Grinders, heroes, hoagies, po’ boys: whatever you call them, America loves a sub sandwich. Held together by a submarine-shaped roll, usually perfectly balanced between fluffy, chewy and crispy, and typically served stuffed to bursting, variations can be found across the US. From classic Italian-style subs with meatballs or layers of charcuterie and cheese to a Vietnamese bánh mì, read on for the best places to eat a sub sandwich in every state.
Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
Deli-style subs, stuffed to overflowing with Italian fillings, are the order of the day at this small, family-run joint. The order of every day actually, according to fans who crave the delicious and very affordable sandwiches. Customers praise the super-friendly service and warm atmosphere, and recommend pretty much any of the subs from meatball to pizza, with pepperoni, melted mozzarella and tomato sauce.
It’s the bread that makes the sub sandwiches from this small, independent shop so special. It’s freshly baked each morning, beautifully fluffy and with a just-right crust. Actually, the fillings are pretty great too, from perfectly seasoned buffalo chicken to Philly steak. Customers recommend picking up one of the enormous and glorious cookies for dessert too.
The Italian sub – either with spiced charcuterie or ham, salami and cheese – is a favorite for customers at Sidewinder Subs, although you can’t really go wrong with any options on the extensive menu, which includes meatball, pastrami, crab and avocado, and a vegetarian sub with 'every veggie we have'. The friendly staff members are happy to make customized sub sandwiches to order too.
This cute counter-serve spot is loved for its cozy, homely atmosphere and creative sub sandwiches. The menu has a range of “hot and toasty” subs, with favorites including the incredible French Dipped and Bang Pow Chicken, a pan-seared chicken breast with sriracha mayo. The veggie options, including a Caprese and portobello mushroom infused with balsamic, are super-tasty too.
Don’t order Sub Shop’s Destroyer sub unless you have a huge appetite, or no plans for dinner. This enormous sandwich – stuffed with roast beef, ham, pastrami, salami, turkey, provolone and Swiss cheeses and as much salad as you like – is big enough for lunch, dinner and maybe even lunch the next day. It’s just one of many superlative subs served at this long-running store, with other classics including tuna, vegetarian and meatball – and they're available in half sizes too.
Grinder specializes in, well, grinders – a type of sub sandwich that originated in New England and is thought to have been named because sailors would “grind” or chomp on them before heading out to sea. They’re also usually served hot and toasty, such as the excellent Petey, a customer favorite with house-made meatballs, marinara sauce and three melted cheeses. Everything is served on classic, fluffy-yet-crispy hoagie bread.
The first Nardelli’s store opened in Waterbury in 1920, starting out as a fruit and veg store and specializing in grinders after the three brothers noticed how popular the torpedo-shaped sandwiches were in New York. Now there are branches across Connecticut and customers rave that Nardelli’s make the best Italian-style grinders around. The Chicken Cutlet, with marinara sauce, lettuce, tomato, cheese and diced veggies, is worthy of obsessing over.
Ioannoni's opened in 2005 but has a long heritage behind it, as owner Michael Ioannoni’s family ran an Italian deli in New Castle for 50 years. The passed-down traditions shine through, and the sub sandwiches the store specializes in are based on family recipes and made even better. Customers reckon they’re the best Italian sub sandwiches around, with the meatball sub – packed with huge meatballs and perfect sauce – and sub with chicken cutlets among favorites.
Mickey’s doesn’t just serve the best subs in Florida. According to pretty much anyone who’s ever bitten into one of their torpedo-style sandwiches, these are the best subs anywhere. Ever. People rave about the Italian sub and the roast beef with horseradish, with all the ingredients high-quality and fresh. They also love the friendly, fun atmosphere, bright green decor and bold mural.
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This statewide chain, which has three locations in Savannah plus shops in cities including Richmond Hill, Pooler and Augusta, was opened in 1975 by Jersey-born Bill Baer, who was frustrated he couldn’t find a decent Jersey-style sub. Now, it’s a Georgia mainstay and loved for its crave-able subs, with favorite menu items including the Italian Batallion, packed with layers of meat and cheese. Other options include toasted torpedoes and grilled subs with steak.
