Fast Casual Restaurants - Firehouse Subs (1 Viewer)

[VA703]

For sandwiches, Which Wich is very good.

For meals, Noodles and Company is also good. Easy choices for kids.

VA703, kinda a hike to Sterling or Ashburn!

yeah theres one near my work in Herndon

also a Duck Donuts

if you have not tried you are missing out.. definitely worth a visit

Overrated. Guess we're lucky enough here to have a couple of really good locally owned doughnut places.

what else is on your list?

Just talking about Duck Donuts. Don't get the hype. They opened up here some time back and the lines were crazy. Finally got some and was underwhelmed. Here, we have http://www.yelp.com/biz/emilys-donuts-and-cafe-williamsburgand http://www.yelp.com/biz/daily-donut-williamsburg

I agree ive only been twice and its definitely more hyped than it deserves. I would take fresh krispy kreme over it any day. but the only other alternatives here is dunkin and shoppers colossal donuts

 

[Swing 51]

^^ How about Wegman's for donuts/pastry?

 

[VA703]

^^ How about Wegman's for donuts/pastry?

hmm good point.. I don't think ive ever had a wegmans donut but I always walk past them

will try

 

[Harry Manback]

This place should be in jail for robbery.

10 bucks for a tiny sandwich? I thought Subway was bad with portions.

 

[[icon]]

Lenny's >>> Jersey Mike's >> Firehouse

IMO

Lenny's Italian or Cheesesteak are both pretty ridiculous. I'm sure in Philly you can get a better proper steak, but in this area they are king by a long shot. And their italian with signature hot pepper relish is phenomenal

Prices are solid at lenny's as well... ginormous 15" sub loaded with fresh sliced meats is great for two folks at ~$10

 

[jhib]

^^ How about Wegman's for donuts/pastry?

hmm good point.. I don't think ive ever had a wegmans donut but I always walk past them

will try

Speaking of Wegmans, their subs are great. I'd take them over most of the sub places mentioned here, but didn't bring it up since it isn't exactly a fast casual restaurant.

The word is that they worked with DiBella's (both are Rochester-based) when they started making subs at their stores, and may have been given their bread recipe. Although they are different from DiBella's, the bread is pretty similar, and is what most sets both apart from other places, IMO.

 

[Foosball God]

For sandwiches, Which Wich is very good.

For meals, Noodles and Company is also good. Easy choices for kids.

VA703, kinda a hike to Sterling or Ashburn!

yeah theres one near my work in Herndon

also a Duck Donuts

if you have not tried you are missing out.. definitely worth a visit

You work in Herndon? May have to do a cornhole lunch sometime.

yep im in worldgate you around ?

I'm in Reston near the town center. Love the all you can eat sushi at Worldgate.

 

[Don Quixote]

For fast casual in general, I'm partial to Roti. They are kind of like the Chipotle of Mediterranean food (which I prefer to Mexican).

 

[VA703]

For sandwiches, Which Wich is very good.

For meals, Noodles and Company is also good. Easy choices for kids.

VA703, kinda a hike to Sterling or Ashburn!

yeah theres one near my work in Herndon

also a Duck Donuts

if you have not tried you are missing out.. definitely worth a visit

You work in Herndon? May have to do a cornhole lunch sometime.

yep im in worldgate you around ?

I'm in Reston near the town center. Love the all you can eat sushi at Worldgate.

matsutaki! yea I was there yesterday.. its a great deal and the selection is overwhelming

 

[The Commish]

Penn Station Subs is pretty good.

We have one here. Completely unimpressed. Will not go back.

what?! You must have a bad one....it's pretty freakin' good.

 

[Hoosier16]

For sandwiches, Which Wich is very good.

For meals, Noodles and Company is also good. Easy choices for kids.

VA703, kinda a hike to Sterling or Ashburn!

yeah theres one near my work in Herndon

also a Duck Donuts

if you have not tried you are missing out.. definitely worth a visit

Overrated. Guess we're lucky enough here to have a couple of really good locally owned doughnut places.

what else is on your list?

