I Tried 7 Chain Restaurant Meatball Subs And Ranked Them Worst To Best

Meatballs have always been part of the savory core of my Italian-American upbringing. Growing up, my brothers and I would be elbow deep mixing a big bowl filled with ground beef and pork, milk-soaked bread, and eggs in the morning, then run off to play with friends in the afternoon still smelling like raw garlic and dried Italian herb seasoning mix. We'd cook those meaty mounds of joy for weeknight spaghetti dinners, crumble them to layer in lasagna, and use leftovers for meatball subs.

For any Italian bambina/o who grows up, moves out, and lives a busy working-adult life, those homemade meals become a rarity. It's more difficult now than ever to sit down at the table and enjoy a homemade hoagie piled high with meatballs, a humble marinara sauce, and lots of cheese. That's why dining out is a real godsend, and why buying a meatball sub is a completely acceptable option when your childhood home and those homemade meals are miles upon miles away.

While I'll always believe that nothing will be as good as mom's (she's probably reading this), it's at least fun to try and find the next best thing as a substitute. In this review, I tested and ranked meatball subs from different chain restaurants, exploring a range of spots outside a traditional sub shop by going to fast food joints, gas stations, and pizzerias, all of which have major credentials for delicious and inexpensive options.

Although it's considered one of the best subs in the United States, according to other reviews, I'm in total disagreement — the meatball sub from Firehouse Subs was a gigantic sandwich and an even bigger fail. Despite the sub's overall look of hefty grandeur, it was one of the worst options. Echoing my issues with the chain's cheesesteak in my chain restaurant cheesesteak sandwich ranking, I was really disappointed in the quality of the meat. The meatballs were chewy with some gristle in every bite. The bread tasted stale, and the crust had a tough, not crispy, texture.

The marinara sauce was problematic. With its cement-like consistency and overly sweet, acidic taste, the sauce mimicked tomato paste. The cheese was also a very sad situation. A slice or two of provolone cheese was draped over the top of the meatballs and toasted for an excessive amount of time past the point of melting. Instead, the cheese was heated so much that it hardened into a tough, nearly impenetrable shield. My teeth had their work cut out for them. And not that I needed any more acidity after puckering up to the marinara sauce, but I also didn't get a pickle spear. As a Firehouse Subs standard accompaniment, the pickle spear should have come with my order.

The meatball sub on the Sheetz Made-To-Order menu wasn't all that bad. The sauce and cheese were the biggest problems, but I actually liked everything else — the tender meatballs and fluffy white sub roll were much better than those from many of the other contenders.

The sauce was one of the worst recipes in this entire ranking. It was thick, sweet, pasty, and acidic, like a bad-quality pizza sauce with way too much sugar and tomato paste. As a '90s kid high on Lunchables, the sauce reminded me of the one in the pizza kit. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and left me recalling ruined elementary school lunches.

The choice of cheese was a fault of my own doing, and for that I can blame only myself. But that is both the creative beauty and the potential downfall of having total freedom over deciding every component on a made-to-order-style menu. I made a hasty decision by choosing the shredded mozzarella blend rather than sliced provolone. The anti-caking agents in pre-shredded cheese prevent it from melting, and with all my experience as a professional cheesemonger, I forgot that upon ordering. I immediately realized my mistake when I opened the foil wrapping and saw all the cheese scattered on top, still in its original shredded shape.

DiBella's sub almost had everything you could ever want in a meatball sub — almost. The chain served the best meatballs, hands down. They were so delicate and tender, and the flavor reminded me of my own family's cherished meatball recipe. There was enough cheese, a dynamic mix of mozzarella and asiago. The sesame roll had a golden-brown crust speckled with lightly toasted seeds and soft crumb that was still hearty enough to withstand some rather big balls.

So, why didn't I rank DiBella's any higher? There was one obvious flaw, a noticeably missing component: the sauce. I could tell the meatballs were slow-cooked in some kind of marinara sauce (as advertised by the chain in the description of this sub) because there was at the very least a minuscule coating of sauce around each meatball that the bread mostly absorbed. Beyond that, there was no additional sauce. I only tasted a subtle whisper, an expression, of marinara sauce, so I was left very disappointed. In the wise words of one of my coworkers, if you don't want to get messy, don't order a meatball sub. A clean eating experience isn't what anyone anticipates eating this kind of meal. Unfortunately, DiBella's didn't necessitate extra napkins.