Ba-Le Sandwich Shop is a must-visit for anyone craving a bánh mì. This quaint, family-owned joint located in Honolulu serves the best Vietnamese-style sandwiches, packed with fragrant, meaty fillings and tart, crunchy pickled vegetables, all sandwiched within a crispy and chewy baguette that's baked fresh daily. The lemongrass chicken bánh mì is a customer favorite, constantly praised for its aromatic flavor. Pair with a refreshing Vietnamese mocha iced coffee or a Thai iced tea with tapioca boba.
The Sandwich Tree is deservedly known as the best sandwich shop, period. It specializes in sub-style sandwiches in sizes from four to 24 inches (presumably the latter would be for sharing, although we won’t judge). Customers praise the perfect, soft bread that has just the right crackle of crispiness. The shop is also a legend in its local area (and lunchtime) thanks to its community feel and generous fillings from pastrami to veggie.
Born in Chicago’s Little Italy in 1960 and now on Michigan Avenue, Fontano’s Subs has stayed true to its roots and specializes in Italian-style subs like the Blockbuster, with ham, salami, capocollo and provolone and Swiss cheeses, and Big Al, layered with mortadella, two types of salami and provolone. The bread is especially good, as is the Italian Beef, served hot with peppers and a gravy 'dip'.
The clue’s in the name: this Indy favorite, with two locations in the city, is all about beer and hoagies. Partnered with craft brewery Chilly Water, it turns out Philly-style cheesesteaks described as the best outside of Pennsylvania and some delicious cold hoagies like the Market St, with layers of turkey, ham, cheese, and coleslaw.
The sandwiches at Avenue Subs are named after local streets, which is a good indicator of the general community vibe of this fun spot. It’s mostly counter serve, with a row of tables under a wall hung with vintage shop and street signs. Everything here is delicious, with fans describing these as the best sandwiches you’ll find anywhere. The Breeze, stuffed with capicola, bacon, pepperoni and provolone, comes highly recommended.
This Irish bar may be tiny but has amassed a huge following thanks to its killer subs. Located in the historic Midtown area of Wichita, The Artichoke Sandwichbar serves big sandwiches and cold Guinness on tap. Loyal customers love its unpretentious vibe. The most popular sub, The Famous No. 8, comes highly recommended – a soft onion hoagie stuffed with scrumptious turkey, crispy bacon, creamy Swiss, and cream cheese, topped with fresh lettuce, tomato, Italian dressing, and Parmesan.
Sub sandwiches make up the bulk of the menu at this West Kentucky favorite, which also serves burgers and other styles of sandwiches, and people love the fact it’s family run and has a real local feel. Victor’s is a cute, homely spot that, according to customers, serves the best subs around and is a must-visit for anyone in town. Menu staples include Cheese Steak, smothered with a proprietary sauce, and Spice – classic cheese and salami with extra heat.
In New Orleans, sub sandwiches are po’ boys and they start with the local take on French baguettes: light as a feather inside, the perfect balance of crisp and chewy on the outside. You can find them in pretty much every restaurant and café and even some bars, though this specialist bakery serves up the best in town. Parkway Bakery’s shrimp po’ boy is wonderful, with beautifully seasoned shellfish – but it’s the roast beef the place is famous for, and deservedly so. It’s packed with tender, melt-in-the-mouth meat.
Known as the best place to find New Orleans–style sandwiches in Maine, Po' Boys & Pickles gets all the details right, from the crackly crust on the soft sub rolls to Cajun and Creole-inspired fillings like fried oysters, blackened fish and spiced sausage. It doesn’t forget where it is though, incorporating delicious locally sourced seafood into the menu. A side of fried pickles is a must too.
