5 Ordering Tricks To Get The Best Jersey Mike's Sandwich

Jersey Mike's is a fast-casual sandwich chain known for its hot and cold subs, such as the Original Italian and the hands-down best Club Subs around. The submarine sandwich chain first opened up in Point Pleasant, New Jersey back in 1956, and it's been growing ever since it was purchased by then-17-year-old Peter Cancro in 1975. Today, if you stop into your local Jersey Mike's, you should probably know all the best tricks for making the most of your order.

Jersey Mike's subs are generally customizable, so don't be afraid to ask for bacon on one sandwich or swap the bread on another to get the most flavor. The trick is to work with the other options Jersey Mike's offers — such as hot peppers and rosemary parmesan bread — to boost the flavor of an already-good sandwich. Keep an eye out for the chain's weekly deals, too, where you just might get your favorite sandwich for even less.

If you're an avid Jersey Mike's supporter, then you almost certainly know what Mike's Way is. But for those who are newer to this fast-casual experience, it's worth ordering pretty much any sandwich "Mike's Way" if you're a fan of not-dry subs. The add-ons include onions, lettuce, tomatoes, oil, and vinegar, plus oregano and salt. It creates the perfect tangy flavor boost on every sandwich, and the oil and vinegar combo adds just a little bit of moisture to the sandwich as well.

But here's the trick: add mayo to your Mike's Way. Do you remember the viral TikTok grinder salad sandwich from a few years ago? It was basically a saucy, tangy chopped Italian deli salad sandwich loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, deli meats, and cheese. And by adding mayo to your Mike's Way customization, you're pretty much ensuring that same saucy, tangy flavor. The mayonnaise combines with the red wine vinegar and oil for a rich yet acidic "sauce" that you absolutely won't regret. It makes every Jersey Mike's cold sub even better than it already is.

Most of Jersey Mike's subs have ingredients like lettuce, tomato, and onion. While the onion does add a slight crunch, it isn't enough to really get that texture balance in your sandwich. There are two main ways to do add more crunch: include banana peppers, or buy a bag of chips and pile them on.

Banana peppers have a tangy acidity and are slightly spicy, so they're perfect when your sandwich is missing that extra piece — this is great option if you opt not to get the sandwich Mike's Way, since you'll miss out on that red wine vinegar flavor. You can also pickle your own banana peppers at home to add before you eat. If you do get it Mike's Way, the salty, fatty potato chips are the ideal flavor balance. You'll have to add them after getting the sandwich, so to get the most bang for your buck, order a sandwich that's on a deal that week, meaning you'll get a drink and chips for less than you'd pay for them all separately.

It's not unusual for an elevated steak dinner to be garnished with herbs like rosemary or thyme. If you've ever paired your steak with rosemary-infused butter, you know it's a match made in heaven. While you won't get a fine dining experience at Jersey Mike's, you can recreate these flavors by swapping out the classic sub roll for the chain's rosemary parmesan bread on your cheesesteak. Each roll is sprinkled with parmesan and chopped rosemary before it's baked, so the flavor is noticeable but not overpowering.

You can do this with any of Mike's cheesesteaks, but for the most complementary flavor, pair it with the Mike's Famous Philly. For a sharper flavor, swap the classic white American cheese for provolone, but keep those grilled peppers and onions. It's a simple trick, but it will add so much more dimension to your sandwich — and might make you feel a little fancier.

For the biggest ordering perks, don't overlook the Jersey Mike's rewards program. You can earn Shore Points Rewards for every purchase, then redeem them for various sandwiches. The points you receive depend on what you order. For example, a bag of chips will only earn you one Shore Point, but a giant sub will earn you 12 points. The other menu items fall somewhere in between.

You can use these rewards points to help offset the cost when you want to customize any of your favorite sandwiches but don't necessarily want to pay extra. For example, redeem your Shore Points for a giant Original Italian sub with added bacon. While you'll pay for the add-on, you won't pay for the sub itself, so it's not costing you a ton of money yet you're still getting one of the best sandwiches. This sub is already loaded with ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami, and pepperoni, so adding the bacon essentially makes it a meat lovers' dream without the price tag of all that meat.

One Reddit user had an interesting hack for making the most of their Shore Points. "Points are given out depending on sub size, not cost, so I just usually order the cheapest giant subs on double point days. Overlap them with coupons, and we [are] gravy," the user wrote.

This one focuses more on price tag than customizations, but if you love a good deal, then this would be an easy way to get the best Jersey Mike's experience. If you want a good Jersey Mike's sub and aren't too hungry, then it's worth it to order from the kids' menu. It's arguably the best deal at Jersey Mike's: you get a kids-sized sub — based on customer reviews, it's only slightly smaller than the Jersey Mike's mini sub — plus water and a side. You'll pay $7.85 for a turkey and provolone mini but only $6.95 for a kids' turkey and provolone, which also comes with water and a cookie. There are two other sandwich options available in a kids size: provolone and ham, and provolone and salami, but customizations are available. While you likely won't get away with adding much to the sandwich, you can probably swap out the cheese if you don't love provolone.

When asked how to save money at Jersey Mike's on Reddit, someone suggested going the kids meal route. "Get kids meals, it's normally enough for one person and it's cheaper [than] most sandwiches [and] you get a sandwich, a chip, and a drink." Keep in mind that kids' menus can vary by location — some might come with chips while others come with a cookie.