I Tried And Ranked Turkey Sub Sandwiches From 9 Chains

Cold-cut subs are undeniably popular, and the turkey sub has made its permanent mark among the towering club and Italian selections, roast beef beasts, and ham hoagie honkers. Quick, convenient, cheap, and refreshing, the turkey sub is a healthier, lighter option using only leaner deli-style meat as the main ingredient. It's ideal as an on-the go option during lunch breaks or for quick dinners when you or the family don't want anything too heavy. When beef, pork, or fatty salami aren't the meats you prefer for your sandwich, turkey is the better choice.

I put different chains to the test, trying their versions of a turkey sub. I ventured mainly to classic chain sandwich shops like Primo Hoagies, Subway, and Firehouse Subs, but also threw in Sheetz as a popular gas station venue with a full Made-to-Order (MTO) menu. I learned that a turkey sub can be interpreted in different ways, with each chain offering distinctly unique versions. While some opted for minimal ingredients and an uncomplicated approach, many others piled on condiments, meats, and cheeses. So, which ones were better? Keep reading on to find out if plain, unadulterated simplicity reigned or buckled under the pressure of the more abundant, heavy-handed spins.

It was a sad decision to rank a Jersey Mike's sandwich dead last, especially since the chain had done well in my other reviews. Its Famous Philly ranked first place in my review of chain restaurant cheesesteaks, and its BLT also snagged the top spot in my chain restaurant BLT ranking. And while Jersey Mike's Turkey and Provolone Sub looked the part of a lip-smacking lunch (take a gander at that gorgeous cross-cut section!), it was the least enjoyable to eat and had some of the worst components.

It was hard to ignore the obvious heft upon initial inspection, supposedly a good value for the price. But bigger isn't always better. The main issue was one of extreme excess. The deli-style meat slices were too thick and slimy. The heavy-handed sprinkle of dried oregano overpowered everything with its potpourri-esque scent and unexpected bitterness. And there were far too many slices of provolone cheese.

Worst of all? The oil and red wine vinegar turned everything into a wet, soppy disaster with a weirdly sour tang. The lettuce and tomatoes turned soggy, while the cheese and meat became even slimier. All of that slop weighed down the bottom half of the soft white bread, which was already suffering from absorbing most of the liquid. After a short period of time — a 15-minute drive from shop to home — the sandwich succumbed to its Wicked-Witch-of-the-West wounds and disintegrated into a flimsy heap.

Capriotti's sandwich wielded a unique edge no other competitor had. Rather than using deli-style cold cuts, Capriotti's incorporated slow-roasted, hand-pulled turkey. While I appreciated the shop's less processed and fresher interpretation, it was really, really dry. It's easy to overcook lean poultry like turkey and chicken, and while there are a few different ways to repurpose dry chicken at home, there's not much you can do about a dry bird when you order to-go from a sandwich shop. The meat was also woefully under-seasoned, which is another consequence of using fresh turkey rather than a deli-style sodium bomb.

The other accompanying ingredients didn't offer any moisture or flavor I was desperately searching for. The drier, more aged style of sliced provolone had no cheesy richness. There wasn't too much shredded lettuce or tomato, which limited any kind of cold, refreshing crunch or burst of juiciness. I also didn't detect any mayonnaise, which should have been on the sandwich. The bread was also dry and chewy.

With very little else to moisten the meat, I had to rank this low. But it wasn't the worst one, since I would rather eat Capriotti's dry sandwich that stayed clean and intact rather than the messy, soggy, fall-apart situation at Jersey Mike's. If I were to order this one again, and if I were to give you any advice in advance, I would definitely ask for extra mayonnaise.

I still can't believe how much money I paid for such a small sub with laughably bizarre proportions. The Smoked Turkey & Provolone at Firehouse Subs was such a joke based on its price and overall appearance, one of the main reasons why I ranked it close to the bottom. Close to $7 for something so teeny-tiny? The pickle spear served on the side was even bigger than the sandwich! And look how cartoonishly small the bread is compared to everything else. It can hardly contain the filling.

