Does anyone know why Subway does not have ketchup in their restaurants?

[ipsedixit]

I realize they may not have a huge demand for ketchup, seeing they serve no fries, but I could see someone wanting ketchup to go with their egg breakfast sandwiches.

[ChrisOC]

The expression "Taylor Ham" is a North Jersey thing. They also call ground beef "chopped meat"

[Jay F]

I grew up in North Jersey and I never heard the name "Taylor Ham" until a couple of years ago, courtesy of the internet. And we had Pork Roll in the house all the time. It was one of my favorite things to eat when I came home from school, and to take back with me. It was always called Pork Roll by everyone I knew.

"Chopped meat" does sound familiar, though.

[DarkRose]

My local Subway on the Central Cali coast actually does have catsup, in individual packets, along with mayo and mustard. They're in little bins near the drink station.

[rich in stl]

Catsup on eggs is good but Salsa is even better :-)

[ChiliDude]

Could it be that all brands of catsup (ketchup) now use High Fructose Corn Sweetener as an ingredient and the use of that junk goes against Subway's promoting weight control, and good health as well as good gustatory sensation?

That's pure speculation on my part.

[StrandedYankee]

Chili, if that were the case, I can't see them serving sodas with HFCS. They do not insist on serving all-natural beverages. I always figured that they just figured that most of their menu wasn't made up of stuff that people use ketchup with.

[mpjmph]

In addition to soft drinks, I wouldn't be surprised if they have HFCS in their cookies, bread and even some of their meat products. Subway's commitment to health is in advertising only. It's far more likely that they just wouldn't turn use enough ketchup to justify the cost of keeping it.

[beachmouse]

I'll eat potato chips with ketchup once in a while, but wouldn't expect a sub place to just have some on hand for that purpose.

[Custardly]

Interesting, might try that. I only use ketchup on burgers and fries. Sticking with the potato theme, does anyone put ketchup on baked or mashed potatoes? Yuck!

[redfish62]

I use it on anything that I don't put barbeque sauce on.

If it is a bland food it is getting either ketchup or barbeque sauce.

[mpjmph]

I also occasionally dip chips in ketchup, and once had a coworker who put ketchup on Wensy's baked potatoes.

[Tripeler]

Subway in Japan certainly has ketchup. It is for their potatoes, which are "fried" in an oven. The potatoes are frozen wedges from the U.S. which are lightly coated in 'something' and baked in a hot oven, so they are sort of like steak fries. I might add that Subway is perhaps the only fast food place in Japan where you can get a variety of raw vegetables in your meal.

[Clams047]

"The potatoes are frozen wedges from the U.S. which are lightly coated in 'something' and baked in a hot oven, so they are sort of like steak fries."

I can see why one would have to slather them in ketchup.

Sounds delicious (NOT). Then again, isn't that the real purpose of ketchup (enough sugar can be added to over power the taste of anything)?

[Tripeler]

I have only had those oven fries once, which was enough. Not particularly good, even with ketchup.

[Rilke]

Did you also see that article about the "ketchup confrontation" in Florida?

[ipsedixit]

Yup.

[bbqboy]

can you fill us in?

[enbell]

google is your friend
http://www.denverpost.com/topstories/...

[enbell]

Link to food media discussion
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/884880

[bbqboy]

thanks!
I think. :)

[enbell]

You are most welcome...I think ;)

[StrandedYankee]

As a native Philadelphian, I can't help feeling that anyone who would put ketchup on a cheesesteak deserves to be beaten. Badly. Criminal prosecution would also be appropriate...but in addition to the severe beating, not instead of.

We Philadelphians are a hostile, bloodthirsty lot...

[BuildingMyBento]

Why not just give 'em a one-year contract with the Mets instead?

[sunshine842]

I've only had a couple of cheesesteaks in south Philly, but I wouldn't question putting ketchup on the Subway version in Orlando...simply because any similarity between a Philly cheesesteak in Philly and a cheesesteak at Subway is purely coincidental, anyway....