Just talking about Duck Donuts. Don't get the hype. They opened up here some time back and the lines were crazy. Finally got some and was underwhelmed. Here, we have http://www.yelp.com/biz/emilys-donuts-and-cafe-williamsburgand http://www.yelp.com/biz/daily-donut-williamsburg

Duck is ok because they are warm, but it is still a cake donut. The other two places are much better.

 

[bagger]

When discussing Fast Casual restaurants many might choose Chipotle or Panera. Most addicting to me is Firehouse Subs.

The bread. The sauce. Coca-Cola Freestyle. Medium could be a little bigger at $9.75 for a combo, but it tastes awesome.

i hate this place. Not very good at making any sandwich not on the board so. Always seems like a big hassle to get a customized sandwich. Would rather just go to subway.

 

[bagger]

Which wich is good.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Lenny's >>> Jersey Mike's >> Firehouse

Never been to Lenny's but I like Jersey Mike's.

 

[[icon]]

Lenny's >>> Jersey Mike's >> Firehouse

Never been to Lenny's but I like Jersey Mike's.

lenny's store locator :

 

[Swing 51]

^^ How about Wegman's for donuts/pastry?

hmm good point.. I don't think ive ever had a wegmans donut but I always walk past them

will try

Speaking of Wegmans, their subs are great. I'd take them over most of the sub places mentioned here, but didn't bring it up since it isn't exactly a fast casual restaurant.

The word is that they worked with DiBella's (both are Rochester-based) when they started making subs at their stores, and may have been given their bread recipe. Although they are different from DiBella's, the bread is pretty similar, and is what most sets both apart from other places, IMO.

Interesting about Wegman's / DiBellas. The Danny's Favorite is out of this world. Not sure if its the bread or the spicy ham but I agree that the subs are great. Pretty much everything at Wegman's is great.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

" post="18665367" timestamp="1449587561"]Lenny's >>> Jersey Mike's >> Firehouse

IMO

Lenny's Italian or Cheesesteak are both pretty ridiculous. I'm sure in Philly you can get a better proper steak, but in this area they are king by a long shot. And their italian with signature hot pepper relish is phenomenal

Prices are solid at lenny's as well... ginormous 15" sub loaded with fresh sliced meats is great for two folks at ~$10

Used to work right by a Lenny's and was in there at least once a week. My rotation was the Italian, the Deluxe Club, and the Cheesesteak. More expensive than others in the category, but I felt like I got my money's worth.

 

[Mr. Ected]

Agree that Wegman's Subs are great. Like Swing, I love the Danny's Favorite (Hot Ham, Capicola, and Genoa Salami). The sub rolls are very well made also.

 

[MAC_32]

Penn Station Subs is pretty good.

We have one here. Completely unimpressed. Will not go back.

what?! You must have a bad one....it's pretty freakin' good.

Yeah, they're across the street from Firehouse, which is why I don't go there. When I need/want to calorie gorge I've had much better sandwiches at Penn Station. The fries (w/oil and vinegar) are gold too. Just plan on some extra toilet time the next morning.

 

[Golden Gopher]

I work in an area that has:

Subway

Domino's Pizza

Quizno's

McDonald's

Jack In the Box

About 4-5 different sushi/teriyahi places, all of which are basically the same place.

I avoid McDonald's, unless it's breakfast (very rarely). I make a protein shake probably 6 days/week.

I avoid Domino's as well... Probably eat their pizza a couple of times/year, and it's usually pretty "meh."

I'm honestly not sure I ever want to go to Quizno's again. It's usually not nearly as good as it sounds, and a medium sandwich is $10-12. Add chips/drink, it's $15. Not worth half that.

Jack In the Box is good for drunken 2-for-a-dollar tacos, and that's about it.

So, if I'm picking up lunch during the week, it's usually Subway or chicken teriyaki. At least I know what I'm getting with either one. The teriyaki places have decent lunch menus ($7-10 for chicken teriyaki, Mongolian beef, or a combo of the two). And, while Subway isn't the best, it's not terrible, either (I understand that I might be in the minority on this). My "go to" sandwich is the Italian BMT, loaded with veges. For about $7, it's a better alternative than spending twice that at Quizno's, and having heartburn for the next 8 hours.

