How To Order Publix's Fried Catfish Sandwich, Even If You Don't See It On The Menu

In case you hadn't figured it out already, we're real Publix aficionados here at Foodie. We know the best days to shop there, hands down (although just imagine thinking there's a bad time to be at Publix!), and we kvell endlessly when we compile lists of the best new Publix finds every month, like this roundup from August 2026. One target of our Publix-related hyperfocus is the deli department, home of the famous Pub Sub. For the uninitiated, a Pub Sub is a delectable, fully customizable sub sandwich. One orders them either in person at the deli or from the comfort of home via the Publix app. There's at least one secret sub at Publix that's worth trekking to the busy store for, however, and it's a hot sub that might not even appear on the menu. Enter the fried catfish sandwich.

It's a little-known fact that, at Publix, the slogan may be "Where Shopping is a Pleasure," but it really should be: "Publix: If You Can Dream It, We Can Sub It." According to multiple social media and internet sources, Publix deli employees will put just about anything on a sandwich, and that includes the fried catfish from the hot bar. Self-proclaimed Publix employees posting on Reddit even claim that there's a dedicated button for the catfish sub in their system, even if it ordinarily doesn't get much play. All you need to do is make sure that the catfish is actually available on the hot bar. If it is, you're in luck. Just ask employees to stick a couple of catfish planks on a sub loaf, and you're in business.

If there's one thing we love about a Publix Pub Sub, it's the fact that the customizations are much better than Subway's. Assuming you can track it down on a shelf in the store, you can stick it on a sub ... the same way that you made your catfish sub the superstar that it is in the first place! If you are going with conventional toppings found already at the Publix sub bar, we recommend the white loaf (since wheat or Italian 5 Grain might compete with the fish for flavor), white American cheese, and plain ol' mayo, along with salt and pepper. If you're more adventurous, maybe you'll spring for the jalapeño pepper jack cheese, bacon, and Boar's Head Chipotle Gourmaise. Looking to lighten up your fried fish just a scooch? Skip the cheese, add mashed avocado, and pile on the veggies, like spinach, onion, cucumber, and tomato, just to name a few.

Of course, this is only sticking to the toppings that Publix regularly offers at the deli. If you want a little more, venture into the store and grab a bottle of tartar sauce off the shelf, or browse the deli case for a particularly special cheese. If you're feeling froggy, grab a red onion and ask for it to be sliced onto your sando, as opposed to the white onions on the line. There is virtually no end to the options for putting together the catfish sandwich of your dreams, provided that you have an amenable employee and a good attitude. Anecdotal evidence suggests that deli employees, like all Publix workers, are trained to keep customers happy, but deli managers may impose restrictions at their discretion.