Let’s be honest. To university students, subs are God’s gift to the world. No matter how hard you try, you can never recreate that ooey, gooey, cheesy sub that you get at your favourite sub shop at home. Luckily for Laurier students, we have been blessed with both a Subway and a Mr. Sub on campus to satisfy all our sub cravings. In honour of both reopening recently, I thought I’d ask the important questions and finally put them to the test to see which produces the superior sub.
Bread
Winner: Subway
Bread is the foundation of the sandwich and is crucial to the perfect sub. Without the bread, your sandwich would be a hot mess. Nobody likes a dry, stale bun, which, unfortunately, Mr. Sub has been known to sometimes have, in my personal experience. Unlike its competitor, Subway has the squishiest and freshest buns, earning it the win in this category.
Freshness
Winner: Subway
Don’t lie. Part of the reason that you choose a sub for your meal on the go is because it feels like the healthier option because of the vegetables and lack of a fried component. The fresher the ingredients, the better you feel after eating it. The title of freshest ingredients goes to Subway, which tends to have toppings that just taste fresher than those of Mr. Sub.
Variations
Winner: Mr. Sub
Everyone has their signature sub order, with some being more niche than others. Personally, I’m a whole wheat bread, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions and sub sauce kind of girl. No matter what you like, having options for variations ensures the happiness of far more customers. First off, bread; Mr. Sub has eight types whereas Subway has three. For the cheese: Mr. Sub has five and Subway has four. Mr. Sub has 14 toppings and Subway has 11. In the sauces category, Mr. Sub has 16 and Subway has 13. The numbers don’t lie, giving Mr. Sub the title of the establishment with the most variations.
Vegetarian Options
Winner: Mr. Sub
Now, this category might not be a contributing factor for everyone, but for me, it’s very important. The worst feeling is being ravenous after class and finally eating your sub just to find yourself starving again half an hour later. Vegetarian protein is readily available at most food franchises nowadays, but for some reason, sub shops seem to be lacking. Subway has an elusive veggie patty (that somehow has never seemed to be available whenever I’ve asked for it), whereas Mr. Sub has both a black bean patty option and a meatless meatball option, earning it a win in this category.
Fun Add-ons
Winner: Subway
This is more of a bonus round, but add-ons are always fun. While on the online ordering platform, Mr. Sub had no add-ons (so disappointing), whereas Subway had bacon, pepperoni, grated parmesan and guacamole as extras.
The overall winner of this ultimate battle of the subs is Subway (no surprise there). But I will say I was a little shocked that it wasn’t a landslide. My deepest condolences to Mr. Sub fans, but Subway will always be number one in this writer’s heart.