Sandwich lovers beware!
Not all delis and sandwich shops deliver on their promises of fresh ingredients and mouthwatering combinations.
From soggy bread to skimpy fillings, these establishments have earned their spot on our skip list. Before your next lunch outing, check if your local sandwich joint made our nationwide hall of shame.
1. Subway (Nationwide)
Once the king of fast-food sandwiches, Subway has fallen from grace.
Bread that smells oddly chemical and meats that barely qualify as such make this chain a definite pass. Better options exist literally anywhere else!
2. Jimmy John’s (Multiple States)
Freaky fast? More like freaky bland! Jimmy John’s sandwiches arrive quickly but deliver minimal flavor impact. The bread-to-filling ratio heavily favors bread, leaving customers hungry for actual substance.
3. Blimpie (Multiple States)
Hanging on by a thread, Blimpie somehow survives despite serving sandwiches that taste like they were assembled yesterday.
Limp vegetables and mystery meats await the unfortunate souls who wander in here.
4. Potbelly Sandwich Shop (Midwest)
Though beloved by some loyal customers, Potbelly’s sandwiches consistently disappoint with their lukewarm temperature and uninspired combinations. The toasting process somehow makes everything soggy rather than crisp!
5. Schlotzsky’s (Southern States)
What’s with that strange sourdough round? Schlotzsky’s unique bread can’t save the dry, overpriced sandwiches they serve. The meat portions would make a mouse hungry, and the prices will empty your wallet!
6. Atlanta Bread Company (Georgia)
Don’t be fooled by the artisanal appearance! Atlanta Bread Company sandwiches feature bread that’s often stale by afternoon and fillings that lack imagination.
Save your money for a local bakery instead.
7. Au Bon Pain (Northeast)
French name, American disappointment.
Au Bon Pain charges premium prices for mediocre sandwiches that feel mass-produced despite their artisanal marketing. The bread often arrives harder than a baseball bat!
8. Earl of Sandwich (Florida/Las Vegas)
Royally disappointing! The Earl of Sandwich serves up lukewarm, pre-made options that sit under heat lamps far too long. Even their signature hot sandwiches arrive with cold centers and soggy exteriors.
9. Which Wich (Multiple States)
Marking bags seemed innovative until you taste their actual sandwiches. Which Wich offers endless customization options that somehow all taste the same – bland and forgettable. Skip this gimmicky chain!
10. Charley’s Philly Steaks (Mall Food Courts)
Mall food court cheesesteaks? What could go wrong?
Apparently everything at Charley’s, where the meat is suspiciously gray and the cheese sauce is unnaturally yellow. Real Philadelphians would revolt!
11. Corner Bakery Cafe (Multiple States)
How does a bakery make such forgettable sandwiches? Corner Bakery Cafe’s offerings look beautiful in photos but arrive at your table sad and deflated. The bread-to-filling ratio is criminally imbalanced.
12. Pret A Manger (Urban Centers)
Pret’s pre-made sandwiches sit in refrigerated cases for hours, resulting in soggy bread and wilted greens. Despite the premium price tag, these grab-and-go options taste like they were made yesterday.
13. McAlister’s Deli (Southern States)
Famous for sweet tea but infamous for lackluster sandwiches. McAlister’s piles mediocre ingredients between bread slices and charges as if they’re serving gourmet fare.
The portions don’t justify the prices!
14. Jason’s Deli (Multiple States)
Free ice cream can’t compensate for Jason’s Deli’s underwhelming sandwiches.
Ingredients often taste like they’ve been sitting out too long, and the bread frequently arrives either too soft or stale.
15. Quiznos (Dwindling Locations)
Remember when Quiznos was everywhere? There’s a reason they’ve disappeared. Their toasted subs emerge soggy despite the heating, and the meat quality has declined dramatically as the chain struggles.
16. Great Harvest Bread Co. (Multiple States)
Exceptional bread ruined by sandwich execution! Great Harvest’s amazing loaves are transformed into disappointing sandwiches with skimpy fillings and bizarre combinations. Stick to buying just their bread instead.