This place needs more food options BADLY.

 

[Golden Gopher]

I've had Firehouse subs once (I think), and I remember it being pretty good. Was traveling for work, though, so I haven't had the opportunity to have it since.

 

[Wingnut]

If they grilled the meat (on a flat top) vs steaming it they'd be ranked wayyy higher. Still a decent sub though.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I work in an area that has:

Subway

Domino's Pizza

Quizno's

McDonald's

Jack In the Box

About 4-5 different sushi/teriyahi places, all of which are basically the same place.

I avoid McDonald's, unless it's breakfast (very rarely). I make a protein shake probably 6 days/week.

I avoid Domino's as well... Probably eat their pizza a couple of times/year, and it's usually pretty "meh."

I'm honestly not sure I ever want to go to Quizno's again. It's usually not nearly as good as it sounds, and a medium sandwich is $10-12. Add chips/drink, it's $15. Not worth half that.

Jack In the Box is good for drunken 2-for-a-dollar tacos, and that's about it.

So, if I'm picking up lunch during the week, it's usually Subway or chicken teriyaki. At least I know what I'm getting with either one. The teriyaki places have decent lunch menus ($7-10 for chicken teriyaki, Mongolian beef, or a combo of the two). And, while Subway isn't the best, it's not terrible, either (I understand that I might be in the minority on this). My "go to" sandwich is the Italian BMT, loaded with veges. For about $7, it's a better alternative than spending twice that at Quizno's, and having heartburn for the next 8 hours.

This place needs more food options BADLY.

Agreed. How the hell that place stays in business is beyond me. I feel bad for the franchisees. Tough when the weird rat-chihuahua-zombie commercial campaign is the high point of the chain.

 

[avoiding injuries]

Firehouse doesn't make my top 20 lunch spots. Tried it 3 years ago, wasn't that impressed with the taste/value offering.

I love Firehouse, but do think they have the worst value. Their sandwich always seems smaller to me than other places.

Their sandwiches are good, but they're small and over priced. Potbelly is where it's at.

 

[xulf]

Had an original roast beef at Potbelly's yesterday. $5 and it was amazeballs with the hot peppers.

 

[Quez]

Can we all at least agree that the Fire Sauce is awesome?

 

[VA703]

Had an original roast beef at Potbelly's yesterday. $5 and it was amazeballs with the hot peppers.

if you haven't yet make sure you try the wreck. get the bacon on top of course

 

[bcdjr1]

I work in an area that has:

Subway

Domino's Pizza

Quizno's

McDonald's

Jack In the Box

About 4-5 different sushi/teriyahi places, all of which are basically the same place.

I avoid McDonald's, unless it's breakfast (very rarely). I make a protein shake probably 6 days/week.

I avoid Domino's as well... Probably eat their pizza a couple of times/year, and it's usually pretty "meh."

I'm honestly not sure I ever want to go to Quizno's again. It's usually not nearly as good as it sounds, and a medium sandwich is $10-12. Add chips/drink, it's $15. Not worth half that.

Jack In the Box is good for drunken 2-for-a-dollar tacos, and that's about it.

So, if I'm picking up lunch during the week, it's usually Subway or chicken teriyaki. At least I know what I'm getting with either one. The teriyaki places have decent lunch menus ($7-10 for chicken teriyaki, Mongolian beef, or a combo of the two). And, while Subway isn't the best, it's not terrible, either (I understand that I might be in the minority on this). My "go to" sandwich is the Italian BMT, loaded with veges. For about $7, it's a better alternative than spending twice that at Quizno's, and having heartburn for the next 8 hours.

This place needs more food options BADLY.

Sounds like even if there were more food options near you, you wouldn't like them.

 

[xulf]

Had an original roast beef at Potbelly's yesterday. $5 and it was amazeballs with the hot peppers.

if you haven't yet make sure you try the wreck. get the bacon on top of course

Wreck used to be my go to...though I've never done it with bacon. Mental note made.

