Popular Jersey Mike's Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best

There are some sub shops that get all the attention. Take Subway, for example. It's probably the best-known spot to grab a sub pretty much anywhere in the country — and in several other countries as well. But just because a food company is massive doesn't mean that they necessarily have the best meals around. Instead, you may want to look for a smaller, more modest operation that may tend to focus more on the food itself. And when it comes to chain restaurants where you can grab a delicious sub sandwich, Jersey Mike's might just fit the bill.

This chain may not have the instant name recognition that Subway does, but it does have a wide array of delicious sub sandwiches you can choose from. And if you love punctuating your day with a fresh sub, then you're going to want to check it out. Before you do, though, you should make sure you're ordering exactly what you want. That's why we've compiled a list of some of the most popular menu items at Jersey Mike's and ranked them from worst to best. That way, even if you've never been there before, you'll have a better idea of what to order when you stop by.

Let's take a look at popular Jersey Mike's menu items, starting with the worst and making our way to our favorites.

We love bacon ... who doesn't? But if there's one way you could ruin this glorious food, it's by covering it with an ungodly amount of ranch dressing that will utterly drown out that distinct bacon flavor. That's just what Jersey Mike's did in the base of their bacon ranch chicken cheese steak. If that sounds like way too many heavy ingredients to find their way into one sandwich, you're not wrong. Moreover, the chicken in this sandwich is kind of dry. The crispy bacon makes up for it but is completely ruined by how much ranch comes drizzled on top. Add in all that cheese, and you have a sandwich that may give you a heart attack after you take your first bite.

A sub is supposed to be refreshing, and that's pretty much the opposite of this particular sandwich. The different components all have something going for them, sure, but we think they would do better playing as the star in their own separate sandwiches. Put them all together, and there's just way too much going on here.

Want to make a ham and provolone sandwich at home? Go for it. It's easy to throw together, and neither is it difficult to keep the ingredients in your house. But at a restaurant? We think that it's largely a waste of money to get such a simple sandwich. That's why you won't see us ordering the ham and provolone sandwich from Jersey Mike's anytime soon. Let's just be honest: It's boring. We don't want to buy something that we got from our middle school cafeteria for under $2 back in the day.

The ham in this sandwich is okay, but it's nothing spectacular. The same could be said for the provolone cheese. The fresh vegetables add some crunch and flavor to the mix, but they don't make up for the lack of flavor you get from the main ingredients. All told, this sandwich feels like an echo of another, more flavorful meal.

If you're a really picky eater or you're trying to find a sandwich you can share with a kid, this one may not be a bad option. But otherwise, there are much, much better choices on the menu than this rather disappointing menu item.

We absolutely love it when restaurants provide vegetarian options for their customers. It's not something you see at every restaurant, but many chains are getting better with their veggie choices. At Jersey Mike's, though, your options are still very limited. One of your only vegetarian-friendly options on the menu is the veggie.

Keep in mind that this sandwich definitely isn't vegan-friendly — it boasts both Swiss and provolone cheese. Then, green bell peppers, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes are added to the mix. Spices finish off the flavor, but that's it. There's literally nothing else on this sandwich. And that leaves veggie lovers in a sad place.

There's no protein replacement here, so you're left with a sandwich that may not even fill you up for the day. And when you consider how bland the taste is, there's a good reason to avoid this option. Veggies and bread taste good together, sure, but is that really what you want to order for lunch? We didn't think so.

Here's another sandwich that you could just as easily make at home. There's nothing wrong with the BLT at Jersey Mike's — we just think that it's not worth getting it here when it takes so little effort to cook one of these up on your own. Unlike the BLTs you'll find at a lot of other restaurants, there's nothing that sets this one apart from all the rest. It really is only bacon, lettuce, and tomato. There's nothing else that makes it unique or worth trying. And when it all comes together, it's kind of a paltry sandwich. You'll get more bang for your buck if you order something different off the menu.

As you can imagine, the flavors come together in this sandwich well — just like with any other BLT. However, there's something lacking with the iceberg lettuce, and we wish they would've opted for higher-quality ingredients in this case at least.

In theory, the California chicken cheese steak should be a delicious sandwich. And while it's definitely not bad, it wouldn't be our first choice either. That may have something to do with the chicken, which has a dry texture that isn't too pleasant. Mix that with the white American cheese (they couldn't find literally any better cheese than American?), and you'd think that this is a heavy sandwich that would make you more thirsty than it would fix your hunger pangs.

But we were surprised to find out that this sandwich is also stacked high with veggies. This isn't always the case at Jersey Mike's when you're ordering a hot sandwich, so we liked that this one had something that made it stand out from the pack. While those veggies don't completely make up for the random combo of dry chicken and sad, boring cheese, they do make this sandwich one that we would consider ordering ... if we were in a certain mood, anyway.

However, you should keep in mind that this sandwich isn't available at all Jersey Mike's locations. Visit your local shop to see if you're one of the lucky ones.

