The Simplicity of a Subway Breakfast
I do not eat fast food. I actually made a New Years resolution over ten years ago to not set foot in a Micky Ds, Wendys, Burger King and the like. Some think that Subway is classified as such, but being that you regulate what you put on your sub, I beg to differ.
Anyway, Subway started up their breakfast menu months ago and I've made my way over there on occasion and my addiction has become their flat bread wrap with egg whites, ham, chedder and some tomatoes and jalapenos. It's simple, filling, pretty healthy and really good. I didn't think it would be at first but I keep going back to it and they haven't failed me yet.
So, my question to all of you out there is if you have some simple meal at a place like Subway, Blimpie or even the fast food places that's sort of a guilty pleasure but not a guilty pleasure?
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39 Comments:
nope, i am like you & won't step foot in them. waste of money.
gastronomeg at 10:47AM on 07/18/09
I didn't even know Subways had a breakfast menu! Maybe it hasn't reached my corner of the universe yet...?
Takat
Writing about my 3 week adventure through China at http://katacomb.bogspot.com
Takat at 12:00PM on 07/18/09
Coming from Hoagie land I do not classify Subway as anything I care for.
It is cheap lunchmeat on crappy squishy bread. Quality is low. The last Subway I tried was in 1992. I am sure it has not changed.
JerzeeTomato at 12:05PM on 07/18/09
I can toss ham, cheese and egg whites in a pan or even the microwave and wrap it up in a tortilla in 5-10 minutes and still be out the door to work on time. Why buy a mediocre "wrap" when you can make an equally mediocre one at home in the same amount of time it takes you to stop at Subway?
Lorenzo at 1:32PM on 07/18/09
At my Uni, there's a cafeteria by my office which does bacon or sausage sandwiches for £1.80. That includes a cup of coffee or tea, or a bottle of juice. They just put out the stuff in hot trays, and no matter how high you stack it, it's still £1.80. Is it the finest sausage on earth? No. Is it the most delicious bacon ever? No. But it's filling, tastes nice, and is cheap.
Although I would eat nothing else from there, I do have a weak spot for McDonald's sausage McMuffins (no egg) and hash browns. It is a shame and a temptation that I must fight.
NotAmerican at 1:50PM on 07/18/09
Subway does sound like a good breakfast option - but, in terms of fast food, Subway will always seem like fast food to me. Reason: in college, I frequently at a sketchy Subway in a very sketchy gas station in a transitional Chicago neighborhood. Anything that franchises into gas stations is definitely fast food.
pookywookyster at 3:01PM on 07/18/09
I don't care if subway sold the best sandwiches in the northern hemisphere and they cost a quarter a piece, it's still corporate fast food bullshit. Saying subway doesn't really count as fast food is like saying someone is only a little bit racist.
sailordave at 3:54PM on 07/18/09
Fast food is food that you get fast, especially if you walk (or drive) up to a counter, tell an underpaid person what you want to eat, and it appears before you in a matter of minutes. McD's, BK, and the like also allow you to 'regulate' what goes between the buns (no onion, no pickle, etc). Subway IS fast food - deal with it.
That said, the ultimate in fast food (but not franchise built on the hamburger fast food) would have to be Sheetz MTOs. Unfortunately, I moved very, very far away from those.
These days, I try to just make breakfast burritos in bulk and toss them in the freezer. When I run out and am too lazy to replenish the supply, I usually pick up a container of bakery biscuits at the grocery store and make myself small egg/cheese sandwiches in the morning before I head out the door.
When I'm too lazy to even do that, I hit a little sandwich place in my neighborhood for a breakfast biscuit sandwich. And I do love me a BK sausage egg and cheese croissant ... dear god I wish my office wasn't nestled in the fast food/retail/commercial strip in my town.
joyyy at 7:37PM on 07/18/09
It doesn't sound like a horrible sandwich, but I can make and eat a meal in less time than it would take me to drive to the nearest Subway and order. It's not fast if it takes a half-hour or 45 minutes of out my day to do the round-trip and eat.
If I'm in a real hurry, a smear of peanut butter on some homemade bread is just fine and it's portable.
dbcurrie at 10:20PM on 07/18/09
@joyyy....Totally with you on the Sheetz thing. I lived off their sandwiches, wraps, and breakfast food when I was in college. I suppose it's possible I might not be quite as impressed with them now (I moved too far away to test that theory), but at the time, it was amazing. Anyway, I have fond memories of hitting them up for a sandwich, a cappucino, and a pint of B&J on many late night. Perfect studying food. Wow, I miss that....
kimberlymac at 11:43PM on 07/18/09
A good counter grill cook at a diner will be able to fire out your order at the counter when you place it with in a matter of minutes if they're on their "A" game. We had regulars that used to call it "watching the show;" basically a show of calls and demands (orders placed and why haven't you picked these up/ why isn't my shit ready? Along with the occasional WTF?) between waitstaff and the grill peppered with lots of smart ass remarks and refills of coffee. If you sat at the counter, you had front row seats. The booths in the front of the diner also participated in much of razzing. Diners are interesting communities. Not much more expensive or slower than your fast food place, but far more interesting and the food is generally better.
dhorst at 11:45PM on 07/18/09
That sandwich sounds good, and I think you're justified in ordering it semi-frequently. Although cooking your own breakfast is probably cheaper and healthier, sometimes you just don't feel like cooking, especially early in the morning. Nothing wrong with that.
