I compared the same 4 sandwiches at Subway and Wawa. As an East Coaster, I'm shocked my go-to chain let me down in every category.
Amena Ahmed
- I compared four sandwiches at Subway and Wawa to see which was the superior chain.
- Wawa loaded up its wrap and sandwiches, but Subway's food packed way more flavor.
As someone from the East Coast, Wawa has always been a go-to spot for food, drinks, and snacks. And I'm not the only fan — Newsweek named the Pennsylvania-based chain the No. 2 convenience store in the country for 2024.
If I need an on-the-go sandwich, I always choose Wawa over Subway. But I wanted to see if my regional bias was actually getting me the best subs.
I decided to order nearly identical Italian cold-cut sandwiches, honey-mustard-chicken wraps, meatball subs, and cheesesteaks from each chain to compare the flavor and value.
Here's how they stacked up.
I started at Wawa, an East Coast staple.
Wawa is a convenience store first and foremost — it sells everything from chips to mashed-potato bowls. But it's probably best known for its beloved hoagies (sub sandwiches to non-East Coasters)
Unfortunately, Wawa is only available in six US states and Washington, DC. If you're not located on the East Coast, you're out of luck.
At my local Wawa, I was able to place my food orders on a touchscreen tablet. As usual, ordering four sandwiches was painless and quick.
For this comparison, I went with three of the chain's 6-inch Shortie sandwiches and one of its wraps. My total came to $30.20.
Subway is a more accessible and well-known chain.
Subway has tens of thousands of locations across the US and around the world.
Ordering my four sandwiches took a little longer at my local Subway — it uses a face-to-face system rather than a tablet. But eventually, I walked away with three 6-inch sandwiches and one wrap for $35.
Wawa’s meatball sub could’ve been better.
Wawa's meatball sandwich consisted of four (beef and pork) meatballs, Parmesan cheese, provolone, and red sauce.
The sandwich had a lot of sauce, and the meatballs were tasty and large.
Unfortunately, I wished there was way more cheese, and the toasted bread was also a little tougher than I'd have liked. Otherwise, it would've been a near-perfect sub.
I dug into Subway’s meatball sandwich next.
Subway's meatball sandwich, called The Boss, comes with double cheese. This improved the cheese pull and overall flavor of the sandwich compared to Wawa.
Subway's meatballs were smaller, but The Boss typically comes with pepperoni, which I opted to nix for a fairer comparison.
Even without the extra meat, I liked this meatball sub better.
Wawa’s cheesesteak was missing a crucial ingredient.
Although Wawa offers a specialty cheesesteak, it doesn't come with green peppers, which I view as a staple ingredient. Instead, the only kind of peppers I was able to add were banana peppers, which kind of ruined the flavor.
The meat was very soft, and there was a lot of it, which I enjoyed. But I wished the cheese was a bit more melted.
It just didn't taste like a traditional cheesesteak to me.
I was excited to try the Philly cheesesteak at Subway.
As a Philadelphia local, I've never ordered a cheesesteak from such a common chain. But Subway's sandwich had double American cheese, steak, onions, mayo, and green peppers.
It was delicious and surprisingly very reminiscent of local chains. I liked that the cheese was melted and smothered throughout, and the crisp vegetables really added to the flavor.
The bread also tasted extremely fresh and soft.
To compare cold-cut subs, I picked up Wawa’s Italian sandwich.
I'm not sure I've ever had an Italian sub without pepperoni, so when I saw Wawa subs it for ham, I worried the sandwich wouldn't live up to my expectations.
My first bite immediately threw me off — I wasn't a fan.
There was way too much meat compared to cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, and the flavor of the ham ended up being extremely overpowering.
I'm not sure I will, but if I were to order this at Wawa again, I'd substitute the ham for pepperoni.
I found a classic Italian sandwich at Subway.
Subway's Hotshot Italiano included pepperoni, salami, double provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and a special "MVP Parmesan Vinaigrette."
It tasted amazing. The vinaigrette wasn't too bitter, and the dressing complemented the cold cuts nicely.
No one ingredient was overpowering, but every bite was jam-packed with great flavor.
Finally, I ordered a custom wrap at Wawa.
I typically love Wawa's wraps, but to my surprise, this one fell flat.
The East Coast chain didn't have the same specialty wraps as Subway, so I decided to create my own to match my order at the competitor. I ended up with chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard on a plain tortilla.
The tortilla seemed a bit too thick. There also wasn't nearly enough honey mustard in every bite, which left me disappointed.
Finally, I tried Subway’s honey-mustard-chicken wrap.
Subway's specialty wrap had rotisserie-style chicken, double Monterey cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard.
I love honey mustard, and Subway didn't skimp on the sauce — there was a perfect amount and it really tied all the ingredients together.
Although it wasn't a typical, tightly closed wrap, Subway's soft, warm flatbread also tasted really fresh.
Subway won in every department.
Overall, the Subway sandwiches were certainly worth the extra $5.
Despite my East Coast roots, I couldn't name Wawa a winner in any category. The chain's sandwiches all seemed to be lacking.
But before Wawa fans come for me, I'm still going to frequent the beloved chain — I'll just stick to my regular customized turkey sub.
Subway impressed me with its fresh bread, flavorful meat, and tasty dressings. I'll definitely be returning for its cheesesteak and Italian sandwich.
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