The Chain Italian Sub With The Best Bread, According To Customer Reviews

Italian sub sandwiches are a thing of beauty: cured meats piled high, creamy cheese, a bit of lettuce and tomato, perhaps a slather of mayo if you're feeling controversial, and maybe a drizzle of herb-infused oil and vinegar. You can find them at pretty much any sandwich shop or deli, though naturally, a number of factors, like size and overall quality, will vary. And while the meats and cheese might be the stars of the show, you cannot discount the importance of good bread. According to a Food Republic roundup of the 10 best chain Italian subs, New York-based chain DiBella's stood out on account of just that, with customers particularly praising its signature everything bread, which adds an extra layer of savory flavor thanks to its topping of seasonings, including ingredients like garlic, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds.

For example, one Reddit user shared that DiBella's version of an Italian, called the Godfather, did not disappoint. "The 'everything' bread was the best part [in my opinion]," they wrote, "but the whole sub was pretty [top-tier] as far as chain restaurants go."

Another reviewer on Yelp also specifically cited the Godfather, saying it was extremely flavorful. "[It] was ridiculously good. So much flavor and taste. The bread really sealed the deal," they praised.

If the glowing reviews have you hankering for a sandwich from a chain you've never heard of before, you're not alone. The reason DiBella's mostly flies under the radar is that it is actually quite limited in locations. As of November 2026, the chain is only present in five states, with the majority of its locations concentrated in New York, its home state, and Ohio. And for the first 80 years of its existence (DiBella's was founded in 1918 as a grocery store), it consisted of just one Rochester location. That changed in 1998, when the company opened its second location, and since then, DiBella's has seen a flurry of expansion, with 2024 proving especially busy.

However, the smaller chain size might actually contribute to the quality of the bread that has put DiBella's on the map, since fewer locations make it easier to maintain standards. For now, in all 44 of the sandwich shop's restaurants, the bread gets baked at least twice daily, as the final step in a process that takes more than half a day. Before the rolls go in the oven, though, the dough gets aged for a minimum of 16 hours to improve texture and taste. Then, seasonings are manually sprinkled on top, and finally, someone wielding a knife hand-scores the tops of the loaves. The frequency of this baking process means that you will almost assuredly get sub rolls at their peak freshness whenever you place your order at DiBella's.