17. Togo’s (West Coast)
West Coast sandwich disappointment! Togo’s once delivered quality but now serves sandwiches with wilted vegetables and bread that’s often stale by afternoon. Their portions have shrunk while prices have risen.
18. D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches (Northeast)
D’Angelo’s grilled options sound promising until you bite into lukewarm sandwiches with cheese that’s barely melted.
The bread often arrives burnt on edges while remaining soggy in the middle.
19. Cousins Subs (Wisconsin)
Wisconsin deserves better than Cousins Subs’ mediocre offerings.
Despite their local pride, these sandwiches feature bread that’s often too tough and meat that’s sliced so thin it’s practically transparent.
20. Penn Station (Midwest)
Not to be confused with the actual train station, Penn Station subs disappoint with greasy results and bread that can’t hold up to their hot fillings. The restaurant interiors are often as sad as their sandwiches.
21. Port of Subs (West Coast)
Port of who? This lesser-known chain serves forgettable sandwiches with bread that tastes mass-produced and fillings that lack freshness. Even locals often forget these stores exist for good reason.
22. Planet Sub (Midwest)
Out of this world? Hardly! Planet Sub’s sandwiches feature bread that’s often too chewy and fillings distributed so unevenly you might get all your toppings in one bite and nothing in the next.
23. Lenny’s Grill & Subs (Southeast)
Lenny should reconsider his recipe! This southeastern chain serves massive sandwiches that prioritize quantity over quality. The meats taste processed, and the vegetables are often past their prime.
24. Erbert & Gerbert’s (Upper Midwest)
Weird name, weirder sandwich construction. Erbert & Gerbert’s signature move of removing bread from the middle creates structurally unsound sandwiches that fall apart.
The gimmick doesn’t improve the taste!
25. Jersey Mike’s (Nationwide)
Overhyped and overpriced!
Jersey Mike’s “fresh sliced” gimmick doesn’t make up for their mediocre ingredients and inconsistent sandwich assembly. Their signature oil blend often makes the whole thing soggy.
26. Firehouse Subs (Nationwide)
Hot subs that leave you cold! Firehouse Subs’ steamed meat approach creates oddly textured sandwiches that get soggy quickly.
The portions have decreased noticeably while prices continue climbing upward.
27. Capriotti’s (Multiple States)
Capriotti’s famous Bobbie sandwich can’t save this chain from inconsistency issues. While some locations maintain quality, many serve dry turkey and bread that’s either too soft or stale.
28. Milio’s Sandwiches (Upper Midwest)
Midwest mediocrity at its finest! Milio’s serves basic sandwiches that lack any distinguishing qualities. The bread is forgettable, the meats are standard, and the vegetables are often limp and sad.
29. Mr. Goodcents (Midwest)
Fresh-sliced doesn’t mean good! Mr. Goodcents slices meat to order but assembles sandwiches with little care. The bread is often stale by afternoon, and their hot options emerge with cold spots.
30. Tubby’s Sub Shop (Michigan)
Michigan’s mistake! Tubby’s greasy subs leave you feeling exactly as the restaurant’s name suggests. Their hot submarines swim in oil, and the bread quality varies dramatically between locations.
31. Brown Bag Deli (Ohio)
Brown and boring! This Ohio chain serves sandwiches that look better on Instagram than they taste in reality. The bread-to-filling ratio favors cheap bread, leaving customers feeling cheated.
32. Silver Mine Subs (Colorado/Midwest)
No golden treasures here! Silver Mine Subs’ mountain-themed sandwiches fall flat with bread that’s often too chewy and meat portions that would disappoint even the least hungry prospector.
33. HoneyBaked Ham Store (Multiple States)
Great ham doesn’t equal great sandwiches! HoneyBaked Ham stores make surprisingly disappointing sandwiches despite their quality meat. The bread is often an afterthought, and the assembly lacks care.
34. Jon Smith Subs (Florida/Expanding)
Marinated disappointment! Jon Smith Subs’ marinated meats can’t compensate for their below-average bread and assembly issues.
