Jersey Mike’s Has 2 New Sandwiches—and I Tried Them First

Most of us sandwich fans know Jersey Mike’s as the sub shop where you can order your hoagie “Mike’s Way”: topped with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil blend, oregano, and salt. Well, that and the shop where an employee freshly slices meat on the giant slicer right in front of you.

No matter if you’re an everyday fan, Nick Jonas, or Jersey Mike’s spokesperson himself, Danny Devito, you likely have a go-to order at the restaurant—and for many of us, that’s a cold sub piled with deli meat, cheese, and toppings. However, Jersey Mike’s hot subs are not to be missed.

In fact, the hot subs are where you’ll see the most menu variations. Jersey Mike’s isn’t known for introducing many cold subs beyond its core 14, but the hot subs—like its cheesesteaks—tend to rotate. With a limited-time menu, though, comes menu discontinuations that can nearly break fans’ hearts. 

Jersey Mike’s Releases 2 New Sandwiches

Customers are constantly begging for Jersey Mike’s to bring back its discontinued Reuben sandwich and meatball sub. And, if you were one of the ones asking for the pastrami and corned beef with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing sandwich to return, you might be excited to hear this news. While the Reuben itself isn’t back, Jersey Mike’s is bringing back pastrami for a limited time on two new subs.

This week, Jersey Mike’s added two new hot subs, the Classic Pastrami and Chipotle Pastrami, to its nationwide menu. The Classic Pastrami sub features layers of sliced pastrami, grilled onions, Swiss cheese, pickles, and spicy mustard and the Chipotle Pastrami sandwich has layers of sliced pastrami, grilled onions, Swiss cheese, and chipotle mayo.

I tried the new pastrami sandwiches and here is my honest review.

My Honest Review of Jersey Mike’s Pastrami Sandwiches

As I mentioned, most of our go-to sandwiches are cold subs at Jersey Mike’s—and I’m no exception. I’m a Club Sub Mike’s Way with cherry pepper relish on Rosemary Parmesan bread kind of person, but I don’t scoff at a hot sub. In fact, that’s why I love its competitor Firehouse Subs, which is known for its warm sandwiches—I’ve just never had one from Jersey Mike’s before.

I do love a Reuben, but sometimes pastrami is a little too salty for my liking. So, when I bit into Jersey Mike’s new Classic Pastrami sandwich, I was happily surprised to be greeted with a hearty, flavorful brisket-cut piece of meat that wasn’t a salt bomb. The meat itself has a delicious flavor and when you get the pickles, mustard, and pastrami all in one mouthful, it’s the perfect bite.

The Chipotle Pastrami sandwich has similar vibes with a good cheese-to-meat ratio—and the chipotle mayo is exquisite. I only wish the chipotle sandwich had pickles on it for just a little more flavor.

While the two sandwiches are delicious, I go to Jersey Mike’s for a customizable sub that’s piled high with toppings. Maybe it’s because I, as Pat McAfee put it on “College GameDay”, am from the “sandwich TAHN” of Pittsburgh. That means I grew up eating Primanti Bros. sandwiches loaded with meat, cheese, tomatoes, coleslaw, and french fries, so I expect a lot from my sandwiches.

The pastrami sandwiches did leave me wanting a little bit more—especially because you can’t add any additional toppings. However, for what they are, they’re great, and, if you were someone who’s been craving Jersey Mike’s pastrami since it left the menu years ago, then you’ll be in sandwich heaven. But, you better get there soon because there’s no telling how long they’ll be on the menu.