In the world of fast food, there are hamburgers, chicken, and then there are sandwiches. Arguably, this is the order of importance for many people. The good news is if you are just looking for a sandwich, you have a ton of chains to choose from. Unfortunately, not all of these brands are created equal. For a variety of reasons, there are some sandwich brands you simply have to avoid. 

Whether it’s bad service, bad food, or a combination of both, some brands need to be ignored forever. For example, Subway was once a titan in the sandwich space only to watch its fortunes rapidly fall. The same can be said for  Quiznos, a once popular now dying brand across the U.S. 

Let’s jump right into the full list of the 10 sandwich shops you want to avoid today.

10. Penn Station East Coast Subs

Don’t let the name fool you as Penn Station East Coast Subs has nothing to do with Penn Station. The reality is this sandwich shop originated in Ohio. However, making their sandwiches “East Coast Style” is something the brand has long prided itself on. Unfortunately, fans of the brand have recently started voicing displeasure over the last few years. 

Penn Station Rides Away

The biggest disappointment voiced online against Penn Station subs is the overall taste. There are more than a few Reddit threads indicating this sandwich tastes like high school cafeteria food. Ouch! On the other side, midwesterners love a taste of the East Coast and so opinions are rather mixed. As will be a common theme among these sandwich shops, everything is impacted by the overall meat taste or lack of. 

9. Jersey Mike’s 

Jersey Mike’s is an interesting entry on this list as people often highlight the taste of its meat and vegetables. Where Jersey Mike’s gets downgraded is that its bread has long been a source of frustration. Often compared to grocery store brands like Wonder Bread, the bread itself doesn’t match up to the rest of what you get with your Jersey Mike’s sandwich. 

Stay Out of Jersey

There’s something to love out of Jersey Mike’s hiring actor Danny DeVito to do its commercials. There is no doubt this attracted some customers back to Jersey Mike’s locations. However, there are a lot of complaints about Jersey Mike’s chicken, olive oil, and even the taste of its sodas. Last but not least, the brownies Jersey Mike’s serves as a dessert are just not that good.

8. Arby’s

Arby’s probably isn’t the name you think of when it comes to sandwiches, but it’s still here all the same. The problem is that Arby’s might “have the meats,” but it’s the whole package. Opened back in 1964, Arby’s currently has more than 3,000 locations. Arby’s is considered the second-largest sandwich chain behind Subway. While Arby’s sandwiches taste better than those at Subway, they are considerably less healthy. If it’s a quick meal you want, Arby’s will do. Just don’t look at the calorie count. 

Arby’s Has the Meats

When you consider what is healthy at Arby’s you have grilled chicken choices. Outside of that, calories and sodium just sneak up on you. In addition, Arby’s does well with its seasoned curly fries, which is the only reason it’s not lower on this list. If you could find a healthier sandwich to go along with curly friends, Arby’s would quickly grow more popular than Subway. 

7. Which Wich

Unsurprisingly, Which Wich is another sandwich shop that is unlikely to be familiar to many around the country. Opening in Dallas in 2003, Which Wich originally found plenty of success. By 2017, there were over 500 locations but that number has been cut in half by 2024. The company indicates the COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of financial woes as a lack of foot traffic was something franchise owners did not recover from. 

Which Way Is Up

While there is a Which Wich fanbase that simply loves their sandwiches, others complain about the price. Which Wich prides itself on being one step above Subway, but that isn’t saying a whole lot these days. Other complaints revolve around disappointing bread and meat quality. It’s easy to say disappointing meat quality is a theme around the sandwich shops to avoid.

6. Firehouse Subs

The thing with Firehouse Subs is that you want to support this brand all the way. As some of its proceeds go to first responders, you want to eat at Firehouse Subs and enjoy every sandwich available. The problem is that its deli meat is completely forgettable. Even after this company’s founding in 1994, it just hasn’t made the right moves to provide tastier deli meat options. 

Ride a Fire Truck to a Competitor

The Firehouse Subs menu features several specialty subs along with salads. The thing is Firehouse Subs has vegetables that are also forgettable. Firehouse Subs has what it takes to be great. There is a terrific cause behind the business and with some simple adjustments, they can liven up the menu. 