Sandwiches often arrive with fillings falling out and uneven distribution.
35. Deli Delicious (California)
California chain that’s anything but delicious!
Despite numerous locations, Deli Delicious serves unmemorable sandwiches on bread that’s often too airy. The vegetables frequently lack the Golden State’s freshness.
36. Manhattan Bagel (East Coast)
Stick to plain bagels! Manhattan Bagel’s sandwich creations suffer from too-dense bagels that overwhelm fillings.
The cream cheese-to-bagel ratio makes eating their sandwiches a jaw-exercising challenge.
37. Gandolfo’s New York Deli (Multiple States)
New York in name only! Gandolfo’s attempts to bring NYC deli style nationwide but delivers sandwiches that would make a real New Yorker scoff.
The bread lacks character, and portions vary wildly.
38. Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli (Western States)
Brooklyn? More like Broke-lyn! Heidi’s attempts at New York-style sandwiches fall flat with bread that lacks authentic chew and meats sliced too thin.
The prices suggest quality that’s simply not there.
39. Cheba Hut (College Towns)
Marijuana-themed mediocrity!
Cheba Hut’s gimmicky toasted subs with drug-reference names can’t hide their average quality. The sandwiches are decent when you’re actually high, but disappointing sober.
40. Isaac’s Restaurant (Pennsylvania)
Bird-named disappointments!
Isaac’s famous for naming sandwiches after birds, serves combinations that sound better than they taste. The bread often arrives stale, and their signature spreads are too sweet.
41. The Spicy Pickle (Colorado/Midwest)
Neither particularly spicy nor pickle-forward! This struggling chain serves forgettable paninis and sandwiches that arrive with inconsistent grilling.
Some bites are burnt while others remain completely cold.
42. Tony Luke’s (Philadelphia Area)
Philly cheesesteak disappointment! Outside their original location, Tony Luke’s franchises serve shadows of authentic Philly sandwiches. The bread lacks proper chew, and the meat quality varies dramatically.
43. Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe (Midwest)
Gourmet in name only! Pickleman’s serves basic sandwiches on bread that’s often too soft to hold fillings. Their toasting process somehow leaves sandwiches simultaneously soggy and dry.
44. Roly Poly (Southern States)
Wrapped disappointment! Roly Poly’s tortilla-wrapped sandwiches sound healthy but arrive with wilted vegetables and sparse fillings.
The wraps often tear, creating an embarrassing lunchtime mess.
45. Snarf’s Sandwiches (Colorado/Midwest)
Quirky name, conventional disappointment! Snarf’s toasted sandwiches arrive with bread that’s often burnt on the outside yet somehow still soft inside.
Their ingredient distribution needs serious quality control.
46. Ike’s Love & Sandwiches (West Coast)
Overhyped and underwhelming! Ike’s builds a cult following with quirky names and secret sauces, but their bread is often soggy by the time you unwrap it.
The combinations sound better than they taste.
47. PrimoHoagies (East Coast)
Nothing primo about these hoagies! This East Coast chain serves sandwiches with bread that’s often too hard on the outside and too soft inside. The meat quality varies wildly between locations.
48. Davanni’s (Minnesota)
Minnesota mediocrity! Davanni’s tries to do pizza and hoagies but excels at neither. Their sandwiches feature bread that’s often stale by afternoon and vegetables that lack any semblance of freshness.
49. Big Apple Bagels (Multiple States)
Big disappointment! This bagel chain produces sandwiches on bagels so dense they’re nearly inedible. The cream cheese application is often uneven, and their lunch options lack any creative spark.
50. Great American Bagel (Multiple States)
Not-so-great American disappointment! These bagel sandwiches feature bread that’s often too chewy even by bagel standards.
The fillings are applied sparingly, leaving customers with mostly dough.
51. Bruegger’s Bagels (Nationwide)
Bagel chain blues!
Bruegger’s sandwich options suffer from inconsistent bagel quality and skimpy fillings. The cream cheese often appears applied by someone in a tremendous hurry to be somewhere else.