This cute-as-a-button sub sandwich store and ice cream parlor, with two locations in Maryland, is a real find amid the chains. The Laurel location is especially pretty, housed in a bungalow-style cabin with a picket fence around the outdoor tables. However, it’s the sandwiches that really draw in customers and keep them coming back. Try the Stromboli, with salami, ham, provolone cheese, onion, peppers and marinara sauce.
Billy’s Sub Shop is a favorite in Boston’s South End and beyond. Pretty much anyone who bites into one of the generously stuffed sub sandwiches becomes a fan, in fact. The menu includes breakfast sandwiches and a long list of served-all-day subs including meatball, chicken cutlet, crabmeat salad and hamburger. It’s great value too, and the subs are substantial enough to share (although you might not want to).
Togo’s has been slicing, stuffing and filling sub rolls here since 1964, and the sandwiches are famously delicious. The bread rolls are made fresh each morning and provide the perfect starting point for the range of sub sandwiches on the menu. Try the chicken bacon ranch (pictured), heaped with perfectly seasoned chicken, crispy bacon and even crispier lettuce and drizzled with house-made ranch dressing.
JC’s Subs is a real local favorite thanks to great service and the delicious subs, served on ciabatta or hoagie rolls. People love the Spicy Melt, which has smoked turkey, cheese, roasted red onions, tomatoes, greens and spicy sauce, and the meatball sub that’s packed with house-made meatballs, marinara sauce, and melted provolone cheese, on a classic hoagie roll.
The fillings tend to outweigh the bread by quite some quantity at Monster Subs, an independent sub sandwich store in coastal Gulfport, which probably explains the 'Monster' part of the name. These are some of the tastiest sub sandwiches you’ll find anywhere, pleasing even the fussiest of sandwich aficionados. The Reuben (pictured) is a bestseller and the type of sandwich that creates lifelong fans.
This cute sandwich shop has been serving subs since the 1960s and the traditional, super-soft rolls are baked fresh each morning. It’s known for attracting lines that spill out of the door but the friendly staff members are so quick, and the sandwiches so tasty, that no one really minds. It’s cash-only, has a handful of picnic tables outside and, according to some devotees, makes the best subs ever, hands down.
The Pickle Barrel loves its pickles, yes, but primarily this small regional chain specializes in huge sub sandwiches. Customers adore the meatballs with provolone and the Philly-style cheesesteak. The fillings are gloriously generous too. There’s a handful of locations in Montana and one outpost in South Dakota. Oh, and the Bozeman location offers something a little different too: you can request any sandwich in a pickle. That’s the filling, inside a pickle. Yep.
Specializing in Vietnamese-style Sandwiches, think of the fabulous combo of French and Vietnamese flavors that make a Banh Mi, and offering the ever-so-popular Bubble Tea, Banhwich Cafe stands out from the sub sandwich chains in Nebraska, offering more than 17 unique styles of subs, including Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai-inspired creations. People love the bright flavors and toppings, and if you have space after one of their tasty banhwiches, you can also enjoy one of their delicious waffles.
Munch A Sub is special on several levels: it’s an independently owned, old-school sandwich shop amid a sea of chains and fancy restaurants, and it’s the place to get an unforgettable sandwich. These are the best subs anywhere, according to fans, and feels like a real hidden gem. Everything is delicious, though the French Dip is highly recommended. Customers also praise the friendly staff and warm, inviting atmosphere.
Moe’s Italian Sandwiches was founded by cheese salesman Phil "Moe” Pagano in 1959 and, while it’s now expanded with a few locations throughout New England, the original location remains a local favorite. It’s known for its crowd-pleasing Italian sub rolls including The Original, stuffed with salami, provolone cheese and roasted veg. People love the fresh, fluffy bread and delicious additions like the spicy oil.
Sub sandwiches are an institution in New Jersey, and so is this Hawthorne deli. Bogie’s Hoagies specializes in (you guessed it) classic subs served on hoagie rolls. The bread, from a local bakery, is wonderfully fresh and is a key reason that these sandwiches are so delicious. They prepare the roast beef and pulled pork fillings in-house and offer a range of different dressings too. The hot hoagie with chicken cutlets is especially good.
