I ordered the same turkey sandwich from Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop, and I preferred the cheaper option
Erin McDowell; Birch Photographer/Shutterstock; Alexander Oganezov/Shutterstock
- I ordered the same sandwich from two chains and compared them based on taste and value.
- I ordered a turkey sandwich with the same toppings from Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop.
- The Subway sandwich was larger and had more sauce, but I liked Potbelly's bread more.
Nothing hits the spot quite like a classic turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and all the fixings.
However, not all turkey sandwiches are created equal. To determine which chain has the best turkey sandwich, I decided to test them from two popular brands: Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop.
Founded in 1965, Subway long held the title of the largest fast-food chain in the world, although it's now second to McDonald's, Food & Wine reported. Still, there are more than 20,000 Subway locations in the US compared to Potbelly's more than 400 locations.
I tried both chains' classic turkey sandwiches on their own and also determined what it would cost to get each sandwich with a drink and a bag of chips to round out the meal.
Here's how the same turkey sandwich from Subway and Potbelly Sandwich Shop measured up.
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The foot-long sandwich came to $11.89. When combined with the other items, my total meal came to $17.17, not including taxes and fees.
I decided to compare the sandwiches alone since I couldn't order the same drink or chips from both chains.
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I thought the sandwich was a good size for the price.
Erin McDowell/Insider
The 6-inch sub would have been more than enough to satisfy me for lunch, but I was happy the sandwich was large enough to split with a friend or for me to save the other half for later.
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It definitely looked like a lot of care went into crafting the sandwich to ensure that each bite contained all of the ingredients.
Erin McDowell/Insider
As I predicted, I could taste every part of the sandwich in each bite. The ingredients, especially the lettuce, tasted fresh, though I thought the tomato slices could have been a little thicker.
There was a lot of sauce slathered on the sandwich, which I liked, and the mustard added a lot of flavor.
However, I thought the bread felt on the lighter side and didn't have a lot of flavor to it.
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The sandwich came to $13.69, making it a little more expensive than the sandwich from Subway.
I also added chips and a drink, so the entire meal cost $21.57, putting it at $4 more than Subway's.
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The two sandwiches couldn't have looked more different. Whereas the Subway sandwich (pictured left) came on flat-looking multigrain bread, the bread Potbelly used was crusty and appeared to be of a higher quality.
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I was excited to see how the actual taste of the sandwiches would compare.
Erin McDowell/Insider
The ingredients were laid out less methodically, and I worried that each bite wouldn't include all the ingredients at once, which is what I prefer.
Erin McDowell/Insider
There was also a generous serving of lettuce, onions, and tomato that really helped make the sandwich stand out. However, I thought it was a little light on the sauce — I couldn't really taste the mayonnaise or mustard.
Erin McDowell/Insider
The sandwich delivered on price, size, and flavor — and I loved how they weren't afraid to hold back on the sauces.