My favorite fast-food guilty pleasure that isn't too terribly guilty is a junior combo with a Diet Dr. Pepper at Whataburger. As far as fast food meals go, I could do a lot worse calorie-wise. To make up for my nutritional disaster of a dinner on those days, I make sure to eat lots of veggies for lunch. That makes it okay, right?
sandn8r9 at 1:29AM on 07/19/09
I'll eat there if I have to, but local shops/restaurants always seem to do better for less money. I'd much rather have a kofta sandwich dressed with fresh hummus and Turkish salad, or a sub made with Boar's Head meats than Subway's cookie-cutter stuff.
hyperfocal at 2:44AM on 07/19/09
I didn't realize how passionatly or violently people feel about something as simple as this. Maybe it's me, but to compare whether something is fast food or not maybe doesn't really compare to racism... I think that might be a bit extreme. Heck, we're a happy little blog that talks about food, that's about the size of it. So thanks for the feedback.
dozertx at 3:02AM on 07/19/09
The one time I tried Subway, it was a brown 'wheat' roll, a slice of bad supermarket processed cheese, iceberg shredded water, tasteless olives, and orange mustard--their Veggie Delite. Horrible.
I think the reason people are anti-Subway is because it seems like something so easy to make for yourself, and better, but because it has less calorific options some people are very 'pro-Subway' because, ooohh, it only has XXX calories, even though most SE probably would say it's just as easy to make something healthy yourself.
Yes, people have strong opinions about taste here, and taste is subjective, but I have to confess, being 100% honest, it is just franchise mediocrity and more marketing than meat.
HeartofGlass at 5:59AM on 07/19/09
I grew up eating fantastic subs (Yay Jersey Mikes!) so Subway is just revolting to me.
It takes about 10 minutes to make and eat a bowl of cereal or oatmeal. It takes hardly any time at all to grab a granola bar or piece of fruit. I like the frozen breakfast burrito idea, but I tend to forget that there's food in my freezer that early in the morning (I've never been good at eating frozen waffles even though I find them mysteriously yummy).
gingercookiewithlime at 10:14AM on 07/19/09
I dont eat breakfast usually but I make a huge batch of multigrain waffles and freeze them, SO can have standard waffles and syrup or I can even split one and make him a breakfast sandwich of whatever he chooses. Lets face it, whatever you call subway et al its never going to be as healthy for you or your wallet as some very minor prep at home.
huneybumper at 12:01PM on 07/19/09
I have to admit that I do consider Subway to be a fast food place. Sorry, but true. However, just like @dhorst mentioned, diners could likely be considered fast food joints, too, and I have loved my fair share of them in my life so far. We still have Mickey's Diner in Saint Paul, and if you come in at the right time and don't get your meal (cooked to order) in less than five minutes, then you complain. :)
All that being said, sometimes you just can't avoid fast food for whatever reason and I would rather go to a Subway on the road than a McDonald's, just for the flavor factor. Of course, i have been known on occasion to go to a local McDonald's for their hash browns...there is just something about them that I love. And their plain egg muffins are decent, too, if I have to in a pinch. It's of course not my first choice, ever, but sometimes it's the only real option...
Traveller at 11:34AM on 07/20/09
I'm kind of in love with Dunkin Donuts egg and cheese bagel breakfast sandwich. There, I said it.
P.S. I had no idea Subway had breakfast...
Chew on That at 5:18PM on 07/20/09
it's become an (unfortunate) once a week habit, but I love the egg white/turkey bacon/swiss/whole wheat english muffin sandwich at Starbucks.
I love how the cheese melts from their ultra-powerful-zapper-toaster oven thing and it acts as a very effective sandwich glue. yum.
laurbelle2 at 12:35PM on 07/21/09
When I have to get up early to teach a class, I can't resist the evil siren call of a McDonald's breakfast. Do I have nutritious, easy-to-make, portable options at home? Yes, almost always I do. However, sometimes you just need a treat at 6:30 am, and McDonald's hashbrowns and Sausage McMuffins are just that. To me.
Fattening, salty, embarassing treats...
TheCheapChick at 1:05PM on 07/21/09
in my opinion, subway is the worst of the fast food joints. the arguement that you can regulate the toppings doesn't make any sense to me, i can put exotic stuff on a piece of cardboard and it tastes like exotic stuff on cardboard.
olddad at 1:32PM on 07/21/09
So, it's not a meal...those McD's soft serve with toppings (e.g. hot fudge, caramel) always get me.
