Jersey Mike’s Review

Jersey Mike’s is one of the best places to go when you’re craving a tasty sandwich – the franchise is known for making jumbo-sized subs at a competitive price. By offering deals through various delivery apps, they’re also proving they can offer a high-quality lunch with more convenience, speed, and options than some of their competitors. Let’s see what all they have to offer in our Jersey Mike’s Review.

History and Inspiration

Jersey Mike’s opened in 1956 as Mike’s Subs. Back then, there were no franchises serving sandwiches, pizzas, or burgers. Business-owners would set up simple storefronts, and if they wanted to survive, they had to offer exceptional products and service. Mike’s Subs was unique in that they offered a new product to American society – the submarine sandwich. Mike’s also benefitted from the store’s geographic location in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It’s approximately 1 hour south of New York City, 1 hour east of Philadelphia, and about 3 hours north of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.

In 1971, a 14-year-old high school student named Peter Cancro began working at Mikes. He loved his job, the sandwiches, and the customers who came to the store. When he was a senior in high school, he heard that Mike’s was going to be sold, so he took a loan with the help of his football coach (also a banker) and at the ripe age of 17, Peter became the owner and proprietor of Mike’s Subs. Today, Peter Cancro is CEO of Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems Inc., with over 2,000 locations open and under development. 

Types of Jersey Mike’s Subs

A pioneer in the submarine sandwich world, Jersey Mike’s offers cold and hot subs. They also offer club sandwiches and wraps, all in various sizes, according to your hunger level. The franchise also offers kids meals, sides, drinks, desserts, and even catering options. The 14 different cold sub sandwiches are sliced fresh in front of you and prepared with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, vinegar, oil, and spices. They’ll even make any combination you like. The 9 hot subs are grilled fresh every day. Hearty, with tender meat and melted cheese, they’re a true crowd favorite. There are two kids’ meal options, each with a small sub sandwich and a cookie, and you can choose water or a soft drink. The side items are basically Lay’s potato chips, and the dessert options include chocolate chip cookies, brownies, or Tastycakes- a northeastern-styled baked treat. 

Jersey Mike’s Review

Jersey Mikes has a fresh, simple feel to its restaurants. There’s not much detail in the decor, but then again, most customers come and go without dining in. However, if you do choose to dine in the restaurant, you’ll find the locations clean and organized with a northeastern feel- thanks to its origins in New Jersey.

1.      Taste and Texture [4/5]

Authentic Jersey bread is the foundation of a Jersey Mike’s subs. They bake their traditional white and wheat bread fresh in their stores every day. The meats and cheeses are sliced fresh right in front of you, giving you an authentically-fresh sub. The same goes for grilling the cheesesteaks in the hot sub sandwiches. Their produce is grown, packed, and shipped locally and are prepped by hand each day for the highest level of freshness and flavor. Finally, their red wine vinegar and olive oil blend give each sub its zing. Overall, each sub is delicious, and the flavor combinations can be chosen according to your taste. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

2. Are they healthy? [2/5]

Jersey Mike’s healthiest sub is still unhealthier than Subway. Jersey Mike’s chicken Philly sandwich has 670 calories, 22 grams of fat, 1,990 milligrams of sodium, and 10 grams of sugar. The subs contain 40 to 60 grams of carbs for smaller portions and over 140 grams for larger options. Small subs contain between 400 and 600 calories, while large subs have around 1,000 per serving.

3. Are they Worth it? [4/5]

Jersey Mike’s offers some of the best quality ingredients among sub shops, including Certified Angus Beef and fresh vegetables. By providing fast service at a similar price point as its competitors and working with various delivery apps on a national level, the franchise attracts a wide range of customers and keeps them happy, one sub at a time.

Final Verdict

Jersey Mike’s core menu is excellent, especially for a growing franchise. There have been instances when the chain moves away from their main items for less-appealing options, but they seem to course-correct quickly and get back to what they’re best at – subs and service. It’s a great sandwich shop that kids and adults love, and you can get it just about anywhere in the US.

Jersey Mike’s Review: Nutrition Facts

Below is the nutritional info for Jersey Mike’s most popular item, the Original Italian Sub.

If you’d like to check the nutrition info for any of their other menu items, check it out here.

• Total Fat – 27g
• Saturated Fat – 10.5 g
• Cholesterol – 95 mg
• Sodium – 2250 mg
• Total Carbohydrates – 69 g
• Dietary Fiber – 4 g
• Sugars – 9 g
• Protein – 45 g

Jersey Mike’s Review: Pricing

Jersey Mike’s is delicious and especially worth it when you have a coupon, but they’re slightly more expensive than other sandwich shops. As a sub sandwich chain, they compete with Subway, so for comparison’s sake, Jersey Mike’s Original Italian costs $8.25, and Subway’s Spicy Italian is $6.49. Jersey Mike’s Regular Meatball and Cheese is $7.45, and Subway’s Footlong Meatball Marinara is $5.29. However, Jersey Mike’s BLT is $6.49, while Subway’s Footlong BLT is $8.49. Be sure to check their website for deals and sign up for their Rewards Program, where you can earn free subs with Shore Points, receive exclusive offers and promotions, and birthday rewards. 

What do you think?

Have you ever visited a Jersey Mike’s shop? How would you compare it to its biggest competitor, Subway? After trying both, which would you prefer? We’d love to hear your comments below.