[StrandedYankee]

Honestly, whenever I'm stuck eating at a Subway I tend to stick with tuna, no cheese on flatbread with extra raw veggies & hot peppers. Great? No, but eh, whatever. At least it doesn't feel like I'm eating 3000 calories for something with no flavor & no texture. Since their bread is so lousy and mushy, and since they have no grill, I can't understand why anyone would even try a cheesesteak there. Still, instead of ketchup, for flavor go with raw onions & hot peppers. The vinegary yellow banana peppers can cover a lot of flavorless sins.

[NonnieMuss]

Ha! Love that description. I'm stealing it.

[rockycat]

Around here they put mayo on cheesesteaks, along with lettuce and tomato. But, as sunshine842 said, any resemblance between what's served here and a real Philly cheesesteak is purely coincidental.

[StrandedYankee]

Here in Philly, we call that a cheesesteak hoagie. Add raw onion, and you have my favorite back around 1985.

I was a truly shameful teenager.

[drongo]

LOL.. the badly misnamed City of Brotherly Love!

[StrandedYankee]

Oh, we're very well-named...it's just a VERY dysfunctional and abusive family!

[Velvet Elvis]

We love you here in Philly, but it is a tough love. . . especially when it comes to what gets called a cheesesteak.

[rochfood]

Do you put ketchup on eggs in Philly ?

[StrandedYankee]

Not as a rule, but no one looks at you funny if you do. Street carts here usually serve egg & cheese sandwiches on hard torpedo rolls with butter, salt & pepper.

[sunangelmb]

Here in jersey, pork roll, egg, cheese, on a hard roll with salt pepper and ketchup is a standard morning sandwich

[StrandedYankee]

You see pork roll some places in Philly, but not a whole lot. You see scrapple in the diners, but not the street carts. Bacon is great, but it changes the breakfast sandwich alchemy (please don't add salt to something with a bunch of bacon!).

[jcanino]

If you are really from NJ, it is TAYLOR HAM, not pork roll. :)

[rochfood]

I think thats more North Jersey. I grew up in Trenton and everyone called it pork roll. We ate Case's brand pork roll. I never called it Taylor ham or heard anyone call it that until I started reading these type of message boards.

[Jay F]

Yeah. Eggs and ketchup is a Jersey thing. I know. I grew up there. If eggs have cheese in them, or they're an omelet, I skip the ketchup. Otherwise, I can't imagine eating eggs without ketchup. Scrambled only for me.

I used to love a Pork Roll & Kraft American Cheese sandwich on a hard roll. Never had it with eggs, though. Not that I wouldn't. It sounds terrific, as long as they're scrambled. Just, I guess it never occurred to my father.

Oh, and I grew up in 201, and I never heard it called Taylor Ham until I read it on the internet sometime during the '00s. Never. Not once. And we were not the only Pork Roll eating family I knew. Even my friends who moved from Greenwich called it Pork Roll.

Now, where I live (Western PA), I can't get Pork Roll or hard rolls. Even a hard roll just with butter is a thing dreams are made of.

[StrandedYankee]

I grew up all of 15 minutes from New Jersey in Northeast Philadelphia, and in all my 42 years of life, I don't think I've ever eaten pork roll. Too busy eating scrapple, I guess. Am I truly missing out? How does it differ from breakfast ham or Canadian bacon?

[Jay F]

I'm not sure what breakfast ham is. It's nothing like Canadian bacon. It looks sort of a large slice of salami, only more pink than salami. 5" in diameter, thicker than a slice of salami. You make 1" notches at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 so it will lay flat in the frying pan.

[rochfood]

First off..it;s worse for you than those hams. It is more like a pre cooked sausage..but does kinda look like salami and is firm like salami. It is more savory than canadian bacon and has a tangier taste. Firmer, but similiar to bologna. Just a bit more savory taste than bologna.

[Jay F]

I don't think of pork roll as being bolognaesque at all. Completely different textures. And nobody even suggested it was good *for* you.

[mrbigshotno.1]

You're last statement is definetly true!
4 years of working in Center City taught me that!

