The Subway Sandwich You Should Avoid Ordering According To Reddit

Reddit can be a great place to learn the inside secrets about the places you like to eat from the people who work there. Unfortunately, sometimes we end up learning things we rather wish we hadn't. While most people have heard about the Subway tuna scandal, another sandwich has faced scorn among sandwich artists on Reddit, where a few have spilled some unappetizing secrets about it — namely, about how fresh the meatballs are. 

According one user on the Expectations Vs Reality subreddit, Subway's meatballs come frozen and, after thawing, spend the day sitting in a warming tray. Others have corroborated this claim on r/Subway, though according to users there, the rule is that meatballs are only supposed to stay out for four hours before being discarded. Unfortunately, many users have claimed this rule is disregarded in their stores. One user stated that all four stores they worked at did not follow the four-hour rule and would reuse meatballs until the tray was restocked. This was in response to a thread begun by another user asking whether the meatballs should be thrown out each night because their district manager had reportedly told them to keep the meatballs for the following day. 

That said, this seems to depend on each Subway location, as in another thread, a user stated that their store did not reuse meatballs and instead brought out fresh ones each day at opening. In the same thread, other users agreed that how meatballs are handled depends on the managers and franchise owners. 

Now, we all knew that Subway wasn't serving one of the best meatball subs in the U.S., but the claims of how un-fresh they are have us looking for alternatives. Fortunately, it's not hard to make your own amazing meatball subs at home. In fact, Gordon Ramsay has great tips for making both perfectly textured meatballs and a tangy meatball sub sauce. Put them together with some mozzarella and fresh basil, and you'll have a match made in heaven! In a pinch, you can also use premade meatballs with your favorite marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella or parmesan cheese. Even when using premade ingredients, you can spice things up with fresh herbs, minced garlic, and spices like oregano and red pepper flakes, depending on your tastes. 

Of course, if you're out and about or not in the mood for cooking, other locations serve up meatball subs that will put Subway's to shame. Places like Potbelly, Capriotti's, and Firehouse Subs are all great chains that don't cut corners when making sandwiches. 

That said, if Subway is your only option (or you just really like the flavor of their meatball subs), one Reddit user shared how you can tell whether or not the meatballs are fresh. Responding to a comment on r/IAmA as a Subway sandwich artist, this user claims that if the sauce is red and bright, the meatballs are fresh, but if it's a dark red or brown and the meatballs look broken up, you're better off ordering something else.