Where can you find the best tuna sub? We tried 10 sandwiches and ranked them worst to best
CLEVELAND, Oh — We are halfway through the Lenten season, with Easter on April 17 this year. However, for people who don’t eat meat on Fridays, the usual fish fry food may be getting old, especially when they need or want something a little lighter. Or let’s face it you may just be sick of fried fish.
Recently cleveland. Yadi Rodriguez of com tried and ranked 15 fried fish sandwiches from fast food chains in Northeast Ohio. Which has the best-tasting ocean meat? You can check out her thoughts here.
Still, 40 days is a long time to eat fried fish, and lettuce and tomato sandwiches might not be as filling. You can still eat seafood if you follow a pescatarian diet, though. Tuna subs are a tasty and healthier option for lunch.
Rodriguez went on the road again not long ago to find the best tuna subs at well-known sub shops in the Greater Cleveland area.
She ordered the standard six-inch sub at each outlet. In places that didn’t have a set menu, she asked for wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese. Then she gave points based on how close the sub was to what was written on the menu, how it tasted, how fresh the bread and toppings were, and, of course, how it looked.
Tuna fish has been a beloved sandwich staple for years. While tuna salad is simple to make at home, sometimes it’s convenient to grab a tuna sub from your local sandwich shop. But is the tuna really what it claims to be? This question has surrounded many tuna subs, especially the popular tuna sandwich from Jersey Mike’s. Let’s examine if Jersey Mike’s tuna is the real thing.
The Controversy Over Tuna Sandwiches
In recent years, some fast food chains have faced scrutiny over their tuna sandwiches. In 2021, Subway was sued by California customers alleging the tuna subs contained no actual tuna. While Subway denied this, plaintiffs pointed to a New York Times investigation that couldn’t find distinct tuna DNA in Subway’s tuna.
Though the Subway case made headlines other beloved chains have also faced tuna claims. Quiznos, known for its Tuna Melt was sued in 2009 for allegedly advertising frozen tuna as fresh. They settled in 2010.
Most relevant is doubts about Jersey Mike’s wildly popular Tuna sub. With over 2000 U.S. locations Jersey Mike’s has become a favorite for custom subs. But is the Tuna sub truthfully advertising its fish?
Inside the Jersey Mike’s Tuna Sandwich
Jersey Mike’s offers various tuna subs, but its standard Tuna sandwich features their popular white albacore tuna salad. According to Jersey Mike’s, this is “made fresh on-site with chopped celery, mayo, and pepper.”
A Tuna sub at Jersey Mike’s contains:
- White albacore tuna salad
- Celery
- Mayonnaise
- Black pepper
- Provolone cheese (optional)
- Onions (optional)
- Lettuce (optional)
- Tomatoes (optional)
- Jersey Mike’s “juice” – red wine vinegar and olive oil (optional)
While customizable, those core ingredients – tuna, celery, mayo and pepper – make up Jersey Mike’s go-to tuna salad.
Is It Real Tuna?
With just four main ingredients, Jersey Mike’s tuna salad appears to be a simple, identifiable tuna filling. Jersey Mike’s states the tuna salad is made fresh in-store with no textured vegetable protein, soy, or other fillers sometimes used to mimic tuna.
According to the company, their Tuna sandwich contains white albacore tuna from Canada and other select global sources. Albacore is considered a premium tuna prized for its mild taste and tender texture. If the ingredients match these claims, then real albacore seems likely in Jersey Mike’s subs.
In reviews taste testers say the sandwich has an authentic recognizable tuna flavor. “Tasted exactly like I remember tuna as a kid – I’m convinced it’s real,” one reviewer wrote.
While preservatives and supply issues can affect quality over time, there is no clear evidence Jersey Mike’s uses an artificial tuna substitute. With identifiable components and house-made preparation, Jersey Mike’s popular Tuna sandwich appears to truthfully contain real albacore tuna.
How Jersey Mike’s Compares
Assuming Jersey Mike’s uses real tuna, how does it compare against competitors?
- Subway: Mild flavor. Faced lawsuits over tuna legitimacy. Uses skipjack and yellowfin.
- Quiznos: Bold flavor. Settled claims over frozen vs. fresh tuna. Uses white albacore.
- Jimmy John’s: Bland flavor. Offers three tuna subs. Uses yellowfin.
- Jersey Mike’s: Recognizable flavor. No tuna lawsuits. Uses white albacore.
Based on ingredients and preparation, Jersey Mike’s seems to offer fresh, quality tuna versus questionable substitutes. Its combination of albacore variety, visible components, and in-house making puts it at the top for tuna transparency and taste.
Getting Your Perfect Tuna Sub
If you want to try Jersey Mike’s real-looking tuna salad, here are some tips for ordering:
- Get it Mike’s Way for lettuce, tomato, onion, and tangy spices.
- Add pickled peppers or banana peppers for heat.
- Boost pepper flavor with extra ground black pepper.
- Skip the cheese to focus on tuna taste.
- Double up on crunchy veggies like spinach, bell peppers or sprouts.
- Swap Jersey Mike’s “juice” for bright oil and vinegar.
- Toast the bread for crunch contrasting the tuna.
- Order as a wrap or bowl to change it up.
Jersey Mike’s offers a quality tuna sub that seems to actually contain fish instead of filler. With custom add-ons, you can craft the perfect tuna sandwich for your cravings.
Mr. Hero: Tuna N’ Cheese
No. 5 Mr. Hero: Tuna N’ Cheese
Served: Cold
Price: $6.50
Menu description: “Chunk light tuna, mayo, celery pieces, Swiss American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Mr. Hero’s house dressing. ”.
The tuna salad had a lot of celery in it, which made it crunchy when eaten by itself. There was more bread than tuna, but it was fresh. The onions were very thickly sliced. The lettuce was not the freshest. The biggest negative was that this sandwich was so oily. The house dressing makes this sandwich unique, but it was just too much. Have napkins on hand.
Jimmy John’s Sandwiches: Totally Tuna
No. 10 Jimmy John’s Sandwiches: Totally Tuna
Served: Cold
Price: $6.29
“Made with our own tuna salad and served on fresh-baked 8-inch or 16-inch French bread, thick-sliced wheat bread, or our lettuce-wrapped Unwich®.” The Totally Tuna® comes topped with fresh lettuce, cucumber and tomato. ”.
Our thoughts: This sub was a bit unwieldy. It was not cut in half. There was no other choice but to serve this sub on soft white bread. The lettuce was plenty, but not all of it was fresh, and some of it was wilted. The tomatoes were placed directly on the bottom of the roll, which caused the bread to get soggy. And nobody likes wet bread. On its own, the tuna was on the salty side. It did have a good amount of mayo. The best part of this sub was the cucumbers, which added a nice crunch. This would not be my go-to for a tuna sub.
No. 9 Subway: Tuna
Served: Cold
Price: $4.99
Menu description: “You’ll love every bite of our classic tuna sandwich. 100% wild-caught tuna blended with creamy mayo then topped with your choice of crisp, fresh veggies. 100% delicious. ”.
We thought the layers of lettuce, whole tomato slices, and red onion slices were very tasty and crunchy. The provolone slices were thicker than some of the other cheeses we’ve had and were cut in half. On its own, the tuna was slightly salty and was only mixed with mayo. Nothing else was added making it dull and rather boring like they just opened a can. The bread was soft, fresh, and not overly thick. The onions and tomato were the stars of this sub. Have mints available for dessert. This sub was just not memorable.
Our Tuna is always made FRESH – Jersey Mike’s POV
FAQ
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