. This sandwich holds up pretty well in terms of taste and flavor. While shredded lettuce is never our favorite choice when it comes to toasted subs, the sauce, meat, and other veggies all work well for an impressive lunchtime choice. Pair The Mexicali with some kettle chips and a lemonade to help round out your meal.
4. The Subway Club
On paper, the Subway Club is simply not exciting. When we have Mexico and Philadelphia-inspired sandwiches shouting for our attention, this club sandwich is likely to be overlooked by many. However, it's a solid club sandwich, harkening back to Subway's early days where quality ingredients existed to be customized. The issue is it's not exactly what we consider to BE a club sandwich. But be open minded. Places like The Kitchn argue that there's no single formula for a club sandwich, and while rumors started long ago that the Club in Club Sandwich stood for "chicken and lettuce under bacon," this would be confusing as a rule since so many club sandwiches use turkey and/or ham these days.
So what does the Subway Club do? This offering comes with not only ham and turkey, but also roast beef — a victory for many Subway fans who have been asking for the return of roast beef to the restaurant chain for quite some time. Pair this with cheese of your choosing and loads of fresh veggies, and this is a solid sandwich. It's high on our list because sometimes with the world being as crazy as it is, you just need a safe, reliable, and well done classic.
3. The Supreme Meats
If you're a vegetarian, look away. The Supreme Meats sandwich is loaded with enough meat varieties to satisfy a dinosaur. This sandwich has salami, capicola, and ham, along with provolone cheese, veggies, and parmesan vinaigrette. The end result is a flavorful sandwich that is reminiscent of an old-world deli. The default bread for this sandwich is, of course, the Artisan Italian, and it's an excellent fit with the rest of its Italian-style ingredients.
While the Supreme Meats is part of the Italianos category on the Subway Series, there is also a secret menu sandwich that is an amped version of the Supreme Meats. According to Brand Eating, it was originally part of an online order promotion, but can still be ordered in-store, since Subway still carries all the ingredients for it. Known as the Jimmy Garoppolo Benissimo, ask for Italian Herbs & Cheese bread with pepperoni, chicken, provolone, spinach, tomatoes, and ranch dressing.
Whether you choose the Supreme Meats or the super secret Benissimo, this a great time to enjoy some quality Italian deli fare at your local Subway.
2. All-American Club
Another twist on the classic club sandwich is the All-American Club. This version comes on Artisan Italian bread, and combines ham and turkey with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, bacon, and American cheese. You can punch this sandwich up by requesting honey mustard or peppercorn ranch on your sandwich, or by adding additional vegetables, like peppers. The All-American Club is also delicious with Italian Herbs & Cheese bread instead of the Artisan.
One of the things that makes the All-American Club and other sandwiches containing bacon so good is the fact that Subway recently upgraded its bacon. According to Food Rankers, Subway released several "new and improved" ingredients around the same time as the Subway Series launch, including fresh mozzarella, rotisserie-style chicken, the return of new and improved roast beef, and smashed avocado. Many of the sandwiches on this ranked list succeed because of the increase in ingredient quality, and the All-American Club is no exception.
Again, none of Subway's club sandwiches are "traditional," but some of them are more tasty than others — and in this case, the All-American just wins out.
1. The Champ
There is a lot going on with The Champ. First of all, it includes that delicious rotisserie-style chicken. It's hearty, filling, and perfect with cheese and veggies. According to Salvaggios Deli, it is one of the most popular menu items at Subway, and has been around in various forms since the 1990s. The complete ingredient list of The Champ includes chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, peppercorn ranch dressing, green peppers, and red onions. But the thing that makes The Champ so great is the things you can add on, like bacon, pepperoni, chipotle sauce, pepper jack cheese, and more. The rotisserie-style chicken is such a quality sandwich base, and it goes well with pretty much any combination of sauces, cheeses, and vegetables.
When this sandwich rolled out, it was promoted by popular athletes like Patrick Mahomes, and so it's an inspired option for Super Bowl parties, youth soccer games, and anything in between. Order up several footlongs, slice them, and dole them out to your friends or family. The Champ also goes great with Doritos chips and soda, and if you also throw in some of the cookies that Subway sells, it's a satisfying, hearty meal for a family on the go.