Brian Nagele
Firehouse Subs got its name because the brothers who founded it, Chris and Robin Sorensen, were firefighters. Their father served for 43 years as a firefighter in Jacksonville, Florida, where they opened the first restaurant in 1994, over 28 years ago.
Today, over 1,200 locations serve the best Firehouse Subs menu items I’ve listed below and make it one of the best fast-casual restaurants in the US. The list includes my favorites and the options you won’t usually find at other sub or sandwich shops.
Check out the best menu items at Firehouse Subs!
Subs like their fire station named Hook & Ladder set them apart from other restaurants because they steam the meats and cheeses. Steaming keeps them juicy without scorching, browning, or overcooking that you can find in some other places.
You can get any hot sub like the Engineer or their beef brisket sandwich served cold- just ask!
Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket Sub
You don’t get any random barbecue sauce when you order a Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket sub.
Firehouse Subs uses Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce, a favorite brand of sauce I always have in my pantry or already open in my fridge.
When you order this thick and filling sandwich, you get USDA choice beef brisket that’s freshly sliced.
The brisket is hickory-smoked for up to 16 and no less than 10 hours for the deepest, smokiest taste.
They top the beef with barbecue sauce, melted cheese, and their standard toasted sub roll.
Spicy Cajun Chicken Sub
Chicken breast meat rubbed in Cajun seasoning and grilled gives this sandwich a spicy bite.
Firehouse makes its own Cajun mayonnaise to add creaminess and heat.
Onions and lettuce are cooling veggies to balance the heat with deli mustard and sliced red and green cherry peppers.
Melted pepper Jack cheese takes the place of standard choices like cheddar or American.
The restaurant debuted the Spicy Cajun Chicken sub to commemorate its 25th anniversary.
I was disappointed that it would be a temporary item because it had a perfect spice blend that’s hot without being overpowering.
I worried for nothing. This sandwich sold so well they put it on their permanent menu.
Hook & Ladder
The Hook & Ladder sub comes Fully Involved, served with mayonnaise, deli mustard, onion, tomato, lettuce, and a dill pickle served on the side.
This hot sub sandwich contains melted Monterey Jack cheese over two delicious thin-sliced types of deli meat.
The smoked turkey breast adds smokiness, and the Virginia honey ham brings a little sweetness to one of the best Firehouse Subs menu items I’ve ever eaten.
A toasted sub that’s crispy on the outside adds some bite with the fresh veggies, but the roll is soft and fluffy inside like a good sub roll should be.
Turkey and ham are delicious together, so the Hook & Ladder is a great choice when both sound too good to pass up. I think this fast-food sub can compete with anything from some of the best sandwich shops in the country.
Club on A Sub
If Virginia honey ham and smoked turkey breast aren’t enough meat on your sandwich, you can get the Club on a Sub.
This sub is one of the best Firehouse Subs menu items for when you can’t decide what you want.
Along with the ham and turkey, you’ll get several slices of pepper bacon to top off the melted Monterey Jack cheese.
This sub comes Fully Involved with all the condiments and a kosher pickle on the side.
I don’t always want bacon on a sub sandwich, but the Club on a Sub hits the spot when I do.
Engineer
A turkey sub with smoked turkey breast, melted Swiss cheese, and all the condiments like mayo, deli mustard, onion, tomato, and lettuce makes a great lunch or dinner anytime.
I love the Engineer sub because it gives you all that but takes the experience up a notch by adding a generous amount of sautéed mushrooms beneath the melted cheese.
Swiss cheese and mushrooms are perfect sandwich companions, whether you’re eating a burger or a turkey sub.
The combo makes this my favorite turkey sandwich at Firehouse or any sub restaurant.
I like to order a large sub, a foot-long sub, and have it for two meals with a salad or some fries to make the enjoyment last.
Italian Sub
When I want an Italian sub or any Italian sandwich, I like to order one of the best Firehouse Subs menu items: the Italian sub.
The Genoa salami, pepperoni, and melted provolone cheese already give it Italian flair and tons of meatiness, but they add Virginia honey ham to make the sandwich even more delicious.
Italian dressing and a blend of Italian seasonings make sure you won’t mistake the flavor for anything but Italian.
This sub is served Fully Loaded and makes a wonderful alternative to pizza when you want the authentic flavors, but you’re in the mood for a sandwich instead of a pie.
Loaded Potato Soup
A soup and a sandwich is a classic meal choice. I love getting a small 4-inch cold deli meat sub and ordering a side of the Loaded Baked Potato Soup.
Potato soup is a favorite of mine, especially in the winter.
Loaded baked potato soup takes it to the next level, with a bit of pepper, chives, and enough onions to give it that homemade potato soup flavor.
Sharp cheddar cheese melts into the soup to make it creamy and cheesy, and the pieces of bacon add a smoky, savory bite that contrasts with perfectly cooked potatoes.
This soup is one of the best Firehouse Subs menu items I’ve tried that’s not a sandwich.
Sweet & Spicy Meatball Sub
The Sweet & Spicy Meatball sub is the hot version of the Firehouse Meatball sub, listed below.
