How Sub in a Tub Actually Started
This wasn't originally a printed menu item. For years it circulated as something regulars requested and staff simply knew how to make, the kind of thing you'd only find out about if someone told you, similar in spirit to how people talk about a "secret menu" without there being one on paper. The Takeout covered it as a low-carb "menu hack" rather than an official offering, and more recent coverage suggests it's become a formally recognized option at most locations, even if it's still not always printed on the board. If you're curious what else falls into that same word-of-mouth category, our secret menu guide covers the other customizations people ask for that aren't on the printed board either.
Search interest in this one picked up noticeably after it started circulating on TikTok, with people filming their order and reacting to how close it tastes to the real sandwich minus the bread. That's part of why so many copycat recipe versions exist online now, the format is simple enough that home cooks picked it up and ran with it once it went viral, even though Jersey Mike's itself never published or promoted an official version.
Practically, none of that changes how you order it. Whether or not your local store has it listed, asking for any sub "in a tub" is a completely normal request that staff know how to handle.
How to Order One, Step by Step
You don't have to order this in person. Customers consistently describe selecting a "bowl" option from the size or format dropdown when building a sub in the Jersey Mike's app, which applies the same no-bread swap without needing to explain it to staff. Ordering this way through the app also still earns Shore Points normally, same as any other order.
Is It Actually Right for You?
"Low-carb option" gets thrown around a lot, but different people want a tub for different reasons. Here's how to think about it based on what you're actually trying to do:
Cutting Carbs
Bread is the single largest carb source on any sub, so removing it makes a real difference. Mike's Way dressing (oil and red wine vinegar) adds essentially no carbs on its own.
Avoiding Gluten
This is the safest option on the menu for that specific goal, safer than a wrap, since there's no tortilla or bread anywhere in the build. Cross-contact from shared equipment is still worth asking about if it's a serious allergy.
Just Want Something Lighter
Even without a strict diet goal, skipping the roll cuts a meaningful amount of calories from any sub, especially the heavier combo subs like Club Supreme or the Big Kahuna.
Meal Prepping
A tub holds up better than a sandwich if you're not eating it right away. Ask for the dressing on the side so the lettuce doesn't wilt before you're ready to eat.
What About the Exact Numbers?
You'll find specific calorie and carb figures floating around for Sub in a Tub, and they don't always agree with each other. One number that circulates a lot online is around 440 calories and 42 grams of protein, but that figure comes from one specific build (an Original Italian, extra meat, dressing withheld) rather than the format in general. Change the sub, the size, or how much dressing you get, and that number moves. That's because the total depends heavily on which sub you order, how much dressing goes on, and whether the count is for a Mini, Regular, or Giant portion of fillings, and portion size is worth understanding on its own, our Regular vs Giant breakdown covers how much the fillings actually scale between sizes. Removing the bread reliably cuts a significant amount either way, but we're not going to hand you a single number that might not match your actual order.
Making Your Own Sub in a Tub at Home
Jersey Mike's doesn't publish an official recipe for this one, since it's a format rather than a specific menu item, but that also makes it genuinely easy to recreate. The whole idea is simple: take any sub's fillings, skip the bread, and build it in a bowl instead. Here's the base version, using the same real components already covered above, nothing invented for this section:
- Base: shredded iceberg lettuce, on the bottom or mixed through, your choice
- Protein: your choice of deli meats, sliced thin the way a sub would come, ham, turkey, salami, or a combination
- Cheese: provolone is the classic pairing, sliced rather than shredded
- Vegetables: diced tomato, sliced red onion, banana peppers if you like heat
- Dressing: red wine vinegar and olive oil blend, a pinch of dried oregano and salt, this is the same combination behind "Mike's Way"
For a hot version, warm the meat and cheese separately (a skillet or a few seconds in the microwave works) before layering everything over the cold lettuce, similar to how the in-store hot version keeps the base cool while the protein stays warm. This isn't a copycat of a secret formula, it's genuinely just the sandwich without the bread, which is exactly why it's easy to reproduce accurately at home.
If you specifically want to recreate the dressing itself, the honest answer is that the exact ratio isn't published, and copycat recipes online don't agree with each other, some land close to three parts oil to one part vinegar, others use closer to equal parts. Start around three parts olive oil (or an olive oil and canola oil blend) to one part red wine vinegar with a pinch of oregano and salt, then adjust to taste, since that range covers most of what's out there rather than one single "correct" number. We also found no indication Jersey Mike's sells this dressing bottled to take home, it appears to be an in-store-only component rather than a retail product, so making your own is currently the only way to get it outside a store visit.
Sub in a Tub vs. a Wrap
Both get positioned as the "lighter" way to order, but they're not solving the same problem.
| Format | Removes Bread? | Gluten-Free? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub in a Tub | Yes, entirely | Safest option on the menu | Carb-cutting, gluten avoidance |
| Wrap | No, swaps to tortilla | No, none of the tortilla options are gluten-free | Portability, eating on the go |
If gluten or total carbs is the actual concern, Sub in a Tub is the one that does something about it. A wrap is more about convenience than cutting anything out. Full breakdown on our wraps guide if you want the details on tortilla types.
Which Subs Work Best This Way
Every sub can be ordered in a tub, but some naturally translate better than others. Cold subs with a lot of shredded lettuce already in the build, like the Original Italian or Club Sub, feel closer to a proper salad once the bread's gone. Hot subs work too, but the grilled onions, peppers, and melted cheese sit differently in a bowl than they do wrapped in a warm roll, some people love that, others find hot subs better suited to bread. If it's your first time ordering a hot sub in a tub, it's worth knowing going in that the texture is genuinely different, not worse, just different. Whatever you order, a side from the sides menu or something from the drinks menu rounds it out the same way it would with a regular sub.