[StrandedYankee]

Ah, but do you acknowlege the actual love? I lived in flyover country for several years, and I came to the conclusion that the people had far better manners, and far less love. You do not have life-changing conversations with strangers in coffee shops in Middle America. You do in Philadelphia.. We'll tell you to go to hell if that's what we mean, but we're...open. We are tempermental and impolite, but you always know what's real here. Not so much in the polite world.

[shanagain]

Hint: stop referring to it as flyover country and you might find a bit more love. ;) Between that and your moniker I get the distinct impression you were, let's say, maybe receiving what you were projecting.

[StrandedYankee]

I lived there...Having lived there, I discovered its charms but also it's lacks. It lacked love. Also, we stranded Yankees only called it flyover country amongst ourselves. We Yankees aren't dumb, and most of us do have SOME manners...just not a lot of manners!

[hyacinthgirl]

Funny you should mention that, one Subway employee just got himself fired for his devotion... GO EAGLES! (... next year)

http://consumerist.com/2013/01/04/sub...

[StrandedYankee]

I want to call this man a hero, but why he'd stick up for the authentic experience of a Subway cheesesteak is...beyond me.

[hyacinthgirl]

He lives in Florida, all he has of cheesesteaks to protect is their reputation.

[StrandedYankee]

Oh, the poor, poor boy...Maybe we could start a fund to help him move to Philadelphia? Maybe we could get him a job at a real sandwich shop? I think he'd be much happier...

Also, at just the right Philly sandwich shop, the owner and manager would be joining in on the "ketchup on my cheesesteak, please" guy, so he'd have much better job security!

[rochfood]

rochfood less than a minute ago

I don't care if you didn't say it was healthy..the guy asked for a comparison. The first thing that comes to my mind..is ham is pretty healthy and pork roll is not. You sound a bit combative. Settle down. It reminds me of fried bologna..just tangier. You are not the only person to have eaten pork roll and have an opinion. It doesn't taste like sausage..and it doesent TASTE like salami. It TASTES like tangy bologna when cooked on a sandwich. Bologna comes in a roll in the deli just like pork rol. No one said it was just like bologna. What do you compare to in taste ? Salami ? if you say so.

[kubasd]

I'm in CT, was a supervisor of a Subway in high school, and I know we had ketchup in our store (Colchester). The ones near me now in Norwich have it, too. People use it anywhere from their egg sandwiches, steak and cheese, tuna, and kids sandwiches.

[Veggo]

The owner is in Connecticut, where they don't put ketchup on eggs. And it costs. One can bring ketchup packets from earlier visits to McD or BK, sort of a BYOK, without embarrassment.

[knucklesandwich]

Veggo, this is incredible. They don't put ketchup on eggs in Connecticut? Connecticut, the state?

[Clams047]

Ketchup on eggs? Pardon me while I try to stop gagging.

Then again, I'm from CT.

[virtualguthrie]

I'm from California and have a hard time imagining anything more vile.

[cosmogrrl]

I'm from California as well, and I think it's delicious. It was the only my Mom could get me to eat eggs as a kid.

But only on scrambled eggs.

[bbqboy]

Sure, and a bit of grape jelly too, to turn em green.

[virtualguthrie]

Hehe. Well it's ok, California is a big state. My dad once dyed my eggs green a la Dr. Seuss.

[ariesgirlb78]

Same - I can't eat scrambled eggs without ketchup!

[pikawicca]

Ketchup and Worcestershire sauce mixed with the runny yolk of a softly fried egg is yummy. Picked this up from my mother.)

[carolinadawg]

My first thought was that they don't serve anything that anyone would typically put ketchup on? I guess I can imagine someone putting ketchup on a breakfast sandwich, although I wouldn't.

[Terrie H.]

I have to say that, while I've been to few Subways, none have ever had fries. Only bags of potato chips, really. Maybe fries are new?

[carolinadawg]

No fries...re-read the post.

[Terrie H.]

Thanks CD - I somehow read it as "seeing they have fries' as a reason for ketchup. sorry!