I was close to exclaiming that this was an absolute waste of money and the worst one at first glance, but the sandwich was fairly tasty. It redeemed itself just enough to help it surpass the other two losing competitors. Firehouse used a smoked cold cut, which gave each bite a big, bold punch of savory flavor (though it was slightly slimy). Other noteworthy flavor enhancers included hearty smears of both mustard and mayo. I loved how their lightly pungent flavors and aromas worked well with the smoked turkey, and how they playfully balanced against the fresh tomato, and white onion.

I do wish there was more lettuce — it was nearly missing. Overall, it was still a decent menu item. But there were far too many that I enjoyed more, with proportions that made more sense and had even bolder flavors.

Even though the Turkey & Cheese Hoagie at Primo Hoagies had some stellar qualities that prevented it from placing any lower, there were more weaknesses than strengths. Again, this was another chain that had a big win in previous rankings, like my meatball sub review, but it floundered in this one. I loved the turkey, and it was actually my top favorite among all the sandwiches. It was tender and feathery thin, plentiful, had a well-seasoned, well-salted flavor, and wasn't slimy. Honestly, I wish I could go back just for the turkey itself. Primo's bread was also commendable, with a beautifully soft crumb yet a hearty, crunchy crust.

But the praise stops there, unfortunately. Much like Jersey Mike's this was another failed, sloppy attempt at trying to level up a simple sandwich with unnecessary fixings. "Served the Primo way," it included a combination of lettuce, tomato, onion, oil, black pepper, and oregano. There was too much oil and oregano, and on such a small (and relatively expensive) sandwich, those two components overwhelmed everything else.

While the crusty exterior saved the day, preventing the oil from seeping out too much, there was no hope for the interior crumb. With one squeeze of the bread, I could see how much oil the bread absorbed like a dry sponge. The lettuce and tomatoes didn't stand a chance, either, as they immediately were soaked. If it weren't for the delicious turkey, the whole sandwich would have tasted oily and flavorless.

There was nothing to hate about this simple turkey sandwich from Subway. It embodied complacent chain restaurant mediocrity, and I couldn't think of a better ranking for this option than right in the middle. It didn't have enough serious issues to rank it closer to the bottom, and yet it certainly didn't have any memorable accolades to push it to a higher place. Subway's bread isn't the greatest, as evidenced in Chowhound's review of breads from fast food sandwich chains. It's simply a fresh, marshmallow-y workhorse bread meant to feed the masses at thousands of locations nationwide. The bread did its job, nothing more, of housing an appropriate amount of filling.

Speaking of which, all of the components that made up the sandwich were okay. Nothing evoked the nostalgic marching band magic or the copious amount of incredibly fresh fillers like the higher-ranking option at Sheetz. The shredded lettuce was okay, maybe not the freshest or crispiest, but it was still okay. The tomatoes and red onions were also fine, and the bland-ish, rubbery-ish provolone cheese was nothing special. There was a disciplined amount of fresh, tender, thinly sliced deli meat, suitable enough for a single serving. Every component I wanted was present, and all in appropriately measured quantities. The sub kept its shape well, and didn't fall apart as I was eating it or disintegrated into a wet slop during the short commute home.

This was my first time eating anything from Penn Station East Coast Subs, and it definitely left a positive impression on me. Unlike Subway, Penn Station's turkey hoagie was more generous with its quantities of fillings. The abundant amount of oven-roasted deli-style meat was a welcoming observation, and tasted fresh and hearty. The style of provolone Penn Station used wasn't bland or rubbery like Subway's. It had a soft, yielding texture and pronounced flavor. And even though Penn Station used both oil and vinegar, it applied a very subtle touch to not drown the other ingredients. I couldn't say the same for Jersey Mike's or Primo Hoagies.

But what really put this one on a higher pedestal than many of the others were the pickled banana peppers. Those little guys delivered a zingy spiciness and a fun crunch. While many of the other sandwiches kept the party mild, and borderline boring, Penn Station brought the boombox of bold flavor. The banana peppers added a level of fun personality, preventing the sandwich from tasting too bland.

My one major complaint is the problematic bread situation. Not good. The bread was dense, heavy, and doughy. Given its uncommonly pale appearance and stodgy structure, it looked like it wasn't properly baked. This issue was the reason why it received its fourth-place ranking, and nothing higher. The breads in the higher spots were all baked well.