The Yeller Sub has been turning out excellent torpedoes and subs since 1979. Tucked in the Louisiana Plaza Shopping Center, it’s worth seeking out for torpedo rolls stuffed with ham, Swiss cheese, salad and delicious dressing, and the best turkey sub around. People praise the super-fresh bread and love the fact that it’s a truly local store.
Born in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, Alidoro now has two other locations in the city, plus one in Miami. It specializes in Italian heroes (as in sub-style sandwiches, not soccer players/movie stars/opera singers). Although, one of the best sandwiches on the menu is the Pavarotti, over-stuffed with salami, smoked mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and roasted peppers. The sandwiches are big enough to share (or to save half for later), although they’re so delicious we wouldn’t judge anyone for munching through a whole one.
Opened in 1993, Smoky Mountain Sub Shop is a local institution in Waynesville and a popular stop for people passing through the town (which itself is beautifully sandwiched between the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountain ranges). The super-fresh sub rolls are sourced from a local bakery and stuffed with cured meats and cheeses, cold cuts, egg salad or – one of the favorites – meatballs.
Magic City Hoagies specializes in Pennsylvania-style hoagies and is famous for stuffing the rolls beyond bursting. Locals love it fiercely, and it’s the sort of place that’s always recommended to anyone visiting the town too. Favorites include the Florence, on a Parmesan pressed sub roll, or any of the Italian-style subs. And, for anyone looking for a lighter or gluten-free option, there's a lettuce wrap too.
From Philly-style subs to veggie rolls with mushrooms, onions and peppers, the sandwiches at Susie’s Sub Shop are always delicious. They’re huge too, which means it’s tough to finish even the best-ever meatball sub. Another favorite is the roast beef, served on perfectly baked rolls. Susie's is also known for pizza and – brilliantly – pizza subs, with all the classic toppings stuffed into a roll.
Neptune Submarine Sandwiches has baked its rolls fresh daily since opening in 1974, and it shows: customers can’t stop raving about their soft, fluffy bread. This bright-yellow joint in Oklahoma City is hard to miss. Grab a sub from the drive-thru or sit in for a quick meal. Neptune specializes in no-fuss classic subs brimming with deli meats, while the egg-salad subs are said to be outstanding.
Best Baguette specializes in Vietnamese-style bánh mì sandwiches, served in crispy, sub-shaped rolls. With two locations – in Portland and Beaverton – their moreish fillings include a fragrant pork marinated in a lemongrass and soy dressing, grilled chicken, hot sardines and shredded veggies. The classic, though, is the Best Baguette Special, with paté, ham, pork and head cheese. It’s the bread – fluffy as clouds inside and satisfyingly crisp on the outside – that really makes these sandwiches worth seeking out though.
The home of the Philly cheesesteak, the birthplace of the hoagie… unsurprisingly, Pennsylvania has some incredible sub sandwich shops. Cheesesteak specialists aside, Peppi’s is considered the best place to go for a sub. Established in 1983 and now with several locations in Pittsburgh, it’s loved for the old-school style of its diners – the Point Breeze spot is housed in a 1940s dining car. It’s loved even more for satisfying subs stuffed with fillings from cold cuts to (of course) cheesesteak.
Dee’s Deli is the sort of cute, charming, down-home spot that has locals yearning for the sandwiches while they’re away and has visitors longing to return. The bungalow-style joint specializes in traditional Italian grinders, served packed with charcuterie meats, cheeses and crunchy veggies. The vegetarian options, including the beautifully sharp combo of broccoli rabe with provolone cheese, are a cut above too.
The best subs in South Carolina are actually Vietnamese-style bánh mì sandwiches. Specifically, the bánh mì at Bon Banh Mi, which has a restaurant in Charleston and another outpost in the town of Mount Pleasant. Both are sought out for their beautifully fresh bread, filled with flavor-packed fillings from red curry beef to cauliflower. The stores are cute as a button and cheerily decorated too.