 

[NCCommish]

Penn Station Subs is pretty good.

We have one here. Completely unimpressed. Will not go back.

what?! You must have a bad one....it's pretty freakin' good.

It was a bread sandwich. The toppings were paltry and the flavor was meh.

 

[NCCommish]

Lenny's >>> Jersey Mike's >> Firehouse

IMO

Lenny's Italian or Cheesesteak are both pretty ridiculous. I'm sure in Philly you can get a better proper steak, but in this area they are king by a long shot. And their italian with signature hot pepper relish is phenomenal

Prices are solid at lenny's as well... ginormous 15" sub loaded with fresh sliced meats is great for two folks at ~$10

Lennys isn't bad.

 

[cheese]

Toppings paltry at a penn station? Not here.

Penn station>Jmikes> Potbelly > dibellas>subway>jjohns

 

[mr roboto]

Firehouse is by far my top sub place. Hook and Ladder on wheat fully involved is the way to go.

1. Firehouse

.

.

.

.

2. Wich Wich

3. Publix

4. Jersey Mikes

5. Any other place in the world

6. Subway if I have to

Have you been to potbelly?

Don't know them... Went to their site and put in my zip: "no locations within 100 miles"

So sad for you. If you're in Chicago for business/personal get a Wreck with hot peppers oh my heavens best sandwich ever.

 

[The Commish]

Penn Station Subs is pretty good.

We have one here. Completely unimpressed. Will not go back.

what?! You must have a bad one....it's pretty freakin' good.

It was a bread sandwich. The toppings were paltry and the flavor was meh.

Yours is the suck then. Is it the new one right off of South Blvd? Come on down to Rock Hill...my treat

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Firehouse is by far my top sub place. Hook and Ladder on wheat fully involved is the way to go.

1. Firehouse

.

.

.

.

2. Wich Wich

3. Publix

4. Jersey Mikes

5. Any other place in the world

6. Subway if I have to

Have you been to potbelly?

Don't know them... Went to their site and put in my zip: "no locations within 100 miles"

So sad for you. If you're in Chicago for business/personal get a Wreck with hot peppers oh my heavens best sandwich ever.

If you're in Chicago why wouldn't you just go to Portillos and get an Italian Beef?

 

[NCCommish]

Penn Station Subs is pretty good.

We have one here. Completely unimpressed. Will not go back.

what?! You must have a bad one....it's pretty freakin' good.

It was a bread sandwich. The toppings were paltry and the flavor was meh.

Yours is the suck then. Is it the new one right off of South Blvd? Come on down to Rock Hill...my treat

It's the one right off the light rail near uptown. I might just take you up on the offer.

 

[NCCommish]

Not a Jimmy Johns fan either. Went there a while back just completely over hyped and mediocre.

 

[sho nuff]

Not a Jimmy Johns fan either. Went there a while back just completely over hyped and mediocre.

Agree on the hype...not sure Id agree with anyone saying they are worse than Subway though.

IMO, they are on par with Jersey Mikes (minus getting like the chicken philly with onions and mushrooms there).

 

[Mr. Ected]

Not a Jimmy Johns fan either. Went there a while back just completely over hyped and mediocre.

One nice thing about JJ is their delivery. Being able to get a pretty good sandwich delivered quickly is sweet.

 

[avoiding injuries]

I'm a mile away and have never been to a jersey mikes. What is good?

 

[NCCommish]

Not a Jimmy Johns fan either. Went there a while back just completely over hyped and mediocre.

Agree on the hype...not sure Id agree with anyone saying they are worse than Subway though.

IMO, they are on par with Jersey Mikes (minus getting like the chicken philly with onions and mushrooms there).

Very little is worse than Subway. Jimmy Johns is better than that.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I'm a mile away and have never been to a jersey mikes. What is good?

They have 2 types of club with bacon that I like & a roast beef with a layer of peperoni that's good (all mikes way). Have not tried all the others yet.