Sheetz Turkey Sub was as close to a high school marching band hoagie as I could imagine: straightforward, fresh, inexpensive, quick to assemble, and all piled on soft, fluffy white bread with the perfect chew. There was a nostalgia to this one, reminding me of my teenage years helping make dozens of hoagies in the school cafeteria. Glowing with sentimental happiness, I gobbled up this sandwich — with only some mild critiques.

Sheetz embraced that less-is-more mentality with this MTO menu item. Each individual ingredient was obviously represented and stayed bright and fresh (unlike many of the other lower-ranking competitors). There was plenty of thick-cut meat, creamy yet firm American cheese, a big pile of crisp lettuce, a nice smear of mayo, and juicy tomatoes.

What I didn't like, and what prevented it from scoring any higher, was that some of the individual components were prepped sloppily. The red onions were a mishmash of large slices and small dices, not pleasant when one bite varies from the next with overwhelming blasts of raw onion. I also didn't like that the tomatoes were simply plopped on top of the sandwich, cut into two big, thick slices that weren't the easiest to eat. If the clunky veggies were prepped with more precision, the sandwich could have soared to the top.

What a beauty. DiBella's Turkey Sub earned its second-place spot with a well-balanced combo of ingredients all served inside a gorgeously golden-brown roll topped with sesame seeds. I am in love with its bread. The pillowy interior crumb was still substantial enough that it could hold more filling. The caramelized crust already had so much flavor and texture on its own, but it was further bedazzled by a beautiful scattering of gently toasted sesame seeds.

But enough about the bread. DiBella's understood the right strategy for the best proportional control with each component inside. There was a generous amount of tender deli meat, perfectly chopped tomato and onion, and a mindful smear of mayo. Rather than go for the typical provolone or American cheese slices, the shop threw a curveball and used Swiss cheese, instead. With the right balance of sweetness and acidity, the Swiss cheese was a tasty choice.

Admittedly, DiBella's Famous Oil Dressing was a literal flop, causing the shredded lettuce to quickly turn soft and soggy. The dressing was still quite flavorful, though, and wasn't nearly as overused as the other brands. With a more deft and disciplined hand, DiBella's was able to avoid a catastrophically wet mess.

There was no famous oil and vinegar dressing. There was no excessive abundance with the meat. There was no massively fluffy bread. There wasn't even a single slice of cheese. But did I miss any of those things when I tasted Jimmy John's Turkey Tom? Nope. This was straightforward simplicity at its finest, a sub that wasn't trying hard to make an aggressive impact overloaded with too many ingredients.

When I compared the cross-cut sections of all the products, this one was the least impressive. At first glance, how could anyone think that a puny-looking sandwich like this could stand to compete against the bigger giants? But this was David, defeating all the Goliaths in its path. For its sling, all it needed was a few slices of hand-sliced, thick-cut turkey, a couple slices of ripe tomato, a handful of freshly shredded lettuce, and Hellmann's mayonnaise spread on both the top and bottom of a tender, lightly spongy loaf of fresh bread with a feathery crust.

This was the cleanest, most well-composed product. It was assembled in a compact, neat sandwich, and held up beautifully well during the commute back home. With no wet, oily condiments, nothing became soggy or muddied together in a questionable mass. Overall, it tasted light and fresh, and each component maintained its individual integrity. This is the one I would go back to for seconds, with no hesitation.

Given my love for turkey subs (I was a high school band geek after all), I based my reviews on quite a handful of important factors: ingredients, proportions, taste, texture, appearance, price, personal preferences, and timing. The ingredients on each sandwich were judged individually as separate components, as well as collectively as a whole entity.

Timing referred to how well the sub held up with a short commute from shop to home, which was never more than a 30-minute drive. This kind of food item is often eaten on the go, and I thought it was imperative to evaluate how well it stayed fresh with just a short amount of time before eating.

I did not customize the majority of the food items, ordering each one exactly as suggested on the menu. The only exception was the product at Sheetz, which I had to build myself using the same base ingredients that a common turkey sub would include. All of the subs were served cold. Since the majority of the bread selections were fresh and un-toasted, I decided to not toast any bread if that option was offered.