The Fast Food Chain That Makes The Absolute Worst Turkey Sub

Whether you call it a sub or a hero, a hoagie or a grinder, nothing beats the feeling of stacking a sandwich high with meats, cheeses, veggies, and the works and chowing down with a bag of crispy potato chips (though, there’s a slight difference between a sub and a grinder). While grabbing a sub from a local shop is always a treat, sometimes you’re in a rush and your only option is to swing by one of the plethora of fast food-style sandwich chains. We embarked on a journey to rank 10 fast food turkey subs from worst to best and concluded that Jason’s Deli is bottom of the list.

First and foremost, to get a real turkey sub experience, we had to customize the meal by ordering a New Orleans-style baguette as a half-sandwich, which started things off on the wrong foot. The baguette was fairly good, but for a whopping $10, that half-sandwich was a major letdown. There was barely any turkey, and when we finally dug through the toppings to find it smooshed at the bottom, it was sliced unbelievably thin and didn’t taste very remarkable. The veggies were fresh, but the proportions were so off-balance that everything kept slipping out of the sad sub, making the meal a bit of a mess. All in all, the taste of the sub was mediocre at best and not worth the price tag that comes with it.

Read more: For Fresh, Not Frozen Fast Food, Try These 12 Popular Chains

Jason’s Deli Can’t Keep Up With Turkey Subs

In 1976, Joe Tortorice Jr. founded Jason’s Deli in Beaumont, Texas, riding off the shoulders of a family legacy in the food service industry. Though the deli is still headquartered in Texas, there are currently 239 delis across 27 states. The deli chain includes a service counter where customers can order a plethora of sandwiches, such as the Bigger Better BLT, the Smokey Jack Panini, or the beloved Quarter Muffaletta, all of which come with a side of chips. Technically, Jason’s Deli doesn’t serve “subs,” but instead serves sandwiches stuffed between two slices of various breads, hence why we had to get a little creative when ordering our turkey sub.

Many customers visit Jason’s Deli for the buffet-style Garden-Fresh Salad Bar or the promise of no artificial dyes/flavors and no high-fructose corn syrup, some of the reasons why we previously ranked the deli as number four in our ranking of 21 popular sandwich chains. Other patrons visit solely for the free ice cream. The tradition, which began over 30 years ago when a manager whipped up ice cream for their guests, led to the chain going through over 912,408 gallons of ice cream in 2018 alone. If you’re hoping for a sub piled high with turkey and toppings, Jason’s Deli might not be the place for you, but if you’re okay with their roasted turkey on marbled rye bread with complimentary ice cream, you know where to go.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.