Subway Vs. Blimpie?

[wontonton]

I admit I'm more sympathetic to Blimpie, and frankly like their sandwiches better. I'm a little mystified at the omnipresence of Subway when Blimpie seems to come closer to a traditional sub-shop sandwich and the bread is even better, "fresh baked" or not. If both are in the strip mall, which do you go to?

[Fydeaux]

Wow, one of the oldest zombie threads to get re-animated recently!

No matter; I've never had a sub from Blimpie, but it would have to set a whole new standard for awful to be worse that Subway. I cant think of any place, big or smal, chain or local, slow or fast, at which I've had worse food.

[Clams047]

Cracker Barrel, Pizza Hut & Olive Garden come to mind, but I have to agree, Subway wins out yet again .... as the worst..

[Boston_Otter]

I really feel sorry for all of these people who report horrible food, nauseating smells that infest their clothes, and angry service at Subway. To me, they're just a basic sandwich place that makes decent subs for pretty cheap. Never had any problem at any Subway, and had some really tasty sandwiches.

[UTgal]

Hmmm...I like both places. I don't like Quiznos but I think it's due to the staff at our local one.

I too notice the Subway smell...I can smell it on my hair after I leave. I still like Subway though.

[al b. darned]

Blimpies, IMHO are better, but I am biased. Until Subway gets rid of Jared and issues a public apology for inflicting him on us I won't go near one!

[bnemes3343]

Blimpies way, way better than Subway; not even close. Not in the same universe.

[Firegoat]

Blimpies has a very unfortunate name.

[aktivistin]

I used to not mind Subway much, until they put a Subway in the lower floor at my university's student centre. The Subway Smell (some claim it is the bread, others say it's a mixture of mushrooms and moisture) has slowly pervaded to fill one half of the lower floor with its odour. For some reason, this year it got immeasurably worse to the point where it is painful to walk through that part of the building.

Because of the smell, and the smell alone, I have avoided Subway for quite a while now. Some friends who visit Subway often say they don't notice the smell but I just can't stand it.

[Boston_Otter]

I have never noticed the mythical "Subway Smell" at any Subway anywhere, unless you're smelling fresh-baked bread.

[ttoommyy]

Some say there are chemicals in the bread that make it smell off...not just the good yeasty smell of baking bread but nauseatingly sour in some way. To aktivistin's point, if there was a Subway located on the first floor of the building I lived in, I'm sure that smell wafting through the building day and night would become nauseating...no matter how much one thinks they like it. I live a block or so away from a coffee roasting company and the smell of roasting coffee hour after hour is sickening.

[MonMauler]

It's true. Many years ago...back in my highschool days...I worked at a Subway. There is definitely a peculiar smell to their bread, which came frozen in footlong portions. We'd spray the rubber baking mats with cooking spray, set them on baking pans, and load 'em in the oven.

It didn't take long for the smell to become nauseating, and it absolutely permeated all of my work clothes. I burned them when I finally quit.

Walking into a Subway these days, which I still do several times a year, I always notice the distinctive, off-putting smell.

[Covert Ops]

It's hard for me to judge, because I grew up going to one of the first Blimpies, in Bayonne, NJ (I think the first was in Hoboken?) and it was a regular deli, with a meat slicer, where they cut the filling for your Blimpie Best to order.

Now I see one in a Hess station and shudder. . .

I like the chicken parm sub at Subway. Other than that, I don't really care for either. I don't mind Quizno's, but does it seem to be really overpriced? I get a small sub and drink and chips and somehow always end up spending more than $7. (And this is in Fla., not NYC.)

[ttoommyy]

"It's hard for me to judge, because I grew up going to one of the first Blimpies, in Bayonne, NJ (I think the first was in Hoboken?) and it was a regular deli, with a meat slicer, where they cut the filling for your Blimpie Best to order."

Same here. I grew up in Jersey City, where the second Blimpie Base (as they used to be called) was established. The first was indeed in Hoboken, where I now live. The franchising of them (when they changed their store colors to green and yellow from the original yellow, orange and brown) was a sad day. They are still way better than Subway though.

[pcwd]

For a regular sandwich, Blimpie's wins by a lot. The meat and vegetables seem much fresher and the bread is a lot better too, even though Subway pushes their bread so much Their only downside is that many of their stores in NYC tend to be dumpy. However, Subway meatballs are great.

[goldfish]

I am a Blimpie fan here too. At Subway it seesm they sorta wave the meat over the bread. Sooo stingy! At Blimpie they are much more geerous with the meat.

[Cathy]

The meat portion is pre-measured/weighed at all of the chain places...would have to look at the calorie count/ingredient list to see if the weights are different....

Each one has its advantages and drawbacks, that's why I wait for a coupon and go to whichever will cost me less that day.

[mimolette]

Why is it almost all the chain fast food stores are so much worse in NYC than the west coast?

[jfood]

Battle at the basement.

I love the Blimpies sweet roasted peppers and buy them in the jar.

I then take them home and make my own sandwich and put the peppers on them.

So Blimpies by a Peep or a Pep.