Italian-seasoned meatballs rest in the split center of Firehouse’s sub rolls.
I love the split but not separated roll, making this sandwich so much easier to eat than standard meatball subs.
Serving it this way also lets them cover the meatballs in zesty marinara and melted provolone cheese without it running out the sides.
They add red pepper flakes and their own Captain Sorensen brand of datil pepper hot sauce.
Datil peppers are about 120 times hotter than a jalapeño, so be sure you really want the heat before you order.
New York Steamer
The New York Steamer sub comes packed with two of the most popular deli meats in New York. Thin-sliced pastrami and USDA choice corned beef brisket pile high on the toasted sub roll.
Mayo, deli mustard, and Italian dressing season the sandwich to taste like an authentic New York deli sub. Provolone cheese melted over the top provides a cheesy finishing touch.
This sandwich is one of the best Firehouse Subs menu items for when you can’t decide between their pastrami or their corned beef brisket sub.
Why pick one when you have a delicious combination of both?
Turkey
If you want a simple sandwich that’s less involved than some of the best Firehouse Subs menu items with two or more types of meat, try the Smoked Turkey Breast sub.
Lightly smoked turkey breast piled high between toasted sub rolls takes center stage.
The Fully Involved condiments include deli mustard, mayo, and crisp, fresh veggies like sliced onions and tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and a kosher dill pickle on the side.
This turkey sandwich is an excellent choice for an uncomplicated but delicious foot-long for lunch or dinner.
Turkey Bacon Ranch
The delicious smoked turkey is still the main attraction in Firehouse Subs Turkey Bacon Ranch, but several flavorful ingredients help it along.
Crispy bacon adds a savory crunch to the zesty and creamy peppercorn ranch dressing and melted sharp cheddar cheese.
Shredded lettuce and sliced onion and tomato add a crisp, fresh bite at the bottom, while mayo tops it off.
If you love the flavors of bacon and peppercorn ranch together as I do, this sandwich will become one of your favorites as soon as you taste it.
Even though I could order a small 4-inch or medium 8-inch sub, I always get the foot-long and anticipate the leftovers.
Firehouse Hero Sub
The Firehouse Hero sub is a sandwich for meat lovers who want everything on a sandwich.
This sub is one of the best Firehouse Subs menu items for those days when ham sounds delicious, but so do turkey and roast beef.
This hero sandwich comes with thin-sliced smoked turkey breast, Virginia honey ham, and USDA choice tender and juicy roast beef with the Fully Loaded list of condiments and melted provolone on top pulling it all together.
The Firehouse Hero is so packed with meat, I usually order in the 4-inch small sub if I’m on the go so none goes to waste, and a large foot-long when I want to make it last at least two delicious meals.
Chicken Breast Sub
One of the best Firehouse Subs menu items is as simple as sub sandwiches come.
Their Grilled Chicken Breast sub has grilled chicken breast strips covered in melted provolone cheese.
The chicken sits atop a bed of sliced onions, tomatoes, and shredded lettuce that add a cool, crisp, and fresh bite to the sub.
The other Fully Involved condiments include deli mustard and mayo. Don’t forget the kosher dill pickle on the side.
I love getting a dill pickle with my sandwich because it reminds me of being a kid and how often sandwiches had them attached with toothpicks.
If you’re in the mood for some cheesy chicken and classic sub sandwich add-ons, this one’s for you.
Firehouse Meatball
The classic meatball sub is a staple food for sub lovers like me. The Firehouse Meatball sub is one of the most delicious I’ve tried.
The Italian flavor shines through with the seasoning in the meatballs, Italian herbs, perfectly balanced marinara sauce, and provolone cheese melted over the top of everything.
This sandwich is one of the best Firehouse Subs menu items you can order in a couple of different ways.
You can ask for it cold, or you can level up to the Sweet & Spicy Meatball sub listed above if you’re in the mood for one of the best sandwiches that brings some serious heat.
Italian Chopped Salad
If you want Italian food but aren’t in the mood for a sub sandwich, you can enjoy the Italian flavors with fresh veggies in one of the best Firehouse Subs menu items that’s a healthy option that’s a little lighter in calories than the rest.
Their Italian with Grilled Chicken Salad has chunks of juicy grilled chicken breast and salami pieces adding protein to the chopped salad base of cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce.
Chopped mozzarella is a delicious addition to the salad, but my favorite part is the zesty bite of the pepperoncini.
The peppers are whole instead of chopped. You can take them out if you’re not a fan of their zingy taste, but I like to take a nibble of the peppers with most bites.
Firehouse Subs not only has some of the best names for submarine sandwiches that fit their brand, but they also have some of the tastiest subs you’ll find anywhere, from Italian subs to deli meat classics.
I’ll keep going just for the baked potato soup, but I love several of their sandwiches too and rarely keep myself from ordering a foot-long sub to have leftovers.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the best Firehouse Subs menu items listed above. If not, give some of them a try today.
interesting you don’t mention the tuna ????????????