The ham at Jersey Mike's isn't fantastic, and that's why the pork-heavy Stickball Special didn't end up with a better spot on our list. But that doesn't mean you should give up on this sandwich completely. It has a lot to offer when you consider the salami and provolone that appear beside that ham. The salami at Jersey Mike's is seriously tasty, and it will lend a deep, rich flavor to the rest of the sandwich. While the salami has an intense flavor, it's balanced nicely by that provolone, which is flavorful but in a mild, refreshing way.

Like most of the cold subs you'll find at Jersey Mike's, this one also comes with lettuce and tomato. These veggies are even more important in sandwiches like this one where the meat tends to be very heavy because they make the whole sandwich feel lighter and more manageable.

Of course, salami isn't for everyone, but if this is one of your favorite types of meat to appear on a sandwich, the Stickball Special may not be a bad way to go.

Here's another mushroom number, but this time, the sandwich gets much better marks in our book than its predecessors here. It's the portabella cheese steak, and it's relatively new on the menu. That doesn't mean it doesn't have a place in our hearts as an instant classic, though. As you may have guessed, this hot sub starts out with plenty of steak, to which mushrooms and white American cheese are added. The peppers and onions add some extra flavor (though, admittedly, not a lot of freshness as they're cooked). The velvety texture of the mushrooms works really well with the steak, and the creaminess from the cheese sends it over the top.

Do we wish there were some more fresh ingredients in this sandwich? Yes. And do we wish the steak were slightly less dry than it is? Of course. But if you are looking for one of the better mushroom-filled options on the menu and you still want a sandwich that features plenty of meat, the portabella cheese steak may just be the way to go.

This is truly an odd — and interesting — sandwich. It's probably unlike anything you've seen at another sandwich shop, and you probably haven't dreamt up the concoction in your own kitchen before. But when you try the Cancro Special for yourself, you'll see that what appears at first to be an incredibly odd combination is actually pretty delicious. What makes it so different? For one, the Cancro Special features roast beef along with salami. Who thought of combining roast beef and salami? A Pepsi delivery man ordered the sandwich on his way out of the shop one fateful day in 1974, according to Jersey Mike's. It seemed to be a winning combination, so they put it on the menu for everyone to enjoy.

In addition to roast beef and salami, you'll also find provolone cheese and veggies on this sandwich. If we're honest, though, those are just extras. The real magic is in the mixing of these meats. If you want to try something completely new, the Cancro special is definitely what you should go for.

While this sandwich may seem like it's a little bit on the plain side at first, that's part of the reason why we like it. It's one of those sandwiches that you can always order and feel good about because it has basic ingredients that pretty much everyone enjoys. It's the club sub, and it's like a lot of other club sandwiches you've likely had at different restaurants. For starters, it comes packed with ham, turkey, and applewood smoked bacon. While there isn't a ton of flavor coming from the turkey and the ham, the bacon really adds up for that by adding a kick of fat and a more intensely savory flavor.

Onions, lettuce, tomato, and mayo top it off for an ideal, simple sandwich. This is the kind of sub you can share with the whole family, and kids and adults alike are sure to gobble it up. Just because it's not the most creative item on the menu doesn't mean it isn't one of the most delicious.

Buffalo sauce and chicken is one of those flavor combos that it's hard to go wrong with. Whether you're eating wings, a dip, or any other dish that marries these two foods, you know the end result is likely to be pretty mouth-watering. And that's just the case with the buffalo chicken cheese steak sandwich you'll find at Jersey Mike's. Frank's RedHot sauce blesses the chicken in this recipe with a spicy and tangy flavor that you won't get from any other sub at this restaurant. And because it has a kick to it, it earns a top spot on our ranking.

While the hot sauce is doing most of the heavy lifting here, the lettuce, tomato, white American cheese, and blue cheese dressing aren't there for nothing either. We like the creaminess of the cheese and the dressing along with the acidity of the Frank's RedHot — it's an ideal combo. While this may not be the best choice for you if you're super sensitive to spice, it's not so spicy that you won't be able to enjoy it.

There are some sandwiches that are super simple, but because they combine the best ingredients in just the right ways, they end up being some of our favorites. When it comes to subs at Jersey Mike's, The Number Four definitely fits that bill. It has our two favorite meats that this restaurant carries: prosciuttini and cappacuolo. But since there aren't any other meats in the mix, you really get to focus on the flavors of these slices specifically. They have a rich, hearty flavor that may be a bit different from your typical cold cut, but they're way better, in our opinion.

That meat is paired with provolone cheese, which we definitely prefer to the more common white American cheese you'll see on a lot of Jersey Mike's sandwiches. Lettuce and tomato top it all off for a touch of vegetable freshness.

If you want a sub-eating experience that's somewhat reminiscent of what you would get in Italy, we completely suggest this sub. We think it's the best on the menu!