Subs in Atlantic City: Hoagies, Italian Subs and More

Subs in Atlantic City are a source of local pride: a long crusty roll, layers of Italian cold cuts and cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and vinegar. The city is on the border between two sandwich vocabularies, and visitors will hear both "sub" and "hoagie." Learn the difference, hear one origin story and order like a regular.

What are subs in Atlantic City?

A sub is a sandwich on a long roll, filled with cold cuts, cheese and vegetables or with hot ingredients such as meatballs or chicken cutlets. In Atlantic City the classic order is an Italian sub: ham, salami, capicola and provolone, with lettuce, tomato, onion, oil, vinegar and oregano. Many sandwich shops also serve roast beef, turkey, tuna and vegetarian subs.

The bread is the key. A good roll has a crisp crust and a soft inside that can hold oil without falling apart.

Hot subs are a second family. Meatballs in red sauce with melted cheese, chicken cutlets with broccoli rabe or peppers, sausage and peppers, and cheesesteaks all appear on the menus of sandwich shops, and each has its devoted fans. Cold or hot, the shop that does the simple thing well is the one that earns the line at noon, and the line at noon is the best advertisement a sandwich counter has.

Hoagie or sub: what do people say?

It depends on where you are standing. Philadelphia and its southern New Jersey neighbors say hoagie, and the North Jersey and New York region says sub. Atlantic City sits in the overlap, and you will hear both from the same counter. Nobody will refuse to serve you whichever word you use, and locals enjoy the debate. Order with confidence and let the staff correct you if they like.

For the Philadelphia side of the argument, the cheesesteak, roast pork and hoagie guide explains the regional habits.

Is there an origin story for the submarine sandwich?

Several. One account credits an Italian grocer in Atlantic City who, in the early twentieth century, sold a long sandwich that customers said looked like a submarine. Other places make their own claims, and food historians treat the origin as unsettled. The name could have come from the sandwich's shape, from a wartime association or from several local inventions that merged over time.

The Atlantic City version is a good one to tell at the counter, and the sandwich needs no origin to be good.

How do you order a sub at an Atlantic City sandwich shop?

Say the size, the type, the bread and what goes on it. A common order is a whole or half Italian, with everything, hot peppers on the side. Ask whether the bread is baked on site, and whether the shop slices its meat to order. For a hot sub, ask what is freshly cooked. Watch the person at the counter: a quick, confident build is a good sign.

A half is plenty for most people. A whole sub is meant to be shared or saved for dinner. If the shop has a printed menu, note the house specials, which are often the best value. If it has none, ask the person behind the counter what they would eat themselves.

What makes a sub great?

Balance. The bread is fresh, the meat is sliced thin, the cheese is sharp, the vegetables are crisp and the oil and vinegar bring the whole thing together without soaking it. Salt and pepper and a little oregano finish it. A sub with too much of anything loses the others. Eat it soon, because the roll softens as it sits.

Where can you eat a sub in Atlantic City?

On the boardwalk, on a bench, on the beach, at a park or in a car on the way home. Sandwich shops line the streets away from the casinos, and some sell to workers at lunchtime. A good plan is to buy a sub, walk to the sea and eat it with the waves in view. Napkins are essential. Ask for the roll toasted if you like it crisp, and have the shop cut it in half before you leave so you can share without a struggle. If you are walking, wrap the paper tightly around the bottom half, because oil finds its way through the gaps. Some shops also sell chips and a pickle with the sandwich, which is the traditional companion.

How can tags and ratings help?

In the Mosey app, you can rate a place with stars and add a dish, such as an Italian sub, with its own rating. Tags such as Deli, Quick Service and Great Value describe the place, and a diner can look for them in the Find sheet. A tag is a note from someone who ate there. If friends shared the sandwich, tag them and they can add their own rating.

Where next in Atlantic City?

The Atlantic City boardwalk food guide covers the planks, and the pork roll, egg and cheese guide covers a breakfast sandwich. The US food guides hold more regional sandwiches.

Heading somewhere else in New Jersey? The Food in New Jersey page links the rest.

Next time you carry a sandwich to the water, open the Mosey app, rate it by the dish and add the shop to a list called Shore sandwiches that you can share.