If it commits to making some small menu changes, Firehouse Subs could light some sirens for customers.

5. Jimmy John’s

This might be a controversial choice, but Jimmy John’s isn’t as good as many believe. Its “freaky fast” commercials might be engaging, but the food doesn’t live up to the promise. Founded in Illinois in 1983, Jimmy John’s started with just four different sandwich options. The company can brag all it wants about speed, but that speed has to be met with excellent food and, in that regard, Jimmy John’s isn’t delivering. 

Just Freaky Okay

One of the biggest downsides of Jimmy John’s is the discontinuation of its Kickin’ Ranch. This beloved menu option was replaced with a Jalapeno ranch which led to significant customer frustration. Starting in 2021, customer satisfaction was also knocked down when Jimmy John’s introduced limited-time items. As soon as customers became attached to different sandwich options, they would disappear from existence.

4. Atlanta Bread Company

There is a good chance the name Atlanta Bread Company won’t be known to everyone and that’s likely for the best. With only 18 locations left in four states, Atlanta Bread Company simply doesn’t have the sandwich-staying power to last. At its height, Atlanta Bread Company has more than 170 locations in 25 states. 

Atlanta Bread Company Won’t Last

Today, in 2024, Atlanta Bread Company has attempted to rebrand but hasn’t seen any success. Between its founder’s legal troubles and increased competition, ABC hasn’t kept up with the times. More importantly, it completely missed the window to make a healthier menu shift. Between this and sandwiches that simply can’t excite you, it’s not at all surprising Atlanta Bread Company isn’t growing.

3. Blimpie 

Arguably one of the least familiar names on this list, Blimpie is a sandwich shop to avoid. As it stands today, Blimpie’s hasn’t been popular for over 20 years. What’s largely unknown about Blimpie is that it started in 1964. It went public in 1983 only to discover the public wasn’t as keen on investing in the brand as the company had hoped. 

Blimpie Goes Bust 

What’s notable about Blimpie’s explosion is that it coincides with the growth of Subway. By the 1980s, Blimpie stopped focusing on its sub sandwich. Fast forward to today, Subway has 36,000 locations whereas Blimpie only has 156, largely because its sandwiches just aren’t very good. Blimpie’s hoagies and questionable vegetables just won’t not restore Blimpie to glory.

2. Quiznos

Unfortunately for Quiznos, it’s an easy recommendation as a sandwich shop to avoid. It’s a stark decline for a company that once had over 5,000 stores. Today, there are less than 150 locations worldwide. The hard reality is that there is no single point in time in which Quiznos just failed. Instead, it’s more a story of Quizno’s rapid rise that was just suddenly over. 

Quiznos Just Disappears 

In 2006, when Quiznos was under attack by its franchisees, Subway pounced with its $5 footlong. This sandwich deal was a hard reality for Quiznos as its franchisees didn’t want to match Subway’s pricing. 

Forced by the brand to do so, franchises saw smaller margins once they launched an equal-cost sandwich. In turn, this led to smaller profits and all of a sudden Quiznos was having significant cash flow issues. By 2010, more than 1,500 Quiznos locations had closed and then the dam just broke wide open.

1. Subway

It’s a hard pill to swallow but Subway is arguably the worst sandwich shop these days. It’s a terrible fall from grace as Subway was once considered a serious threat to McDonald’s fast food throne. There was no doubt a time when Subway was the greatest thing and its sponsorship with Jared was everywhere. Unfortunately, even with Subway’s 36,500 worldwide locations, it’s barely keeping up. 

Subway Declines

Subway’s fall hasn’t exactly been unexpected. After marketing itself as a healthy alternative in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Subway even passed McDonald’s locations at one point. However, a 2021 New York Times report indicated it found no tuna in Subway’s tuna sandwiches. 

Fast forward to 2024 and Subway continues to try and reinvent its menu but other sandwich shops have long surpassed Subway’s popularity. What’s worse is that Subway’s food simply doesn’t drive the same excitement it did 10 years ago.

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