Sandwich Chains That Serve The Best And Worst Tuna Salad, According To Online Reviews

There are a lot of mistakes you can make with canned tuna, and while there are many ways to punch up homemade tuna salad, perhaps with the sweet mix-in that it's been missing, it's sometimes too much trouble or just plain unappetizing to make a tuna salad sandwich at home and stink up your kitchen with all that fish and fishy water from the can. Fortunately, the United States' many major sub chain restaurants, all of which boast hundreds or even thousands of locations across the country (or regional sandwich chains we want to see everywhere) will happily and readily prepare a tuna salad sandwich for just a few bucks, made from specially developed proprietary recipes.

Some variation of a tuna sandwich, a tuna salad sandwich, or a cheese-covered and baked tuna melt is a standard menu item at most every big sub restaurant. They're all a little bit different, however, with varying degrees of mayonnaise, different vegetables and seasonings used, and relative moisture all affecting the final product. Here are tuna sandwiches offered by some of the country's biggest sandwich chains, and which ones are worth ordering and which ones ought to be avoided. How do we know if they're any good, or so very bad? We sorted through customer and professional reviews to figure it out.

Firehouse Subs, notable for its 13 hot sauces and sandwiches served hot with melted cheese and toasted bread, also serves as an alternative just one composed traditionally prepared, cold sandwich. The Firehouse Tuna Salad sub combines tuna with pickle relish, mayonnaise, and black pepper. Unless ordered otherwise, that mixture mound is topped with provolone cheese, onion, tomato, lettuce, more mayonnaise, and deli mustard.

The extra, even nontraditional additions give the Firehouse Tuna Salad Sub an appetizing appearance as well as an enhanced taste, even if the company skimps a bit on the main ingredient served on small, 4-inch-long sandwiches. "Now I wish I got the bigger one," TikTok food reviewer eatdrinkbemandy said. "Their tuna salad is not heavy on the mayonnaise at all. Really good with all the toppings, highly recommend fully loaded."

In 2021, dissatisfied Subway customers filed a lawsuit against the sandwich chain, accusing it of fraudulently passing off an uncertain mixture of ingredients as tuna salad. While Subway claimed it used just tuna flakes and mayonnaise, lab results included with the suit suggested that the salad was composed of various proteins, but no tuna. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2023, and Subway created a "Tuna Facts" section on its website that asserts its tuna meat is wild-caught skipjack tuna sourced from Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Its tuna salad, served on a variety of breads and with the customer's choice of vegetables and condiments, is made up of just flaked and brined tuna and soybean oil-based mayonnaise.

The most famous sandwich chain doesn't seem like it's making a tuna sub for the ages. "This sub was just not memorable," said Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez of the Cleveland.com. "The tuna was slightly salty and was only mixed with mayo. Nothing else was added making it dull and rather boring like they just opened a can." Mary Meisenzahl of Business Insider found her Subway tuna sub to be mediocre in every way. "It looked fine to me, if not the most appetizing sandwich I'd ever eaten, but I was surprised at what seemed like a stingy portion of tuna. I tasted the sandwich and it definitely seemed like tuna salad to me, though far too heavy on mayonnaise," Meisenzahl wrote. "It was okay, but definitely not my favorite sandwich I've ever eaten."

At Which Wich, tuna salad is available as is or with cheddar as a tuna melt, in 7-inch, 10.5-inch, and 14-inch sizes or as part of a tortilla wrap, lettuce wrap, or on a bed of salad greens. The mix is just tuna and mayonnaise, with customers deciding what else goes on the sandwich.

Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez of Cleveland.com say Which Wich's tuna is the best one in the sandwich fast food landscape. "The best multi-grain bread I have had at a sub shop. It was warm and toasted and held the sandwich ingredients nicely," they wrote. "The cheese was also melted on the bun, which was a bonus. The tuna had lots of crunchy celery and peppercorns and was at a nice temperature against the toasted bread." A reviewer on Influenster concurred, excitedly proclaiming, "I LOVE THEIR TUNA SANDWICH! The way they toast their bread is amazing!"

A premixed, made in house tuna salad featuring Hellman's brand mayonnaise, onions, and celery is the foundation of several sandwiches available at Jimmy Johns. The #3 Totally Tuna is served standard with cucumber, shredded lettuce, and tomato slices, while the Club Tuna is made with all those veggies plus provolone cheese (but not, as the "club" designation implies, with bacon).

