9 Best Chain Restaurant Meatball Subs, According To Customer Reviews

Meatballs are a perennial favorite meal around the world. Whether it's a traditional pork and beef Italian combination or a ginger and soy sauce spiked Asian-inspired version, there are a wide variety of flavors and ways to make them. And no matter what kind you choose, they all taste great on toasted bread, whether that's a hoagie roll or a ciabatta baguette. But the kind most people are familiar with is a warm, marinara-covered sandwich with melty mozzarella or provolone. 

Everyone has a preference on the size and composition of the meatballs and the kind of cheese to use, but nearly all meatball sub lovers agree the sandwich should be hearty, filling, and flavorful. And while local delis and sandwich shops are always excellent, sometimes tried-and-true chains are too consistent to pass up. With that in mind, we scoured reviews from several sites and platforms to determine which chain restaurant meatball subs were worthy of mention. According to customers, these are the best of the bunch.

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop was started in 1976 in Wilmington, Delaware. The small restaurant quickly grew and now has over 100 locations, while still expanding its footprint. In addition to recently celebrating its 50th anniversary, the shop also came in as the No. 9 Best Sandwich Shop in USA Today's 10 Best poll. One popular selection at the restaurant is the Classic Meatball sub. It has provolone and Romano cheeses with warm marinara and fresh meatballs on a hoagie bun. At a Midlothian, Virginia location, the sandwich ranges from $7.99 for a mini to $22.99 for a large. 

People will drive long distances for the sub, which some people have been ordering there for decades. Customers say the sandwich is garlicky, with a nice portion of cheese, and appreciate that the meatballs are made in-house. The protein and sauce are both called excellent, and fans highly recommend the sub, even though it can be very messy. The only (other) complaint people have about the sandwich is how pricey it can be. If you're not near a Capriotti's, or just want to make your own version at home, these tips can help ensure you get the best meatballs possible. 

Firehouse Subs gets its memorable name from the two former firefighters that founded it in 1994. The brothers were able to take that first location and turn it into a chain with over 1,500 franchises across the country. The chain has a wide variety of hot and cold sandwiches and salads, as well as its own line of hot sauces. The company also has several meatball options to choose from, including the Firehouse Meatball, the Sweet & Spicy Meatball, and the Pepperoni Pizza Meatball Sub. At a Hackensack, New Jersey location, the sandwiches range from $6.99 for a small to $15.99 for a large.

The subs are a hit, with some customers calling them their favorite versions of meatballs sandwiches anywhere. Some even say the meatball sandwiches are the only thing they order at Firehouse, in part because of the overall quality; fans say the meatballs are flavorful and fresh. The Sweet & Spicy version is very saucy, with a nice mix of textures and a great combination of heat and natural sweetness. Some folks do mention that these sandwiches can be inconsistent depending on location, so it's best do a bit of research before ordering at your local franchise. 

PrimoHoagies, also just called Primos by fans, began in the early 1990s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The award-winning chain now has more than 120 locations, with plans to keep expanding until the end of the decade. The restaurant has a menu focusing on quality ingredients and an array of sandwiches, including deli classics, chicken cutlets, Philly steaks, and meatless options. (The veggie and cheese subs don't include ricotta-based meatballs, but there are a few tips for making your own at home.)

The Old World Style Meatball hoagie most definitely has meat in it. In fact, the balls sport a mixture of pork, beef, and veal. There are three sandwich sizes alongside wrap and bowl versions. At the Middletown, Delaware location the subs range from $9.79 for a small to $14.49 for a Primo, with the whole sandwich costing you $30.99.

Fans of the hoagie say the meatballs are flavorful, with a great texture, and the sauce is tasty without being too sweet. People also enjoy how cheesy the sandwich is. The biggest problems customers have with the sandwich is how inconsistent it is from location to location and the overall price for what they receive. Some have called the meatballs overly chewy, with another customer saying you can get a comparable sub for less at other chain restaurants. 

Tennessee-based Lennys Grill & Subs started in the late 1990s as a neighborhood spot before growing into nearly 70 locations across 12 states. It's known for high quality ingredients and Southern-style hospitality, as well as a large menu with deli subs, cheesesteaks, and regional-specific items. The restaurant offers a value combo with a sandwich, drink, chips or a cookie for $10, which includes the meatball classic sub. The sandwich also comes in a variety of sizes and versions, including as a wrap and salad, as well as 5-inch, 7½-inch, 10-inch, and 15-inch subs. The prices at the Galesburg, Illinois location range from $7.19 for the 5-inch option to $17.59 for the 15-inch. 

Customers enjoy the sandwich overall, calling it amazing. They appreciate the freshness of the bread and say it's some of the softest around. Other guests note the meatballs have great flavor, and one reviewer said the protein was so large they had to be cut in half to fit on the bread. The sauce doesn't taste like it has added sugar, but some people don't like the marinara at all, saying it tastes store-bought; others say the meatballs taste as if they might've been frozen That's why this sub finds itself leading the middle of the pack. 

