After living in and around Philadelphia for the past 8 years, I still do not consider myself a ‘cheesesteak expert’. I’ve visited quite a number of cheesesteak places, but still have to visit a lot more. It seems like all my friends and family members each have their favorite place, whether it’s Jim’s, Pat’s, Geno’s, Tony Luke’s, Delassandro’s, or Steve’s. Of course, there are LOTS of other places where people claim have the best cheesesteak. Of all the places I’ve been, so far my favorite is Tony Luke’s. I always get the ‘provolone with’ which is steak, provolone cheese, and fried onions on a roll.

While driving to work recently, I noticed a billboard for the Subway Philly Cheesesteak, so I decided this would be my first review for FFC. Subway claims: “The Big Philly Cheesesteak is every meat lover’s dream. With lots of steak smothered in melted cheese, it’s easy to see why this classic is the taste that Philly is so proud of.”

Lots of steak it does not have, and it certainly is not smothered in melted cheese. When I tried the cheesesteak for the first time, I wondered if I’d be able to order mine with whiz. Typically, you’ll find American Cheese, Provolone Cheese, or Cheese Whiz on a Philly Cheesesteak. I don’t usually order the whiz, but I was curious to see if that would be an option since many of my friends do. Sadly, it was not an option.

I decided that I would order my Subway cheesesteak with the same ingredients, or as close as I could get to a cheesesteak I’d normally buy. I got the provolone cheese, and had to go with red onions, because they don’t offer fried, sweet onions. They heated my steak on a paper dish in a microwave, then put that on top of the cheese and onions. I did not get my sandwich toasted because I never get them toasted when I’m in the city. I can’t even remember having that option at other cheesesteak shops.

What little steak was on the sandwich, actually tasted pretty good. It was juicy, but not greasy. It was very soft, and thinly sliced. Whatever they used for flavoring the steak was awesome. It was a bit salty, but was just enough where it wasn’t overload. The red onions were at times a bit overwhelming and I found myself asking where the cheese was because the onions and steak overpowered the provolone. The Italian bread was even pretty decent. In past Subway experiences the bread has been rather stale, however both times I’ve tried this sandwich the bread was OK.

Why it’s not a ‘Philly’ Cheesesteak - It wasn’t very greasy, which I tend to enjoy. I like when it soaks into the bread. I had to use red onions instead of fried. There was not enough cheese. (of course I could have paid an extra 60-cents for more) There was not enough meat. The six inch was a bit smaller than ones I’ve had elsewhere.

At a price of $4.99 for a six-inch and $8.49 for a foot-long, it’s an expensive sandwich. I’d prefer to stick with the 5-dollar foot-longs they’re offering. I give this a score of C, because that’s what it was, average. If the price was a bit lower, or they put more meat and cheese on the sandwich, perhaps it would earn a better grade.

Price: $4.99 - $8.49 / Website: Subway.com

Fast Food Critic Score: C

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Nutrition Facts - Subway Big Philly Cheesesteak (six-inch).

Calories - 520
Calories from Fat - 170
Total Fat - 19 grams
Carbs - 50 grams
Saturated Fat - 10 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 100 milligrams
Sodium - 1390 milligrams
Protein - 40 grams

BIG and BAD — with the BALLS to back it up!

Sorry about that, it’s not often I post about a foot-long meatball sub, and I wanted a good introduction. However, despite the colorful description, it’s an accurate one. This is a big sandwich with some serious balls. There it goes again, but how can I avoid it? The focus of this sandwich are the big juicy meaty balls. SEE, there’s no way to write this review without sounding funny and suggestive, but I shall do my best.

The meatball sub has been a regular item at Subway as long as I can remember. It’s a good sandwich, and consistent. I must have eaten 100 of these over the past ten years, either 6-inch or foot-long. I recall very few incidents of disappointment.

What about the bread? Like with all Subway sandwiches, the bread is baked fresh in each store. An employee will grab a fresh loaf from the baking rack, an then split-it open right in front of you. They offer a nice variety of breads, from the common Italian White and Wheat, to the more interesting Honey Oat and Monterray Cheddar. The Italian White bread is usually my choice with the meatball sub, as it was this time. The bread at Subway is very good, though I wouldn’t call it best in class.

Subway’s meatballs are big by fast food sandwich standards, and the servers are generous when applying them to the bread. They have a nice mild beef flavor on their own, even without the sauce on them. A reader of FFC and former Subway employee described to me how he had enjoyed eating the meatballs plain, before they would add the sauce. He said it was a taste reminiscent of a meatloaf sandwich. I have to agree with him. Though for us, that opportunity is not readily available since they are only served after swimming in a big pool of marinara sauce for a while.