 

[Worm]

I'm a mile away and have never been to a jersey mikes. What is good?

#13, Mike's way

Staple.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Can we all at least agree that the Fire Sauce is awesome?

I'm with you on that one, GB.

 

[avoiding injuries]

I'm a mile away and have never been to a jersey mikes. What is good?

#13, Mike's wayStaple.

See, I hate when they add calorie counts to the menu. Mikes way adds 300 calories to the regular sandwich pushing it towards 1000 calories.

 

[bakes]

^^ How about Wegman's for donuts/pastry?

hmm good point.. I don't think ive ever had a wegmans donut but I always walk past them

will try

Speaking of Wegmans, their subs are great. I'd take them over most of the sub places mentioned here, but didn't bring it up since it isn't exactly a fast casual restaurant.

The word is that they worked with DiBella's (both are Rochester-based) when they started making subs at their stores, and may have been given their bread recipe. Although they are different from DiBella's, the bread is pretty similar, and is what most sets both apart from other places, IMO.

Still kills me that I can drive an hour in any direction and not find a Wegmans, but they have stores both east and west of here. All because Golub (Price Chopper) and Danny Wegman agreed to not compete in each others' back yards. Chopper sucks, relatively, but then so does Albany in a lot of ways. Can't wait for them to sell out to Wegman's in the next 5 years or so.

 

[Quez]

I'm a mile away and have never been to a jersey mikes. What is good?

They have the best tuna around. I just get it Mikes way.

 

[NutterButter]

Panera is my favorite. There's one two minutes away, and online ordering with their app is quick and easy. There's even a side door that's 3 steps away from where they leave the pickup orders. I don't have to wait in line or mingle with any undesirables. And their food is pretty good for the price point.

Love the chicken, avocado and bacon sandwich. Reasonably healthy and very tasty and yeah, I don't have to talk to a single human being to get one.

Yes, that's my new go to. What's great about the app to order ahead is it has all your customizations loaded and which cost more. Anything to avoid the crazy lines and clueless register order takers. I add peppercini and onion to this and sometimes switch the bread to better handle the changes.

Pepperoncini. Interesting. I might have to try that. Looking at the app, they have a lot of interesting sandwich toppings.

Did it with the pepperoncini today. The one's the gave me weren't the thin rings. It was more like one big one per half. It added a nice flavor though. I love that sandwich but its tough to eat without stuff falling out due to the shape of the avocado and turkey chunks. I'm going to trying smearing the avocado with a fork next time before eating.

That rapid pick up feature in the app is heavenly. I literally don't have to interact with a single person.

 

[Vanilla Guerrilla]

Not a big chain sub place fan. Hate subway, Jimmy Johns is okay. There is a potbelly's and a which wich pretty close, that maybe I should try. It's just tough for me to pay for a sandwich, when they are the easiest thing to make at home.

The Quizno's that closed: Last time I went there, the guy behind the counter says, "Whachoo Want!?" And gave me a quick nod like you'd see from one of the dealers on the wire. Also dropped my co-worker's sandwich on the ground. Didn't say a thing, just rung him up at the register. Granted, the sandwich was wrapped in paper at that point, and also was in a plastic bag, but not making the offer of a new sandwich seemed kind of sketchy to me.

I just figured they were screwed when their gimmick was stolen by Subway. Foot long heated for $6, Quizno's was like $7 for maybe 8"? The sandwiches seemed small, but were better.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

The Quizno's that closed: Last time I went there, the guy behind the counter says, "Whachoo Want!?" And gave me a quick nod like you'd see from one of the dealers on the wire. Also dropped my co-worker's sandwich on the ground. Didn't say a thing, just rung him up at the register. Granted, the sandwich was wrapped in paper at that point, and also was in a plastic bag, but not making the offer of a new sandwich seemed kind of sketchy to me.

I just figured they were screwed when their gimmick was stolen by Subway. Foot long heated for $6, Quizno's was like $7 for maybe 8"? The sandwiches seemed small, but were better.

Yes, once their toasted gimmick was toast they went into their singing rat phase.