Named for the iconic stoves that once warmed houses and cooked all manner of food in kitchens, Potbelly Sandwich Works is a nearly 50-year-old company with more than 450 locations across the country. That number is set to rapidly expand, now that the restaurant chain has been bought by the gas station RaceTrac. Despite the changes this acquisition will bring, the menu is still filled with traditional sub sandwiches.

Meatballs come on a few of the items, including the Pizza Melt and Mama's Meatball subs, with the melt containing crumbles while mama's has whole meatballs. The subs come in three sizes — skinny, original, and big. At a Castle Rock, Colorado location, the sandwich costs $7.59, $10.39, and $13.69 respectively. 

The Mama's Meatball is a fan favorite, with customers saying the restaurant knows how to put together the sub for great flavor. Some guests enjoy the quality of the meat and the overall taste, but others find the meatballs are smaller than expected, with very little cheese included. Others don't care for how soggy the sandwich can be, and customers have been surprised that the meatballs weren't in whole pieces when they got the sub. People also say there should be more sauce on some of the sandwiches, which The Daily Meal agreed with, noting the meat was salty without more sauce to balance the taste. 

DiBella's Subs has been serving customers oversized sandwiches for nearly a century. The New York-based chain is best known for making its bread daily, leading to soft, fresh loaves that fans love. The company operates nearly 40 locations in five states selling specialty salads, gluten-free subs, and an assortment of inventive sandwiches. The Italian Meatball sub comes on everything bread and has Asiago and mozzarella cheeses paired with slow-cooked meatballs and marinara. There are three sizes, including the small for $10.49, the medium for $12.99, and the large for $17.49 at the Worthington, Ohio location. 

The restaurant itself is highly respected, and the sub has its die-hards, customers are split over the quality and taste of the meatball sandwich. For every person who thinks the sub is great, there's another who disagrees. Some people have ordered the sandwich only to be let down by a lack of cheese and lackluster sauce. One person was particularly disappointed to order a large only to receive a medium with just a few meatballs. Even some who get the correct portions find the sub average, without anything to really set it apart from the competition. If you want to avoid that problem with your next homemade meatball sub, Martha Stewart suggests adding cremini mushrooms to the protein mix for a flavor boost. 

Subway is one of the largest chain restaurants in the country, with over 18,000 locations from coast to coast. Although people are divided over the eatery's prices and quality, the business is still widely recognizable, with legions of passionate fans.

Naturally, the The meatballs are made with beef and pork, and the sandwich has provolone and parmesan cheeses along with marinara and the customer's choice of other toppings. At a Madras, Oregon location the 6-inch is $6.20, while the footlong costs $11. 

While opinions on the sub are divided, some people love it, saying its the only sandwich they order at Subway. Others disagree, noting the meatballs don't taste as if they have much meat in them and have an unpleasant texture. Some guests have complained they received half-frozen meatballs, and regular customers say to avoid getting too much sauce, as it will make Subway's airy bread fall apart. 

Dallas-based sandwich shop Which Wich was established in 2003 and has since gone on to operate more than 180 locations nationwide. It's also won numerous awards from different publications and customers. The menu includes a wide range of sandwiches, including the meatball sub, which contains meatballs, marinara, parmesan, and the guests choice of different cheeses, veggies, and condiments. At a Williamsburg, Virginia location, the regular 7-inch version costs $9.75, while the large is $13.75 and the super is $17.75. 

While some diners love the sub and appreciate the amount of cheese that comes on it, others think the meatballs are too large and taste artificial, while the pesto sauce was unpleasant and threw off the whole sandwich. Another guest agreed, saying the meatballs were bland and the sub's bread was so soggy the entire thing fell apart when they tried to eat it. One customer found the taste decent enough but felt the whole thing was overpriced for what they'd received, a sentiment that other reviewers echoed. 

Goodcents first opened in 1989 and quickly began expanding. In the years since, it's moved into over 60 locations as well as undergone a rebrand from its original name of Mr. Goodcents. But whichever name you associate with the chain, fans have been enjoying the generous portions of meat and soft bread the restaurant provides. One popular sandwich choice here is the meatball sub. It comes with Italian-style meatballs, provolone, and marinara and costs $8.49 for an 8-inch at the El Dorado, Arkansas location. 

Goodcents' meatball subs get mixed reviews, but generally customers are pleased with them. It's the individual elements, like the sandwich being too dry and using frozen meatballs, that seem to give it the most trouble. Customers have reported not being able to get the sandwich after the shop was out of meatballs on repeated visits, while others who did get the protein were less than pleased with its taste and texture — something always worth avoiding if you're cooking them at home.

Deciding which meatball subs should be on this list involved narrowing down dozens of different chains across the country. I had to examine multiple factors, such as the overall customer experience, the number of locations of the chain, the value and taste of the sandwiches, if the subs were regularly available, and the prices.

I then searched through social media posts, comment threads, professional reviews, and user review sites. Only the subs with the most positive customer reviews across several platforms were chosen for the final list.

Static Media owns and operates Food Republic and The Daily Meal.