Gregg’s Substation is, as the name suggests, a sandwich shop and casino rolled into one. The stripped-back and wonderfully nostalgic spot has a handful of diner-style booths where people can munch on sub sandwiches, stuffed with meatballs, tuna or pepperoni and provolone, while arcade machines chime in the background. Customers recommend the turkey and cheese sub, and, well, anything else, really.
Ms. B’s Sub Shop isn’t just the best sub sandwich store in Memphis, or even Tennessee. It’s the best anywhere. At least, that’s what some fans of this stripped-back joint reckon. The counter-serve store may be no frills, but the sandwiches are something else, stuffed full with sliced meats, cheese, crispy salad and delicious house-made dressings. Toasting the inside of the rolls adds extra flavor and crunch too. There’s a great range of fillings to choose from, too, and the atmosphere is famed for being warm and friendly.
Locally sourced deli meats and freshly baked bread are used for the very special hoagies and Philly cheesesteaks turned out at the popular Tucci’s Southside Subs, owned by Pennsylvania-born David Tucci. The two shops, both in South Austin, are go-to places for classic Italian subs so good that they put every other sandwich in the shade. They make a great veggie sub too, although everything on the menu is delicious.
Featured on Guy Fieri’s TV show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Moochie’s does serve other food – but it’s the signature sub sandwiches that really draw in the customers and keeps them coming back. There are three Salt Lake City locations serving Philly cheesesteaks and cold hoagies with layers of meat, cheese, salad and dressing. The joint's ultimate is the meatball sub, especially with jalapeño sauce, although The Porkiyaki – with teriyaki sauce and slaw (pictured) – is also a crowd-pleaser.
Gill’s Deli has the cutest tagline: 'On a roll since 1964!' If that doesn’t win you over, this quaint spot serves up the best grinders around. They’re made with fresh bread from a local bakery and, according to the deli, it’s the secret-recipe seasoned oil, passed down through generations, that makes these sandwiches so special. Whatever the reason, loyal customers believe these are the best sandwiches bar none and great value too.
Despite what the name might suggest, there’s only one Sam’s Texas Sub Shop and it’s here in Norfolk, Virginia, which the locals are very happy about because this is one of those places that inspires loyalty. The friendly, welcoming atmosphere is part of it, of course, but mostly it’s the sandwiches that people come for – especially the meatball sub, which is the best around.
HoneyHole Sandwiches has perfected the art of the sub, serving sandwiches filled with tender meats and fresh sauces made in-house. Customers recommend The Dude, made with melt-in-your-mouth flank steak that's been marinated and grilled to perfection. This local institution caters well for vegetarians too. Try El Guapo: a chewy demi-baguette filled with Roma tomatoes, red onions, green bell peppers, Italian herbs, smoked Gouda, sharp Cheddar, and a generous dollop of housemade ranch.
The Olive Tree Café And Catering is a traditional, Philadelphia-style deli that serves authentic Mediterranean fare in the heart of South Charleston. The menu includes a broad selection of deli subs and hot sandwiches, all freshly made to order. Customers love the food, the amazing service, and the well-kept patio space with ample seating and heaters. Among the delicious options is The Real Philly: a classic Amoroso roll filled to the brim with melt-in-your-mouth, thinly sliced roasted ribeye, and all the classic Philly toppings.
This mini-chain started in 1967 and had more than 20 stores before selling many of them to Subway in the late 1980s. Now, revived with two Milwaukee locations and a third store in Pewaukee, to the west of the bigger city, Suburpia draws customers with its story, sense of nostalgia, and – most importantly – its heavenly subs, which are ridiculously good.
The homemade bread is the star of the subs served at Breadboard, although the filings are pretty good too. The Stoker, stuffed with sliced turkey, jalapeño-infused bacon and pepper-jack cheese, is one of the best things on the menu. Thanks to the delicious Italian dressing and that bread, though, every sub is a winner.