[chriskeasha]

Can you please tell me where to buy these peppers? I absolutley love them. I love Blimpies. I worked there for awhile, and worked at Subway for 2 years, but I am a huge fan of all Subs, but I think Blimpies, Quiznos, Penn Station, ETC, all beat Subway. If anyone knows the name of Blimpies sweet peppers, and where I can buy them please let me know. I live like an hour away from my closest Blimpies. Thnak you.

[enbell]

It took me a second that you replied to a 2006 post because for the life of me I didn't realize how you could reply 2 days earlier, sheesh :) I am 0 for 4 on attempts to buy te right kind of jarred peppers. I, too love them and would very much like to know where to find them at the market.

[wgtails]

I just bought a jar at Blimpies the other day. They only have one size - a gallon of them for $12. They will last for up to 6 months in the fridge

[calabasas_trafalgar]

Subway is a bit better, but Quizno's schools them both!

[Yummy Stuff]

I think I've had Blimpie's in the late 90's when i was In NJ. It was pretty good. As for Subway's I think it depends on the actual subway's u go to. I'm all for who has the freshest toppings. I finally tried Quizno's in Nyc a couple of years ago...it wasn't tasty as I thought it would be, perhaps it was just that particular one. WE finally got Quizno's here in Canada but I was disappointed in the way they shredded their beef. I've been to the one by my house twice now and I really do think they scrimp on their soup. I ordered their combo and for some reason they fill the soup 3/4 of the way (it's more like a cup of soup than a bowl) I haven't tried their chicken yet so perhaps I'll try it @ another location. I still prefer ordering in subs from local mom & pop places.

[hungryabbey]

I personally really like the chicken sub from Quiznos. I dont know exactly what it is, but the spices they sprinkle on their subs is so good, and their bread is better. but what I dont like, is i LOVE mustard on my subs, and they dont even have mustard, only honey mustard which Im allergic to :(

[Yummy Stuff]

I've just discovered gourmet mustards from using them in vinagrettes or my own sandwiches. Not a fan of the gritty stuff or stone ground mustard (right name?) We don't have a Blimpie's here but I tend to agree with Cathy, I try out subs with whatever coupon is available. It's funny how I ended up @ Quizon's twice coz I really liked their soda fountain --->love the choices & it wasn't watered~down at all.

[viperlush]

Yup, given the choice I'd go to Quizno's. Between Subway and Blimpies I choose Subway. The last time I was at a Blimpies I saw the turkey bounce and jiggle across the cutting board. At least at Subway the turkey is pre-cut and I can pretend that it is better.

[monkeyrotica]

If you want your mouth full of burnt and shredded roof-of-your-mouth skin, by all means go to Quiznos.

Potbelly is the only sandwich chain that does bread/meat/toppings/price right.

[Boston_Otter]

I'm not even sure what this means. The last time I went to Quiznos, my bread was toasted on the outside, but not hard or rough. My meat was nicely warm, not sizzling. I can't imagine how eating one of their subs would "burn and shred" the roof of your mouth.

[monkeyrotica]

Stale bread run through a broiler to melt the cheese on the subpar meat turned the bread rock hard and searing hot. Three bites and I threw the rest away. There's a reason why these places are going out of business.

[carolinadawg]

Perhaps not all locations are the same, or maybe they have improved in the past 5 and 1/2 years?

[monkeyrotica]

Doubt it. If that's the case, why are they going bankrupt? Good riddance.

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/26/1458491...

[carolinadawg]

From the article you linked to: "Quiznos narrowly avoided bankruptcy this week..."

From reading the article, it sounds more like their problems are management related, but I've never eaten at Quizno's, so who knows. The larger point is, one bad experience by one person at one location does not equal complete failure of an entire chain.

[monkeyrotica]

Well, if you've never been, I encourage you to try their toasty sandwiches. You'll swear you've gone to Hell.

[Clams047]

and ironically, the reason I never went back was because they lightly toasted the bread.

I felt they needed to either slow down the speed, turn up the temp or run the sandwich through twice. Tried them twice in two locations and neither could compare with a traditional hot-oven grinder.

[monkeyrotica]

Well there's a consistent chain for you. One place toasts the sandwich to cinders, the other barely toasts it at all.

[ttoommyy]

"Well there's a consistent chain for you. One place toasts the sandwich to cinders, the other barely toasts it at all."

Outside of McDonald's and maybe BK, I've never been to a chain that is consistent from store to store.

[monkeyrotica]

Try Taco Bell. IF YOU DARE!

[ttoommyy]

If you are responding to me monkey, I have been to Taco Bell...more times than I care to admit. :) I like Taco bell for what it is. I find that some of their same items change from store to store though depending on the location.

[monkeyrotica]

I've found it to be the most consistent chain outside of McDonalds. The items are identically prepared and of exactly the same quality regardless of location.

[monkeyrotica]

I'll take Blimpie. Subway sandwiches all taste the same. At least the Blimpie Best is a decent stab at an Italian sandwich. But I don't get the odd individual frenchfry maker machine. It's one step above those Japanese frenchfry vending machines.

Don't see the point in baking your own bread if it has less flavor than cardboard and has that weird butt smell.

[newJJD]

Blimpie for me... sadly they have not done well in my hometown of Calgary, Canada. There used to be 5 stores in town, now I think we are done to 1... in a city of 1,000,000 people!

Sad to see well over 100 Subways listed here, 1 Blimpie.

[Cathy]

Whichever one I has the better coupon