That’s not a bad thing, because the sauce is flavorful and tangy. It’s nice and thick, with decent sized chunks of tomatoes, onions and other spices. They are not stingy when applying it - they literally smother the meatballs. Be forewarned this can be a sloppy sandwich to eat, with sauce oozing out, plus the occasional meatball trying to escape. Make sure to request some napkins with your order.

Like most other meatloaf or meatballs, there are bread crumbs and soy fillers, plus a blend of spices included. I also discovered there is some Romano cheese in the mixture. But the beef is the star, and these balls have plenty of it.

Cheese to top the meatballs? Your choice of Monterey Cheddar, Natural cheddar, American, Provolone, Swiss and Pepperjack. I usually opt for the natural cheddar or provolone. In this case it was Provolone, and those thin slices melted quickly, joining the marinara sauce to coat the meatballs with zesty, cheesy flavors.

Where do the meatballs come from? They arrive frozen, and Subway employees use a microwave to heat them, and then mix together with the marinara sauce to cook until done. The meatball and sauce mixture is then stored in a big metal heating tray on the serving counter. At most locations, you can watch your meatballs get selected.

Where does the sauce come from? A big can, of course. Subway’s website says it’s “Our founder’s mom’s secret recipe”. Therefore I can only assume this is something canned exclusively for Subway, with their own custom list of ingredients.

You are given the option of having your sandwich “toasted” once it’s assembled with the meat and cheese. It’s put into a small toaster oven for a few seconds which gives the bread a slightly harder crusty shell, and melts the cheese quicker. I’m averaging about 50/50 when choosing toasted or un-toasted. The sandwich in the review photo is not toasted. Subway’s not really known for toasted subs, and they only began offering this service in recent years, presumably in response to companies like Quiznos who’ve made a point of offering their sandwiches toasty.

Biggest problem? In my experience, it’s the dry meatball I sometimes get. Whether this be from the microwaving or not, I don’t know. But it’s a turnoff to bite into a dry one. Luckily it’s not something that happens often, and it’s only one ball in the bunch when it does. Still, it’s happened enough for me to take notice, and mention.

Subway is known for healthy alternatives to typical fast food. Sandwiches with low calorie and fat counts. This is NOT one of them. In fact, the foot-long version of the meatball marinara is a monster on nutrition numbers, so please be advised of this and consult the nutrition facts listed below for complete details. Also please take note my sandwich in the photos is sliced in half, into 6-inch sections.

The Meatball Sub from Subway is a winner, be it the foot-long version or the normal 6-inch. They keys to a good meatball sub are the meatballs and sauce, and both are solid. The subs are tasty, consistent, and also a better value now that the foot-long version is only $5, and Subway has made the cheap promotion an everyday thing. You can customize with whatever veggies or toppings you desire, at no extra charge, so there’s flexibility for those who want more than just meat, sauce and cheese.

Price: $5 — Website: Subway.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

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Nutrition Facts - Subway, Foot-Long Meatball Sub.

Calories - 1120
Calories from Fat - 440
Total Fat - 48 grams
Carbs - 126 grams
Saturated Fat - 22 grams
Trans Fat - 2 grams
Cholesterol - 90 milligrams
Sodium - 3180 milligrams

When you pay $4.49 for a pizza, you don’t expect much. That being said, you can still find a bargain on a decent tasting pie, like the $4 pizza from Domino’s. With semi-low expectations, I decided to try Subway’s Pizza. Yep that’s right, the sandwich house that Jared built is serving a mini-pizza at some locations. To call this pie small would be an understatement. Subway calls this a ‘personal’ pizza. Measuring in at only 8 inches in diameter, and having only 4 tiny slices, I would say that description fits perfectly.

First, just a quick note about the preparation. The base of the pizzas (crust, sauce and cheese) are prepared off-site, with the crusts being lightly baked. They get frozen, wrapped in plastic and shipped to the individual store locations. When you order, you will see a Subway employee grab one of these pre-made cores from a compartment next to the sandwich fixings, then add the meat or veggie toppings you desire. It gets toasted in their “speed oven” for approximately 90 seconds, sliced and served.

The crust is thick, almost like a deep-dish. It’s not bad tasting, but it’s too chewy. I’m not sure if this is the result of being cooked, frozen, thawed and then re-toasted, or if that’s the way it was intended. And while it was golden brown on the top, the bottom of the crust appeared barely cooked at all. It reminded me of the strange and uneven results I often get when making frozen pizzas in the microwave at home.

