Cheap buy-in yes. And they have plenty of lawsuits to prove it. Apparently they don’t care where you locate it:
Could you be so kind to explain the difference to this West Coast boy? Sandwich shops are not necessarily Italian? Don’t delis serve sandwiches?
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@VikingKaj I think you got things confused, or maybe I did. Neither of us said anything comparing jersey Mikes to kfc. LOL.
Kfc is a monster and dominating in asia from what I hear. In fact, my company employees quite a few Filipino workers and they love kfc. We buy them dinner frequently and they love to go there and send us pics.
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Bbqboy, in NJ it is a little different I think from ca.
I could write a book on this but I will keep it short. We have a few different style sub shops. We call them subs…elongated bread. Others call them sandwiches, grinders up in new England, hoagies in PA and southern nj, etc.
We have a few styles
A) fast food stuff like subway, jersey mikes, wawa, quick check, quiznos, panera bread (kind of)
B) regular delis serving common meats where you can go get a turkey and swiss for example.
C) Italian delis that will specialize in imported Italian meats and cheeses (prosciutto, sopressata, aged salami, aged provolone, etc.)
D) Jewish delis serving pastrami and brisket (edit…yes these are generally not served on sub rolls as viking indicates below)
E) and then the hybrid type delis that make all types of sandwiches. an example would be a chicken francaise sandwich from a spot called Neils that I like.
Anyway, a few of us could write for days on this topic but nj has some great subs if you know where to look…and a lot of shitty ones too.
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Just to clarify, Jewish delis usually serve pastrami, tongue, corned beef, turkey, liver wurst etc on Rye bread or Kaiser rolls, not sub rolls.
They also usually have kosher salami and lox on bagels.
Depending on how elaborate the place is you may also find knishes, kasha varnishkes, matzo ball soup, chopped liver, herring and smoked white fish on the menu.
Half sour pickles, kosher dills, pickled cherry peppers and cole slaw are pretty much it for vegetables.
Jewish delis are pretty different from a sub shop or Italian deli, for example you can’t get a sub at a real Jewish deli, so I wouldn’t necessarily lump them together.
They are also, increasingly, a dying breed in NYC/NJ.
It seems like we have a major closing once a year, and nothing to replace them.
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True…I gave the 2 second cliff notes version. When I hit a Jewish deli it’s pastrami all the way for me but they obviously have other offerings.
Viking are you a Richards fan in long branch?
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Oh, I grew up with Jewish and Italian delis in KC. Sandwich shops are what were absent.
I’ve just always considered anything called subs/hoagies etc. was by definition Italian by default.
We have few enough Italians here in Southern Oregon that they qualify as odd man out, but a cultural prize 
We have been invaded by all the bland chains though.
I would say a true sub shop specializes in just subs. They have a limited menu and you usually order your sandwich by number. The menu at Tastee Sub in Edison is a good example:
To me, Italian delis make sandwiches, including subs, but they also carry a broader variety of foods, including pasta, olive oil, cookies, coffee, etc. Some of the more elaborate ones include meals to go, like tortellini, lasagne, baked ziti, eggplant parm and chicken franchese.
In our area I would say Pizzutos in Eatontown is a good example of an Italian deli:
Menu is on the website. They have all kinds of good things to go, both hot and cold, and homemade pasta to boot.
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Yep. I think they are all right. Good breakfast too.
Place smells a little funny though (it may be due to the well aged customers…)
Very interesting pricing motif. Boloney and cheese for $8.53? Yikes! Maybe that’s why we didn’t have sandwich shops in KC. Too practical. 
fiore’s is listed there for hoboken, but biancamano has been the best sandwich and best fresh mozz for YEARS in town.
Yet again, I do not understand how they come up with these lists.
Who subscribes to NJ monthly anyway?
Do any central NJ spots have a pickle bar like harolds?
The bread served in a Jewish deli that looks like sub bread is called club bread. It is cut from a long bread that looks like sub bread but tastier. You usually need to pay more compared to the standard rye. Why is it called club ? Perhaps because it looks like a club.
Ok, so who subscribes to the fricking STAR LEDGER anyway ?
Not many, I’m sure… but a whole lot of people are posting in the comments on NJ.com in general, so _someon_e must be reading the site!
Apparently the same peeps that are recommending all the sub shops no one has heard of…
Could it be the younger set? From what I’ve seen they are not huge sub shop fans. Don’t see many hipster types at Tastee for example.
Hey Curlers what about Hoagitos or Vintage in AP which are on the list?
Hoagitos looks a little boardwalk funky.
Vintage looks good but a little spendy at $ 13-15 for a whole.
Have you tried these? Any good ?
