Jersey Mike’s Secret Menu: Real Hacks, Sourced
What People Actually Mean by “Secret Menu”
Jersey Mike’s builds every sub to order from a short list of components, meats, cheeses, breads, toppings, sauces, which means a huge number of combinations are technically orderable even though only a fraction are printed on the board. That flexibility is where “secret menu” content comes from. It’s real in the sense that you can order these things. It’s not real in the sense of a hidden menu with official names, most of the catchy names floating around online were invented by whoever posted about it first, not by the brand.
Team-Endorsed
The Sub Swap
Order different subs across your group, then split halves so everyone gets to try more than one. The Takeout reported that Jersey Mike’s own team came up with and suggested this exact approach themselves, in response to all the secret-menu hype online, rather than approving something customers invented first. That’s arguably a better story than a customer hack going viral: the brand built its own answer to the trend. Order a #13 Original Italian and a #17 Mike’s Famous Philly between two people and you’ve covered a cold sub and a hot sub in one sitting.
Widely Reported, Free Customizations
Portobello Instead of Steak
Most locations carry portobello mushrooms as a topping and can swap them in for the steak on any cheesesteak, at no extra charge. It’s a genuine way to get a vegetarian hot sub on something that wouldn’t normally qualify, ask for it on the Big Kahuna Cheese Steak or Mike’s Famous Philly build specifically.
Rosemary Parmesan Bread on a Cold Sub
Rosemary parmesan is available as a bread option at many locations but rarely gets requested outside of specific hot sub builds. Asking for it on a Club Sub or Turkey and Provolone is a small swap that noticeably changes the flavor without changing the price.
Mike’s Way on a Hot Sub
Mike’s Way, onions, lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar, oregano, isn’t standard on hot subs the way it is on cold ones. It’s a normal, free request, and the vinegar cutting through a grilled cheesesteak is a genuine flavor combination worth trying at least once.
The Cuban-Style Build
Combine prosciutto, capicola, and ham with swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, toasted if you want it warm. Different sources describe this starting from different base subs, some build it off the Original Italian, others off a different combo sub, and they don’t fully agree with each other on the exact starting point or whether swiss replaces provolone entirely. What’s consistent across all of them is the ingredient combination itself, so that’s the part worth trusting here: ask for those specific ingredients by name rather than a specific sub number, and confirm swiss cheese is in stock at your location before committing to it.
Turkey Bacon Ranch
Take the base of the Turkey and Provolone, add bacon, and finish with ranch instead of Mike’s Way. It’s a simpler combo than it sounds, and it consistently shows up in customer roundups as one of the easiest hacks to describe to staff since it’s really just two add-ons on an existing sub.
Extra Chipotle Mayo on the Big Kahuna
The Big Kahuna Cheese Steak already brings real heat from jalapenos and mushrooms. Asking for a heavier hand with the chipotle mayo, rather than a separate sauce, pushes it further without changing the actual build. A small ask, but it’s the kind of detail regulars know to request and first-timers usually don’t.
Customer Favorites, Upcharge Applies
Double Meat
Available on any sub, but unlike the free swaps above, this one costs extra, the exact amount varies by location and which sub you’re building on. Worth knowing going in so it doesn’t feel like a bait and switch at the register.
Real Menu Options That Get Mistaken for Secrets
A few things that regularly show up in “secret menu” lists online aren’t hacks at all, they’re standard, permanent menu options that just aren’t loudly advertised. Worth knowing the difference:
- Sub in a Tub, any sub served over lettuce with no bread, often the single most-mentioned “secret” item, but it’s a genuine standing option, not a hidden trick.
- Wraps, any sub rolled in a tortilla instead of on bread, same situation, real and standing, just under-promoted on the menu board.