This Popular Chain Makes One Of The Worst Italian Subs, According To Reviews

Perfectly executed, an Italian sub delights the tastebuds with the salty savor of cured meats, the crunch of crisp veggies, the tang of vinaigrette, and the firm-yet-pillowy bite of the fresh-baked bread that encompasses it all. Poorly done, a subpar Italian sub just tastes like disappointment.

In the opinions of the internet, Subway's bevy of Italian subs rank among the worst of the worst. As of this writing, Subway offers no fewer than three variations on the handheld — the Italian B.M.T., the Spicy Italian, and the 5 Meat Italian — and every one of them catches heat on the web. There's a sizable lineup of discontinued Subway items we're not getting back, and one has to kind of sadistically wonder why, of three inadequate Italian subs, none of them has landed in this ignominious gallery. The Spicy Italian in particular has received quite a lot of negative press.

Foodie's own sister site, Chowhound, did its own taste tests of chain Italian subs and found Subway's spicy sandwich wanting. Chowhound's writer placed the Spicy Italian dead last, tutting, "The resulting taste is not really Italian, and without any Italian seasonings, oil, or vinegar, it is hard to aptly call this an Italian sub at all, much less one of the best." To hear the internet expound upon it, a lack of traditional Italian flavors is the least of this particular sando's many problems.

Putting aside the the question of whether Subway's bread is even real (in a legal sense), there have been plenty of issues raised over the chain's spicy Italian sub. On YouTube, a content creator took issue with the ingredients. "It's backed by a lot of salt," the reviewer said. "They're just kind of the cheap, kinda cured and congealed and formed meat product." Over on Facebook, one commenter's issue was the price: "My husband loves these spicey [sic] Italian subs, but at +$12 for a foot long last time, has boycotted Subway for good." "Where's the g*dd**n meat?" one TikTok user asked irritably upon unwrapping his Spicy Italian. "Too much lettuce and no meat."

Subway has a lot to answer for when it comes to chain Italian subs. Not only does the Spicy Italian receive criticisms surpassing those focused on its other two Italian subs, but different reviewers all have something unique to say with regard to the sub's failings. It's interesting to note that, in 2023, Subway briefly transformed the Spicy Italian into the Hotshot Italiano, but it has since switched back. This ubiquitous chain — which has over 20,000 stores in America alone — should probably take its sandwich back to the drawing board once more to address the many issues raised by reviewers.

Static Media owns and operates Foodie and Chowhound.