Firehouse Subs is one of thebest sandwich chains in America, and evenendorsed by chefs.
I returned to my local Firehouse Subs in Oklahoma City and asked for recommendations from the employees.
By sampling a variety of sandwich styles, the strengths and weaknesses became clear.
Photos: Firehouse Subs. Design: Eat This, Not That!
And not necessarily in a good way.
Most of the flavors here are way too muted and/or nonexistent, especially the bacon and peppercorn ranch.
There were no discernible bacon, ranch, or peppercorn flavors at all.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
Even the smoked turkey was barely noticeable, buried under too much mayo.
Unfortunately, it (mostly) let me down.
It was, by far, the thinnest sub of the bunch by a long shot.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
Also, egregiously, the cheese didn’t appear to be there at all.
My main takeaway was, “this is fine,” which is a notable improvement over the former.
Firehouse Meatball
Meatballs feature pretty prominently on the menu at Firehouse Subs.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
It’s the classic variety that I tried for ourmeatball-centric taste-testand went for again.
It was topped with melted provolone, marinara, and Italian seasonings.
If only it tasted quite as extraordinary as it looks.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
The taste:Just as I assumed, this thing was quite a saucy mess.
If you’re able to, however, it works.
The sauceslightly sweet, slightly tangy, slightly herbaceousis a home run.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
And it all works perfectly with the juicy meatballs.
The cheese, once again, was its undoing.
Mostly because it sounded pretty standard, but it wound up being the most pleasant surprise.
The look:First of all, this thing looks pretty great.
There is ample meat, all of which looks tender and fresh, and evenly layered on fluffy-looking bread.
It also just looks super vibrant, and downright healthy.
The taste:This is one sandwich where the taste almost perfectly matched up with the look.
I docked a point for the cheese, which again, tasted nonexistent.
But what it lacked in cheese it more than made up for in ham.
The look:Mouthwatering.
While the meat is ample, it also doesn’t look quite as unruly or overstuffed as the Meatball.
The taste:What a flavorful medley this was!
Altogether, the Italian sub was a masterclass in balance, texture, and flavors.