Of the best and worst sandwiches to order at Jimmy John's, the tuna subs are ones to avoid. Reddit user Alias55A thought the Jimmy John's tuna salad is two light on the fish. "The tuna to veggie ratio is too off for me. 3 lbs of celery and onion to 2 lbs of tuna. It's just not for me." On TripAdvisor, Susan R. gave the Jimmy average marks. "Recently when I ordered a tuna sandwich to go, I found not very much tuna, it smelled very fishy and had little taste."

Potbelly Sandwich Works, a chain that differentiates itself from other sub spots with a line of crunchy, toasted, baked sandwiches served alongside cups of hearty soups, makes a tuna salad sub that can be ordered hot or cold. It's a fairly ordinary and expected salad, with some tweaks in hopes of making it a standout. Potbelly uses 100% albacore tuna in its mix, and automatically lays a few slices of Swiss cheese on top to provide a zesty creaminess. It also recommends providing crunchy texture by adding cucumbers to the regular veggie combination of lettuce, tomato, and onions.

"The best tuna you will ever find in any restaurant," one Potbelly follower chimed in on Facebook. "This is really good, y'all. I love that the tuna has some pepperiness to it," food reviewer jamleecham_ said on TikTok. "I like that veggie crunch. It tastes very fresh. The bread tastes very good."

Almost everything Sourdough and Co. sells highlights its bread, a thick, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, creation with a uniquely tangy flavor. Among the dozen or so sandwiches available at any given time at the chain is the #12 Tuna Salad. It starts with substantial albacore tuna, thoroughly mixed with lots of mayonnaise, pickle relish, and other finely chopped vegetables all served on a sourdough baguette which can be heated up according to customer preference.

The bread's texture and flavors aren't enough to complement or work in service to the tuna at Sourdough and Co., which customers found to be scarce and not very robust. "Had a tuna sandwich yesterday. Barely any tuna on it. When asked about the amount on sandwich they said it is a weighed amount. Well for the money you pay for a sando there should be more than a thin and I mean thin layer on it," customer Kim C. wrote on Yelp! "Food is so-so. Watery tuna salad," agreed Ginny N.

Once a legitimate threat to industry leader Subway, Quiznos helped popularize the toasted submarine sandwich and grew to a chain of more than 4,000 locations. It's now an operation of less than 10% of what it was at its peak, but what Quiznos are still around sell a signature tuna sandwich. Because serving up sandwiches is hot is what Quiznos does, its tuna melt is baked in an oven, melting cheddar cheese into heaping scoops of mayonnaise-coated tuna and slices of pickles and tomatoes.

There's much to appreciate about the Quiznos tuna melt, from the sheer size of the sandwich at 8 inches and the balance of ingredients (and you won't find any skimping here). "I live for their Toasted Tuna Sandwiches! They are better than any other fast food sandwich place!" raved Melissa G. on Influenster. "Their tuna sandwiches are delicious, and the bread and ingredients are very fresh," agreed Catherine F.

DiBella's Subs specializes in Italian-American-style sandwiches. It sells giant seeded hoagie rolls piled high with the likes of salami and capicola, or marinara-drenched and mozzarella-topped meatballs while also expanding into hot subs made with grilled chicken. Way down the menu is the DiBella's Albacore Tuna Salad, which includes white albacore tuna, plenty of mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, onions, banana peppers, the chain's special oil-based dressing, and provolone cheese.

The star of a tuna salad sandwich ought to be the tuna salad, but that's simply not the case at DiBella's. "The tuna salad was bland," added Cheryl Kalapura of the Cornell Sun. The chain may also have a problem with portion size. "Where's all the Albacore Tuna Salad?" user Chelsea M asked rhetorically on DoorDash. "The worst sub from DiBella's. So disappointed."

Jersey Mike's Subs promises that all of its sandwiches are made in store, and that includes menu item #10, the tuna fish. The sub shops mix up their own tuna salad for its Cold Subs menu, and while the fish's origin or style isn't noted, the chain prepares it with diced celery, mayonnaise, and pepper, and recommends ordering it "Mike's Way," which adds sliced onions and tomatoes, shredded lettuce, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a dry spice blend.

The #10 Tuna Fish at Jersey Mike's has earned itself a following among online food reviewers. "This reminds me of my mama's tuna. It's fresh, the bread is good. This tastes like real tuna," Instagram food critic foodie_herb said. "Out of a 10, I give it a 9.3." "The tuna is absolutely perfect. Just the way I love it," YouTube food review account JKMCrave TV said. "It's a decent sandwich, and they put chopped celery to give it a little crunch, little bit of pepper," commented Reddit user BlatantSavage.