Like the $4 Domino’s pizzas, I found the sauce to be bland and in limited quantity, making parts of the pizza too dry. I’ve heard the price of tomatoes has gone up again recently, but really — we need more sauce! The amount of cheese is one department where the Subway pie beats the cheap offering from Domino’s, at least per square inch. It was fairly thick and evenly distributed, reaching the far outer edges of the crust. The taste was decent, with a blend of Mozzarella, Parmesan and Romano. It was rather weak though, and almost seemed like I was eating low-fat cheese.

The pepperoni was OK, but clearly not as flavorful as Domino’s, and much smaller in number. In fact, I counted only 10 of the semi-spicy meat circles on my pie. Granted, there’s not a lot of room to work with, but it still seemed ‘lite’ on the meat topping. There is a healthy sprinkle of Italian spices (garlic, oregano, basil) on top, and they do help the overall flavor, but they are not enough to save this pizza from Blandville.

The plain cheese pizza will cost you $3.99, with a meat topping adding .50 cents extra. Veggies are free. Prices may vary depending on location. The Subway pizza is 2 inches smaller than Domino’s cheap pie, and my pepperoni version had barely half the meat. Not to mention, the pizza from Domino’s tastes better. In a head to head comparison, the Subway product is no match. In fairness to price, you have to order 3 pies for $12 total from Domino’s, while you can purchase Subway’s individually.

The Pizza from Subway was disappointing. It’s not a very good pizza, and it’s not a very good value. It will satisfy your craving if there’s not a real pizza place around, but in a world where Dominos’s, Pizza Hut and others offer bigger-better pies for the same price, it’s just not good enough. For that matter, I’d rather purchase a frozen DiGiorno at the supermarket and cook it at home. Subway should stick to sandwiches.

Price: $4.49 / Website: Subway.com

Fast Food Critic Score: D

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Subway, Personal Pizza, with Pepperoni.

Calories - 790
Calories from Fat - 290
Total Fat - 32 grams
Carbs - 96 grams
Saturated Fat - 13 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 60 milligrams
Sodium - 1350 milligrams

No Boobs at Starbucks — The Fast Food Maven reports that Starbucks will soon be pulling the image of the topless mermaid from it’s coffee cups. The “Heritage” logo as it’s called, has created a small controversy since it appeared in April, at the same time the company’s new version of Pike Place Roast coffee was introduced. I see my friend Jeff from Knowzy.com has already been there and posted, but I’m sure the boob topic had nothing to do with it. Right Jeff?

Prime Rib on a Hamburger? — Yes indeed, Hardee’s (sibling of CarlsJr) has just introduced a new product called the Prime-Rib Thickburger. The company describes their new creation as — “A one-third pound 100% Black Angus beef patty topped with thinly-sliced prime rib, horseradish sauce, Swiss cheese, and grilled onions on a Ciabatta roll served with a cup of Au jus for dipping.”

Alabama gets Dunked — Dunkin Donuts has announced plans to expand into the state of Alabama. They are actively seeking people interested in starting their own DD franchise. They plan to open 142 locations in the state over the next few years. For more information about starting your own Dunkin Donuts store, visit DunkinFranchising.com or call toll-free 1-877-9-DUNKIN.

Chick-fil-A does Pizza? — Not exactly, but the 87 year old founder of CFA, Truett Cathy, has opened a new pizza restaurant located in Fayetteville, Georgia, called “Upscale Pizza”. The 90-seat dining establishment offers customers a chance to create their own pizzas, sandwiches, hot wings, and hot dogs by choosing toppings and sauces. They also serve pie, ice cream, and feature a kid’s menu. Despite the ‘Upscale’ name, the environment is casual and family friendly. There are no plans for additional locations and no direct affiliation with CFA.

Pizza from Subway — Yes it’s true, Subway is serving mini-pizzas. I had another one today, my second this week. This small ‘personal’ pie is similar to the $4 pizzas from Domino’s. The core of the Subway pizza (crust, sauce and cheese) is prepared off-site, then frozen and sent to stores across the country, where toppings are added and the pie gets cooked in a “speed oven” for 90 seconds. I’m sure that serious pizza enthusiasts everywhere are rolling their eyes in disgust, but try to keep in mind this is fast-food. — My review is coming soon.

UPDATE 5/22: The review is now posted. Thank you.