I very rarely eat fast food, mostly for price/other options reasons, but in defense of Subway, I have to say that I can imagine something heated from Subway being good. I think it's a little unfair to compare them to McDonald's and such, since it's pretty hard for a plan sandwich to compete with a plethora of deep-fried food products. Sure, it's not what you'd make at home, but finding a green pepper at a fast food is pretty rare.
It probably depends on which store you go to, too - like with all chains, some locations are pretty horrifying. Although, I do have to say that it's a little disturbing how every Subway smells EXACTLY the same. It's so consistent that I've always wondered if they actually pump in that odor.
firni at 9:16PM on 07/21/09
Can I just say, ditto this:
"I didn't realize how passionatly or violently people feel about something as simple as this. Maybe it's me, but to compare whether something is fast food or not maybe doesn't really compare to racism... I think that might be a bit extreme."
UptownGirl at 11:38PM on 07/21/09
Sometimes I get the egg and cheese wrap at Dunkin when I'm running late for work and want to quell my hunger. And because its 99 cents.
kimbodian at 9:54AM on 07/22/09
@Gingercookie, We have Jersey Mikes here too(Plano, TX shop)..... and they are almost as good as a real NJ sub. Try the Tastee sub shop in Edison, NJ if you ever get the chance. But even though I really like Jersey Mikes, they don't do breakfast, so it doesn't really apply here.
dozertx at 2:45PM on 07/22/09
Sounds like a decent sandwich. I'm getting kind of sick of rice krispies for breakfast, so I'll make one of these at home. And if I was unable to make one at home, or travelling for work, or whatever, YES, I would absolutely buy one at Subway.
-1 to overreacting. -1 to comparing fast food to racism.
Kerosena at 3:29PM on 07/22/09
some people i swear take things too damn serious......
Subway is obviously a healthier option than the "other" fast food chains. Call it what you want to call it-fast food, not fast food- or how bout just calling it SUBWAY. yum. I'll be having breakfast there in the A.M.
joylissa at 3:56PM on 07/22/09
Any breakfast at any Waffle House on any Interstate off-ramp is a guilty pleasure . The food is good , the staff well trained but as some comedian put it " it is kinda like eating in a bus station restroom "
jfitz at 6:30AM on 07/23/09
@joylissa - Word up.
SOME PEOPLE EAT SUBWAY AND ENJOY IT AND ALSO MAKE GREAT FOOD AT THEIR HOMES AND ENJOY THAT TOO.
Good lord there are some elitist dou--...never mind.
njgood at 5:26PM on 07/23/09
I have yet to a see a Subway in my area serve breakfast. This must be a regional thing. Doubt I would partake as well.
Raiders757 at 5:53PM on 07/23/09
As far as I'm concerned,there's no need to be embarassed about what you eat.It's no ones business what you like,but I happen to think Subway is the modern version of shit on a shingle.....just sayin ,
onepercent99 at 6:01PM on 07/23/09
@Jfitz, Waffle House huh? wow, the only time I ever set foot in one of those, the cook had many many prison tattoos and my waitress had more facial hair than me!
dozertx at 11:08AM on 07/24/09
Oh dear, next thing you know someone will mention dipping pizza crust in ranch dip, and then all hell will break loose.
AliceBlue at 10:31PM on 07/24/09
@aliceblue LOL
dozertx at 1:35AM on 07/26/09
I have never tasted a breakfast sandwich that can hold a candle to the magnificence of Chick-Fil-A's Chicken, egg, and cheese on a multigrain bagel sandwich.
becomingchloe at 10:22AM on 07/27/09
OK, I admit to liking Chick-Fil-A. I even like their ads, but only when I am in the mall with my daughter can I eat there. And these days, she likes the salad place--can't recall the name, but for a ton of $$ they make you a salad with whatever you want on it. If you're there anyway...
Finally, even though I am a southerner, I just can't do chicken for breakfast. Ham and bacon, yes. Chicken, no. Do I get penalized three "ya'lls?"
richopp at 11:03AM on 07/27/09
Fast food or not, I adore Subway's $5 footlongs. I make about 3 meals out of it and enjoy every minute. The BLT is best for me - just enough bacon to be there but not so much junky deli meat to give me heartburn. And I pile it high with veggies. Vegetables people!! What other fast food gives you that??
jdshd at 12:57PM on 07/27/09
It's shameful but I love the tuna salad sandwiches at Subway/Quiznos... pretty much any place where it was prepared in a vat. It's the only way I like it, actually, I don't care for the fancy version with recognizable tuna in it.
My most guilty fast food pleasure is Taco Bell. It's just so... melty and mind boggling cheap. Two bean burritos, nachos (the ones where you just get a little cup of "cheese"), and a caramel apple empanada. I believe it comes in at under $3. Would have starved to death in grad school without Taco Bell.
annet at 7:23PM on 07/27/09