Overall, I was happy with this pizza-shop version of a meatball sub. Fox's Pizza Den is an east coast chain, and one that is definitely popular in my Pittsburgh hometown. Fox's pizza was a hit at every party, so I was excited to try more on the menu. I was very impressed by the perfectly toasted bread. Based on the slightly flattened look, it seemed like the sandwich was gently pressed during toasting, creating a crunchy and crispy, yet still light, golden-brown exterior with a slightly chewy, yet still tender, crumb on the inside. There was plenty of cheese, melty and gooey between and around the meatballs, and the sauce was fresh, vibrant, and flavorful with a lightness not weighed down by thickeners or pastes.

What did not impress me as much were the meatballs. Not that they were bad or the worst ones, but the flavor and consistency did not quite match my expectations. They had a firmer, tighter texture, and the herbs and spices were applied with a very heavy hand. Once I realized what they reminded me of, I couldn't get that comparison out of my mind: They tasted more like gyro meat and less like an Italian-style meatball.

Not too shabby for a gas station meatball sub. Similar to Sheetz, GetGo's version of the sandwich was both inexpensive and customizable, but I stuck with simple choices for this style. I chose a basic white roll and provolone cheese with no other toppings. It was fine and tasty, with most of the components contributing their own decent, but not monumentally awe-inspiring, performance. The bread was fine, toasted just enough to lightly crisp the top of the roll without ruining the soft interior. The provolone melted well and provided a layer of salty, lightly fermented flavor. The meatballs were just okay — my husband really enjoyed them, but I wasn't as enthusiastic about them as some of the other options. They were a little bouncy, and tasted faintly of processed plastic.

It was the sauce that actually augmented this sub from good to great. Despite how synthetic I thought the meatballs tasted, the marinara sauce was one of the best renditions. Many of the previous tomato sauces struggled with a pasty consistency and lack of depth, but GetGo's sauce was a surprise. I wasn't too thick, had balanced levels of acidity and sweetness, and had a delightful mix of herbs and seasonings. I could even see small pieces of onion and garlic, which gave it a straight-from-nonna's-stovetop vibe.

Redditors say to avoid ordering Subway's meatball sub, but I disagree — this one made it all the way to second place! My husband playfully said that the meatball sub alone is what's keeping Subway in business. Though I wouldn't go that far to celebrate its claim to fame, I would definitely recommend this option to purchase when a hunger pang strikes and you need something fast. There's probably a Subway right around the corner.

The meatballs were incredibly tender, but lacked some girth/meatiness, which led me to assume that there was probably more filler (like bread, eggs, etcetera) than meat itself to get them that soft. The provolone used on my sandwich melted and oozed in one of the most breathtaking ways, creating a pudgy cheese pull when I cut the sandwich in half. The sauce had an ideal looser consistency, without a thick pastiness. It was flavored well, and there was enough of it to generously coat the meatballs. The bread was your typical Subway baked goodie: a soft and fluffy vessel that can easily house any variety of filling.

The meatball sub at PrimoHoagies won the top spot. The chain carries a couple meatball sub options, and I picked the Old World Style Meatball Hoagie for this ranking. Out of the whole lineup, my husband and I were fighting over who would enjoy the last few bites of this one — always a good sign. It was everything you would want for a classic meatball sub: a soft bun that still has a light and crispy exterior, the perfect layer of melty cheese (in this case slices of sharp provolone), a well-balanced tomato sauce, and tender meatballs.

PrimoHoagies takes things just a couple steps further with some subtle additions by finishing the sub with black pepper and dried oregano. It's also topped with a grated Romano-style cheese, which added a salty bite. I would consider this as the go-to standard for what many would want to buy: On top of being a savory flavor bomb, it's a quick order, a cheap purchase, and a filling handheld meal. It scratches that itch and satisfies that craving for a hearty, meaty sandwich. I would order this one again, and again, and again.

I tried to standardize as much as I was able to the method of buying all the meatball subs prepared in a similar fashion. I ordered each meatball sub toasted, and ate them soon after purchasing. I did not order any additional toppings, aside from the typical classics such as the sauce, the base cheese, and other simple seasonings like herbs or grated cheese like Parmesan or Romano-style.

I analyzed each sub's individual components, as well as how all those components combined together for the full tasting experience. I focused on the taste and texture of the meatballs, bread, cheese, and sauce. The appearance of each meatball sub was not a serious consideration in my methodology, as meatball subs are generally fairly messy. I enlisted the help of my husband, a fellow food professional with years of culinary experience, to taste-test every sub with me.