By Mike Thayer
For a limited time – through November 7th – Subway has finally jumped on the brisket train of popularity by offering what they call a Pit-Smoked Brisket Sandwich.
I’m into barbecue, a.k.a., BBQ, especially brisket, so even though it’s Subway (I’m not a big fan), I thought I’d give it a shot.
Here’s the description of the sandwich from Subway’s website: New Pit-Smoked Brisket, naturally smoked for at least 13 hours, topped with smoked cheddar and barbecue sauce. Layers of smoky flavor in every.single.bite.
Sauntering into my neighborhood Subway a bit after 11am on a Tuesday, there were a few patrons in the joint but no line at the counter. The sandwich maker asked me what I would like to order and I let him know I was there to try the brisket sandwich, 6 inch, on the advertised Italian bread, with smoked cheddar and toasted. It didn’t take long at all to prepare the sandwich and along with the BBQ sauce it comes with, I added red onion, mustard and pickle.
I wasn’t really expecting to be “wowed” by this sandwich, we are talking Subway after all….. In my book, Subway is the “McDonald’s” of sub sandwiches, very convenient and available, but most everything on the menu is “eh”…. average food at best. But in taking that first bite, I had to admit, the sandwich exceeded my expectations. It isn’t a bad sandwich, as in, not great, but not bad either. In fact, Subway makes a better brisket sandwich than the BBQ joint across the street.
The brisket, sliced (as it should be, NOT shredded) was tender but under-seasoned, and while the portion was neither skimpy nor generous, the meat was complimented well by the smoky cheddar, bbq sauce, onions, pickles and mustard. I added the mustard because, not only is mustard a great pairing with bbq sauce, I added it because a lot of fast food restaurants use sauces that run on the too sweet side of BBQ and mustard helps to offset that sweetness, along with the tartness of the pickle. That being said, the bbq sauce Subway uses isn’t bad either, it is on the sweet side, but not overly so. All in all, this isn’t a bad sandwich, not a disappointment, but probably not something I would buy again. Subway says there are layers of smoky flavor in every bite….. Not so much….. The smoked cheddar carries it, but the brisket comes up short, especially for a supposed 13 hours in the pit smoked brisket. And I would recommend getting the sandwich toasted, which warms up the bread and melts the cheese, but unfortunately doesn’t really warm up the brisket, which would make for a better sandwich. It did satisfy my curiosity though and the fact that Subway actually makes a better brisket sandwich than a regional BBQ joint located across the street, kind of cracked me up! That doesn’t say much for the BBQ joint, right?
Costing me $6.99 for a 6 inch sandwich, the price is a bit on the high end of what you would pay for a brisket sandwich at a BBQ joint (smaller sandwich, but would also come with a side). With the brisket lacking in seasoning and the marketing hype of smoked flavor, I’m giving the sandwich 3 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars. If you don’t have a good BBQ joint around, this sandwich isn’t a bad alternative, but it’s not something you’re going to get addicted to.
$pend Wisely My Friends…..
Food Review: Subway's Pit-Smoked Brisket Sandwich – Bachelor on the Cheap
By Mike Thayer
For a limited time – through November 7th – Subway has finally jumped on the brisket train of popularity by offering what they call a Pit-Smoked Brisket Sandwich.
I’m into barbecue, a.k.a., BBQ, especially brisket, so even though it’s Subway (I’m not a big fan), I thought I’d give it a shot.
Here’s the description of the sandwich from Subway’s website: New Pit-Smoked Brisket, naturally smoked for at least 13 hours, topped with smoked cheddar and barbecue sauce. Layers of smoky flavor in every.single.bite.
Sauntering into my neighborhood Subway a bit after 11am on a Tuesday, there were a few patrons in the joint but no line at the counter. The sandwich maker asked me what I would like to order and I let him know I was there to try the brisket sandwich, 6 inch, on the advertised Italian bread, with smoked cheddar and toasted. It didn’t take long at all to prepare the sandwich and along with the BBQ sauce it comes with, I added red onion, mustard and pickle.
I wasn’t really expecting to be “wowed” by this sandwich, we are talking Subway after all….. In my book, Subway is the “McDonald’s” of sub sandwiches, very convenient and available, but most everything on the menu is “eh”…. average food at best. But in taking that first bite, I had to admit, the sandwich exceeded my expectations. It isn’t a bad sandwich, as in, not great, but not bad either. In fact, Subway makes a better brisket sandwich than the BBQ joint across the street.
The brisket, sliced (as it should be, NOT shredded) was tender but under-seasoned, and while the portion was neither skimpy nor generous, the meat was complimented well by the smoky cheddar, bbq sauce, onions, pickles and mustard. I added the mustard because, not only is mustard a great pairing with bbq sauce, I added it because a lot of fast food restaurants use sauces that run on the too sweet side of BBQ and mustard helps to offset that sweetness, along with the tartness of the pickle. That being said, the bbq sauce Subway uses isn’t bad either, it is on the sweet side, but not overly so. All in all, this isn’t a bad sandwich, not a disappointment, but probably not something I would buy again. Subway says there are layers of smoky flavor in every bite….. Not so much….. The smoked cheddar carries it, but the brisket comes up short, especially for a supposed 13 hours in the pit smoked brisket. And I would recommend getting the sandwich toasted, which warms up the bread and melts the cheese, but unfortunately doesn’t really warm up the brisket, which would make for a better sandwich. It did satisfy my curiosity though and the fact that Subway actually makes a better brisket sandwich than a regional BBQ joint located across the street, kind of cracked me up! That doesn’t say much for the BBQ joint, right?
Costing me $6.99 for a 6 inch sandwich, the price is a bit on the high end of what you would pay for a brisket sandwich at a BBQ joint (smaller sandwich, but would also come with a side). With the brisket lacking in seasoning and the marketing hype of smoked flavor, I’m giving the sandwich 3 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars. If you don’t have a good BBQ joint around, this sandwich isn’t a bad alternative, but it’s not something you’re going to get addicted to.
$pend Wisely My Friends…..